Woo~~~
As the train whistle echoed, the train finally arrived at Yian City.

But Luo Cheng wasn’t home yet; he still needed to take a bus.

Dressed in a military uniform, he carried a rolled-up quilt on his back, a green water bottle slung over one shoulder, and a matching backpack on the other. Luo Cheng had just retired from the army and was returning home. There was nothing in his backpack except the white flour buns distributed by the army for him to eat on the road.

Though it was only a few hundred kilometers, the train ride took over a day. Luo Cheng still felt disoriented.

He had only taken a nap, yet everything had changed. Yesterday, he was supposed to collect his diploma from technical school. But when he woke up, his classmates had become comrades, and his graduation had turned into a discharge from the army. He had followed along in a daze, completing the discharge procedures with many others.

As a retiree, he received a pension, a recommendation letter, and several certificates. But when he left the army, he realized something shocking—not only had his school turned into an army unit, but the entire era had changed. The world now resembled the 1960s.

There were no cars on the roads, only a few bicycles. Public buses were scarce and could only be boarded at designated stops. Train tickets couldn’t even be purchased without an official recommendation or proof of discharge from the army. Luo Cheng spent the entire day confused, unsure how he’d managed to get from the army base to Yian City.

With no phone or ID card, he didn’t even know his home address. If it weren’t for the details listed on his discharge papers, he wouldn’t know where to go.

After getting off the train, there were no food vendors in sight. The army-issued buns in his bag had gone hard after a day, and Luo Cheng didn’t like buns anyway—he preferred rice.

Thankfully, he had one small comfort: a mysterious system that had appeared in his mind at midnight on the train. This system allowed him to “sign in” and receive rewards. When Luo Cheng followed the mental prompts to sign in, he received some rather peculiar items: a pack of cigarettes, sunflower seeds, a bottle of mineral water, a can of eight-treasure congee, instant noodles, peanuts, and a bottle of beer.

It was a simplified version of a “train snack package”—just like what vendors used to sell on trains in a certain era. Unfortunately, there were no items like packaged chicken drumsticks or ham, but it was better than nothing.

Luo Cheng had his discharge allowance of over 100 yuan, with the largest denomination being a big black ten-yuan note. Given that it was now 1961, this amount of money was quite valuable and there was also several ration tickets.

However, his stomach was growling, and there wasn’t a single restaurant near the train station. The buns didn’t appeal to him, so he decided to explore the system’s space in mind.

The eight-treasure congee seemed like the best choice for his hunger. Using his mind to access the system, he retrieved the item while ensuring no one saw. In a discreet corner, he pretended to reach into his backpack and pulled out the can.

The congee can had no label, production date, or place of origin. Luo Cheng crouched in the corner, opened it, and began eating.

What he didn’t notice was the many pairs of eyes watching him from the shadows. If he hadn’t been in a military uniform and appeared tall and strong, someone might have already snatched his food.

Luo Cheng, being from the 2000s, had no understanding of the dire circumstances of 1961. The train station was relatively safe due to the crowd, but outside the city, even wearing a uniform wouldn’t protect him from being robbed for eating in public.

After finishing the congee, Luo Cheng looked around for a trash can but found none. Deciding there were no patrols or rules about littering, he tossed the empty can by a wall and walked away.

Unbeknownst to him, a group of children immediately ran to the discarded can after he left.

“There’s still some congee left! Let’s add water and share it.”

“This can is made of iron—we can sell it at the scrap yard for food!”

“Big brother, why didn’t the soldier finish it? This can is so good; how could he throw it away?”

“He must’ve seen us and left it for us on purpose. Soldiers are always kindhearted!”

Little did Luo Cheng know, his carelessness almost turned into a heartwarming tale of goodwill.

Meanwhile, Luo Cheng was heading toward the bus station, which fortunately wasn’t far. Carrying a quilt and his other belongings was tiring. At 178 cm, he was tall by the standards of this era, but he wasn’t physically strong.

The transition to the 1960s didn’t come with the stamina of people from that time. Locals could walk tens of miles without issue, but Luo Cheng struggled to carry his belongings for just a few kilometers.

At the bus station, he got lucky—a bus heading to Longyang Town was about to depart. Given the limited transportation options, this was a rare chance. Some rural areas didn’t have buses at all, the passanger had to take the bus to a nearby point, then get off and walk back.

Even for Longyang Town, the bus wouldn’t go directly into the town but would stop at a nearby road, leaving Luo Cheng to walk an additional kilometer or two to reach home.

As Luo Cheng placed his belongings on the bus, a voice called out.

“Comrade, are you heading to Longyang Town? Can you help us with something?”

Turning, Luo Cheng saw a young woman standing with a little girl. Both had the pale, thin look common in this era. Despite their delicate features, they appeared malnourished.