Chapter 148

He browsed online comments about "Where Has All the Time Gone."

Cheng Chen left a comment on his blog, slowly typing:

"Seventy years is rare since ancient times; ten years are youth, ten years are old age.

Of the fifty years in between, half are taken by sun, moon, and stars, leaving twenty-five.

After accounting for the suffering of colds and fevers, how many happy days remain?

How much time is left to spend with our parents?"

As soon as the comment was posted, it triggered a flood of replies.

"Big Boss still awake? Just came off the Spring Festival Gala stage, right? Hard work!"

"Well said! This year's Gala, Big Boss's song was the best and most touching!"

"Cheng Chen's work, always top quality! Big Boss is awesome!"

"Honestly, this song gets more impressive the more you listen.

The lyrics are simple, the emotions subtle—it's the most moving song I've heard in years!"

"Big Boss's summary really brought tears to my eyes. No more talking—I'm buying a ticket home to be with my parents!"

As he kept refreshing the comment section, Cheng Chen smiled contentedly…

The next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Cheng Chen, as usual, turned on his phone and replied to each New Year's greeting message from friends.

Then, under Shi Qiang's ride, he headed to the airport to fly back home for the holiday.

The airport's large screens were filled with flight information; side screens displayed numerous ads.

Among them, Cheng Chen saw a familiar scene: the TV drama "Huan Zhu Ge Ge 3: Heaven and Earth" was currently airing on Mango TV.

"Let us live together in this mortal world, free and easy, galloping side by side through the bustle of life."

If the first two installments portrayed youth, romance, and heaven,

then "Huan Zhu Ge Ge 3" portrayed earth, everyday life.

The protagonists now had more troubles, forced to confront the bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy realities of life.

Of course, though deeper and more grounded in reality,

some character designs still left viewers speechless—especially the character Xiao Yan Zi.

Huang Yi's acting was solid, but how could she turn Xiao Yan Zi into a doormat?

Still, as a Qiong Yao production, as the finale of the "Huan Zhu" trilogy, its level of attention far surpassed the first two.

Cheng Chen stood and watched the promotional video for "Huan Zhu" for a while, then lost interest.

He bundled himself up tightly and boarded the plane as Shi Qiang waved goodbye.

This time, Cheng Chen didn't bring a mountain of luggage like last time.

It was already 2004; all four major couriers—S. F., STO, YTO, and ZTO—were fully operational.

Though their management systems weren't as mature or convenient as in the future, they were still quite practical.

He packed everything he bought and sent it via Shunfeng Express; he'd pick it up at the county town—far easier than checking baggage on the plane.

Throughout the journey, Cheng Chen kept himself tightly wrapped up; after sleeping on the plane, he arrived in Yang City.

Then he took a hired car back to Nan County—though he had to transfer once, his light luggage made it no trouble.

Upon reaching the county town, Cheng Chen followed the address his father sent and walked toward the family's shop.

"Guang Liang Wen Ju—what a name… sounds like an eyeglass store."

Looking at the shop's name, Cheng Chen muttered under his breath.

Still, opening an eyeglass store… would be a decent investment.

It doesn't require high expertise, and it's guaranteed profit.

Over the past two years, as time passed, teenagers' academic pressure grew heavier.

All kinds of electronic devices emerged, damaging students' eyesight—making glasses indispensable.

In the future, the most profitable medical fields were dentistry, ophthalmology, and cosmetic surgery.

"Are you Cheng Zi?"

A man stepped out of the shop—it was Cheng Chen's father, Cheng Mingliang, followed by his uncle, Cheng Mingguang.

Cheng Chen took off his glasses and mask and said:

"Dad, Uncle, it's me."

"Oh my, you're finally back! Your mom, grandpa, grandma, and aunt keep calling every few minutes—"

"Look, here it comes again!"

His father, Cheng Mingliang, held a mobile phone, dressed in a casual down jacket, looking every bit a big boss.

Lingdian Reading God (Kanshu Wang)

"Hello! I'm here! Just arrived—I'm heading home right now!"

His father shouted into the phone; his uncle chuckled and walked over to take Cheng Chen's backpack.

His father and uncle had come to the county town specifically to pick him up.

"Let's go—they're all waiting anxiously at home. Your aunts, their families—they're all there, just waiting for the big star to return."

His father hung up and smiled.

His uncle, carrying the backpack, walked straight into the shop and pulled out a hand-crank.

Soon, the alley echoed with the roar of an engine.

As a wisp of black smoke drifted away, his uncle drove up on a tricycle, utterly cool.

"Cheng Zi, hop on!"

Uncle gave a mighty wave of his hand, calling out to Cheng Chen.

"Dad, you said on the phone we bought a car… is this it?"

Cheng Chen pointed incredulously at the old-fashioned tricycle roaring before him.

This kind of tricycle was especially popular in the countryside; the front seat was for the driver, and the rear bed could carry cargo or people.

Any family that owned such a tricycle was unquestionably a symbol of wealth.

During busy farming season, every household needed such a tricycle to haul grain from the fields.

The driver often got free meals—and even cash!

The drawback? No roof—360° open-air windows, intimate contact with nature, incredibly cool.

And the shaking—yeah, later three-cylinder vehicles were mocked for shaking badly; this single-cylinder one shook violently!

"It's definitely this vehicle—it's helped us out a lot! The old and young in our village are all jealous of you and your uncle."

Dad climbed nimbly into the rear bed and smiled at his son.

Cheng Chen nodded helplessly—he'd ridden this thing plenty as a kid, but now he had to ride it back home…

From the county town to the rural hometown was at least fifty li, and it was winter…

When they arrived, Cheng Chen was so frozen he stood there stunned, nose running in thick streams; luckily he'd brought back a down jacket.

Though it kept out some cold, it wasn't thick enough—the biting wind slipped in, strand by strand, into his body.

As for Uncle, he wore a motorcycle helmet and two layers of thick military overcoat, looking utterly cool.

As soon as Cheng Chen stepped out of the vehicle, he was surrounded by relatives big and small, with villagers who'd come to see the celebrity.

The scene was lively indeed.

But Cheng Chen, frozen and shivering, kept sneezing, his face pale, trembling where he stood.

Those forty or fifty li, plus the tricycle's violent shaking and howling wind, left his head buzzing.

After greeting everyone, Cheng Chen was forcibly led back to his room by his mother, Lu Ling.

First, get under the covers to warm up.

Meanwhile, Grandma brought over ginger soup.

After about thirty minutes, Cheng Chen's body finally recovered.

Wrapped in his quilt, he stepped out and, just at the door, heard Grandpa and Grandma yelling.

"You two are really capable! Others can't even eat enough, but you two can't finish what you've got!"

Why not just take a taxi home? Why show off your damn old tricycle?

Fifty or sixty li in winter, and you made the kid endure the wind the whole way! Are you both brain-dead?"

Grandpa, holding his tobacco pipe, pointed at Dad and Uncle.

"I say you two are stupid! You insisted on picking up the kid, and now he's frozen solid—is that what you wanted?

I say this vehicle shouldn't be driven at all—during the New Year, the roads are crowded; what if you hit someone?"

Grandma chimed in beside him.

Hearing Grandma's words, Uncle and Dad immediately begged:

"No, Mom! We need the vehicle during the New Year—it's useful everywhere!"

We'll use it when visiting relatives, when going to market.

We'll need it to drop off relatives—how can you forbid us from driving it?"

"I just think you two are irresponsible—driving is just trouble!"

Grandma scolded, face stern.

By the way, this kind of tricycle didn't require a driver's license; in the countryside, you just grabbed it and drove.

As long as you knew how to brake, even if you couldn't drive, you'd learn after a day's practice.

"No…"

The brothers groaned in protest.

Cheng Chen stood at the door, smiling as he watched the scene.

Compared to his past life, this family had improved tremendously.

In his past life, their family had no presence in the village.

Especially after the village chief forcibly seized their foundation land, nearly everyone in the village could trample on them.

Grandpa and Grandma were seriously ill; Dad and Mom couldn't leave, stuck tending their single mu of land, facing the soil with their backs to the sky.

He himself was barely managing in the big city, unable to care for his family.

That's why, when Grandpa passed away, he never got to see him one last time…

The afternoon passed in the relaxed atmosphere of Grandpa and Grandma scolding Dad and Uncle.

Meanwhile, his younger siblings finally got the chance to approach their celebrity big brother.

The signed photo and album of Jie Lun he'd promised his cousin last time were now given out.

His teenage cousin, however, quietly pulled Cheng Chen aside and whispered: "Is Wang Siyi's mouth soft?"

Apparently, the cousin had watched "The Great Dyeing Workshop" and was obsessed with the woman who played Pan Jinlian.

Cheng Chen nodded, saying it was okay.

Then he turned and told his uncle-in-law what the cousin had asked.

The uncle-in-law flew into a rage and gave the cousin a harsh scolding for failing his final exams.

"That…"

After scolding the cousin, the uncle-in-law rubbed his hands and approached Cheng Chen, embarrassed:

"That… Pan Jinlian… do you have a signed photo?"

Cheng Chen lowered his head in thought, considering whether to tell his second aunt about this.

"Ding ling ling."

The phone rang; Cheng Chen glanced at the caller ID—it was Wang Tianxiao.

"Manager Cheng, happy New Year to you."

Wang Tianxiao sounded in good spirits.

"Manager Wang, you're too kind—I wish you a happy New Year too."

"I couldn't possibly deserve that—if I didn't call you to wish you a happy New Year, I bet you wouldn't even think of me. Ah, how heartbreaking!"

"Don't give me that—I didn't wish anyone a happy New Year at all, okay? I've got a real headache, you know."

"Every year I'm bombarded with messages—I'm sure you've gotten plenty of calls too. A text message is enough; why call so early?"

Cheng Chen said with a smile.

In truth, calling to wish someone a happy New Year is just a matter of politeness.

The person you're calling to wish well might be wishing someone else at the same time.

Between wishing and being wished, between making calls and answering them, fatigue is always easy to build up.

It's better to wait a while before calling—not only does it let others rest, but it also leaves a deeper impression.

"I can't argue with you. By the way, have you seen the news?"

Wang Tianxiao suddenly said.

"Big sister, I'm back in my hometown—here, aside from the signal, I can't get any information at all. Totally cut off from the world. What's new lately?"

Cheng Chen asked curiously.

"The song you sang on the Spring Festival Gala, 'Time Where Did Time Go,' has become a massive hit."

"It's said that today, because of your song, many more return-home train tickets were sold."

"This would have been nearly impossible in recent years."

"After all, the New Year's already passed—those who didn't go home at year-end wouldn't go now."

"But unexpectedly, there's been a sudden reversal."

"According to reporters' on-site interviews, the reason they returned home after the holiday was that after hearing your song, they all wanted to go back and spend time with their elders."

"Uh… so does that mean the railway department is going to award me?"

Cheng Chen exclaimed in surprise, then said.

Wang Tianxiao was speechless on the other end:

"They've got more work because of you—they'd be lucky if they didn't curse you."

"By the way, there's another particularly interesting thing."

"This morning, all major newspapers ran stories saying that a criminal who had been on the run for over three years heard your song."

"He was instantly moved, and voluntarily turned himself in at the local police station."

"According to his confession, he wanted to get out early to be with his family…"

"No way… that's insane!"

Cheng Chen said, unable to believe it.

A song that moved a criminal to turn himself in? That sounded like pure fantasy.

But Cheng Chen was stunned for a moment, then returned to normal.

He'd once saved a life with a single song—now, a song making a criminal turn himself in wasn't that exaggerated.

"Not only that—this song has now sparked widespread discussion."

"Beyond the themes of family ties implied by the lyrics, many people lamented, 'Time where did time go?'"

"Before they knew it, they were middle-aged; before they knew it, another year had passed."

The Spring Festival Gala's influence was enormous—not only did its performances generate topics among viewers, but especially among the young, it spread like ripples.

After the Gala aired, topics related to it absolutely dominated the spotlight.

Cheng Chen's 'Time Where Did Time Go' had a fresh format, top-tier lyrics and melody, and was performed with heartfelt emotion by Cheng Chen himself.

Undoubtedly, it became the most unforgettable and deeply moving performance of this year's Spring Festival Gala.

And Cheng Chen's "Time Where Did Time Go" featured an innovative format, first-class lyrics and melody, and was sung with deep feeling by Cheng Chen himself.

How should one live Renshen?

Time where did time go?

In streets and alleys, warming the old and helping the poor—where should people truly go?

This was not only a celebration among Cheng Chen's fans, but also sparked discussion among scholars and members of society at large.

It had clearly become a cultural phenomenon, and at the same time, Cheng Chen's name once again became household.

He re-entered the public eye, especially since this song had drawn the attention of the railway department.

It even caused a criminal to turn himself in voluntarily—adding an even greater sense of drama and legend…

It once again entered the public eye, and what was especially noteworthy was that this song actually attracted the attention of the railway department.

It could even make a criminal suspect turn themselves in voluntarily, adding an extra touch of drama and legend…

……