Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

Shi Huai'an went to school listlessly. She knew that her father usually ate lunch at his workplace instead of coming home; perhaps her stepmother was also too busy with her small business to come home. If she went to find her father rashly, he might argue with her stepmother when he got home. Her stepmother didn't want to send her to school in the first place, and if she angered her stepmother, she might be sent back to the countryside and forbidden from going to school.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She decided to bear with it for now, thinking that maybe it was just a coincidence and things would return to normal tomorrow.

She touched the two yuan her father had left in her pocket; it was money for her to buy some girls' supplies.

Huai'an was starving, so he went to a state-run restaurant and bought a meat bun for five cents.

After the last class in the afternoon, sports committee member Wu Weiguo called the boys' and girls' table tennis team members to go for training. Shi Huai'an timidly raised his hand, stood up, and said, "Excuse me, I didn't bring my table tennis racket."

Ding Jianming couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Do you know how to do it or not? Call me 'Master,' and I'll teach you, okay?"

Shi Huai'an ignored him and said while packing his schoolbag, "It's not certain who will teach whom yet."

Ding Jianming got excited: "Then let's have a competition, are you brave enough?"

Shi Huai'an said irritably, "If you don't want to compete, move aside, I'm leaving."

Ding Jianming blocked the seat, stood up, crossed his arms, and said smugly, "Are you afraid of losing? Are you scared? Do you dare to compete with me or not!"

Upon hearing this, the other students immediately slammed their fists on the table and shouted, "Let's have a competition! Let's have a competition!"

Shi Huai'an was taken aback and frowned: "It's not that I'm afraid of you, it's that I'm afraid you can't afford to lose."

Ding Jianming became even more arrogant and shouted, "You're the one who should be afraid of me. If you win, I'll give you my ping-pong paddle, how about that?"

Huai'an was tempted, but then thought it wasn't a good idea. Seemingly honest, he said, "Forget it, I'll just go back and make a racket. If your racket loses to me, your parents will definitely beat you up when you get home."

The students burst into laughter. Ding Jianming was furious. Why did these words sound like he was sure to lose?

He was so angry he lost control, saying, "I'm the third seed on the men's table tennis team! If I don't teach you a lesson today, I'll change my mind! If you win, the racket is yours; my uncle sent it to me from Shanghai. If you lose, you'll have to clean up after me!"

Huai'an was even more hesitant to accept it, saying, "This racket is too expensive, forget it, I don't dare take it. Don't you still need to clean? Move aside, I'm going home."

Ding Jianming blocked the table, refusing to move. He felt he couldn't let a newbie have the chance to sweep the floor; it was an opportunity not to be missed! He smugly said, "No way, you're just afraid of losing, you can't accept defeat!"

Shao Yuhong, the only female member of Class 7, Grade 4, had previously lost to Ding Jianming. She wanted to test Shi Huai'an's strength, hoping to regain some face for him. So she immediately said, "Shi Huai'an, don't be afraid! If he cheats after losing, we can all be your witnesses. I'll lend you my racket first. If he goes back on his word, I'll go to his parents' house and complain."

Shi Huai'an hesitated before agreeing: "I haven't touched a ball in a year and a half, so don't blame me if we lose."

Shao Yuhong readily agreed, "If I lose, I'll help you clean up."

As they walked out of the classroom, the crowd immediately and spontaneously split into two groups, one male and one female, and headed towards the playground.

The ping-pong tables were made of cement bricks, with a rectangular wooden board in the middle. There were four of these simple ping-pong tables. Near the wall, there were also some sandpits for long jump and simple sports equipment such as horizontal and parallel bars.

The two agreed to a best-of-three match, with the sports committee member keeping score and the class monitor supervising. Both teams' cheerleading squads cheered and waved flags continuously.

At the start of the match, Ding Jianming displayed his fierce offensive and set off with great momentum. His serves were like lightning, and each swing of his racket made the small ping-pong ball spin at high speed with a whistling sound, powerfully chopping it over. Shi Huai'an immediately returned the chop, losing the first point.

The female classmates were all speechless, stamping their feet and sighing, predicting that Shi Huai'an would lose miserably. Sure enough, after a bad start, Huai'an lost the first game. Shao Yuhong couldn't help but secretly regret betting on the wrong person. She had thought that someone who was directly approved for the team by the dean of students must have some skills, but she didn't expect him to be so bad.

Shi Huai'an hadn't played for a long time, and at first she was a bit flustered, but she gradually figured out her opponent's playing style and patterns. This kind of racket-swinging confrontation made her more and more excited.

She focused intently on the ball, her mindset unaffected by external factors. In the second game, she remained remarkably composed, employing solid defense and occasionally cleverly utilizing spin and changes of direction to repeatedly thwart Ding Jianming's fast attacks. The students in the audience frequently erupted in gasps of amazement. She ultimately won by a narrow margin of three points. The girls cheered, attracting the attention of many teachers and older students.

In the third game, Shi Huai'an served a spin ball first, and Ding Jianming returned it with a backhand. Huai'an quickly turned to the side and pulled out a topspin ball, which Ding Jianming could not deal with, resulting in a point being lost.

The ping-pong ball hits the paddle, flies onto the table, and makes a crisp sound. The ball lands at varying distances and at varying speeds, and the sound is like a beautiful melody, which is pleasing to the ear.

As the game progressed, the score fluctuated, and the competition became increasingly fierce.

In a brilliant rally, Shi Huai'an suddenly changed direction, smashing a powerful shot straight at Ding Jianming's backhand, winning a crucial point and instantly igniting the atmosphere. Ding Jianming, not to be outdone, immediately countered with a serve-and-attack, a precise short ball followed by a powerful forehand topspin. The ball streaked through the air like a meteor, landing squarely in the corner of the table, drawing thunderous applause.

After a fierce competition, Shi Huai'an finally won the final victory, and the students burst into enthusiastic applause.

Ding Jianming shoved the racket into Huai'an's hand dejectedly and said in a rather unfriendly tone, "This one's yours."

Shi Huai'an quickly handed the racket back to him, saying, "Competition comes first, friendship second. You can't let me make a mistake. I plan to make my own racket."

Ding Jianming hesitated for a moment, but Shao Yuhong immediately said decisively, "How about this, you spend some time making a racket for Shi Huai'an. Shi Huai'an has fallen behind in his studies since he just arrived, and he needs time to review. Time is very tight. This can also be considered mutual help between classmates."

Ding Jianming was indeed reluctant to part with his new racket, and he was also afraid of being scolded by his parents when he got home. Upon hearing what the class monitor said, before Shi Huai'an could refuse, he immediately said, "No problem, I'll have my dad make it tonight, and I'll give it to you tomorrow." With that, he dashed back to the classroom to clean.

Shi Huai'an got home a little late; dinner was already being prepared. Shi Renmei briefly inquired about the school situation before inviting everyone to eat. His stepmother remained silent. After dinner, Shi Huai'an washed the dishes, prepared water for his father to wash his feet, and then did his homework at the table, catching up on the lessons he had missed. He made notes of the parts he didn't understand to ask his classmates and teachers at school.

When he returned home at noon the next day, Shi Huai'an breathed a long sigh of relief when the door opened.

Pushing open the door, she saw only her stepmother sitting there gloomily. Seeing her return, she told her to eat the leftover porridge and pickled vegetable shreds from breakfast, then said to Huai'an expressionlessly:

“Our family situation is special; we already don’t have the money to send you to school. You’ve seen it yourself; I have to work long hours to support the family. Do you think I’m not tired? I’m a stepmother, and no matter what I do, I won’t get any credit, and I don’t expect you to treat me like your own mother in your old age. You’re the only one in the family who’s freeloading. But since you’ve enrolled, you have to finish your studies. It’s hard to say whether you can continue your education later. You’re so old now, not a little kid anymore. You’ll have to do laundry and empty the chamber pot in the mornings, and I won’t pamper you or wait on you like your mother did. I have my own things to do. Not sending you back to the countryside is already my biggest concession and act of kindness, do you understand? I’m not afraid of what others say. If it gets to outsiders’ ears, it’ll be your father’s loss of face, but I’m not afraid. If you’re afraid of hard work and can’t do it, then you don’t need to study. Crying or complaining to your father won’t do any good; I won’t agree to it. Do you understand?”

Shi Huai'an had no choice but to nod obediently. As long as she wasn't allowed to go back to the countryside and could continue her studies, this little bit of housework was nothing.

Sun Lüping said nothing more and went out with her suitcase on her back.

From then on, Shi Huai'an would get up early every morning, boil water, cook porridge, and lock away any better food like eggs. She dared not complain. As soon as it was a little light, she would empty the chamber pot, wash it, and then carry a wooden basin and drag a long washing stool to the river to wash her dirty clothes. In winter, the temperature was low, the river water was icy cold, and the wind was biting. Her hands were covered with chilblains, turning as red as carrots, but naturally, no one cared for a motherless child.

Although her adoptive mother complained that she didn't wash properly and didn't do things to her satisfaction, she didn't say anything in front of Shi Renmei. In Sun Lüping's eyes, a stepmother who didn't hit or scold was already a rare find. Who hasn't suffered a little in life? In Shi Renmei's eyes, as long as she didn't make a fuss and maintained this superficial peace, it was already very rare. What more could she ask for?

Shi Huai'an misses his adoptive mother, Wang Xiuzhi, terribly, but he has no choice but to face a life that has fallen from heaven to hell.

Every day at noon, the door is locked again, and there is no lunch. Shi Huai'an is too embarrassed to tell his classmates, so he goes home after school, sits at the door to do his homework, and goes to school when it is almost time.

Occasionally, when she ran into Shi Huaiyuan, he would give her a handful of peanuts or a piece of cake to get by for the day. Her birth mother never mentioned asking Shi Huai'an to come back for a meal, treating her almost like a stranger. So Shi Huai'an never expected a miracle to happen. Since her birth mother neither cared about her nor asked, Shi Huai'an was also stubborn and never took the initiative to go to her birth mother's house... Surely, the kind-hearted Wang Xiuzhi in heaven would not have expected such a situation.

It's fine when the weather is sunny, but on rainy days, the cold wind and rain outside the door are quite desolate...

That day, Shi Huai'an was huddled in a corner to avoid the rain when her neighbor, Grandma Liu, spotted her and quickly invited her inside. Seeing that she hadn't eaten, she gave her some leftovers to eat before going to school.

Grandma Liu has a grandson who is just over a year old. Her daughter-in-law had to go to work, so she weaned him early and left him in her mother-in-law's care. Grandma Liu's grandson refuses to sleep at noon, and she has a habit of taking a nap, so she is also exhausted.

Later, seeing that Shi Huai'an couldn't come home at noon every day and didn't get any food, she couldn't bear it and kindly said to him:

"An'an, things can't go on like this! We shouldn't interfere in your family matters, after all, every family has its own problems. I have an idea, but I don't know if you'd be willing?"

Shi Huai'an lowered his head obediently and said, "Grandma Liu, I know you're doing this for my own good, and I'll definitely listen to what you say."

"If you ask me, since you have nowhere to go and no food at noon anyway, and I can't help you much in other ways, why don't you come here after school and help me hold my grandson for two hours every noon? That way I can take a nap too. Of course, I won't let you help for free, but my resources are limited. I'll prepare a bowl of porridge and two pieces of dried tofu for you every day for lunch. Just eat whatever's at home. You go to class at 1:30. Of course, if you have a better place to go, then just pretend I didn't say anything," Grandma Liu said kindly.

Shi Huai'an was more than happy to accept this. Since classes started at 2 p.m., this not only provided him with a place to stay but also solved his meal problem, so he was naturally extremely grateful.

The days passed by in this way, sometimes hungry, sometimes full. Although she would intentionally or unintentionally detour past her birth mother's house and occasionally hear her older brother and sister arguing inside, she never went to disturb them. Despite how much she longed for care and concern from her family, this small wish seemed like a luxury.

1965年3月11日星期四是农历2月初九，也是施怀安14岁生日。

Just after the Lunar New Year, people were busy going back to work and school. The ninth day of the second lunar month was a day that was easy to overlook, a day that even Shi Huai'an had forgotten. Since her adoptive mother left, no one had celebrated her birthday, so Huai'an had naturally forgotten about it completely.

Huai'an's biological mother, He Shuyi, stopped him on his way home from school and said, "An'an, today is your birthday. I have something to tell you."

Shi Huai'an felt a ripple of emotion, a sudden surge of excitement, her heart pounding. This was the first time her birth mother had taken the initiative to contact her; was this an unprecedented gesture to celebrate her birthday? She followed her birth mother to her home, her heart pounding with unease.

He Shuyi went into the kitchen and cooked a bowl of noodles with an egg on top. She sat down and calmly said, "Here, eat it while it's hot. The noodles won't taste good when they get cold."

Shi Huai'an nodded and said happily, "Thank you, Mom!" She took a bite of a noodle first and said with a smile, "It's delicious!"

He Shuyi smiled kindly, and after Huai'an had eaten most of the food, she slowly said, "I've heard some things about you, but I can't bring you back. I promised your adoptive parents I wouldn't bother them. They've raised you, spending a lot of money and energy, and I can't just take you away like that; besides, our family isn't doing well either. Your biological father's salary has to support the whole family, your older siblings need to go to school, and your father is often criticized at work; I'm a housewife, and I don't have any extra money or food to support you. I won't be coming anymore, do you understand? I really can't help you much. If you hate me, I won't blame you. I really have no other choice... From now on, you have to be obedient, diligent, and try to please your stepmother. You'll have to rely on yourself from now on..."

Huai'an remained silent, his vision blurred, and his hand holding the chopsticks suddenly tightened.

She felt like a small animal being driven around with nowhere to go.

But she was so reluctant... to leave... Her mother was sitting right in front of her, the steaming noodles filling the air with their aroma, like the taste of home; like the taste of home when her foster mother was alive...

She reluctantly tried to sit a little longer, slowly eating her noodles. Tears fell drop by drop into the bowl, splashing up and disappearing into the noodles as she swallowed them, savoring their flavor.

Her silence was deafening to He Shuyi. She thought Shi Huai'an would erupt in anger, and she was prepared to argue or accept it, because in the end, she was the one who had let the child down...

It was quiet, except for the clinking of chopsticks on the bowl and the sound of Huai'an standing up and pushing back his chair. Finally, he finished eating. Huai'an wanted to casually say, "Delicious!" but his throat seemed to have lost its voice, and he couldn't utter a sound…

Huai'an stared at He Shuyi silently for a while, trying to force a final smile, but she couldn't manage it. Smiling was harder than crying. She felt a sense of despair, a self-destructive feeling of being completely abandoned by fate. But she couldn't express it. In the end, she stiffened her neck and walked away without looking back. That was her last bit of dignity. Her resolute back was somewhat similar to He Shuyi's.

He Shuyi was stunned...