Chapter 2, Items for Crossing Over
However, at that moment, one day when Zhao Yan was returning to school from the county town, he was suddenly struck by lightning from the sky. As a result, when he woke up again, he found himself transported to the first year of the Zhiping era of the Northern Song Dynasty, and he had become some sort of worthless prince. Although his status was extremely noble, the thought that he would never see his family, friends, and those lovely students from the future again filled him with deep sorrow.
Mobile phone! Zhao Yan suddenly thought of the mobile phone and realized that something seemed to have happened. He had crossed over with it, and in that moment, he hurriedly searched around. Now he found himself in the Northern Song Dynasty, where everything he brought from the future was extremely precious. However, just a few days ago, he was unable to accept the fact that he had crossed over; his mind was in a state of chaos, and he simply had no time to consider these matters.
After Zhao Yan woke up, he saw Cao Ying, who was also frightened by the spherical lightning and hurriedly ran out to call for help. Taking this opportunity, Zhao Yan surveyed his surroundings. Although he was still somewhat confused about the situation, his sixth sense told him that something terrible had happened to him. He quickly gathered the items around him. However, what puzzled him was that everything around him, including his clothes, had come along, yet his body had transformed into the current Zhao Yan. Who knows what happened to him when he was struck by the lightning?
Moreover, Zhao Yan also thought that during his boring nights, he could not even use his phone or computer to go online, which made him involuntarily groan in pain. Some things are only appreciated after they are lost, such as his domestically produced counterfeit phone that he bought for a few hundred yuan. Although it often shuts down on its own, it is still a smartphone, with a fast internet speed, allowing him to read the news and chat casually, and occasionally even watch a short film, of course, one of those that men generally enjoy.
In addition, there were two boxes of cigarettes poured out from the bag, one of which had already been opened, and half of the cigarettes inside had been smoked. There were also two lighters, each costing one yuan, meant to be discarded after use. However, they are now rare treasures. Moreover, if Zhao Yan remembers correctly, it seems that the Northern Song Dynasty did not have cigarettes yet; tobacco should still be in the grasslands of the Americas. The local Native Americans had already begun smoking, but unfortunately, they are separated from the Northern Song by the Pacific Ocean. Given their technology for making dugout canoes, it would be quite difficult for them to transport tobacco to sell in the Great Song Dynasty. However, they are now rare treasures. Moreover, if Zhao Yan remembers correctly, it seems that the Northern Song Dynasty did not have cigarettes yet; tobacco should still be in the grasslands of the Americas. The local Native Americans had already begun smoking, but unfortunately, they are separated from the Northern Song by the Pacific Ocean. Given their technology for making dugout canoes, it would be quite difficult for them to transport tobacco to sell in the Great Song Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yan trembled as she picked up her phone and then gently pressed the button below.
With a crisp sound, the silly Android robot finally appeared on the phone, which relieved Zhao Yan's mood. However, before he could feel happy, the screen that had just lit up went black again, and the phone shut down once more. This time, no matter how long Zhao Yan pressed the power button, the screen would not light up again.
However, in her previous life, Zhao Yan was already a heavy smoker. After coughing a few times, she took a deep breath and slowly inhaled a few puffs, quickly allowing this body to adapt to the taste of the cigarette. Under the stimulation of nicotine, Zhao Yan also alleviated the restlessness she felt after her transmigration.
Ah! A ghost! Before Zhao Yan could finish smoking a cigarette, a piercing scream suddenly rang out, startling Zhao Yan so much that her whole body shivered, nearly causing her to drop the cigarette butt onto the bed
Looking at the box of half cigarettes in front of him, Zhao Yan felt a tickle in his throat. He had not smoked for several days before his journey, as he had promised his students to quit smoking. He even remembered that just two days before he went to the county town, the prettiest girl in his class had slyly told him that she had found a way to help herself quit smoking, and then showed him a lot of information about the harms of smoking. Although Zhao Yan appeared indifferent on the surface, he privately decided to start quitting smoking and had successfully persisted until now. Just two days before he went to the county town, the prettiest girl in his class had slyly told him that she had found a way to help herself quit smoking, and then showed him a lot of information about the harms of smoking. Although Zhao Yan appeared indifferent on the surface, he privately decided to start quitting smoking and had successfully persisted until now
Everywhere she looked, there were decorations of old antiques. Although they appeared quite beautiful, there was not a trace of modernity to be found. Zhao Yan would rather be in her own humble dormitory than stay in this room filled with antiques. Reflecting on her experiences over the past few days, Zhao Yan felt an overwhelming headache. God knows how she had suddenly traveled from the 21st century back to the 11th century during the Northern Song Dynasty.
Without even looking, Zhao Yan knows that there is a second-hand microscope inside the cardboard box. The elementary school where he is teaching is located in a small village. This village is not considered poor, but it is filled with left-behind children. Apart from the children, the village is inhabited by the elderly, as the young people have all gone out to work. Aside from him, the teacher, there are only a few young women who are pregnant and staying at home to give birth.
Cough cough cough— Zhao Yan just took a puff and immediately felt a burning discomfort in his throat, followed by a violent coughing fit. He had forgotten that his current body was no longer the same as before and was not accustomed to the taste of cigarettes. Moreover, when he was in a bad mood, he had a habit of taking a deep drag, which naturally led to him choking.
Finally, Zhao Yan turned her gaze to the backpack on the bed. It was an ordinary denim bag. She unzipped the top and emptied its contents. A portable long-tube toothbrush holder emerged, containing a toothbrush and toothpaste, along with a manual razor and a bar of facial soap. Lastly, there was a phone charger. Since the school was somewhat far from the county town, making a trip was quite difficult, requiring an overnight stay in the county town. This was why Zhao Yan had brought these personal items with her.
Zhao Yan has traversed time; to be precise, the current Zhao Yan is no longer the original Prince of Guangyang. Instead, he is the future Zhao Yan who has traveled from the 21st century. Although they share the same name, their identities are entirely different.
Do not dwell on things that are hard to understand; this is one of Zhao Yan's few virtues. He reached out to touch a few familiar pieces of clothing, then pulled out several items from the pocket of his coat: a set of ordinary keys, unfortunately, the locks they were meant to open remained in the twenty-first century; a black wallet containing over one hundred yuan and several cards, which now had no place to be used and could only become waste paper; and lastly, the counterfeit mobile phone that Zhao Yan had just deeply reminisced about.
At the end, Zhao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, but unfortunately, what he saw was still the familiar red gauze canopy above the bed. He raised his hand to touch his chin, only to find the same few soft hairs, lacking the prickly sensation that used to greet him every morning. This left Zhao Yan immensely disappointed, and he sat up abruptly, unwilling to accept his surroundings as he glanced around.
Zhao Yan, who traveled through time, was previously an ordinary person. After graduating from university, he spent a few years navigating society, and then on a whim, he went to a village in a central province to work as a volunteer teacher. Everything was going quite well; Zhao Yan had a harmonious relationship with his students, and their academic performance improved significantly compared to before, which filled him with a sense of accomplishment
Thinking of her mischievous and adorable students, Zhao Yan couldn't help but feel a lump in her heart. Habitually, she took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. After all, there were no cigarettes for sale in the Northern Song Dynasty at this time, and by the time she finished this one and a half box, there would be none left to smoke in the future
Thinking about how all her misfortunes stemmed from this microscope, Zhao Yan couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She reached out to grab the microscope's box, wanting to smash it in frustration, but then hesitated, unable to let go. After trying to throw it a few times without success, she ultimately placed it gently back on the bed. After all, this item had cost several thousand yuan, and that was at the lowest price her friend had offered her. If it were sold on the market, it would fetch at least tens of thousands.
Zhao Yan quickly found what he was looking for in the cabinet by his bedside. When he first opened his eyes after crossing over, he saw a beautiful woman in ancient attire, which led him to believe that she was the legendary fairy, as ordinary people would not wear such clothing. However, he later discovered that she was actually his newlywed wife. Unfortunately, this woman named Cao Ying did not like him. In the past few days, she would only appear briefly when someone came to visit him; otherwise, he hardly saw her at all.
"Damn it, it was just working a moment ago, why can't I turn it on now?" Zhao Yan, frustrated, kept pressing the power button with all his might while shaking the phone and muttering to himself. However, no matter how much he shook it, the phone showed no response. Angered, he raised his hand as if to throw the phone away.
Zhao Yan was once a fan of Stephen Chow. He remembers that in Stephen Chow's "The Gambler 2," the protagonist, A Xing, travels back to Shanghai several decades ago, and surprisingly, he is able to communicate with people from the future using an old-fashioned mobile phone. Although the plot is quite absurd, Zhao Yan now wishes that his own phone could have such a function
A phone without power is nothing but a useless object, even inferior to a brick. Thus, Zhao Yan could only helplessly toss aside the phone and clothes, and then glanced at the remaining two items, which were a cardboard box and a backpack.
The conditions at the school are not very good. At least when he wanted to help students gain more knowledge about biology, there was no microscope available. Therefore, he asked a friend in Beijing to procure a second-hand microscope, which was said to have been discarded by a local school. It was in perfect condition and reasonably priced. As a result, because of this microscope, he went to the county town to pick up a package, and on his way back, he was struck by lightning. When he opened his eyes again, it was already during the Northern Song Dynasty
However, it is not certain; if one were to be struck again, it is possible to traverse back. Yet, the probability of such an event is exceedingly low, likely comparable to winning the lottery jackpot ten times in a row. Zhao Yan calculated seriously and realized that she might not possess such extraordinary luck, thus she decided not to take the risk for the time being
Oh? No response! Zhao Yan, undeterred, pressed it again, but the screen remained pitch black. At this point, sweat began to bead on Zhao Yan's forehead. The greatest suffering in the world is to give someone hope, only to cruelly shatter that hope.
Hmm, that's not right? It's been several days since I traveled through time, and this broken phone should have run out of battery by now, so it must have shut down automatically. As long as I can charge it, it should work again. With this thought, Zhao Yan became excited once more, but he quickly remembered that it is currently the Northern Song Dynasty, and he can't even find a place to charge it. Am I supposed to fly a kite during a thunderstorm? That would be too dangerous.
The early morning's first rain fell like silk, filling the antique-style bedroom with a soft "rustling" sound. Zhao Yan, the Prince of Guangyang, who had already awakened from his dreams, did not immediately open his eyes. Instead, he lay in bed, muttering to himself: "This is all just a dream. As soon as I open my eyes, everything before me will disappear, and I will return to the twenty-first century, becoming that ordinary volunteer teacher again"
Zhao Yan is currently too preoccupied to think about his relationship with Cao Ying. He shook his head vigorously and calmed himself down to place the items he had found on the bed. There were three items in total: one was a bundle wrapped in silk, which contained several pieces of clothing he wore before his time travel: a white shirt, blue jeans, and a black waterproof jacket, and even his underwear was included.
Clinging to the last hope, Zhao Yan pressed and held the power button, as this counterfeit phone frequently shut down unexpectedly, requiring a restart each time. Moreover, this device had traveled through nearly a thousand years with him; who knows what problems might arise