Long Yuan had a dream.
In the dream, he was a wisp of breeze, drifting between heaven and earth.
No sound in this world could escape his ears.
He heard Blacksmith Wang in the south of the city complaining about rising pork prices.
He heard Widow Li in the north of the city making out with Old Zhao next door.
He heard Old Sun in the city center begging everywhere for help with his granddaughter's illness.
He also heard... the voice of his mother, Lin Meimei.
"...How certain are you?" Lin Meimei asked.
"Ten percent." The voice was hoarse, and its gender could not be identified.
Long Yuan tried hard to prick up his ears, wanting to hear who his mother was talking to—but as a wisp of breeze, he had no ears.
He could not hear clearly.
He could only catch scattered fragments of words he could not understand.
Lin Meimei: "...revive... agree... sorry... child..."
The hoarse voice: "...there is only... one chance..."
The wind was free, but it was also not free.
He could fly to any corner, but he could not remain where he wished to stay.
He drifted into the distance with the wind, and that familiar voice faded beyond his hearing.
Morning.
Long Yuan slowly woke up, faint tear tracks lingering at the corners of his eyes.
After getting dressed, washing his face, and brushing his teeth, Long Yuan calmly tidied himself up, then smiled and knocked on the neighboring door.
"Uncle Nan... uh, Uncle Dog, wake up. Time to eat."
Rustling came from inside the room. Nan Feng emerged in a sleeveless undershirt, beach shorts, and flip-flops, yawning.
"Uncle Dog, that outfit of yours..." Long Yuan looked Nan Feng up and down before commenting, "You kind of look like those old landlords in the