Was it because I thought about her all day and dreamt about her at night? After all, I’d been admiring her so much these past two days that I’d almost started treating her as an object of beauty.

However, the next moment, Qin Li, standing on the plaza, looked up at Li Zhuiyuan on the terrace. Their eyes met for the first time.

Li Zhuiyuan realized she wasn’t a product of his own dream; rather, she had entered *his* dream. Dreams, being projections of reality, meant that his fixed mental image of her had become almost habitual. In a dream, she shouldn’t have made any unnecessary movements.

That’s not right… Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly. Was this really his dream? Was there a possibility that both he and Qin Li, down below, were merely participants?

Perhaps he hadn’t dreamt enough to summarize many patterns or experiences. He had only just started reading, and his books were merely introductory science popularization. It was like a problem presented before him, but he couldn’t even grasp its meaning.

Perhaps Qin Li knew something? Since she had actively looked at him, could he also expect her to speak?

However, the first floor was currently bustling and noisy. Descending the stairs would mean crossing through the middle of the crowd, which was impractical. The second-floor terrace wasn’t excessively high, but for his small build, jumping down directly was also unrealistic. Since this might not be his own dream, he had lost the right to take reckless risks.

Li Zhuiyuan squatted down and waved to Qin Li below, signaling her to come closer so they might whisper something. However, before Qin Li could react, Li Zhuiyuan heard footsteps from the stairway behind him. He turned around to see four elderly women approaching. They wore brightly colored clothes, and their faces were heavily powdered and rouged. They had also spotted Li Zhuiyuan; in fact, it seemed they were heading directly for him.

“Child, why are you here? The banquet is about to start!”

“Hurry, the feast is starting! Go get a seat for the first serving; the second group will have to wait a long time!”

“Exactly, finish the first serving quickly and go home to sleep so you won’t be late for school tomorrow.”

For banquets held for both joyous and solemn occasions, when guest numbers exceeded the venue’s capacity, meals were served in shifts. After the first group finished eating, the tables would be cleared and reset with new dishes and cold appetizers for the second group to be seated.

“I don’t…”

Before he could voice his refusal, an elderly woman reached out and firmly grasped Li Zhuiyuan’s hand. In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan found his original clothes had vanished, replaced by an old-fashioned yet surprisingly new-looking blue gown. The elderly woman’s grip was incredibly strong, pulling Li Zhuiyuan forward in a series of stumbles. As they descended the stairs, he tried to pry her hand open. Her hand was disturbingly pale, an unsettling, bloodless white, utterly devoid of any lines or wrinkles.

As if sensing his struggle, the elderly woman suddenly stopped and slowly turned her head: “Child, you’re not being a good boy. You don’t want to go?”

Her voice grew slow and eerie, and the corridor’s usual brightness dimmed significantly. The scant remaining light seemed to focus entirely on the elderly woman’s face.

Li Zhuiyuan took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face: “Yes, I’ll go. I want to eat at the banquet.”

“Good boy.”

The moment she spoke, the light in the corridor instantly returned to normal. The elderly woman continued to pull Li Zhuiyuan’s hand, leading him all the way down to the first floor.

Originally, his great-grandfather’s first floor was used purely as a warehouse; its four walls remained unpainted, revealing the raw cement. Now, however, the entire first floor was brightly decorated with lanterns and streamers, creating a festive atmosphere. Tables had been set up, each draped in red plastic sheeting and laden with bowls, plates, and cold appetizers. Many people were bustling about, men and women of all ages. All were dressed in excessively flamboyant new clothes, with heavily powdered faces and distinct blush.

Li Zhuiyuan probably knew what they were. Because while all the tables, chairs, benches, and tableware were set on the first floor, the many paper effigies usually stored there were nowhere to be seen.

Once on the first floor, the elderly woman released Li Zhuiyuan’s hand and went about her business. Li Zhuiyuan turned around, only to discover that the stairs he had just descended… were gone. He didn’t stand idly by; instead, he walked towards the entrance. For ease of delivery, his great-grandfather’s house had many main doors, and at this moment, the door panels had been removed, leaving the entrance wide open. Consequently, the first floor and the plaza outside were practically a single, continuous space.

Just as he reached the doorway, Li Zhuiyuan saw two young women entering, pulling a small girl behind them – it was Qin Li. Unlike him, her clothes hadn’t changed, likely because what she was already wearing suited the environment perfectly. At that moment, Qin Li’s eyelashes began to flutter, and her body started to tremble slightly. Li Zhuiyuan guessed she might be about to lash out and bite someone.

The two young women holding her also seemed to sense Qin Li’s unease; they both lowered their heads to look at her. Simultaneously, the light around where the three of them stood began to dim, and this darkness steadily spread. Others encompassed by it abruptly ceased their conversations and activities, all turning to look their way with grim expressions.

Li Zhuiyuan was now certain: this was not his dream. Nor, of course, was it Qin Li’s. He had never heard of anyone in their own dream suffering repercussions from the environment for an out-of-place action. This was clearly someone else’s dream, and though he didn’t know whose, that entity was deeply immersed in it. Any illogical, out-of-place behavior within the dream would disturb it and cause it to awaken. Upon waking, it might be in a bad mood, or it might simply crush the two insignificant ‘shrimps’ who had disrupted its pleasant dream, then go back to sleep. Regardless of the scenario, Li Zhuiyuan felt it would be highly detrimental to his current situation.

So he stepped forward, stood in front of Qin Li, and said with a smile: “Little sister, I finally found you! You wouldn’t believe how long big brother has been looking for you.”

Li Zhuiyuan then looked at the two women holding Qin Li’s hands and said, “Thank you for helping me find my sister. She tends to wander off by herself easily; she’s not quite all there,” As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan pointed to his forehead.

“Oh, so that’s it,” the two women’s faces showed a look of understanding. “Your sister is here.”

The spreading shadow stopped its expansion but didn’t recede. Those outside the shadow continued with their activities, while those within it remained fixated on them.

Not enough!

Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips. He actively reached out and took Qin Li’s hand, then used his other hand to gently pat her head from behind. “Little sister, be good. Don’t be afraid; big brother is here, and I’ll take care of you.”

Having said and done this, Li Zhuiyuan braced himself for the scratching and biting he expected to follow. But he had to take the gamble. Since Qin Li had previously looked up at him of her own accord from downstairs, he was betting she could endure this contact as well! Their bodies were very close, and Li Zhuiyuan could feel the girl’s hand trembling.

From his one-sided observations over the past two days in reality, Li Zhuiyuan knew that the girl in front of him rejected all external contact. Only her grandmother could gently persuade her to eat, but even Grandma Liu dared not make any intimate gestures to her. To Li Zhuiyuan’s delight, however, the girl’s trembling gradually subsided, and her breathing became steady. Not only did she not push him away, but she also didn’t even try to free her hand from his grasp.

Seeing the girl finally calm down, the shadow beneath their feet immediately began to recede, eventually vanishing. Everyone who had been standing still and staring at them turned back to their own business, including the two women.

Phew… they were safe for now.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Qin Li and quietly asked, “Do you know what we should do next?”

Qin Li didn’t respond; she merely kept her gaze fixed on him. Well, she probably didn’t know either.

If it were daytime, Li Zhuiyuan thought he would be quite happy just to hold her hand and have her look at him. It would be like a perfect piece of art interacting with you and responding to your presence. However, in their current surroundings, Li Zhuiyuan found it difficult to feel that way.

“Seating! Seating! Everyone, please take your seats quickly!”

“Alright, find your seats, find your seats, quickly!”

Someone was ushering people to their seats. At a time like this, the safest choice was to conform.

“Let’s go find a place to sit,” Li Zhuiyuan told Qin Li, then, holding her hand, he walked toward a table where only a small boy was seated. Just as he was about to sit down, the little boy immediately bent over, covered the bench, and shouted: “I’m saving this seat! I’m saving this seat! My mom, dad, grandparents, and uncles are coming right away; you can’t sit here!”

He had encountered someone saving seats in advance. If it weren’t for the boy’s heavily rouged face, which clearly marked him as a paper doll-turned-child, Li Zhuiyuan would have suspected he was Hu Zi or Shi Tou. The last time he ate at Big Beard’s house, Hu Zi and Shi Tou had also gone ahead to save seats for their older brothers; their expressions, tones, and postures were almost identical.

“Child, child, there are two empty spots here. Sit here, and our table will be full,” an elderly grandfather wearing a burial shroud from the next table called out invitingly.

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Li Zhuiyuan immediately pulled Qin Li over. After he sat down, seeing Qin Li still standing, he could only quietly prompt, “Sit.” Qin Li remained motionless, still standing. Li Zhuiyuan had to reach out, grasp her waist, and gently push her down. She sat. However, as he touched her waist, Li Zhuiyuan felt her begin to tremble once more. Once he released her, she calmed down again. He lowered his head and glanced at the hand he was still holding… Li Zhuiyuan understood that this was likely the maximum level of contact she could tolerate at the moment.

“Child, child, where are your parents?” the grandfather in the burial shroud asked. His tone was kind, but with that makeup… even the most benevolent person would appear eerie.

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “My grandparents are helping in the kitchen; they told me to bring my sister here to eat first.”

“Oh, I see, hehe.” The grandfather in the burial shroud then looked at Qin Li. “This girl is really well-behaved. How old is she?”

Qin Li didn’t respond to him. Li Zhuiyuan knew that even if she wanted to respond, she couldn’t, as she likely didn’t understand the local Nantong dialect. Grandma Liu’s family lived with his great-grandfather, and Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin helped him with his business, but they rarely interacted with the villagers. Even when they spoke to him, they used Mandarin, let alone Qin Li, who preferred to sit motionless behind the doorway all day. Fortunately, her silence was actually helpful. If she were to speak Mandarin, it would only draw more curious questions, and at this critical juncture, the more he spoke, the more mistakes he might make.

“Grandpa, my sister is ten years old. She had a high fever when she was little and wasn’t taken to the clinic in time. It damaged her brain, so she can’t hear well or speak.” Li Zhuiyuan deliberately spoke loudly enough for everyone at the table to hear, aiming to shut down any questions about Qin Li, no matter what.

“Oh, I see. Ah, what a poor child, tsk tsk tsk.”

“Ah, we have someone like that in our village too. Had a fever as a child, and the adults at home didn’t pay enough attention, so his brain got damaged.”

“Exactly, you have to be extra careful when raising children, otherwise the child suffers, and later the adults caring for them will suffer too.”

The people at their table began to converse among themselves. Then, the grandfather in the burial shroud asked Li Zhuiyuan, “How old are you?”

“I’m eleven years old.” Li Zhuiyuan added a year to his age. Although Qin Li was actually only a month younger than him, he certainly couldn’t say he was ten. They didn’t look like twins at all, and a “mom” couldn’t possibly give birth twice in a single month. He didn’t want to invite speculation about one being from a widowed father and the other from a widowed mother, forming a blended family. That would surely fuel an even livelier discussion at their table, and perhaps even draw in people from neighboring tables.

“Are you in school?”

“Yes, fourth grade.”

“Oh, and your sister?”

“My sister isn’t in school. She just stays home all day, sitting. We only brought her out today because of the banquet.”

“Hm.” The grandfather in the burial shroud didn’t press further, instead turning to chat with the others at the table.

Li Zhuiyuan finally found a moment of peace. He looked at Qin Li, who was seated beside him, leaned closer, and whispered, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” This wasn’t a gesture of affection but an attempt to soothe her, implying: ‘Stay calm, don’t have an outburst.’

Qin Li turned her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t discern any emotion in her eyes. Then Qin Li turned back, resuming her vacant stare. Li Zhuiyuan thought she should be able to understand. After all, she could eat by herself, so it wasn’t that she lacked self-care abilities. Plus, she had a strong sense of cleanliness. Every time she finished a meal, Grandma Liu would help her clean up.

Now with a moment to spare, Li Zhuiyuan started to examine the dishes on the table. Currently, only cold appetizers were laid out: cylindrical cold spinach salad, century egg tofu, roasted peanuts, and sliced salted duck eggs arranged on platters. Only two meat dishes were available: salted pork slices and braised small ribs. Both were small in quantity, though fortunately cut into tiny pieces, enough for everyone at the table to have a couple of bites. The braised ribs were placed right in front of him. They were served cold, sweet but not cloying. Li Zhuiyuan had been quite impressed by this dish at a previous banquet. But seeing the dish now, he felt no appetite whatsoever. Heaven knew what this stuff actually was.

Just then, singing began. People at nearby tables all looked in that direction, and many even stood up. Li Zhuiyuan also turned to look. In a small open area at the center of the banquet hall, a man and a woman were standing, accompanied by an old man holding a musical instrument. The man and woman were dressed in opera robes, their makeup even more elaborate, featuring additional exaggerated designs layered over their thick powder and blush. With the old man’s instrumental accompaniment, the man sang first, and after some bodily gestures, the woman continued the song.

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was a local Nantong opera genre called ‘Child’s Play Opera.’ Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had once taken him to watch it on the village plaza. This opera was characterized by its bizarre, peculiar, high-pitched, and mournful vocalizations, which had a powerful impact. For outsiders, it was… extremely grating. At that time, Li Zhuiyuan had just arrived in Nantong and was still getting familiar with the local dialect. While Li Weihan and Cui Guiying listened in rapt admiration, Li Zhuiyuan found the sounds agonizing and demonic. This time was no different; everyone at the table and nearby was listening intently. Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Qin Li again; fortunately, she showed no reaction.

As the performance continued, someone circulated with a basket, distributing chopsticks to each table. Another person specifically brought vinegar and soy sauce to pour into small dipping dishes; there were six dishes per table, usually shared by two people.

“Here, child, eat.” The grandfather in the burial shroud picked up a piece of rib and placed it in Li Zhuiyuan’s bowl.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

“Eat, don’t just stare.”

“Okay, Grandpa, you eat too.”

“Hm.”

“Woof!” “Meow!” Just then, Li Zhuiyuan noticed several cats and dogs running under the dining table; one was quite close to his feet. Li Zhuiyuan picked up the rib, and when no one was looking, he dropped it. The dog below immediately snatched it and began to eat. From then on, Li Zhuiyuan discreetly dropped every dish the enthusiastic grandfather in the burial shroud served him under the table. Soon, a crowd of cats and dogs gathered around his feet. Li Zhuiyuan actually recognized these cats and dogs; he had seen them in the pile of paper effigies during the day. However, back then, they hadn’t been as lively, nor had they seemed to enjoy eating.

The grandfather in the burial shroud said, “Child, tell your sister to eat. She’s just sitting there, not eating anything.”

Li Zhuiyuan could only turn and gesture, “Sister, eat.” To his surprise, as soon as he spoke, Qin Li picked up her chopsticks and began to serve herself. She took three spoonfuls, placed them in the bowl in front of her, then lowered her head and opened her mouth.

No, you’re actually going to eat it?

Li Zhuiyuan quickly tugged her hand. Qin Li turned her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. This time, there was actually a faint but unmistakable emotion in her eyes: confusion. Li Zhuiyuan leaned closer to her ear – it was normal for siblings to whisper – “Don’t eat it. Feed it to the animals under the table.”

Qin Li looked down at the cluster of cats and dogs below, then stood up and directly picked up a plate of food from the table. From the looks of it, she intended to simply tip the entire plate out to them. This bold action of picking up a whole plate immediately drew frowns of dissatisfaction from the others at the table.

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to stand up, take the plate from her, and put it back. He then said with a smile, lecturing her, “Sister, this food is for everyone to share. You can’t be greedy; it’s not all yours.”

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan speak this way, the adults at the table relaxed considerably, and many began to speak.

“If she likes it, just let her eat it. It’s fine.”

“Just leave the plate in front of her.”

Li Zhuiyuan kept waving his hand and shaking his head. “We can’t do that; it’s not proper.”

“Bang… pop!”

The sound of two-stage firecrackers erupted outside, and children at nearby tables began to cover their ears and cry out. Over a dozen firecrackers went off consecutively. When the last one finished, the entire venue darkened, and everyone at their table suddenly froze. The people at the next table also became motionless. Everyone sat rigidly upright, staring straight ahead.

Though he didn’t know what was happening, Li Zhuiyuan quickly mimicked their posture. He glanced at Qin Li beside him from the corner of his eye. Well… she didn’t need to learn; she was a natural.

Outside the door, an old woman entered, flanked by a group of young boys and girls. The moment she appeared, the entire hall’s atmosphere seemed to congeal. Through the gaps between people’s heads, Li Zhuiyuan recognized her: it was the old woman he had seen in his dream at Liu Jinxia’s house that day, the one Niu Fu carried on his back. How could she be here? He distinctly remembered Niu Fu being hunched over when he left his great-grandfather’s house.

The old woman’s body was a bit hunched