Chapter Summaries

On Christmas Eve in 1999, the narrator and his friends visited Gong Lei’s family shop and spent the night together, before their close-knit routine faded as they went separate ways. Three years later, in Shenzhen, the narrator intervened in a robbery, was stabbed and badly injured, and fell into a river with the robbers and the woman he had tried to save.

• The narrator and his friends stopped drinking and took a taxi across town to help Gong Lei at his family’s wholesale shop.
• The friends finished moving stock, then stayed at Gong Lei’s shop watching movies and talking until morning.
• After the group’s weekend gatherings faded, the narrator worked in different jobs and struggled to finish the story he wanted to write.
• On New Year’s Eve in 2003, the narrator saw two men robbing a woman near Luohu Pass and attacked them with a paving brick.
• The narrator fought the two robbers alongside the woman, but one struck him with a brick and the three tumbled into a river.

Zhou Xingwen woke in the body of his toddler self, Zhou Ran, and realized he had returned to his childhood with his memories intact. After days of weighing whether to live differently, he helped a beggar and began to understand what he should do.

• Zhou Xingwen woke repeatedly to find himself in the body of a young child and recognized his cousin Zhang Xiaotong, who called him Zhou Ran.
• He saw his parents and relatives, spoke to them, and worked out that he had returned to around 1986, before turning three.
• While being cared for by his family, Zhou Ran reflected on his past friends and hesitated over whether to choose a different life.
• When Zhang Xiaotong recoiled from a legless beggar, Zhou Ran gave her money to pass to him.
• Watching the beggar leave, Zhou Ran began to understand what he should do.

Zhou Ran used his extraordinary memory and Zhang Xiaotong’s access to books to educate himself and teach her, while their close partnership helped her excel at school. By late October 1988, Zhou Ran’s family finally made him attend preschool, ending his freedom to study at home.

• Zhou Ran persuaded Zhang Xiaotong to keep his unusual behavior secret by telling her stories, then asked her to bring him books to read.
• Zhou Ran discovered he could remember everything he read and recall old memories with startling clarity, so he read through Zhang Xiaotong’s family library.
• Zhang Xiaotong became a top student and class monitor as Zhou Ran taught her writing, mathematics, and his opinions, while he studied English and French on his own.
• After Zhou Ran’s third uncle began working at a paper mill in May 1987, Zhang Xiaotong brought him imported magazines and books rescued from pulping.
• Zhou Ran resisted his family’s attempt to send him to preschool, but in late October 1988 they sent him anyway.

The narrator earned money by publishing stories under different pen names and entrusted his savings to Zhang Xiaotong. He chose Xinhua Primary School to see Zhang Xin, then resumed reading at the city library while waiting for a future he did not yet dare to influence.

• The narrator organized stories he had written in preschool and sent them to North Gate Pass under his youngest aunt's name; Zhang Xiaotong intercepted the reply, and he later gave her his writing income to keep safe.
• By early 1989, the narrator had accumulated savings from writing and small antique deals, while Zhang Xiaotong hid and managed their money.
• Before his September 1989 school interview, the narrator changed his mind about attending North Gate City No. 1 Primary School, and Zhang Xiaotong supported his decision.
• The narrator joined Class 1 of Grade 1 at Xinhua Primary School, where he met teacher Jiang Wanrong and saw Zhang Xin, the reason he had chosen the school.
• In October, the narrator had Zhang Xiaotong obtain a city library card, and they resumed reading while continuing to manage their private funds.

In 1990, the narrator began preparing to profit from the coming PC-assembly boom by studying computers, while he and Zhang Xiaotong read widely and discussed learning and growing up. As the year passed, Zhang Xiaotong became more confident and restrained her school ambitions at his advice, while the narrator resolved not to fall back into a life of routine and regret.

• The narrator set his sights on the 1993–1995 PC-assembly boom and joined Zhang Xiaotong for computer classes at the Children's Palace, where he secretly reviewed C.
• After his family moved to the suburbs, the narrator taught Zhang Xiaotong French and took her to libraries and secondhand bookstalls to find books.
• When Zhang Xiaotong asked what reading was for, the narrator explained that learning helped people understand themselves and make their own choices; Zhang Xiaotong responded with a teasing offer that left them both embarrassed.
• Zhang Xiaotong studied harder, and the narrator advised her to avoid spending too much effort on school leadership; she followed his advice and became less conspicuous.
• The narrator spent 1990 walking through the park before school and resolved not to become accustomed to routine, regret, or numbness.

Zhou Xingwen explained to Zhang Xiaotong his ambition to improve people’s lives and asked her to help him build a public identity and manage his writing income. After Zhang Xiaotong became a young writer, Zhou Xingwen met Yang Yuanzhe at an arcade and proposed that they make their own games someday.

• Zhou Xingwen discussed his ideas about making the world better with Zhang Xiaotong and asked her to obtain an ID for him, manage money earned from his writing, and gain her parents’ trust.
• Zhou Xingwen gave Zhang Xiaotong a science-fiction story to submit to the first Galaxy Cup Youth Science Fiction Writing Contest, and she became known as a young writer two months later.
• Zhou Xingwen took Zhang Xiaotong to an arcade and met Yang Yuanzhe by joining him in a game.
• Zhou Xingwen and Yang Yuanzhe spent the afternoon playing games and then talked about the cost of the Super Nintendo and making their own games.
• Zhang Xiaotong realized that Zhou Xingwen had brought her to meet Yang Yuanzhe as part of his plans.

The narrator trained with Zhang Xiaotong while guiding her writing career and helping her become a controversial young author. After her school challenged her novel, Zhang Xiaotong persuaded her parents to support her independence, secure an ID and open an account, leaving the family newly aware of her substantial royalties.

• The narrator befriended Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu, started exercising with Zhang Xiaotong, and helped her publish The Day the Black Hole Came in two magazines.
• The narrator designed Zhang Xiaotong a signature and decided to make her famous for a year while writing a novel under her name.
• The narrator gave the novel a bleak ending, then published an anonymous essay criticizing reviewers and sparking controversy over Zhang Xiaotong's work.
• A teacher demanded that Zhang Xiaotong apologize, but she refused, and her eldest uncle changed his tune after hearing how much she had earned from writing.
• Zhang Xiaotong showed her parents her bankbook, said she wanted to support herself as a writer, and won their agreement to help her get an ID and open her own account.

Zhang Xiaotong’s writing career grew as the narrator guided her toward new projects, while the two traveled and planned for her future. The narrator also encouraged Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu to pursue game design, and the chapter ended with the Soviet Union’s dissolution and Little Aunt and Little Uncle preparing for border trade.

• Zhang Xiaotong received a flood of letters and invitations as her writing fame spread, while the narrator helped her manage commissions and begin a novel about retakers.
• The narrator finished “In the Wind, In the Rain,” and Zhang Xiaotong earned more from her writing and obtained a Great Wall Card.
• Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator toured coastal cities, where they promised to support each other’s dreams.
• After returning, Zhang Xiaotong paused her writing publicly while the narrator began a fantasy novel based on DND.
• The narrator discussed game design with Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu and planned to buy them an SFC in 1992.
• In December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved, and Little Aunt and Little Uncle began planning to resign and pursue border trade.

Zhang Xiaotong used the success of her novels to build a fortune, then invested a hundred thousand yuan in a Western-style cake shop with her younger brother’s guidance. The shop opened after the family secured permits, staff, premises, and a television promotion, leaving the narrator waiting to see how his eldest aunt would handle the business.

• Zhang Xiaotong donated the proceeds from a public bidding for her novel to flood relief in Anhui, then sold “Black and White, Following the Wind” to the Times Youth Newspaper for 150 yuan per thousand characters.
• Zhang Xiaotong agreed to invest a hundred thousand yuan in a cake shop, and her eldest aunt volunteered to manage it while the family helped secure permits and bakers.
• Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator found a site, arranged ingredient supplies, and met Dong Qinghua to negotiate a television song-request promotion for Snow Fate Western Pastry Boutique.
• Zhang Xiaotong’s eldest aunt hired eight people, the shop was decorated and promoted in the media, and Snow Fate Western Pastry Boutique opened before the Spring Festival.

Zhou Xingwen built connections and helped Zhang Xiaotong expand her cake business, which brought in far more money than expected. As they discussed their closeness, Zhang Xiaotong asked him to call her Xiaotong when they were alone.

• Zhou Xingwen befriended Zhou Guangcheng and Wang Huzhi at Zhou Guangcheng’s restaurant, shared smuggling tips, and took Zhou Guangcheng’s contact details.
• Zhang Xiaotong escaped Zhou Xinglu by taking Zhou Xingwen to the cake shop, where she exposed her aunt’s kickbacks and negotiated a lower supplier price.
• After the Spring Festival, Zhang Xiaotong expanded the booming business by opening a second Snow Fate shop and appointing her youngest aunt’s husband as manager.
• The two shops’ sales surged, and Zhou Xingwen projected that Zhang Xiaotong could earn millions and sell the shops for a large profit.
• Zhang Xiaotong rested her head on Zhou Xingwen’s shoulder and asked him to call her Xiaotong when they were alone; he agreed.

Zhang Xiaotong expanded Snow Fate with a new branch and outdoor pastry stalls while the narrator planned further growth and prepared to take a year off from school. At the end of July, the narrator and Zhang Xiaotong went to Shenyang to recruit computer specialists, where a young man recognized Zhang Xiaotong and asked for her autograph.

• Zhang Xiaotong opened a second branch after the May holiday with Yu Chunrong as its manager, then used a televised Children's Day charity event to raise Snow Fate's profile against new competitors.
• The narrator urged Zhang Xiaotong to hire more staff, add outdoor pastry courts, check the accounts, and prepare for his planned year away from school.
• During summer vacation, Zhang Xiaotong added outdoor stalls, monitored the accounts, and helped the narrator manage the growing business.
• At the end of July, the narrator and Zhang Xiaotong visited Weiyong Building on Sanhao Street to find a location for a computer shop and went to a labor market to recruit computer specialists.
• A young man recognized Zhang Xiaotong at the labor market and asked her for an autograph.

The narrator and Zhang Xiaotong recruited Liu Mingyao to establish Sun Electronics in Shenyang, securing a business license and a street-front shop on Sanhao Street. After the shop opened, Wan Bochen offered university work, and Zhang Xiaotong arranged for him to receive an IBM computer.

• The narrator and Zhang Xiaotong met Liu Mingyao, offered him a job, and gave him ten thousand yuan to obtain a business license.
• Liu Mingyao completed the paperwork within two days, and Zhang Xiaotong rented a sixty-square-meter shop on Sanhao Street.
• Zhang Xiaotong outlined Sun Electronics’ plans for PC assembly, seeking a brand dealership, pursuing campus network projects, and limiting inventory.
• Sun Electronics opened in mid-August, and Liu Mingyao introduced Wan Bochen, who offered the company Northeastern University assembly and campus network work.
• The narrator arranged for Zhang Xiaotong to give Wan Bochen an IBM computer, and the narrator and Zhang Xiaotong prepared to return home.

Zhou Xingwen spent time with Zhang Xiaotong, grew closer to Xu Jiajia and Zhang Xin, and went with them to Ximiaokou after school. There, he heard the familiar voice of the person he had been hoping to find.

• Zhang Xiaotong told Liu Mingyao to share the computer-assembly profits with Wan Bochen and himself.
• Zhou Xingwen spent the afternoon with Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu at Zhang Xiaotong's home, then went out to eat and shop with her.
• Zhang Xiaotong and Zhou Xingwen fell asleep while she lay across his lap and he taught her Japanese; they woke embarrassed the next morning.
• Zhou Xingwen gave Xu Jiajia the drawing he had promised, and she asked whether he liked Zhang Xin.
• Xu Jiajia and Zhang Xin asked Zhou Xingwen to take them to Ximiaokou, where he heard the familiar voice of the person he had come to meet.

Zhou Xingwen met Guo Zhen at a pool hall, then traveled with Zhang Xiaotong to Shenyang to help her manage Sun Electronics. After arranging a large order and tightening her control over the business, they returned home with plans for the coming year.

• Zhou Xingwen played Guo Zhen in snooker and won both frames, then took Xu Jiajia and Zhang Xin home.
• Zhou Xingwen visited Zhang Xiaotong, and they cooked dinner before taking the last train to Shenyang.
• Zhang Xiaotong and Zhou Xingwen went to Sun Electronics, where Liu Mingyao reported a large order for AST and IBM machines that required an additional one and a half million.
• Zhang Xiaotong agreed to pursue an AST dealership and an HP dealership while keeping the business's finances under her control.
• On the train home, Zhou Xingwen told Zhang Xiaotong he planned to take a year's leave from school and later attend the same school as her.

The narrator and Zhang Xiaotong expanded their business plans by selling the Snow Fate cake shops and investing in Sun Electronics’ computer dealership. As 1993 began, the narrator watched his parents’ relationship deteriorate and expected their divorce.

• The narrator took Yang Yuanzhe and Ge Jinqiu to Guo Zhen’s arcade, where he won on a mahjong machine and showed Yang Yuanzhe advanced Street Fighter II techniques.
• Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator sold all three Snow Fate shops to Sui Yunfei for 8.2 million yuan and gave money to their relatives and Zhang Xiaotong’s parents.
• Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator secured an AST dealership, expanded Sun Electronics, and directed Liu Mingyao to pursue larger clients and the HP brand.
• After school resumed, the narrator watched his parents quarrel and anticipated that they would divorce after another year.

In 1993, Sun Electronics consolidated its computer business and began building the Young Dreamer brand, with Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator personally interviewing candidates. After hiring Lu Wei and Yang Feng, the company pursued a manufacturing partnership with Intel, and Lu Wei reported that an agreement was nearly reached.

• Sun Electronics promoted AST computers and created the Young Dreamer brand, then assigned Liu Mingyao to recruit staff.
• Zhang Xiaotong and the narrator interviewed applicants, challenged their résumés and work histories, and hired Lu Wei and Yang Feng.
• Zhang Xiaotong assigned Lu Wei to contact manufacturers and Yang Feng to take charge of campus network work.
• Lu Wei contacted Intel and called to say the two sides had basically reached an agreement.
• The narrator promised Lu Wei computer case designs and a cost report, while instructing Liu Mingyao to hold off on lowering prices for other brands.

The narrator and Zhang Xiaotong expanded their businesses, launching Young Dreamer PCs and establishing a teenage entertainment magazine called Crimson Youth. The chapter ended with the magazine’s founding editors choosing whether to join its first issue, as the narrator looked ahead to building a larger media business.

• The narrator sent computer designs to Lu Wei, whose negotiations with Intel helped secure a partnership, while Liu Mingyao arranged production of computer cases that sold well in Sanhao.
• The narrator and Lu Wei finalized Intel and HP distribution deals, and Young Dreamer expanded to twenty domestic distributors with Zhang Xiaotong writing promotional serials.
• The narrator proposed a magazine to Zhang Xiaotong, who secured a book number and worked with Dong Qinghua and Editor Ye to assemble an editorial team.
• On July 20, the narrator assigned Liu Mingyao and Lu Wei to hire security guards and pursue investment in a large home-appliance store in Beiguan City.
• Zhang Xiaotong persuaded five text editors to consider joining their teenage entertainment magazine, and the narrator announced Crimson Youth’s launch.

Zhou Xingwen and Zhang Xiaotong pushed ahead with Crimson Youth and a new appliance center, arranging publicity, staffing, and a forty-million loan while keeping their plans discreet. By August 13, the center’s renovations were complete, Lu Wei had moved to Beiguan to manage it, and Zhou Xingwen anxiously watched summer vacation draw to a close.

• Zhou Xingwen helped Zhang Xiaotong train Crimson Youth’s editorial team and recruit staff, while Dong Qinghua and Wan Bochen’s colleagues arranged inexpensive publicity.
• Zhou Xingwen and Zhang Xiaotong planned an appliance center in Beiguan, and Lu Wei secured a lease on an existing department store and favorable terms.
• Dong Qinghua agreed to arrange a forty-million loan through Liu Shaoyi, while Zhou Xingwen and Zhang Xiaotong kept their real-estate plans secret and stepped back from Sun Electronics’ public image.
• Zhang Xiaotong and Zhou Xingwen replaced Sun Electronics’ spokespersons, while Zhang Xiaotong took charge of the magazine’s editorial office and Zhou Xingwen wrote material for its first issue.
• Liu Mingyao secured provincial distribution rights for Philips and other manufacturers, and Dong Qinghua told Zhang Xiaotong the loan could be approved in early September.
• After the appliance center’s renovations finished on August 13, Lu Wei moved to Beiguan to manage it, Cai Qing replaced her at Sun Electronics, and Zhou Xingwen fretted over summer vacation ending.

The narrator oversaw preparations for Sun Electric Appliance City and Crimson Youth while building a trusted team and launching plans for a computer magazine through Liu Mingyao. As construction delays threatened to tie up funds, he decided to pursue a fast-return investment and told Zhang Xiaotong he wanted to invest in a factory in Yulin County.

• Lu Wei organized Sun Electric Appliance City, while Zhang Xiaotong promoted Crimson Youth and cultivated relationships with provincial officials.
• The narrator persuaded Liu Mingyao to establish a magazine focused on computer news, software, and games, and Liu began assembling its editorial team.
• The narrator explained to Zhang Xiaotong that he was spending time with old friends to build a capable core team for the company.
• Crimson Youth closed submissions on August 25, and Lu Wei scheduled Sun Electric Appliance City's opening for August 27 as Liu Mingyao delivered merchandise to Beiguan City.
• The narrator calculated that construction delays would keep funds tied up and decided to seek a fast-return winter investment.
• The narrator told Zhang Xiaotong that he wanted to invest in a factory in Yulin County.

Zhou expanded Sun Electronics through magazine advertising, nationwide branches, and property development while arranging to lease and convert a struggling MSG factory into a chicken bouillon producer. After the factory’s workers received overdue wages and production preparations began, Zhang Xiaotong offered Zhou tea, prompting him to excitedly embrace her over an idea that occurred to him.

• Zhou explained to Zhang Xiaotong that he planned to lease and buy an MSG factory and market chicken bouillon to parents by promoting concerns about MSG and using Crimson Youth for publicity.
• Crimson Youth’s first issue sold 175,000 copies, attracting so many advertisers that Zhou proposed splitting it into two booklets and adding color pages.
• Zhou and Lu Wei secured two Beiguan City development sites, began construction, and used the properties as collateral to obtain nearly 120 million yuan in low-interest loans.
• Zhou assigned Liu Mingyao to establish branches nationwide and expand into cheap assembled computers as Sun Electronics’ electronics mall earned substantial profits.
• Lu Wei, Zhang Xiaotong, and Zhou negotiated to lease the struggling Yulin County MSG factory, promised to pay workers’ wages and arrears, and had the technical staff begin making chicken bouillon from Zhou’s formula.
• After Lu Wei left for work, Zhang Xiaotong massaged Zhou’s shoulders and offered him tea, and Zhou suddenly embraced her with excitement.