The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Wang Jie rode his bicycle back to Yangxi Road with Zhou Yanruo on the back.

Zhou Yanruo remained silent the entire way. Wang Jie thought that her sprained ankle was probably very painful, which was why Zhou Yanruo, who usually liked to talk, was quiet.

Passing by Xida Hospital, Wang Jie said, "Let's go to the hospital for an emergency visit, and it would be best to get an X-ray to see if there's anything wrong with the bones."

"Don't go."

"Does it hurt a lot? It's better to go to the hospital and have a doctor treat it than to just watch it like this."

"Don't go."

"Why are you still being so stubborn? Wouldn't it be better to get treatment from the doctor and recover faster? If you keep acting like this, you won't be able to participate in the test in a few days."

"Thank you for your concern, 'good neighbor,'" Zhou Yanruo said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly.

"What? What good neighbor?" Wang Jie remembered what he had just told Cheng Zhi, that he and Zhou Yanruo were neighbors, and laughed, "So that's what it was about. How childish."

Wang Jie traversed alleys and side streets, returning to Yangxi Road in just half an hour.

"Take a look, isn't there an Audi parked at the entrance of the alley?"

"Is there one parked there, the same one as last time?"

"Let's go to the octagonal pavilion."

"It's too late, let me take you straight home."

“No,” Zhou Yanruo said firmly. “Go to the Octagonal Pavilion.”

Wang Jie didn't want to argue with her, so he rode his bike directly to the octagonal pavilion opposite the alley entrance. He carefully helped Zhou Yanruo off the bike, and the two of them walked into the octagonal pavilion and sat down.

"You rest here for a bit, I'll go buy some drinks," Wang Jie said.

“Okay, go ahead.” Zhou Yanruo leaned gently against the pillar of the pavilion.

Not long after, Wang Jie returned. He was carrying two bottles of ice-cold soda in one hand and two crystal-clear "ice gourds" (a type of popsicle wrapped in plastic) in the other.

He handed two bottles of soda to Zhou Yanruo and said gently, "Are you thirsty? Have some drinks."

Then, Wang Jie sat down next to Zhou Yanruo and gently placed her leg on his lap. He picked up an ice gourd and rolled it back and forth gently on her ankle. "This will help reduce the swelling. Hopefully it's just a sprain and the bone isn't seriously injured." As he spoke, he gazed at Zhou Yanruo's foot, his eyes filled with deep concern.

After the two 'ice gourds' melted into water, Zhou Yanruo's swollen ankle seemed to have eased somewhat.

Wang Jie stood up and looked at the alley entrance. The Audi had already driven away. "The car's gone. I'll take you home."

"Ah."

Wang Jie helped Zhou Yanruo sit on the back of the bicycle and pushed it back into the alley.

It stopped in front of Zhou Yanruo's house, a three-story old house with an attic.

The house adopts a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, combining the traditional blue bricks and gray tiles of Jiangnan with the elegant lines of Western architecture. The walls are a deep bluish-gray, appearing even more tranquil and serene at night. Under the eaves, there are faintly visible carved patterns, exquisite and intricate.

"Come in with me. Your parents must have already left. Only your grandma is home now. She's very easy to talk to, and she'll definitely like you when she sees you."

"This...isn't that a bad idea? It's too late. Let's do it another day."

As the two were talking, the light by the door suddenly came on, the door opened, and Grandma stood in the doorway. "Ruoruo, why are you back so late? Your parents just left."

"Grandma, I twisted my ankle, and Wang Jie brought me back."

"Hello, Grandma." Wang Jie couldn't avoid it, so she quickly greeted her politely.

"Thank you for bringing Ruoruo back. Please come in and have a seat."

"No need, Grandma, it's too late today. I'll come see you another day."

"Help me inside, Grandma can't move me." Zhou Yanruo leaned against Wang Jie's arm, pretending to be in pain. "Ouch, it hurts again."

Wang Jie gave his grandmother a shy smile and said softly, "Grandma, let me help Zhou Yanruo in first." Grandma smiled kindly and stepped aside to make way for the two of them to enter.

Stepping inside, a nostalgic atmosphere washes over you. The wooden stairs and floors, worn smooth by time, exude a faint woody fragrance.

Directly ahead, a spacious hall comes into view, solemn and elegant. Facing the door is an exquisite square table, flanked by two armchairs. Behind the table is an elegant long table, and on the wall hangs a painting of cranes, their wings outstretched as if about to take flight, lifelike and adding a touch of vitality and dynamism to the entire hall. On each side are three armchairs, each separated by a small square table.

Wang Jie carefully helped Zhou Yanruo sit in the chair closest to the door. Grandma followed closely behind into the hall, gently closed the door, and then gracefully sat down in the main seat.

"Wang Jie, right? Please sit down." Grandma's voice was gentle and kind, like a spring breeze, warming one's heart.

Wang Jie sat down as instructed and began to look around the simple and elegant hall. Every detail revealed the traces of time and the family's heritage, which made him feel respect.

"Ruoruo, how did you twist your ankle? I always tell you to walk carefully, but you little girl always runs and jumps without looking where you're going."

"Grandma, I've already had enough bad luck, and you still have to scold me," Zhou Yanruo pouted and said coquettishly.

"It's so hot, I made some mung bean soup. I'll go and bring it to you," Grandma said to Wang Jie.

"No need to trouble you, Grandma. It's late, I'll head back now." Wang Jie stood up to say goodbye, when her stomach rumbled twice.

Wang Jie looked at his grandmother with embarrassment.

Grandma smiled: "Are you hungry?"

"Grandma, I haven't had dinner yet," Zhou Yanruo said quickly.

"I still have some shepherd's purse at home. I'll make you some shepherd's purse wontons, okay?"

"Oh, Grandma, I'm starving!"

"Wang Jie, stay and have a late-night snack with Ruoruo."

"I'm really hungry, so I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Grandma."

"Okay, I'll be quick. You two talk first." Grandma stood up and walked towards the kitchen in the back.

“My grandma’s shepherd’s purse wontons are absolutely amazing,” Zhou Yanruo said, giving Wang Jie a thumbs up.

Watching her grandmother's retreating figure, Wang Jie pondered: Zhou Yanruo is 18 years old this year, so Grandma must be almost 70. But she looks only in her early 60s. Aside from a few wrinkles around her eyes, her face is almost wrinkle-free, and her skin is quite radiant. Grandma's hair is styled in a low bun, and she wears a light blue, loose-fitting cheongsam, exuding elegance and refinement. Although she is not tall and is slender, she appears very energetic. She wears velvet mid-heeled slippers, her gait light and graceful, as if time has left few marks on her; she doesn't look like a woman nearing 70 at all.

____

A moment later, Grandma came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with two bowls of steaming wontons on it. She placed the wontons on the table, and instantly, the whole house was filled with a delicious aroma.

"Ruo Ruo's legs are not in good condition, so there's no need to go to the dining room. Let's eat in the living room." Grandma turned on the ceiling fan, sat back in the main seat, and looked at Wang Jie and Zhou Yanruo.

"Thank you, Grandma," Wang Jie said.

"Hmm, it's hot, and the soup is hot too. Eat slowly." Grandma said affectionately, watching Zhou Yanruo slurping her food. "Ruoruo, you should eat slowly too. Girls should eat more politely."

"Oh...mmm...it's delicious, Grandma's cooking is so good, it's not my fault." Zhou Yanruo gurgled with hot wontons in her mouth, breathing out warm air as she chewed, all the while talking to her grandma.

Grandma smiled faintly and shook her head. Then, turning to Wang Jie, she said, "Wang Jie is still in school, isn't he?"

"Yes, Grandma, I'm graduating from university this year and I'm going to study abroad at the end of the year."

When Wang Jie saw his grandmother talking to him, he put down his spoon and answered her in a serious manner.

"Don't be shy, eat, eat, let's chat casually." Grandma then asked, "Which university did you attend?"

"Southern Jiangsu University, Department of Finance"

"Oh, it's a local university. Ruoruo's father and mother both graduated from Sunan University."