Chapter 58.1

On the way, Pei Zheng was in a low mood, and Lu Nong sighed inwardly, thinking how unfortunate he was. However, one cannot choose their background or parents. God had given Pei Zheng a golden opportunity by placing him in a prominent position from birth. Unfortunately, it also closed the door to his connection with his parents.

In the novel, Pei Zheng was treated poorly by his maternal relatives, received little love from his mother, and was distant from his father. It wasn’t until he met the heroine and was drawn to her lively family that he finally understood the warmth of the bond between parents and children.

It’s fair to say that Pei Zheng’s love for the heroine was significantly influenced by her family.

Lu Nong recalled Shen Yimei’s fate. In the book, long after “Lu Nong” had passed away, Pei Ji’an’s career soared as he received two promotions. The relatives of the Pei family eagerly began introducing potential brides for Pei Ji’an. Finally, Shen Yimei could no longer hold back and confronted Pei Ji’an, but her efforts were met with rejection.

Shen Yimei was unwilling to accept that after so many years of devotion, Pei Jian still viewed her as insignificant and didn’t even spare her a glance. Desperate, she sought support from her son, Pei Zheng, but he was completely unsupportive and advised her not to disturb his father. Shen Yimei angrily scolded Pei Zheng for being unfilial.

Not long after, Pei Zheng took the heroine to meet Shen Yimei. In retaliation for her son’s lack of support, Shen Yimei made things difficult for the heroine, embarrassing her at a banquet attended by the elite. It was only when Pei Zheng intervened that the situation was resolved.

This incident at the banquet marked the beginning of the formal break between Pei Zheng and Shen Yimei. Shen Yimei was unable to maintain her hold on Pei Ji’an, causing a public spectacle. Eventually, she was sent back to Yazhou by her mother and brother, where she encountered her former affair partner, Xu Shiliang.

At that time, Xu Shiliang was already married with children. After reuniting with Shen Yimei, sparks flew between them once more. Xu Shiliang abandoned his wife and children but did not divorce, while Shen Yimei willingly took on the role of the mistress.

Later, when Xu Shiliang learned that Shen Yimei’s son, Pei Zheng, was achieving great success, he gritted his teeth and discussed divorce with his ex-wife. He then coaxed Shen Yimei into bringing him and his children to the capital, hoping to leverage Pei Zheng’s connections for their benefit.

Pei Zheng had long since given up on his biological mother and was surprised that she could still push boundaries. By then, he had become a powerful figure and, after a cold laugh, used some tactics to send Xu Shiliang and his family back to Yazhou in disgrace. Shen Yimei returned to Yazhou with Xu Shiliang as well.

From then on, Shen Yimei, Xu Shiliang, and his ex-wife were entangled in a lifetime of turmoil, never finding peace even in death.

After Xu Shiliang passed away, his children arranged for their parents to be buried together. Shen Yimei wailed and cried, finally remembering her successful son. She called Pei Zheng, asking him to intervene on her behalf.

In the end, Pei Zheng went to discuss the matter, and the result was a decision for the three of them to be buried together.

Shen Yimei was unwilling to accept this outcome, but no matter how reluctant she was, her son could not prevent others from arranging their parents’ burial. Agreeing to a joint burial was already a compromise. After all, Yazhou was too far from the capital, and future visits to the grave would rely on Xu Shiliang’s children.

These thoughts had recently come to Lu Nong’s mind, making her feel even more sympathy for Pei Zheng. There is a saying: an unhappy childhood requires a lifetime to heal.

The reasons for a troubled childhood often stem from parents, and Pei Zheng’s situation was even worse. His mother had cast a shadow over his entire life.

Perhaps the one who needed healing was not just Huaihuai but also Pei Zheng. Compared to the cold and heartless Pei Zheng in the novel, who only showed warmth in front of the heroine, Lu Nong preferred the current version of Pei Zheng, who was silly and could laugh and talk.

To keep the cheerful Pei Zheng from disappearing, Lu Nong reluctantly decided to continue taking care of him (and teasing him).

(Pei Zheng: Is that polite?)

When they arrived at the first inspection unit, Lu Nong patted Pei Zheng’s shoulder, took the camera hanging around her neck, and seriously instructed him, “Hold this carefully. Make sure to take a nice picture of me. If I look bad, you’re done for, got it?”

Lu Nong then ran to the front of the unit and posed with a dignified smile.

Pei Zheng rolled his eyes as he took the camera. How could anyone be so boring as to come all the way to the entrance of a unit just to take pictures? The worst part was that he had to join her. It was so embarrassing.

It must be said that their mindsets were separated by half a century. Pei Zheng found Lu Nong’s eagerness to take pictures at the unit entrance utterly ridiculous. In modern terms, it was like someone specifically going to the entrance of a canned food factory to snap a photo.

On the other hand, Lu Nong thought about leaving her mark in this era. Once the internet age arrived, she could flaunt these precious photographs as a cross-century grandmother.

Look, Grandma almost made it into the Chinese Academy of Sciences when she was young!

Don’t believe it? Look, here’s a photo as proof!

Indeed, one of the olive branches Lu Nong received was from the Archaeological Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Archaeological Research Institute, being the first national-level archaeological institution in the country, had participated in the excavation of significant sites like the Banpo site, the Eastern Zhou city site in Luoyang, the Mawangdui Han tomb, and the Sui and Tang Luoyang city site, among others. These were just a few of the well-known projects Lu Nong remembered.

In 1961, the Archaeological Research Institute had undergone restructuring, and there were only a little over a hundred people left in the entire department, making it quite difficult to get in. Lu Nong had never expected to receive an offer from the Archaeological Research Institute.

The opportunity was significant, but as a national archaeological unit, there would undoubtedly be fieldwork involved. Between the 1960s and 1990s, numerous ancient tombs and ruins were discovered across the country, many of which involved the participation of the Archaeological Research Institute.

It was easy to imagine that a young person like Lu Nong would likely be traveling across the country once she entered.

Lu Nong was excited but also hesitant. First of all, she was unsure if she could endure hardships. Growing up in her uncle’s home, she had always lived a life of luxury. Now that she had traveled to the modern era, she enjoyed the convenience of airplanes and high-speed trains for long-distance travel, stayed in high-end hotels, and had never really associated with hardship.

Moreover, she was not alone. She also had Aunt Wu and Huaihuai by her side.

Although Lu Nong usually doesn’t take care of Xiao Huai much, it is different when his biological mother is around compared to the times when she is away on business for most of the year.

She had promised to raise Xiao Huai well and not let him become the villain in a novel, so she was determined to keep that promise.

This is why she had declined several inappropriate job offers early on, and the only place she intended to visit for an on-site evaluation was the archaeological research institute. Her visit there was simply to take some commemorative photos at the entrance, for which she had borrowed a camera from Shen Jiming’s family.

…Speaking of Shen Jiming, Lu Nong seriously suspected that he had social incompetence. He now lived alone in the Shen family, but he was much more open-minded than Pei Zheng.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Pei family, she listened to everything that was happening. After the Shen family had their issues, he stayed at home, waiting for the dust to settle. Once things calmed down, he started visiting the Pei family again, casually calling “Uncle Pei” to Pei Ji’an, who remained unfazed, as if there was no tension between their families. Both of them seemed to carry an air of confidence.

No wonder at the end of the novel, Pei Ji’an became a military leader while Shen Jiming became a political figure.

After finishing her card at the archaeological research institute, Lu Nong took Pei Zheng to several other places, taking photos despite the strange looks they received from others.

Pei Zheng admired his stepmother’s courage to disregard the opinions of others completely.

At the last place, which was the one Lu Nong had her heart set on working at, she didn’t take any photos but instead went with Pei Zheng to buy two tickets to the Forbidden City.

At that time, the Forbidden City did not have visitors from all over the world like it does in later years. It was far less crowded, and tickets were quite cheap, costing only eight cents.

People were living at a low standard; most were preoccupied with making a living, and their pursuit of material needs far outweighed their desire for spiritual and cultural fulfillment.

Think about China half a century later. It has undergone tremendous changes and is changing with each passing day. As a person who spans two eras, Lu Nong is a witness to this period of history. All kinds of thoughts are stirring in his heart, and he has an inexplicable urge to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Zheng turned around to see Lu Nong’s eyes misty. She didn’t seem sad but rather moved, leaving him puzzled.

Lu Nong shook her head. “Pei Zheng, do you believe that one day our country will build rockets to travel to space and land on the moon? We will establish a space station and reclaim lost territories. Our country will earn global respect, and everyone will have enough to eat. People from all over the world will come to visit the Forbidden City.”

Pei Zheng reached out to touch Lu Nong’s forehead. “Are you feeling sick?”

Lu Nong swatted his hand away. “You don’t believe me?”

Pei Zheng replied, “I do believe our country will grow strong in the future, but the things you’re talking about sound like something out of a science fiction novel.”

Lu Nong smiled mysteriously. “Science fiction is sometimes a prediction of the future. Wasn’t the Nautilus eventually built by the United States? In October, our country’s first atomic bomb was successfully detonated. These were all fantasies a hundred years ago. Who can say that science fiction is just fantasy?”

Pei Zheng seemed to contemplate this. “I wish it would turn out like you said.”

“Since you have so many strange ideas in your head, why not write a science fiction novel? You graduated from a literature college and shouldn’t waste your talent. When you become famous, if anyone asks about our relationship, I’ll tell them that the renowned science fiction author Lu Nong is my stepmother!” Pei Zheng encouraged her.

“Wow, not bad. You have some good ideas, young man.”

Lu Nong felt as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. She looked at Pei Zheng with excitement. She could indeed write a book about modern life in the form of science fiction. Whether it would hold meaning was another question, but at least it could satisfy her expectations for the future!

She also wanted to document the tremendous changes of the times, just as she used the camera to capture her image alongside history. She could be a human camera and write down everything she experienced.

Once they entered the Forbidden City, they first toured it from start to finish before heading to the library to check in.