Chapter 1: Back to 1976

In 2038, Tang Xiaoxiao, an 80-year-old businesswoman and philanthropist, passed away peacefully.

“Girl, you must live well, live well to have hope.”

Tang Xiaoxiao found herself in a hazy space, surrounded by pure white.

“Am I dead?” she asked, curiously looking around.

“You are dead.” A voice echoed in the empty space, and a colorful butterfly appeared before her.

“Who are you?”

“Do you remember him?” The butterfly fluttered its wings in front of her, and a scene appeared before her eyes.

It was a scene Tang Xiaoxiao had experienced firsthand.

62 years ago, at the age of 18, she had just graduated from high school and was sent to Xushan as an educated youth.

That day, an earthquake struck Xushan, turning 80% of the city into ruins.

She was fortunate to be within the remaining 20%, and she didn’t leave with the others. Instead, she stayed in Xushan to help with the rescue efforts.

But she was also unfortunate. An aftershock came, and she watched as a low building collapsed towards her. She froze.

At that moment, a figure in a firefighter’s uniform rushed towards her, pushing her to the ground and shielding her with his body.

She recognized him. He was one of the first firefighters to arrive, his name was Song Jingzhi, a tall and resolute young man.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped her vision, and she could see nothing. Fear filled her heart and mind, and she began to cry.

“Don’t cry.” His voice, slightly magnetic and strained, came from above.

“Comrade, are you alright?” she asked, trembling, sensing that he was injured.

“I’m fine. How about you? Are you hurt?” His breathing was heavy.

“I’m not hurt. Comrade, are you injured?”

“I’m fine.”

The arm beside Tang Xiaoxiao’s head moved slightly, his body acting as a shield, protecting her like a house.

“From now on, don’t speak. Conserve your energy.”

“Brother, I’m scared.” Tang Xiaoxiao was terrified. She was afraid of the dark, and this situation only amplified her fear.

“Don’t be afraid, brother is here!”

She didn’t know how long it had been, but she heard the breathing above her growing weaker.

“Brother?”

“Girl, you must live well, live well to have hope.”

…

Later, they were rescued by the rescue team. Tang Xiaoxiao was unconscious when she was rescued.

When she woke up, she was back with her parents. She asked her parents about the firefighter who saved her.

Her parents told her that he was out of danger when they took her away.

After recovering, she wanted to find out about the firefighter.

It was a difficult time. There were countless firefighters deployed during the earthquake, and it was impossible to find out about him.

Under her family’s arrangement, Tang Xiaoxiao went to Heilongjiang Province to work in the countryside. Later, with the reform and opening up, she started her own business.

After becoming wealthy, she also started doing charity work.

She helped many disaster victims rebuild their homes and adopted many orphans who lost their parents in the disaster.

During her entrepreneurial years, she was always busy and had no time for personal matters. She remained single all these years.

The children she adopted would take turns visiting her, and her niece was always by her side, so her later years were not lonely.

“Did something happen to him?” Tang Xiaoxiao looked at the fluttering butterfly, her voice trembling.

“You should see for yourself.”

The scene shifted to a blue-tiled house in the south, Song Jingzhi’s hometown.

It turned out that Song Jingzhi injured his leg while saving Tang Xiaoxiao. After surgery, he applied to return to his hometown to recuperate.

Because the medical technology at that time was limited, Song Jingzhi’s leg did not recover well.

Although he could eventually stand with support, he couldn’t walk. He chose to retire from the fire department.

Rural conditions were limited, and he was an only child. To avoid delaying his parents’ work, he spent half a year sitting in bed.

The former fire chief spent his life sitting down, but he was not defeated by his disability.

He used the government’s subsidy to help the orphans of fallen comrades and made himself a wheelchair. He helped people with simple carpentry work in the village.

After the reform and opening up, he learned shoe repair from a master craftsman and became a shoe repairman for the rest of his life. He would set up his stall on time, rain or shine.

Tang Xiaoxiao covered her mouth and cried. If he hadn’t saved her, he would still be the brave fire chief, the hero of the people. But she knew nothing about it.

The little butterfly erased the scene, “You have done good deeds in your previous life. Now you have two choices. In your next life, you can be reborn into a wealthy family, or you can go back and help Song Jingzhi overcome his difficulties?”

“I want to go back!” Tang Xiaoxiao’s eyes were filled with determination.

“As you wish!”

Having said that, the colorful butterfly transformed into gold, imprinting itself on Tang Xiaoxiao’s forehead.

“Tang Xiaoxiao, to better help Song Jingzhi, I’ll give you the space of your first supermarket as a gift. I’ll also give you a bottle of Jade Dew, which can heal Song Jingzhi’s leg injury. But it must be taken only when he fully trusts you for it to be effective.”

When Tang Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, she saw the calendar on the wall: August 16, 1976.

“Song Jingzhi’s hometown is in Qingzhu Brigade, Yuhu Village, Xiang Province.”

The final message was transmitted, and the golden butterfly disappeared from her forehead.

She was back, back to their old three-bedroom apartment in the steel factory.

This was the seventh day since her parents brought her back from Xushan, the day they were re-arranging her placement in the countryside.

She didn’t have time to investigate the space the butterfly mentioned. She quickly put on her shoes and opened the door.

Her father, Tang, turned back to his daughter as he was about to leave. “Xiaoxiao, you’re awake? Breakfast is in the pot, eat first. Dad and Mom are going to the educated youth center to re-register your placement.”

“I’m not going to Heilongjiang. I want to go to Xiang Province.”

Going to Heilongjiang was decided yesterday by the family. Tang Xiaoxiao had an older brother who was serving in the Northeast Military Region. Going there would provide some support.

“Why would you suddenly want to go to Xiang Province? Your brother is in the Northeast Military Region, he…” Her mother was puzzled. They had agreed yesterday, why the change?

“Mom, Heilongjiang is too cold. You know I’m afraid of the cold.” She didn’t mention Song Jingzhi, afraid they would object.

Her mother looked at her father, seeking his opinion.

“If Xiaoxiao wants to go to Xiang Province, let her go.” They had chosen Xushan over Heilongjiang before because Tang Xiaoxiao was afraid of the cold.

“Dad, Mom, I’ll go by myself later. I want to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things. You guys go to work.” She decided to go register herself to feel at ease.

“Let your mother accompany you. She can also take you to the department store to buy some new clothes.” Her father said.

Tang Xiaoxiao’s clothes and luggage were all in Xushan, which was now a disaster zone. She needed to buy new ones.

This time, she didn’t refuse and agreed to her father’s suggestion.

Her father went straight to work. Her mother had taken the day off and waited for her to finish breakfast before going out together.