Taking My Wife and Kids to School with Me

Han Shuo, a twenty-two-year-old college graduate from the 21st century, finds himself transported into a novel set in 1990. Unlike typical protagonists who must follow a predetermined plot, Han Shuo’s objective is strictly task-based: he must complete specific missions to unlock his return to his original world. After piecing together fragments of a novel found in a rat hole, he discovers his code name is 00Q. His mission requires him to locate a key character designated as 11F, identified by a small red birthmark on his member, and kiss him one hundred times over a total duration of at least 365 hours. Han Shuo is currently living with his older brother, Han Hong, and his young nephew, Han Ting, in a impoverished rural household. As a senior high school student, he spends his days at Yunxi High School, where he is primarily focused on finding 11F rather than studying.

After months of searching through male students and teachers, Han Shuo finally identifies his target in the boys' restroom. The key character is Meng Yuxiu, a handsome, top-ranking student who is also a transmigrator from the 21st century. Meng Yuxiu shares the same task and code name, 11F. Despite a previous hostile encounter where Han Shuo punched Meng Yuxiu over a spilled meal, the two realize they must cooperate to return home. They agree to set aside their personal grievances and begin executing the kissing task immediately. Their initial attempts are fraught with awkwardness and discomfort, particularly because both are inexperienced and Han Shuo is a self-identified straight man.

The two establish a rigorous schedule to maximize their limited time. They utilize breaks between classes, lunch periods, and the hour following evening self-study. To avoid detection, they devise creative methods, such as hiding behind books to simulate tutoring sessions or retreating to rice paddies behind the teaching building. The physical demands of the task are significant, requiring them to accumulate hundreds of hours of contact. Their relationship evolves from reluctant partners to a complex dynamic where they navigate school politics, family expectations, and their own growing familiarity. Han Shuo learns that Meng Yuxiu is only seventeen in his original life, adding a layer of protectiveness and guilt to Han Shuo’s interactions.

A critical turning point occurs when Han Shuo’s brother, Han Hong, invites him to help with the rice harvest over the weekend. Meng Yuxiu, having learned of Han Shuo’s village, rides his bicycle fifteen kilometers to join him. Han Shuo, unable to refuse the labor, asks Meng Yuxiu to assist with the harvest to save time. This shared experience brings the two closer, allowing them to complete task time while engaging in physical labor. Han Hong’s warm but confused reception of Meng Yuxiu hints at the social complexities of this alternate 1990s setting, where same-sex relationships are more normalized than in Han Shuo’s original world, yet still carry social weight.

As the story progresses, the pair faces external pressures from teachers and school administrators who monitor their interactions. They must balance their academic responsibilities with the urgent need to complete the task before graduation separates them. Han Shuo considers working in the city where Meng Yuxiu plans to attend university to ensure they can continue their meetings. The narrative follows their strategic planning, the gradual reduction of their mutual discomfort, and the deepening bond formed through shared secrecy and physical intimacy, all while they strive to escape the novel and return to their respective lives.