The Next Morning.
The sunlight filtered through the lace curtains, hitting Xiao Tian's eyelids.
He didn't wake up with a start. He didn't gasp for air. For the first time in forty years, he woke up... warm.
A heavyweight was draped across his chest. Xiao Tian opened his eyes to see an arm.
Xiao Wan, his ten-year-old sister, was sound asleep next to him, her limbs sprawled out like a starfish. She had kicked off her own blanket and invaded his territory, her head resting dangerously close to his shoulder, drooling slightly onto the pillow.
In the other bed across the room, his mother, Lin Meifeng, was curled up with little Xiao Xin. The toddler was gripping her mother's pajama shirt, sleeping peacefully.
Xiao Tian lay still, analyzing the sensation.
In his past life, sleeping next to another human being was a liability. Women in his bed were either spies, assets, or distractions. He slept with one eye open, waiting for the knife or the blackmail attempt.
But this?
Xiao Wan muttered something in her sleep—"Stupid brother... don't eat my dumpling"—and tightened her grip on his arm.
Xiao Tian felt a strange, alien sensation in his chest. It wasn't palpitations. It was... comfort?
"Inefficient," Xiao Tian whispered to the ceiling, though he didn't move. "Illogical. And yet... acceptable."
He carefully lifted Xiao Wan's arm off his chest. She grumbled and rolled over, wrapping herself in his blanket like a burrito.
Xiao Tian sat up, stretching his small, healthy body. He looked at the sleeping family.
"I will build a wall of gold around this room," he vowed silently, his eyes cold but possessive. "And God help anyone who tries to wake them up."
He slid off the bed, his bare feet padding softly on the wooden floor, and walked to the small washroom adjacent to the kitchen.
It wasn't really a bathroom. It was a concrete alcove with a drain and a wooden stand holding a galvanized tin bucket.
Xiao Tian stared at the bucket. The water was lukewarm, heated by a kettle earlier that morning. A rough, gray towel hung on a nail.
His mind drifted. Just a few days ago—or forty years in the future—his morning routine had taken place in a bathroom carved from Italian Carrara marble. He closed his eyes and could almost feel the hydro-massage of the temperature-controlled Jacuzzi, set precisely to 39 degrees. He remembered the steam rising, carrying the scent of imported lavender bath oils, and the soft laughter of the women on either side of him—a Swedish model pouring vintage champagne into crystal flutes before noon.
He opened his eyes.
No jets. No champagne. Just a dented tin bucket and a bar of sulfur soap that smelled like a chemical fire.
"From Caesar to a Peasant," Xiao Tian murmured, dipping the plastic ladle into the water. He splashed his face. The water was harsh, but it woke him up. "At least the water isn't poisoned with fluoride yet."
"Tian'er!"
His mother's voice floated from the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of a spatula hitting a wok.
"Are you done in there? Hurry up and wash your face!"
"I'm almost done, Mom," Xiao Tian called back, reaching for the rough towel.
"Good boy," she shouted over the sizzling oil. "Go wake up your sister! That lazy girl is still sleeping, and breakfast is almost ready. If she doesn't get up in five minutes, tell her I'm giving her egg to you!"
Xiao Tian smirked. He tossed the towel onto the rack and walked back into the bedroom.
Xiao Wan was still buried in the blankets, looking like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Only a tuft of black hair was visible.
Xiao Tian walked over to the bed and poked the lump.
"Sister. Wake up."
The lump groaned. "Go away... five more minutes..."
"Mom says breakfast is ready," Xiao Tian said, his voice sweet. "We're having eggs. If you don't get up, I get yours."
"Eat it then..." she mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter. "I want to sleep."
Xiao Tian sighed. He leaned in close to where her ear should be under the blanket.
"Sister," he whispered, his tone dropping to a playful threat. "If you don't get up, I'm going to tickle you."
The lump froze. Xiao Wan had a fatal weakness: she was incredibly ticklish.
She threw the blanket down, revealing her messy hair and defiant face. She glared at him with sleepy eyes.
"You wouldn't dare," she challenged, trying to look intimidating but failing miserably in her pajamas. "I'm bigger than you. I'll crush you."
"Is that a dare?" Xiao Tian raised an eyebrow.
"Try it, shorty!"
Xiao Tian didn't hesitate. He lunged.
"Attack!" he declared, jumping onto the bed.
"Ah! No! Get off!" Xiao Wan shrieked, but she was laughing.
Xiao Tian pinned her arms down with surprising speed—using leverage rather than strength—and dug his fingers into her sides.
"No! Stop! Hahaha! Xiao Tian! Stop it!" she squealed, thrashing around like a fish on land. "I surrender! I surrender!"
"Too late for surrender," Xiao Tian laughed, enjoying the sound of genuine laughter in the house. "This is the penalty for laziness!"
He tickled her ribs, making her curl up and gasp for air, tears of laughter streaming down her face.
"Okay! Okay! I'm up! I'm up!" she gasped, her face flushed red.
Xiao Tian stopped. He was straddling her, pinning her wrists to the pillow. She looked up at him, chest heaving, hair spread out like a halo, her eyes bright and lively.
For a moment, the room was quiet, save for their breathing.
Xiao Tian looked down at her. She was his sister, his first ally in this timeline. She was loud, annoying, and completely devoted to him.
"Good morning, Sister," he whispered.
Before she could react, he leaned down and pressed a quick, soft kiss on her lips.
He pulled back instantly, jumping off the bed before she could process what happened.
Xiao Wan lay frozen on the mattress. Her eyes went wide. Her hand slowly came up to touch her lips. She blinked, completely dazed, her brain short-circuiting.
"You..." she stammered, her face turning the color of a tomato.
"Hurry up," Xiao Tian called out from the doorway, adjusting his clothes as if nothing had happened. "Or I really will eat your egg."
The Dining Table.
Ten minutes later, the family was gathered around the small square table.
The air was filled with the savory scent of rice congee, pickled radish, and fried dough sticks.
Lin Meifeng placed a steaming bowl in front of Xiao Tian. She looked at him with a strange expression—a mix of suspicion and hurt feelings.
"Tian'er," she began, sitting down opposite him. "Why did you lock the bathroom door this morning?"
Xiao Tian paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "I didn't lock it, Mom. I just closed it."
"You usually call me to help you scrub your back," Lin Meifeng pouted, picking at her food. She looked genuinely dejected. "Do you... do you not like Mommy washing you anymore? Do you think I'm annoying?"
Xiao Tian almost choked on his congee.
He looked at his mother. She was a stunning woman in her 20s, but right now, she looked like a kicked puppy. In this era, parents and children had very few boundaries, and she was used to treating him like a helpless infant.
"Mom," Xiao Tian said smoothly, putting on his most serious face. "I'm six now. I'm the man of the house."
"You're six, not sixty!" she retorted, reaching over to pinch his cheek. "You're still my baby. Look at your ears, did you even wash behind them? Come here, let me check."
"Mom!" Xiao Tian dodged her hand, maintaining his dignity. "I washed them! I have to be independent. If I can't even wash myself, how can I help you with the restaurant?"
Lin Meifeng paused. She looked at him, then sighed, a small, proud smile breaking through her pout.
"You grow up too fast," she lamented, dropping a peeled hard-boiled egg into his bowl. "Fine. But if you miss a spot, I'm scrubbing you down with the rough sponge tonight."
Across the table, Xiao Wan was eating her congee with her head down, not saying a word. Every time she glanced at Xiao Tian, she touched her lips and turned bright red, quickly looking away.
"Wan'er, why is your face so red?" Lin Meifeng asked, narrowing her eyes. "Do you have a fever?"
"No!" Xiao Wan squeaked, burying her face in her bowl. " The congee is just... really hot!"
Xiao Tian smirked and took a bite of his egg.
"School starts today," Lin Meifeng announced, changing the subject. She looked at Xiao Tian nervously. "Tian'er, are you sure you're ready? You know... after the fever?"
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Remember," she lectured, smoothing his collar. "First grade is important. Listen to the teacher. Don't fight. If someone bullies you, tell the teacher. We need you to study hard so you can go to university and become a government official."
Xiao Tian chewed slowly.
Government Official. The Iron Rice Bowl. Safety. It was the ceiling of ambition for this generation.
"I don't want to be an official," Xiao Tian said casually.
"Don't talk nonsense," Lin Meifeng chided. "If you aren't an official, what will you be? A cook? It's hard work, Tian'er."
"I'll be the one who hires the officials," Xiao Tian muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothing, Mom. I said I'll make you proud."
The Walk to School.
Lin Meifeng walked them to the gate of the Red Star Primary School. It was a sea of blue and grey jackets, red scarves, and shouting children.
"Wan'er, take your brother to Class 1. Make sure he finds his desk," Lin Meifeng instructed, handing them their satchels.
"I know, I know," Xiao Wan grabbed Xiao Tian's hand. Her grip was tight, perhaps a little tighter than usual. She refused to look him in the eye.
As Lin Meifeng walked away to open the restaurant, Xiao Tian stood at the school gate, observing his new hunting ground.
He didn't see a school. He saw an ecosystem.
The building, he noted, scanning the red brickwork. Old, but structurally sound. The slogan on the wall is freshly painted—'Study Hard, Improve Every Day'. This is the District Key School. The budget is definitely higher than the rural schools.
He watched a black Hongqi sedan pull up to the curb—a rare sight in 1978 that screamed high-level cadre. A driver in white gloves stepped out to open the door for a chubby boy with a brand new leather satchel.
A nexus of power, Xiao Tian mused, his eyes gleaming. That car belongs to the Municipal Committee. If that kid is in my grade, he's a potential asset. And I recall Uncle Ye saying his daughter, Ye Qing, is also starting this year.
He shifted his gaze to the teachers standing by the gate, welcoming the students. Their clothes were clean, but he noticed the details: frayed cuffs, scuffed shoes, the weary posture of people who worry about the price of coal.
The staff is underpaid, he deduced instantly. They have social status, but low liquidity. That makes them vulnerable. Low morale means they are susceptible to financial incentives or career advancement offers.
"Come on," Xiao Wan pulled his arm, finally looking at him. "Why are you staring like that? Are you scared?"
Xiao Tian looked at her. "Sister, do I really have to go in there?"
"Yes! Unless you want to be illiterate!"
Xiao Tian sighed. He ran the calculations.
He could refuse. He could throw a tantrum. But disrupting the domestic harmony he had just cultivated was a bad strategic move.
To escape this prison, he needed a strategic exit. He couldn't just leave; he had to be released with honors.
"I need to audit the system," Xiao Tian thought. "Find the decision-maker. Identify their pain points. Offer a solution."
"I'm coming," Xiao Tian said.
He adjusted his backpack straps. He didn't look like a first-grader terrified of his first day. He looked like a corporate raider walking into a failing subsidiary for a restructuring meeting.
"One week," he whispered to himself. "I'll give this place one week to amuse me. Then, I'm firing the school."
"What did you say?" Xiao Wan asked, leaning down.
"I said I love school," Xiao Tian lied, flashing his weaponized smile. "Let's go learn about rabbits."