The familiar city of Youzhou again. Fifteen years had passed, and apart from the moss-covered, towering city gates, everything else had changed. The bluestone streets were wider, the merchants bustling through them more numerous. Down by the docks, the brothels and taverns had all changed their signs. The city seemed to have become more lively, more prosperous.
Jason had spent twenty days in this world, meaning he had traveled here for twenty years. In twenty years, he could have traversed the mountains and rivers of the great Song dynasty, fallen in love with a woman in a goose-yellow dress, and taken this photograph. The girl looked no older than seventeen or eighteen; she must be middle-aged now. Was she still waiting for him? Or had she already married and had children? Yang Ruoning felt lost. In this vast ocean of humanity, how could she find him?
The Tiffany vase, Yang Ruoning pawned for twenty taels of silver. She didn't haggle with the pawnbroker, only asking for the money she needed.
She surmised that there would be no further gains in Youzhou. A merchant from the south told her that Bianliang was the capital of the great Song, where half the country's population resided. If she wanted to find someone, she might as well try her luck there first. Yang Ruoning thus decided to travel south to Bianliang.
From Youzhou to Bianliang, the fastest way was by boat, which would take about half a month along the Grand Canal. Yang Ruoning found a small passenger boat at the ferry, paid the fare, and set sail south in the evening mist.
It was a small passenger boat with a two-tiered cabin. Though it lacked the ornate carvings of luxury liners, it was clean and tidy. As it was the last boat to the capital that day, there were very few passengers. Apart from Yang Ruoning, there were only two others.
Yang Ruoning's cabin was a small compartment on the lower deck, near the head of the bed. After placing her large backpack inside, Yang Ruoning could only sit with her knees drawn up. She opened the cabin window, and the gentle breeze of the early summer evening, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, flowed in. She sat by the window, watching the scenery slowly recede, stealing a rare moment of peace after days of hardship.
The other two guests occupied the entire second floor. The boatman said it was a young master and his attendant. Although they shared the same boat, Yang Ruoning rarely encountered them. This was not only because Yang Ruoning seldom left her small compartment, but also due to the young master's decadent lifestyle.
The boatman sailed during the day and docked at ferry terminals in the evening to rest. The ferry terminals were often economically active areas, lined with inns, restaurants, and brothels. Each evening, the young master would disembark with his attendant to drink and seek pleasure, only returning in the early hours of the next morning, drunk, and then sleeping through the entire day.
The day he returned, Yang Ruoning happened to be standing on deck. She saw a handsome young man in white, holding a folding fan, walking elegantly towards the boat from the end of the dock. He appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen, and although his features were youthful, an air of arrogance and nobility was undeniable. Beside him was a slender young attendant, who looked even younger, perhaps fourteen or fifteen.
The young man also saw Yang Ruoning. He nodded slightly and raised his fan to her. Yang Ruoning, seeing him greet her, politely nodded in return.
After the boat set off, Yang Ruoning sat by the window, looking at her tablet. The tablet was loaded with a lot of information about Chinese history. Yang Ruoning had immigrated to the United States with her family when she was in elementary school. Although she could communicate in Chinese, she couldn't read many Chinese characters. She could recognize some very simple ones, but certainly not enough to read Chinese materials. Therefore, the information on the tablet was all in English. She had read a lot of material these past few days but hadn't found a dynasty called Da Song. She guessed that this parallel world must have a completely different timeline from her own. She put down the tablet and looked out the window. She thought of the arrogant young man from that morning. She vaguely felt that the young man looked familiar, but couldn't recall when she had seen him.
On the evening of the ninth day of the voyage, they docked at a bustling large pier. Yang Ruoning, uncharacteristically, went ashore. After buying a few flatbreads to fill her stomach, she began to wander around. Perhaps because they were getting closer to the capital, Bianliang, the buildings here became increasingly luxurious and exquisite, and naturally, prices had risen considerably. Yang Ruoning walked back and forth through the entire pier area, which was already the size of a small town. Feeling a bit tired, she prepared to return to the boat to rest.
Suddenly, someone from a luxurious restaurant nearby shouted, "Auntie! Auntie!" The urgent cry drew the attention of passersby on the street. Yang Ruoning glanced at the restaurant. She naturally assumed they weren't calling her, so she continued walking without paying attention.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. Startled, she turned to look and found it was the young attendant. The attendant was panting, evidently having chased after her.
He gasped for breath and said, "Auntie, could you please come with me for a moment?"
Yang Ruoning found it strange. "What is it?"
The attendant scratched his head somewhat sheepishly. "We just finished eating at that restaurant, but when it came time to pay, we found our wallets were gone. Alas, they must have been stolen on the street... Now we can't pay for the meal. The shopkeeper won't let us leave on credit, insisting that the young master pay first. We don't know anyone here, only you, the auntie on the boat. Could you possibly help us?"
It was a small favor, so Yang Ruoning followed the attendant into the restaurant.
In a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, a burly cook was viciously grabbing the young master's collar, cursing, "Damn it, you think you can slip away! I'll teach you a lesson today!" With that, he raised his fist to strike the young master's face.
The attendant hurriedly stepped forward to pull the cook back. "Brother, please, don't do this, please don't." Yang Ruoning suddenly felt something strange; her master was about to be beaten, yet the attendant seemed more anxious about the cook.
Seeing that the attendant had brought someone, the cook grumbled and released the young master. "You found someone?"
"Yes, yes, I brought someone to pay the bill," the attendant said, then turned to Yang Ruoning. "Auntie, please help us pay. We will repay you when we return to the capital."
"Oh, okay. How much is it?" Yang Ruoning took out her money pouch from her pocket and asked the cook.
"Fifteen taels," the cook said, his tone softening when he heard someone was willing to pay for the young master.
What?! Fifteen taels?! What on earth did you eat?! Yang Ruoning hesitated, touching her money pouch. That was all the money she had left.
Seeing Yang Ruoning's hesitation, the attendant quickly whispered, "Auntie, I know it's a bit expensive. Could you..."
Yang Ruoning glanced at the noble young master in the corner and thought for a few seconds. If this young master were severely beaten, it would surely delay his journey, and the travel and medical expenses would be even higher.
So, she took a deep breath and placed the entire money pouch into the cook's hand. "Here are fifteen taels."
The cook weighed the money pouch. "That's more like it." He glanced back at the young master, snorted dismissively, and left.
The young master walked over, fanning himself irritably. "This is clearly a black market inn. How can these few dishes cost so much silver?" He rolled up his sleeves. "Xiao Guizi, why did you stop me? You should have taught him a good lesson!"
The attendant said, "Young Master, please don't be so impulsive again."
The young master turned to Yang Ruoning. "Thank you, miss, for your help."
Miss. This was the first time since arriving here that she had been called "miss," and by a young man who was many years her junior. For a moment, she felt the money had been worth it.
The young master cupped his hands and said sincerely, "When we return to the capital, I will repay you double." Then he smiled at her, revealing two shallow dimples on his cheeks. Yang Ruoning stared at his face and was startled. She finally remembered where she had seen this young man.
He was the deposed emperor who had been poisoned in the wormhole.
So, those images were not of the present, but of the future.