The first time in history

At the foot of a hill near Chang'an, there is a small courtyard surrounded by a bamboo fence. The vegetables in the courtyard have been harvested long ago, leaving only some branches that are about to dry up. The late autumn moon hangs in the sky like a silver hook. The leaves of the two persimmon trees in the courtyard have fallen off. On the bare branches, there are freshly ripe persimmons hanging.

Diao Chan sat quietly on the doorstep, looking up at the deep night sky. The moonlight fell on her like silver light, and Diao Chan in the moonlight was like a quiet statue.

Qian Mingduo put a cloak on Diao Chan, and she turned around and smiled gently.

It has been almost half a month since they bought this small courtyard. After Diao Chan drank the potion resolutely, they no longer had to worry. So, they decided to move forward towards Chang'an.

Just when they could see Chang'an as far as the eye could see, they found this lonely courtyard. They couldn't believe it, this courtyard was almost exactly the same as Diao Chan's home in Mu'er Village.

When Qian Mingduo and Diao Chan looked at each other, they both nodded at the same time.

The landlord was originally planning to move to the city before the Spring Festival, but when he saw Qian Mingduo's offer, he agreed to it without any hesitation. So he got the house deed and the letter of credit done and handed them to Qian Mingduo that day.

"These two persimmon trees look very much like the two at home," Diao Chan said leisurely, leaning on Qian Mingduo's shoulder.

"It's almost the same position." Qian Mingduo tied the collar of his cloak, hugged Diao Chan, and the two of them sat on the doorstep together.

During this period, Diao Chan was busy every day as diligently as usual.

She once gazed at this place which was exactly the same as the courtyard in Mu'er Village, and her heart was in turmoil. Her original vision of the future became blurred because of the change in her appearance.

But in this seemingly lonely courtyard, the time spent with Qian Mingduo made her feel very at ease. She knew very well that this simple companionship was a rare peace in troubled times.

Diao Chan secretly made up her mind that no matter what the future holds, she must cherish the present and protect this small world together with Qian Mingduo. Even if the future is full of uncertainties, she must face it bravely.

"Husband, are you cold?" Diao Chan asked softly.

"Hmm... a little cool."

"I'll hug you." Diao Chan untied her cloak and wrapped Qian Mingduo in it, and the two of them snuggled up to each other.

"Husband, do you remember when we were at that old woman's house, she said you were..." Diao Chan said softly, "It seemed that she said you were from outer space and did not belong to our dynasty. What's going on?"

"Baby..." Diao Chan's question made Qian Mingduo feel very conflicted.

He really didn't know how to answer this question.

"Why don't you speak?" Diao Chan asked softly.

"I'm afraid you won't believe me if I tell you!"

"You haven't said anything yet, how do you know I don't believe it?" Diao Chan said slowly: "I believe every word you say to me. Besides... a small bottle of potion can change a person's appearance. This is a magical thing in the world, you can't help but believe it!"

"I... came from two thousand years later." Qian Mingduo sighed and said slowly: "In other words, two thousand years have passed since the era we live in now. And I... came from that era."

"Two thousand years?" Diao Chan said with emotion: "That will be a long, long time in the future."

"Yes, it was indeed a long time later."

"Actually...how long have you been here?"

"The first time I met you was the day you cooked some delicious dishes and allowed me to drink with my father-in-law."

"That day... I remember it." Diao Chan looked up at Qian Mingduo and blinked, "That was the day I began to realize that you were different from before."

"What's different from before?"

"So you always said I was ugly, like an ugly monster." Diao Chan snuggled into Qian Mingduo's arms again, "From that day on, you kept saying I was beautiful, every day."

"Besides me praising your beauty every day, has anything else changed?"

"Well...you're a lot braver now."

"What do you mean?" Qian Mingduo hugged Diao Chan tightly and said jokingly, "How can you tell that you are braver than before?"

"When I went to your house to water the vegetables and fertilize them...you were so brave that you dared to kiss...kiss my neck in broad daylight."

"It's not that I've become braver, but that Zhou Jun is too timid." Qian Mingduo kissed Diao Chan's hair and said softly, "If I were Zhou Jun, I would have married you eight generations ago. Why would I have to wait until now?"

Diao Chan suddenly raised her head, looked at Qian Mingduo in surprise, and said, "You turned into Brother Zhou Jun, so where did Brother Zhou Jun go? Did he turn into you two thousand years later?"

"I don't know." Qian Mingduo shook his head helplessly: "I only know that I became him. I don't know where he is, or what era he is in... or what kind of person he became. I don't know any of this."

"What's your name then?" Diao Chan asked in a low voice, "What should I call you from now on?"

"My name is Qian Mingduo, Qian of money, Ming of a blockbuster, more or less."

"Qian Mingduo!...Qian Mingduo!" Diao Chan murmured.

"I call you a conceited pig, and you can call me a money pig. We are both pigs. Do you think this is okay?"

"Golden money pig?...Okay, we are both cute little pigs." Diao Chan wrinkled her nose habitually. "In the future, we can give birth to a few more little conceited pigs and a few golden money pigs." Diao Chan looked at Qian Mingduo embarrassedly and said softly, "What do you say?"

"Okay." Qian Mingduo kissed Diao Chan deeply on the forehead. "Let's give birth to a bunch of cute little pigs."

Although Diao Chan's eyes are no longer as bright as before, her look still reveals a deep affection that seems to be able to penetrate people's hearts.

Her eyes were gentle and slightly shy, which moved people. Although her appearance had changed, the deep love still existed in her heart, which was conveyed to Qian Mingduo through her eyes. This kind of emotional precipitation made her beauty more charming and profound, which was unforgettable.

"Will you stay with me forever?" Diao Chan asked slowly, rubbing Qian Mingduo's face gently with her hair.

"I don't know." Qian Mingduo looked up at the vast and deep night sky and shook his head slowly. "Maybe we can be together for a lifetime... Maybe we can only be together for one day... I really don't know!"

"What's the name of the place where you used to live?"

"The city where I originally lived was called Xi'an...which is now the capital Chang'an..."

The silver moon was gradually covered by a dark cloud. An autumn wind blew, and the woods behind the house made a rustling sound. The leaves began to rub against each other, as if a group of elves were whispering.

The autumn wind seemed to carry a mysterious power, making the whole world quiet and lonely.