Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 92 (Part 1)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 92.1 Extra [Returning in Glory II]
The early morning sunshine bathed down upon the old city of Qunnan.
The resettlement estate[1], though not boasting superior overall living conditions, was constructed at the turn of the millennium, just missing the optimal time for demolition. The amenities weren't as considerate as they are today. While many people would typically still be in the realm of dreams, car horns and barking dogs were already echoing from the streets below. The irregular alarm sounds of electric bikes reverberated in the surroundings. Upset residents on the upper floors, disturbed from their sleep, opened their windows to engage in heated arguments with the dog walkers below.
"Fuck you! What do dogs know? You, a grown adult, still want to argue with a dog?!"
"Fuck you! Dogs are ignorant, yes, but you, as their owner, are equally foolish!"
Both sides traded insults in the street, and it seemed like they wouldn't stop for a long time. Every word echoed into the building with its ineffective soundproofing.
Jiang Xiaoyun spat out the toothpaste foam into the sink with a gloomy expression. "All they do is argue! A bunch of short-sighted people!"
The weather in Qunnan in August was humid and hot, and the dark and narrow bathroom was so cramped that it made it hard to breathe. Even though she was extremely tired of the sounds outside, she still had to open the bathroom window, and the smell of the dusty town squeezed into the room through the gap.
Her disheveled husband was waiting impatiently at the door of the bathroom in oversized underpants, scratching his thighs sleepily and asking, "Are you done yet? I want to take a shower."
"Go, go, go!" Jiang Xiaoyun erupted in anger at the unappealing sight of her husband's protruding belly and lackluster demeanor. She forcefully banged the toothbrush cup onto the washstand, cursing as she shoved him aside. "Shower yourself to death!"
What's gotten her so worked up this early in the morning?
Liu De cast a brief glance at his wife's angered back and quickly averted his gaze, not taking it too seriously. After all, she had been this way ever since they moved from Liyun Town to Qunnan City. Years of dissatisfaction and anger—it would be stranger if he ever witnessed her in a good mood one day.
The design of the resettlement estate lacked common sense. The bathroom led directly to the kitchen, and in her haste, she stumbled over the poorly positioned small dining table upon leaving. Jiang Xiaoyun's temper flared up again, and her profanity-filled shouts echoed through their cramped living space.
"The house is so small that every little thing ends up underfoot..."
After a round of cursing, the focus shifted to her dissatisfaction with her husband's abilities. Liu De held the toothbrush in his mouth and used his free hand to close the door, shutting out his wife's sharp voice outside.
In truth, he found it difficult to comprehend Jiang Xiaoyun's persistent dissatisfaction. Despite her years of frustration, their family continued to reside in the same 70-square-meter dwelling. Moreover, he failed to see any glaring issues with their current abode. Though modest in size, featuring an unfavorable orientation and layout, and lacking the grandeur of the villa they once owned in Liyun Town, it still served as a foundation for them to establish roots and pursue their lives in Qunnan.
Many people still have to rent a house in Qunnan, but aren't they happy? Shouldn't the essence of 'home' lie in the family itself?
Following Jiang Xiaoyun's beratement of the dining table for its perceived impudence in obstructing her, she delivered a swift kick. However, the relatively feeble table trembled after the impact, and her momentary distress only fueled her growing frustration.
Exiting the kitchen, she surveyed the surroundings and noticed Jiang Run comfortably seated on the sofa, feet resting on the table, still engrossed in his mobile phone.
Jiang Run held the latest Hero mobile phone, a commemorative Olympic-themed model released globally a week before the opening ceremony. The fervor among buyers, creating a buzz in social news, made it a hot topic during that period.
Despite the relatively high price, Hero mobile phones offered an undisputedly excellent user experience. With state-of-the-art electronic technology and a sleek, attractive design, holding the phone was a comfortable experience. Jiang Run, always one to follow trends, queued up all night at a trade mall in Qunnan City on the day of the phone's release to secure the first batch. He used the family credit card, meant for his life expenses, for the purchase. The automated message sent to her phone about the purchase, along with the fainting experience that followed, remained vivid in Jiang Xiaoyun's memory.
The phone's clear speakers emitted the game's sound effects, indicating that Jiang Run was engrossed in playing 'Legend of Jianghu II' again. Ever since he faced difficulties finding a job and struggled with his studies a few years ago, Jiang Run had developed a strong addiction to mobile games. After exploring various games for a few years, he settled on this current favorite. The game, reportedly introduced by a major internet company named Best Partner or something, featured novel and rich content, making it popular among netizens. It quickly gained traction and became a sensation among gaming enthusiasts.
This particular game posed challenges for players, perhaps aiming to prevent addiction. It implemented an anti-addiction system that required players to enter their government issued ID numbers. Except for players who played this game professionally, regular accounts were restricted to a maximum of eight hours of play per day, while minors were limited to four hours.
Despite the restrictions, Jiang Run continued to indulge in self-decadence. When unable to play games, he opted for sleeping in, browsing forums, or even lounging on the balcony lost in thought, rather than actively seeking internships or pursuing a career.
"All you do is play, play, play," Jiang Xiaoyun lamented her son's dashed hopes, feeling a mix of sympathy and frustration. Every time she witnessed this scene, anger welled up within her. "All day long, you just eat, drink, and play games. You haven't even bothered to look for a job or lend a hand with chores at home. You're as unproductive as your dad. No wonder XXX wants to break up with you. What girl would like someone like you?"
She always complained a lot, and her words were harsh. Jiang Run had become accustomed to the scolding and simply tuned it out, continuing to play as if he hadn't heard anything.
In a cramped house with shabby furniture, narrow doors and windows, noisy neighbors, an unattractive and overweight husband, and a son in his thirties still relying on parental subsidies – it was a situation devoid of brilliance or ambition.
Jiang Xiaoyun stood there for an extended period, met with silence, feeling as if she were venting her frustrations to an unresponsive wall. Frustrated, she stormed back into her room to change her clothes. Upon opening the wardrobe, she discovered a lack of suitable options.
Furthermore, to compound her dismay, the skincare products in the cabinet were all depleted. She turned the empty bottles over in her hands, realizing there was not a single drop left. Staring at her rough palms, her immediate concern wasn't about purchasing a new set of skincare products later in the day but rather contemplating the cost of acquiring it.
Realizing her thoughts, she was momentarily taken aback, then gently set down the bottle and examined her reflection in the mirror.
It was a weathered face that appeared significantly older than others of similar age. Her eyes lacked vitality, and the struggles of life were vividly etched in the deep wrinkles on her countenance.
This was inevitable. Every day, she rose early to prepare meals for the family, contended for the bathroom with her husband, pedaled through murky puddles to reach the most affordable market for grocery shopping, and then joined her husband at the construction site to oversee the work. This routine played out in a continuous loop.
The couple once co-managed a construction team that took on sporadic projects, comprising only seven or eight skilled workers. Although they occasionally secured jobs, the earnings were modest. With their son spending money extravagantly, they could only manage to make ends meet. The construction team demanded relentless effort, working tirelessly day and night when busy, yet it stood as their sole successful venture after several failed attempts spanning over a decade. During moments of fatigue, despair, or when life seemed devoid of hope, Jiang Xiaoyun found herself pondering why her life had taken a downturn and landed in such circumstances. Simultaneously, she couldn't help but reminisce about her wild and unrestrained past.
Before her father's passing, Jiang Xiaoyun had never lacked for anything. In an era of scarcity, she grew up as a princess, the envy of everyone around her. A car, a house, elegant dresses, ample pocket money—she enjoyed a life that others could only dream of. Despite her husband's timidity and lack of retaliation when scolded, he remained entirely obedient to her. Even their somewhat arrogant young child could have led a privileged life based on her capabilities. Before reaching thirty, the word 'retreat' had no place in Jiang Xiaoyun's vocabulary. Apart from her challenging older sister, whom she had struggled to handle since childhood, Jiang Xiaoyun could acquire whatever she desired, regardless of the hands it was in.
However, she doesn't know when it all began, perhaps when her father passed away, everything took a drastic turn.
It felt like fate had played a trick on her at a crossroads, and in hindsight, the past became irretrievable.
Following the significant anti-smuggling operation in Yan City during the 1990s, eight out of ten companies in Qunnan that were involved in illicit activities went bankrupt. Jiang Xiaoyun and her younger brother couldn't sustain the business left by their father. They ended up selling all their houses and cars, ultimately dividing the remaining property.
Liyun Town lagged behind economically and wasn't on a developmental trajectory. Coincidentally, when Jiang Run gained admission to university, the family decided to relocate to the provincial capital with their child. Throughout the four years of college, Jiang Xiaoyun and her husband consistently ensured that their son never faced financial constraints, regardless of their tight budget. Despite their dedicated efforts, Jiang Run's prospects did not improve significantly.
Jiang Run attended a school with an average ranking, and the major he switched to was also considered average. Throughout his four years in college, he simply drifted without much focus, maintaining an extremely low attendance rate. His visits to the library could be counted on one hand. Post-graduation, he struggled to secure a promising job, ultimately opting to join a small company where he connected with a few colleagues. Before long, he unexpectedly began advocating for a joint business venture.
Naturally, Jiang Xiaoyun supported her son's ambition and dedicated all of the family's savings to demonstrate their encouragement.
Nevertheless, following the crackdown on smuggling, Qunnan's economic condition experienced a downturn in recent years. How could the inaugural business endeavor of a group of young individuals be trouble-free amid such challenging circumstances? Unsurprisingly, they faced failure, and due to an immature distribution of interests, communication between them ceased.
Many of those colleagues had some familial support. After a period of self-reflection post the business failure, rumors circulated that two individuals had regrouped and re-emerged into the business scene not too long ago. They had already garnered a small reputation for themselves.
The Jiang family was profoundly affected by the financial setback. It wasn't until the recent years of operation of the small construction team that their situation began to see a slight improvement.
Jiang Run secured a job in any available company. As time progressed, the average salary increased, but even with the raise from just over a thousand to more than two thousand, it still fell short for him.
He went through several relationships but ended up breaking up. Despite changing jobs to two different small companies, Jiang Run never saw a promotion in his starting position. Jiang Xiaoyun had suggested taking a civil service exam and joining a public institution, but after several years of a lackluster life, Jiang Run's will to strive seemed to have eroded—he couldn't bring himself to open a book anymore.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten years had elapsed. Jiang Run was nearing forty and still single.
Certainly, he harbored a desire to marry and start a family. Throughout the years, various blind date introductions persisted, but both Jiang Xiaoyun and he maintained high standards. The potential match had to meet criteria – not too fat, not too thin, not too tall, not too short. She should possess long, flowing hair, live in the city, hold a legitimate job, and exhibit beauty with fair skin. Personality-wise, she should be gentle, nimble, and adept at housework. It would be preferable if her family could contribute to the wedding by providing a house and car.
This requirement might sound like a fantasy, but Jiang Xiaoyun had his reasons. Despite their current challenges, the family experienced prosperity in the 1990s. Everyone in Liyun Town knew they were not ordinary people but rather fallen nobility!
The matchmakers and the girls who arrived for the blind date exchanged a perplexed look: "……………………"
Regardless, that's how he found himself still single.
His girlfriend, whom he had been seeing after a blind date, finally ended their relationship a few months ago. The cause was that the girl wanted to travel to Beijing to witness the Olympic opening ceremony and even bought tickets from scalpers, despite it being her personal funds. However, post-marriage, their finances would merge. When Jiang Run discovered this, a heated argument ensued, leading to a contented breakup on the girl's part.
During the breakup, she likely uttered many unpleasant words, leaving Jiang Run disheartened from that point onward.
Jiang Xiaoyun squeezed out the last remnants from the nearly empty lotion bottle. As she did so, she criticized the girl who, after being in a relationship for so many years, heartlessly ended things as soon as they broke up. All the while, she rubbed her hands together and applied the lotion to her face.
Nevertheless, life must continue. If no other suitable girl comes into the picture, perhaps Jiang Run could consider finding a face lifting job, right? In recent years, the national property market has rebounded, and the real estate sector in Qunnan has started flourishing once more. Jiang Xiaoyun's target was Renhe Real Estate, owned by Zhang Renbing, the chairperson of Qunnan’s Chamber of Commerce. It stood as the largest real estate company in Qunnan. If Jiang Run secures a position there, material concerns would undoubtedly become a thing of the past.
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Footnote:
[1] Resettlement estate (徙置區) - are an early form of public housing. They were built between 1954 and 1975.
