Just then, another car drove down the road. It was a private car, coming from the same direction as the pickup truck in front of the Rena family's house. It pulled up behind the truck.
The driver was the lady of the Jackson household, Mrs. Jackson. A large white dog stuck its head out of the back window. As soon as Mrs. Jackson opened the car door, the dog hopped out and bounded over to Mr. Jackson, showering him with affection. Mr. Jackson patted its head, and it trotted back to the car.
Two children were in the back seat. They climbed out one after the other, and Mrs. Jackson led them over by the hand.
I looked at the boy, then at the girl, who seemed a little older, puzzled.
The Jackson family should only have had that boy...
No, wait. It was eleven years earlier. The Jackson family shouldn't have had any children yet, right?
In the scene, I had only seen a family of three enjoying their domestic bliss. I hadn't seen what their circumstances had been before that.
Had time changed again?
I caught Wu Ling's eye and signaled to him.
Wu Ling didn't bother hiding his curiosity. He simply asked Mr. Jackson what the date was.
"July fifteenth..." Mr. Jackson said blankly.
"It's the sixteenth, dear," Mrs. Jackson corrected him.
The siblings laughed at their father's absentmindedness.
"Oh, right, it's already the sixteenth. I've been so busy I lost track," Mr. Jackson said, slapping his forehead.
One of the workers busy at the house, a man not wearing a uniform, came over and said to Mr. Jackson, "The main structure is sound, but a lot of things need replacing. Repairs would cost too much. It'd be easier to replace them."
"Oh, of course. You decide.