{"id":9168,"date":"2019-10-12T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2019-10-12T16:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=9168"},"modified":"2020-04-09T09:06:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T13:06:24","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-19-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-19-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 19.1"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9168\" class=\"elementor elementor-9168\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f035568 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f035568\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 19.1<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67aa1986 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"67aa1986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32971be7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32971be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A small commotion ensued, and frightened, Hu Yu stood up.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe gently turned her away from the corridor and patted her shoulder, motioning for her to sit down.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the accompaniment of Li Yurong\u2019s wails, Du Kang said to Lin Jingzhe, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, the admission spot will be yours\u2014after all, it traditionally goes to the person with the best academic results.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joy and gratitude appeared in Hu Yu\u2019s eyes, but Lin Jingzhe slightly shook his head. \u201cNo, it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Kang was stunned, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He thought Lin Jingzhe was just being<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contrary, but the youth actually said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to go to Qunnan University.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This answer was unexpected but at the same time, not surprising; Hu Yu, anxious because of Lin Jingzhe\u2019s refusal, calmed down after hearing it. Du Kang was also convinced\u2014while Qunnan University might\u2019ve been the most prestigious higher education institution in Qunnan Province, on a national scale it wasn\u2019t really worth mentioning.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The young man managed to gain a connection with Elder Fang. Even if his academic performance wasn\u2019t outstanding, he shouldn\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t be confined to the small skies of Qunnan Province.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not to mention the whole country, in Yan City alone there were not a few excellent universities!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But once Hu Yu thought about it more, she was worried. Wasn\u2019t this too radical a move? Lin Jingzhe did well on the mock exam, but it didn\u2019t mean his college entrance exam results would be good too. Since there were many uncertainties, it was better to keep Qunnan University admission spot, just to be safe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe knew what she was thinking. He firmly shook his head, looking at her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, since he refused, Du Kang was left in a bit of a quandary\u2014what should be done about the admission quota? He got so furious today that he had to do at least something before he left.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He knew nothing about the students though. He glanced at the list of third-years, ranked according to grades and the mock exam\u2019s results brought by Vice-Principal Qu Yuan, and asked, \u201cThen what are your suggestions, everyone? You can speak freely.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe stood next to him on the dais, leaning on the teacher\u2019s desk. At his words, he pointed at one of the names. \u201cWhat about this person?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The student he proposed was the one who, except for the second mock exam, had always ranked first\u2014Yu Zhiliang.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The vice-principal&#8217;s eyes immediately lit up. \u201cYu Zhiliang? Yes, I think it&#8217;s very appropriate.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The academic director, who loved to throw in his two cents in any matter, was also satisfied: \u201cIndeed. Though his second mock exam\u2019s results were not as impressive as Lin Jingzhe\u2019s, he\u2019s been studying earnestly since the first day of high school and had earned his good grades with hard work. He\u2019s a quiet, serious child. I\u2019ve heard his family\u2019s situation is not very good.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe thought it was rather self-evident. In the last life, Yu Zhiliang sat on the throne of the best student in school through the whole three years, which pretty much guaranteed he\u2019d get the admission quota. If his family had a stronger background, it would have been impossible for Jiang Run to rob him of it.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one had any objections, so Du Kang officially appointed Yu Zhiliang the quota. Thanks to this, the feeling of suffocation in his chest, caused by his anger toward Tao Fangzheng and Li Yurong, lessened somewhat.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before leaving, he once again expressed his regret to Hu Yu and enjoined the vice-principal to list her as an official teacher, which should\u2019ve been done long ago, as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The vice-principal nodded all the while, along with the academic director. Though they were scolded, they felt as if the dark, heavy clouds in the sky had been blown away by a windstorm. They were desperately fighting to keep their faces from breaking out in a grin.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tyrant, Tao Fangzheng was knocked down!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That big and deeply-rooted tree, which smothered them for many years, had finally been felled!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Du Kang personally ordered it, removing the principal from power was exceptionally quick. When the members of the inspection team arrived at the school\u2019s entrance, they had Tao Fangzheng with them. He had regained consciousness and was being escorted to the car by the two of them, stumbling heavily.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was an explosive news! Almost all the teachers and students in school couldn&#8217;t resist coming out to watch the proceedings from the windows. Everyone wore thrilled smiles on their faces\u2014there wasn\u2019t a hint of sadness to be seen.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Kang looked on, poker-faced. He\u2019d just gained a new understanding of Tao Fangzheng\u2019s popularity.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, he never found the right timing to talk with Lin Jingzhe in private, and departed with some regret.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The students of No. 1 High School, however, especially those of the third-year Class 5, were exhilarated like a flock of chickens finally let out of a dark, too-small coop.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the way home, Deng Mai was so excited that he couldn\u2019t walk straight, and his swarthy, handsome face glowed. He chatted with the equally-excited Gao Sheng, and suddenly, the topic of their talk switched to Lin Jingzhe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Jingzhe, you really don&#8217;t want to go to Qunnan University?&#8221; Deng Mai asked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Sheng replied, \u201cHe did say he wanted to go to college in Yan City, but I never expected he would be so determined that he\u2019d give up the admission quota. That Yu Ziliang kid struck it lucky.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe did not answer; there were some things one couldn\u2019t say out loud. He wanted to go to Yan City, that was true, but in fact he had another, much more important reason to refuse\u2014<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his last life, the person who got the school&#8217;s guaranteed quota was Jiang Run. Judging from what Lin Jingzhe knew now, his cousin clearly didn\u2019t get it by honest means.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, this cheater became Lin Jingzhe. Having already lived through another lifetime, his perspective and experience couldn\u2019t be compared to that of ordinary teenagers. He even knew what would happen in the next decade or two. With this, at least for the moment, he had reversed his disastrous fate.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the admission quota was never his, and he was not going to rob a child.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe tightened his grip on the strap of his school bag, watching the group of carefree, naive, unruly youths horse around under the blazing July sun, his gaze softer than usual. Well, let them play for today\u2014the college entrance examination wasn\u2019t far away.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As he contemplated the boys and their futures, their cheerful laughter abruptly cut off. Lin Jingzhe came out of his thoughts and saw everyone had stopped and was warily watching the person who suddenly appeared in front of them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Li Yurong&#8217;s eyes were swollen from crying. She stepped out from behind a tree, the tears on her face &#8216;like raindrops on a pear blossom,&#8217; and uttered weakly, \u201cLin Jingzhe\u2026\u201d No one had ever heard her use this humble, pitiful tone of voice before.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Sheng and Deng Mai reacted immediately\u2014they stepped forward, protecting Lin Jingzhe behind them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Li Yurong was unable to even see him through this human wall, but as she thought of Tao Fangzheng\u2019s fate, she couldn\u2019t give up: she had to grab on to Lin Jingzhe, her last life-saving straw. She cried, \u201cI know my past actions weren\u2019t right\u2014I\u2019m sorry, I apologize for everything I\u2019ve done\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone gaped at her\u2014what they were accustomed to was her arrogant disdain. Now, seeing her like this, their hearts filled with a sense of satisfaction<\/span><b>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Gao Sheng recalled everything she\u2019d done to Lin Jingzhe and opened his mouth, expression indignant.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe, however, patted him on the shoulder before he managed to say anything. \u201cDon\u2019t bother. Come on, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once he spoke, even Deng Mai, who loved to make trouble, was unconditionally obedient. Li Yurong pursued for a few steps, but in the end, she could only watch the youth\u2019s slender silhouette fade in the distance. Finally giving in to despair, she leaned feebly against a tree and cried until she was hoarse.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-467bacf elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"467bacf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70ec29c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70ec29c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new English teacher, a beautiful woman whose looks were no less than those of Li Yurong, arrived soon. Add to that her smart, fashionable clothing, exquisite makeup, and long, dark brown curls, she easily turned heads. Her name was Qian Tian.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Qu Yuan, the acting principal, introduced her in class, quite a lot of the boys stared at her in a daze. During the first recess after she took up her duties, she looked for Hu Yu.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She clearly heard a lot of things, and had a skill of dealing with people; soon, she learned from Hu Yu the third-years\u2019 situation. Since there wasn\u2019t much time before the college entrance exam, she was under a lot of pressure. Then, once she looked through the textbooks and materials Li Yurong had been using, her forehead furrowed. \u201cNo, the scope of material is too narrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Hu Yu heard that Qian Tian had graduated from one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Key_Universities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Key Universities<\/a>, she was very hopeful. At these words, her eyes lit up immediately. She pulled out her revised curriculum, which the school leadership rejected but on which she\u2019d never given up, and presented it diffidently. \u201cTeacher Qian, what do you think of this?&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once Qian Tian glanced through it, her expression turned serious. \u201cWhich teacher made this?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Qian Tian was kind, Hu Yu was still nervous around such a forceful personality. Shrinking a bit, she whispered, \u201cIt was me\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTeacher Hu!\u201d Qian Tian immediately grabbed her arm and got up. \u201cI think it\u2019s necessary to implement this curriculum right away. Come on, let\u2019s find Principal Qu!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0389a6e elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"0389a6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f0db76 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4f0db76\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of Li Yurong\u2019s shadow, Class 5 had some resistance to the new English teacher, but Qian Tian&#8217;s ability equaled her appearance. Her friendly demeanor and interesting class, after only one, made the students accept her wholeheartedly.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe could finally step down from his role as a teacher. He was quite relieved, and his temper was much better. During recess, he even graciously allowed Deng Mai to gossip.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Do you know how much money Principal Tao was found to have embezzled from the school?&#8221; Deng Mai asked. He kept them in suspense for a moment. \u201cMy dad said, at least a million\u2014<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at least!<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone in the class cried out in shock, though most didn\u2019t believe it and accused Deng Mai of exaggerating. After all, for the high school students in that era, one million yuan was something as unimaginable as meeting aliens.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s true!\u201d Tao Fangzheng had been investigated quickly, and Deng Mai&#8217;s father apparently had been promoted, so he knew all the details. \u201cMy dad said, Principal Tao bought several apartments in the provincial capital and in Yan City, and he planned to send his daughter to study abroad. His lifestyle was also unusually rich\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe was in a bit of a daze, ignoring the increasingly heated debate raging around him. This morning, he saw the news about the cultural relics donation in the newspapers: <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liyun Morning News<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liyun Town Post<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qunnan Daily<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8230; It was front-page headlines in all of them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The provincial propaganda department spared no effort to publicize this matter, and it indeed made quite an uproar. The newspaper photos showed the simple, crude bronzeware in a carefully arranged exhibition in the National Museum in Yan City, and the articles lavished praise on the not-willing-to-be-named donor, describing him as a living Lei Feng, whose selflessness and dedication to the country knew no bounds. The leaders of various work units made public speeches, commending the donor for his great contribution to recovering their lost cultural heritage. Lin Jingzhe, who had some knowledge of the future, felt a little dizzy looking at the speakers\u2019 familiar names.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scale and intricacy of political struggles were far beyond his imagination. This was but a simple donation of cultural relics\u2014they were rare and priceless, yes, but hadn\u2019t this gone way over the top?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He recalled the phone call he got from Elder Fang a few days ago. The old man seemed to know the matter would be exaggerated this way, and told him not to panic: no one would reveal his name and origins, and there would be people in Liyun Town responsible for ensuring his safety. As for the official commendation\u2014it was real, and it would definitely be of benefit to him in the future.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Lin Jingzhe\u2019s horizons were widened by the experiences and ordeals of his previous life, he was still only an ordinary person. He knew the current spectacle was part of some strategy but was unable to see through to its heart.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cac391 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"6cac391\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d707a3f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d707a3f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In another place, thousands of miles away<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sound of propellers was deafening at this close of a distance. Yet, somebody struggled through the headache-inducing noise, attempting to read a newspaper.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFuck me sideways!\u201d The indomitable reader glanced through several pages, then closed the newspaper and stuffed it somewhere. He took off his headset and shouted to his companion, who was fastening the straps of his rig: \u201cThis is fucking sick! Some guy donated a few crappy antiques, and Zheng Cunzhi is nearly pissing his legs from excitement. I\u2019m surprised he didn\u2019t fucking sell the news to the damn <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York Times<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> too!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The man sitting next to him didn\u2019t even glance up as if he\u2019d heard nothing, focusing all his attention on adjusting the belly band. He was remarkably good-looking. With his head lowered, his long, straight nose cast a considerable shadow on his cheek. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and his sharp gaze pierced through the long eyelashes. His hair, not exactly short, was curly. The curls, natural but looking like a work of an expensive hairstylist, danced in the wind, sticking to his face now and then.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou can get in so many newspapers just by donating antiques! Hey, how about I swipe some of my old man\u2019s darlings and donate them? What do you say?\u201d The young man kept on talking, and because it had to compete with the sound of the engines, his voice was very loud. Accompanied by this endless chatter, his curly-haired friend finished fastening all the straps, then finally opened his mouth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His calm, powerful voice had a kind of unique metallic quality. It easily penetrated the noise: \u201cWhat are you even angry about? He got in your way?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a second, his companion was stumped for words, then he rolled his eyes. \u201cNo, but that\u2019s not the point.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The man smiled. He glanced at the stack of newspapers his friend rested his butt on and pulled out one at random. After several seconds of staring at the black-and-white photo of bronzeware on the first page, he folded the newspaper neatly and put it in a storage compartment in the bulkhead.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said, \u201cHu Shaofeng, just make your trade company tighten the belt. Don\u2019t do stupid things like Qi Kai.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His friend choked, and his expression became unnatural. Somewhat embarrassed, he replied, \u201cI haven\u2019t done anything yet, and it\u2019s not as if I want to do it. But Qi Kai earned nearly 100 million yuan last year and the year before last. He made money easier than snapping his fingers.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOf all the people, you take Qi Kai as an example to follow? That\u2019s who you want your younger brother to emulate? Tell that to your dad, and he will break your legs. If you want to make quick money, there are other ways. Shen City Stock Exchange will open soon. In another month, I\u2019ll take you to Qunnan.\u201d The curly-haired man didn\u2019t even bat an eyelid. He stood up halfway and moved to the plane side door somebody had opened. He grabbed the door frame then looked over his shoulder to add, \u201cDon\u2019t hang around Qi Kai. In a few days, he\u2019s going to find himself in hot water.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, before the other young man managed to give him even a puzzled look, he crouched and leaped out!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startled, Hu Shaofeng jerked in shock, his face slightly deformed by a sudden blast of wind. He gathered his courage but still didn\u2019t dare look out. A second later, he recalled what his friend said before he jumped out and lost his temper.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cScrew you, Xiao Chi!\u201d He closed his eyes and shouted at the endless blue sky outside. \u201cWhat the hell is wrong with Qi Kai now?! Can you fucking stop with these cryptic remarks?! If you start to speak, say it to the end, asshole!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6181dcc elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"6181dcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea0a5c4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea0a5c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/strong><\/h3><ol><li><strong>\u201cLike raindrops on a pear blossom\u201d<\/strong> [\u68a8\u82b1\u5e26\u96e8; fig. tear-stained face of a beauty] &#8211; this idiom comes from the narrative poem<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chang_hen_ge_(poem)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> &#8220;Song of Everlasting Sorrow&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> by Bai Juyi (here\u2019s the<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/?curid=65855\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> translation<\/a><\/strong>), which tells the story of<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yang_Guifei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Yang Guifei<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; the beloved concubine of the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and one of the<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Four_Beauties\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Four Beauties of ancient China<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li><li><strong>Lei Feng<\/strong> &#8211; a soldier in the People&#8217;s Liberation Army and a communist legend in China. After his death, Lei was characterized as a selfless and modest person devoted to the Communist Party, Mao Zedong, and the people of China. In 1963, he became the subject of a nationwide posthumous propaganda campaign, &#8220;Follow the examples of Comrade Lei Feng.&#8221; Although someone named Lei Feng probably existed, the accounts of his life as depicted by Party propaganda are heavily disputed, leading him to become a source of cynicism and subject of derision amongst segments of the Chinese population. (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lei_Feng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Wikipedia<\/strong><\/a>)<\/li><li>You should\u2019ve already noticed that the action of this novel takes place in a kind of alternate reality, with locations similar, but not the same, to those we know. \u201cYan City\u201d is the capital of the country, perhaps Beijing by different name, and \u201cShen City Stock Exchange\u201d bears much similarity to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shenzhen_Stock_Exchange\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shenzhen Stock Exchange<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3d76eae5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3d76eae5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-38674ce8\" data-id=\"38674ce8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50b5930 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50b5930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd91a0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd91a0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Eques<\/em><br \/><em>Editors: Dark, Bet<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d65fd52 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2d65fd52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c14d728 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c14d728\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7544ad7c\" data-id=\"7544ad7c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47abfc44 elementor-button-info elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"47abfc44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-18\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Previous<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1f737a4a\" data-id=\"1f737a4a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339fa6f elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"339fa6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f12f416\" data-id=\"4f12f416\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70cf5ebc elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"70cf5ebc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-19-2\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fd87590 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fd87590\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6543779\" data-id=\"6543779\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-463495b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"463495b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Eques<\/strong>:<\/p><p>The chapter is divided in two parts because of its length.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[35,39,68,41],"class_list":["post-9168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eor","tag-bl","tag-modern","tag-power-couple","tag-second-chance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9168"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11536,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9168\/revisions\/11536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}