I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing stood on the bustling streets, feeling unfamiliar and uneasy. The tall buildings, the constant flow of traffic, and the strangely dressed, hurried people—everything was drastically different from the Tang Dynasty she knew. She was filled with doubt and fear, but she knew she had to find a way home quickly, or she would not survive in this world.

Zhang Wanqing clearly remembered that after choking to death on a steamed bun, she was struck by lightning as she was being buried. She entered a time tunnel and, upon waking, had traveled to the present day. The primary question, then, was how to find the time tunnel? Would she have to wait for the next lightning strike to travel back?

Zhang Wanqing was thinking when suddenly her cell phone rang. It was her best friend Tangtang calling her.

"Hey, Qing'er, what are you doing?"

"I... I was standing on the street in a daze. No, I was wondering how the rift in time and space was formed."

"You can go to the library and look for relevant books. Or you can look online. There's a lot of information online."

Zhang Wanqing stood by the library's French windows, clutching a science fiction novel about time travel. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting a golden halo over her features. Though her gaze remained fixed on the pages, her mind had already drifted far away.

According to the theory proposed by Stephen Hawking, in quantum physics, there is a phenomenon called "tunneling effect", that is, although the probability density distribution of a particle is stronger in places with low energy as much as possible, the probability density of the particle is still not zero even in places with very high energy. In other words, there is always a certain probability that the particle will pass through those "walls" that cannot be penetrated in classical physics.

That means there really is a space-time rift, and I came through it. So the question is, how often will the space-time rift open? When it opens next time, will I really be able to go home through it?

Zhang Wanqing fell into deep thought, her fingers gently stroking the pages of the book.

As night fell, Zhang Wanqing walked home alone. Streetlights lit up one by one, like stars guiding her. Her footsteps unconsciously led her to an alley she had never noticed before. At the end of the alley was an antique shop. A swaying lantern hung in the doorway, emitting a faint, warm glow.

She pushed open the door, and a stale atmosphere filled the air. The shop was filled with antiques, from Tang Dynasty porcelain to Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings and calligraphy. Each item seemed to carry a piece of history. The shop owner was a kind old man. He looked at Zhang Wanqing with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Girl, you seem to have some connection with this place." The old man's voice was hoarse and gentle.

Zhang Wanqing looked around, her eyes drawn to a Tang Dynasty bronze mirror. She walked over and gently touched the mirror. The cold touch made her heart beat faster. She seemed to see herself in Tang Dynasty clothing, her own Tang Dynasty self.

The old man looked at her and said slowly, "Some things, once missed, can never be returned. Since you are destined to be here, why not let go of everything and stay here with peace of mind."

Zhang Wanqing's hand froze in mid-air. She closed her eyes, a vision of two worlds emerging in her mind. On one side was a bustling modern city, on the other the quaint streets of the Tang Dynasty. Two worlds, two lives, but she knew which to choose. She was from the ancient world, and she had to return to her own world.

The next day, Zhang Wanqing sat in a corner of the library, clutching a worn copy of "Secret Records of Ancient and Modern Times," her eyes carefully searching the yellowed pages. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on her delicate features. Curiosity about time travel filled her heart, and she desired to find more records of time-space rifts to better understand the secrets of time travel.

Zhang Wanqing's gaze wandered through the "Secret Records of Ancient and Modern Times." She remembered reading about time travel in an ancient book. She began flipping through it one by one, from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" to "Soushen Ji" to "Dream Pool Essays," searching for any possible clue. Her eyes darted between the lines, trying to find the secret that would allow her to travel back in time.

Her gaze finally settled on a worn copy of "A Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty." The pages were yellowed and the edges a little worn, but the content was remarkably clear. She flipped open the book, and lines of ancient Chinese text came into view. Her heartbeat quickened as she came across a description of a rift in time and space.

"In the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, there is a mysterious place called the 'Abyss of Time'. It is said that it is a place where time and space intersect and can lead to different eras." She murmured to herself, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

She continued to read and found more records:

In ancient literature, the concept of time travel is often wrapped in myths, legends, and philosophical speculation, and is not as clear and concrete as in modern science fiction. The following are some explanations and metaphors about time travel in ancient texts:

1. The Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Ruins of Kunlun

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, an ancient text documenting ancient Chinese mythology, geography, and folklore, mentions numerous exotic lands and mysterious mountain ranges. Among these descriptions, the "Ruins of Kunlun" is considered a mysterious place connecting heaven and earth, humans and gods. The ancients believed that Mount Kunlun was the abode of immortals and a gateway to another world, a concept that can be seen as a form of time travel.

2. Huainanzi and "Nuwa Mending the Sky"

The Huainanzi is a philosophical work that contains many mythological stories. The story of "Nuwa mending the sky" tells of how Nuwa used five-colored stones to mend the sky, preventing chaos between heaven and earth. The five-colored stones in this story are believed to contain powerful energies and may be related to time travel, as it involves supernatural forces that alter the order of heaven and earth.

3. Liezi and the story of "Foolish Old Man Moving Mountains"

The story of "Foolish Old Man Who Moved the Mountain," in the Taoist philosophical work "Liezi," tells the story of a foolish old man who, having found the mountain blocking his path, ultimately moved the mountain, ultimately moving it in a way that moved the mountain. The divine power in this story can be interpreted as the manipulation of temporal and spatial forces, enabling the mountain's movement to transcend human understanding, similar to the manipulation of time and space in time travel.

4. Zhuangzi and "Xiaoyaoyou"

The Zhuangzi, a classic of Taoist thought, features the "Xiao Yao You" chapter, which depicts the transformation of Kunpeng, a bird capable of soaring through the heavens and traversing different worlds. This transformation and traversal can be seen as a metaphor for time travel, expressing the ancients' yearning to transcend the constraints of reality and pursue spiritual freedom.

5. "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Huangdi's Journey to the Immortal Realm"

The legend of the Yellow Emperor, recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, mentions that after completing his mission on earth, he ascended to heaven on a dragon and became an immortal. This "ascending to heaven on a dragon" in this story can be seen as a description of time travel, as the Yellow Emperor traveled from the mortal world to the immortal realm.

While not as detailed and scientific as the descriptions of time and space travel in modern science fiction, these ancient texts, in the form of myths and fables, express the ancient people's supernatural understanding and imagination of time and space. These stories and legends provide us with a window into how ancient people understood and imagined time and space travel.

Zhang Wanqing wrote down these records one by one, knowing that these might be the key for her to return to the Tang Dynasty.