Timeless Resolve
1114 Words
The bus swayed gently, rocking from side to side as it crossed the Jin River, wove through urban villages, and entered the ring road, where high-rises began to cluster.
Mia Lin listened to the ticket collector call out each stop manually, her voice blending with the rhythmic hum of the engine. Every stop, every announcement, further confirmed the reality of her rebirth.
In the window, her reflection showed the silhouette of a frail ten-year-old girl. Mia gazed at her shrunken form, letting out a soft sigh.
Why had she been sent back so many years?
If only she could return to her first year of middle school—then she could have changed everything in one fell swoop, taking her mother far away from her deceitful father and his entire family.
But now, not only had her father yet to make any grievous mistakes, but she herself was just an immature elementary school student. Moreover, having been raised by her grandparents, she was distant from her parents, barely even qualifying as close family.
If she rashly urged her mother to divorce, they’d think she had gone mad, and she’d likely earn a good scolding—or worse, a s******g.
No, this was something that required a long-term plan.
What, Mia Lin pondered, were the essential ingredients needed to convince someone to divorce?
The first thing was to establish a very close bond with that person.
People tended to confide their worries in those they felt closest to—friends often, and not always family.
In her past life, in an effort to distance herself from her father, Mia had rarely gone home, and in doing so, she had distanced herself from her mother too. Her mother, in turn, found solace in the advice of her so-called friends—women who ultimately used her, bleeding her dry. No matter how much Mia tried to intervene, her mother had already been brainwashed by their insidious influence.
This time, Mia would be her mother’s best confidante, her truest friend.
With that determination, she couldn’t even bother admiring the sights of the early 2000s. She pulled out a pen and a piece of paper from her schoolbag and began drafting her plan.
1. Establish a Close Relationship with Mom
Something they never had before.
Show her care, shower her with praise, spend time with her, understand her, cherish her. Let her know, in every little gesture, that I love her more than anyone else in the world!
Winning over someone indifferent might be difficult, but winning over your own mother should be effortless.
All I had to do was take the first step.
Mia Lin was confident she could do it.
But what came after she became close with her mother? She would need to eliminate her mother’s worries and fears.
In her past life, the two worst arguments between her parents had happened twice—once in middle school and again during her final year of high school.
Her mother had always said to Mia:
- “Nothing is more important than your college entrance exams.”
- “We’ve survived the hardest times. Your father hasn't done anything unforgivable lately, and a new partner might not be better.”
- “We’ll just make do—I don’t want you growing up in a single-parent household.”
This time, Mia was determined to grow up faster.
She started jotting down more notes:
2. Improve Both Grades and Life Skills
Ace the finals—soar from the bottom of the class to the top.
Enroll in an advanced math competition class, rack up awards.
Look for chances to impress Mom with cooking skills.
Start boarding at school during middle school, learn to live independently.
Let Mom see that I not only can take care of myself but can also take care of her in return!
...
...
Mia wrote with fervor, fully engrossed in her thoughts. By the end, she had filled eight pages of her notebook.
From gaining extra credits through competitions to persuading her mom to invest in properties near good schools—she had drafted what seemed to be a flawless “Rebirth Success Plan.”
Satisfied, she reviewed it once more before tucking it carefully into her bag.
Judging by the bus ride, they were almost at her stop. Mia felt her determination swell—she was ready to take the first step: establishing a deep bond with her mother.
But as she looked up, she realized the bus had hit traffic!
Chengdu in the year 2000 was already beginning to show signs of prosperity.
Mia’s school was in the Second Ring Road area, while her parents ran a stall in the bustling city center along the First Ring Road. And now, here she was, sitting on a double-decker bus, stuck in traffic.
Buses, taxis, cars, bicycles, and even human-powered tricycles—vehicles that had long since vanished from modern streets—were all packed together around Zongfu Road.
The bus stop was barely a hundred meters away, but the way was entirely blocked.
Was there already an evening rush hour back in the year 2000?
The buses back then weren’t fully enclosed, and Mia leaned out the window, craning her neck to get a better view.
The overpass that would later become a favorite photography spot for so many people already stood there before her.
To the left of the overpass was Wangfujing Mall, with McDonald’s iconic golden arches visible from afar. To the right was the Pacific Department Store, bearing a giant Nokia advertisement.
This year, the famed Chunxi Pedestrian Street hadn’t yet been constructed. Mia recalled that her parents had set up their stall somewhere along this very street.
Just as she was trying to remember the exact spot, the bus finally lurched forward.
Soon enough, the ticket collector yelled out, “Zongfu Road stop! If you’re heading for the night market, get off quickly!”
In an instant, nearly everyone on the bus surged toward the exit.
Caught in the tide, Mia Lin was carried off the bus, her paper-wrapped sugar balls crushed in the commotion.
The night market seemed to be everyone’s destination.
The Chunxi Night Market opened at three in the afternoon. As soon as the officers gave the go-ahead, two lines of metal-framed stalls sprang up along the street.
Jeans, hot water bottles, candied fruits, bootleg CDs—clothing, food, daily necessities—anything you could think of, it was there. Items ranged in price from a mere dime to a hundred yuan.
Mia stood at the market entrance, just in time to see the lights flicker on, illuminating the stalls in a warm, golden glow.
- Writer
