Chapter Three: A Dialogue Across Time and Space

When Ye Fan finished tidying up the shop, it was already late at night. Driven by curiosity, he opened the box again, and a piece of paper happened to flutter out. He ended up becoming pen pals with a woman named Li Yaoyao, inexplicably chatting for a long time.

Through their lengthy conversation, Ye Fan gradually understood what had happened on her end.

Li Yaoyao was an outstanding young woman from the 1980s who had been sent to the countryside as an educated youth. That year, the harvest was poor, and everyone was facing food shortages. In that era, when transportation was underdeveloped, although the provincial supplies had been sent out long ago, they had yet to arrive. The villagers of Yangjia Village could only endure hunger.

The box had originally been a gift from the village, and she had never used it until today when she intended to tidy up some clothes and thus opened it. It was then that she received the food Ye Fan had sent through the box.

This set the stage for what followed.

After understanding the situation, Ye Fan proposed returning the jade pendant, but Li Yaoyao refused.

She said that since Ye Fan came from a time of plenty, could he send them more food? The jade pendant could be considered payment.

Ye Fan hesitated but agreed.

They then exchanged stories about their respective worlds.

They arrived at an intriguing conclusion: they did not belong to the same world.

It could be understood that Ye Fan and Li Yaoyao existed in two parallel worlds. Many place names and events Ye Fan mentioned did not exist in Li Yaoyao’s world, and the major happenings in her world were absent in his.

“It’s late. I need to rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take your jade pendant to the market to have it appraised, then send you more supplies.”

After writing this last line, Ye Fan closed the box and left the little shop.

It was time to go home and rest.

That night, Ye Fan’s sleep was restless, his mind flashing with images.

What was life like for educated youths in the 1980s?

...

The next morning.

The mist still lingered in the air, and tiny droplets adorned the potted plants outside the window.

Creak—

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Ye Fan stepped outside.

Since losing his job, he hadn’t risen this early for a long time and found it a little unfamiliar.

He hailed a taxi and headed to the city’s renowned antique market, intending to have Li Yaoyao’s jade pendant appraised.

Upon entering the market, many people had already gathered, watching and shouting.

“Come, come, just got this yesterday, absolutely authentic!”

“This is a rare find, 99% genuine! Just sourced from the countryside, highest bidder wins!”

“Hey, take it easy! This is a peach pit leftover from the Monkey King’s havoc in Heaven—priceless!”

...

The clamorous cries of hawkers filled the air.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt like he had come to the wrong place.

...

He ventured deeper into the market, where the noise dimmed. Here, most shopkeepers sat at their stalls silently, only speaking when approached.

Ye Fan looked around and found these people seemed knowledgeable.

After a moment’s thought, he randomly chose a shop and entered.

Inside sat a middle-aged man with a Mediterranean appearance.

“Boss, I have a jade piece here. Can you take a look?”

Ye Fan said, pulling the pendant from his pocket.

Whether due to its age or some other reason, the jade’s luster was somewhat dim, but the surface patterns were exquisite.

At a glance, it was clear the piece was extraordinary.

The Mediterranean man took the pendant, initially examining it casually, but after just one look, he straightened up.

He pulled out a magnifying glass, scrutinizing the pendant from all angles, his brows furrowed and never relaxing.

After a long while, he exhaled deeply.

“Young friend, where did this come from?” he asked seriously.

“It’s a family heirloom. I’m facing some difficulties lately and want to sell it,” Ye Fan replied, hiding some details about the box, which he certainly could not reveal—it would likely land him in trouble or be dismissed as delusional.

“Wait here. I’ll fetch our boss,” the man said, immediately standing up. Perhaps fearing Ye Fan might leave, he called back, “Won’t be long!”

About five minutes later, Ye Fan heard movement upstairs.

Though he didn’t see anyone, a scent wafted down—a woman’s fragrance. Though strong, it was not overpowering but rather soothing.

“Little brother, is that a fine treasure you have there?” came a voice.

With the voice came a woman in her thirties, dressed in a red dress with wavy hair, exuding mature charm.

At first glance, Ye Fan thought of one word—“Sister-in-law!”

Just like the wife of the eldest brother in a TV drama.

Swallowing nervously, Ye Fan handed over the jade pendant.

“Have a look,” he said.

Chen Shuting took the jade pendant and toyed with it in her hands, immediately recognizing its uniqueness.

As for Ye Fan’s claim of ancestral heritage, Chen Shuting was skeptical. The pendant emitted a faint fragrance, clearly worn for a long time, and definitely by a woman.

Its outward appearance showed no signs of careful preservation, unlike a treasured family heirloom.

“Well then, 880,000 yuan. I’ll take it,” she declared.

“What?” Ye Fan was stunned.

880,000 yuan?

He had known it was valuable before coming but only expected it to be worth tens of thousands. Yet, this woman’s offer was a staggering 880,000!

Ye Fan’s first reaction was not joy at the prospect of wealth but a sudden realization that this was an extremely precious item, likely very important to Li Yaoyao.

Should he sell it?

Selling would certainly bring a substantial profit, but redeeming it later would be difficult.

“I’ll go home and think it over,” Ye Fan hesitated.

“I understand. Such a treasure deserves careful consideration. You can also check with other shops; maybe you can get a higher price,” Chen Shuting replied, not pressing him, and returned the pendant.

Watching Ye Fan leave, her brow furrowed slightly, feeling something was amiss. Confused, she went back upstairs.

Half an hour later, she hurried downstairs, calling to the Mediterranean man, “Old Luan! Did you get that young man’s contact info?”

The man, busy dusting with a feather duster, turned around cluelessly. “No…”

Chen Shuting’s expression darkened. Without a word, she returned upstairs.

...

After leaving the antique market, Ye Fan felt a bit lightheaded.

He was holding a walking fortune worth 880,000 yuan!

Back in the little shop, Ye Fan quickly wrote a note explaining everything and placed it along with the jade pendant inside the wooden box, returning it to Li Yaoyao.

He explained the situation and suggested she could send some less valuable old items instead, which he could sell. It was better than risking such a treasure falling into the hands of antique dealers.

Having done this, Ye Fan finally exhaled and leaned against the shop wall, contemplating his next steps.

The shop was already clean. Once he stocked more goods, he could open for business and operate normally.

Thinking of this, he felt a glimmer of hope for a better future.

Meanwhile, in the 1980s, Yangjia Village.

Li Yaoyao stared dumbfounded at the untouched jade pendant and the note in her hand.

880,000 yuan?

In this era, an ordinary family earned only a few hundred yuan a year. Such a sum could provide food and clothing for the entire village for a lifetime.

Should she sell it?