TL: Etude
Struggling to sit up in bed, Chen Jianghai felt as if his head were about to explode.
"Where... where is this?"
He rubbed his head and looked around at the decrepit brick and tile room before him. It seemed vaguely familiar.
Hadn't he gotten drunk in the shop just yesterday? How had he ended up here?
Could this be a dream?
Just as Chen Jianghai was lost in thought, the wooden door of the room was pushed open, and a young woman entered.
She was tall, with pigtails, large doe-like eyes, a cute nose, fair skin, and full, rosy lipsâreminiscent of the once-famous beauty, Zhou Huimin.
"Wan...Wanqiu!"
Chen Jianghai incredulously widened his eyes and uttered her name, staring at the woman before him.
"You're awake? Breakfast is ready; I'm off to work."
With that, the woman picked up a grey jacket and made for the door.
"Wanqiu, don't go!"
Chen Jianghai instinctively shouted.
The woman's body stiffened ever so slightly.
"I...I have only a few pennies on me, but take it!"
She rummaged through her pocket and threw a couple of crumpled banknotes on the table. A shadow of sadness flickered across her eyes as she left without turning back.
By the time she had walked out, Chen Jianghai snapped to his senses and abruptly jumped out of bed.
By the time he stumbled out to chase after her, she had already gone far.
"Is that really Wanqiu?"
"Am I dreaming?"
His face flushed with emotion, Chen Jianghai mumbled to himself.
Lin Wanqiu was Chen Jianghai's wife and was renowned for her beauty in the surrounding towns and villages.
Initially, they had married because Lin Wanqiu's father was seriously ill and urgently needed a large sum for surgery.
Introduced by a matchmaker, the Chen family gave a generous dowry to the Lin family, and Lin Wanqiu was brought home as a bride.
Hoping to make big money and be his own boss, Chen Jianghai was not interested in taking up a regular job after their marriage. No amount of persuasion changed his mind.
Lin Wanqiu had no choice but to silently bear the burden, supporting the household alone and hoping that one day Chen Jianghai would settle down and stop being so restless.
Eventually, Chen Jianghai's business failed, plunging them into debt. Lin Wanqiu stuck by him, enduring the hardship of sleeping in makeshift shelters and eating dry, hard bread.
Just as Chen Jianghai had come to his senses, securing a job in a factory to support the family and their life began to improve, Lin Wanqiu fell seriously ill due to long-term stress and strain, and quietly passed away.
The tragedy filled Chen Jianghai with endless regret. Yet what was done could not be undone.
Realizing his errors, he left his hometown, the place of heartbreak. He abandoned dreams of being a boss and went to work in a big city. Yet, in the quiet of the night, he would drown his sorrows in alcohol, weeping for his past deeds.
"Wanqiu, you must still resent me, allowing me only a glimpse of you even in my dreams."
Chen Jianghai gave a wretched smile and fiercely pounded his fist on the worn-out wooden table.
"Ah!"
A piercing pain shot through him, and he couldn't help but shake his hand in agony.
After shaking a few times, Chen Jianghai momentarily forgot his pain. He stared dumbfoundedly at his now slightly swollen right hand.
It hurt, it really hurt. But could one feel pain in a dream?
Could it be, this is not a dream!
With that thought, he immediately pushed open the door and stepped outside. A blinding light greeted him, forcing him to shield his eyes.
After adjusting, Chen Jianghai lowered his hand and looked back at his nearly empty house.
His eyes finally settled on the calendar behind the door.
July 24, 1991âa very ordinary day, and also the second year after he had married Lin Wanqiu.
He had returned. He was truly back in the past.
Chen Jianghai was overwhelmed with emotion, but when he thought of his previous actions and the despairing look in Lin Wanqiu's eyes at the hospital, he couldn't help but fiercely slap himself in the face.
"Chen Jianghai, you're really not human!"
Gritting his teeth, Chen Jianghai looked out of the window and said with unwavering conviction, "Wanqiu, don't worry. In this lifetime, I live for just three words: Lin Wanqiu! I will never let you suffer any more grievances or hardships!"
Taking a deep breath to suppress the urge to visit Lin Wanqiu at the factory, Chen Jianghai returned to his room. Rolling up his sleeves, he thoroughly cleaned the disorganized room.
Though the house was rundown, it looked much more comfortable after the cleaning.
After drinking the light brown barley porridge on the table, Chen Jianghai left his room and entered the small kitchen next door, built with asbestos tiles.
Lifting the lid off the rice container, he found only a shallow layer of rice remaining. Only a few pieces of coal were left as well.
Chen Jianghai knew all too well the reason for this dire situation: his own negligence had led to difficult times for his household.
The thought of earning money to give Wanqiu a better life became even more resolute in Chen Jianghai's mind.
Putting on a coat, Chen Jianghai walked out of the courtyard and onto the street.
Linghai (place in China) at this time was still a small county town. There were no towering skyscrapers lining the streets; instead, the landscape was filled with small single-story houses. The ground was uneven cement, and the sky remained a vivid blue.
Walking along, he noticed that there were not many shops, and the selection of goods was limited, reflecting an era that was still emerging.
Chen Jianghai also spotted a nearly extinct business: a cobbler's stall.
From a distance, the tunes of the Little Tiger Team's songs floated in the air: "String your heart, my heart, together..."
"Huh, why did it suddenly go silent?"
A voice from the side caught Chen Jianghai's attention.
Turning his head, he saw an elderly man with white hair sitting at his doorstep, frowning as he fiddled with a radio.
Seeing this, Chen Jianghai's eyes lit up.
In his previous life, Chen Jianghai had been an appliance repairman. After the millennium, he had even owned an appliance repair shop. His skill was unparalleled, earning him the title of Master Chen.
Fixing a radio for him was effortless.
Though it was not a lucrative job in the future, at this moment, it was a good way to make moneyâabsolutely a skilled trade.
What reflected the changes of an era?
Undoubtedly, it was a part of the "Big Four" of wedding gifts.
In the 50s and 60s, the Big Four consisted of a bicycle, a watch, a radio, and a sewing machine. After economic reforms, as people's pockets filled with money, the list changed to a color TV, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a tape recorder. All household appliances.
Radios, once a precious commodity, had now become a must-have item for information in every household.
The higher the usage, the higher the rate of breakdowns.
In this era, people couldn't afford to discard these items and had to repair them for further use.
Appliance repair was indeed a refined skill in this era, requiring expertise in the construction principles and repair methods of electrical appliances.
Chen Jianghai felt that he had finally found a way to put his skills to use.
"Grandpa, is your radio broken?" Chen Jianghai stepped forward and asked with a smile.
The elderly man glanced at him and nodded, "Yes, it was fine just last night. I don't know what happened."
Chen Jianghai smiled, "Grandpa, how about I take a look for you?"
"You know how to repair it?" Doubt filled the old man's eyes.
Chen Jianghai calmly replied, "Yes, I do. However, if I can fix it, there will be a small repair fee. Is that okay?"
"Fine, if you fix it well, I'll give you... fifty cents!" The old man hesitated briefly before extending his hand.
Chen Jianghai shook his head, "Grandpa, isn't fifty cents a bit too little?"
"What? Fifty cents is too little for you? Why don't you go rob someone?" The old man raised his eyebrows.
Chen Jianghai calmly responded, "Grandpa, a brand-new radio costs at least forty or fifty yuan. Can you afford to buy a new one?"
Before the old man could answer, Chen Jianghai continued, "If you take it for repair, they will at least charge you two or three yuan. How about this: I'll take a look first. If I can fix it, you only need to give me one yuan. How does that sound?"
In 1991, the average monthly income was just a mere two to three hundred yuan.
This was still the case for the working class in big cities.
For smaller cities or rural areas, the income was even less.
Therefore, buying a new radio would be a significant expense for a household.
Chen Jianghai's words completely ended the old man's haggling.
"Fine! One yuan it is. But if you can't fix it, don't expect a cent from me!" The old man nodded in agreement.
------
For announcements or to report mistakes, please join my Discord: https://discord.gg/2sZy2YcYSBÂ