"This is the author's debut work. While the writing and plot are still being refined, I have researched extensive materials for the period details, hoping to compensate for any shortcomings with a sense of realism!
If you find typos or logical inconsistencies, please point them out gently. Your suggestions are the motivation for my improvement!"
Thump, thump, thump! The sound of the tractor pounded against his eardrums like a heavy hammer, abruptly waking the young man from his deep sleep.
The young man's body trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, which still held lingering traces of sleepiness.
He subconsciously shook his sluggish head, trying to clear his mind quickly.
However, as he looked around, his heart filled instantly with confusion: "Wasn't I working overtime at the mall?"
"What is this place? Why do I feel so weak all over?" he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Everything before his eyes seemed so unfamiliar, especially the dilapidated tractor crammed full of people.
"Where is this going?" The young man was full of suspicion.
He tried hard to recall something, staring incredulously at the scene before him. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "Am I dead? Why else would I be in this strange place?"
His heart rate suddenly accelerated. The unfamiliar surroundings filled the young man with anxiety, and an inexplicable fear arose spontaneously.
He secretly observed the people around him. They were dressed extremely simply, completely different from the modern world he knew.
The young man looked down at himself and found that his own clothes were equally plain, even somewhat worn out.
He closed his eyes and tried hard to sort through his memories. The fragmented recollections gradually pieced themselves together.
It turned out that the owner of this body was named Qin Ge, and he was currently traveling to find his father.
"I must have transmigrated! But what era did I cross into?"
The young man felt both confused and anxious. He gently nudged the old man beside him with his elbow.
Qin Ge said politely, "Hello, Grandpa."
The old man replied, "Young man, what is it?"
Qin Ge said, "Grandpa, I was just too groggy from sleeping. Where are we now?"
The old man looked the young man up and down with a puzzled gaze, then said, "We're almost at Sijiucheng / Beijing."
"Sijiucheng / Beijing?" Qin Ge was startled.
He quickly searched his memories and finally confirmed: "I've transmigrated to the 1950s."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.
Qin Ge asked curiously, "Grandpa, are you going to visit relatives?"
The old man sighed helplessly, "What relatives are left? I was practically starving to death back home."
"There was a great drought this year, and the crops yielded nothing."
"My children either left or passed away. Only this old bag of bones is left. I'm just going wherever the road takes me, hoping to find a meal in Sijiucheng / Beijing."
Hearing this, Qin Ge was filled with sympathy, and a look of guilt unconsciously appeared on his face.
"Ah, young man, just being able to survive these days is good enough." The old man, in turn, comforted Qin Ge.
The old man continued, "If I may speak freely, are you going to visit relatives, or do you have some other business?"
As he spoke, the old man looked at Qin Ge doubtfully, then glanced at the people around them, seeming to wonder if Qin Ge was in the same desperate situation as everyone else.
Wanting to lighten the mood, Qin Ge said, "Grandpa, I'm going to find my father this time. My father wrote a letter telling me to come so I could live a good life!"
"Young man, it's not easy for you to come to Sijiucheng / Beijing all by yourself."
The old man sighed, "I've lived through several famine years. During these difficult times, being able to eat a solid, hot meal—that is a good life."
Qin Ge nodded in agreement: "Grandpa, you are absolutely right. You see things clearly."
"Looking at your clothes, you don't seem to be from a wealthy family, and the way you talk doesn't sound like someone your age."
Qin Ge paused, then said seriously, "Grandpa, if you think I sound mature, it's because life forced me to be. My mother's poor health made me grow up quickly."
"Although my father is alive, he never took care of us for a single day. He wrote in the letter telling me and my mother to come over together."
The old man asked curiously, "Then where is your mother? Were you alone the whole journey?"
Qin Ge looked desolate: "My mother had a hard life; she couldn't make it."
This immediately piqued the old man's curiosity. He asked, "Young man, the journey is boring anyway. Can you tell this old man what happened?"
Qin Ge sighed helplessly and slowly explained, "My parents were separated during the war back then, and we haven't heard anything from my father all these years."
"Recently, my father finally managed to find us, saying he wanted to bring us to Sijiucheng / Beijing so we could live a good life."
"But who would have thought that just a few days ago, my mother finally heard news of my father, but her body couldn't hold on any longer, and she ultimately left me."
"Now I'm the only one left. I rushed all the way to Sijiucheng / Beijing just to see the father I've never met."
I don't know what's wrong, but why do I feel so sad? Maybe the original owner's emotions are affecting me?
The old man comforted him, "Young man, don't be too sad. Although life is difficult now, things will slowly get better. We've talked for so long, and I still don't know your name."
Qin Ge forced a smile and said, "Grandpa, just call me Qin Ge."
The old man heard this, rolled his eyes, and said crossly, "You Stinky Kid, trying to take advantage of this old man at your age!"
"Call you Brother Qin? Are you worthy of that? I could be your grandfather. I'll just call you Little Qin."
"Alright, Grandpa, you can call me Little Qin," Qin Ge quickly replied. "But my name really is Qin Ge."
The old man laughed and scolded, "Go on, go on, keep talking."
Qin Ge felt deep sympathy for the old man's plight and said, "Grandpa, when you're away from home, you must take care of your health. Things will get better."
Qin Ge looked at the old man, who bore a slight resemblance to his own grandfather in his previous life. He immediately thought of his grandfather, who had also suffered hardship his whole life, and his eyes reddened slightly.
"Grandpa, I don't have much myself, but please take this money first. If you really can't find work, it can cover a few meals."
"If you run into any trouble later, come find me at Nanluoguxiang / South Luogu Lane in Sijiucheng / Beijing."
At this moment, everyone in the carriage looked over. The old man broke out in a cold sweat and quickly shoved the money back into Qin Ge's pocket.
He said, "Little Qin, don't flash your wealth! I've lived through great disasters and I know that some people will do extreme things just for a bite to eat."
"You must keep your money safe. I appreciate your kindness."
"If the day comes when I truly can't survive, I'll come find you. If you give me a meal then, based on the bond we share, this old man will be eternally grateful."
Qin Ge was instantly jolted awake. This was not his own era. It seemed he needed to adapt quickly. The old man was right; he had almost brought trouble upon himself.
Qin Ge sighed deeply, lamenting the hardship and sorrow of this era, while also marveling that, even in such adversity, some human nature remained pure.
In this unique era, people faced countless difficulties and feelings of helplessness, yet even so, their inner hope for the future never wavered.