Chapter 1: Crossing 1

The middle-aged man thought for a moment, perhaps realizing that the situation at home was not worth anyone's scheming, and thus agreed to Wang Shuhui's request to stay over in exchange for the opportunity for treatment

Wang Shuhui is a very cautious person, but for some reason, when he saw the time-space portal, he lost his caution and stepped into the portal.

This was an unexpected situation. Wang Shuhui, dressed in a down jacket, appeared in another time and space. He wanted to immediately travel back, but after some thought, he decided to first ascertain what era he was currently in

"Alas, this is a case of lung wind phlegm asthma caused by external invasion of wind-cold and wind-heat. If treated earlier, it would have been better, but now it may be difficult to manage." Wang Shuhui began to speak in a misleading manner.

Wang Shuhui understood that when a person receives the news of a terminal illness, they typically go through five stages. However, it is evident that this individual possesses a strong mental fortitude and does not linger in these stages for long, quickly accepting the reality. The progression of a cold to pneumonia was a common occurrence in ancient times, especially in the absence of antibiotics and with the prevalence of incompetent doctors. Generally speaking, the mortality rate for pneumonia among ancient people was extremely high, so when a middle-aged person contracted pneumonia, it was essentially akin to receiving a death notice.

He entered the garden and exerted considerable effort to close the broken large gate of the garden, then cautiously walked towards the light gate. The light gate remained unchanged, not continuing to shrink, and Wang Shuhui did not think much of it, immediately passing through.

Until today, when Wang Shuhui saw that light gate, he instinctively believed it to be a time-space portal

Wang Shuhui carefully examined the structure of the house. He had a rough idea in his mind that this world was likely from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The architectural characteristics of the Ming and Qing periods are most evident, presenting a form that is concise yet intricate in detail. Official buildings, due to the reduced proportion of dougong brackets, decreased eave depth, and slender column proportions, no longer employ raised, side feet, or curled ends. The proportions of the beams are heavy, and the soft lines of the roof have disappeared, resulting in a style that is restrained yet stable and rigorous. The architectural form has been refined, and its symbolism has been enhanced. Official buildings, due to the reduced proportion of dougong brackets, decreased eave depth, and slender column proportions, no longer employ raised, side feet, or curled ends. The proportions of the beams are heavy, and the soft lines of the roof have disappeared, resulting in a style that is restrained yet stable and rigorous. The architectural form has been refined, and its symbolism has been enhanced.

After crossing the light gate, his first reaction was to look back at the time portal behind him. Fortunately, although the light gate had shrunk slightly, it was still there

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuhui immediately understood the situation. He said to the middle-aged man, "There is no need for excessive courtesy, benefactor. I have traveled a long distance and have yet to find a place to settle. I only seek a place to stay in your esteemed residence; everything else is not necessary."

He ran to the nearest pharmacy and bought a large quantity of anti-inflammatory drugs, cold medicine, cough syrup, and similar medications, filling a large bag. He then returned to the vicinity of the light gate

"Who is knocking at the door?" With a response, accompanied by some coughing sounds, the door, which had faded in color, was opened. A child who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old looked at Wang Shuhui with wide eyes.

The child, upon seeing Wang Shuhui, was first startled by his tall stature, and then captivated by his crew cut. After scrutinizing Wang Shuhui for a while, he shouted loudly into the room, "Father, it's a monk master"

The middle-aged man, clearly somewhat taken aback, said to Wang Shuhui, "My humble family is in decline and poverty; I fear it may not be able to support a master..."

Afterward, the middle-aged man completely disregarded Wang Shuhui's presence and began to explain his final arrangements to his child. Wang Shuhui sensed something was amiss and immediately said, "There is no need for the benefactor to lose heart; this humble monk possesses a family heirloom remedy specifically for treating lung wind phlegm and asthma."

Wang Shuhui carefully sensed his surroundings. The humidity in the air here is quite high, and the temperature seems to be a few degrees below zero, making the weather not too cold. However, from this perspective, it is at least not a northern region. In northern areas, when the temperature is around zero degrees, it is typically during the winter-spring season, which is a dry period. Here, with the temperature hovering around zero and such high humidity, it is highly likely to be a southern region.

He carefully observed this place. It was a large garden, and like the other end of the light gate, it was also a scene of decay, overgrown with weeds and wild vegetation. On one hand, Wang Shuhui felt fortunate not to have encountered the people of this era immediately, allowing him more time to prepare. On the other hand, he felt a bit frightened, wondering if he had crossed over to some bizarre and strange otherworld.

Wang Shuhui pondered for a moment, then stepped forward to the door and gently knocked.

The middle-aged man, upon hearing these words, revealed a glimmer of hope in his eyes and said, "I implore you, Master, to save me"

Wang Shuhui entered the room and looked around at the furnishings. There were quite a few pieces of furniture, but they were clearly all old items. In Wang Runmin's eyes, this house was not small, at least over 100 square meters. Although the furniture was somewhat outdated, it was evident that the owner still had some wealth. However, it was unclear what kind of family this was, with such a large courtyard and house, yet only the father and son living here.

"What brings you here, Master?" the middle-aged man asked, panting.

Wang Shuhui first covered the scene with some dead branches and weeds, concealing the light gate. He then began to carefully observe the surrounding environment

Time travel is a strange and intriguing concept. Wang Shuhui had contemplated this matter before, and he felt that time travel still holds a possibility. He has always believed that any idea supported by concrete scientific theories has the potential to become a reality. However, in his view, it is certain that he will not witness a time machine or experience time travel within his lifetime

"As a humble monk passing through this blessed land, I have heard that the benefactor is unwell. Having some knowledge of medicine, I have come here to offer my services," Wang Shuhui said in a lowered voice, attempting to imbue his tone with a sense of religious solemnity as he cautiously addressed the middle-aged man.

The child's words served as a reminder to Wang Shuhui. In ancient times, lacking a recognized identity was quite troublesome. During the Ming Dynasty, those without any form of identification and unclear origins were considered vagrants, who held no status and no rights. Wang Shuhui, with his short buzz cut, resembled a monk, which conveniently explained his identity and attire

"That's easy to say, Wen'er, you take the master to the garden." Upon hearing that his father was saved, the child immediately became excited and quickly led Wang Shuhui to the garden

Wang Shuhui has traveled through time

In the garden where Wang Shuhui is located, the architecture exhibits the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties; it is difficult to specify whether it is from the Ming or Qing dynasty.

The garden is vast, and Wang Shuhui's position is likely surrounded by a grove of trees. He gropes his way out of the woods and discovers a path amidst the overgrown grass, clearly showing signs of occasional foot traffic. He follows the path forward, walking for about ten minutes, passing through several gates before reaching the vicinity of the main entrance. He listens intently for a moment, faint voices and coughs reach his ears. Next to the main gate, a room emits a strong fragrance of medicine.

The garden had already fallen into a state of considerable decay, with dry grass covering the ground. It was winter, and the yellowed wild grass enveloped the entire park. Wang Shuhui strolled along the barely visible path amidst the wild grass and bushes. The vast park was empty except for him, and the cold weather made him shiver involuntarily. At that moment, he discovered the light gate hidden among the wild grass and trees.

Wang Shuhui often played in this park during his childhood. After being away from home for ten years, he returned for the first time and frequently took walks in the Yue Garden, which can be seen as a way to reminisce about his childhood

The garden covers a considerable area, exhibiting a style that is somewhat open and spacious, characteristic of northern gardens. On the other hand, the rockeries and ponds are interspersed throughout, revealing a touch of the elegance found in southern gardens. The buildings within the garden, much like the garden itself, are mostly in a state of disrepair, yet one can still discern the former opulence of the owner. The structures are quite tall, and although they are made of blue bricks and tiles, an air of wealth and grandeur still emanates from them

"Please wait a moment, I will prepare the medicine for you. However, it requires the use of your garden," Wang Shuhui said

As soon as Wang Shuhui arrived at the entrance of the garden, he told the child to go back, explaining that it would take some time to prepare the medicine. Once it was ready, he would return. The child, feeling uneasy, insisted on staying there. Wang Shuhui spent a long time persuading him before finally managing to send the child away

Among Wang Shuhui's friends, there is a person from Huangshi, Hubei, with whom he has a very good relationship. Over the course of four years, Wang Shuhui has also learned to understand the Hubei dialect. Although the accent of this middle-aged man is somewhat peculiar, it is generally comprehensible. Wang Shuhui roughly deduces that this place is likely in the southern region of Hubei.

When Wang Shuhui saw the child, he immediately recognized that this must be from the Ming Dynasty. The child was dressed in a complete gray outfit, clearly resembling a small version of the Daoist robe style. The child had long hair, styled into two buns on the top of the head, resembling two horns. This is the standard hairstyle for children of the ancient Han nationality, and the term "zongjiao zhi nian" in Chinese originates from this.

The middle-aged man realized that his lung disease had reached a severe stage. He consulted several doctors and took several prescriptions, but not only did he not improve, it instead worsened. Upon hearing Wang Shuhui's words, a look of despair appeared on his face. The child also cooperated fully, crying out while holding onto the middle-aged man's arm.

Wang Shuhui reacted quickly; the child turned his head and saw Wang Shuhui with his hands clasped together. He loudly chanted a Buddhist invocation, calling out "Amitabha." With this invocation, a rustling sound came, and a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, approached. This middle-aged man looked unwell, his complexion was clearly poor, pale, with bluish lips, and his breathing was labored. Wang Shuhui, possessing some medical knowledge, could generally deduce that this person was suffering from a lung disease. This middle-aged man looked unwell, his complexion was clearly poor, pale, with bluish lips, and his breathing was labored. Wang Shuhui, possessing some medical knowledge, could generally deduce that this person was suffering from a lung disease

Wang Shuhui had the middle-aged man lie down on the bed and took his pulse himself. Wang Shuhui had read medical texts and had specifically studied the methods of pulse-taking, understanding concepts such as cun, guan, and chi, as well as the distinctions between floating, sinking, slow, and rapid pulses. However, to be honest, he had no real knowledge of how to diagnose illnesses. Nevertheless, he was aware that this man was suffering from a lung disease, so he proceeded to discuss it in terms of lung disease.

In 2014, Wang Shuhui resigned from his job in the south and returned to his hometown in Northeast China. He decided not to work that year and to take a good rest in his hometown for a while. Every evening after dinner, he would take a walk near the kilometer-long area by the arms factory. This park, called Yueyuan, was built in the 1950s and was once very prosperous during the heyday of the arms factory. With the decline of the arms factory, there are no longer any visitors here.