Chapter 004 The 1990s
Two days passed in a flash, and soon it was the day when Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui were discharged from the hospital.
"Let's go." After completing the discharge procedures, Ma Yulan said goodbye to her father-in-law and daughter who had packed their things and changed into their regular clothes, and walked out of the ward.
After leaving the ward, going down three flights of stairs and walking through a corridor, they arrived at the hospital gate. Ma Yulan walked in front and did not notice that the father and daughter behind her had been flashing their eyes with curiosity since they left the hospital gate.
During the two days in the hospital, Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui felt that they had been sufficiently enlightened. There was a faucet that produced water with just a turn, no need to carry water; a light that lit up with just a press of a button, no need for oil, wax, or even lighting; a thermos that kept hot water warm for two days, no need for charcoal fire or warm water; and a toilet that was clean with just a flush, and more...all these were enough to open the eyes of the ancient father and daughter who came here hundreds of years ago.
Unexpectedly, after walking out of the hospital gate, they finally understood what it meant to truly open their eyes. There were cars on the road that moved on their own without the need for horses or oxen, bicycles that moved very fast with just two wheels, skyscrapers that were taller than the tallest pagodas they had ever seen, people wearing strange clothes on the streets, and...
All of this is so new.
Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui looked left and right, and felt that everything was beautiful and they couldn't see enough. They wished they could grow four eyes so that they could have two on the left and two on the right, and they wouldn't have to turn their heads back and forth.
Ma Yulan, who was walking in front, felt that there was no sound behind her. She turned around and found that Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui had stopped at the door of a TV store which was far behind her.
"Hey, what's wrong with you two? Can't walk anymore?" Ma Yulan, who had returned, didn't think that the two were attracted by the TV.
Shi Yue: "Yeah, that's right. Let's take a break if we're tired."
Thinking that these two people were patients who had just been discharged from the hospital, Ma Yulan said considerately: "Okay, take a break."
Shi Yue reluctantly turned his eyes away from the TV and said, "No need, Aunt Ma, we've rested enough, let's go."
He wanted to continue watching Journey to the West on TV, but he was afraid that Ma Yulan would notice something unusual.
In fact, both he and Shi Qiu Shui have memories of everything in the outside world, including the TV series Journey to the West broadcast on TV, but when they look at their memories, it is like watching a shadow play through a thin film. They know what is being performed, but the vague feeling is unclear and they have no definite experience.
That’s why everything you see will be new and interesting.
For the rest of the way, Ma Yulan walked slowly in order to take care of two patients who had just been discharged from the hospital. This satisfied Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui's desire to take a good look at the 1990s, which was unfamiliar to them.
Fortunately, it was May in the 1990s and the weather was just getting a little hot, instead of July when the heat was unbearable like in the Dayu Dynasty. Otherwise, with the father and daughter taking such a leisurely pace, they would definitely get heatstroke!
When the three of them were almost at the compound where Shi's family lived, they ran into a tour group. The man at the front, holding a small red flag and carrying a microphone, said to the group behind him, "See, everyone? This is Beijing's characteristic hutong. The word hutong originated in the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan people called it..."
As soon as the tour group passed by Shi Yue, he leaned over to Shi Qiushui's ear with a suspicious look on his face and said, "Xiaoqiu, am I right? Did this group of people come here specifically to see the alleys?"
Shi Qiushui nodded: "Dad, you are not mistaken, these people are here to see the alley."
Shi Yue: "Ah? Is there anything special about this alley?"
Shi Qiushui: "Maybe Youzhou City, oh no, it's not called Youzhou anymore, it's called Beijing. Maybe there's nothing fun in Beijing?"
Shi Yue scratched his head. "No way! In my memory, Beijing is the capital now. How come there is nothing fun here?"
Just when the father and daughter were doubting their lives, Ma Yulan, who was walking in front of them, said, "Look at this. We come here every day to see what's so good about this damn shabby alley."
The father-in-law and daughter looked at each other and realized that they were not the only ones who had this question!
Ma Yulan turned around and complained, "You guys just got back and you don't know, but that little flat-headed guy who just went over there is so annoying. He says he's a tour guide, but I don't think he does anything serious. He just brings a group of tourists to our alley every day to wander around, making a lot of noise. And that little flat-headed guy is really rude. One time, I wasn't paying attention, and he brought a tour group directly into our compound. He almost broke into Xiao Guo's house. Luckily, there were people at Xiao Guo's house who chased him out."
Shi Yue frowned: "Are those tourists so careless in their conduct?"
Ma Yulan: "Well, it's just an isolated case. With so many people visiting Beijing, it's inevitable that there will be one or two people with low moral character. We have people with low moral character in Beijing too. I'm just saying this to remind you that from now on, just lock your doors when you go in and out."
"Oh oh oh, okay, we'll remember that."
As they were talking, the three of them had already arrived at the gate of No. 28 Ping'an Hutong, the compound where the Shi family lived. Ma Yulan was the first to cross the threshold, followed by Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui, and the three of them entered the compound together.
No. 28 Ping'an Hutong is the family compound of the machinery factory. Almost all the residents here are related to the machinery factory. Shi Yue's deceased father was an employee of the machinery factory. It was also because of this that Shi Yue's family was assigned to this compound.
This courtyard originally had three entrances: front, middle, and back. Later, the middle courtyard wall was broken through, and the front and middle courtyards were merged to form the current front courtyard. Shi Yue's family lived in the front courtyard, occupying the two back rooms on the south side. Although they were two rooms, because the area was large enough, Shi Yue's father added a partition after moving in, dividing it into three rooms: one large and two small. The large room was used as the living room and dining room, and the other two small rooms were used as bedrooms.
Shi Yue used the key to open the door of the Shi family's house according to his memory. Because the original Shi Yue had just moved back from another city and had not had time to clean up the room, so Shi Yue smelled some unpleasant odor in the house as soon as he opened the door. He quickened his pace, entered the house, and opened all the windows in the house.
Fresh air circulated in, and the smell in the house instantly improved. Shi Yue also had time to look around the house. He glanced around and nodded slightly. He was quite satisfied with this house. Although it was a south-facing room, the large windows provided good lighting and ventilation. Moreover, the two bedrooms were not small, and he and his daughter each had one, which was just right.
Of course, it couldn't be compared with the large courtyard with two entrances and exits where he lived before, but he accepted it well. He was living in a few hundred years later, so the living environment would definitely be different.
Ma Yulan, who was following behind Shi Yue, had a different expression from him. Her brows were furrowed. "Oh, the room hasn't been cleaned yet?"
As soon as she said this, she realized she had said something stupid and said sheepishly, "Yeah, you went to the hospital the same day you came back, so you didn't have time to clean up the house... Well, tell me where your stuff is when you're older, and I'll help you clean it up. Otherwise, this house won't be habitable."
Shi Yue scratched his head embarrassedly: "No, no, Aunt Ma, you stayed with me in the hospital these few days, and we have already troubled you enough. Now that we are well, why should we trouble you again? Xiaoqiu and I can clean up the house slowly."
Shi Qiushui also said: "Yes, Grandma Ma, there is no need to trouble you."
Although the father and daughter kept refusing, Ma Yulan still acted swiftly. With her sharp eyes, she immediately spotted the Shi family's washbasin and picked it up. As she walked out, she said, "Alright, stop talking nonsense. It will take you two to clean up. It will take until dark. Let me do it. It's very dusty in this room. I'll get the washbasin to get some water. You and your daughter can help me find some tools. Hurry up, hurry up, get moving!"
Without waiting for Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui to react, Ma Yulan opened the door and went out in a hurry. Shi Yue and Shi Qiu Shui looked at each other and could only obediently look for cleaning tools.
The last time Shi Yue's body lived in this old house was three years ago. When Shi's mother passed away, he returned to bury her. Before leaving, he packed up all the household belongings. After all, the house was unoccupied, and leaving things outside would gather dust. Three years had passed, and his memory had become a little fuzzy. Shi Yue wasn't sure where his cleaning tools were, so he opened each cabinet one by one, searching.
Shi Qiushui and Shi Yue were rummaging through the cabinets together when they suddenly heard a female voice behind them: "Eh? Xiaoshi, are you and your daughter discharged from the hospital? I was just at home and heard some noise next door. I thought you were back from the hospital, so I came out to take a look. Hey, it really is you guys back."
She subconsciously turned around and saw a chubby, round-faced old lady standing at the door. She didn't know this person very well, so she tugged at the corner of Shi Yue's clothes next to her.
Shi Yue turned around and saw the people. He smiled and said, "Yes, Aunt Yang, we are discharged from the hospital."
After he finished speaking, he looked down at the bewildered Shi Qiushui, then gave Old Lady Yang an embarrassed smile: "Well, the child has been in the hospital for two days, and you look strange to me again."
He winked at Shi Qiushui and said, "Come, Xiaoqiu, come and call someone. This is Grandma Yang from next door. How are you?"
Shi Qiushui understood that Shi Yue was explaining to her who the person in front of her was. She smiled sweetly and called out crisply, "Hello, Grandma Yang~"
Looking at Shi Qiushui's sweet smile, Old Lady Yang felt her heart filled with sweetness. She took out a handful of fruit candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Shi Qiushui's pocket. "Hey, okay, Grandma Yang, I'm fine. Xiaoqiu is fine too."
Shi Qiushui looked back at Shi Yue, and only accepted the candy after Shi Yue nodded in approval. After stuffing the candy in her mouth, she smiled politely and said, "Thank you, Grandma Yang."
"No need to thank me, no need to thank me, Grandma Yang. I have plenty of candies here. Come and ask Grandma Yang for more after you finish eating, Xiaoqiu." Besides her, Grandma Yang only has a son who is almost thirty years old and still single. Her eyes are red from longing for grandchildren all day long. She is even more excited to see Shi Qiu Shui. She stares at Shi Qiu Shui with a pair of eyes, which makes Shi Qiu Shui blush with embarrassment.
The blush on her cheeks made Shi Qiu Shui's face and mouth look a little pale.
Old Lady Yang then realized that Shi Qiushui still looked sick. She immediately felt distressed and looked at Shi Yue with a reproachful look in her eyes: "Shi Xiao, are you and your daughter fully recovered and ready to be discharged? I see that Xiaoqiu still doesn't look well."
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