Kapitel 1: Chapter 1: Rebirth
In June, under the scorching summer sun, the sound of cicadas filled the air. The sweltering afternoon heat made people extremely irritable.
Zhou Ming opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling fan above him, which creaked and swayed as if it could fall at any moment.
Is this real? Could it just be a dream? But if it's a dream, it's too real and too long.
Zhou Ming thought to himself, closing and opening his eyes repeatedly until he finally believed that he had truly been reborn.
If I really have been reborn, then that thing...
Thinking of this, Zhou Ming suddenly sat up in bed. He looked at the calendar on the wall, which clearly showed today's date: July 12th.
Today, it's today. This is the day when my father began to feel unwell. At first, he thought he had eaten something bad and didn't pay much attention to it. Later, when the pain became unbearable, he was taken to the hospital. The diagnosis was appendicitis. Back then, because the family couldn't afford the surgery, my father's appendicitis dragged on until it became perforated. Eventually, my mother managed to borrow some money, but by then, the delayed surgery had caused peritonitis and sepsis. He lasted less than a year before passing away.
That was the greatest pain of my life. If I could make money for the family at that time, my father wouldn't have let his appendicitis drag on until it became perforated, and he wouldn't have suffered for a year before dying from such a minor illness. But since I've been reborn, I will definitely make money. I won't let these things happen again!
When Zhou Ming looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination.
Without delay, Zhou Ming ran out of the house. As he passed a crossroads, he suddenly heard the ring of a bicycle bell. Zhou Ming turned his head to see a bicycle charging towards him. Before he could avoid it, he was knocked down.
"Who is it? Don't you watch where you're going?" Zhou Ming cursed.
"Well, isn't it the college graduate from our 760 Factory? I'm really sorry, I didn't see you. But you know, it's your own fault for wandering around instead of being at work at this hour," said an annoying voice.
Zhou Ming looked up and saw a young man with a comb-over, looking down at him condescendingly while holding his bicycle. His expression was full of disdain. There was a girl in a floral dress sitting on the back seat of the bike. Zhou Ming recognized them both—they were Ma Lin and Zhang Qian, the people responsible for getting him fired.
Zhou Ming remembered that after graduating from university, he was assigned to work at the 760 Factory in Nanhu County, along with his girlfriend Zhang Qian. However, Ma Lin, using the influence of his father, who was the deputy factory director, took Zhang Qian away from him. Not only that, Ma Lin constantly flaunted his relationship with Zhang Qian in front of Zhou Ming. Eventually, Zhou Ming couldn't take it anymore and got into a fight with Ma Lin at the factory, leading to his dismissal. Since then, he had been unemployed.
If this were the economically developed future, it wouldn't matter much; at worst, he could just find another job. But this was the late 1980s. If someone was fired from their job and couldn't find another, they would be looked down upon. This was especially true in the 760 Factory. Zhou Ming remembered being the subject of gossip for an entire year.
Because of this, every time Ma Lin saw him, he would mock him. Zhou Ming was sure that Ma Lin had deliberately run into him with his bike.
Zhou Ming didn't want to deal with Ma Lin, so he got up to leave, but Ma Lin blocked his way and said, "Zhou Ming, don't you think it would have been better if you had just gone to the factory's technical school to learn a trade? At least you wouldn't be lazing around at home now! But no, you had to go to the provincial capital for university, and study economics of all things. What's the use of that? You come back, and you can't even keep a job. How pathetic! Your parents have to work themselves to the bone in the factory every day. Tell you what, if you kneel and kowtow to me three times, I'll ask my dad to see if he can get you a job as a janitor."
Zhou Ming clenched his fists, filled with anger. Seeing his reaction, Ma Lin became even more pleased and said, "What's wrong? Want to hit me? Go ahead, I promise I won't get your parents fired. Come on, hit me!"
"Don't you think you're being disgusting right now?" Zhou Ming said coldly. "Aren't you just jealous that I got into college and you didn't? You've always been jealous of me."
Ma Lin laughed, "Jealous of you? Haha! Are you telling me a joke? Or do you think we're still in school? You really think you're something, don't you? Why don't you take a good look at yourself? You're nothing but a leech on your parents. And here I am, about to get promoted. Do you really think I'd be jealous of you?"
Despite Ma Lin's insults, Zhou Ming remained calm. "You don't understand what I learned in university, do you? In a few days, I'll make sure you know."
"Alright, I'll be waiting!" Ma Lin said arrogantly.
Zhou Ming glanced at Zhang Qian, who was sitting on the back seat of Ma Lin's bicycle. She showed no reaction, as if she didn't even know him. This pained Zhou Ming, but he quickly adjusted his mindset, remembering that his soul had been reborn, and he left without another word.
Ma Lin was momentarily stunned by Zhou Ming's silent departure, as he had always thought of Zhou Ming as a hot-headed person. Otherwise, Zhou Ming wouldn't have fought with him in the factory and gotten fired. Why was he so calm today? And why did he seem different somehow?
Ma Lin spat on the ground and said, "Damn it, go ahead and keep pretending in front of me. I'll see how long you can keep it up!"
Leaving Ma Lin behind, Zhou Ming went straight to the 760 Factory to find his father, Zhou Guoping. At this time, Zhou Guoping was sitting on a chair resting. Zhou Ming approached and asked, "Dad, are you okay?"
Hearing Zhou Ming's voice, Zhou Guoping looked up in surprise, "Xiaoming, why are you at the factory? Hurry, get out of here! There are lots of gamma rays here, and it's dirty."
"Dad, you've been working here for over twenty years and nothing happened to you. I'll be fine just staying for a little while," Zhou Ming said.
"That's different. I'm a worker, used to it here. You're a college graduate; you should be in a leadership position," Zhou Guoping said.
"But you're my dad," Zhou Ming replied. "Alright, let's not talk about that. Do you feel any discomfort?"
Zhou Guoping shook his head, "No, I'm fine!"
"Xiaoming, don't listen to your dad. He's been feeling unwell since the afternoon. Didn't you notice he hasn't been standing by the lathe? Whenever you came to the workshop as a child, wasn't your dad always working at the lathe?" a worker walking by said. "Your dad tends to endure things, but you can't ignore this. He should go to the hospital for a checkup."
This man was Zhang Jianjun, one of Zhou Guoping's apprentices. Zhang Jianjun had always respected Zhou Guoping as his mentor. Zhou Ming remembered that after his father passed away in his previous life, their family went through a tough time, and it was Zhang Jianjun who helped them out.
Zhou Guoping said dismissively, "Jianjun, you worry too much. I just drank some cold water at noon, and my stomach's a bit upset. It's nothing."
"Dad, I think Uncle Zhang is right. Health is the foundation of everything. You should go to the hospital for a checkup," Zhou Ming said, choking up a bit, which startled both Zhou Guoping and Zhang Jianjun. They couldn't understand why Zhou Ming suddenly became so emotional.
Actually, Zhou Ming didn't want to be like this, but having been reborn, seeing his father again after more than twenty years filled his heart with emotions he couldn't control.
"You've changed since going to college," Zhou Guoping said. "Alright, alright, I'll go for a checkup after work. But now I need to check on the lathe. It's probably ready by now. I want to finish a few more pieces before the shift ends."
With that, Zhou Guoping got up and walked towards his lathe. Watching his father's back, Zhang Jianjun said to Zhou Ming, "Xiaoming, you should take your dad to the hospital after his shift."
"Uncle Zhang, do you think my dad won't go to the hospital?" Zhou Ming asked.
"I know your father's character. He's always been very frugal, trying to stretch every penny. If he weren't so thrifty, how could he have afforded to send you to college on
a factory worker's salary? I'm afraid he won't go for a checkup unless you insist," Zhang Jianjun said.
Zhou Ming nodded, understanding Zhang Jianjun's point. "Okay, Uncle Zhang. I'll make sure to take him to the hospital. Thank you for your concern."
As Zhou Ming watched his father work, he couldn't help but feel a surge of determination. His rebirth had given him a second chance, and he was resolved not to let this opportunity slip away. He had to ensure his father stayed healthy and that his family lived a better life.
The workday ended, and Zhou Ming waited for his father to finish. When Zhou Guoping finally came out of the workshop, Zhou Ming was ready. "Dad, let's go to the hospital now."
Zhou Guoping hesitated for a moment but saw the seriousness in his son's eyes. "Alright, let's go. But remember, I'm fine. It's probably just a small issue."
As they walked to the hospital, Zhou Ming reflected on the painful memories of the past and felt a renewed sense of purpose. He was determined to use his knowledge and experiences to change his family's future and prevent the tragedies that had befallen them before.
They arrived at the hospital, and Zhou Ming's resolve only grew stronger as he witnessed his father's discomfort. He knew this was just the beginning of his journey to change their fate.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein