Chapter Two, the beautiful young lady of the Ma family

In that year, the damned neighbor from the East extended its bloodied bayonet towards here, interrupting the "Self-Strengthening Movement" that had been ongoing for thirty years, thus burying all efforts made by China towards the process of modernization, along with countless lives and wealth! What followed was an endless stream of disasters, tears, blood, and humiliation!

Is that so? Looking at the kind and amiable old man before him, he felt a sense of loneliness and an inexplicable melancholy about what the future might hold. What would become of his own fate, and what would happen to this old man’s fate in the face of the impending war?

It is evident that you are doing better than I am. Sun Gang chuckled and said, I just lost my job over there and was sent here.

What he never expected was to see her here

"If my hospitality is lacking, is it really necessary for you to get so angry?" A sweet and melodious voice came from outside, pulling him back from his "angry youth" state. Damn it, am I dreaming? This voice, this tone, why does it sound so familiar?

"Lushunkou," the old man replied

"Where is this place?" Sun Gang asked, gazing at the city that appeared in the distance

Indeed, encountering an old friend's ex-girlfriend here seems like a chance given by fate to make up for past regrets, and his thoughts immediately began to grow "complicated" again.

The year that the Chinese people will never forget

He struck the huanghuali table with a heavy punch, causing the teacup on the table to jump high, nearly spilling the tea inside.

What does it mean? Sun Gang asked him to say it, and for a moment he was taken aback, looking at him suspiciously, with a hint of embarrassment on his face

"Old man, I..." As soon as he opened his mouth, the old man cheerfully interrupted him, saying: "I have been waiting here for quite a while. Our young lady said that if you jump down, I won't have to take care of it; if you don't jump, then let me take you back in the car."

The vehicle swayed as it moved, and Sun Gang finally returned to reality from the sexual fantasies that might occur in the future, beginning to converse with the elderly man. "Elder, what year is it this year?" He was now eager to know the era in which he found himself.

He let out a roar that only he could hear deep within his heart

He turned back to see an elderly gentleman sitting in a carriage, smiling warmly as he observed him

He saw him, his eyes widened in astonishment, unsure of what to say

Sun Gang could not remember how he arrived in this room. Upon hearing the words "Lüshun," his head buzzed. Lüshun! On November 22, 1894, the Japanese army captured Lüshun and immediately carried out a bloody massacre that lasted for four days, resulting in tens of thousands of victims, with only thirty-six survivors! Had he actually traveled to this place just to witness all of this?

It is already February, and you are dressed so lightly; is that alright?" The elderly man looked at him, noticing that he was slightly shivering, and asked with concern.

"Tell me about what is happening over there," Ma Yue said, looking at him. A hint of unusual brilliance appeared in her beautiful big eyes. Indeed, encountering someone from her own era here made her feel as if she had found some form of support in her solitude. That indescribable feeling was truly wonderful

He made an effort to calm his emotions, "It's nothing." Sun Gang looked at the old man and asked, "What is your esteemed surname, sir?"

My surname is Ma, no need to be formal. Hehe, I have been working for the Ma family for twelve years, watching the young lady grow up. The young lady, like you, has also studied abroad. The old man said with a hearty laugh: "You foreign students are really strange. The year the young lady returned was the same as yours; she also asked me what year it was now"

Sun Gang thought for a moment, then got into the car. Whatever, he was cold, hungry, and tired, and in this place, it was pitch dark. Surely, he wouldn't be sold off by an old man, right? After all, he was about 1.8 meters tall; it would be too disgraceful to be sold like that. Wait a minute, what did that old guy just say? Their family has a young lady? She should be considered not unattractive; could it be that a beauty is interested in him? Thinking of this, Sun Gang's heart suddenly brightened. He didn't even have a girlfriend yet; this could really be too damn good, haha.

Contrary to expectations, she was not wearing a voluminous skirt but rather attire reminiscent of his own era, somewhat akin to American women's dresses, yet imbued with a more domestic atmosphere. Especially in this setting, it gave him an even stronger sense of temporal dislocation

Once Sun Gang finished washing up and changed his outfit, he felt as if he had returned to the bank. Just a few days ago, he was wearing similar clothes at the front desk, busily working like a worker ant for those meager wages. Now, it was as if he had returned to the Qing Dynasty, haha, what a chaotic situation this is

"I went out to travel, but encountered a storm and fell into the sea. When I finally reached the shore, I realized that everything had changed." Sun Gang sighed and said, looking at her, "What about you? How did you get here?"

She smiled as she fiddled with his phone and said, "It's nothing much. I was on a business trip, took a flight, and fell asleep. When I woke up, I found myself on a ship. Later, I learned that my current identity is that of the young lady, Ma Yue, from the family of the renowned doctor Ma Wenlong, who returned from studying in France." She said with a wry smile, "Aside from the fact that my name has an additional 'Wang' radical, everything else has changed completely." Seeing his astonished expression, she laughed and said, "I've been here for five years now. Surprised, aren't you?"

In the 20th year of the Guangxu era, Sun Gang felt a sudden jolt in his heart; the year 1894 in the Gregorian calendar was indeed the Year of Jiawu

"Ma Yue? How come it's you?" He stared fixedly at the delicate and beautiful face with a hint of a smile looking back at him, standing in a daze for a while, and said: "How did you end up here?"

Ma Yue, one of the campus beauties at her university, was in the International Trade class. The first time she appeared before him was as a fellow townsman's girlfriend, captivating him to the point of obsession. However, out of respect for their mutual friend's feelings, he could not bring himself to "cut in and steal love"; he could only watch her from a distance, lamenting his fate. Later, after everyone graduated and went their separate ways, they lost contact. Little did he expect to reunite here today. This scene made him feel a wave of nostalgia, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of familiarity

It was already getting late, and he sat there idly fiddling with his phone. There was certainly no signal, but other functions were still operational. He was aiming the camera of his phone at a cup on the table to take a picture when the door opened, and a beautiful woman walked in

He looked at the old man with a hint of curiosity, judging from the old man's attire, he must be a coachman. He was laughing at himself, wondering what it meant. Did the old man somehow perceive his earlier intention to jump into the sea? As this thought crossed his mind, his face flushed slightly, and he turned to walk towards the old man

Get in the car," the elderly man said with a smile, having noticed his embarrassment

No! Absolutely not!

"Look at you, looking like someone who deserves a hundred slaps; I truly feel a sense of accomplishment." Ma Yue sat down across from him, smiling happily, "I also want to ask you, how did you end up here? Old classmates?"

The bathtub will be brought over shortly; you should wash up first and quickly change your clothes. I will come over in a bit. " The other party then said to the maid, " You may go down now.

What surprised him even more was her presence

"Please take it in," the other party said again. A young girl, resembling a maid, entered and placed a suit on the bed before leaving with her head bowed.

"The 20th year of the Guangxu era? Surely, you overseas students haven't forgotten even this?" The old man seemed quite surprised as he looked at him and replied