Rebirth of Bloody Romance

The early morning sunlight shines through the gaps in the curtains, sprinkling into Zhou Xiaobai and Zhong Yuemin's house like golden sand, bringing a touch of warmth to this ordinary day.

Zhou Xiaobai sat quietly on the edge of the bed, her slender fingers gently fiddling with a few strands of hair scattered around her ears, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation for new things.

She turned her head slightly, looked at Zhong Yuemin who was leisurely flipping through the newspaper, and suggested softly, "Yuemin, I have nothing to do this afternoon, why don't we go get an ID card? I heard that with it, it will be very convenient to go out and handle various things in the future."

After hearing Zhou Xiaobai's words, Zhong Yuemin smiled slightly, put down the newspaper in his hand, and a doting look appeared in his eyes.

Zhong Yuemin stood up, walked briskly to Zhou Xiaobai's side, gently scratched her nose, and said softly, "Okay, it's right to listen to my wife. Let's set off now and experience the convenience of this new era together."

Zhou Xiaobai was so amused that she laughed out loud, and two red clouds appeared on her cheeks. She pretended to be angry and said, "You only know how to say nice things to coax me. But to be honest, I'm really curious about how magical this ID card is."

At this time, there was a slight noise in the kitchen, and Chen Yijun came out with two cups of freshly brewed tea. Hearing the conversation between the two, she smiled and interrupted, "Girl, don't look so ignorant, okay? It's just an ID card. Back then, during the Republic of China period, there was a 'National ID Card'. People at that time had already started using ID cards to prove their identities."

"Oh? Mom, can you tell me what the ID cards looked like at that time?" Zhou Xiaobai's curiosity was completely aroused. She pulled her mother to sit on the sofa and listened quietly to her mother telling about that dusty history.

Chen Yijun smiled and nodded, and began to slowly talk about the "National Identity Card" during the Republic of China period. Her words were full of nostalgia and emotion for that era, making Zhou Xiaobai feel as if he had traveled through time and space and witnessed the changes of that period of history with his own eyes.

"Although the ID card at that time was not as advanced as it is now, it carries everyone's identity and responsibilities. Whenever I think of it, I think of that turbulent era and the efforts our family made to survive." Chen Yijun's words were a bit heavy, but more of it was hope and longing for the future.

Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen ran back from outside at some point. As soon as they saw their mother and grandmother sitting in the yard chatting, they immediately ran over excitedly.

The two little guys squatted beside Chen Yijun, blinking their big eyes and looking at her curiously.

"Grandma, what are you talking about?" Little Haichen asked in a baby voice.

"We are telling stories from the past. Do you two want to listen?" Chen Yijun gently touched Xiao Haichen's head.

"We want to listen!" the two little guys shouted in unison.

Chen Yijun smiled and nodded, and continued to talk about the "National Identity Card" during the Republic of China period.

Zhou Xiaobai listened to her mother's story, and her heart was filled with awe and expectation for the ID card. She realized that this small card is not only a symbol of identity, but also a bridge connecting the past and the future, and a unique mark left by everyone in this era.

During the heartwarming conversation between Zhou Xiaobai and Chen Yajun, Zhong Yuemin timely added a wonderful chapter on the historical evolution of identity cards, adding a bit of extraordinary color to this ordinary day.

"Actually, Xiaobai, Mom, the history of ID cards is much longer and more complicated than we thought."

Zhou Xiaobai asked curiously, "Yuemin, do you know any ID cards from even older times?"

Zhong Yuemin nodded, his eyes sparkling with a love for knowledge and a desire to share. "Its historical evolution and development can be traced back to the identity identification system in ancient society. Those ancient badges, tokens, and even marks engraved on the body were all ways for ancient people to prove their identity."

"The modern ID card system can be traced back to France in the late 19th century."

Zhong Yuemin's words reveal a bit of scholarly rigor. "At that time, in order to distinguish between citizens and non-citizens, the French government innovatively introduced an identity document, which quickly caused a sensation around the world. Subsequently, many countries followed suit, and identity cards gradually became an indispensable part of modern society."

After hearing this, Chen Yijun's eyes flashed with approval. "Yuemin, you have learned history very well. You can easily grasp such unpopular knowledge." Her smile was full of pride and satisfaction.

Zhong Yuemin felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. He touched his head and smiled awkwardly. "Mom, you're too kind. It's because the school asked me to teach a brief history of science. I have to look up more information so that I can explain it clearly to the students in class. Otherwise, those guys won't accept it."

Chen Yijun laughed even more happily after hearing this. "That's right! Kids nowadays are well-informed and quick-witted, and they are not easy to fool. The fact that you can stand up to them shows that you have really put in a lot of effort."

Zhou Xiaobai stood up with a determined look on her face, interrupting the conversation between Zhong Yuemin and Chen Yijun. "Mom, Yuemin, let's go get our ID cards now? The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can feel at ease." Her eyes revealed an impatience, as if something important was driving her.

Zhong Yuemin was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Ah? Wife, didn't you say you would go in the afternoon? Why are you going now? Don't you have something else to do in the morning?"

Zhou Xiaobai smiled lightly and said nonchalantly, "What happened this morning is not important. We have to go to get an ID card anyway, so we might as well go early to avoid having to make another trip in the afternoon."

Seeing this, Zhong Yuemin no longer insisted and nodded, saying, "Okay, dress up nicely and we'll go now." His words were full of pampering and indulgence for Zhou Xiaobai.

At this time, Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen heard their parents' conversation and ran over excitedly, clamoring to apply for ID cards.

Xiao Shihua blinked her big eyes and looked at Zhong Yuemin expectantly. "Dad, I want to apply for an ID card too. Is that okay?"

Xiao Haichen was not to be outdone and followed closely behind. "I want to go too!"

Zhong Yuemin couldn't help laughing when he saw the two little guys were serious. He squatted down and explained patiently, "You two can't do that. You can't go get ID cards now."

"Why?" the two little guys asked in unison, their eyes full of confusion and disappointment.

Zhong Yuemin gently touched their heads and explained, "Because you can only apply for an ID card when you are 16 years old. You are still young now, you can apply for it when you grow up."

After hearing this explanation, Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen were a little disappointed, but they could only reluctantly reply, "Okay!"

There was a hint of helplessness and regret in the tone of the two little guys, but their attention was soon drawn to other things and they jumped and ran off to play.

Zhou Xiaobai and Zhong Yuemin smiled at each other, and then prepared to go out together to apply for their ID cards.

In the setting sun of an early winter afternoon, under the old locust tree on campus, golden spots of light dance with fallen leaves, weaving a quiet and slightly bleak picture.

Zhong Yuemin, a graceful teacher, had just finished a lecture on economics. He walked out of the classroom and his eyes inadvertently fell on the edge of the flower bed. There, Li Yongjun, his classmate and a young officer in the Political Department of Industry and Transportation, was squatting alone on the flower bed with a cigarette that was about to burn out between his fingers. His face looked particularly solemn in the smoke.

"Hey, what are you doing? You didn't even call me before coming so that I could go and greet you!" Zhong Yuemin kicked Li Yongjun's back lightly with his toes, with a bit of joking and concern.

"I don't feel like talking to you. I'd be surprised if you could welcome me!"

Li Yongjun's black windbreaker swayed gently in the breeze, and his bright yellow scarf became a bright spot against the gray background, but it could not hide the fatigue and loneliness in his eyes. He looked up and met Zhong Yuemin's eyes. There seemed to be thousands of words hidden in his eyes, but he couldn't speak them for a while.

"Secretary Li, what's wrong with you? You look so listless? Did your wife run away with someone or something?" Zhong Yuemin said half-jokingly, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere with a light-hearted tone.

"Zhong Laoer, stop making trouble. I'm feeling very confused." Li Yongjun said with a hint of helplessness.

"Hey, Yongjun, are you acting like the melancholy prince?" Zhong Yuemin approached with a smile and gently kicked his heel, trying to break the heaviness.

"Stop it, I'm annoyed."

"Oh, the popular figure in the Political Department of Industry and Transportation also has worries? Could it be that the ideological work in those big factories is too difficult?" Zhong Yuemin teased half-jokingly.

Li Yongjun smiled bitterly and shook his head. "It's not a work-related issue, it's a personal problem, and it's very complicated." After saying that, he took another deep puff of his cigarette, as if he wanted to let all his worries go with the smoke.

Zhong Yuemin was delighted when he heard this. "Oh, it seems like you really ran into trouble? Don't worry, even if your wife really ran away with someone, you still have to maintain your composure. After all, the brand of 'Industry, Transportation and Politics' cannot fall, right? Besides, the big guys in the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Metallurgy have to listen to you. If your wife ran away, we can find another 'strong woman' who can manage the entire transportation system!"

After graduation, Li Yongli joined the Industry and Transportation Political Department, which was responsible for managing the ideological and political work of enterprises and institutions directly under the industrial and transportation system. The Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Metallurgy, the Ministry of Chemical Industry, the Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Petroleum, the Ministry of Geology, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Textiles, the Ministry of Electric Power, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications were all under the jurisdiction of this system, which was intimidating enough just by hearing the name.

There was a hint of fragility in Li Yongjun's voice, and he whispered, "Do you have time? Come drink with me. I'm feeling a bit down." As he spoke, he pressed the cigarette butt in his hand hard on the ground, as if to crush all his troubles together with it, and then stepped on it hard, fearing that they would have the slightest chance of escaping.

Zhong Yuemin felt nervous when he heard this, but then he smiled with relief. "Of course, with brothers by my side, we are not afraid of the wind and frost. But let's do something different this time. I'll call a few more people, and we can have a good time."

Li Yongjun stopped him. "Don't make trouble. It's just the two of us. If you want to have fun, I won't come to you."

"Fuck, you're giving me a 'spiritual mentor' certificate!" Zhong Yuemin joked, but his tone was full of seriousness. "Okay, let's have a one-on-one chat."

Li Yongjun and Zhong Yuemin walked out of the campus side by side, their steps seemed particularly firm in the cold wind. Li Yongjun's mood seemed to be slightly relieved by Zhong Yuemin's company, but his frown still revealed the heaviness in his heart.

"Lao Li's restaurant is a nice place. The mutton is fresh and the soup is rich. It's perfect for this weather." Zhong Yuemin talked as he walked, trying to ease the atmosphere with a light-hearted topic.

Li Yongjun forced a smile. "Okay, let's go there. Find a private room and have a good chat."

Arriving at Lao Li's Restaurant, the two were led into a warm and quiet private room. The waiter quickly served the hot lamb rib hot pot and some side dishes. As the steam rose, the whole private room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

Zhong Yuemin first poured a glass of wine for Li Yongjun. "Come on, drink a glass first, it will warm your body and your heart."

Li Yongjun picked up the wine glass, clinked it with Zhong Yuemin's, and then drank it all in one gulp. The wine slid down his throat, bringing a hint of heat and pleasure, as if it also temporarily dispelled the haze in his heart.

"Yuemin, when the night is quiet, I wonder what people are pursuing in their lives." Li Yongjun put down his wine glass and looked at Zhong Yuemin with a dazed look, as if he was asking, or talking to himself.

"Fuck! You're talking in a philosophical tone right now. Are you planning to give me an in-depth interview? But seriously, this question is quite interesting!"

Zhong Yuemin was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and scolded, "Don't do these useless things, drink!"

Li Yongjun smiled and gave Zhong Yuemin a cigarette. Zhong Yuemin took it and asked, "When did you learn to smoke? I remember you didn't smoke before."

Li Yongjun lit up the cigarette skillfully, took a deep breath, blew out a smoke ring, and then sighed. "I just learned it this year, and I feel so annoyed. I want to drink and smoke, and I can't stop myself."

"You obviously have something on your mind," Zhong Yuemin looked at Li Yongjun and had already guessed something in his mind.

Li Yongjun smiled gently, and there were too many unspoken stories hidden in that smile. He took a puff of cigarette skillfully and slowly blew out smoke rings, which swirled in the air and eventually dissipated, just like the troubles in his heart, elusive and hard to let go. "This year, I was under a lot of pressure and felt upset, so these things became my sustenance." He sighed, revealing a bit of helplessness in his words.

Zhong Yuemin noticed that something was wrong with Li Yongjun. He knew that Li Yongjun must have something on his mind, but he just didn't want to talk about it. So, he tacitly didn't ask any more questions, but just raised his glass and gently clinked it with Li Yongjun's. "Come on, cheers for those things that we can't talk about for the time being!"

The two drank and chatted, and before they knew it, they had already drunk half a bottle of wine. At this time, Li Yongjun suddenly slammed the cup heavily on the table and said abruptly, "Yuemin, Liu Wenjing and I are divorced."

"What?"