TRCT_02

Chapter 2: A Lucky Marriage — First Arrival in Shanghai

Republic of China Year 7...

Wasn't that... 1918?

What did this mean? Was Heaven seeing that his days were going too smoothly and sending him to meet his great-grandmother?

The answer was too absurd. Ji Qingzhou felt as though his head had been struck by a bolt of lightning, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Still refusing to give in, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, trying to use calls and the internet to prove this was all just a prank.

But the no-signal indicator on the screen became the final straw that crushed his last shred of hope.

He tossed his phone onto the bed. Ji Qingzhou felt his whole body go limp and collapsed into the sofa.

Why? He was just a tourist!

It wasn't like he was some orphan with no ties to the world. His family was harmonious, his future was bright— so why him?

He had only taken a nap. How had he ended up time-traveling?

Was time-traveling really that easy?

If he slept again, would he be able to go back?

The thought surfaced in Ji Qingzhou's mind, but when he turned to look at the messy bed, he shook his head helplessly.

This was not a matter of sleeping it off at all.

If his guess was correct, the moment he had stepped into this room yesterday, he had already traveled through time. Otherwise, that sudden and overwhelming drowsiness from the night before would be hard to explain.

"So I can only blame my own bad luck for opening the gate of time and space during thunder and lightning."

Ji Qingzhou closed his eyes and curled the corners of his lips in self-mockery. When he got to the words 'gate of time and space,' he was so frustrated he almost wanted to laugh.

Only now did he have no choice but to face the truth, telling himself he had to calm down and confront the predicament before him.

He lifted his eyelids and looked toward the doorway, intending to ask the auntie who had dropped that bombshell on him who exactly she had mistaken him for, only to find she had long since disappeared.

She had probably gotten frightened seeing him act so erratically and gone off to report to whatever young master or mistress of the house.

As it turned out, his guess was not far off. Before long, the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs drifted in from the hallway outside.

From the distance, the footsteps were not particularly loud, yet among them, one distinct clacking of high heels came through with unusual clarity.

Ji Qingzhou had been slumped against the sofa for a while, but in the end he could not stay seated, and stood up.

He figured that no matter who was coming, he absolutely could not keep behaving as rashly as he had just moments ago.

The prerequisite for finding a way back was that he first had to ensure his own safety and blend into this era, rather than being treated as a madman and sent to a psychiatric ward.

Looking on the bright side, at least the auntie's attitude toward him earlier had not been bad. The start was not too terrible...

Once he had steadied himself, Ji Qingzhou quickly sorted through his current situation.

Since whoever he was impersonating could live in such a refined Western-style house over a hundred years in the past, this 'Mr. Ji' who shared his appearance had most likely been doing quite well for himself.

He just did not know where the original 'Mr. Ji' had gone.

On this point, he had a suspicion in his mind, feeling that the other person had most likely switched places with him and gone to the modern era.

"You get to enjoy the good life while I'm the one in trouble..."

Muttering under his breath, Ji Qingzhou quickly swept his gaze across the tables, chairs, and cabinet surfaces, only to find that the room had been tidied up neat and clean, with not a single item that could help him quickly learn anything about the identity of that 'Mr. Ji'.

It seemed the fellow had not been staying here for very long either...

There was no time for a more thorough look. The footsteps had already reached the doorway.

Ji Qingzhou stilled his body and looked toward the door, where he saw three people appear outside, including the woman from before.

The other two he had not seen before, one man and one woman.

The woman was around forty years old, with an elegant bearing and a graceful manner of dress. Over a white embroidered short jacket with wide drooping sleeves, she wore a long blue silk brocade vest. Her hair bun was adorned with ornate pearl hairpins, the very picture of a wealthy lady from a bygone era¹.

The man was dressed in a Western suit and leather shoes in the style of a business elite, his hair slicked neatly back with pomade, gleaming, which set off the sharp and defined contours of his face. Yet judging by his age, he was at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

These two, whose style of dress blended East and West, were surely the 'Madam' and 'eldest young master' the woman had spoken of.

"Aunt Sun, you may go attend to your duties."

After studying Ji Qingzhou for a few seconds, the elegantly poised woman gave her instruction in Mandarin tinged with a slight Cantonese accent.

Then she lifted the corners of her lips and smiled at Ji Qingzhou in a composed manner: "You don't mind if I come in for a chat, do you?"

"Not at all, please come in," Ji Qingzhou smiled back.

Seeing that the two had the air of people with serious matters to discuss, he led them to the sofa by the window to sit down, thinking to himself that this woman's manner was reasonably amicable and that it would be best to try to draw some information out of her.

But no sooner had that thought crossed his mind than the woman's expression shifted, her smile dropping away.

"Aunt Sun has already told me what happened just now," Her expression carried a note of dissatisfaction, her words unhurried yet carrying weight.

"Playing dumb will get you nowhere in this day and age, Ji Yunqing."

Ji Yunqing? Was that the full name of this Mr. Ji?

Ji Qingzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, then smiled: "It was all a misunderstanding. I was still groggy from sleep and could not quite get my bearings."

"Whether you are genuinely confused or just pretending to be, yesterday Yuchuan stood in for his younger brother and exchanged wedding vows with you. If you try to back out and run now, you will only be making another enemy."

"Think it through carefully. A mere bank manager with the surname Lu was enough to corner you with no way out in the capital. If you offend our Xie family, you will likely have to find a way to go abroad."

Although this woman's Mandarin carried an accent, her enunciation was clear and there was nothing particularly difficult to follow.

Yet Ji Qingzhou held his frozen smile and turned the matter over in his mind for a full half minute, and still could not make sense of what she had said.

Setting everything else aside for now, what did it mean that someone had stood in for his younger brother to exchange wedding vows with him?

In the Republic of China era, could two men actually get married?

Or was it that Ji Yunqing was actually a woman?

Ji Qingzhou's mind was full of questions, and for the moment he did not know how to react.

The man sitting across from him apparently took this for hesitation, and put on a look of earnest sincerity as he spoke:

"I understand how you feel. Two men getting married is indeed absurd. This is nothing more than a stopgap measure. Since you already agreed to this arrangement, backing out at the last moment is not the conduct of a gentleman."

So he really had married a man!

You scheming Ji Yunqing, to think you were this kind of person. Just to escape your enemies, you sold yourself to a man as a wife!

This had truly landed him in a tremendous bind.

Although Ji Qingzhou considered himself open-minded when it came to such matters, having dated both men and women during his years studying and working abroad, inexplicably being married off to a complete stranger as a wife still crossed a line he could not accept.

What was more, from what they had said, the groom's older brother had even stood in at the ceremony on his behalf. That younger brother was most likely bedridden and unable to get up.

No, this marriage had to be dissolved.

But he was under someone else's roof, and he could not make his refusal too obvious, so he probed carefully: "Don't you find this whole thing absurd?"

"It is absurd. If it weren't for the old madam insisting on it, I would never have gone behind Yuanyuan's back to arrange such a disgraceful match for him!" Shen Nanqi, that is to say, this Madam, sighed, a flicker of vulnerability and helplessness crossing her eyes.

Then she composed herself and turned to Ji Qingzhou: "Do not worry. There is a chance my son's injuries can still heal. Once his eye condition is treated and his health is no longer a serious concern, we will not only let you go but also provide you with money and help you settle your scores with those powerful figures in the capital.

"After you marry my son, we will not ask anything extra of you either. Simply take good care of his daily needs, and we will treat you as one of the Xie family. Surely this arrangement ought to satisfy you?"

Hearing this explanation, Ji Qingzhou finally understood. Ji Yunqing had married into this wealthy family to serve as a good-luck charm for a sick man.

He just did not know what the criteria had been for choosing this good-luck charm, but since they had been compelled to select a man for the role, the conditions must have been extremely stringent.

Which meant, presumably, that unless someone even better suited came along, they would not be letting him go.

Well, so be it. A man of true character knows when to bend and when to stand firm.

Perhaps the shock of time-traveling had been too great, but after weighing everything, Ji Qingzhou actually managed to talk himself into accepting the situation.

Getting married was one thing. It was not as though he was going to his death.

In such turbulent times, having a wealthy husband was surely better than having none at all.

Besides, this husband of his was burdened with both injuries and an eye condition. Even if he had a violent temper, he would not be able to land a blow on him in a fight.

Having given himself this little pep talk, Ji Qingzhou forced a carefree smile and said: "Since I have already agreed to this, I will not go back on my word."

"That is the best attitude to have," Xie Yuchuan did not call his bluff, stood up, smoothed out the creases in his clothes, and let out a breath as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

In truth, he also knew this arrangement was not entirely proper. Once his younger brother found out, he would surely fly into a rage. But neither he nor his parents could hold out against their grandmother's insistence.

Since things had already come to this, and someone had to be found to bring good fortune to his brother, Ji Yunqing at least had exceptional looks. Though of humble standing and having stirred up trouble in the capital, a person with weaknesses and needs was all the easier to keep in hand.

"Now that you have come around, pack up quickly. If not for the scene you made, we might already be on our way out of town by now."

Shen Nanqi rose to her feet as well.

Ji Qingzhou's expression shifted slightly: "Out of town? Where to?"

"Where do you think? This wedding was not held in Shanghai, nor at the old family residence in Taohua Wu*, but in this newly built Western-style house, precisely to keep it away from prying eyes. Now that everything is done, we naturally have to return to Shanghai."

*t/n; a historically famous place in Suzhou, known since at least the Ming dynasty as a center for woodblock print art.

Shen Nanqi's tone was breezy, though her gaze was perfectly composed: "Besides, Yuanyuan is returning today. His ship may well have already docked by now. As his wife, you will of course be coming back with us."

"One thing to keep in mind, though. Once in Shanghai, your identity will be my cousin's son. Do not let it slip. A marriage between two men is, after all, not something to be proud of."

Even without her reminder, Ji Qingzhou had no interest in telling anyone about such a wretched situation.

So faced with all of Madam Xie's demands, he simply smiled lightly and said: "A secret relationship. I understand."

.

Packing up, as it turned out, was not much of a task at all.

From the moment he had moved in, his luggage had not even been opened.

After the two members of the Xie family left, however, Ji Qingzhou did find a leather suitcase in the room's wardrobe that Ji Yunqing had left behind.

There was nothing of value inside, only some changes of clothes and toiletries, all of it useless to him.

Useless as it was, Ji Qingzhou took it along anyway.

He still held onto a faint hope in his heart that if he ever managed to return one day, he could restore the suitcase to its rightful owner.

Ten minutes of tidying and washing up later, Ji Qingzhou slung his crossbody bag over his shoulder, picked up his luggage and the small leather case, and headed downstairs.

With the household preparing to depart, the servants downstairs were bustling about in full swing. Ji Qingzhou tried to stop someone to ask whether breakfast was available, but could not catch anyone, and had no choice but to go and put his things away first.

He had just finished loading the luggage onto the open-top carriage with the coachman's help when he heard Madam Xie's voice from behind him.

"That suitcase of yours has a fine look to it. Where did you get it?"

He turned around reflexively to see Madam Xie coming down the front steps, her left hand holding a small handbag and her right hand lifting her skirt.

The hem of her qipao² vest was so long it nearly covered her feet entirely, making it impossible to descend the steps without holding it up.

"A friend brought it back from abroad."

"Which brand? I will have a friend bring one for me someday too."

"Even if I told you, your friend would not be able to find it. It is a small manufacturer with no name to speak of."

Wheeled luggage with a retractable handle had not yet come into existence in this era, and Ji Qingzhou could not come up with a brand name, so he brushed the question aside.

His manner was perfunctory, but Shen Nanqi did not bother pressing the matter. She gave a slight lift of her chin and said: "Pick one to ride yourself."

"That one?" Ji Qingzhou's gaze drifted toward the rickshaws parked in the shade of the camphor trees.

"What else? The roads in Suzhou are too narrow for motorcars."

As she said this, Shen Nanqi looked him up and down, stepped a little closer and said, "I was going to ask earlier. Why are you dressed so strangely? Do you not have any other clothes?"

Ji Qingzhou had anticipated she would bring this up, and feigned a look of regret: "I do not. I forgot to pack them."

"Showing up in Shanghai like this will make you a laughingstock. At least get yourself a long robe. And this hair of yours, it has grown long enough to cover your eyes. Why have you not combed it back?"

Without waiting for Ji Qingzhou to come up with an excuse, Shen Nanqi continued: "You look more like yourself today than yesterday, at least. Once we are back in Shanghai, you will need a proper tidying up."

"Alright," Ji Qingzhou agreed without hesitation.

Seeing that Madam Xie was in a good mood, he could not hold back the question that had been lingering in his mind for a while: "Is there anything to eat for breakfast?"

Shen Nanqi laughed at that: "You child, why did you not say sooner that you were hungry."

With that, she had Aunt Sun bring over some pastries and tea.

"You got up too late. Breakfast has already been cleared away and there is no time to make something fresh. If we wait much longer, we will miss the train."

"That is fine. I will just eat whatever there is."

Ji Qingzhou took the food box Aunt Sun handed him, thinking to himself that this 'mother-in-law' he had acquired through the exchange was actually quite attentive toward him.

He was not sure whether it was for the sake of appearances or simply her natural disposition.

He had a few pastries with olive tea to fill his stomach, and once Xie Yuchuan came back from the bathroom, the three of them climbed into rickshaws hired by the Xie family. With the servants watching them off, they passed by the front of a Sinology bookshop, turned onto the uneven stone-paved road, and set off at a trot.

The rickshaws in Suzhou had a bell on the footrest that jingled as they moved, full of a lively energy. But Ji Qingzhou, riding in a rickshaw for the first time, looked at the bent back of the puller ahead and felt a knot forming in his chest.

A taxi would be ideal, he thought briefly, but one glance at the crowded and narrow roads around him told him that was nothing but a fantasy.

Riding alone with no one to chat with, and not wanting to make the already laboring puller talk through his breathlessness, Ji Qingzhou had no choice but to quietly observe the buildings and local way of life along the route.

The whole journey passed in silence, the sound of the rickshaw bell ringing out with an unsettling restlessness.

It was not until they reached the train station that Ji Qingzhou's interest picked up again, his curiosity stirring at the prospect of riding a train from a hundred years in the past.

The tickets purchased were first class, with a private compartment.

The interior of the compartment was far more comfortable than he had imagined. Not only were the seats wide and plush, cushioned with velvet, but there was even a carpet laid across the floor.

After settling into the compartment, Xie Yuchuan asked a train attendant for a newspaper to pass the time.

Ji Qingzhou had also intended to read the paper, but noticing that Madam Xie looked rather bored, he struck up a back-and-forth conversation with her in order to draw out some information.

Extracting information was no easy task, but fortunately Madam Xie was a talkative sort by nature, and over the course of the journey he had actually managed to get something out of her.

It concerned Ji Yunqing.

He had speculated about this person's background before, but had never imagined that the other party was a Peking opera³ performer, and quite a well-known one at that in the capital. Only he did not know who had been offended, but it had nearly cost Ji Yunqing his life.

Around the end of last year, to escape the danger, Ji Yunqing had fled to Shanghai, yet still could not shake off the harassment of those people and was forced into a situation where there was no stage for him to perform on in Shanghai, making even keeping himself fed a struggle.

It was most likely in search of a protector that he had reluctantly agreed to this absurd marriage.

This put Ji Qingzhou on a degree of alert as well.

The times were turbulent enough on their own, and the identity he had stepped into had already stirred up trouble. By the look of things, the wisest choice for the moment was still to cling tightly to the Xie family's coattails.

.

The train chugged along steadily, and after roughly two hours they arrived at Shanghai Railway Station.

The station sat near the International Settlement, on the road connecting North Zhejiang Road and North Henan Road, known to later generations as the Old North Station.

Ji Qingzhou found the train station of this era rather fascinating. After all, he had visited a railway museum during his school days.

There was unfortunately no time to look around properly. The moment they stepped out of the station, the Xie family whisked him into a small Ford, and they drove swiftly into the Settlement.

If Suzhou at this time still retained the natural ancient city scenery of white-walled, dark-tiled buildings and stone bridges over flowing streams, the Shanghai Settlement had already taken on the early shape of a modern city.

Along streets bathed in golden sunlight, motorcars, horse-drawn carriages, trams, bicycles, and rickshaws wove past one another in a constant flow, while the clamor of voices, the ringing of bells, and the rumbling of engines poured endlessly into his ears.

Ji Qingzhou leaned back in the front passenger seat, eyes half-narrowed as he watched the street scenes outside drift slowly past.

He felt like a film editor, sitting quietly before a screen, watching scene after scene rewind across his field of view, his thoughts drifting without anchor.

Just yesterday morning he had been gazing down at the city from a high-rise apartment, and now the perspective had shifted entirely. He felt like a wanderer who had left home for decades and returned to find it changed, looking with a quiet wistfulness at all the ways this world differed from the one stored in his memory.

Shanghai in 1918, the greatest metropolis of the Far East in the eyes of Westerners.

A city of modernity, a capital of fashion, brimming with every kind of contradiction...

What kind of life would he begin here?

—

A/N:

1). 'Over a white embroidered short jacket with wide drooping sleeves, she wore a long blue silk brocade vest. Her hair bun was adorned with ornate pearl hairpins, the very picture of a wealthy lady from a bygone era' and 'The hem of her qipao vest was so long it nearly covered her feet entirely, making it impossible to descend the steps without holding it up'. The following are qipao dresses generated by AI based on the description for reference:

2. Qipao (旗袍)

The qipao (also known as a cheongsam), as it is known today in Chinese Mandarin, is a type of dress for women that originated around 1920 in mainland China. Its exact origin is unclear and under much controversy, as it bears resemblance to both the dress of the Manchus, the ruling ethnic group of the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1644-1912), and the Han, the ethnic majority of China. One possibility, discussed by Eileen Chang in her 1943 article ‘A Chronicle of Changing Clothes’, is that the Chinese women of the 1920s adopted changshan, a long gown worn by (both Manchurian and Han) men, in their pursuit of gender equality.

• Qipao in the late 1910s

The wide-sleeved jacket is traditional for the Chinese Han ethnic group. The curve of the diagonal opening, with an almost horizontal section next to the neck secured by knot buttons and loops, shows the influence of Manchurian dress.

• Qipao in the early 1920s

A long vest over a short jacket was a typical ensemble of the early 1920s. The fabric of the vest has a woven pattern, similar to jacquard, with a rather large motif of orchid leaves and blossoms. Both the vest and the jacket underneath have standing collars and diagonal openings.

• Qipao in the mid-1920s

The qipao style of this era is characterized by three-quarter-length wide sleeves that maintain approximately the same width from the armscye to the cuff.

• Qipao in the 1930s

Following the typical silhouette of the 1930s—tight sleeves, fitted bodice, and high collar—the 1930s qipao continues the structural principles of the 1920s qipao: each is cut in one piece and opens on the right side. The knot buttons and loops on the diagonal neck opening are sewn vertically and close to the collar to best support the weight of the garment, and the slits on these qipaos are situated below the knee, albeit higher than those on the 1920s qipao.

3). Peking Opera (京剧 / Jīngjù)

Peking Opera is China's most prestigious and celebrated traditional performing art form, often considered the national opera of China. Despite its name suggesting it originated in Beijing, it actually developed from older regional opera styles. 

Peking Opera emerged around 1790 during the Qing Dynasty, when four opera troupes from Anhui Province performed in Beijing to celebrate Emperor Qianlong's birthday. Over the following decades, elements from other regional styles (especially Hubei opera) fused together, eventually forming what we now call Peking Opera. It flourished throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries as the dominant art form of Chinese imperial and urban culture.

–

TL: Muji

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