Returning to '97, creating a new life

Xu Kai knew that his "advancement" not only gave Yunshang more motivation, but also, and perhaps most importantly, what moved Yunshang's parents the most was his inability to decide which level of university to attend.

He knew that Yunshang understood as well, but no one said it out loud.

Yunshang hoped to receive more "gratitude" from her parents and family towards Xu Kai, so she pretended not to know that Xu Kai was seemingly keeping her hanging on about college entrance exams and continued to study hard to improve her grades. In her heart, she had already made up her mind that no matter how high her scores were, before filling out college applications, she would prioritize the university Xu Kai would attend, and would rather waste the extra points she had earned.

Since that day when he took a walk along the river with Su Xingwan, their relationship has changed. She would call him to chat. He didn't think it was a serious matter, but Xu Kai knew that at a certain point in the conversation, she hoped to hear some unique insights from him.

Even without meeting in person or seeing each other's faces, being "buddies" feels very comfortable for each other. The main thing is that we can talk to each other and have some unique insights into the times. One is a truly strong person, and the other is a reincarnated individual.

Feeling inferior, Xu Kai needs to learn how to subtly conceal himself in his conversations with her. After all, his background and experience are not as good as hers, so what he needs to learn is how to safely hide himself and not let her expose him completely.

The other party kept their promise, becoming a half-shareholder, and surprisingly, in the first month of operation, there was a settlement and dividend distribution in less than fifteen days.

Eight thousand yuan.

This money is too easy to earn. Once the official operation and popularity are launched, this half-portion will be several times more. It's a bit too hot to handle. The next day, Xu Kai sent two whole roasted lambs to the bathhouse and the Emperor Hotel respectively.

"Ke Zai Lai" brought Xu Kai a net profit of 95,000 yuan in March, after deducting all staff salaries, bonuses, and related room and miscellaneous expenses.

In March, Xu Kai received a share of 33,000 yuan from the "Garage Game Hall".

The claw machine at the "Commercial Building" generated 1,700 yuan in revenue in March after deducting labor and maintenance costs.

He made money and supported a group of people; life had begun to move in the direction Xu Kai wanted.

The small bungalow where they lived was converted from a public to a private property. At Xu Kai's suggestion, his mother did not hesitate to pay several thousand yuan more and received a receipt and invoice. Although the property ownership certificate had not yet been issued, the house now belonged entirely to Sun Xiuyun.

Given that her mother is now immersed in her "new career" with great enthusiasm, and that she lives right next to her maternal grandfather's house, her son doesn't have to worry about her on weekdays. Although Sun Xiuyun's life seems to be tied to the card room with little freedom, she herself feels completely free and at ease.

She earns a lot of money, and every month she also receives a share of the profits from the arcade that her family runs together. Even if she loses money playing games at the card room, she remains calm. When her son took it upon himself to hire a single mother from a nearby family who was struggling financially, Sun Xiuyun thought of her own past and acquiesced. This made her even more comfortable. She no longer had to do the daily cleaning and chores, and her life became much more comfortable.

With his mother like this, Xu Kai wasn't in a hurry to improve his living conditions. Besides, the courtyard was quite comfortable. In winter, he would sometimes think that it was too cold to take a shower and that he had to walk more than ten steps through the courtyard. In April, after the weather warmed up, the courtyard was still very comfortable, even more comfortable than staying in a hotel room.

There was no need to conserve firewood and coal for the fire, and he didn't even have to lift a finger. Ma Xin from the arcade, Jida from the restaurant, and Wang Lei, who was still working as a temporary worker at the restaurant even after school started, were all diligent.

The storeroom was converted into a bathroom. In the area between the main house window and the storeroom in the yard, a tin roof was built to protect against rain and snow. The ground was raised a few centimeters against the wall, and firewood was neatly stacked. Wang Lei had his father, who worked in the ironwork factory, weld a large tin box for the coal, which was filled to the brim. The remaining coal was packed in bags and stacked at the base of the wall.

Xu Kai also stayed at a hotel for a few days. The house was plastered, the floor was leveled, the doors were replaced, and even the stove was rebuilt.

The house has been completely transformed. It now has a 25-inch color TV, a VCD player and an audio-visual set, two single sofas, and a large wardrobe.

The kang (heated brick bed) was fitted with new kang covers, and the kang cabinet was also newly made. Only the old kang table was specially cleaned and wiped clean.

The cabin also bought a new bed, and the floor, including the kitchen, was tiled. The water pipes and the new stove were connected in a way that made cleaning easier. A small water heater was also installed in the kitchen, so there was no need to go to the bathroom to wash hands and face, and no need to use cold water to cook and wash vegetables.

There's no complicated renovation; practicality is the priority, ensuring Xu Kai's comfort. For example, the small kitchen now has a new dining table and chairs. Next to the new stove, there's a small platform, also tiled for easy cleaning, with an induction cooker on it, so simple cooking no longer requires a large iron pot.

The electrical wiring inside the house was also modified. Instead of digging trenches and walls, simple PVC shielding strips were used to cover and conceal the wires. The wires were then run directly along the walls, and more suitable switches and sockets were installed in appropriate areas.

Compared to Xu Kai's understanding of future-era decorations, this was very simple. But for Sun Xiuyun, the bright and clean windows, the newly changed curtains, and the white tiles on the floor all told her that this new home was beautiful.

With his mother not home, Xu Kai opened his eyes around 5:30 in the morning without needing an alarm clock. The kang (heated brick bed) was still warm, and in this warm spring season, sleeping on the warm kang at night was very comfortable.

Fold the quilt and put it in the kang cabinet. Add firewood to the stove pit, heat the braised beef that I brought back last night in the pot, sprinkle the secret sauce prepared by the restaurant on the sliced ​​braised beef, and boil two eggs.

Take out a small rice bowl, pour in the hot water that was boiled last night, and put two bags of milk into it to heat them up.

Take this opportunity to brush your teeth and wash your face.

A plate of braised beef, two eggs, and two bags of milk were all devoured, leaving me half full. This increase in appetite is no longer reflected in my height, but rather in my slowly increasing strength after consuming sufficient nutrients.

He poured some more water into the big iron pot, added a shovelful of coal to the stove pit, put on his school uniform, and carried a schoolbag that contained almost no books and was mostly just for show. Xu Kai left home and greeted his neighbors when he ran into them.

Living among old neighbors has one advantage: if anything happens and no one is home, you don't have to worry about being left without help.

The car was parked at the entrance of the alley. In the days when there were very few private cars, that was the good thing. You never had to worry about not having a parking spot nearby when you got home.

Two bus stops away from the high school, Dong Bin was already waiting downstairs at his apartment building.

I drove to Yunshang's house. Senior high school students usually have to start their morning self-study earlier, but Yunshang doesn't want to compromise herself. I study hard and have my own rhythm. I can stay up late, but I will never get up early to fight for that little bit of time. Besides, if I go to the morning self-study early, wouldn't I miss the opportunity to go to school with Xu Kai?

As soon as the car stopped at the edge of the school playground, Yunshang put the thermos she had prepared at home into the side pocket of Xu Kai's backpack, and the three of them got out of the car and walked towards the school gate.

Having the will to learn and knowing how to find courses that he can understand and listen attentively, Xu Kai's composure compared to his peers, as a reborn individual, is more reflected in knowing what he wants.

When faced with math, physics, and chemistry lessons that you can't understand, try to understand as much as you can. If you really can't understand, you can only drift off into your own thoughts or pull out a random book from your bag.

At that age, Xu Kai was obsessed with martial arts novels, especially those by Huang Yi and Ni Kuang from the early days of fantasy novels, and later by Wolong Sheng from the post-martial arts era. He also liked comics, but he couldn't afford to rent them because they were too expensive. He could read several a day, unlike text novels, which cost one yuan a book and could be read for two or three days.

Having experienced the influence of online novels, Xu Kai has lost interest in them and no longer follows the updates of "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty." Instead, he has a library card and borrows one or two classic novels from home and abroad when he has free time.

He didn't tell me to read about romance, poetry, or literary works. He suggested focusing on novels, reading stories, and experiencing the lives of the protagonists. Accumulating knowledge is a form of knowledge acquisition, and whether it's useful or not is another matter. This kind of accumulation is neither useful nor harmful.

Having no worries about food and clothing, and after more than a year of hard work since returning home, I now have the means to live and study comfortably. What may seem like just student life has actually brought about tremendous changes, which only those who have experienced it can truly understand.

I started using facial cleanser to wash my face, whereas before I would just splash some water on my face and rub it a few times.

You can buy the most expensive toothpaste. And your face won't get so dry from the wind. Da Bao used to use her mother's toothpaste, but now Yunshang bought her a special skincare set.

You can also buy more comfortable boxer shorts and socks to wear.

Food, lodging, and transportation are only one aspect. Now, sitting in the classroom, money is accumulating in every aspect, inside and out. Xu Kai never denies the allure of money, nor does he believe that spiritual wealth is the greatest wealth.

Without the financial backing, he didn't feel confident that he could comfortably enjoy high school life or even university life in the future.

He has four classes in the morning. He studies diligently for two of them, reads novels for one, and listens to as much as he can in the remaining physics class, trying to understand as much as he can.

At noon, Yunshang's eyes were filled with resentment and anger. Xu Kai watched her from afar and smiled to comfort her. Entering the second half of the senior year, the college entrance examination sprint stage, a provincial key high school like No. 1 High School has zero tolerance for many things, especially early love. No matter if you are a boy or girl, if there is any misunderstanding, it will be decisively stopped, the parents will be contacted, and if they still do not listen after being persuaded, they will be suspended from school, just like the template twenty years later.

At school, Xu Kai and Yun Shang couldn't easily get together, so how could she not feel resentful? Fortunately, after dinner, Yun Shang would go back to her class to do practice problems, so it didn't take up much of her time with Xu Kai. That's why she dragged Xu Kai home, arriving a little after 10 p.m., and had him have a late-night snack with her before letting him go home.

In today's basketball team, Xu Kai is the absolute core. In NBA terms, he is also the anchor of the locker room and the absolute voice of the team.

Dong Bin, Fei Wenxin, and Hu Yuxuan, the main players, are all his staunch supporters. Fang Jinyao, the only one who hasn't quit in his senior year, also stands with them. In fact, when needed, the five of them can form a starting lineup.

After lunch, along with the other members of the basketball team, they all gathered around Xu Kai. What were these dozen or so young "big men" doing together?

We were so bored that we occupied half of a basketball court and started playing all sorts of games, some with prizes. We'd eat ice cream and drink soda, and participate in all sorts of random activities like shooting hoops and long jumps. Everyone had the right to suggest their strongest skill, and as a result, we ended up taking turns treating each other at lunchtime.

Not bored with the aimless lunchtime of high school students, nor engaging in behaviors that would offend the school, Xu Kai has found a balance between the interests of the two age groups, making his campus life exceptionally comfortable.