What Should I Do If I Time-Traveled Forty Years Later and My Lover Has Become an Old Man? - MLFYL: 25

“These plums are super sour; how are we supposed to eat them?” As she said this, Yu Yao chowed down on more than a dozen green plums straight from the fruit plate.

Jiang Zhonglin gave one a try and thought his teeth might be ancient—so sour they felt like they were about to crumble.

Yu Yao stuffed herself with those sour plums.

When it was mealtime, she cupped her cheeks and exclaimed, “My teeth are gonna turn sour!”

After taking a bite of rice, she wiggled her cheeks and added, “I think my teeth have softened; I can’t even bite into the rice.”

Jiang Zhonglin decided to stash away the plums, “Forget it, no more plums for you.”

Luckily, their neighbors, Nie Wenqing and his wife, dropped by a couple of days later. Nie Wenqing’s wife was really down-to-earth and generous. Noticing Yu Yao wasn’t eating much because of morning sickness, she went home and brought back a jar of her homemade pickled radish.

“I made this myself! It’s super appetizing. When I was pregnant, my mom used to whip this up for me. And it’s said that when my mom was pregnant, my grandma made it for her too. It really works!”

This special pickled radish was indeed tasty and paired perfectly with rice.

Yu Yao devoured two bowls of rice with it, which made Jiang Zhonglin so happy that he ended up having another bowl himself.

Her morning sickness didn’t hang around for long. After just a little over a month, she basically stopped feeling nauseous. At the same time, her appetite started to pick up.

Before long, Jiang Zhonglin went from worrying about her not eating to fretting that she was eating too much!

After lunch, Yu Yao snacked on some fruit and then indulged in dessert.

She touched her face, “I can’t eat anymore. If I keep this up, I’m going to balloon.”

She hopped on the scale and saw she’d gained eight pounds.

So, she turned to Jiang Zhonglin and insisted, “Seriously, I can’t keep eating like this.”

But not long after, her hand reached for the blueberry cookies her neighbor Sister Nie had dropped off.

She popped one in her mouth, and when she caught Jiang Zhonglin’s eye, she mumbled, “I’m a bit hungry.”

Just a bit hungry turned into devouring the whole plate of blueberry cookies and a bunch of grapes before dinner.

That night, she noticed Jiang Zhonglin was online, chatting with an obstetrician and gynecologist about whether a pregnant woman could eat like that.

She lifted her knitted sweater, and for a moment, she thought her stomach looked a little rounder.

So, she grabbed his hand and had him feel it, “Do you think my belly is showing?”

He scrutinized her and replied carefully, “Usually, you won’t really show until after four months.”

“So, the reason my belly is sticking out is because of…?”

“Maybe you just ate too much tonight.”

Yu Yao sighed, “Alright then, how about we take a walk outside to help digest before hitting the hay?”

Jiang Zhonglin was on board. They threw on their coats and stepped out for a stroll.

The trees in the neighborhood were starting to shed their leaves, and they made their way to a small square nearby.

Even after forty years, square dancing is still going strong. It’s not just surviving; it’s like a vibrant garden with a mix of styles and ideas. You’ve got nostalgic grandmothers reminiscing about the old days, middle-aged women grooving to last year’s hits, and everyone just enjoying the music together.

It’s like the dance floor is divided into three sections, where everyone’s in their own zone, but it all somehow works out.

She spotted a bunch of older folks ballroom dancing and asked Jiang Zhonglin, “Have you ever tried dancing?”

He just shook his head, “No.”

Honestly, with his personality, he’d probably rather be chilling under a tree chatting or playing chess than hitting the square with a bunch of unfamiliar old ladies.

Yu Yao was really into watching everyone have a blast dancing, and she even recognized some neighbors in the different formations.

It’s great that everyone can come together and enjoy themselves, even if their tastes vary.

There were vendors grilling sausages in the small square, and the aroma was mouthwatering.

When Yu Yao headed straight for the stall, Jiang Zhonglin couldn’t help but glance at her stomach.

Maybe sensing his gaze, she turned around and said with a shy smile, “I’m just checking out how the grilled sausages are different now compared to before.”

She claimed she was just looking, but her eyes were practically screaming, “That smells amazing, I’m so tempted!”

Jiang Zhonglin couldn’t stand seeing her like that, so he ended up buying one for her.

As she munched on it, she said, “Honestly, I wasn’t planning to eat anything. I just came out to walk off some food. If I eat too much, I won’t be able to sleep when I get home. I really shouldn’t have come out, at least there aren’t any grilled sausages waiting for me at home.”

Jiang Zhonglin couldn’t help but chuckle at her puffed-up cheeks.

He took her hand and led her home, “Forget it. If you’re hungry, just eat.”

Fast forward four months, and her belly was starting to show.

Yu Yao never used to take naps, but ever since she got pregnant, she started incorporating a little snooze into her afternoon routine.

When it was warm out, she’d usually wake up after an hour feeling refreshed for the rest of the day. But once the cold weather hit, Jiang Zhonglin got worried about her catching a chill from napping, so he made sure to keep the room nice and warm.

After a good nap, Yu Yao stretched out her hand from under the quilt, feeling the warmth in the air. She sat up, tousled her slightly messy hair, and placed her hand on her belly. She realized she was probably a bit thirsty.

Normally, she’d sleep for two hours, but today she woke up after just one.

As she sat there, ready to get up for a glass of water, she noticed with surprise that the door from the bedroom to the study was closed. It had never been closed before—what was going on?

In her pajamas, she got out of bed, casually tied her hair up, and walked towards the door. She could faintly hear Jiang Zhonglin’s voice coming from the study.

Was he talking to someone? Did he have a guest?

She pushed the door open, and it slid to the right. Peeking inside, she saw Jiang Zhonglin standing with his back to her, writing on a whiteboard that looked like it was meant for teaching.

There was no one else around; he was just focused on his writing.

He was so focused on his writing that he didn’t notice Yu Yao had woken up and was standing at the door watching him.

After thinking for a moment, she quietly tiptoed over and peered over his shoulder to see what he was up to.

When Jiang Zhonglin turned around, he was taken aback by how close she had gotten. He nearly dropped the pen he was holding.

Yu Yao admired his handwriting, finding it particularly beautiful—definitely the result of years spent with a fountain pen.

With a playful smile, she teased him, “Husband, your handwriting is way better than mine.”

Jiang Zhonglin coughed, a bit caught off guard by her compliment.

He glanced at his watch, “Sorry, but time’s almost up. Let’s take a quick 15-minute break before we dive back in.”

Yu Yao sensed that he wasn’t really talking to her, which left her feeling a bit uneasy and confused.

She scanned the room, “Who are you talking to?”

The room seemed normal at first, but when Jiang Zhonglin silently pressed the close button on his terminal, she caught a glimpse of a large classroom projected out, filled with students who were all staring at her in shock.

Once the projection disappeared, she was left speechless.

“You’re awake. What’s got you up so early today?” Jiang Zhonglin asked gently, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Yu Yao’s face went pale.

She pointed at the classroom projection that had just vanished from the wall, “What was that?”

“Hainan University asked me to add a class on short notice. My senior brother asked me to do it, so I couldn’t say no. But I was worried about you being home alone, so I opted for online teaching.”

Online teaching? She got it right away.

She took a deep breath, “So just now, you were teaching a class, and all the students in that room could see you, and they could see me too?”

He nodded without saying a word.

“I only turned on the projector on my end, not in the classroom, so you didn’t see the students earlier,” he noticed Yu Yao was napping, and usually, she’d be out for at least another hour.

He didn’t expect her to wake up early today and catch him in the act.

Yu Yao covered her face and started to walk out the door.

But halfway there, she turned back to Jiang Zhonglin, looking a bit downcast, “Just now… I called you husband.”

He got what she meant and tried to reassure her, “It’s all good. You are my wife, so you didn’t mess that up.”

Yu Yao looked shocked by how things turned out, “Your reputation is totally ruined!”

He chuckled and shook his head, “I’m not that impressive, just a teacher.”

“You got up pretty early today. Are you hungry, or did you not sleep well?” Jiang Zhonglin called out as he followed her.

Seeing his open and honest demeanor, Yu Yao momentarily brushed aside what had just happened, “I just woke up because I was thirsty. Don’t you have class soon? Go on ahead, I’ll grab some water for myself.”

He grinned, “No rush. We’ve still got ten minutes of break. I’ll wash some strawberries for you.”

Meanwhile, the students in a classroom at Hainan University were in total shock.

They exchanged glances, and then one girl couldn’t hold back, “Oh my gosh, who was that just now? Did she really call the male god ‘husband’?!”

A boy with glasses, looking dazed, muttered, “Wait, what?”

Another guy, staring blankly at the dim podium, tried to piece it together, “What just happened? I was just scrolling through Weibo and then I heard a girl’s voice. Does Professor Jiang have a girlfriend?”

“That’s not even the point!” his deskmate exclaimed.

“That girl was in pajamas and slippers, and she called Professor Jiang ‘husband’! Didn’t you catch that?”

“Oh my god, my husband’s been taken! I want to call my male god ‘husband’ too!”

“Would you even dare to say that to Professor Jiang?”

“I wouldn’t, boo hoo! But seriously, who was that? How could she call him ‘husband’? Is she his wife? But she looks way too young for that. I can’t believe this is real; it feels like a dream!”

“Actually, I think I’ve seen that beautiful girl before. She came to school once, and Professor Jiang took her out for spicy hot pot…” a girl chimed in quietly.

Then another boy, mimicking Jiang Zhonglin’s gesture, pushed up his glasses and said calmly, “I actually heard a rumor about the teacher before.”

Everyone turned to him, their eyes wide with curiosity.

He flipped a page of his book and smirked mysteriously, “But I won’t spill the beans. You all should check it out for yourselves; I’ve sent the address to the group.”