In the narrow hallway, Xu Ning carried a laptop in one hand and a bag of fruit in the other, while carefully navigating around the items that various neighbors had placed beside the staircase.

After graduating from college, Xu Ning found a job in this city. She worked as an HR employee at a small company, where her workload was light and she occasionally went on business trips. She rented a fifth-floor apartment in an old neighborhood without an elevator. The rent was cheap, and it was conveniently located, just a ten-minute walk from her workplace.

Xu Ning took out her keys from her bag and unlocked the door. The first thing she did was place her laptop on the table.

She brought the grapes she had bought into the kitchen to wash. Today, the grapes looked particularly fresh, so she had bought a few extra pounds. She washed all of them, set aside a small bunch to eat later, and stored the rest in the space.

Yes, Xu Ning had a hidden space of her own.

Xu Ning had been raised by her maternal grandparents. Her mother had passed away during childbirth. After her mother’s death, Xu Ning lived for a while with her father and paternal grandparents.

When Xu Ning was two, her father remarried. The following year, her stepmother gave birth to a son. Given that her paternal grandparents already favored boys over girls, Xu Ning became even more invisible in the family.

Her father and stepmother were both teachers, educated and well-mannered people who never hit or scolded her, but simply ignored her. Her grandparents, on the other hand, doted on their grandson, constantly laughing and playing with him. As for Xu Ning, they would merely say, “Xiao Ning, be obedient. Take care of your little brother.”

Xu Ning’s maternal grandparents, who also worked as teachers at the same school as her father and stepmother, could see what was happening over time. They wanted to bring Xu Ning back to their home and care for her. However, Xu Ning’s father, fearing gossip from his colleagues, refused. It wasn’t until Xu Ning’s aunt had several heated arguments at his house that they finally agreed to let Xu Ning go live with her grandparents.

From then on, Xu Ning lived with her grandparents.

However, Xu Ning never let her father off the hook for her living expenses and school fees. Every month, she would demand the money from him on time. There were a few occasions when her father either refused or gave her less than what was needed, but Xu Ning would show up at his office to ask for it. After that, her father never delayed her expenses or school fees again.

After Xu Ning took her college entrance exams, her grandparents, with the approval of her aunt, transferred the ownership of their 70-square-meter, two-bedroom apartment in the old part of the city to her name.

Xu Ning’s grandfather passed away during her freshman year of college, and her grandmother followed during her sophomore year.

In her third year, her aunt called to inform her that the old neighborhood was set for demolition. The house that her grandparents had left her was within the demolition area, so her aunt asked her to take a few days off to return home and handle the paperwork.

At that time, Xu Ning had just started an internship and couldn’t afford to take too many days off. So, she took the train home on Sunday, handled the paperwork on Monday, and returned by train that same night.

She arrived in An City at seven in the morning. Xu Ning’s hometown was a small county under the jurisdiction of An City. As she walked out of the station, she saw her aunt waving at her and calling out, “Ning Ning, over here!”

Xu Ning rushed forward and gave her aunt a big hug. “Auntie, I missed you so much. Where are Uncle and Xiao Jian?” Xu Ning had grown up with her grandparents and her aunt. The last time they had seen each other was almost a year ago, after Xu Ning’s graduation from college.

Wang Lu smiled warmly at her. “Ning Ning, I missed you too. Your uncle and Xiao Jian went back to the countryside. Xiao Jian’s grandmother is sick. I just came back from the countryside myself. It’s a pity your return was so rushed, or they would have been here with you. Your uncle said to come back early for the New Year. He’ll cook delicious meals for you and Xiao Jian every day.”

Xu Ning asked about Xiao Jian’s grandmother’s condition while following her aunt to the car.

“It’s nothing serious, just old age,” her aunt replied. Knowing that Xu Ning had to rush back to work, she quickly brought up the house. “Ning Ning, your uncle and I both think you should take the money. Our small county isn’t likely to develop much in the future, and you’ll definitely stay in the city after graduation. This money could make your life easier there. You can always stay with us when you visit. Our house is spacious, and there will always be a place for you.”

Xu Ning nodded, her eyes red with emotion. “Auntie, I know you and Uncle have always been so kind to me.”

Xu Ning had been thinking along the same lines. Though this was the place where she had grown up, and it held many fond memories with her grandparents, things had changed. Her grandparents were gone, the house was about to be demolished, and everything that had once been familiar had faded. Even if she came back in the future, it would be infrequent. Her aunt had her own family, and though both her aunt and uncle had always treated her well, Xu Ning didn’t want to intrude on their lives forever.

Her aunt took her straight to the demolition office. One of her aunt’s colleagues worked there, so the process was handled swiftly. Xu Ning mentioned that she wanted to visit the old house, and though her aunt offered to drive her, Xu Ning wanted to walk around a bit on her own, so her aunt headed home.

As she walked through the old neighborhood, most of the residents had already moved out. The few who remained were also in the process of packing. The area was a mess. Xu Ning made her way to the third floor, opened the door, and looked around the place where she had lived for over a decade. Her aunt had already cleaned up most of the house, leaving only a few old pieces of furniture that hadn’t been moved yet.

Xu Ning opened the small room on the right. Her bed and desk were still there, though the books and clothes had been packed up and taken away by her aunt.

She then opened the door to her grandparents’ room. Aside from the bed and wardrobe, everything had been cleared out.

Xu Ning walked around the house, recalling all the happy moments she had shared with her grandparents. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.

The sound of her phone ringing pulled Xu Ning out of her memories. It was her aunt calling to tell her that lunch was ready. Xu Ning took one last look around, locked the door behind her, just as she always had, and hurried downstairs. At the stairwell, her foot hit something, causing her to stumble forward. She landed on her knees, her hands scraping against the concrete, and blood seeped from her palms. As she tried to steady herself, the brass key she had been holding suddenly vanished from her hand.

Xu Ning was stunned. She blinked, wide-eyed, staring at her hand. The key was gone. There was nothing there.

Just then, her phone rang again, startling her. She jumped up and rushed out of the neighborhood, not stopping until she saw a resident who hadn’t yet moved out. She finally answered the phone—it was her aunt, telling her that she was waiting at the entrance in the car. Xu Ning hurried out of the neighborhood and saw her aunt’s car parked across the street.

Seeing the disheveled state Xu Ning was in, her aunt quickly asked, “What happened?”

Xu Ning replied, “It’s nothing, I just tripped on my way down.”

Even as she sat on the train back to school, Xu Ning still couldn’t believe what had happened. The key had just disappeared, right before her eyes.

A month after Xu Ning returned to school, her aunt called to say the demolition compensation had been issued. She asked Xu Ning to check her bank account to see if the money had arrived and informed her that the entire street in the old city had been demolished.

That night, lying in bed in her dormitory, Xu Ning was still thinking about the call from her aunt. The old district was gone, and so was the home where she had lived with her grandparents. Tears welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, the scene shifted—she wasn’t in her dorm anymore. Wait… wasn’t this her grandparents’ house? How did she end up here?

Xu Ning walked around the house, confused. Yes, this was definitely her home. But what was going on?

She tried to open the door to leave, but no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.

She then went to the window, but it wouldn’t open either. She could walk around inside the house freely, but she couldn’t see outside or leave.

How was she supposed to get out? The moment this thought crossed her mind, she found herself back on her dormitory bed. She was stunned. Forgetting her sadness, she quickly tested the thought again—focusing on the old house. Instantly, the scene shifted, and she was back in the old house. She cried and laughed, realizing that perhaps fate had left her this house due to her strong attachment to it.

Since discovering this “space house,” Xu Ning had been carefully placing things inside it. Anything she put in would stay exactly as it was. For example, if she placed boiling water inside, it would still be boiling when she took it out. If she placed something frozen inside, it would remain frozen. She could also enter the house, and time inside was synchronized with the outside world. Once, she tested putting a live chicken inside. The moment it went in, it froze, as if time had stopped. When she took it out, it was alive again, as if nothing had changed.

Xu Ning was cautious about using the space house. She rarely used it outside, and when she did put something inside, she would always close the curtains and doors before doing so.

A year had passed since Xu Ning graduated from college, and life had been peaceful. But recently, she kept having the same dream. In the dream, a boy, about eight or nine years old, cried out, “Sister, wake up! Sister, please wake up!”

The boy was dressed in ragged clothes, looking skinny like a little monkey, and his shoes were so worn that his toes stuck out. He was crying miserably.

At first, after having the dream once or twice, Xu Ning didn’t think much of it. But after dreaming the same thing for half a month straight, the boy’s cries became more and more heart-wrenching.

After reading so many novels, Xu Ning felt it might be wise to prepare for something. She took stock of the items in her space house. Most were her college textbooks, along with a few snacks and some clothes she didn’t often wear.

The space was mostly empty, and now Xu Ning was starting to panic, feeling a deep sense of unease.

She thought about the time period in her dream. The boy had short hair, and his clothes didn’t seem like they were from ancient times. He seemed to be wearing shorts, and he was extremely skinny. The people around him, both men and women, were dressed in clothing that looked like it came from the 1960s or 1970s.

Thinking about it more, Xu Ning decided it was time to prepare, just in case she really did end up in that time period. Life back then wouldn’t be easy.

Xu Ning hadn’t touched her demolition compensation yet. She had originally planned to save for a couple more years and then put a down payment on a house. But now, that plan had to be put on hold. She needed to prepare some supplies. Even if she was just overthinking things, food and essentials would never go to waste, especially since the space house preserved everything perfectly.

With the October 1st holiday coming up, she made a list of what she needed. If she really was going to the 1960s or 1970s, grain would be the most important thing.

First, she rented a small truck. She had wanted to rent a larger one, but without the proper license, she had to settle for a smaller vehicle. She drove out to a wholesale market in the suburbs that sold grain and fresh produce.

She bought 5,000 pounds of flour, 5,000 pounds of rice, 5,000 pounds of cornmeal, 100 pounds each of mung beans, red beans, and soybeans, 1,000 pounds each of sweet potatoes and potatoes, 50 pounds of dried wood ear mushrooms, 50 pounds of dried shiitake mushrooms, 50 pounds of red dates, 200 pounds of salt, 200 pounds of brown sugar, 100 pounds each of white sugar and rock sugar, 200 pounds of White Rabbit candies, 100 pounds of assorted fruit candies, 400 pounds of peanut oil, 100 packets of milk powder (each weighing 1 pound), 10 boxes of various biscuits, 100 pounds of egg cakes, 200 pounds of assorted pastries, 50 pounds of homemade liquor from the shopkeeper, 20 boxes of canned pork, a few boxes of canned fruit, and several boxes of various seasonings.

It took her three trips to load everything into the space. By the time she finished storing the last load, it was already dark. She decided to stop there for the day.

That night, she had the same dream again. When she woke up, the sense of panic had worsened. Xu Ning got up at six in the morning, drove the small truck back to the market, and headed straight for the fresh produce section.

She bought 10 pigs, 100 chickens, 100 ducks, 20 geese, 10 sheep, 100 pounds of beef, 1,000 pounds of chicken eggs, and 500 pounds of duck eggs.

After finishing her purchases, she went to a wholesale market for clothes and textiles.

She bought 20 quilts weighing 10 pounds each, 50 pounds of raw cotton, 50 sets of vintage-style bed sheets and duvet covers, 50 army coats, 20 sets of handmade cotton clothes for adults, 10 sets for teenagers, and 10 sets for children around eight or nine years old. She also bought various down jackets and thermal underwear in large quantities. She purchased gray, old-fashioned shoes, socks, hats, scarves, and gloves, as well as a variety of vintage fabrics and cotton. She picked up 50 thermos bottles, 50 military canteens, 5 old-fashioned iron pots, and 5 knives, including both kitchen and cleaver types.

Next to the clothing area was a section for daily necessities. Xu Ning bought 20 boxes each of day and night sanitary pads, 50 boxes of tissues, 10 boxes of soap, 200 bars of bath soap, 20 bottles of shampoo, her usual skincare products, lip balm, and baby cream, among other things.

By the time she finished, the day had flown by. She stored everything in her space, parked the small truck outside her building, and headed to a local steamed bun shop to place an order. Living in the north, where people primarily ate wheat-based foods, meant there were many shops selling buns and steamed bread. Xu Ning went to her regular shops, placing an order for 500 steamed buns at each of four different stores, totaling 2,000 buns. She also visited a shop that specialized in selling stuffed buns, fried dough sticks, and pancakes. She ordered 500 buns, 50 pounds of fried dough sticks, and 50 pounds of pancakes, leaving a deposit and agreeing to pick them up the next morning.

That night, lying in bed, Xu Ning thought about what else she needed to buy. She decided to go to the fruit market the next day. Suddenly, she remembered she hadn’t bought any medicine yet. Grabbing her bag and putting on her shoes, she rushed to the nearby pharmacies. She bought cold medicine, fever reducers, anti-diarrheal medication, and various other common medicines. Not wanting to buy too much from one store, she went around to several pharmacies and bought small amounts from each.

That night, she had the same dream again. The next morning, Xu Ning woke even earlier than the day before and headed to the fruit market. She bought 500 pounds of apples, 500 pounds of pears, 300 pounds of bananas, and 100 pounds of grapes spread across two boxes. She avoided more expensive fruits since her funds were running low.

Afterward, she picked up the buns, steamed bread, fried dough sticks, and pancakes from the small shops and loaded them into the truck. She drove to a secluded place to store everything in her space, then returned the rented truck.

On her way home, Xu Ning passed a small supermarket and noticed some large jars outside. She bought a few and had the owner help her carry them upstairs. She planned to use them for rendering lard from the pork she had stored in the space.

….

FYI/Just for context:

The sent-down or educated youth (Chinese: 知識青年),
also known as the zhiqing, were the young people who—beginning
in the 1950s until the end of the Cultural Revolution, willingly or under
coercion—left the urban districts of the People’s Republic of China to live and
work in rural areas as part of the “Up to the Mountains and Down to the
Countryside Movement”.

The Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement,
often known simply as the Down to the Countryside Movement, was a policy instituted
in the People’s Republic of China between the mid-1950s and 1978. As a result
of what he perceived to be pro-bourgeois thinking prevalent during the Cultural
Revolution, Chairman Mao Zedong declared certain privileged urban youth would
be sent to mountainous areas or farming villages to learn from the workers and
farmers there. In total, approximately 17 million youth were sent to rural
areas as a result of the movement. Usually only the oldest child had to go, but
younger siblings could volunteer to go instead.

 

Translator’s Note (T/N):
Hi! This is SakuRa (❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡. Nice to meet you! ^^ I’ll be posting 5 chapters today and unlocking 3 chapters daily for the next 5 days. After that, I plan to unlock 1 chapter per day. Please be kind and patient with me. Let’s get along!