What Should I Do If I Time-Traveled Forty Years Later and My Lover Has Become an Old Man? - MLFYL: 10

Yu Yao is currently undergoing a six-month observation period.

In accordance with the confidentiality agreement, she is restricted from traveling abroad or participating in social activities during this time. As both a legal citizen and a remarkable time traveler, she is entitled to a one-year social subsidy that ensures her livelihood.

These six months serve as a vital period for her to acclimate to her new society. During this time, she has dedicated herself to studying various aspects of social norms and has had ample opportunity to reflect on her future.

Historically, among the four time travelers before her, the second young girl struggled to adjust to her decades-long journey, affected by autism, and tragically took her own life at sixteen. It remains uncertain whether this was due to inadequate care from her family or other factors.

Remarkably, Yu Yao appears to adapt more quickly and maintain a stronger mental resilience than her predecessors, positioning her as the most adaptable and mentally prepared among all the time travelers.

After overcoming her initial confusion, she came to her senses. Every day at home, in addition to playing, she looked through all sorts of “historical” documents that Jiang Zhonglin found for her, learned about the events of recent years, and found many materials for obtaining the qualification certificates that kindergarten teachers were now required to obtain.

In addition, she cooked and bought groceries with Jiang Zhonglin. The old man, who had promised that he would only accompany her to get acquainted with the area and would not go with her next time, silently followed her every day when he saw her go out.

Yu Yao was too lazy to say anything to him. They walked along the road, and after a period of silence, they gradually began to talk.

“You are a professor, aren’t you? Why haven’t I seen you in class for so long?” She couldn’t help but ask that day.

“I resigned as the head of the literature department at Hainan University a year ago. However, since I know the dean, he hopes that I will return to the university and teach twice a month, so that now I don’t have to go to class every day.”

She keenly noticed the problem, “You quit a year ago, you were only sixty-five. We used to retire at seventy, why are you so early?”

Jiang Zhonglin smiled wryly, “Last year… I was not feeling well for a while and was hospitalized for a while. I felt that I had no strength, so I decided to quit and sort out the materials from these years at home… It’s okay.”

She frowned, “What illness? Serious?”

“Nothing serious, just a slight indisposition.” He calmly replied, “It’s just that I’m getting old, and my body is no longer as healthy as when I was young. I got sick due to carelessness, but I’ve recovered now.”

Yu Yao was silent for a long time, then took out her personal terminal and opened it, ignoring him.

Jiang Zhonglin thought she was playing a game, but who knew that after a while, she put down the terminal, “From now on, you will run with me every morning to exercise. Don’t worry, I checked, and it definitely won’t exceed your physical capacity. We will run a lap here.”

Jiang Zhonglin looked at the distance she had circled and muttered hesitantly, “This…”

She gently chided, “What is this? You should pay more attention to maintaining your health and exercise more as you grow older.”

Having resided in the community for many years, Jiang Zhonglin was well acquainted with his neighbors.

Each morning, he accompanied Yu Yao on her runs and grocery errands, and the familiar elderly residents would approach with warm greetings, often asking, “Old Jiang, Professor Jiang, who is this lovely girl? Is she family?”

When he remained silent, Yu Yao would graciously introduce herself, “I am Professor Jiang’s wife.”

This invariably sparked surprised and intrigued reactions from the neighbors, who then listened intently as she recounted her remarkable story: her forty-year journey through time, a tale that left onlookers awestruck.

“Ah! I saw that news a while ago about a new time traveler who had been wandering for forty years, only known by a pseudonym. So, it was you!” they exclaimed, gathering closer with curiosity.

The young woman, appearing so youthful, was in fact from their own era, a revelation that naturally filled everyone with wonder and astonishment.

Fortunately, this residential area was originally designated as housing for retired professors of Hainan University of China.

Over time, these modest buildings expanded, housing primarily intellectuals. Unlike others who might indulge in gossip, the residents here were distinguished by their focus and integrity.

Those who knew Jiang Zhonglin and could maintain a cordial relationship with him were individuals of notable reputation in their respective fields, dedicated to meaningful pursuits rather than idle chatter about others’ personal lives.

As a result, they extended genuine friendliness towards this pair of ‘old and young couples.’ Among them, the venerable Mr. Nie and his wife—whom Yu Yao had previously met—were especially warm and welcoming. Yu Yao found herself visiting their home for two shared meals with Jiang Zhonglin.

Once the neighbors understood the situation, life in the neighborhood settled into a peaceful routine, far calmer than Yu Yao had anticipated.

No one paid undue attention to her. During her morning grocery runs, occasional errands, or when receiving deliveries, the familiar elderly residents would often exchange a few kind words, creating a community marked by warmth and mutual respect.

Among the residents, there were those who nostalgically sighed over the past—an act that seemed quite peculiar to Yu Yao.

To her, the world of forty years ago was merely a little over a month behind her, yet for these elderly people, it was a distant memory—something to be reminisced upon. Consequently, during conversations, Yu Yao often experienced a sense of disconnection.

The community also included younger individuals, as well as Jiang Zhonglin’s students. However, when these students greeted him, they hesitated to inquire about Yu Yao’s identity upon seeing her beside him. Embarrassed, they would simply nod and quickly depart.

As a result, she has yet to gain recognition within Jiang Zhonglin’s academic circle—a small regret she sometimes feels.

Unlike him, who can comfortably spend days immersed in scholarly pursuits at home, Yu Yao is not inclined to remain indoors. She cannot stay still like him; instead, she feels compelled to step outside each day to breathe fresh air.

Her routine includes morning runs and grocery shopping, and when the weather permits, she takes evening walks, often accompanied by Jiang Zhonglin who prefers to accompany her.

As the two walked under a streetlight, they came across several old men playing chess under a parasol tree.

Seeing Jiang Zhonglin and his wife, they warmly invited him to join them, “Old Jiang, come help me! This man is too strong and killed me without leaving a single piece of armor behind. Come on, demoralize him!”

“Oh, why do you always call for reinforcements when you lose?”

“There’s no shame in asking for help. Come on, Old Jiang, sit here!”

Jiang Zhonglin knew them all, so he sat down to play chess. Yu Yao followed him, watching from the sidelines.

An old woman who was also watching the game whispered to Yu Yao, “Your Old Jiang is good at chess. Unlike my old man, he’s just bad at it. Even when he makes a bad move, he refuses to admit defeat. That’s why everyone is afraid of him.”

The old man who gave his seat to Jiang Zhonglin laughed, “You can’t say that. Chess is about improving one’s character. Winning or losing isn’t important.”

The old lady spat at him, “If it’s not important, why should you ask him to help you win the game?”

During her primary school years, Yu Yao engaged in Chinese chess solely as an extracurricular activity and had only acquired a basic understanding of the game. At present, her knowledge is limited to a single move—the ‘double cannon general.’ Despite her modest skill level, she recognizes Jiang Zhonglin’s exceptional proficiency in Chinese chess.

Early in the match, he had already captured several of his opponent’s generals, a feat that drew applause, admiration, or expressions of regret from the spectators observing occasionally.

Jiang Zhonglin played with remarkable composure and silence, seldom speaking, while his opponent, an older gentleman, was quite talkative—often slapping his thigh in frustration after a mistake, lamenting that he shouldn’t have played his last move that way.

Yu Yao shifted her gaze from the largely one-sided game to Jiang Zhonglin.

He appeared contemplative, carefully considering each move, his hand steady as he maneuvered his pieces.

Having been married to him for a year, she had never previously known that he possessed such skill in chess. She was uncertain whether he had played before or had only recently learned.

After all, one or two years is too short a time to fully understand a person.

While she was daydreaming, the game was already over. It didn’t take long for a game of chess to end.

A bystander asked in surprise, “Why is Mr. Jiang playing so quickly today?”

The old man who had lost was laughing, but upon hearing his words, he deliberately looked as if he was about to cry, “Yes, usually Mr. Jiang wins a few times and we can play chess at our leisure for an hour, but today he hasn’t even shown his face.”

The old lady next to Yu Yao laughed, “Mr. Jiang is worried that his family will get bored and irritated if she has to wait nearby.”

Yu Yao, who was being teased, was not at all embarrassed, “To be honest, I don’t understand it either. Next time you want to play chess with Old Jiang, just go to his house and call him. I won’t disturb you. You can play as much as you like.”

“Great, great, great, Old Jiang, did you hear? Comrade Yu said so. Let’s play chess at your house next time.”

Jiang Zhonglin looked helplessly at Yu Yao, who was standing aside, and said to the old man who had been talking, “Have I ever chased you out when you came to my house to play chess?”

After sharing a few lighthearted jokes, everyone resumed their games, and Yu Yao and Jiang Zhonglin made their way home.

“Come on, let’s play chess too,” she suggested eagerly as soon as they arrived.

Since she had expressed her desire, Jiang Zhonglin willingly retrieved the chessboard and set it up.

Despite her amateurish skills, she couldn’t last more than three minutes against him. Yet, knowing how much she loved the game, Professor Jiang carefully ensured she had the first move. With his exceptional chess prowess, he extended the match to ten minutes, even letting her occasionally win.

Still, Yu Yao was swiftly defeated each time. She didn’t mind; instead, she gazed at her lone red general and suddenly reached out, advancing his black knight and capturing his general.

Jiang Zhonglin was left speechless.

In a serious tone, she explained, “Don’t be fooled by the black color of your guard—he’s actually a mole from our red side, so he was the one who took your general!”

He had never encountered such a playful and coquettish tactic before, and he was utterly taken aback by his wife’s shameless charm.

“What you did was cheating,” he said frankly.

“Should something that happens between husband and wife be called cheating? No,” Yu Yao threw away her chess piece. “Seeing you go to all the trouble to let me win, I won fair and square. Everyone is happy.”

Professor Jiang thought it’s completely unfair.

“Are you going to continue?”

She shamelessly replied, “I won’t do it again. It’s boring. You can’t beat me anyway.”

In terms of shamelessness, Professor Jiang had certainly lost.

A few days later, Professor Jiang’s chess friends came to his house to play chess.

After three consecutive losses, they sighed, “No one here can beat Mr. Jiang.”

Professor Jiang, for once, joked, “The last time I played chess with Yu Yao, she won.”

The other players exclaimed, “Really? We never thought Yu Yao would be such a chess master!”

The two invited her to play a game.

Yu Yao was playing a game called “Barren Planet” with a small chess simulator beside him.

Hearing this, she laughed, “Actually, I don’t know anything about chess. But who told me to become Mr. Jiang’s wife? No matter how good his chess skills are, he doesn’t have the courage to beat me.”