Lin Laoshi opened his eyes and saw snow-white walls and a black tungsten filament light bulb hanging on the ceiling. The old and yellowed ceiling fan was turning tirelessly, making a creaking sound, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
He raised his hand, touched his head, and felt a layer of soft gauze.
"Captain Lin, you're awake. That's great. Don't move. I'll go call the doctor." The young nurse who pushed the door open was surprised to see Lin Laoshi's actions. After stopping him, she immediately ran out.
Not long after, a doctor in a white coat and black-framed glasses came in, performed a series of examinations on him, then nodded slightly and said: "Captain Lin is no longer in danger of life, but..."
"But what? Doctor, is our captain okay?" Several young men in green military uniforms, sweating profusely, ran in excitedly and asked anxiously.
The doctor frowned, glanced at them, and continued: "Captain Lin's left leg nerve is severed, which is quite serious. He may walk with a limp in the future."
As soon as these words came out, the room fell silent.
Maybe for ordinary people, a slight limp will not have a significant impact on work and life, but for soldiers, it meant the end of their career. These people joined the army when they were teenagers and had stayed in the army ever since. They didn't know anything else. If they retired before turning 30, what could they do when they went back?
The leading soldier became anxious. He wiped the sweat from his face and said eagerly: "Doctor, please think of a way. You must cure our captain. Our captain was injured during a mission. He is a hero..."
As a military doctor, he had seen countless situations like this. But what could be done? The patient's injuries were too severe—even if Hua Tuo were alive, he would be powerless to save him.
The doctor sighed and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Lin Laoshi.
"Okay, it's good enough that we can survive the explosion. Please don't make things difficult for Doctor Miao."
When he said this, his eyes were clear, his eyebrows and eyes were curved, his smile was peaceful, and he looked extremely open-minded. It was obvious that he truly believed it from the bottom of his heart, not just to comfort everyone.
Dr. Miao was extremely pleased. He patted Lin Laoshi on the shoulder and said softly, "That's the right way to think about it. No matter what position you are in, you can contribute to the cause of socialist modernization."
Lin Laoshi nodded and smiled as he saw Dr. Miao off.
Peace returned to the small ward. After a few seconds, several young soldiers hesitantly said, "Captain..."
Lin Laoshi stretched out his hand to stop them. "Alright, we're all men. It's nothing serious except life and death. I was lucky enough to survive the explosion. What else should I be unsatisfied about? You all heard what the doctor said. I'm fine. You should go back to training quickly. Whoever is lazy will be punished by running a cross-country run with weights!"
The soldiers looked at each other, but they still couldn't be as open-minded as Lin Laoshi. They all stood there and refused to leave.
Lin Laoshi narrowed his eyes and began to call out names: "Xiao Yang, Liu Daqiang, Jiang..."
"Captain Lin, I'm leaving now..." The people who were called quickly raised their hands and ran out. Those who were not called also ran quickly, fearing that they would be the next one to be called.
In just two seconds, everyone in the room left.
Lin Laoshi grinned, and now he had time to sort out the extra memories in his mind.
At present, he was the male protagonist in a story about the female protagonist's rebirth and repentance. The heroine was the original body's wife, named He Chunli. She was very beautiful and was the most popular girl in the area. Ever since she turned eighteen, the people who came to propose marriage almost broke down the threshold of the He family's house.
But in the end, this flower fell into the hands of the Lin family. Because Lin Laoshi had a promising future in the army, and also because the Lin family paid a betrothal gift of 400 yuan. This was a huge sum of money in the 1980s when the average wage per person was only a few dozen yuan.
After marriage, the two were apart more often than together, and their relationship was not particularly good. He Chunli had some complaints, especially after her younger sisters who were not as good-looking as her got married. The young couple were together every day, being sweet and caring, and she felt even more uncomfortable.
After Lin Laoshi was injured and discharged from the army, refusing the job arranged by the government and returning to his hometown to farm, her dissatisfaction reached its peak. She took the money meant for his leg treatment and eloped with Juan, the pretty boy in the village who had been trying to seduce her.
But the good times did not last long. After going south to the city and spending all his money, Juan's lazy and unproductive nature was exposed. He was idle all day long and asked He Chunli to work to support him. Even when he lost money in gambling or got upset, he would come home to vent his frustration on He Chunli, beating her until she was covered in bruises.
He Chunli couldn't stand it anymore and left him. Too ashamed to return home, she continued to wander. She had relationships with several men, but all the men she met were scum. Some just wanted to play with her, some expected her to support them, and some even wanted her to sell her body for benefits.
After decades of suffering, she developed breast cancer and had no money for treatment. Desperate, she returned to her hometown.
At this time, she was already an old woman with wrinkles all over her face, no longer as beautiful as before. She stood at the hospital door, hesitating because she had no money for hospitalization.
Just then, she saw an unexpected acquaintance—her first husband, Lin Laoshi.
But Lin Laoshi was different from the past. He was holding the hand of a middle-aged woman in a white cheongsam. The two were very intimate and happy.
Knowing that he wouldn't recognize her, He Chunli still lowered her head, fearing exposure. Just as they passed each other, she felt a sharp pain and fainted.
In the last moments of her life, she vaguely heard the nurse say that it was General Lin who saved her and paid for her hospital bills.
At that moment, He Chunli regretted everything. She realized she had mistaken fish eyes for pearls, missing a true good man, and spent her life wandering in misery.
She was reborn with this deep regret and remorse.
After being reborn, He Chunli vowed to cling to her husband, a good man, and never let go.
However, this was a **discontinued novel**. The author disappeared after writing only a third of the book, never returning. The story never progressed as He Chunli remembered. Lin Laoshi did not become successful—he remained an ordinary farmer even ten years after retirement. Naturally, He Chunli never lived the rich, glamorous life she had envisioned.
Disappointed, her dissatisfaction with Lin Laoshi grew. But when Juan, now successful, returned in a shabby little car, it shattered her completely. In her breakdown, she confessed everything about her past life and schemes. In desperation, she burned down the Lin family's house.
At that time, their six-year-old daughter was sleeping inside. Lin Laoshi rushed into the flames to save her and never came out again.
After death, Lin Laoshi's soul wished to stop He Chunli from ruining his family again.
After receiving these memories, Lin Laoshi curled his lips sarcastically.
What kind of repentance was that?
She only regretted because she had lived a miserable life. If her elopement had been successful, she wouldn't have even looked back.
At that moment, two knocks sounded at the door, followed by the nurse's voice:
"Captain Lin, your wife is here to see you."
He Chunli stood at the door, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lin Laoshi sneered internally.
This was just the beginning.