Chapter 1, Life is an absurd play devoid of meaning

As Tang Que grew up, he naturally understood that what he truly desired back then was not praise, but rather for his parents to step out from their respective tightly shut studies, to spend less time attending various seminars and more time focusing on him

If it were not for Tang Que having already lain in this room for a full two days, then, having grown up in the city with successful parents, he would never have imagined that there could be someone so impoverished to this extent

Tang Que grew up under the care of his aunt, who was actually the housekeeper for the Tang family after losing her husband at an early age. Perhaps due to genetic factors, Tang Que excelled academically from a young age. However, despite his excellent grades, he rarely heard praise from his parents. In contrast, his deskmate, a child who was inferior to him in every aspect, received two months of praise from his parents simply for scoring ninety-five in mathematics on one occasion

Tang Que never understood why the goldfish suddenly left. Based on his understanding of the goldfish, she was not the type of woman who would abandon everything for the sake of money. But if it wasn't for money, then what could it be for? Even in the presence of the goldfish's parents, who were filled with guilt, Tang Que found no answers. The confusion and bewilderment in the eyes of these two elderly people mirrored his own.

When there is no praise for good performance, what about poor performance? During his first year in high school at Tang Que, it cannot be said that he was led astray; rather, he actively associated with classmates who liked to hang out on the streets, skipping classes and getting into fights, eventually leading to stealing from others' shops. However, when Tang Que was handcuffed with his hands behind his back to a tree in the police station yard, he eagerly anticipated that his parents would come to pick him up like his classmates' parents did, but instead, he was met with the worried face of his aunt.

If given the choice, Tang Que would absolutely not wish to travel through time; had he known in advance that one day he would be transported, he would have certainly changed his major during university. Even if he did not study steel shipbuilding or economics and political science, at the very least he would have opted for glassmaking or papermaking, or even veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, time travel is unpredictable and cannot be chosen.

If it can be said that Tang Que's character became resilient due to his earlier experiences, then the appearance and departure of the goldfish transformed Tang Que into a true nihilist

In accordance with the customary expressions of academic conferences, this was a fruitful family meeting. Just as Tang Que's process of "going bad" was quite sudden, it seems that overnight he has managed to rectify all his bad habits. He has once again become the exemplary student who does not cause his parents or teachers any concern

In the four years, his parents had not come to see him, and Tang Que rarely returned home himself. In the weekly phone calls from home, it was almost always his aunt's voice.

A week ago, the two were still embracing each other, whispering sweet nothings; a week later, the goldfish is already separated by vast oceans, and the person by her side has changed from Tang Que to a Frenchman with a slightly noticeable body odor and a prominent nose

His body still remains on the bed soaked with the bodily fluids of men and women in the twenty-first century, while his soul has traversed over one thousand three hundred years of time and space, achieving rebirth by occupying a new body through the method of soul possession

In such an environment, being able to self-mock with "The Song of the Thatched Cottage Ruined by the Autumn Wind" at least indicates that Tang Que's character is resilient, and it can also be considered optimistic. There is nothing wrong with optimism; for someone like him, born in the 1980s and raised in a well-educated family, optimism is a common trait. They grew up during the period of reform and opening up, their family conditions were good, they have not experienced much hardship since childhood, and they firmly believe that they will not face much hardship in the future

The quiet departure of the goldfish, without taking away a single cloud, turned Tang Que into a standard nihilist. Nihilism, in this context, refers to the complete inability to find meaning. The worldview and outlook on life that had been cultivated over the years suddenly collapsed, leaving the twenty-something Tang Que unable to find meaning in life, career, or even existence itself

Life after work is also beautiful, and the income is considered quite good in this prefecture-level city. The couple has also moved in together, and Jin Yu's parents are quite satisfied with Tang Que as a son-in-law despite his rough edges. In their spare time, after their passionate moments in bed, their favorite thing to do is to lie together naked, fantasizing about their life after marriage

Why didn't they come? As Tang Que walked out of the police station, there was not a trace of remorse on his face; instead, it was filled with a suppressed anger and disappointment. He had been anticipating this day for a long time, having imagined countless times the expression he would wear when facing his parents. It would be a mix of defiance and concealed grievance. He planned to explain to his parents, in detail, everything he had done, how he had done it, and what had been on his mind during those moments. If they were to scold him, he would not hesitate to voice the indifference he had endured over the years right there in the police station. For Tang Que, this was a grand act he had meticulously planned for a long time. However, regrettably, this grand act had no conclusion—his parents did not come at all, not even one of them.

Thus, when Tang Que, a graduate of the Chinese Department, realized that he had been transported back to the Tang Dynasty, he finally understood the profound meaning of his professor's words from university: a graduate of the Chinese Department is like a universal remedy. The term 'universal remedy' implies that your presence is not particularly significant; whether you are there or not makes little difference. In short, it means you are of no use

The goldfish is a girl who looks eighty out of a hundred, but her personality is a perfect hundred. She is Tang Que's first love, and during their three years of being together, she has given Tang Que an abundance of care. It is precisely her love and smile that have melted the ice in Tang Que's heart.

An optimistic personality is indeed not uncommon, but resilience appears to be quite rare. After all, it is challenging for a favorable environment to cultivate such a character. At this point, one cannot help but mention Tang Que's parents.

On the earthen wall opposite Tang Que's bed, there is a small window dug out of the earth, with three sticks inserted into it. This small window allows very little light to enter the house. As a result, the house where Tang Que currently resides not only has a strong musty smell but is also dark and gloomy throughout the day, making it nearly impossible to perceive the changes in daylight and the passage of time.

If all the time travelers were to be lined up and compared, I might not be the most unfortunate, but I am definitely one of the most unfortunate. Tang Que has been back for two days; while two days is not a long time, it has been sufficient for him to accept the reality before him and to try to view this fact with a calm mindset. Even after the initial shock, when Tang Que looked at the thatch above him through a small, blurry window, he recited Du Fu's "Song of the Thatched Cottage Broken by Autumn Wind" as a form of self-mockery

Just as the two were imagining what major their future child should study in college, life suddenly took a one hundred eighty degree turn. From noticing something unusual about the goldfish's demeanor to her sudden departure, only a week had passed in between.

When Tang Que repeatedly questioned himself about this issue, he transformed into a thorough nihilist

The walls, covered on all sides with light earth, are not even tiled but are instead made of the legendary thatch. Due to the thatch not being replaced or renewed for a long time, a strong and pungent smell of rotting grass permeates the rooms below.

"I understand, Auntie, let us go back!" It is difficult to imagine, but the tone of seventeen-year-old Tang Que when he uttered these words was indeed one of a profound calm, as if the greatest sorrow had rendered his heart lifeless.

The eruption following the melting of a solid ice block is truly astonishing. The efforts of the goldfish have been met with the wholehearted return from Tang Que. To speak pragmatically, those three years were indeed beautiful, as beautiful as the radiant peach blossoms blooming vibrantly in the school's peach orchard

What is the purpose of living?

It was also for the sake of the goldfish that Tang Que, after graduating, did not return to his prosperous provincial capital hometown, but instead stayed in a northern prefecture-level city where the goldfish's family resided. The two of them worked together in a branch of a foreign-funded company.

Time passed quietly like water. In the life of Tang Que's parents, who lived in a guesthouse that felt like home yet was merely a temporary stay, Tang Que took the college entrance examination, checked his own scores, and filled out his own application. It was only after the admission notice arrived that his parents learned that their son would be majoring in Chinese at a school very far from home.

What kind of house is this! The walls, built of rammed earth on all four sides, are cracked with numerous fissures. Due to the age of the construction, these explosive cracks are striking both in number and scale. At the very least, Tang Que has no doubt that his hand could easily pass through the widest crack on the right side of the wall

It was not until three days later, after his father had completed the academic conference and conducted an analysis of the latest developments in his field, and after his mother received the news of the successful approval of her research project, that the couple remembered they had a "problematic teenager" son who needed their attention

Your father has an important academic conference in Beijing. Your aunt vaguely understands Tang Que's thoughts and feels an inexplicable guilt for not being able to persuade her brother-in-law and sister to come here in person, to the extent that she finds it difficult to look her nephew in the eye while speaking. As for your mother... she is currently preparing a project proposal report. It is said that if it gets approved, the research funding could exceed ten million... so...

Tang Que always felt that apart from having a life free of worries, he was not much different from an orphan without parents. All the problems he faced during his growth had to be borne by himself. It was precisely this experience that shaped Tang Que's resilient character

However, in this dazzling long list, the only thing that should be present alongside books but is absent is: qualified parents

Tang Que's parents are highly educated individuals, true intellectual elites. Both are professors at the same "985" university, and they hold numerous titles and benefits, such as enjoying special allowances from the State Council, being doctoral supervisors, Changjiang Scholars, leaders in disciplinary breakthroughs, and outstanding young and middle-aged experts with significant contributions. If one were to add their titles in various professional associations and councils, the list would become even longer, to the point where no one would be interested in looking at it.

Then, Tang Que began to frequently visit bars and various entertainment venues, discussing and practicing the so-called love that is both true and false, seemingly real yet deceptive, with different women. ... He then went to bed with different women, repeatedly validating the conclusion that life itself is inherently meaningless in the process, and then ... . ... After that, he transcended; to be precise, it was his soul that transcended.

"Indeed, life is an absurd farce devoid of meaning." After summarizing the bizarre experience of his own time travel, Tang Que soon fell back into a deep sleep

This rare family meeting lasted for two hours, during which Tang Que simply listened quietly. After everyone had finished speaking, he finally uttered a single sentence: "Are you all done? If you are done, I will return to my room; I have self-study in the morning."

August brings high winds that rage fiercely, sweeping away the three layers of thatch from my roof. The only solace I can find is that it is currently early spring; otherwise, I truly do not know how I would survive the winter with just a blanket that is hardly thicker than paper, without air conditioning or electric heaters.

The reason for using the term "qualified" instead of "excellent" is that this couple, renowned in academia, falls far short of even being considered qualified in their treatment of their only son, let alone excellent. To put it in a more sentimental way, they may belong to the school, to the students, and to their respective fields, but they certainly do not belong to Tang Que