Chapter 1: Opening: Dumping the Green‑Tea Bitch

"Iron Boss, Electric Second, Oil Third, you don't need me to tell you how awesome the Railway Ministry is, right?"

"Leaving the fine railway system untouched, they actually want to give the recruitment quota to a woman."

"When Lu Cheng, this Wang Baduzi, comes back, see if I don't cut off his lackey!"

Inside a courtyard house in the Capital City, Lu Beitang paced back and forth in anger.

Chen Xianglan glared: "Don't insult my son; if he's a Wang Baduzi, then what are you!"

Lu Beitang returned the glare: "It's all because of you! This kid does nothing all day but chase after pick‑up artists; what future could he possibly have?"

Chen Xianglan sighed; this time her son Lu Cheng really went too far.

Xu Erye used his connections to get him a recruitment quota, so he wouldn't have to go down to the countryside for the queue; what a great thing.

But that brat ran off early in the morning, leaving a letter saying he was willing to go down to the countryside as an educated youth and even give the recruitment quota to a girl named Li Huiying.

……

In November 1975, Si Jiu Cheng was about to enter the bitter winter.

Lu Cheng, his head spinning, looked at everything around him, feeling an unreal illusion.

Under the grayish sky, the buildings were low and dilapidated, and people's clothes were plain—only gray, blue, and army green.

Everything looked like a yellowed old photograph, lacking reality.

At that moment, a fried dough stick suddenly appeared before Lu Cheng's face.

Looking up, Lu Cheng felt it was familiar—it wasn't… Li Huiying, the green‑tea bitch.

"What are you standing there for? Eat it quickly; I'm even reluctant to eat it myself, I bought it especially for you."

"Lu Cheng, you promised me you'd give the recruitment quota to me; a male comrade must keep his word, otherwise I'll look down on you, hehe."

"Recruitment quota?"

Lu Cheng unconsciously took a bite of the fried dough stick, then looked at the period‑style side‑store, where many people were queuing to buy daily supplies.

Lu Cheng had to admit that he had been reborn.

Moreover, it was 1975, when the Railway Ministry had split from the Ministry of Transport, directly under the central government, with its minister at ministerial rank.

The Railway Ministry was truly formidable—how formidable?

Besides having communications, hospitals, and schools, it had its own judicial system—Public Security Bureau, Procuratorate, courts—a One‑stop Service.

No matter how powerful your other departments are, do they have judicial authority?

The Railway Ministry's public security, procuratorate, and courts were not subordinate to local authorities; you could say that wherever the railway is concerned, the Railway Ministry has the final say.

That year, the Railway Ministry was expanding and needed to recruit; countless people were scrambling to get into the railway system.

Xu Erye, who was Lu Cheng's Master, put his old face on the line and secured a Train Police quota on the Capital City railway segment for Lu Cheng.

Unfortunately, Lu Cheng fell in love with a girl, namely Comrade Li Huiying standing before him.

The woman exuded flirtatious charm in every gesture.

Especially those seductive fox‑like eyes; even Lu Cheng, who had dated eight girls, was left restless and haunted.

Because the woman knew how to tease and retreat, she had Lu Cheng firmly in her grip.

Whenever Lu Cheng, with good intentions, tried to get close to her, she would act indifferent, with an air of aloofness.

But when you felt discouraged and tried to distance yourself, she would deliberately lean in, making you unable to pull away.

Girls these days are quite simple; as long as they're bold enough to put on a pretentious act and toss out a few coquettish lines, they'll hit the mark every time.

Lu Cheng considered himself a lover's expert, yet he had never even touched Li Huiying's hand.

Anyone listening, don't mock him; in this era, touching a hand is tantamount to making love later on.

In short, no one knows what love potion Li Huiying used, but Lu Cheng was utterly bewildered.

The more Li Huiying acted that way, the more the proud Lu Cheng wanted to obtain her.

In this life, there isn't a woman Lu Cheng can't get.

For that, he was even willing to give up the precious recruitment quota, promising to give it to Li Huiying.

In his previous life, he indeed did that.

To win Li Huiying's heart, he willingly went down to the countryside as a glorious educated youth comrade.

Rolling in mud, forging a red heart, the days in Beidahuang were unbearably harsh.

But no matter how bitter it was, he endured it, because Li Huiying promised him that after he returned to the city, she would definitely marry him.

Who could have guessed that the filthy bitch, after he had been in the queue for two months, would hastily marry the son of a high‑ranking official's family.

Lu Cheng was heavily crushed; after finally offering his sincere heart, the woman played him.

In his melancholy, he stopped earning work points in Beidahuang and often drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

Beidahuang's winters were extremely cold; freezing to death was a common occurrence.

One time Lu Cheng got drunk, and a White‑Furred Wind blew; the lost him, and he collapsed asleep in a snowdrift.

He didn't freeze to death because his sister's close friend found him, unbuttoned his Cotton‑padded Jacket, and pressed her bare chest against him to warm his body.

But when he came to, his sister's friend had already lost all warmth and was buried in Beidahuang.

That became a lifelong pain in Lu Cheng's heart.

Later, after the college entrance exam was reinstated, he passed the police academy and was assigned as a small precinct chief in a remote town of He Province.

When retired, he would often dance Social Dance with elderly women; because his dancing was outstanding, they all wanted to have children with him.

He recalled that after dancing, he passed a blood‑donation charity vehicle, intending to donate the standard 200 cc, but the young nurse, seeing his good health, forced him to give 1000 cc.

He collapsed on the street after a few steps, and no one dared to help him.

When he came to again, he had returned to 1975.

……

"Lu Cheng, why aren't you speaking? When you stay silent, it makes people's hearts feel uneasy."

Lu Cheng finally came to his senses, let out a cold snort, and said, "Fuck your mother!"

I was so good to you in my past life, and you took my sincere heart and fed it to dogs.

Heh heh, I'm fine; I just think these fried dough sticks are quite tasty. Could you buy a few more for me? I want to bring some to my family.

Li Huiying's face displayed her trademark coquettish smile, and she lightly tapped Lu Cheng's chest with a small fist.

"So annoying! I thought you had changed your mind."

"Lu Cheng, do you know what I like most about you? You're very filial, so you'll surely be good to my younger brothers and sisters in the future."

When she brings up her younger siblings, Li Huiying deliberately adopts a pitiful look, making others unable to help feeling sympathy.

"Lu Cheng, you know my family has many younger siblings and they often go hungry. This time the Street Office assigned me to go down to the countryside for a work team. If I leave, what will happen to those brothers and sisters of mine?"

In his past life, Lu Cheng's heart softened when he saw the pitiful Li Huiying.

In this life, Lu Cheng's face is as calm as still water.

Whether your siblings are alive or dead is none of my business.

I'm not your father; do I have any duty to take care of your siblings?

Lu Cheng bit into a fried dough stick: "Hmm, this fried dough stick smells great. Could you buy a few more? I haven't had enough."

Li Huiying pretended not to hear, lowered her head, still looking pitiful.

"Lu Cheng, I know you like me, and rest assured, once you give me the job vacancy, I will wait for you to return, then marry you. As for your parents, I will also take care of them, so you can go without worry."

Lu Cheng, chewing the fried dough stick, said, "Don't even bring it up, the fried dough stick is just delicious now. Could you buy a few more? My parents haven't had breakfast yet."

Li Huiying looked up, and seeing Lu Cheng still not addressing the job vacancy, she instantly grew a little impatient.

"I'm talking to you about the job vacancy, why do you keep mentioning fried dough sticks!"

See, is she still getting worked up?