Chapter 1: Father Sends Me to Peking University

"What are you dazing off for? Get off the train quickly! Are you homesick already?" Lao Lao Lao Wei urged his son, Wei Ming.

Seeing him looking as if he had just woken up, Lao Lao Lao Wei simply picked up all the luggage: "You've studied yourself stupid. Hurry up and keep up... Hey, hey, make way in front, please..."

"Ouch! You stepped on my foot!"

"Whose big rooster is this? Catch it! It's turned into a flying chicken!"

"Don't push, don't push! My eggs are going to be crushed!"

Inside the carriage, people were pushing and shoving, the noise deafening, as if a hundred toads had been thrown into a pot of boiling water.

Looking at the back of his late father, Wei Ming chose to follow. At this moment, he felt thirty percent fear, sixty percent joy, and ninety-one percent numbness.

He was like an outsider looking in. Everything before him—his father, the passengers, the rooster, including himself—was like characters in an old black-and-white film: the pixels blurry, the clothing outdated, and the words spoken already forty years out of style.

Accompanied by the loudspeaker announcement, "The train has arrived at Yanjing Railway Station," the father and son squeezed out of the stuffy, noisy green-skinned carriage.

At this moment, the black-and-white film began to gain color; the world became vibrant and clear, and Wei Ming's soul and body were thoroughly reunited.

Looking back at the steam train still puffing smoke and the era-specific slogans at the station, he pinched himself a few times.

It hurt!

So, he had really returned to the past?!

He remembered that night at the hotel, his company was holding a celebration for the successful overseas launch and revenue generation of the short drama, "I, the Overbearing Treasure, Fell in Love with the White House Cleaner."

Ten million! And in US dollars, too!

Those traditional filmmakers who were struggling to put food on the table were green with envy, circling him, wishing they could bow down to him.

The most proactive was the foreign lead actress; because she admired his "financial talent" so much, she opened a room to continue discussing the script for the next installment.

So, one Viagra pill was all it took to get me reborn?!

Is it... 1979 now? The year of the third college entrance exam!

This year, I am 18!

Does this count as another kind of "men remain boys until death"?

At eighteen, he was incredibly formidable in every aspect!

No belly, no chubby cheeks, and plenty of hair—thick and lush!

The auntie with the braided hair next to him even snuck glances at him, which made Wei Ming feel a bit floaty, and he began to walk faster.

"You little brat, run, run, run! Don't you know how to help your old man with the luggage?" Wei Jiefang wiped his sweat.

"Dad, you stay here and don't move. I'll go buy two popsicles."

There were many people selling things on the platform—newspapers, boiled eggs, Arctic Ocean soda, various cigarettes. He asked, and popsicles were five cents each, mung bean flavored.

"It's great for cooling off. Have one!"

"Give me..."

Feeling his pockets, Wei Ming froze. A mocking voice came from behind: "Dig, keep digging~"

It was awkward. He had money, but his mother had sewn it into his underwear; digging for it in public wasn't ideal.

Then he saw Lao Lao Lao Wei triumphantly take off his rubber-soled shoe and dig out a ten-cent coin from inside.

"Give us two to cool off!" Wei Jiefang said grandly.

The popsicle seller took three; he also needed a popsicle to cool his temper. He felt he had been tainted.

"Dad, how do we get there from here?" Wei Ming asked, sucking on his popsicle and looking around, completely relying on his old man.

After all, he was a newcomer, and he had long forgotten how things worked in 1979.

Wei Jiefang, chewing on the popsicle stick, began to show off: "I've been to Yanjing several times. Old Yanjing is nothing special, just full of tunnels. We'll take that tunnel exit to leave the station."

"Dad, let me handle this." Wei Ming picked up the two bags and strode away.

Wei Jiefang chased after him, relieved: "Easy, slow down! There's liquor inside!"

Walking out of the railway station built twenty years ago, Wei Ming looked at the pair of towering clock towers behind him; they would still be there decades later, right?

Setting out on a long journey at eighteen—this was his initial impression of Yanjing.

Walking a bit further, they saw buses from various universities welcoming the '79 freshmen.

Wei Jiefang looked at them one by one: "Tsinghua... Normal University... Foreign Studies... There! The Peking University bus! Follow them!"

Peking University had two buses. They randomly boarded one, and the student in charge of reception didn't even check their admission letters.

There weren't many people on the bus yet. The father and son found two empty seats and settled in. In the front row sat a girl with above-average looks.

Soon, a boy with small eyes wearing cloth shoes boarded, scanned the area with squinted eyes, and sat next to the girl in the front row.

Once the bus started, the boy finally couldn't hold back and asked in a measured tone: "Classmate, which department are you from?"

The girl seemed to detect the unmistakable local accent in his Mandarin and smiled: "Where in Henan are you from?"

"Hey," the boy was overjoyed, "a fellow townsman! I'm from Yanjin."

"I'm from Hua County."

"Then we are true fellow townsmen!"

"Yes, close neighbors!" The girl said, "Let me introduce myself: Guo Jianmei, '79 Law Department."

"Liu Zhenyun, '78 Chinese Department."

Hearing this name, Wei Ming remained calm. He had recognized him early on; this guy hadn't changed much even after 40 years.

Guo Jianmei's reaction was much bigger: "You are Liu Zhenyun, last year's provincial liberal arts top scorer!"

Wei Ming thought to himself: You're his wife, after all. Seeing the girl's amazed expression, Liu Zhenyun straightened his back and feigned modesty: "I suppose so."

Wei Ming: Fine, laugh if you want to.

However, Guo Jianmei's next sentence made Liu Zhenyun's back slump: "Aren't non-freshmen and parents not allowed on this bus?"

Wei Ming: Uh, it seems not; at least it's not appropriate.

Liu Zhenyun just wanted to save on travel expenses, but he couldn't lose face in front of a girl.

He pointed to the boy in the front row in charge of welcoming new students: "The senior from my department insisted I get on the bus. No choice, we're that close."

Liu Zhenyun had the halo of a top scorer after all, and they were fellow townsmen, so the girl quickly overlooked this minor moral flaw, and the two chatted happily about literature.

"Do all you Chinese Department students become writers in the future?"

Liu Zhenyun: "Actually, that's a misunderstanding people have about our department. The Chinese Department doesn't produce writers; our education is aimed at cultivating literary critics. However..."

Liu Zhenyun then changed the subject, stating that his debut novel would be published soon, once again reaping a wave of admiring looks from the junior student.

In this day and age, those who dabbled in literature were indeed popular with girls.

!

Wei Ming acknowledged this. The entire 1980s could be called the best era for literature; literary magazines sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, and the people's hunger for the written word reached its peak.

"October" and "Zhong Shan," founded last year.

"Contemporary" and "Flower City" this year, as well as the resumed "Harvest."

And various provincial and municipal magazines were being launched one after another.

Those who could write could really make a name for themselves. They had status, high income, and an easy life. As long as they weren't particularly difficult to look at, let alone female college students, they could even marry female stars.

Who was the most popular female star now, anyway?

The bus headed west and then turned north. The prosperity was left behind, and Wei Ming leaned against the window, his mind wandering.

Besides stars, movies, and literature, he also thought of last year's Reform and Opening-up, and the many regrets of his past life.

Living in such a magnificent and turbulent era, he had achieved nothing in the first half of his life.

It wasn't until he entered the 21st century, wasting time until he was 40, that he finally gathered strength, reaching the peak of his life only after 60, with a net worth of over a hundred million, earning the title of "late bloomer."

But if one could bloom early, who the hell would want to bloom late?!

Seeing his son silent, Wei Jiefang assumed he was tired from the train ride, but he himself wasn't tired; he was quite energetic, even excited.

"Classmate, how much of a subsidy do you college students get a month?"

As a social butterfly, Lao Lao Lao Wei forcefully inserted himself into the conversation between the talented man and the beautiful woman. He didn't feel embarrassed at all and soon began calling Liu Zhenyun, who was also from the countryside, "nephew."

Guo Jianmei glanced subtly at Wei Ming's handsome profile, wanting to speak but feeling too shy to ask.

Until Liu Zhenyun asked the question she had in mind: "Uncle, which department is little Wei a freshman in?"

The scenery outside was becoming sparse, and Wei Ming turned his head back, listening to what Lao Lao Lao Wei would say.

Wei Jiefang said brazenly: "It's not certain which department he's in yet."

"Ah?" Liu Zhenyun was confused. Wasn't it written on the admission letter? What was there to be uncertain about?

Wei Jiefang laughed and mysteriously said, "You wouldn't understand."

Immediately, he turned his head and went to chat with the parents of the students behind him.

Liu Zhenyun's curiosity about this father and son grew even stronger; even the pretty fellow-townsman junior wasn't as attractive anymore.

He pricked up his ears and heard Lao Lao Lao Wei whispering to Wei Ming:

"Do you think the Chinese Department is better, or the Law Department is stronger?"

"If you learn a foreign language well, can you go abroad?"

"We won't go abroad even if we can. A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one's own doghouse..."

Liu Zhenyun was shocked. Could this uncle, who looked like an old farmer, have heaven-defying abilities, able to choose whichever department he wanted—Chinese, Law, or Foreign Languages?!

With this suspicion, Liu Zhenyun's radar locked onto the two of them.

After a nearly two-hour drive, they finally arrived at Peking University. Students and parents jumped off the bus excitedly, completely unbothered by the desolation of the surroundings.

At this time, across from the Ximen were large stretches of farmland and ponds; both Peking University and Tsinghua University were considered the suburbs of Yanjing.

And right in front of them was the iconic Ximen of Peking University—a famous check-in spot, with ancient architecture, plaques, and stone lions, all the elements present.

Everyone was walking inside, but Wei Jiefang and Wei Ming went in the opposite direction, carrying their luggage toward the other side of the road.

"Uncle, you're going the wrong way," Liu Zhenyun reminded them.

Wei Jiefang pointed to a garden across the street: "That's Weixiu Garden, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we're right. Hehe, we're looking for someone first. My brother is a leader at Peking University."

Wei Ming also smiled at the two of them: "We'll see each other again soon."

Guo Jianmei: He looks even better when he smiles!

After saying this, Lao Lao Lao Wei led little Wei toward the faculty and staff building of Peking University in Weixiu Garden.

Regarding this act of pulling strings, Liu Zhenyun felt a bit indignant. Can a leader's nephew do whatever he wants?

It's truly outrageous, and I'm so envious!

He curled his lips, and when he turned his head, Guo Jianmei had already left with her luggage, so he quickly took small steps to catch up.

"Hey, wait for me, junior! I'll help you with your luggage!"

Before stepping into the Ximen of Peking University, Liu Zhenyun took one last look at the backs of the father and son.

Choose whichever department you want to enter? Could it be that you are also a top scorer in the college entrance exam?

(PS: Drop the baggage and start anew. If you think this version is better than the previous one and readable, please support it. Old Buddha bows in thanks or2!)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 2 =====