The broadcast from the supply and marketing cooperative echoed with a resonant song: "Unity is strength, this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."
On both sides of the road were low old Republic-era buildings, with bold red slogans painted on the walls: "Educated youth, go to the countryside, where vast opportunities await!"
Xu Qinghuan's legs spun quickly, the young man behind her caught up within a few steps and blocked her way.
"Qinghuan, you've misunderstood, there's nothing between Manman and me, it's a very pure revolutionary friendship!"
The young man was 1.80 meters tall, with a trendy parted hairstyle revealing a broad forehead, wearing a white Dacron shirt and grass green military pants, standing before Xu Qinghuan with his head bowed, eyes filled with endless regret and deep love.
"Nothing at all? Revolutionary friendship? Since she returned, when have you not met three to five times a week?
She didn't know where Yong'an Department Store was and asked you to take her there; you went shopping together. She said she'd never seen a movie and didn't know what a cinema looked like, and you went to the movies together;
She said she wanted to eat braised pork from a state-owned restaurant, remembering how she drooled over it as a child when heard people talk about it, and you took her out to eat braised pork alone."
Xu Qinghuan looked at the young man mockingly, "Jiang Chengxu, aren't you afraid of being reported for fooling around?"
Three days ago, Xu Qinghuan was still a 21st-century, round-the-clock busy Divine Doctor who had just completed three perfect surgeries in a row. Just as the surgery was finished, she collapsed right there on the operating table.
Saved others, but screwed herself.
Perhaps she had saved too many people, the merits were boundless, Xu Qinghuan found herself in a period novel written by her best friend, in a parallel world ninety-nine percent similar to the 1970s era, with different big figures.
Now, it was July 10, 1974, in Shen City, Hua Country.
In these times, even legally-married couples didn't dare to walk too close on the main road, yet these two watched a movie with her resting her head on his shoulder.
Jiang Chengxu's face changed, "Qinghuan, I'm your fiancé, she's your cousin, that's why I treat her a bit special, I only see her as a sister."
Seeing the person behind catching up to her, Xu Qinghuan immediately lost the desire to speak, turned around to leave, but Jiang Chengxu stopped her again.
Xu Manman had already rushed to her, with two long braided ponytails, a white Bulaji dress, and little leather shoes, the two standing together really matched well.
Glancing at Jiang Chengxu first, she then said,
"Sister, you really misunderstood me and Brother Chengxu. This movie today, Brother Chengxu originally planned to invite you, even bought the tickets, but then you said you wanted to go with classmates, a movie ticket is twenty cents, can't let it go to waste, right?"
This reason was irrefutable.
In an era when a worker's monthly salary was only thirty yuan, a jin of rice cost one point eight cents with ration coupons, and people generally couldn't get enough to eat or keep warm, forty cents was a huge amount.
"So, it's all my fault then!"
Jiang Chengxu quickly shook his head, "Qinghuan, don't be stubborn, we're not blaming you, I promise I'll keep a distance from all female comrades, and never go out alone with Xu Manman again."
First it was just Manman, now it's Xu Manman.
Xu Manman looked hurt and incredulous, tears welling in her eyes, "Brother Chengxu, what did I do wrong for you to despise me like this?"
Jiang Chengxu glanced at her, showing a little reluctance in his eyes, but still turned his head away.
He had watched this movie "White-haired Girl" once before, found it a bit boring, so dozed off for a while, and in a dream, he found it totally unbelievable.
In his dream, Xu Qinghuan and he were married, but had no children for years, later during the reform and opening-up, he wanted a child, by then he was already successful, Xu Qinghuan was a housewife, so he ended up sleeping with Xu Manman, who constantly entangled him.
Soon, his mother discovered it, before she could chase Xu Manman away, Xu Qinghuan found out and resolutely divorced him.
After the divorce, Xu Qinghuan re-entered society, fought through thorns and created a small business kingdom.
While he never broke things off with Xu Manman, he did not marry her, but married Lu Nianying.
The reason he and Xu Qinghuan didn't have children for years was that someone had put drugs in her food.
Lu Nianying bore him a son, outsiders saw that he'd married a suitable wife, was successful, and had a fulfilling family, yet only he knew the regret and pain Xu Qinghuan caused him.
Xu Qinghuan was the regret and pain of his life.
This life he would never again let go of Xu Qinghuan's hand.
Xu Qinghuan took a deep breath, turned her head away.
Given her temperament, she should immediately cancel the engagement with Jiang Chengxu, but she had no job, and according to the current bustling policy of going to the mountains and countryside, middle school graduates without jobs must go to the countryside to farm.
Marrying Jiang Chengxu would allow her to stay in the city.
Xu Qinghuan had never been to the countryside, but she knew it wouldn't be as good as the city, so she wasn't planning on making any rash decisions, she'd wait until she was sure, then make a choice, glancing at Xu Manman who was crying pitifully, "I have something to do, I'm leaving now!"
Jiang Chengxu hurriedly followed, after a lifetime of a large dream, at this moment he only wanted to hold Xu Qinghuan in his arms and tell her "Don't leave me."
"Brother Chengxu!"
The hem of Jiang Chengxu's clothes was tugged by Xu Manman, Jiang Chengxu closed his eyes, but still held back from shaking her off, unable to be too hard-hearted towards a girl who admired him,
"Xu Manman, I am your cousin's fiancé."
"I know, Brother Chengxu, I have no other intentions, my intentions... you should understand them all!" Xu Manman cried until she was incoherent.
Xu Qinghuan paused slightly but eventually walked forward in strides, her pretty lips slightly curled with a hint of mockery at the corner.
No matter how much Jiang Chengxu loved Xu Qinghuan, he would always have some reluctance towards Xu Manman in his heart, because that was the underlying tone of the whole book's plot.
If Jiang Chengxu had unwavering love for Xu Qinghuan, her friend's book couldn't have reached two million words, probably could have been concluded in two hundred words.
She had been tricked by her best friend, who borrowed her name and modeled characters after her for inspiration while writing the book, which is likely why she ended up here.
The role of Xu Qinghuan was neither the malicious supporting role nor the tragic female protagonist.
She was the character sacrificed in the male lead's pursuit of true love, the pitiable creature who turned her grief into motivation, the fanatic who always wanted to use money to slap the male lead's face, the lemon essence highlighting the female lead's gentle magnanimity.
It was only at the very end that she transformed into someone clearheaded who loved men, but loved power and success even more.
Just as the male and female leads experienced a life-and-death tormented romance, going into marriage's tomb... no, the hall, Xu Qinghuan, with the help of the hidden big shot in the book, achieved success and established her own business kingdom.
Completing parallel lines with the male lead, achieving mutual victory.
Now, Xu Qinghuan didn't think she was living inside a book.
The life she had now felt just as real, because the joy and sorrow of everyone here were so genuine, her own feelings were just as intense.
Seeing Jiang Chengxu about to catch up again, fortunate that a bus happened to stop, Xu Qinghuan squeezed on it, the ticket collector with the military green satchel charged her five cents.
Through the bus window, she coldly watched him chase an entire city block along the road.
He ran ahead, Xu Manman followed behind, Xu Manman fell and Jiang Chengxu immediately turned around and ran back to her.
Xu Qinghuan withdrew her gaze, a sour pang uncontrollably flooding her heart.
Not sure if it was the residual emotions of the original self or her own.
The bus made a right turn at the street corner, then traveled half a stop further, arriving at the back entrance of the Red Star Cinema. Xu Qinghuan got off the bus, and Lin Xiaolan hurriedly ran up, "How's it, how's it going? I saw Xu Manman chasing after you, did she come to sabotage you two again?"
She wore a green military uniform, hair styled in two short braided ponytails, bright and bold, very capable.
In those times, clothes were devoid of bright colors, the mainstream being white, black, gray, and green.
Xu Qinghuan tugged at the corners of her lips, "You're wrong, she didn't come to sabotage us, she came to join us."
Wasn't it like this in the book, after Xu Qinghuan married Jiang Chengxu, after years of not conceiving, Xu Manman climbed into Jiang Chengxu's bed, shamelessly making an excuse for herself,
"I don't want to ruin your marriage, I'm just too in love with you and my sister, I can't bear to see you and her pass away without anyone to carry on your name."
Xu Qinghuan does not feel that she has been transported into a book now.
The life she had now was just as real, because the emotions of each person here were so intense and her own feelings just as fervent.