What Should I Do If I Time-Traveled Forty Years Later and My Lover Has Become an Old Man? - MLFYL: 40

Yu Yao got home just as Yang Yun was getting ready to head back. Yang Yun’s oldest son didn’t have much time off, and she was worried about leaving her alone, which made her hesitant to go.

But Yu Yao reassured her, “We’re not that far apart! We can video chat every day. There’s no need to be sad; you should really head back.”

She understood Yang Yun was also thinking about her husband and kids, and since there wasn’t much for her to do at the moment, it was best for Yang Yun to go home.

Before she left, Yang Jun told her, “Yaoyao, I’m really happy. Like, genuinely happy.”

She had a lot of regrets about their past, but with Yu Yao back, those feelings were starting to fade away. It felt like the weight of her regrets was lifting little by little.

“I know, A’Yun. Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself and stay healthy. That’s all I want for you.”

“You too!” Yang Yun hugged her tightly and waved goodbye.

Every gathering has to come to an end, but the good news is, they can always happen again. As long as they’re around, they’ll find a way to meet again, so there’s no need to dwell on sadness.

Still, the word “farewell” carries a bit of a heavy vibe.

Yu Yao didn’t have much time to dwell on it, though, because her little one started causing trouble for her dad again, the sound of “wa wa” ringing in her ears.

“Bring that melon over here, and I’ll handle it!”

Guagua, this little girl, has always been surprisingly sensible since she was little. She’s like a clever little hero.

When she’s around her mom, she turns into the most well-behaved kid. When she’s not crying, she’s incredibly cute, just like a little angel. People find it hard to say anything harsh to her without cracking a smile.

Take Daddy Jiang, for example; no matter how much trouble she causes, he always handles her with such gentle care.

The way he dotes on her makes Yu Yao a bit anxious.

She figured that with Old Jiang’s decades of teaching experience, she could trust him to teach the kid properly. But now it seems she’s going to have to take on that role herself.

She scooped up Guagua and thought maybe Old Jiang was better suited for older kids because he just doesn’t know how to handle such a soft, squishy little thing.

If Guagua were a boy, Yu Yao imagined he’d grow up to be a modest gentleman just like Old Jiang. But if she’s a girl, she hopes she turns out like herself. If she’s too soft-hearted, she might get bullied. If she’s like Yu Yao, she could stand up for herself.

Even though society has improved a ton over the last 40 years, and men and women are pretty much equal now, Yu Yao still carries some worries from when she grew up, back when girls faced a lot more disadvantages. With all the nasty stuff that happens, she can’t help but be concerned about her daughter’s safety.

As a new mom, she initially set the education plan for little Guagua while discussing it with Old Jiang, pretty much deciding the whole direction of her child’s education on her own.

He listened to her the whole time and finally nodded, “Alright, I’ll go with what you say.”

Yu Yao responded, “Do you have any other thoughts?”

“Everyone has their own strengths. In early childhood education, you’ve got more experience than I do. We can learn from each other and help each other out. I’ll watch you teach first.”

For a moment, Yu Yao felt like she was having a deep and meaningful conversation with her child’s father.

She had never taken care of such a young child before. This delicate little life seemed so fragile that it might vanish if she wasn’t careful.

It was hard not to feel anxious, especially since the baby couldn’t express her needs. Whether she was thirsty, hungry, upset, or uncomfortable, all she could do was cry. And it didn’t matter what time it was or where they were; she needed someone to look after her all day. Often, she would wake her parents in the middle of the night when she needed to be fed.

One night, Yu Yao heard the baby crying and groggily got up, her head spinning. Just as she was about to get out of bed, Old Jiang pressed her back down.

He was already up and wearing his glasses, “I’ll make her some milk. You go back to sleep.”

She didn’t listen and mumbled while yawning, “You can’t handle Guagua by yourself.”

She walked over to her daughter’s little cradle, her hair tousled, and pinched the tiny hand flailing about, “Oh, you little troublemaker.”

When Old Jiang returned, he found Guagua staring up at him with wide, dark eyes, kicking her legs and clutching Yu Yao’s hand, who had dozed off with her head resting on the cradle.

He carefully scooped up his daughter, but the movement still stirred Yu Yao awake.

She lifted her head, propping herself up, and watched as Jiang Zhonglin held Guagua, soothing her under the soft glow of the wall lamp while feeding her.

“Time to sleep, Guagua won’t cry anymore,” he said, dressed in cozy pajamas and a beige coat.

He was so focused on his daughter, but he still remembered to reassure her.

Yu Yao sighed and patted her cheeks, “We agreed we’d take turns or do this together.”

But Old Jiang just shook his head, “You’re tired; you need to get some rest.”

“As if you’re not tired too.”

Taking care of a little one is exhausting, especially lately when neither of them has been getting enough sleep.

Yu Yao had a sense of how tough parenting would be while she was pregnant, but now that she was in the thick of it, she realized just how hard it was to care for a child. Even she, the mom, sometimes felt overwhelmed by Guagua, getting frustrated and irritable. But Old Jiang? He never showed that side. No matter how annoying or trivial things got, he handled everything with grace. No matter how loud Guagua was, he approached it all with patience and care.

Every time Yu Yao looked at him, any irritation she felt just seemed to fade away.

Sometimes, she worried that her temper might not make her the best mom, but she knew Jiang Zhonglin was destined to be an amazing dad, showering their child with all the love in the world.

Kids really have a way of showing both sides of their personalities. When they’re loud, it can feel like their parents are about to lose it. But when they behave, they totally melt hearts, and they switch back and forth without missing a beat.

As she got older and more mobile, little Guagua became a bundle of energy.

Old Jiang often heard Yu Yao shouting at Guagua, “Grandma Guagua! You’re going to pull your mom’s hair out! Chill out!” Her tone was a mix of frustration and helplessness, but not long after, you’d see Yu Yao hugging her well-behaved daughter and showering her with kisses, all while grinning, “Baby Guagua is just the cutest, Mommy loves you so much~”

After stumbling out of bed in the middle of the night to feed the baby, she’d whisper, “This little troublemaker is really going to drive me crazy…”

In the morning, she’d dress Guagua up in an adorable outfit, snap some pics, and send them off to Yang Yun and friends, then hold her face and beam, “She’s definitely my daughter; Guagua is so beautiful, she’s going to be a little fairy one day.”

As for Guagua, she had that classic bully-the-weak, fear-the-strong vibe going on.

She mostly listened to her mom, but with her dad, she seemed to know he was the softie who wouldn’t get mad, so she’d push his buttons a bit more. Every time Yu Yao caught her in the act, she’d pull her aside for a little chat, reminding her not to pick on her sweet dad.

But honestly, this kind of talk didn’t really sink in since Guagua was still under a year old. She just followed her instincts, throwing tantrums at the one who loved her unconditionally and being a bit more respectful towards the one who wouldn’t spoil her.

Yu Yao remembered being a stubborn little kid with a bit of a temper. She had to get her way, and no one could make her do anything she didn’t want to.

There was this one time, when she was about seven or eight, her parents took her to visit some friends. They invited them for dinner, but she wasn’t hungry at all since she had already snacked with their kids. When they got home, her dad told her she was being rude and picky about food at other people’s houses. At that moment, she didn’t get what the big deal was. After her dad scolded her, she felt super hurt and angry.

Without saying a word, she just rubbed her mouth on the rough ground until it bled, which really freaked her parents out.

She was so young, yet so stubborn. She thought, “You want me to eat? Fine, I’ll just get rid of my mouth and see how you like that.”

From that day on, her dad never dared to scold her lightly, and her mom was careful not to say anything harsh, worried she’d hurt herself again.

It’s funny how people just seem to know how to hurt those who love them.

Guagua not only looks like her but has a bit of her fiery spirit too. Even though she’s still little, her personality is already shining through.

Sometimes when Yu Yao looks at her, she can’t help but feel a little annoyed, thinking, if Guagua grows up to be like her, are they going to be at each other’s throats every day? It felt like she was just disliking herself.

Suddenly, it clicked for her how her dad must have felt. If Guagua turned into a rebellious teenager like she was, she might’ve ended up giving her the cold shoulder and ruining their relationship, just like her dad had done.

It’s kind of funny to think about. Out of her parents, she always loved her mom’s gentle nature and hated her dad’s tough love. But now, looking back, she realized her personality was more like her dad’s—whom she had resented—than her mom’s.

“Old Jiang, I’m really not sure how to teach kids,” she sighed, resting her head on the edge of the bed, while Guagua played with her toes.

Jiang Zhonglin noticed her sudden mood drop, “What’s going on?”

“What if I end up teaching Guagua the wrong things?”

With a calm expression, he reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on both of you.”

Yu Yao playfully poked her daughter’s chubby cheek, “I have a feeling she’s going to be just as much of a handful as I was, and she won’t listen to us. We’re going to end up pulling our hair out!”

But Old Jiang just smiled, “Why should she be obedient? ‘Obedient’ isn’t really a great term. Parents often want to control their kids, and while it might seem like care, it’s really about wanting to be in charge. We should nurture children like we do plants, not pets. If we give her enough sunshine and rain, she’ll grow on her own. We just need to take good care of her while she’s still a little seedling.”

“Every young person has their own personality. They might not get everything right when they’re kids, but they’ll figure things out as they grow up. As parents, we can’t do it all for them. Ultimately, they need to learn from life’s ups and downs themselves. Just take it easy.”

Even though Old Jiang hasn’t raised a child, he definitely has some wise insights about life.