Chapter 1: I Dedicate My Oil to the Motherland August 1983. The Northern Oilfield Compound in City Y.

"Our magnificent rivers and mountains are as beautiful as a painting; our nation's construction gallops forward like a steed. How glorious it is to be an oil worker, wearing an aluminum helmet while roaming the world…"

As this song, "I Dedicate My Oil to the Motherland,"

played over the loudspeaker, Qian Qing shivered despite the sweltering heat. Zhou Hao, who was accompanying her at the household registration office, immediately noticed and quietly took her hand, asking, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold? Or are you feeling unwell?"

Qian Qing shot Zhou Hao a glance. Didn't he know very well whether she felt well or not? They had gotten married just yesterday. Although it was a collective wedding organized by their work unit, it had been lively and bustling. She had assumed that after a busy day filled with drinking and making various speeches, Zhou Hao would have fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. However, having underestimated him, she hadn't managed to fall asleep until the latter half of the night. Today, she still had to muster her strength to come handle her household registration. They had already obtained their marriage certificate a few days prior; today's task was to register their household with the work unit. Transferring their affiliation to the oilfield was necessary to receive their monthly ration coupons. Although it was already 1983 and people's lives had improved considerably compared to before, the ration coupon system had not yet been abolished.

Small items were manageable, but major purchases like televisions still required coupons. Even certain non-staple foods, due to insufficient supply, also demanded coupons. Qian Qing raised her eyes to look at Zhou Hao. Outwardly, Zhou Hao was an exceedingly refined man, with sword-like eyebrows, star-bright eyes, and deep sockets. The glasses perched on his nose completely concealed the somewhat aggressive edge of his features. Tall and slender, he stood upright. Judging by appearance alone, no one would guess he was a maintenance worker at the oil extraction plant; he gave the impression of someone naturally destined for scholarly pursuits. The two had developed feelings for each other since their school days and were now married. Qian Qing knew all too well about Zhou Hao's academic prowess. They had known each other since middle school; back then, Zhou Hao's grades were far superior to everyone else's, while she had muddled through with average results.

Later, Zhou Hao attended a technical secondary school instead of high school, whereas she went to high school but failed to get into university. Despite this, they never lost contact and knew each other thoroughly. They got married this year, just as Zhou Hao secured his job and was allocated housing. Zhou Hao had a good job, earning over sixty yuan a month, plus housing; their future looked promising. Qian Qing was very satisfied with her current life—if only it weren't for that dream from last night. On their wedding night, Qian Qing had finally managed to fall asleep, only to experience fragmented dreams. In the dream, just like today, she and Zhou Hao had come to handle household registration and happened to meet Wan Zhenzhen, who was there for the same purpose. Unlike herself, Wan Zhenzhen had come alone. As soon as she arrived, Wan Zhenzhen started chatting with Qian Qing.

Being a man, Zhou Hao felt awkward inserting himself between them, so he went ahead to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things, leaving them some space. Wan Zhenzhen and Qian Qing had been neighbors back at their parental homes; the relationship between their families was neither particularly good nor bad. Coincidentally, both Wan Zhenzhen and Qian Qing had married into the No. 2 Oil Extraction Plant, and their allocated houses were right next to each other. With both their natal and marital families being neighbors, Wan Zhenzhen naturally became close to Qian Qing. In the dream, just as Wan Zhenzhen was chatting with Qian Qing, an administrator arrived, saying he needed to see Zhou Hao. Wan Zhenzhen, quick-tongued, immediately asked what the matter was. It turned out that an oil pump in a neighboring province's oilfield had encountered some issues, and Zhou Hao was needed to go on a business trip immediately.

Sending her husband on a business trip the day after their wedding? Qian Qing felt somewhat resentful. Wan Zhenzhen immediately dragged Qian Qing to find the Director of the Women's Committee, arguing that all married workers were entitled to three days of wedding leave; how could this not count? This wasn't really within the Women's Committee Director's jurisdiction, as it concerned the plant's work arrangements. However, provoked by Qian Qing's aggressive demeanor, and since the Director's husband was the captain of the maintenance team, she simply went directly to her husband. Business trips at the oilfield came with subsidies, calculated at two yuan per day. Usually, members of the maintenance team eagerly competed for such opportunities. Although calling someone away on a business trip the day after their wedding seemed somewhat inhumane, such was the nature of work at the oilfield.In the early years, when the oilfield was busy, not even marriage leave was granted.

Besides, if you're unhappy, go talk to the leadership yourself; what good does it do to come making a scene with the Women's Director? The brigade leader, having just been scolded by his own wife who tugged his ear, also recalled that the phone call had mentioned only a simple pump issue with the pumping unit, so anyone could handle it. Thus, he casually assigned a junior clerk to go. Alone, these actions seemed insignificant, yet in the dream, things gradually became absurd. Qian Qing watched helplessly within the dream as Wan Zhenzhen, beaming with joy, turned around and found a thick stack of money beside a small river outside the factory grounds. That stack appeared to contain nearly a hundred bills! Wan Zhenzhen secretly hid the money and took it home, telling no one. Qian Qing felt somewhat puzzled; this sequence made little sense. However, the dream did not end there; subsequent events unfolded one after another, gradually clarifying everything for Qian Qing.

The person sent instead of Zhou Hao on the business trip arrived only to discover the problem wasn't merely with the pump; lacking sufficient capability, he failed to resolve it. A neighboring oilfield called the director of Oil Production Plant No. 2, who then severely reprimanded the maintenance team. Ultimately, only the brigade leader's personal intervention settled the matter. For an ordinary repair task, two trips were made, normal work was delayed, and upon return, the maintenance team leader wore a cold expression. By year-end, Zhou Hao, who should have been promoted to deputy head of the maintenance team, was passed over. Wan Zhenzhen, linking arms with Qian Qing, insisted the team leader must be settling personal scores and egged Qian Qing into confronting the brigade leader. Following this argument, Wan Zhenzhen happened upon a minor issue at an oil well. Since the director of Oil Production Plant No. 2 was present at the time, comparing Qian Qing's unreasonable behavior with Wan Zhenzhen's demeanor, he felt irritated and immediately established Wan Zhenzhen as a positive role model, awarding her a bonus of two thousand yuan.

Subsequent dreams followed essentially the same pattern: whenever misfortune struck Qian Qing, Wan Zhenzhen gained money. As Qian Qing's circumstances deteriorated, Wan Zhenzhen's reputation and wealth grew increasingly. By the time of the restructuring in 1990, Zhou Hao, having failed to advance, was dismissed and lost eligibility for internal housing purchase. The couple was left with only their single narrow room in the corridor-style building. To make matters worse, Qian Qing developed breast cancer, plunging the family into complete destitution.

Meanwhile, Wan Zhenzhen flourished ever more; her husband was promoted to engineer in Beijing, while she acquired properties worth several million yuan. By the time the Qian Qing in the dream passed away, Wan Zhenzhen's property value had multiplied over tenfold, making her renowned throughout the entire oilfield. … When Qian Qing first woke up, she was startled by the dream's events. Especially because, at the moment of her own death within the dream, a voice had murmured repeatedly to her, explaining that Wan Zhenzhen had been reborn and had bound herself to Qian Qing: the worse Qian Qing's life became, the richer Wan Zhenzhen would grow. The dream felt so real that Qian Qing spent the entire morning unable to fully comprehend it. Yet this afternoon, she stubbornly dragged Zhou Hao to the Household Registration Office, determined to see whether the events from the dream would actually occur. After all, having received over a decade of education, how could she become suspicious and fearful merely due to an inexplicable dream?

But reality proved ironically fitting: as Qian Qing heard the broadcast playing "I Dedicate My Oil to the Motherland,"

her heart skipped a beat. Just like in the dream, accompanied by this song, Wan Zhenzhen pushed open the door of the Household Registration Office and walked in.

"Qian Qing, you're here to handle household registration too?"

Qian Qing no longer trembled; her heart turned cold. It felt as though a huge hole had opened within her chest, constantly sinking downward. Looking at Wan Zhenzhen smiling before her, Qian Qing's heart filled entirely with an inexplicable weariness, interwoven with faint threads of hatred. Her mind overflowed with images from the dream: the once spirited Zhou Hao growing increasingly silent, while she herself gradually lost her spirit amid day-after-day misfortunes. In contrast, Wan Zhenzhen's life bloomed vibrantly. Comparing the two, many people said Zhou Hao must have been blind to marry such a bringer of bad luck. At this very moment, Wan Zhenzhen was also sizing her up!Qian Qing was beautiful, and Wan Zhenzhen knew it all too well. Since their families lived close by and they attended the same school, she often saw boys from other classes lingering outside Qian Qing's classroom, just to catch a glimpse of her.

Qian Qing possessed a striking, radiant beauty; her eyes seemed naturally expressive, and she always smiled before speaking. Even when her words were sharp, few people held it against her. After all, beauties enjoy certain privileges. Wan Zhenzhen felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. In her previous life, she had little interaction with Qian Qing. Burdened by family responsibilities—an older sister above her and a younger brother below—she was pulled out of school after junior high. By then, the policy of sending educated youth to the countryside had been abolished, and unable to secure a job at any urban factory, she remained idle at home for several years.

Eventually, her parents arranged her marriage to an oilfield worker on a whim.

Later, when the oilfield underwent restructuring, many workers were laid off. Her husband, lacking any specialized skills, was naturally among those whose employment contracts were bought out, becoming merely an insignificant grain of sand in the tide of historical progress. Wan Zhenzhen toiled for half her life, her resentment growing day by day. When poverty strikes, even marital affection fades; without money, what hope is there for conjugal harmony? In the 1990s, barely holding on, she divorced her husband, left her daughter with him, and headed south alone to seek opportunities. Yet, without education or technical skills, and having spent years as a housewife disconnected from the outside world, she struggled. Everyone said the 1980s and 1990s were a golden era of soaring development, when countless business tycoons seized the waves of the times. But although so many ventured into business, only a handful succeeded. Deceived several times, Wan Zhenzhen could only return shamefully to her hometown.

Upon arriving back at her parents' home, she found her old neighbors, Qian Qing's parents, cheerfully preparing to move to Beijing. They said Qian Qing's fiancé, Zhou Hao, had been promoted to a senior engineer at a state-owned enterprise, that Qian Qing herself had earned considerable money and purchased several properties, and that the whole family would relocate to Beijing to enjoy a life of comfort. Watching the car drive away, Wan Zhenzhen's heart overflowed with dense, prickly envy. Why must people be born into such rigid hierarchies? Heaven had granted Qian Qing beauty, and now also a splendid marriage. She had seen Qian Qing's husband herself—he was exceptionally handsome and treated Qian Qing with almost excessive devotion. During their school days, she often witnessed Zhou Hao visiting Qian Qing, sometimes slipping her a few fruits, other times buying her a packet of creamy candies. A fierce determination surged within Wan Zhenzhen: if only she had returned half a year earlier, she would have exposed Qian Qing's true colors to Zhou Hao!

Qian Qing was nothing but a gold-digger! How was she any different from those women who later clung to men solely for money? Throughout the years she had been with Zhou Hao, all anyone ever saw was him bringing her gifts. Yet, while accepting his presents, she flirted shamelessly, keeping multiple suitors on the line. Frequently, groups of students would gather near the alley entrance just to sneak peeks at Qian Qing. What decent woman would behave so promiscuously within the school grounds? And if she weren't carrying on like that, why would anyone come to watch her? Alas, Wan Zhenzhen thought bitterly. In her previous life, after returning to her parents' home, she drifted aimlessly.

Later, her parents arranged another marriage for her, making her a stepmother. That life proved equally tasteless and joyless. When her second husband passed away, neither her stepson nor stepdaughter offered any support. Turning to her own biological daughter, who had gained admission to a prestigious university, she was met only with a cold face.

"I only have a father, no mother. You ignored me for all these years; what are you doing here now?"

Wan Zhenzhen resorted to making scenes and even sued her daughter in court, finally securing reluctant alimony payments. In the final moments of her life, lying on a small bed in a rented room, her heart remained filled with hatred. In this world, neither family ties nor children could compare to the reliability of money! When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in 1983. She was only nineteen years old. Next door, Qian Qing was also nineteen. Zhou Hao had already formally proposed to the Qian family, leaving no opportunity to disrupt their relationship. Thus, Wan Zhenzhen chose a different path: she rejected the marriage proposal her parents had arranged for her and began devising various ways to gather insider information about the oil extraction plant.They finally settled on Wang Hua, who, like Zhou Hao, was also an oilfield maintenance worker. Wang Hua even lived in the same apartment building as Zhou Hao, becoming their neighbor.

Wan Zhenzhen had her reasons for this. When she was reborn, a voice echoed in her mind, telling her she could bind herself to someone; the worse that person's life turned out, the more monetary rewards she would receive. Without hesitation, she chose Qian Qing. Everything Qian Qing possessed in her previous life—beauty, wealth, her husband's respect, a good reputation—she wanted it all! The voice in her mind agreed. Wan Zhenzhen deliberately arranged her marriage into the No. 2 Oil Production Plant just to bring misfortune upon Qian Qing. The more unlucky Qian Qing became, the more money she could earn. Today was supposed to be the second day after her wedding, a day she could have spent resting at home. But suddenly, she remembered something her mother had told her in her past life: "Qian Qing has it hard too. Although her husband has a good job, he's always traveling on business trips. They say he was called away by the factory right on the second day after their wedding, postponing their return visit to her parents' home by half a month. Still, she's quite fortunate; apparently, during one of those trips, she met a leader and left such a good impression on him."

Wan Zhenzhen's heart boiled with fury. A leader? Could she just stand by and watch Qian Qing stumble upon such good fortune? That's why she hurriedly followed Qian Qing. Whether what her mother said was true or not, she couldn't allow Qian Qing, fresh into the compound, to leave a leader with the impression of being "exceptionally sensible and accommodating."

Watching the scene unfold exactly as in her dream, Qian Qing curved her lips into a faint smile.

"Zhou Hao, I feel like eating some tangerines. Go check if the supply and marketing cooperative has any."

Come on, she thought. Let's see just how Wan Zhenzhen plans to make money off me!