DBTHDCAR Chapter 5

Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 03/17/2024
Edited Date: 06/25/2025
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Now that he had a theory, all that remained was to test it.

As he cleaned up the room, Ning Xiaobei tried to recall how he’d ended up in that other world.

The first time was when he was going through his father’s belongings and came across the adoption certificate. Whether it was from grief or exhaustion, he’d somehow “crossed over.”

The second time was on the subway — he’d passed out during an asthma attack.

And coming back each time also followed unconsciousness — once from a fall caused by low blood sugar, and another time when an emotional spike triggered an asthma attack after seeing his father.

“So… if I fall asleep, I should be able to see Dad again, right?”

Ning Xiaobei murmured uncertainly, swinging a mop around.

After cleaning, he treated himself to a relaxing bath, shut off his phone, drew the curtains, put on an eye mask and earplugs — determined to sleep soundly.

But reality proved he’d been too optimistic.

He couldn’t fall asleep.

Since starting work, Ning Xiaobei had gotten used to being on call 24/7 — his sleep was already terrible. Now, with this weighing on his mind, he tossed and turned all night, staring at the ceiling. He tried falling asleep again and again, but each attempt failed.

…

……

………….

“Look, that guy has been standing there for over an hour, and he hasn’t changed his posture once.”

Next to the riverside platform, a few elderly ladies who had finished their morning square dancing were sitting in a small garden, shelling edamame and selecting vegetables, observing the man leaning against the railing by the riverbank.

“You don’t think… he’s planning to jump?” one auntie whispered anxiously.

One of the ladies couldn’t help but comment.

“Young people nowadays are fragile. Can’t find work, can’t find a girlfriend, and one bad thought later… all that effort from the parents, gone just like that. Oh dear, what should we do? It’s just us old ladies here — if he really jumps, we won’t be able to stop him.”

Another elderly lady became more convinced of her speculation as she spoke and hastily nudged her companion.

“Let’s call the police. ⟬In trouble? Find the police⟭ — that’s what they always say, right?”

The old lady took out her phone as she spoke.

Ning Xiaobei, standing by the riverbank, was unaware of the thoughts of the group of aunties behind him. Two consecutive nights of insomnia had left him feeling extremely drained. He had driven to the city center today specifically to see the place where he had grown up— partly to reminisce, and partly to clear his head.

This patch of urban green space used to be where the Jiande Lane neighborhood was, where the Ning family once lived.

In the year 2000, Jiande Lane, along with over a dozen nearby alleyways, were all demolished. This area has since been transformed into an urban green lung¹城市绿肺 – Literally “urban green lung.” A term used in urban planning to describe green spaces that help purify air and improve quality of life. Looking at the tree-lined streets, the lush grass and the graceful herons leisurely tapping on the water’s surface, one can hardly imagine what it looked like over twenty years ago.

He lightly kicked the cobblestone path under his feet.

For the past two days, Shanghai had experienced continuous rain, but today finally cleared up. However, the grass and gravel paths near the artificial lake were still damp and slippery, making it a bit tricky to walk on.

“The things are the same, but the people are gone… No, not even the things are the same.”

Ning Xiaobei rubbed his temples and took out a bottle of sleeping pills from his pocket.

Insomnia and depression had taken a toll on him — dark circles hung beneath his eyes, a patchy stubble covered his chin, and his hair was a mess. He looked utterly worn out.

“If I really can’t sleep tonight… this is my only option.”

Regular drugstores didn’t sell sleeping pills, so early that morning, Ning Xiaobei had gone to the community hospital, registered with a doctor, and practically begged for a prescription.

“Officer, that’s him. We suspect this person might be trying to… jump. Officer, you have to save him. A single act of rescue is better than building a seven-story pagoda²In Buddhism, a pagoda is a tower-like structure that stores sacred relics and represents the Buddha’s teachings. Building one was seen as a major act of merit — a religious good deed that would bring blessings or karmic reward. Seven levels was considered the ideal or highest standard of such merit-generating architecture..”

Not far away, a patrol car stopped outside a small pavilion. Several concerned elderly ladies pointed from a distance towards Ning Xiaobei’s figure next to the riverside platform, lowering their voices as they spoke.

“Auntie, rest assured, we won’t let anything happen to him.”

A tall police officer in his thirties squinted his eyes and glanced in the direction where Ning Xiaobei was. He turned to his colleague and said, “I’ll go talk to him.”

Ning Xiaobei was holding up the pill bottle, checking the dosage, when a deep voice suddenly sounded behind him.

“Excuse me, sir, can I have a word with you?”

Ning Xiaobei turned his head slightly and saw a man in police uniform standing behind him.

He was a bit surprised and was about to respond when he accidentally stepped on a slippery cobblestone beneath his foot. His lower back hit the stainless steel railing hard, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward.

Instinctively, Ning Xiaobei reached out to grab the railing, but he forgot he was holding the pill bottle in his hand.

“My medicine!”

Watching helplessly as the bottle fell toward the water, Ning Xiaobei cried out and lunged sideways with outstretched fingers.

“Be careful!”

In that split second before plunging into the water, Ning Xiaobei saw a face frozen in panic.

…………

“Xiaobei, wake up, Xiaobei, Xiaobei?”

The sterile smell of antiseptic reached his nose. Groggily, Ning Xiaobei saw a blurry figure — a man with a crew cut.

“D… Dad?”

He reached out his hand and felt the prickly chin of the other person.

“It is Dad…”

Ning Xiaobei smiled with relief.

Comrade Ning Jianguo always maintained a crew-cut hairstyle, aging gracefully over the years.

In the past, he had thought his dad was dull and old-fashioned, no sense of style. But now it seemed that the crew cut was the ultimate standard for handsome men. Only someone like his dad — strong features, thick brows, and bright eyes — could pull it off.

It was great, even though he didn’t know what had happened at the riverside that attracted the police to come talk to him, but he had once again entered this “dream world,” which was considered a lucky accident.

“Xiaobei, you³“侬” – A Shanghainese word for “you.” scared Dad to death.”

Ning Jianguo saw his son smiling like a little fool and couldn’t help but pinch his cheek.

“Dad, how did I end up in the hospital?”

Ning Xiaobei’s eyes rolled around before he realized he was lying on a hospital bed.

He was wearing a blue-and-white striped patient gown. His left hand was hooked up to an IV. Judging by the half-empty bottle and the drip rate, he must’ve been out for at least an hour.

“Xiaobei, it’s all Dad’s fault. Dad didn’t even know you had asthma.”

Thinking of how his son had collapsed earlier — gasping for air, shaking all over — Ning Jianguo was overcome with guilt.

Fortunately, the Ning home was close to the Children’s Hospital, and Uncle Guo, who drove a taxi⁴“Chā tou” in Shanghainese: taxi‘ and lived in their alley, happened to be off duty. His car was parked just outside the alley. The moment he saw Ning Jianguo running out with Xiaobei in his arms, he grabbed the keys and rushed them to the hospital. That saved precious time.

“The doctor said that if asthma attacks aren’t treated promptly, it could be life-threatening. It’s all Dad’s fault. You’ve grown up so much, and Dad didn’t even realize you had this condition.”

Ning Jianguo clenched his fists, almost ready to slap himself in the face.

“Dad, I’m fine.”

Ning Xiaobei gently tugged his father’s arm and shook his head.

He honestly couldn’t even remember when he developed asthma as a kid. All he knew was that he’d been in and out of hospitals because of it, and it had never fully gone away — something his father had always felt guilty about. Seeing his dad like this only made Xiaobei’s heart ache more..

“Just rest. Once the IV’s done, tell me whatever you feel like eating.”

Unexpectedly comforted by his son instead, Ning Jianguo scratched his nose awkwardly and ruffled Xiaobei’s hair.

“I want to eat that…”

Ning Xiaobei pointed to the next bed.

Next to Ning Xiaobei lived a chubby little boy who was happily munching on a can of peaches, his chubby cheeks flushed with excitement. The little boy’s mother sat beside him, looking at him with a proud smile, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead, afraid he might get tired from eating.

“Canned peaches, huh? Alright, Dad will buy it for you. You just lie down. If you need to use the restroom, just call the nurse, okay? If you’re thirsty, there’s plain water here, and Dad has put a straw in it for you. If you…”

Five minutes passed, and Ning Jianguo was still chattering on, showing no sign of leaving anytime soon.

“Dad, it’s okay. I can be here on my own. Grandma’s still at home — you should go back and take care of her, and come back later. I’m a brave little man,”

Xiaobei said, putting on a serious face and feigning innocence.

Ning Jianguo nodded, wiped his face, got up from the folding stool, and finally walked out of the ward.

It was an eight-bed ward, with parents coming in and out, all concerned about their children’s condition. Seeing him lying alone in bed at this moment, they all came to inquire about his condition with great concern. Ning Xiaobei answered each one politely and eloquently, instantly winning the favor of the parents.

“Look at that big brother, so brave, not afraid of getting an IV. And look at you just now, crying like a big bad wolf came. Are you ashamed?” said the chubby kid’s mom, pointing at Xiaobei as she scolded her own son.

The chubby kid suddenly felt that the canned peaches he was eating didn’t taste as good anymore.

Ning Xiaobei smiled confidently, then asked the chubby kid’s mother about the date and learned that it was still August 14, 1996, and the current time was 2:00 in the afternoon.

“How do you calculate the time difference between the two worlds?”

Ning Xiaobei wondered, lying back down.

He closed his eyes, intending to take a nap, but suddenly opened them wide.

“I can’t sleep. What if I fall asleep and ‘go back’ again?”

Despite the thought, his small body had just been through a medical emergency and was already exhausted.

His head tilted left, then right, then left again… finally, he couldn’t resist sleep any longer.

………………

“How’s the boy doing?”

Ning Jianguo had settled everything at home and was heading back to the hospital.

He planned to spend the night at the hospital, but after leaving he first stopped by the factory to request time off, then bought the canned yellow peaches Xiaobei wanted. After that, he went to the market for groceries and cooked dinner for Grandma Ning.

By the time everything was taken care of, it was already past five in the afternoon, and only then did he hop on his bicycle toward the Children’s Hospital.

Before pedaling a few times, he saw Zhao Jingwen, who had been waiting for a long time, at the entrance of Jiande Lane.

Zhao Jingwen, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and dark wool slacks, stood under the street lamp, holding a mesh shopping bag with several pears and apples inside.

“What are you doing here?”

Ning Jianguo asked, one foot propped on the ground.

“I was out on sales calls this afternoon and heard from your factory supervisor that your kid’s sick and you’re taking time off. Here, take this…”

Zhao Jingwen said, placing the mesh bag into the front basket of the bicycle. It was already filled with hospital necessities, such as washbasins, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

The doctor said Xiaobei’s condition was unstable and required two days of observation in the hospital.

“Xiaobei suddenly fell ill, and I… If you have time in the next few days, please come and check on my mother after work. I’m afraid she’ll be scared alone at home.”

Zhao Jingwen was originally from Shandong. Even among southern men, who tend to be shorter, he was half a head taller than the already-tall Ning Jianguo.

Ning Jianguo looked up, the dim yellow light from the street lamp shining on his tired face, causing the person opposite to furrow their brows deeply.

“Want one?”

Zhao Jingwen took out a pack of “Red Double Happiness” cigarettes from his shirt pocket and flicked one towards Ning Jianguo.

Ning Jianguo was about to reach out to take it but shook his head the next moment.

“I quit.”

“One cigarette to relax when you’re tired won’t hurt.”

“The doctor said secondhand smoke can trigger asthma. If I smoke now, my clothes will carry the smell.”

Ning Jianguo sighed and lowered his head.

“I won’t smoke anymore, ever. I’m quitting.”

Zhao Jingwen stared at him in surprise.

They joined the factory within two or three years of each other, with Ning Jianguo being a few months older. One was a fitter and engineer in the precision workshop, while the other was a sales representative in the sales department. Both of them had been “seasoned smokers” before joining the shoe factory, with over ten years of smoking experience. It was unexpected for Ning Jianguo to suddenly announce that he was quitting smoking.

“You’re good to your son.”

Zhao Jingwen chuckled softly and put the cigarette back.

“Xiaobei is my whole life.”

Ning Jianguo had just said this when he saw Zhao Jingwen suddenly crush the whole pack of cigarettes in his hand. The red paper box arced through the air and landed neatly in the trash bin.

“Then I’ll quit too.”

Zhao Jingwen clapped his hands and raised his eyebrows, looking at him. “I’ll join you.”

“You’re a salesperson, you can’t…”

ing Jianguo was caught off guard by the gesture and hurriedly shook his head.

“In our department, several female sales reps don’t smoke or drink, but they still do business just fine. Running a business has nothing to do with smoking or not smoking.”

Zhao Jingwen lowered his head and looked at Ning Jianguo with a smile.

“Thank you.”

Ning Jianguo’s lips moved slightly as he spoke softly.

……………………………

Author’s Note:

Let’s just call this book 《Unlucky Time Traveler Records》. He only seems to jump worlds when things go wrong, haha.

• 1
  城市绿肺 – Literally “urban green lung.” A term used in urban planning to describe green spaces that help purify air and improve quality of life
• 2
  In Buddhism, a pagoda is a tower-like structure that stores sacred relics and represents the Buddha’s teachings. Building one was seen as a major act of merit — a religious good deed that would bring blessings or karmic reward. Seven levels was considered the ideal or highest standard of such merit-generating architecture.
• 3
  “侬” – A Shanghainese word for “you.”
• 4
  “Chā tou” in Shanghainese: taxi