Separated by a wall, two beds.

On the west bed, Li Sanjiang’s brows were furrowed. He muttered in his sleep from time to time, his limbs twitching erratically. Despite such strong reactions, he was still unable to wake from the nightmare. In a hazy state, it felt as though an invisible person was pressing down on him. The presence was heavy, causing his chest to feel tight and making it almost impossible to breathe. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t push it away.

Li Sanjiang never expected that he, who had carried corpses his entire life, would one day experience sleep paralysis. Even in such a flustered, anxious, and chaotic state, he still found a measure of comfort: he thought that Xiao Yuanhou’s evil aura had been transferred to him, signifying the formation’s success.

Meanwhile, on the east bed, Li Zhuiyuan lay quietly. There was no trace of pain on his face, and his breathing was steady; he seemed to be sleeping soundly. However, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes in his dream. He sat up in bed, initially thinking he had woken up, but a glance outside revealed complete darkness. He realized he was still dreaming, as the mosquito screen in his bedroom usually allowed moonlight through; it couldn’t be this utterly dark.

Looking around, Li Zhuiyuan found that the only thing he could see was the bed beneath him. It was an old wooden bed, aged with time, many of its details worn away, but if one felt carefully, the exquisite and intricate carvings could still be discerned.

Li Zhuiyuan pushed aside the blanket, kneeled, and moved to the edge of the bed, trying to reach out and touch what was beyond. After all, it was just a dream.

Earlier that day, Liu Manting had asked him if he was bored in the countryside. He replied that there were many interesting things here. Indeed, there were many. In previous years, he never understood why the word “study” was often prefixed with “hard” or “diligently.” Studying, he thought, was simply reviewing concepts, theories, and formulas, then solving straightforward problems, wasn’t it? Later, he realized that some people genuinely experienced pain during the learning process. He envied them.

Being still young, he had little life or social experience. The place he spent the most time was the classroom. As a student, he couldn’t feel frustration or torment from difficult problems, nor joy or exhilaration after solving them. Without a sense of burden or effort, there was naturally no sense of accomplishment. The vast sea of problems felt like merely coloring in a grid, an utterly tedious task. Especially when he tried to imitate other students by reporting his grades to his parents, hoping for praise, his mother always looked at him with an increasingly cold gaze. It was as if he had done something wrong and was straying further and further down the wrong path. Thus, he could derive no emotions from studying, only… numbness.

The change came the moment he fell into the water and saw the little yellow oriole. He felt oppressed, he felt pain, and when he witnessed the bearded man and his son disappear into the fishpond and the little yellow oriole’s final dance on the water, he experienced a sense of profound revelation. His great-grandfather, seeing him lost in thought, advised him to think of pleasant things, like feasting. He didn’t tell his great-grandfather that what he felt in his heart at that moment was… exhilaration.

A new door had opened a crack before him. He began to like this unknown and eerie feeling. He finally understood ignorance and confusion; that sense of powerlessness and uncontrollability brought him a strange pleasure. He thought his grandmother’s ritual of using a needle to “call back the soul” and then placing it in a bowl of water was amazing. He looked at Liu Jinxia and Li Sanjiang, realizing they were even more extraordinary. They understood so many concepts, remembered so many formulas, and could solve problems. And he, was merely a poor student.

Li Zhuiyuan’s hand reached past the edge of the bed. He seemed to feel a very, very faint breeze, so subtle he even wondered if it was his imagination. Moreover, he couldn’t see the hand that extended past the bed’s edge anymore. He pulled his hand back, placed it in front of him—yes, his hand was still there. Then, he extended his hand again, this time downwards. He seemed to feel a slight coolness, still very faint, but at least he could confirm a difference in tactile sensation. At the same height as his bedside, in the invisible space beyond, there were two distinct mediums.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, concentrating his attention to perceive as much as possible. His hand, reaching downwards, began to sway slowly back and forth, his fingers wiggling erratically. “A bit more real, a bit more delicate, keep going.” His previous two dreams: the first was of the little yellow oriole coming to their house, and the second was of the hunchbacked grandpa carrying the old woman on his back. So this dream shouldn’t just be simple darkness.

Finally, he felt it—something slender seemed to have brushed against his fingertips. He immediately lay prone on the bed, extending his arm as far down as possible. Soon, that sensation reappeared, and its frequency began to increase. It felt like… water plants? Li Zhuiyuan immediately thought of the black water plants he had seen last time. Could it be hair? It kept brushing, weaving, stroking his fingertips and forearm. When he pinched it, he could feel a fine, stiff texture. It really seemed to be hair.

A soft pat. Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes lit up. Something had just gently patted his palm. It wasn’t the softness of hair, but something else. Wait, wait, wait… Another pat. It came a second time. What was it like, what could it be? Li Zhuiyuan began to ponder, comparing images from his memory that had similar tactile sensations. A third pat. This time, the force was stronger, but still not enough! Li Zhuiyuan began to increase the arc of his arm’s swing, swaying, swaying… Finally, a clear smack! With a distinct vibration, he also seemed to hear a crisp sound near his ear. It was like standing still with your arm raised, and someone walking by giving you a high-five.

As Li Zhuiyuan continued to make discoveries, the dense darkness beyond the bed silently began to fade. At the same time, the sensations from below became clearer. Li Zhuiyuan could even actively reach out to entwine the hair, and complete further high-fives with his swinging motion. He understood that the high-fives didn’t seem intentional on the other party’s part, but rather his hand had simply met theirs, as he also felt himself hitting a hand’s back, which produced a less crisp sound.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan felt his extended arm hit something. He felt a jolt of pain and instinctively retracted his arm upwards. This retraction seemed to allow something that had been stuck or blocked to continue its movement. Then, Li Zhuiyuan’s fingertips touched a hard, curved surface, followed by a smooth, concave dip, then a distinct, upward progression of bones. His fingers continued to move along bone by bone, then encountered something rounded, elevated, and elastic. His fingers then lost contact. He immediately extended his entire arm downwards, and finally, he grasped five small, clustered bone joints.

A quiet gasp escaped him. Li Zhuiyuan immediately pulled back his hand, a look of shock on his face. It was a complete human body; he had just traced from what felt like the back of her head down to her toes. There were people under the bed! Not just one or a few, but many, many—a crowd of people!

At this point, Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the thin blanket that had been beside him was gone. He looked up towards the diagonal corner of the bed, where a child was tightly wrapped in the blanket, curled up and trembling, eyes wide with terror. This child looked… exactly like him. “I’m so scared, I’m so scared, I’m really so scared,” the child whimpered, crying, “Mom, please come and get me.”

Li Zhuiyuan watched his trembling, terrified “self” and asked, “Why are you still here?”

“Comrade, we have tested and examined your son. He has no psychological problems. He is very healthy, cheerful, and outgoing,” the female doctor in a white coat stated with a smile, unable to resist gently stroking the little boy’s face. The little boy also smiled. What a lovely child, she thought. The doctor then looked up at the mother standing beside the boy, feeling puzzled. Why, when she delivered a “healthy” diagnosis, did the mother’s face show not a hint of joy, but only cold indifference?

At that time, psychology and psychological healthcare were not yet widespread in China, and the public’s understanding of them was limited. However, psychological clinics could still be found in the capital.

“Mom, I’m not sick,” said eight-year-old Li Zhuiyuan, taking his mother’s hand and looking up at her. “Mom, the doctor said I’m very healthy.”

Li Lan looked down at her son, then at the doctor, and said, “You’ve been fooled by him.”

The female doctor spread her hands, trying her best to control her emotions, and explained, “Comrade, since you brought your son here, I assume you have some understanding of psychology. Therefore, you should trust our diagnosis and our professionalism.”

Li Lan replied, “I overestimated your professionalism.”

The female doctor was speechless.

Li Lan took Li Zhuiyuan’s hand and turned to leave the clinic. Li Zhuiyuan followed his mother’s pace, his head bowed, like a child who had done something wrong. They didn’t go home but went to another psychological clinic affiliated with a foreign hospital. Li Zhuiyuan was taken in by a new doctor for examination.

Forty minutes later, the door opened, and Li Zhuiyuan was brought out. The doctor, with a serious expression, said, “Madam, we currently suspect your son shows relatively severe signs of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. From our consultation, this seems to be related to his family emotional life. He deeply yearns for his mother’s care and companionship. 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 regain his health.”

After listening to the doctor, Li Lan lowered her head, looked at Li Zhuiyuan standing before her, and asked, “Is this fun?”

“Mom, I…”

The doctor couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He reached out and stopped Li Lan. “Madam, you shouldn’t be so harsh with your son. His problems are already very serious. You must pay adequate attention, otherwise, later…”

Li Lan didn’t wait to hear more; she turned and walked away. “Madam! Madam!” the doctor called out, but she didn’t look back. Li Zhuiyuan trotted to catch up.

Li Lan stopped in front of a restroom. Li Zhuiyuan also stopped. A large mirror there reflected the mother and son. Li Zhuiyuan saw his mother in the mirror; she was staring at her own reflection, a hint of disgust in her eyes. And when her gaze shifted downwards to Li Zhuiyuan’s reflection in the mirror, the disgust in her eyes remained.

“Mom…” Li Zhuiyuan carefully tugged at Li Lan’s sleeve. He desperately wanted to ask his mother what he needed to do to make her love him as she once did, instead of growing increasingly indifferent over recent years. He believed that once he knew, he could quickly change, because he learned things fast.

From outside, his father’s voice called out. He ran over, sweating profusely, and anxiously asked without catching his breath, “Ah Lan, how is Xiao Yuan? Is anything wrong?”

“Dad.”

“Yes, son.”

Li Zhuiyuan was embraced by his father.

Li Lan watched the father and son embracing. She seemed to be trying to control herself, but the corners of her mouth still curled slightly, revealing a mocking smile. The man looked up and saw it. At that moment, all the emotions that had accumulated in his heart over time could no longer be suppressed. He almost groaned in a trembling voice, “Ah Lan, what do you want? What will it take to satisfy you? Do you have to torment us like this?” After shouting, he sat on the ground and cried.

“Dad, don’t cry.” Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward, wanting to wipe away his father’s tears. But then he met his mother’s gaze, and he immediately stopped all movement. Li Lan closed her eyes, then opened them after a moment. She then turned and walked away, leaving the father and son behind. Li Zhuiyuan watched ahead as his mother’s receding figure was reflected on the gleaming tiles.

“Why are you still here?” On the bed, Li Zhuiyuan asked his trembling “self” wrapped in the blanket for the second time. But the other “self” still gave no answer. Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. “Thank you for helping me trick the doctors during that examination, but you don’t exist.” He did not have schizophrenia.

As soon as he finished speaking, the thin blanket fell onto the bed. The “self” who had been wrapped in it, trembling and calling for Mom, was gone.

A rushing sound of water filled the air. Suddenly, the distinct sound of flowing water came from all around. The dense darkness finally receded, giving way to a faint, ink-wash grey. But at least, visibility had improved.

Li Zhuiyuan slowly stood up and looked around again. He was standing on the bed, yet it felt as if he were standing on a boat. For all around him were dark, surging river waves, and in the river water, countless corpses floated, densely packed like an endless rice field. His great-grandfather had said he would return to normal after the ritual. But why was he still dreaming, and such a dream?

At that moment, it seemed like the wind had picked up on the river. The wind swept through the corpses, carrying the unique stench of death. It was infinitely more potent than the scent of rice.

Li Zhuiyuan stood watching for a long time. He even walked to the head of the bed, leaning on the bed frame to look. He didn’t know how long this dream would last, and he didn’t seem to have a way to wake himself up voluntarily. However… Li Zhuiyuan sat down on the bed, straightened the crumpled thin blanket, folded it neatly, lay down, and placed the blanket over his stomach. He prepared to sleep. A soft hum escaped him.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes. It was already daylight outside. He knew he had truly woken up. He had slept very comfortably, feeling refreshed and invigorated. Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but wonder if sleeping within a dream was true deep sleep. If that were the case, he wouldn’t mind dreams like last night’s; in fact, he’d feel a little nostalgic for them. After all, even the most terrifying nightmares became bearable with enough exposure.

He looked down and found that the black thread circles on his neck, wrists, and ankles had snapped on their own. His great-grandfather had said they could be cut off in the morning. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?

He got out of bed, walked to the door, and before pushing it open, closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply. This was a habit he had learned from his mother. After waking up, she would often stand in front of the bathroom mirror, diligently taking deep breaths. Even now, Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t sure what the purpose of it was. However, after pushing open the door and feeling the warm sunlight bathe him, a smile appeared on Li Zhuiyuan’s lips, as if all the gloom from last night had vanished at that moment.

Picking up his washbasin and toothbrush cup, Li Zhuiyuan went to the terrace to get water and began to wash up.

“Xiao Yuan, finish washing up and come down for breakfast,” Aunt Liu called from the courtyard.

“Okay, Aunt Liu.”

Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs. This time, the small wooden stool wasn’t set up inside the house, but in the courtyard. On the wooden stool was already a bowl of plain porridge, a salted duck egg, a plate of sour eggplant, and a plate of pickled ginger.

“There’s still porridge in the pot. How about I get you another duck egg?”

“That’s enough, Aunt Liu, thank you, Aunt Liu.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s my job.”

Li Zhuiyuan was curious about how much his great-grandfather paid Aunt Liu. However, he figured his great-grandfather had enough money. Although he lived “luxuriously,” he also had many sources of income. Most importantly, he had no children and saved no money, spending whatever he earned.

“Aunt Liu, has my great-grandfather gone out?”

“No, he probably hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Oh.”

Li Zhuiyuan began to eat breakfast. He first tapped the hollow end of the duck egg against the wooden stool, then peeled open a crack along the shell, held it in his hand, and used the tip of a chopstick to scoop out and eat the contents. As he was nearly finished eating, he saw square wooden stools and small benches set up at the eastern end of the courtyard, about twenty meters away, also with plain porridge and pickled vegetables. The little girl he had seen yesterday was led out by her grandmother, hand in hand, and sat down.

Today she was wearing a purple qipao, much more modest than Xiao Huangying’s, and the embroidery on her qipao was also much more intricate and rich. Additionally, she had changed her hairstyle today, with a wooden hairpin inserted in it. Such meticulous dressing was rare in the countryside, especially in summer, when most boys ran around the village in just underwear.

Aunt Liu brought another set of square wooden stools and small benches, this time with a tea set on the wooden stool. She leaned down and said something to the old woman. The old woman waved her hand, and Aunt Liu left. The old woman, meanwhile, knelt in front of the girl, speaking to her softly and gently. The girl sat there, gazing straight ahead. Just like yesterday, her eyes seemed to see no one else. But the old woman’s persuasion eventually worked. The girl quietly lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that she would take one mouthful of pickled vegetables then two mouthfuls of porridge, then another mouthful of pickled vegetables and two mouthfuls of porridge, maintaining the same rhythm without fail. The old woman peeled a salted duck egg for her, but when she tried to offer it, the girl stopped, and her body seemed to begin trembling slightly. The old woman immediately apologized and took the salted duck egg away. Only then did the girl resume her meal, still one mouthful of pickled vegetables to two mouthfuls of porridge.

Witnessing this scene, Li Zhuiyuan recalled someone: his deskmate from the gifted class. He ate the same way, planning out his food on the tray beforehand—how much vegetable for how much rice—so that by the end, all the food and rice were consumed. Furthermore, when leaving the classroom, he always had to step on the corner of the floor tiles. If he stepped incorrectly one day, he would run back to the classroom and walk out again, even if he had to hold it in to go to the restroom.

The girl ate quickly. After finishing, she put down her chopsticks. The old woman took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the corners of her mouth and her fingers. Then, she stood up, picked up the stool, and walked back to the East House. At the same spot, she put down the stool, sat down, placed her feet on the threshold, and gazed straight ahead. The old woman gave a helpless glance, then stood up and sat on a chair.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the old woman’s gaze had fallen on him again, but unlike yesterday, this time she actively waved and called out to him: “Come here, let me see you.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked over. As he got closer, he seemed to smell the faint scent of incense emanating from her.

“Hello, Grandma.”

“Your name is Xiao Yuan, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Li Zhuiyuan.”

“My surname is Liu.”

“Grandma Liu.”

“Good boy. It’s the first time I’ve seen another child since moving here, hehe.” Liu Yumei raised her wrist, glanced at her bracelet, hesitated as if deeming it unsuitable, then finally took off a jade archer’s ring from her ring finger and presented it to Li Zhuiyuan. “Here, a small gift from Grandma.”

Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand. “I can’t take it, Grandma Liu, it’s too valuable.”

“It’s fake, just glass. Play with it as a toy.”

“No, I can’t take it.”

Liu Yumei extended it further, urging, “It’s impolite to refuse a gift from an elder.”

Li Zhuiyuan stepped back half a step, not reaching out to accept it, and replied, “I have to ask my great-grandfather first.”

Liu Yumei nodded, put the jade ring back in her pocket, and didn’t put it back on her finger.

“Xiao Yuan, what grade are you in?”

“Third grade.”

“How are your grades?”

“They’re alright.”

“How old are you this year?”

“Ten years old.”

“What month were you born?”

“August.”

“Then you’re a month older than our Ah Li.” As she spoke, Liu Yumei looked at the girl sitting behind the threshold. “Originally, our Ah Li should have been in third grade too.” Liu Yumei’s expression immediately saddened. Yes, her granddaughter should have been as cheerful and healthy as the boy before her, attending school.

“Oh, right, Xiao Yuan, while you’re staying here, you can go anywhere else, just don’t go to the East House. And don’t go near Ah Li. Our Ah Li doesn’t like strangers approaching; she’s shy and uneasy with new people.”

Grandma Liu gave him the same warning his great-grandfather had given him last night. Li Zhuiyuan asked, “Grandma, does Ah Li have autism?”

Liu Yumei looked at the little boy in front of her with great surprise. “You know about that?” In those days, most people hadn’t even heard the term.

“Yes.”

Liu Yumei blinked, then reached out and took Li Zhuiyuan’s hand, asking, “How? Do you have an adult in your family who studies this?” He knew that he was the one they studied. “I saw it in the newspaper.”

“Oh,” Liu Yumei sighed, a little disappointed.

“Grandma Liu, there are places in the big cities that can treat this condition.” Li Zhuiyuan was curious. Their family didn’t seem to lack money, so why didn’t they take Qin Li to a big city for treatment instead of staying here?

“Our Ah Li’s autism isn’t ordinary. Going to a hospital to see a doctor is useless.”

Li Zhuiyuan was somewhat confused. If hospitals were useless, would staying with his great-grandfather here be effective?

Liu Yumei turned sideways, looked at the tea set on the wooden stool, and asked, “Would you like some tea?”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

Seeing Liu Yumei prepare to bend down for the thermos, Li Zhuiyuan quickly offered, “I’ll do it.”

“Oh? Alright, you go ahead.”

Li Zhuiyuan opened the tea cake, added the tea, waited for the water to heat, steeped the tea, rinsed the teapot, warmed the cups, and served the infusion. When the elderly residents of the family compound held tea parties, they would always call him over to prepare the tea, and he had to go because he also relied on them for meals. Liu Yumei watched Li Zhuiyuan’s actions. She suddenly found the child very interesting.

“Grandma, have some tea.”

“Mm.” Taking a sip of tea, Liu Yumei said, “From now on, I’ll leave the tea-making to you. Grandma has plenty of snacks here.”

“Okay!”

Just then, there was a stir on the second-floor terrace. Soon, Li Sanjiang came downstairs, looking fatigued and dispirited. Liu Yumei tilted her head slightly and smiled, “What, didn’t sleep last night? Went out thieving?”

Li Sanjiang sighed. It was worse than thieving; he had been chased by a horde of Qing dynasty zombies in his dream all night! “Xiao Yuanhou, how did you sleep last night?”

“Great-grandfather, I slept very well.”

“That’s good, that’s good…” Li Sanjiang let out a long breath. It seemed the formation had indeed succeeded, and his suffering was worth it.

Aunt Liu brought Li Sanjiang his breakfast. As Li Sanjiang was eating, the figures of Li Weihan and Cui Guiying appeared in the distance, carrying Li Zhuiyuan’s change of clothes and snacks. When Li Zhuiyuan was at home, these snacks had to be shared among all the children. Now that he was staying outside, the remaining ones were all brought to him.

“Xiao Yuanhou, while you’re staying here, listen to your great-grandfather and don’t cause him any trouble, understand?”

“Grandma will come to see you, child. Be good. If you want to come home, just run back and visit, okay?”

Li Sanjiang angrily clacked his chopsticks against the wooden stool, and scolded, “Hanhou, you rascal, coming here so early to drop things off! Are you afraid that if you came later, I, your uncle, would keep you for a meal? Ha, now you’re too good for us. You won’t even sit down and have a drink with your uncle. You’re treating me like a stranger, not family, right?”

Seeing this, Li Weihan and Cui Guiying immediately stepped forward to appease him and apologize. They only left after placating Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang scraped the last bit of porridge into his mouth, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said to Li Zhuiyuan, who was standing beside him, “Your grandpa is just so petty. He acts like he can’t sleep at night if he takes even a small advantage of someone. That’s what annoys me most about him.” His fields were originally for Li Weihan to farm, but who knew that old fellow would actually break the lease later on?

“That’s why you’re willing to let Grandpa take care of you in your old age, Great-grandfather.”

Li Sanjiang smacked his lips a few times; those words truly resonated with him. He knew that when he truly became incapacitated and couldn’t care for himself, Li Weihan would not only look after him but, more importantly… he wouldn’t show him any resentment. Li Sanjiang had lived a carefree life, and even in his final years, he didn’t want to suffer the slightest grievance.

But in front of a child, Li Sanjiang still had to maintain an air of authority: “What’s wrong, he’d be losing out by taking care of me in my old age? The land belongs to the village collective, but this house, this business, all the things I’ve saved—won’t they all eventually go to him anyway? Humph, he won’t lose out.” Then, Li Sanjiang stroked Li Zhuiyuan’s chin and continued, “But I certainly don’t want my possessions to end up divided among those ungrateful uncles of yours. Xiao Yuanhou, be a good boy, make your great-grandfather happy, and I’ll write a note, how about I give all these assets directly to you in the future?”

“Okay! When I grow up, I’ll take care of you in your old age, Great-grandfather.”

“Hahahaha, by the time you grow up, your great-grandfather will probably be long gone.” But these words made him genuinely happy, carrying a hint of good fortune.

Li Zhuiyuan remembered the basement Aunt Liu mentioned yesterday and the *Jinsaluo Sutra* he saw on the floor in Li Sanjiang’s room last night. He spoke up: “Great-grandfather, what’s in your basement?”

“The valuable things are on the first floor. The stuff in the basement isn’t worth much; it’s all junk I picked up over the years, plus a dozen boxes of old books that others stored here—like indecipherable scribbles, you wouldn’t understand them.”

Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes lit up. Those weren’t junk books; they were his study materials. He urgently wanted to improve his academic performance. “Great-grandfather, can I go in and take a look?”

“Huh?” Li Sanjiang was surprised. “What’s so interesting about that stuff?”

“You said all your assets would be left to me in the future. You’re not going back on your word, are you?”

“Alright, alright, go ahead and look if you want. The key is in the cloth shoe next to the door. Be careful, it’s very dusty and dirty in there; I haven’t been in for years.”

“Thank you, Great-grandfather.”

Just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to go explore the basement, another hunched figure appeared on the path outside—it was Niu Fu. “Uncle Sanjiang, Uncle Sanjiang, I’ve come to beg you!”

Almost instinctively, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze immediately fell on Niu Fu’s hunchback. Then he instantly recalled Liu Jinxia’s warning and quickly turned away, twisting his head to avoid looking at him. But precisely because of this, Li Zhuiyuan saw Qin Li, who had been sitting motionless like a statue in the East House, actually move her neck and look at Niu Fu’s back. She could see him!