A wall apart, two beds.
On the bed to the west, Li Sanjiang frowned tightly, occasionally mumbling incoherently, his limbs moving about erratically. Despite his significant reactions, he still could not awaken from his nightmare.
In the depths of the shadows, it felt as if an invisible man was pressing down on him. The weight was heavy, squeezing his chest to the point where he struggled to breathe. No matter how hard he tried, he could not push the figure away.
Li Sanjiang never imagined that after a lifetime of carrying corpses, he would one day be pinned down by a ghost.
Even in such a tumultuous and anxious state, he found a bit of solace: “It seems like Little Lord Yuan's misfortune has indeed come to me; the formation has worked!”
At that moment, in the east bed, Li Zhuiyuan lay quietly. His face showed no signs of pain, and his breathing was steady, as if he were still in a deep sleep. However, in his dream, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes.
He sat up, initially thinking he had woken up, but a glance outside revealed a darkness so profound it was impenetrable. He realized he was still dreaming, as the moonlight should have shined through the mesh screens; it could not be this dark otherwise.
Looking around, Li Zhuiyuan realized that the only area he could see was the patch of bed beneath him. It was an old wooden bed, worn down by time, with many details faded away, yet careful exploration revealed exquisite carvings that hinted at the craftsmanship of the past.
He pushed the blanket off himself, knelt at the edge of the bed, and reached out his hand, wanting to feel the outside. After all, this was just a dream.
During the day, Liu Manting had asked him if he found it boring in the countryside. He had replied that there were many interesting things around. Indeed, there were many.
In previous years, he had never understood why the word "study" was often preceded by the prefix "diligent." Studying, after all, simply meant reading through concepts, theories, and formulas, followed by solving some straightforward problems, right?
Later, he realized that there were indeed people who felt pain during the learning process.
He envied them.
In his youth, with little life or social experience, the place he spent the most time was the classroom. As a student, he couldn't feel frustrated or tormented by difficult problems, nor could he feel joy or excitement after solving them. Without the sense of pressure or the feeling of effort, there was naturally no sense of reward.
The sea of problems lay before him like an exceptionally tedious grid filled with doodles. Especially when he reported his grades to his parents, just like the other students did, his mother always looked increasingly coldly at him, as if he had done something wrong and continued to veer further away from right.
Thus, he could not derive any emotions from studying—only… numbness.
Change came when he fell into the water and saw the Little Yellow Oriole. He felt pressure and pain, and when he witnessed Big Beard and his son disappearing into the fish pond, while the Little Yellow Oriole performed its last dance on the water’s surface, he tasted what it felt to gain something.
At that time, Old Man made him a suggestion, telling him to think of something happy, like eating a feast. He didn’t tell Old Man that at that moment… he was actually excited.
A brand new door had been cracked open before him.
He grew fond of this unknown and enigmatic world. For the first time, he experienced ignorance and confusion—the sense of powerlessness and lack of control brought him a flicker of joy.
He found Granny Liu's act of using a needle to call the soul back, placing it in a bowl, quite impressive. He looked at Liu Jinxia and Li Sanjiang and realized they were even more impressive. They understood so many concepts, remembered so many formulas, and could solve problems, while he was merely a struggling student.
Li Zhuiyuan extended his hand over the edge of the bed, and he seemed to feel a breeze—very light, so subtle he wondered if it was just his imagination. Besides, he could no longer see the hand that extended beyond the edge of the bed.
Pulling his hand back and placing it before him, he confirmed it was still there.
Then he reached out again, this time downward. It felt slightly cooler, still very faint, but at least he could tell there was a difference in the sense of touch. At the height level of his bed, he sensed two different textures beyond the invisible barrier.
Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing on feeling; his hand began to sway back and forth gently, fingers moving in irregular patterns.
More real, more delicate, continue.
In the first two dreams, the first one was about the Little Yellow Oriole visiting his home, and the second was about the hunchbacked grandfather carrying the old woman. This time, it shouldn’t just be a simple black void.
Finally, he sensed something thin brushing past his fingertips. He immediately lay on the bed, stretching his arms down as far as he could.
Before long, that sensation returned, and the frequency began to speed up.
Is it… water grass?
He thought of the black water grass he had seen last time. Could it be hair?
Brushing past, weaving through, caressing his fingertips and forearms, when he pinched with his fingers, he felt a firm texture.
It indeed felt like hair.
“Slap.”
Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes brightened; something seemed to have gently slapped his palm. It was not hair but something else.
Waiting, waiting, waiting…
“Slap.”
A second sound came.
What was it, what was it?
Li Zhuiyuan began to ponder, striving to compare this sensation with any similar memories.
“Slap.”
This time the force was stronger, but still not enough!
He began to swing his arm with more vigor, shaking… shaking…
At last,
“Slap!”
With a clear shock, he thought he even heard a crisp sound near his ear.
It was as though he stood there lifting his arms, and someone had walked over and high-fived him.
As Li Zhuiyuan kept discovering, the dense blackness outside the bed gradually faded away.
Simultaneously, the sensations emanating from below started to become clearer.
Li Zhuiyuan even reached out his hand to entangle the hair, and as he waved his arms, he managed a follow-up slap.
He began to understand that those slaps were not intentional from the other side; it was just his hand accidentally meeting the other’s palm. He even sensed that he had slapped the back of a hand; the sound wasn’t as crisp.
Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan felt something bump into his outstretched arm, and he winced in pain, instinctively retracting his arm.
With that retraction, it was as if something that had been stuck and blocked was set free, continuing its course.
His fingertips grazed a hard, rounded surface, then slipped into a smooth depression, moving upwards to the shape of clearly defined joints, bumping along the sections of bone, and subsequently, he touched a rounded, prominent elasticity.
Then, his fingers lost contact. He quickly extended his arm further down, and in the end, he grasped five small bones clustered together.
“Whew…”
Li Zhuiyuan immediately withdrew his hand, his face showing shock.
It was a complete person; he had just touched from the back of her head to her toes.
There was someone underneath the bed!
Not one, nor a few, but many—lots of people!
At this point, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the thin quilt he had been beside was gone.
He looked up to the corner of the bed, where a child was tightly wrapped in the blanket, curled up and trembling, filled with fear.
This child looked exactly like him.
“I’m so scared, I’m so scared, I’m really so scared… Wuuu… Mommy, come take me away.”
Li Zhuiyuan watched this trembling “self” in fear and asked, “Why are you still here?”
…
“Comrade, your son has been tested; he has no psychological issues. He is very healthy, very optimistic, and cheerful.”
The female doctor in a white coat smiled as she made her statement, also reaching out to gently touch the little boy’s face.
The little boy smiled in return.
What a cute child!
The female doctor then looked at the mother standing beside the boy with some confusion. Why was there no joy at the ‘healthy’ diagnosis but rather indifference on the mother’s face?
At this time, psychology and mental health services were not yet widespread in the country, and the public's understanding in this domain was shallow. However, it was still possible to find psychological clinics in the capital.
“Mommy, I’m not sick,” the eight-year-old Li Zhuiyuan took his mother’s hand and looked up at her, “Mommy, the doctor said I’m very healthy.”
Li Lan glanced down at her son, then turned to the doctor and said, “You’ve been fooled by him.”
The female doctor spread her hands, controlling her emotions as best she could and explained, “Comrade, since you’ve brought your son here, I believe you should have a certain understanding of psychology, therefore you ought to trust our diagnosis and our expertise.”
Li Lan: “I overestimated your professionalism.”
“How can you, as a mother, think like this?” The doctor could no longer contain herself, “I've never met a mother dissatisfied upon learning her son was healthy; I truly cannot understand what you’re thinking!”
Li Lan: “You just said you were a professional.”
The doctor: “…”
Li Lan held Li Zhuiyuan's hand and turned to leave the clinic. Li Zhuiyuan walked alongside his mother, head lowered like a child who had done something wrong.
They did not return home, but instead went to another psychological clinic under a foreign-related hospital.
Li Zhuiyuan was taken in by the new doctor for examination.
Forty minutes later, the door opened, and Li Zhuiyuan was brought out.
The doctor wore a serious expression and said, “Ma'am, we suspect your son shows serious signs of schizophrenia and autism. During our inquiry, this seems related to his family emotional life. He strongly desires care and companionship from his mother.
Therefore, I hope that during the upcoming treatment, as the child's mother, you will cooperate with us as much as possible, so your son can return to health.”
After hearing the doctor’s words, Li Lan looked down at Li Zhuiyuan standing in front of her and asked, “Is it fun?”
“Mommy, I…”
The doctor could no longer bear it; he reached out to block Li Lan: “Ma’am, you shouldn’t be so harsh on your son; he already has enough issues, and you must take it seriously; otherwise, in the future…”
Li Lan did not continue to listen, turning away to leave.
“Lady! Lady!” Regardless of how the doctor called her, she did not look back.
Li Zhuiyuan hurried after her.
Li Lan stopped in front of the restroom, and Li Zhuiyuan paused as well. There was a large mirror here reflecting the two of them.
Li Zhuiyuan saw his mother in the mirror staring at herself with a look of disdain.
When she shifted her gaze downwards, falling onto Li Zhuiyuan’s reflection, the disdain had not vanished.
“Mommy…”
Li Zhuiyuan cautiously tugged at Li Lan's sleeve, wishing to ask how he could make her like him as she used to instead of becoming more distant in recent years.
He believed if only he knew, he could correct himself quickly because he learned fast.
“Ah Lan, Ah Lan, Ah Lan!”
Outside, his father called out, running over in a sweat, breathing heavily, nervously asking, “Ah Lan, how is Little Yuan? Is there a problem?”
“Dad.”
“Hey, son.”
Li Zhuiyuan was embraced by his father.
Li Lan looked at the father and son in an embrace, seemingly struggling to hold back her emotions, but the corners of her mouth still curved slightly in a mocking smile.
The man lifted his head and saw it.
At that moment, the accumulated emotions within him could no longer be restrained; he almost let out a trembling low growl: “Ah Lan, what do you want? What do you need to be satisfied? Do you have to torture us in this manner?”
After yelling, he sat on the ground and cried.
“Dad, don’t cry.” Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward, wanting to wipe away his father’s tears.
But just then, he met his mother’s gaze and immediately stopped all his actions.
Li Lan closed her eyes, and after a moment, she opened them and turned to walk outside, leaving the father and son behind.
Li Zhuiyuan looked ahead at the shiny tiles, reflecting his mother’s receding figure.
…
“Why are you still here?”
Again, facing the trembling figure wrapped in a quilt, Li Zhuiyuan asked for the second time.
But the other side still didn’t respond.
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “Thank you for helping me fool the doctor in that examination, but you do not exist.”
He did not have schizophrenia.
No sooner had he spoken than the thin quilt dropped onto the bed.
The earlier “self,” trembling and calling for mother under it, was gone.
“Splash… splash… splash…”
Suddenly, clear sounds of flowing water filled the surroundings.
The thick darkness finally faded, replaced by a shade resembling light ink washed out in gray.
At least visibility had improved.
Li Zhuiyuan slowly got up and scanned the area again.
He stood on the bed but felt as if he was standing on a boat.
Surrounding him were turbulent, pitch-black waves, with corpses floating in the river. The corpses were densely packed, like an endless rice field.
“Old Man said that after the ritual, I’ll be able to return to normal.
But why am I still dreaming?
And furthermore, why is it always such a dream...”
At this moment, it seemed the wind was rising over the river.
The wind swept through the corpses, bringing with it the unique smell of decay that was much stronger than the scent of rice.
Li Zhuiyuan stood watching for a long time. He even walked to the edge of the bed, propping himself on the railing to take a look.
He didn’t know how much longer this dream would last; it seemed he had no means to awaken voluntarily.
However...
Li Zhuiyuan sat down on the bed, straightening the disheveled thin blanket, folding it neatly before lying down and covering himself with the blanket.
Okay, he was ready to sleep.
…
“Oh…”
Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes as the sun was already bright outside.
He knew he was truly awake this time.
He slept quite comfortably, feeling refreshed, full of energy.
Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but wonder if sleeping in a dream was indeed real deep sleep?
If that were the case, then dreams like last night were something he not only wouldn’t mind, but even felt somewhat nostalgic about.
After all, after experiencing enough horrifying nightmares, he could eventually adapt.
Looking down, he noticed that the black rings around his neck, wrists, and ankles had broken off.
Old Man said they could be cut off in the morning; it should be okay, right?
Getting out of bed, Li Zhuiyuan walked to the door, standing before it with eyes closed, beginning to take deep breaths.
This was a habit he learned from his mother; she often stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking deep breaths right after waking up.
Even now, Li Zhuiyuan still didn’t quite grasp the meaning of doing so.
However, when he pushed the door open and warm sunlight washed over him, Li Zhuiyuan smiled, as if the previous night's gloom had faded away.
He picked up a basin and a toothbrush cup, made his way to the patio, filled them with water, and began to wash up.
“Little Yuan, wash up and come down for breakfast,” Aunt Liu called him from the yard.
“Okay, Aunt Liu.”
Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs. The wooden stool was not set inside today but was placed in the yard.
On the stool was a bowl of white porridge, a salted duck egg, a plate of pickled eggplant, and a plate of preserved ginger.
“There’s more porridge in the pot; if you need, I can bring you another duck egg.”
“That’s enough, Aunt Liu, thank you.”
“No need to thank me; it’s my job,” Aunt Liu replied.
Li Zhuiyuan was a bit curious about how much Old Man had to pay Aunt Liu for her work.
But then again, Old Man's money was likely sufficient; although he lived quite “luxuriously,” he also earned a lot.
Most importantly, he had no children and didn’t save money—spending whatever he earned.
“Aunt Liu, has Old Man gone out yet?”
“No, he’s probably still asleep.”
“Oh.”
Li Zhuiyuan began to eat breakfast, tapping the duck egg against the wooden stool to crack it. He then opened a hole along the seam, held it in his hand, and used the tip of his chopsticks to eat the yolk.
Just as he was finishing, he noticed that at the yard’s east end, about twenty meters away, a small wooden stool was set up with white porridge and pickles placed on it.
The little girl he had seen yesterday was led by her grandmother as she came out and sat down.
Today, she wore a purple qipao, much more conservative than the one worn by the Little Yellow Oriole. The embroidery on her qipao was also more delicate and rich.
Furthermore, she had changed her hairstyle, with a wooden hairpin inserted.
Such a well-dressed appearance was rare in the countryside, especially now in summer, when most boys only ran around wearing a pair of shorts.
Aunt Liu brought over another set of small wooden stools, this time with tea set arrangements. She murmured something to the old woman, who waved her hand, and Aunt Liu left.
The old woman squatted in front of the girl, speaking softly to her.
The girl sat there, her gaze level, and just like yesterday, it seemed there were no other people in her world.
But the old woman’s persuasion had some effects; the girl quietly lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.
Li Zhuiyuan noticed her pattern: she picked up a piece of pickled vegetable, took two spoonfuls of porridge, then another piece of pickled vegetable, two spoonfuls of porridge, and the rhythm never changed.
The grandmother peeled the salted duck egg for her, but when she offered it, the girl hesitated, her body trembling slightly.
The old woman immediately apologized and withdrew the duck egg.
Only then did the girl continue eating, still picking up one piece of pickled vegetable before two spoonfuls of porridge.
Seeing this scene, Li Zhuiyuan recalled a classmate from his youth program who also ate in such a manner, meticulously planning how many dishes paired with rice, ensuring that by the end, everything went in.
Moreover, he always stepped exactly on the corners of the tiles when walking out of the classroom; if he misstepped one day, he would rush back to the classroom and then come out again, even if it was to use the restroom—he would hold it back stubbornly.
The girl finished eating quickly and set down her chopsticks.
The old woman took out a cloth and carefully wiped the corners of her mouth and fingers.
Then, she stood up, picked up the stool, and returned to the east room.
Still in the same spot, she set the stool down, sat down, her feet pressing against the threshold, looking straight ahead.
The old woman cast a helpless glance, then sat down in a chair.
Li Zhuiyuan sensed that the girl’s gaze once again fell upon him, but unlike yesterday, this time she waved her hand to call him over, saying, “Come here, let me take a look at you.”
Li Zhuiyuan walked up, and as he got closer, he seemed to catch a whiff of the fragrant smell coming from her.
“Hello, Grandma.”
“You’re called Little Yuan, right?”
“Mm, Li Zhuiyuan.”
“My family name is Liu.”
“Liu Grandma.”
“Good boy. It’s the first time I’ve seen other children since I moved here, hee hee.” Liu Yumei raised her wrist, glancing at her bracelet hesitantly before finally deciding it wasn’t suitable, taking off a jade ring from her ring finger and presenting it to Li Zhuiyuan, “Here, it’s a welcoming gift from Grandma.”
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “I can’t accept it, Liu Grandma; it’s too precious.”
“It’s fake, glass. You can play with it like a toy.”
“No, I really can’t take it.”
Liu Yumei persisted, nudging it closer, urging, “An elder’s gift should not be declined; refusing is disrespectful.”
Li Zhuiyuan stepped back half a step, not reaching out to accept it but replying, “I need to ask my Old Man first.”
Liu Yumei nodded, placing the jade ring back into her pocket without putting it back on.
“Little Yuan, what grade are you in?”
“Third grade.”
“How are your grades?”
“Pretty good.”
“How old are you this year?”
“Ten years.”
“What month?”
“August.”
“Then you’re a month older than our Ah Li.” As she spoke, Liu Yumei glanced toward the girl sitting behind the threshold, “Originally, our Ah Li should also be in third grade.”
Immediately, Liu Yumei’s expression grew somber. Yes, originally her granddaughter should have been just like the little boy before her, outgoing and healthy, attending school.
“Oh, right, Little Yuan, while you stay here, you can go anywhere else, just don’t go to the east room, um, don’t go near Ah Li. Our Ah Li doesn’t like strangers coming close; she’s shy and not used to new people…”
Liu Grandma echoed the warning Old Man had given him last night.
Li Zhuiyuan asked, “Grandma, does Ah Li have autism?”
Liu Yumei looked quite surprised at the little boy in front of her: “You know about this?”
Most people in this era hadn’t even heard of that term.
“Mm.”
Liu Yumei blinked, taking Li Zhuiyuan’s hand and asking: “How come? Does an adult in your family research this?”
Yes, they research me, Li Zhuiyuan thought.
“I saw it in the newspaper.”
“Oh.” Liu Yumei sighed in disappointment.
“Liu Grandma, there are places in big cities that can treat this illness.”
Li Zhuiyuan was very curious. They didn’t seem to be lacking money; why didn’t they take Qin Li to a big city for treatment but stayed here instead?
“Our Ah Li is not ordinary autism; going to a hospital is useless.”
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t quite understand. Going to a hospital was useless; did staying with Old Man help?
Liu Yumei turned to the tea set on the stool and asked, “Would you like some tea?”
“Thank you, Grandma.”
Seeing Liu Yumei bending down to retrieve the kettle, Li Zhuiyuan quickly said, “I’ll do it.”
“Hmm? Sure, go ahead.”
Li Zhuiyuan opened the tea cake, added tea, waited for the steep, brewed it, rinsed the pot, warmed the cups, and poured….
Whenever the elderly in their residential area held tea gatherings, they would always summon him to be in charge of making tea. He had to go because he would also get free meals there.
Liu Yumei kept observing Li Zhuiyuan’s movements, and suddenly she found this child quite interesting.
“Grandma, tea’s ready.”
“Mm.” Taking a sip of tea, Liu Yumei said, “From now on, making tea will be your job; Grandma here actually has quite a few snacks.”
“Sure.”
At this moment, there were noises coming from the second-floor terrace, and soon, Li Sanjiang walked downstairs, looking weary and drained.
Liu Yumei slightly turned her head, smiling, “What’s wrong? Did you not sleep last night and run off to rob someone?”
Li Sanjiang sighed. Nothing felt worse than being chased by a group of Manchu zombies all night in his dream!
“Little Lord Yuan, how did you sleep last night?”
“I slept very well, Old Man.”
“That’s good, that’s good…”
Li Sanjiang let out a long breath. It seemed the formation had indeed worked; it was worth his suffering a bit.
Aunt Liu brought breakfast to Li Sanjiang, and just as he was eating, he spotted Li Weihan and Cui Guiying approaching from a distance, carrying Li Zhuiyuan’s clean clothes and snacks.
When the kids were at home, they had to share the snacks, but now that Li Zhuiyuan stayed outside, the remaining treats were all brought over.
“Little Lord Yuan, while staying here, listen to your Old Man and don’t give him any trouble, understand?”
“Grandma will come visit you, kiddo. If you want to come back, just run home and take a look, alright?”
“Clap, clap, clap!”
Li Sanjiang angrily tapped the wooden stool with his chopsticks and scolded, “Han Lord, you little brat, coming over to drop off things this early, are you afraid that if you come over later, your uncle would keep you for a meal?
Heh, now you’re something, even unwilling to sit down for a drink with me—acting all distant, not considering me family, huh?”
Seeing this, Li Weihan and Cui Guiying stepped forward to calm him down and apologize.
After soothing Li Sanjiang, they finally took their leave.
Li Sanjiang scraped the last bit of porridge into his mouth with his hand and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, turning to Li Zhuiyuan standing beside him and said: “Your grandfather is just jealous; he looks like he can’t sleep at night if he thinks he’s lost something of yours. That old fool really annoys me.”
His farmland was initially worked by Li Weihan, but who would’ve thought he later even withdrew his lease.
“That’s why you’re willing for Grandpa to take care of you.”
Li Sanjiang smacked his lips. This truth struck a chord in him.
He knew that when he really aged and couldn’t take care of himself, Li Weihan would not only take care of him, but most importantly… he wouldn’t give him a hard time.
Li Sanjiang had lived his life carefree, and even in the last stages, he wouldn’t want to suffer even a bit.
But in front of the children, Li Sanjiang still needed to put on a front, “What’s wrong? Having Grandpa take care of me is a loss? The land belongs to the village, but this house, this business, and what I’ve saved—all will ultimately still go to him, right? Heh, no loss for him!”
Following that, Li Sanjiang rubbed Li Zhuiyuan’s chin and continued, “But I don’t want my things divided among your ungrateful uncles; Little Lord Yuan, be more clever and make your Old Man happy, so I can write a note that all my belongings will go directly to you, okay?”
“Sure! When I grow up, I’ll take care of you, Old Man.”
“Hahaha! By the time you grow up, I likely will be long gone.”
But saying this truly felt joyful, carrying a sense of good fortune.
Li Zhuiyuan suddenly remembered what Aunt Liu mentioned about the basement and the book titled "Golden Sands Scripture" he saw on the floor in Li Sanjiang’s room last night, so he asked: “Old Man, what’s in the basement?”
“What?” Li Sanjiang replied, a bit surprised, “What’s there to see?”
“You said you’d leave everything to me later; you’re not speaking truthfully.”
“Alright, alright, if you want to go rummage, then go ahead. The key is in that shoe beside the door. Be careful; it’s dusty and dirty; I haven’t been in there for several years.”
“Thank you, Old Man.”
Just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to head to the basement to explore, another hunched figure appeared on the path outside—Niu Fu.
“Uncle Sanjiang, Uncle Sanjiang, I’ve come to ask you for help!”
Almost instinctively, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze fell right on Niu Fu’s hunch; then he immediately recalled Liu Jinxia's warning and hurriedly turned away, avoiding looking at him.
But because of this, he saw Qin Li, who had been like a statue inside the east room, actually move her neck to look at Niu Fu's back.
She could see him!
(End of Chapter)