Transmigrated to Twenty Years Ago and Adopted Myself

ring a light gray T-shirt, but his shoulders were covered in small dark patches of water droplets that fell from the tips of his hair, making him appear inexplicably softer.

Jiang Wang felt a little discouraged going in.

Perhaps it was because he was a tiny bit afraid to enter such a private and warm space of another, not to mention a good teacher who he has respected for many years in his heart.

It may also be that he had never seen a teacher in such a relaxed state.

Or, specifically Ji Linqiu.

Children usually looked up to their teachers with a bit of sacredness.

Writing on the blackboard with their beautiful handwriting, wearing a serious and calm expression, and their clothes so neat as if they could never be wrinkled.

It wouldn’t be this wet, steaming young man in front of him.

At this moment, he looked at the 26-year-old Ji Linqiu again from the perspective of a 27-year-old.
Through his eyes, the light and shadow in his memory both overlapped and staggered.

Ji Linqiu didn’t notice the other party’s gaze, and looked down with a sigh, “Your shoes are drenched, were you in the rain?”

Jiang Wang was startled but quickly nodded and said, “Well, I shouldn’t go in, so as not to wet your carpet.
Peng Xingwang should be alright?”

“His homework would be finished in a while, so take off your shoes and socks first,“ Ji Linqiu pointed to the shoe rack at the door.
“Come in and sit down, I will pour you a cup of hot tea.”

Jiang Wang suddenly felt his face turn a little hot.

He now kind of understood the sticky feeling, and long-lost freshness of the stinky child to his Teacher Ji.

The man carefully took off his drenched shoes and socks, and walked into the strange house, similar to a child going on an adventure.

The dark brown plush carpet was very soft to step on, and the soles of his sore feet easily sank in.
After a few steps it somehow felt relaxing.

He controlled himself not to look around, but a cup that had the shape of a horse skull met his eyes as soon as he raised it.

The texture of the bones looked very real, unlike fakes made of plastic.

The small living room was unexpectedly stylish.

There was no TV in the living room, a small pine coffee table was placed in the middle of a pure white round blanket, and fluffy pillows were scattered in the corners.
It looked very comfortable to sit and lean on.

A beer was pressed beside a half-finished book titled “Decameron“[3] with a red leaf clipped onto its front page.

A pair of rings could be seen in the horse skull cup, prompting Jiang Wang to take a closer look.

Taking two more steps in, a snake-skin covered Sanxian[4] was placed in the corner.

The python skin had a blue and white pattern, looking old but beautiful.

“It was given by students I’ve taught,” Ji Linqiu handed over the hot tea.
The glass was very old, “I have been studying for four months, and I can barely even play half of “Eave Bells in the Wind”.”

“It’s amazing,” Jiang Wang was very restrained when he stood, not daring to lean against the wall casually.
He picked up his hands and remembered to say thank you, “Teacher has great taste.”

He remembered his business, and lowered his head to explain the reason.

“I have been developing a business for the past two days.
I just came back from the suburbs of Dongcheng so I didn’t have time to pick up Xingwang.
I’m sorry.”

“He is very clever,” Ji Linqiu laughed and motioned to Jiang Wang to sit for a while.
“I saw a cloudy day in the afternoon, but before it rained, he had already come running and asked me if I wanted to go home together with him if it rained.
He brought an umbrella.”

Jiang Wang coughed and looked at the novel on the low table to change the subject.

“Is this book good? I’ll buy a copy later.”

He hasn’t read much since he graduated from junior high school, but he still wanted to look like a cultured person in front of his teacher.

It’s okay to pretend like this a little bit.

Ji Linqiu smiled and said, “Don’t look, it’s pretty intense.”

Jiang Wang wondered if he looked like an innocent lover.
He raised his eyebrows to express his interest.
He remembered something and asked tentatively.

“Teacher Ji’s house is very warm, did your girlfriend clean it up?”

Ji Linqiu shook his head and entered a room to ask Peng Xingwang to come out.

Jiang Wang put down the teacup and got up, only to find that the child had fallen asleep on the desk.

The man gently picked up the juvenile version of himself, but the child continued to sleep with his snot dripping out, still holding a pen in his hand.

Ji Linqiu helped pack up all the homework books into the schoolbag, then brought his keys to help deliver them to the third floor.

Jiang Wang put the child on the bed and covered him with the quilt.
Walking out, he went to thank Ji Linqiu.

“Teacher Ji,” he smiled apologetically, “Thank you for today, let me invite you to dinner later.”

“Small things, you can let Xingwang come over if you are too busy in the future.
He has always been very good.”

Jiang Wang’s breathing paused, he was not used to being called a nickname in person.

“Well,” he responded quickly, and then stretched out his hand to brush the tips of Ji Linqiu’s hair.
“Be careful, it’s stained with wall ash.”

Ji Linqiu subconsciously went to avoid the physical contact and waved goodbye.

Jiang Wang didn’t think too much about it, he closed the door and went back to change Peng Xingwang into pajamas.

The child had long been sitting upright with an energetic expression on his face.

“You’re awake?”

“I woke up as soon as you put me down on the bed!” Peng Xingwang raised his hand and said, “The teacher took me to eat his fried custard pie and invited me to drink yogurt!”

“…Got it.”

“Big brother, have you eaten yet? Remember to dry your hair when it rains!”

“Got it.”

Jiang Wang helped him change his pajamas, and touched the child’s hair to confirm that it was dry.
He breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Go to bed, you have to get up early tomorrow.”

The child nestled himself into the pillow and hugged another pillow in his arms, and asked Jiang Wang to help tuck the quilt.

“Big brother, come closer, and I will quietly tell you a secret.”

Jiang Wang glanced at him, “Are you going to sleep or not.”

“Come here.”

The man leaned over and approached the child, then a whisper came to his ear.

“The teacher smells so fragrant, like gardenia.”

Jiang Wang moved back with a blank expression and said fiercely, “Don’t smell people indiscriminately, go to sleep.”

TL NOTE:

‘It wouldn’t be this wet, steaming young man in front of him.‘
Uhmm… hmmm… huhhh??? hehehe (΄◞ิ౪◟ิ)

References

References

↑1

This refers to documents and/or letters that need to be sent quickly, it is usually adorned with chicken feathers on its corners.

↑2

Just basically an old car, and Jiang Wang is the third owner. Xiali is the brand.

↑3

Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. It references the most terrifying existential crisis of his time; the decimating effects of the bubonic plague in the 1348 outbreak known as the Black Death. Holy crap Teacher Ji is so hardcore Σ(ﾟﾛﾟ)!

↑4

The sanxian is a three-stringed traditional Chinese lute. It has a fretless fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator.