Everyone in Kindergarten was reborn, except for…[90’s] - Chapter 1

“The 91st Ayong Awards ceremony came to a close in the early hours of yesterday. Actress Jiang Runing, with her performance in the film «Winter Fireworks», surprisingly won the Best Actress award, becoming the first Chinese actress to achieve this honor in the history of the Ayong Film Festival. Moreover, she is the first Best Actress recipient at the Ayong Awards who did not attend the award ceremony. According to reports…”

The entertainment news came from the car radio. The elderly man sitting in the back seat heard the news and looked up, smiling at the driver: “Xiao Wang, I remember, you know this Jiang Runing, right? I recall my granddaughter once asked you for help to get her autograph.”

The driver, Xiao Wang, nodded, showing a faint smile, and said: “She was my classmate when we were young. We were from the same batch at the old Chongbei Machinery Factory back then.”

The old man suddenly realized, and said: “Old Chongbei, that is an old state-owned enterprise back then.”

His tone carried a hint of nostalgia: “Back then, the children from the old Chongbei factory really came out with some famous people…Oh, I remember, besides this Jiang Runing, there was Director Qiao from the Provincial Public Security Department, Secretary Bai from the Provincial Party Committee’s Secretariat, and many others…”

“Yes, we were all part of the same batch back then.”

The elderly man nodded and said: “Yes, you all were a remarkable bunch. Just being police officers…” As he was speaking, he suddenly remembered something, and he immediately closed his mouth. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, “It’s June 1st tomorrow. Take a day off like you did in previous years.”

Driver Xiao Wang: “Thank you, leader.”

—

“The KX2333 flight from Shanghai to Shencheng has arrived. Passengers who are waiting for pickup, please proceed…” With the continuous broadcasting of the melodious female voice in the airport, a tough and muscular man paced back and forth in the airport’s pickup hall, attracting the attention of passersby who couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Nowadays, middle-aged ‘kill-mattes¹’ are not commonly seen.

The middle-aged kill-matte has colorful hair, a blue dragon on the left arm and a white tiger on the right, and a restless demeanor on the face.

Just at this moment, a man carrying a small suitcase walked out. He was dressed in a meticulously tailored suit, with every hair perfectly in place, displaying an elite demeanor. The gold-rimmed glasses added a touch of scholarly air to him, highlighting his status and inner qualities. However, this man happened to stop in front of the middle-aged kill-matte.

“Your hair?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Xuebao loves colorful things the most.”

The kill-matte grumbled: “Jiang Lawyer, the plane was delayed for an hour, and I’m getting impatient.”

The elite man, Lawyer Jiang, pushed his glasses and said: “If I don’t deal with the trouble you left behind, I’ll arrive a day earlier.”

Kill-matte: “Alright, alright, my bad. Who allowed that little punk to beat up the child and run away, leaving the child seriously injured? No one should bully kids. Damn it, I hate those who bully the weak. Just because I’m in Shanghai, they think I’ll let it go?”

At this moment, the two of them had already gotten into the rundown car with no air conditioning. However, the elite man seemed unfazed. Instead, he diligently fastened his seatbelt. As the car drove away, he looked out of the window and said slowly: “It deserves to die.”

The kill-matte snorted, then laughed…

—

“Sister Meng, the runway side has been communicated with, and our outfits are all ready. Later, you will participate in the pre-show… ” The secretary stood in front of the desk and reported, while the woman at the office desk was busy stuffing things into her bag. At this moment, her words were interrupted, “How much longer until the plane departs?”

The secretary immediately said: “There are still two hours.”

“I have prepared notes for these matters. Let’s discuss them when I come back. Also, since you are new this year, you might not know my routine. Every year in early June, I don’t work. You go coordinate and reschedule.” She readied her handbag, then took out a bright red lipstick to touch up her makeup and asked: “Do I look good like this?”

The secretary was surprised for a moment and immediately said: “You look beautiful, and your complexion looks great.”

Su Meng smiled and said: “As long as my complexion looks good, that’s all that matters. Xuebao likes big sisters who look good.”

The young secretary hadn’t reacted yet, but Su Meng was already holding the Dior handbag and walked out of the door, saying: “Lock the door for me.”

After watching Su Meng leave, the young secretary curiously sought out the studio’s senior sister and asked in a low voice: “Is Sister Meng going to attend a wedding?”

The senior sister glanced at her and shook her head: “No, she’s going to visit a grave.”

The young secretary: “!”

—

On the evening of late May in Shencheng, the square in the neighborhood was buzzing with square dancing. Tomorrow is June 1st², and many children, accompanied by their parents, went out to buy snacks. Outside the window, there were constant chatter and noise.

Although the old neighborhood appears antiquated, every household seems to carry a sense of familiarity. There is a constant exchange of greetings and sounds of interaction. In front of the windows on the second floor of a building, a middle-aged woman with her hair tied in a bun is cooking. The kitchen smoke is choking, but she is meticulously preparing the meal.

Behind her, there were complaints from a boy: “Mom, why are you like this? Who doesn’t celebrate Children’s Day? All my classmates go out together with their families. Even if Dad is busy with work, you’re just a housewife. Can’t you take me out to have fun? What’s your use? Grandma is right, you’re just being dramatic. Every year on Children’s Day, you don’t know what to do. I really wonder if you have another child outside…”

Bang!

The ladle hit the pot, and the woman with her hair tied in a bun suddenly turned around and stared at the speaking boy.

The boy looked at her defiantly and said: “What? My grandma said that you’re just crazy!”

The woman with her hair tied in a bun grabbed the ladle in her hand and said: “I’ll smack you, you little brat! It’s your dad who’s truly crazy, and I married him! You’re already so grown up, yet you still listen to your grandma’s instigations!”

The middle-aged man sitting on the sofa, playing with his phone, didn’t even look up and spoke bluntly: “Kong Tiantian, if you want to talk, just talk. Why bring my mom into this? My mom is also suffering, having you as a daughter-in-law. Look at your classmates, which one is not successful? You’re always busy around the kitchen, not earning a single penny, yet you still scold the children. Can’t you ask them for help?”

“Exactly.” The boy, feeling supported, immediately responded: “Get lost! I don’t want to recognize you as my mother anymore!”

Kong Tiantian, the middle-aged woman with her hair tied in a bun, was trembling with anger. She forcefully flipped the pot and turned around, saying: “I won’t serve you anymore!”

Bang! The door was slammed.

“Dad…”

“Don’t worry about her. Where else can she go? She’ll come back on her own.”

“I think so too.”

Kong Tiantian rushed downstairs with determination. As soon as she got down, she saw a blazing red Mercedes supercar parked next to her. Kong Tiantian was taken aback and looked towards the car, saying, “Cui Yu?”

The woman, with delicate makeup, looked at her without any disdain, unlike the father and son. Instead, there was a hint of tenderness in her eyes and she said, “Get in the car.”

—

“Captain Wang, we finally caught these little guys this time. With a concerted effort, we’ll surely follow the trail and apprehend the mastermind behind this illegal operation in our city. They’ve audaciously set up this pig-slaughtering den right under our noses. They really don’t take us seriously.”

The man known as Captain Wang had a serious expression, and his face showed deep weariness, but there was also a sense of ease in capturing people.

“The person has been caught. You guys can handle the interrogation. I will take a few days off.”

“Ah? Captain? You’re taking the day off? Aren’t you always the workaholic?” As he was saying this, the deputy captain next to him nudged him and said: “Captain, you go ahead, I’ll take care of things here.”

Captain Wang nodded, took a deep breath, and quickly left.

The chattering young policeman: “This…”

Deputy captain: “You forgot, tomorrow is June 1st, and the captain is going to visit the grave…”

“Ah, I forgot. I was wondering why the Sun team from the Second Division also took a leave.”

The deputy captain sighed.

“What exactly happened back then? I’ve only heard that it caused a big commotion, but I don’t really know the details…”

The other members of the team also looked over, and the deputy captain glanced at everyone before sighing again and saying, “Back then, during the Children’s Day outing of the Kindergarten at Chongbei Machinery Factory, when the preschool class stopped to use the restroom, they encountered a criminal. The driver was stabbed to death on the spot, and the teacher leading the group was stabbed three times and seriously injured. The children were all tied up and doused with gasoline. The criminal threatened to burn them alive. At the critical moment, the criminal suddenly received a call on a walkie-talkie, and while they were distracted, a little girl managed to loosen her ropes. Instead of escaping on her own, she helped untie all the other children. More than ten children, together with the teacher, escaped. As a result… the criminal came back and stabbed the little girl to death. Ms. Lin, the teacher at the time, fought desperately with the criminal, and they accidentally hit a car, causing a fire that killed… the criminal. To this day, we haven’t found out his motive.”

“Ah, this…”

“There were a total of eighteen children. Apart from the girl who passed away, there were seventeen left. Seven of them ended up working in the legal system. They’re determined to uncover the truth from that year.”

“Professor Yuan, I’ve already booked your flight ticket. Do you really not want me to accompany you?”

The man in the white shirt politely shook his head and said: “No need. You can just drop me off at the airport.”

He looked out the window and slowly said, “Almost thirty years…”

He lowered his gaze and then raised his head, saying: “This is a lifetime matter; you don’t need to follow along.”

He carried his briefcase and took the lead to leave the room…

—

Cui Xiang Garden Villa Area, the people living here are considered the wealthiest group in Shencheng.

An elderly aunt with fully gray hair is earnestly searching through her wardrobe, throwing clothes on the floor in a messy state.

“Why can’t I find it?”

She murmured softly. Just then, an elegant and refined man walked upstairs and immediately approached the elderly aunt. He crouched down halfway and said: “Mom, what can’t you find? Let me help you look for it.”

The elderly aunt looked up and said: “Ah yes, my small floral dress, the one in ginger yellow color, Xuebao said it’s the most beautiful one. I can’t find it…”

The man immediately patted her back and said: “Mom, sit down, let me find it for you. I know which one you’re talking about. I’ll find it for you. I remember you always iron it nicely and place it at the back. Let me check, see, it’s here.”

“Yes, yes, yes, this is the one! This is Xuebao’s favorite. I’ll wear this tomorrow when I meet her.”

The man nodded and said gently: “Okay, wear this one.”

He didn’t get up; instead, he earnestly helped the elderly aunt organize her clothes. “Mom, how about I accompany you tomorrow?” he said sincerely.

The elderly aunt immediately looked up, shook her head decisively, and firmly refused: “No need, you should do whatever you need to do. I don’t need you to take care of me. I will take the children to see Xuebao. It’s just us.”

“Mom…”

“Xiao Huai, please go outside.”

The man looked at his mother, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and let out a soft and indiscernible sigh.

—

“Sunlight shines brightly, the rooster crows three times, flowers wake up, birds busy themselves grooming. Little magpies build new nests, and bees collect honey. Where does happiness in life come from? It comes from creating through labor…”

On the morning of Children’s Day, a big bus stopped on a road near the former Chongbei Machinery Factory. The bus was decorated with colorful flowers and cute little bees and butterflies, and it was playing the children’s song “Labor Is Glorious” loudly. On such a day, many people passing by couldn’t help but smile.

Just taking a closer look, but couldn’t help but stop and pause their steps.

The people boarding the bus, surprisingly, didn’t include a single child. Instead, it was a group of middle-aged individuals, each dressed in old-fashioned and outdated clothes. The attire they were wearing resembled what children used to wear in kindergartens decades ago.

But now, they were all dressed in old-fashioned and oversized kindergarten uniforms, looking quite outdated as they boarded the bus in an orderly manner. There was an elderly woman standing at the bus door, wearing a small floral-patterned blouse, black pants, and two braided pigtails.

After everyone got on the bus, she started calling out names, “Qiao Yiming.”

“Here.”

“Jiang Runing.”

“Here.”

“Xiong Canlan.”

“Here.”

“Kong Tiantian.”

“Here.”

“Yuan Ze.”

“Here.”

…

After the roll call.

The old aunt said earnestly: “This year, there are still eighteen people, but only seventeen are present.”

She smiled and said, “Alright, let’s depart.”

“Teacher Lin, I’ll drive this year,” Xiong Canlan raised his hand. He was the colorful and stylish kill-matte guy at the airport.

Teacher Lin nodded, “Okay, you can drive.”

Everyone settled down, and the car slowly started. The hanging ornament on the car gently swayed, capturing everyone’s attention. It was a photograph of a little doll. The picture had a strong nostalgic feel, showing a little girl dressed in doll clothes. She had small curly hair on both sides, styled into two little bunny tails. Her big, watery eyes, chubby little face, and the perky little mouth with a red dot at the center of her forehead gave her a charming and retro look. She looked absolutely adorable.

“Jiang Runing, I thought you would be going abroad to receive an award this year,” Teacher Lin said softly.

At this moment, the glamorous actress was wearing a simple doll dress, and upon closer inspection, one would realize that it was the same as the outfit worn by the little girl in the photo, only in an enlarged version.

She replied earnestly, “I’d rather not receive the award.”

She looked at the photo and said, “If it weren’t for Xuebao saving us, all of us would have been burned to death. But in the end, she was the only one who died. I will always remember our lifelong promise.”

Everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, Lawyer Jiang, the man with gold-rimmed glasses, whispered: “Yesterday, I went to pay my respects to Grandpa Rong, Grandma Rong, Uncle Rong, and Aunt Rong. The Rong family, there’s no one left. No one at all…”

“Aunt Rong jumped off the building…”

“Uncle Rong had cancer…”

The bus fell silent again.

If Xuebao didn’t die, the Rong family wouldn’t have fallen apart.

After a long silence, someone sighed, “If we could start over…”

“If there’s another chance…”

The car went up the mountain road, and suddenly, there was a loud “bang.”

“No, there’s a landslide!”

“Some rocks are falling down…”

Right at that moment, the car suddenly flipped and almost instantly fell off the cliff outside the mountain road…

A ray of light suddenly appeared and disappeared.

TL’s corner:

¹ = “Kill-matte” is a fashion style that originated in China. It is characterized by dark-colored clothing, bold accessories, heavy makeup, and a rebellious or edgy appearance. The term “kill-matte” is derived from the English word “matte,” which means dull or non-glossy, to describe the flat and dark makeup used in this fashion style. Kill-matte fashion is often associated with a punk or gothic aesthetic.

² = June 1st is also known as Children’s Day in China, which is a special day to celebrate and honor children.