I didn't know what background this man named Xie Yi had. He said he was from Bureau Five, Section Nine, but I had no idea what kind of organization Bureau Five, Section Nine was.
Yet I didn't doubt anything he said. From the moment he mentioned that I had dreamed of Little Ancestral Hall Entrance and named Uncle Long and Aunt Qin, I had believed he knew something about my dream.
But why did he want me to go with him? Why did he say I would die if I didn't?
Eccentric Song was stunned too. He looked at me, then at Xie Yi, and finally turned to Professor Wang and asked softly, "Teacher, wh-what is going on?"
Professor Wang had only uttered two words when Xie Yi raised a hand to stop him. He nodded at Professor Wang, who let out a long breath, his expression becoming incomparably grave.
"Jiang, go with him. Don't you want to get a clearer understanding of this? Go with him. He can give you an answer."
I was confused. Professor Wang was actually speaking up for Xie Yi.
"As for the school, I'll help you apply for leave. No matter how long you're gone, it won't affect your graduation certificate." Professor Wang even made me such a promise. I was speechless. I only wanted to figure out why I kept having the same dream. How had things turned into this? Going away with a stranger, and this stranger was telling me that this dream might put my life in danger. What kind of mess was this?
"Can you tell me what exactly is going on?" My eyes were fixed on Xie Yi's face. Even if I was going with him, I at least deserved to know why, didn't I?
A faint smile appeared on Xie Yi's face. "It seems you no longer remember what happened ten years ago. That's fine. You had to learn about it sooner or later."
As Xie Yi spoke, he gave Professor Wang a look. Professor Wang said to Eccentric Song, "Let's go outside and let them talk."
Eccentric Song reluctantly followed Professor Wang out of the study. Only Xie Yi and I remained in the room.
"Do you remember how you left Little Ancestral Hall Entrance?"
His question stunned me. "Ten years ago, during the old city redevelopment, the entire street at Little Ancestral Hall Entrance was demolished. My family moved away then."
Xie Yi said nothing. He merely looked at me quietly, and his gaze made me uncomfortable. I coughed. "What are you looking at me for?"
He sighed softly. "Then let me ask you this. You said your family moved away during the old city redevelopment. Who was in your family at the time?"
"Me, my dad, and my mom!" I was practically losing it. Why was I answering such a stupid question?
Xie Yi sighed. "It seems you really don't remember anything."
I was getting angry. What exactly did he mean? I remembered everything, clearly. Little Ancestral Hall Entrance, the people who lived there, all the stories that happened there, the joys and sorrows of my childhood.
Just as I was about to say something, he pulled a photograph from his pocket and held it out to me. "Look. Do you remember them?"
I took the photograph and glanced at it. Then I froze.
It was a family portrait of three people: a couple and a child. The couple looked to be in their thirties, and the child was probably around ten. I didn't know the couple, but wasn't that child me? Yes, it was exactly what I had looked like as a child.
The photograph had yellowed with age.
"Who are they?" I blurted out.
"It seems you recognized yourself. They're your parents."
How could that be? There was no way I wouldn't recognize my own parents.
My father's name was Jiang Chengyue, and he was a bus driver. My mother's name was Chen Fang, and she was a nurse at the maternity hospital.
I set the photograph on the table. "I don't know where you got a photo like this, but I can be certain that they aren't my parents."
He frowned. "Your father was named Jiang Chengyue and was a bus driver at the time. Your mother was named Chen Fang and was a nurse at the maternity hospital. You were in the fourth grade of elementary school then. This was taken at a photo studio on your birthday, when your parents took you there."
"You're lying. Yes, my father is named Jiang Chengyue, and my mother is indeed named Chen Fang. You even got their jobs right. But they definitely aren't the people in this photograph. They're in Qiao City right now. Do you want me to take you to see them?"
I wanted to see my parents immediately too. This was all too bizarre. I hoped they could expose Xie Yi's lies to his face.
Before this, I had thought fairly well of him. Though his clothes were a little unconventional, his manner and speech had been quite proper. But he shouldn't have made this kind of joke. No matter what his purpose was, I couldn't accept it.
"Fine. Take me to see them now."
To my surprise, Xie Yi agreed.
We left the study. Professor Wang and Eccentric Song were talking in the living room. When they saw us, Professor Wang asked, "You're leaving already?"
Eccentric Song looked at me with concern. "You're just leaving like that?"
They both thought I had agreed to go with Xie Yi.
"Even if you're leaving, shouldn't you pack first?" Eccentric Song added.
Xie Yi said to Professor Wang, "We're going to Qiao City. He said he'll take me to see his parents."
"Oh." Professor Wang nodded, though his brow creased slightly.
Eccentric Song said, "Can I come with you?"
Xie Yi looked at me, making it obvious that he wanted me to decide for myself.
I nodded. I didn't trust this man right now. I would feel more at ease with Eccentric Song there.
"Teacher, I'll have to trouble you to help me apply for leave!" Eccentric Song said to Professor Wang with a grin. Professor Wang nodded. It wasn't difficult for him.
Eccentric Song and I followed Xie Yi to the parking lot. He was driving a Wrangler. I knew that car cost at least several hundred thousand.
The drive from the provincial capital to Qiao City took about an hour and a half on the highway now. Ten years ago, on the old roads, it would have taken more than five hours.
A lot of people and things had changed in ten years. Back then, Qiao City had still been a small county town. Now it was officially a city.
Eccentric Song was a chatterbox whose mouth was never still. Normally, I liked talking with him too, but I wasn't in the mood today. Xie Yi, on the other hand, was chatting with him enthusiastically. I listened halfheartedly from the side, my mind a complete mess.
"Little Song, you two were high school classmates and good friends. You must have spent a lot of time together, right?"
"Of course. Back in high school, he was always bullied by the other students. I got into plenty of fights with them for his sake. Having our parents called in was practically routine."
I turned to glance at Eccentric Song. He looked back at me. "What? Did I say something wrong? Back then, they were always bringing up your parents. Every time you got angry, you'd fight them. I helped you out plenty of times, didn't I?"
My heart clenched. What was he talking about? Why didn't I remember any of that?
"Eccentric Song, what are you talking about?" My face darkened. This guy's bragging was getting more and more outrageous.
Eccentric Song said, "Was I wrong? They said you were picked up by your Grandpa, said you didn't know what family you came from, that you were some wild—"
Eccentric Song immediately shut his mouth, but I knew what word he had wanted to say.
Xie Yi glanced at me, then asked, "Little Song, did you ever go to Xiaobai's house?"
"Of course. I went there plenty of times."
I said nothing more and simply listened quietly. I didn't know what was wrong with Eccentric Song, why he would say such things. I began to wonder whether this man named Xie Yi had done something to him. But what was his purpose?
I was just a poor student from an ordinary working-class family. What could he possibly gain from doing this?
"Then you must have seen his parents, right?"
I knew he was asking deliberately. Eccentric Song was my best friend and had been to my home countless times. He had definitely seen my parents. But at that moment, I felt uneasy. I was afraid Eccentric Song would give some other answer.
Sure enough, my worry wasn't unnecessary.
"His parents? He never saw them himself. His family only had a Grandpa. His Grandpa raised him all along."
I stared wide-eyed at Eccentric Song as if he were a stranger.
"You've obviously seen my parents, so why are you lying?" I grabbed his arm.
Maybe I had hurt him, because a pained expression appeared on his face. "Jiang Xiaobai, what the hell is wrong with you? Let go of me."