Lately, I had been having the same dream over and over.
It was always about that little street, where I had spent my childhood.
That little street had long since changed beyond recognition during the old city renovation ten years ago. It was now one of the city's most famous commercial districts.
There were not many residents on that street. From one end to the other, there were only some thirty-odd households, a little over a hundred people.
Uncle Long, Sister Xiaoping, Er Lai, Zhijun, Aunt Qin...
I could name every person who had lived on that little street.
Back then, our small county town had no skyscrapers at all. Most buildings were low, single-story houses. Even wealthy families had, at most, small two-story homes. Neighbors were close, and children often played their way from one house to another. The adults never got angry over the children's mischief. Instead, seeing them have fun brought smiles to their faces as well.
I missed those days deeply. Although the conditions in every respect could not compare to those of today, relationships between people had been simple, honest, and full of warmth.
But none of that could ever be found again.
Later on, I rarely saw the neighbors from that street either. Even when we met by chance, we had become much more distant.
But lately, they had all returned—only in my dreams.
I was only in my early twenties. I should not have been old enough to feel nostalgic, so why was I having the same dream every night?
Yet the little street in my dreams was always gray and murky, like night but not quite night. I could not describe the feeling. Those familiar faces no longer wore familiar smiles, and their eyes were hollow, as though they possessed no life at all.
The dream made me uneasy. Why was I having a dream like this? And it had already continued for many days.
I told my best friend, Eccentric Song, about it. We had been high school classmates and had entered the same university together, though we were in different departments. I studied philosophy, while he studied psychology. I had hoped he could use his expertise to clear up my confusion.
Who would have thought that after scamming me out of a meal of crayfish, his conclusion was that I had watched too many horror movies lately?
Perhaps. I did enjoy horror movies. It was not that I believed in supernatural nonsense, but watching them gave people a different kind of experience. As for exactly what kind, I could not really explain it.
Eccentric Song had once analyzed me from a professional perspective. He said people like me were contradictions, enjoying emotional experiences brought by both positive and negative feelings.
"By the way, if you're really hung up on this dream, I can take you to see my teacher. Maybe he can give you a satisfactory answer."
It seemed that crayfish had not gone to waste. I agreed immediately.
It was not that I was hung up on the dream. I was simply curious why the exact same dream appeared every night.
Seeing that it was still early, Eccentric Song took me to his teacher's home. Along the way, he told me all sorts of things about his professor. He made it sound downright mystical, practically praising his teacher to the heavens.
I did not fully believe him. After knowing him for so many years, I knew exactly what he was like. If you squeezed half the water out of his words, what remained still might not be anything worthwhile.
This was the university's faculty housing. Anyone who could live here was certainly extraordinary. Even across all of Qianzhou Province, they would be among the very best.
Eccentric Song knocked softly twice. The door opened, and a middle-aged woman stood before us. When she saw Eccentric Song, she smiled. "Little Song, come in, come in. Hurry inside. Your teacher and I were just talking about you."
Eccentric Song shed his usual flippant manner and obediently said, "Hello, Madam. This is one of my good friends. He wants to ask Teacher some questions."
Only then did the woman look at me, sizing me up from head to toe.
"Hello, Madam!" Feeling a little embarrassed under her gaze, I greeted her as well.
The woman beamed. "Good, good. Let Little Song take you in. He's in the study. I'll make tea for you two."
Eccentric Song led me to the study with practiced ease. He must have been a regular here. I had not expected this guy to actually have some skill. We were already juniors, yet I did not even know where my own professor lived.
There were two people in the study. One was Eccentric Song's teacher, Wang Kaiguo, the famous psychology professor at Qian University. The man sitting opposite him appeared to be around thirty. He wore loose Zen robes and had shoulder-length hair. Though messy, it did not look out of place. His eyes were clear as water, yet sharp as an eagle's, as though they could see straight through the human heart.
My intuition told me that this man was not Professor Wang's student, because I could sense Professor Wang's respect for him. They should have been peers.
That made me curious. There was nearly a twenty-year age gap between them. For Professor Wang to treat him as an equal, this man could not be ordinary.
"Little Song, what brings you here?" Professor Wang asked with a smile.
Eccentric Song said somewhat awkwardly, "Teacher has company. We'll come back another day."
Professor Wang glanced at the man, his smile unchanged. "It's fine. We're only catching up with an old friend. What did you need from me?"
Eccentric Song pointed at me. "Teacher, he's my childhood friend, Jiang Xiaobai."
"So you're Jiang Xiaobai. I've heard so much about you!" Professor Wang burst into hearty laughter, and even the man joined in.
Professor Wang's words made me feel awkward. My parents had given me this name. When I was born, they could never have imagined that years later, there would be a liquor with the same name. Professor Wang had probably only heard of me because of that drink.
"Professor, my childhood friend has run into something strange," Eccentric Song said solemnly.
"Something strange?" Professor Wang's smile vanished. He and the man exchanged another look, and then both turned their gazes on me.
"Yes. He's been having the same dream lately. At first, I did not think it was anything serious, but he keeps obsessing over it. I was afraid he might get stuck in his own head, so I brought him here for you to give him some proper guidance." Eccentric Song certainly knew how to talk.
"Oh? Can you tell us what you dreamed about?" Professor Wang asked curiously.
I roughly described my dream. I noticed the man's brow furrow slightly, then he spoke. "How long have you been having this dream?"
I thought about it and said, "About seven or eight days, I think. It's exactly the same every night. Professor, I heard people have the same dream because they have unresolved feelings, but I don't think I have any. And after all these years, I have hardly ever deliberately thought about the past. I really want to know what is going on."
Professor Wang said, "Logically speaking, it is impossible for someone to keep having the exact same dream. Even if recurring dreams are possible, they would not be like yours. To be honest, I do not know what is happening either. Of course, if you truly want to understand it, there is a way. Hypnosis could help find the root cause. The question is whether you think it is necessary."
I did not think it was necessary. I knew hypnosis would practically lay my inner world bare before others. Though my heart was pure, I still did not want anyone peering into secrets that belonged to me alone.
I was about to refuse when the man spoke again. "Was the little street in your dream called Little Ancestral Hall Entrance?"
I froze. That street really was called Little Ancestral Hall Entrance. The elders said there had once been a dilapidated ancestral hall there. Later, it was demolished and the street was built, which was how it got its name.
"How did you know?" I asked back, though that was answer enough.
He ignored my question and continued, "Among the people you dreamed of, were there anyone named Long Zhong and Qin Yueying?"
I was even more confused. Long Zhong was Uncle Long, and Qin Yueying was Aunt Qin. How did he know their names?
I nodded heavily, but asked, "Who are you? How do you know their names?"
Perhaps seeing that I was overreacting, Eccentric Song gently tugged at my sleeve.
The man looked at me. "Perhaps I can tell you why you're having this dream, but you have to come with me."
Go with him? Where?
I did not even know who he was. Why should I go with him?
But he had indeed stirred my curiosity.
"My name is Xie Yi. I'm from Bureau Five, Section Nine. I not only know why you've been having the same dream, I even know what will happen to you in the future. If you don't want to die, come with me."