Chapter Four: Truly Reborn

My Rebirth Legend

"Qiangqiang, why are you still in bed like a pig? Today's your first day at school—don't be late! Your father spent so much money for you to attend this top high school, so don’t take it lightly. Hurry up and get up." A familiar woman's voice sounded from behind the door.

"Ugh... let me sleep a bit longer, Mom. Why do you keep calling me? Honestly, I’m old enough now!" Still groggy, I was annoyed; nothing irritated me more than being woken from sleep, not even by my mother. Yet as I turned comfortably to continue sleeping, I suddenly opened my eyes wide! Mom? That was Mom's voice! I sat up abruptly, staring dazedly at the room around me and muttered, “Wasn't I already living in S City? How could Mom be here in my room?”

The wooden bookshelf, the worn-out desk, and the single bed barely big enough for one person—this was nothing like the modern apartment I used to live in! My mind short-circuited for a moment, and then a foolish grin spread across my face...

“Oh my god... this isn't a dream, it's all real! I—Xiao Qiang—have returned to the past! Hahaha, I've come back!” Overjoyed, I leapt from the bed, flipped in midair, only to misjudge my strength and smack my forehead against the wooden edge of the bed. Stars danced before my eyes, and I nearly fainted from the pain. But instead, I burst into another fit of laughter, as mad as a lunatic. Why? Because I felt pain—which meant this was no dream. “Hahaha, that alien octopus really was amazing—it actually sent me back to my high school days! Long live the aliens!”

Just as I was overwhelmed with excitement, the bedroom door opened. I turned and saw my mother—only forty now, with no white hairs, so much younger than the mother I remembered from my previous life. In my former life, after I finished college, she suffered severe cardiovascular disease and spent her days bedridden, unable to move. So now, seeing her healthy and energetic, I couldn’t help but rush into her arms. This feeling was indescribably wonderful!

“Hehe, Qiangqiang, what are you doing? You were just saying you're an adult, but now you act like a child.” My mother smiled helplessly, gently patting my back as she spoke softly, “Alright, your father is waiting for you in the living room for breakfast. He landed a big order today and can't take you to school, so you'll have to go by yourself.”

“Mom, I know. I’m not a kid anymore.” I sniffled, trying hard to hold back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. How many times in my previous life did I watch my father’s weary back, see my mother striving to keep our not-so-prosperous family together, and feel utterly powerless? But now, I finally had confidence that everything would change! Grabbing my mother’s hand, I choked, “Mom, don’t worry. Your son has grown up. I’ll make sure you and Dad have a good life! I’ll study hard and make something of myself!”

My mother looked at me, perhaps a little surprised by how her son seemed to have matured overnight. She smiled and tapped my forehead, “If you really do that, your mom will laugh even in her dreams. Make sure you’re worthy of the tuition your dad paid. Qiangqiang, even though you’re a self-funded student, don’t let that discourage you. Get up, eat, and head off to school early.”

“Mm!” I nodded vigorously, watching her leave the room. Clenching my fist, I murmured, “Mom, maybe what I just said sounded empty, but time will prove everything! The Xiao Qiang of today is no longer timid and useless…”

I stood up slowly from the single bed, gazed at the youthful face in the mirror, and smiled foolishly once more. It all felt like a dream, but I knew it was real—I had truly been reborn. Looking out the small desk window at the city where I grew up, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of energy and shouted out the window, “I, Xiao Qiang, am alive again!”

Quickly, I tidied up and glanced at the calendar next to the mirror—no mistake, September 1st, 1997. Today was two months after the return of the XG Special Administrative Region to the Huaxia nation. More importantly, the memories in my mind now spanned thirteen years beyond everyone else! With those thirteen extra years, I was far more mature than any other high school student. Now, I truly had the body of a seventeen-year-old and the mind of a thirty-year-old.

Leaving the room, I immediately saw my father in the living room. The father who had spent his life working for me, his hair streaked with gray, was gone—in his place was a middle-aged man in his early forties. Though it was hard to accept, who wouldn’t want their father to be young again? In my previous life, my father endured brutal beatings from debt collectors so I could escape, refusing to let go of the door to our home. This time, I would never let history repeat itself. I would change everything from my former life in this world!

“Dad,” I called, sitting quickly at the table and biting into the steamed bun. In 1997, my father was a truck driver working for a local freight company, constantly shuttling back and forth, delivering goods for factories. In this era, the term logistics had already emerged, but there were few proper logistics companies, and none with nationwide coverage. Drivers like my father usually worked for small firms, earning commission-based wages—the more runs, the more money. Often, they’d be gone for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. I never received much fatherly affection, but I knew he did it all for me. Because my grades in junior high weren't ideal, to help me get into a better college, my father spent our family's entire savings—tens of thousands of yuan—to pay for my tuition at the top high school. It showed how much he wanted his son to succeed. In my former life, this drove me to pursue business without hesitation, and I’d do the same now! But this time, I wouldn’t end up as destitute as before.

“Mm, Qiangqiang, the company has lots of work today. I have to go out and can’t take you to school. Go by yourself, don’t cause trouble, listen and study hard, understand?” My father took a few bites of porridge and lectured me from across the table, “This high school isn’t like your old junior high. Don’t be mischievous—study hard.”

“Mm, I know, Dad.” Grateful as I was, I still couldn’t stand his long-winded lectures. I hurriedly swallowed a few mouthfuls of porridge, grabbed my backpack, and smiled at him. “Dad, I’m done eating. I’m off to school.”

“Go ahead. Listen to your mom when you get home tonight.” He didn’t look at me anymore, engrossed in his porridge and newspaper. I nodded and quickly left the home where I once lived.