Chapter 1

The steam locomotive puffed out thick black smoke, chugging and struggling up the steep slopes between the towering mountains. This was the steepest section of the Guhe to Tongshui railway line, with a gradient of up to 21 per thousand. Even with two coupled locomotives, they could only pull eleven passenger cars, and it still felt extremely strenuous...

“Clank, clank, clank...” A series of metallic clanging sounds echoed as the train, having struggled to the top of the slope, began its descent, now much lighter. However, under the influence of gravity, it gradually picked up speed. The train driver applied the brakes to control the speed and ensure safety. Xiao Yuanhang, a train attendant from the Guhe train section, who was sleeping in the sleeper car, was jolted awake. He opened his eyes, still a bit dazed.

Xiao Yuanhang felt a splitting headache, and the scene before him shocked him even more. Wasn't he on the plane? How did he suddenly end up on a train, and in such an old carriage? Could this be a dream? He pinched his arm hard to test, and the piercing pain made him cry out, “Ah!”

“Xiao, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” A young and beautiful woman from the opposite berth leaned over to ask with concern.

The woman had large, double-lidded eyes and a head of large, wavy curls. She wore an old-fashioned railway uniform, a white polyester short-sleeved shirt with two green stripes on the cuffs. The semi-transparent uniform revealed a black bra, and her ample chest made the uniform bulge.

Xiao Yuanhang was momentarily lost in thought, but quickly lowered his head and mumbled, “I’m fine!” This type of railway uniform had been phased out over twenty years ago. In the 1980s, during the peak of summer, train attendants wore this "standard" uniform. How could this woman still be wearing it? A strange feeling welled up inside him.

The woman seemed to notice Xiao Yuanhang’s “misbehavior” and pulled her uniform down, saying to him, “Xiao, you’ve been on the train all night. Try to get some more sleep. When we arrive in Tongshui, you’ll need to report to the division, and you’ll have to study and memorize questions in the afternoon and evening. The competition starts tomorrow morning, and you won’t have time to sleep then!”

The woman’s beautiful face became clearer in Xiao Yuanhang’s eyes, and he was taken aback. Wasn’t this the young appearance of Jiang Xuefang, the former head of the education department at the Guhe train section, who had long since retired? How could this be possible!

Xiao Yuanhang had started working as a train attendant at the Guhe train section at the age of 16, taking over from his father. After years of hard work, he rose from a train attendant to a train conductor, safety inspector, head of the safety department, and finally to deputy section chief. However, during the competition for the section chief position, he was framed by the deputy section chief in charge of passenger services and the party secretary. They had the labor service manager report to the division’s disciplinary committee, accusing him of embezzling 270,000 yuan from the labor service company during the renovation of Venice Street. He was placed under double regulation for investigation.

The labor service company had a messy account, and by the time the disciplinary committee cleared him of any wrongdoing after three months, the section chief position had already been filled, and a new deputy section chief for safety and operations had been appointed. To console him, the division transferred him to the Guhe railway regional office as a deputy director, a position with no real power, essentially a place for retirement. This marked the end of his career advancement.

When he first joined the Guhe train section, Jiang Xuefang had just been promoted from a train conductor to a clerk in the education department. Ten years later, when the head of the education department, Tian, retired, Jiang Xuefang took over and remained in that position until her retirement. Xiao Yuanhang and she were longtime colleagues, and he knew her well. The day before he went to Shanghai to see his son, he had even seen her in the park with her grandson, and they had chatted for over ten minutes.

Xiao Yuanhang asked hesitantly, “Director Jiang?”

Jiang Xuefang was taken aback and quickly waved her hands, saying, “No, no, don’t call me that. If Director Tian hears, it won’t be good. You’re trying to get me in trouble!” She reached out to pat Xiao Yuanhang’s head.

Xiao Yuanhang instinctively raised his hands to cover his head, and at that moment, he noticed his smooth and lustrous arms! How could a man nearly fifty have the skin of a teenager? It didn’t make sense. Jiang Xuefang was so young and called him Xiao? Could it be...

Thinking this, Xiao Yuanhang let Jiang Xuefang pat him and immediately got up to put on his shoes, saying, “Sister Jiang, I’m going to the toilet!” He ran to the washroom at the end of the carriage. In the mirror, he saw a young, handsome, and innocent face, and he was stunned!

Xiao Yuanhang stared at his young face in the mirror, feeling a mix of shock and excitement. He gently touched his smooth skin, muttering to himself, “I’ve really been reborn, I’ve really been reborn!”

As a deputy director at the Guhe railway regional office, Xiao Yuanhang had a very relaxed job with no specific tasks. He could come and go as he pleased, and even go out for a walk with the director’s approval, with full reimbursement for travel expenses. With nothing to do, he often read novels online, particularly those about rebirth and time travel, which he found fascinating. He often fantasized about what he would do if he were reborn or traveled through time. He never imagined that such an incredible thing would actually happen to him!

The scenes from his previous life began to flash through Xiao Yuanhang’s mind. He had flown to Shanghai to see his son, Xiao Yu, who was studying there. The plane took off on a sunny day with no abnormalities. Later, during the flight, an announcement was made that the plane would soon enter a thunderstorm area and might experience turbulence, asking passengers to fasten their seatbelts. He seemed to have seen a flash of lightning, and then his memory cut off. The plane must have crashed!

“Xiao, are you awake?” The carriage door opened, and a female conductor in a white short-sleeved uniform, wearing a large-brimmed hat and a green triangular badge, walked in. She clearly knew Xiao Yuanhang well and smiled at him as she saw him standing by the washroom.

Xiao Yuanhang found her face familiar but couldn’t remember her name. After all, these were distant memories! But he couldn’t just ignore her enthusiasm. He smiled and said, “Yes, Sister, are you on duty today?”

The female conductor replied, “Yes, I was organizing passengers at the front when you and Director Tian got on the train. By the time I came over, you were already asleep. I heard that you were on the train all night and were immediately pulled onto this train to participate in the technical performance competition at the division.”

“Yes, yes! I didn’t sleep at all last night, I’m so tired!” Xiao Yuanhang responded vaguely, still unsure of the situation.

The female conductor said, “Xiao Yuanhang, this is a great opportunity. You must do your best. I heard from Director Tian that this technical performance competition is different from the previous ones. The first place winner will receive a significant reward and a title. The first place will be named the Technical Vanguard, the second and third places will be named Technical Experts. If you rank first among the three participating groups, you will be named the Technical Champion. I’ve heard that in the future, promotions and advancements will prioritize the Technical Champions, Vanguards, and Experts!”

The female conductor’s words clarified Xiao Yuanhang’s thoughts. The Tongshui railway division’s technical performance competition for the passenger system began naming Technical Champions and Vanguards in 1985, which was his third year of work. He started working on August 1, 1983, and it was now July 1985, just over two years since he started!

“Sister Zhang, I can’t even imagine that. I’ve only been working for a few days. How can I possibly compete with those experienced people? Just being able to participate in the division’s technical performance competition is already a great honor!” As he mentioned the technical performance competition, Xiao Yuanhang also remembered who the female conductor was. In his previous life, the first time he went to the division for the technical performance competition, he rode on Zhang Chunyan’s train. She later transferred to the vehicle section, so he hadn’t had much contact with her since, which is why he hadn’t recognized her immediately.

Zhang Chunyan said, “Xiao Yuanhang, you can’t lack confidence like that. So what if they’re experienced? They just have more work experience! But the technical performance competition isn’t about experience; it’s about regulations. You’re young and smart, and you can memorize the regulations quickly. I believe in you, and I’m sure you can outperform them!”

The Tongshui railway division’s technical performance competition for the passenger system was divided into three categories: train conductors, business staff, and train attendants. Each train section sent three participants for each category. In the selection competition organized by the Guhe train section, Xiao Yuanhang relied on his superior memory to memorize the "Passenger Regulations" and other relevant regulations for trains. He achieved a perfect score in the selection competition, earning him the valuable opportunity to participate in the division’s technical performance competition!

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PS: New book, hot off the press, seeking collections and recommendations!

{Piaotian Literature}