Xing Zhaozhao walked dazedly along the road toward what she remembered as the direction of the town.
Whether her memory had failed her or she had taken the wrong path, she arrived surprisingly quickly. She distinctly remembered it taking half an hour when she rode the Tractor home from the town hospital before.
Seeing the bustling market before her, the beautiful tall buildings, and the crowds of well-dressed people coming and going on the streets, Xing Zhaozhao felt dizzy and nearly suffocated.
She quickly reached out to steady herself against a nearby lamppost.
The lamppost was adorned with fluttering colored flags, each embroidered at the bottom with a line of text: “Lanyuan · 2025.”
Xing Zhaozhao confirmed she hadn’t come to the wrong place—it was just that the town had expanded so much it now reached close to where their village used to be, even though their village had long been submerged.
What made her head spin the most was the “2025” at the end.
That door had brought her 56 years into the future.
So this was what the world looked like 56 years later.
If only her children could have lived here.
As Xing Zhaozhao walked along the street, she gazed greedily and curiously at everything around her.
Compared to the trendy, brightly dressed people on the street, her dull gray cotton coat made her look like a beggar. From time to time, people cast disdainful glances her way.
Xing Zhaozhao paid no mind.
No matter how the world changed, some people’s habit of judging others by appearances remained the same. She had seen it all before—it didn’t bother her.
Still, she believed there were more good people in the world than bad.
By chance, Xing Zhaozhao turned into a pedestrian street lined with stalls on both sides. Hawkers called out one after another, selling all kinds of food, drinks, toys, daily necessities, and clothing. The variety dazzled her.
“Come take a look, come buy! Fleece-lined thermal underwear, straight from the manufacturer. Guaranteed quality, great prices. You won’t regret it, you won’t be cheated!”
Xing Zhaozhao’s eyes lit up, and she curiously moved closer.
This was perfect—the fleece felt soft and warm. Wearing it close to the skin in winter would surely keep her cozy. And since it was worn underneath, even if she brought it back, no one would easily notice.
“How much for one set?” Xing Zhaozhao asked.
The vendor glanced at her.
Her attire was rather shabby, but these days, even billionaires walked around in shorts and flip-flops. He wasn’t one to judge by appearances.
“Adults’ sizes are 60 for one set, 100 for two, beautiful.”
The word “beautiful” sent a shiver down Xing Zhaozhao’s spine. If she hadn’t heard him call others the same, she would have thought he was being fresh and ready to slap him.
“What about for children?” Xing Zhaozhao asked.
“Children’s sizes are 30 for one set, 100 for three.”
Xing Zhaozhao: “…”
Something didn’t seem quite right.
As they spoke, the vendor closed another sale.
A middle-aged woman took out a rectangular device, aimed it at a piece of paper on the vendor’s stall with a square pattern, and scanned it.
With a “beep,” a small speaker on the vendor’s stall announced in a female voice: “Alipay received 100 yuan.”
Then, the woman took her clothes and left.
Xing Zhaozhao: “…”
You could pay like that?
She didn’t have one. What should she do?
Xing Zhaozhao looked at the vendor, pointed at the paper slip, and asked, “Can I only pay with this?”
The vendor smiled, pulled out a 100-yuan bill from his waist pouch, and showed it to her: “We accept cash too, miss.”
Xing Zhaozhao stared at the bright red banknote she had never seen before and fell silent again.
She didn’t have that kind of cash either.
In the end, Xing Zhaozhao could only reluctantly leave.
She needed to find a way to earn money first.
Xing Zhaozhao wandered aimlessly down the street when she suddenly noticed a truck unloading goods by the roadside up ahead. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately went over to ask, “Do you need any help here? I’m very strong.”
The worker unloading glanced at her and shook his head: “Sorry, we’re not hiring.”
Xing Zhaozhao looked disappointed: “Oh, sorry to bother you.”
As she left, she made sure to notice what they were unloading—it was all rice.
She couldn’t help turning to look at the enormous store they were delivering to and marveled: Are grain management stations this big now?
When she continued walking and reached the storefront, seeing many people pushing carts filled with various foods and daily necessities coming out of the store, Xing Zhaozhao realized she had been mistaken—this wasn’t a grain management station.
“Supermarket? What’s a supermarket?” Xing Zhaozhao curiously walked inside.
Seeing rows upon rows of neatly organized shelves filled with all kinds of food and daily items, with customers simply taking what they needed and pushing their carts away, Xing Zhaozhao was stunned again. She couldn’t help muttering quietly: “Can you just take things freely here?”
An elderly man passing by happened to hear her and chuckled: “That’s right! In supermarkets, you can take whatever you want for free.”
Others nearby overheard and couldn’t help laughing along.
Xing Zhaozhao snapped back to reality, twitched her mouth, and looked at the old man: “Sir, I may be inexperienced, but I’m not stupid. How could there be a place where you don’t pay for things?”
The old man chuckled and quickly looked her up and down: “Where are you from?”
“From the mountains,” Xing Zhaozhao said.
The old man seemed surprised: “There are still people living in our mountains?”
“The mountains are vast,” Xing Zhaozhao replied.
The old man nodded: “That’s true.”
“But since you’re out now, don’t go back. Work hard outside—life here is much better than in the mountains,” the old man said earnestly, looking at her.
Xing Zhaozhao looked troubled: “I’d like to, but it seems hard to find work.”
“What can you do?” the old man asked.
“I’m quite strong,” Xing Zhaozhao said.
The old man thought for a moment: “If you don’t mind hard work, go straight ahead after leaving the supermarket. You’ll see a construction site where Zhaohong Group is building a new hotel. I heard they’re rushing to finish before opening next year and need workers. You can find some bricklaying work there—you can earn at least 100 or 200 yuan per day.”
Xing Zhaozhao’s eyes immediately sparkled: “Really? I’ll go check it out right now. Thank you, sir!”
With that, she hurried off energetically.
Following the old man’s directions, Xing Zhaozhao quickly found the place—a massive construction site bustling with activity even in the dead of winter. Though the buildings were only half-finished, their scale was already apparent, far larger than ordinary projects.
She wondered about the background of this Zhaohong Group, marveling at their wealth.
Xing Zhaozhao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Daily-paid movers, 200 yuan per day. Limited spots. Those interested, line up here to register now,” a foreman shouted through a megaphone nearby.
Xing Zhaozhao immediately snapped out of her thoughts and dashed over.
Jobs were hard to come by, and many had already gathered. If she missed this rare opportunity by being even a step too late, she’d have nowhere to go but to cry in frustration.
Just as she squeezed into the crowd and joined the line, a car pulled in from outside the site and parked by the roadside. Two men in sharp suits stepped out.
The site supervisor, who had been waiting nearby, hurried over to greet them. “You’re here, Young Master Gao.”
“Mm.” Gao Yang gave a slight nod before turning his gaze toward the queue of people signing up for moving work not far away.
He thought he’d seen a familiar figure slip into the crowd moments earlier.