Returning to the 1960s as an Educated Youth

Jiang He, a former cosmetics company owner who had prepared for an apocalypse by stockpiling resources in a mystical space, finds himself transported back in time to 1960s China. He awakens in the body of a young man with the same name, who is deeply unpopular within his family. The original owner had been subjected to years of abuse, neglect, and favoritism by his parents, who treated their adopted cousin, Jiang Bao, as their true son while forcing Jiang He into servitude. Upon merging memories, Jiang He realizes the depth of his predecessor’s suffering and decides to sever all ties with his toxic family immediately.

The central conflict arises when Jiang He demands a legal separation from his parents, requiring them to sign a severance document. His father, initially refusing and tearing up the papers, eventually agrees to the separation on the condition that Jiang He pays 500 yuan, a massive sum in that era, within three months. If Jiang He fails to produce the money, he must go to the countryside as a sent-down youth in place of his cousin. Simultaneously, Jiang He discovers that his parents had secretly submitted his name to be sent to the countryside so they could seize his factory job for Jiang Bao. This revelation solidifies Jiang He’s resolve to escape their control and secure his own future.

With no money of his own, Jiang He seeks help from Uncle and Aunt Liu, a childless couple who had shown kindness to the original owner during his childhood. They offer him shelter and financial assistance, but Jiang He refuses to burden them. Instead, he approaches his team leader at the factory, Li Jianguo, who is outraged to learn that Jiang He’s mother attempted to steal his job position. Jiang He decides to sell his factory job to Niu Cuifang, the sister of a neighbor, for 350 yuan, a fraction of its value, to raise the necessary funds quickly. This transaction allows him to secure the bulk of the required money while removing himself from the family’s grasp entirely.

To cover the remaining 150 yuan, Jiang He visits the local library, where he encounters Gao Yonghui, a student who recognizes Jiang He’s fluency in multiple foreign languages. Gao introduces Jiang He to an elderly professor who needs help translating technical books from the Clock Kingdom. Impressed by Jiang He’s linguistic skills and meticulous notes, the professor offers him a paid translation job. Jiang He accepts, confident that he can complete the work within the month, thereby solving his financial problem without resorting to illegal black market activities or revealing the existence of his space.

The story reaches a critical turning point when Jiang He’s parents and cousin confront him on the street, attempting to publicly shame him for being unfilial. They accuse him of hoarding money and refusing to help the family, playing the victim to the gathered crowd. Aunt Liu intervenes, exposing the family’s abuse and the fact that Jiang Bao is likely not their biological son, given his resemblance to the mother’s family. The confrontation escalates until the Third Great-Uncle arrives, a respected elder in the clan. He mediates the dispute, forcing the parents to sign the severance agreement with minimal financial responsibility toward Jiang He, and pays the 500 yuan on Jiang He’s behalf to ensure the separation is finalized.

Following the severance, Jiang He is free from his family’s oppression. He forms new alliances with Uncle Liu, Aunt Liu, and Ji Shijie, a young man from the Red Star Bakery who defended him during the street altercation. Jiang He begins his new life with a clear focus on earning money through translation work and preparing for the turbulent years ahead. The narrative sets the stage for his future endeavors in the countryside, where he plans to use his knowledge and resources to survive and thrive, leaving his abusive family to regret their past actions.