Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 31: The New Year’s Commotion

The three discussed how to divide the shifts: Mu Daguo would be on duty until 10:00 p. m. , Zhong Guodong would take over after 10:00 p. m. , and Mu Dong would take over at 10:00 a. m. the next morning. This way, all three would have some time to spend the New Year with their families. Once they’d settled on the plan, Mu Dong drove Zhong Guodong away and headed straight to his sister’s house. He gave each of the two children a 500-yuan red envelope and left shortly afterward. Back home, Mu’s mother was still busy mincing meat for dumpling filling. According to local custom in Southern Shandong, the first meal on New Year’s Day must consist of dumplings with vegetarian filling. This symbolizes a “simple and pure” life in the new year—“simple and pure” meaning clean and refreshing, and also subtly implying peace and safety. Therefore, in Southern Shandong, people prepare two bowls of dumpling filling for the New Year: one with vegetarian filling, eaten on the morning of the first day of the New Year, and one with meat filling, eaten at other times. Wang Anshi wrote a famous line of poetry: “Thousands of doors and ten thousand households bathed in the bright morning sun; all replace the old talismans with new peach branches,” describing the scene of the Spring Festival. Some people are unclear about the meaning of “new peach branches” and “old talismans.” In fact, in southern Shandong, there is a vivid explanation for this. The so-called “new peach” refers to a branch from a peach tree, known locally in southern Shandong as a “peach twig.” Legend has it that peach trees ward off evil spirits, so on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, a freshly cut peach twig is wrapped in a sheet of yellow ritual paper and inserted into the doorframe or under the window eaves to ward off evil and purify the air. This is the “new peach.” Once a peach twig is placed, it must remain undisturbed for the entire year. It is not removed until the following New Year’s Eve, when it is replaced with a “new peach.” The twig that is pulled out and discarded is the “old talisman.” It’s not just a matter of placing peach twigs on doors and windows; in southern Shandong, on the morning of the first day of the lunar new year, people also boil water with peach twigs to make “peach twig water.” Everyone washes their face with this water on that morning, symbolizing a year of peace and freedom from evil spirits. Mu Dad was holding a bunch of peach twigs, sticking them here and there around the courtyard. Mu Dong went over to help wrap the twigs in yellow rice paper. These tasks were all done by men; women didn’t get involved. After finishing with the peach twigs, father and son began hanging the Spring Festival couplets. Mu Dad had bought the couplets at the market. He’d also bought a pair for Mu Dong’s car. Mu Dong carefully secured them to the car’s windshield with tape. After hanging the couplets, Mu Dad called Mu Dong over and took some of them to the yard, where they stuck them on the doors and machinery. Mu Daguo had been listening to the radio inside the house; hearing the commotion, he came out to help. At 4:00 p. m. , Mu Dad, Uncle Mu Er, Uncle Mu San, Mu Dong, and Mu Dalong from Uncle Mu San’s family—five of them in all—went to pay their respects at the ancestral graves, bringing a bowl of vegetarian dumplings. The five of them lit yellow joss paper, broke the offering of the vegetarian dumplings, then knelt and kowtowed together before getting up and leaving. Bringing offerings to the gravesite is called “offering to the ancestors.” Picking off a small pinch of the edible offerings with your fingers and placing it on the yellow joss paper is called “breaking the offering.” Breaking the offering signifies that the ancestors have already tasted the offerings and enjoyed the food. After paying respects at the gravesite, the group went their separate ways to enjoy New Year’s Eve with their own families. New Year’s Eve at the Mu household, though there were only three people, was just as warm and pleasant. This year, his son had made a name for himself in business; judging by the looks of it, he was certainly earning a good living. According to his son, he’d even bought a house in Quancheng—a rather large one at that. Now that he was driving a car, everyone in the village envied him. Mu’s father took out a bottle of aged liquor, ready for the family to enjoy. Mu Dong suddenly remembered the two bottles of Moutai he’d brought back from Beijing and slapped his thigh. “Dad, I have two bottles of Moutai—I forgot to bring them to you. I’ll bring them back for you next time I go to Quancheng.” Mu’s dad said, “You’ve just started making money—don’t go wasting it. Why would you buy me such expensive liquor?” Actually, Mu’s dad didn’t really know how expensive it was; he’d just heard it was very pricey. Mu Dong replied, “I didn’t buy them—a friend… uh, a superior gave them to me when I was in Beijing last time.” Mu’s dad pursed his lips and said nothing. He thought to himself, “A superior gave it to you? What kind of superior gives Maotai to a subordinate? I told you not to waste money, and now you’re just making up excuses.” Mu Dong didn’t explain further—it was too complicated to get into. The two of them started drinking, and even Mu’s mom poured herself a small glass. The three of them sipped their drinks slowly, leisurely enjoying their family reunion dinner. They didn’t drink much; it was mostly about having a drink and chatting. During the meal, Mu’s mother brought up Mu Dong’s wedding, asking him what his plans were. Mu Dong replied that it would be around May Day or National Day, and that he’d discuss the specifics with Xiao Xiao before finalizing the date. After dinner, the three of them watched TV together. Mu Dong found the 2009 Spring Festival Gala rather lackluster. It was certainly lively and festive, but he felt there were no real highlights. It was all too over-the-top, which actually left him feeling a bit aesthetically fatigued. But the Spring Festival Gala is something the entire nation truly needs; it has become an indispensable part of New Year’s Eve. Whether it’s good or bad, entertaining or not, it’s there regardless. Mu’s parents were getting on in years; after watching TV for a while, they started to doze off. Mu Dong told them to go to bed first. He stayed up to watch for a little while longer. Before long, drowsiness gradually set in, and Mu Dong leaned back on the sofa and slowly drifted off to sleep. The TV was still on, the screen flickering constantly as festive performances continued to unfold. Mu Dong, however, experienced a familiar sensation of floating in the air—just like when he had traveled back in time, just like when he had dreamed of Xinger—and he found himself slowly drifting upward again. This sensation was beyond his control, yet it was warm and comforting, making him feel languid and eager to drift aimlessly. Where would he end up this time? Mu Dong felt completely awake. Would there be palaces and fairies again? Would he see Xiner once more? The scene shifted; the sensation of floating gave way to one of constant running. But he couldn’t see a thing. His surroundings shifted from a blinding white to pitch black, constantly alternating. It was as if a train were passing through fog-shrouded fields one moment and through a long tunnel the next. Or as if he were endlessly shuttling back and forth between day and night, over and over again. Suddenly, Mu Dong heard a series of violent explosions that jolted him out of the clouds. He felt himself plummet heavily to the ground, his whole body burning with pain. He let out a loud scream—“Ah!” —and woke up. It was the sound of firecrackers from the neighbors next door. Mu Dong glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already midnight. He turned his head and saw his mother staring at him in utter astonishment. Mu’s mother had heard the firecrackers next door and got up to start making dumplings. Just as she stepped out of the back room, she saw Mu Dong lying on the sofa, waking up with a scream—the sight made her shudder all over. Mu’s mother’s heart sank. What was wrong with her son? Had he had a nightmare? Or… she didn’t dare to think about it. She hurried over in a few strides and asked, “What’s wrong, son? What’s wrong? Why is your face so sweaty?” Only then did Mu Dong realize that he was sweating not just on his face, but all over—his undershirt was soaked through, and his head felt a little dizzy. Mu Dong said, “It’s nothing, Mom, it’s nothing. I must have been startled by the firecrackers. Don’t worry—I’m going to go back to sleep for a bit.” With that, he stumbled back to his room, changed out of his undershirt, crawled under the covers, and fell into a deep sleep. He slept for most of the day and didn’t get up until late afternoon. New Year’s Eve at the Zhong Guodong household was equally warm and harmonious. This year had been good—working alongside Xiao Dong had earned his wife a salary as well, and their combined income over the past few months had matched what they’d earned in the previous two years. With a thoughtful wife and a son and a daughter, Zhong Guodong felt that this Lunar New Year had truly been a warm and joyful one. Zhong Guodong’s parents were both still alive, so the whole family had eaten the New Year’s Eve dinner together at their parents’ house. After sitting for a while, they returned to their own little home. It was already past nine o’clock in the evening, so Zhong Guodong got ready to head to the yard. Since his own family had already celebrated together, he wanted to let Da Guo go home early to spend time with his family. Mu Xiaoxia thought it would be too lonely for her husband to spend New Year’s Eve alone at the yard. But she couldn’t leave the two children unattended… “That’s right!” Mu Xiaoxia had a sudden idea. “We could all go as a family of four!” After discussing it with Zhong Guodong, he was also somewhat tempted by the idea. So Zhong Guodong asked his two children, “Shuna and Shujie, would you like to go to Uncle’s yard to set off fireworks?” “Yes! the two children cheered excitedly. So the family got moving. They dressed the kids in warm clothes, packed several large boxes of fireworks and some firecrackers, and the four of them hopped on an electric tricycle, heading straight for the yard. Mu Xiaoxia even brought along a bottle of wine, a few dishes, and some snacks. When they arrived at the yard, they first sent Mu Daguo rushing home to celebrate the New Year. Then they went to the dormitory, turned on the air conditioner, and tidied up the beds. Fortunately, since the beds had been in constant use, they were still reasonably clean. The family first set off a string of firecrackers outside. Then Zhong Guodong began setting off those huge fireworks. The beautiful fireworks bloomed brilliantly high in the night sky. The whole family was delighted; the two children shouted and jumped, running back and forth. Then the family started snacking and playing games. By a little past 10, the two children were exhausted from all the excitement and began to doze off. Mu Xiaoxia unfolded a few sleeping mats, and the family of four drifted off to sleep one after another. The next morning, Mu Xiaoxia made a quick trip home to pick up some vegetarian filling and flour, then made dumplings right there in the yard. The kitchen utensils in the yard’s kitchen were all there, so it was quite convenient to use them. After eating the dumplings, the children ran around playing in the yard. Mu Xiaoxia and Zhong Guodong made a round of the yard, then waited inside for Mu Dong to come on shift. It was supposed to be 10:00, but Mu Dong hadn’t shown up. By 10:30, he still hadn’t arrived; by 11:00, there was still no sign of him, and the couple began to worry. “No way—has something happened?” They immediately started making calls. Something had indeed happened—nothing major, but not minor either. It seemed Mu Dong had caught a cold. When they said “seems like,” they meant it might be a cold—or it might not be. They said “it might be” because his temperature was slightly elevated. Mu’s mother also thought he might have caught a chill on the couch last night; he looked drowsy and disoriented—very much like a cold. Everything else—heart rate, blood pressure, breathing—was normal. The reason it might not be a cold is that Mu Dong was acting a bit strange. When you called out to him, he’d respond and open his eyes, but it felt as if he didn’t recognize anyone; when he looked at people, his gaze was fixed and vacant. To put it bluntly, it’s as if he’s been possessed. Zhong Guodong quickly made arrangements: he first notified his second uncle and Daguo, then had Daguo come to the yard to take the shift. He dropped the two children off at his parents’ house, then rushed over to the Mu family home with Mu Xiaoxia. It happened to be the first day of the Lunar New Year, and at this time, there were simply too many taboos to break. To put it simply, even going to the hospital was off-limits. According to customs in southern Shandong, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, one must not go to the hospital unless it’s a matter of life and death; otherwise, it would bring bad luck for the entire year. Mu’s father had no choice but to call a village doctor he knew well to come to their home for an examination. In the end, the doctor couldn’t give a clear diagnosis—it seemed like a cold, but perhaps not. Mu’s father then called over Uncle Mu No. 2 and Uncle Mu No. 3. After discussing it, they decided to give him some cold medicine first and see how he held up for the day; if he was still the same the next day, they would take him to the hospital in the county seat. Tears welled up in Mu’s mother’s eyes, but she dared not cry, fearing it would bring her son a year of bad luck. When she went to wake him up that morning, there was no response. She pushed open the door and saw him still asleep; when she woke him, he ended up like this. Mrs. Mu couldn’t stop blaming herself. Why hadn’t she stayed up a little longer last night to watch TV with her son? If they’d chatted for a while, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep on the couch—and he wouldn’t have caught a cold. “It’s just a cold, isn’t it, God?” Mu Dong found himself immersed in a strange world. He felt as if he were floating above the ceiling of the room, looking down at himself lying on the bed. He could see people coming and going in the room, hear what they were saying, and even mechanically respond with a “yes” or “okay” here and there. But he simply couldn’t muster any other reaction. Mu Dong was frantic. Was this some kind of aftereffect of time travel? He tried desperately to throw himself toward his body on the bed; each time, he’d instantly slip inside, only to float back up to the ceiling after a moment. Once he reached the ceiling, he’d come to a halt, as if blocked by something. When he heard his family say they were going to take him to the hospital tomorrow, Mu Dong was startled. “If you take the body to the hospital and I can’t leave this room, won’t that ruin everything?” So Mu Dong tried again and again, throwing himself into the body with even greater effort, only to float back up each time. However, Mu Dong felt that the time he spent inside the body seemed to be gradually getting longer. “How could it be getting longer?” Mu Dong began to wonder. His journey began with a car accident, and he had been transported to another incident where he was stabbed and injured. Were there any similarities between these two scenarios? In both cases, he was injured, injured… When you’re injured, your body hurts, and you bleed… That’s right—could it be that pain and blood would stabilize his condition? Let’s give it a try. As he plunged back into the body, Mu Dong bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. “Ouch,” Mu Dong sat up abruptly in pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “I’m finally back. Things have stabilized,” Mu Dong thought to himself. He glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 4:00 p. m. “Ouch!” came another scream. Mu Xiaoxia jumped to her feet and nearly fell over. Without a second thought for herself, Mu Xiaoxia rushed over to support Mu Dong, exclaiming urgently, “Xiao Dong, Xiao Dong, what’s wrong? What’s wrong? Why are you bleeding?” The scream instantly drew several people over. Everyone had been crammed into Mu Dong’s room—it was small, and there were too many people. Mu Xiaoxia urged everyone to step outside, explaining that being crammed in there with poor ventilation wasn’t good for Mu Dong. So everyone left, leaving Mu Xiaoxia alone by the bed to tend to Mu Dong. In truth, there wasn’t much she could do; she just sat there staring blankly. Mu Dong’s sudden movement terrified her. Mu’s mother rushed in first—she lived closest to the room. Mu’s father, Zhong Guodong, and her second and third uncles followed one after another. Mu Dong just smiled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his expression quite strange. He said, “Sorry about that. It’s the New Year, and I scared everyone.” Everyone let out a long sigh of relief; the fact that he could speak such a long sentence meant his mind was clear. Mu’s mother was still worried and asked, “What’s wrong with your mouth? Why is it still bleeding?” Mu Dong replied, “Mom, I was starving. I was dreaming about food and bit my tongue.” “Pah, pah, pah!” Mu’s mom spat three times in a row and scraped the floor vigorously with her foot. “What are you talking about? Don’t say such nonsense! I’ll go make you some dumplings right away.” With that, she rushed out. She was gone for only a moment before returning. Carrying a large basin of water, she said, “First, wash your face with peach-branch water to wash away the bad luck.” Mu Dong’s whole body ached, and he couldn’t get up. He let Mu’s mom and his sister wash his face for him. Sitting on the bed, he chatted with everyone. During a lull in the conversation, he glanced at his phone—it was turned off, probably because the battery had died. He asked his sister to fetch the charger. When he turned it on, a flood of messages poured in. Most were New Year’s greetings. Mixed in among them were dozens of messages from Xiao Xiao, ranging from warm wishes to anxious inquiries. Xiao Xiao had stayed up watching TV until the Spring Festival Gala ended last night. At midnight, he sent Mu Dong a message: “Darling, Happy New Year!” Normally, Mu Dong would reply right away with some sweet nothings. But he didn’t reply after a while, nor after another while. Xiao Xiao was dead tired and muttered to himself, “He must have gone out to set off fireworks again,” and went to sleep. But when morning came, he checked his phone and still saw no reply. Xiao Xiao called him, only to hear that the phone was turned off. Xiao Xiao slowly began to get nervous… Mu Dong called Xiao Xiao back and told her the truth—he’d caught a cold, and his phone had died. Hearing Mu Dong’s hoarse voice on the other end of the line, Xiao Xiao sensed that the problem probably wasn’t that simple. She was so anxious she was practically pacing up and down, but since it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, she couldn’t just go out anywhere—it was driving her crazy. Mu Dong ate some vegetarian dumplings and took a little cold medicine. As the medicine kicked in, he slowly drifted off to sleep. Watching her son sleep, Mu’s mother grew anxious again—what if nothing had changed by the time he woke up? She decided to stay put, pulling up a small stool to sit and keep a close watch on him. Even for dinner, Mu Xiaoxia cooked dumplings and brought them over, but he only managed to eat a few. This time, Mu Dong slept straight through until the middle of the night, when he woke up needing to use the bathroom. He opened his eyes and saw his mom asleep, slumped over the side of the bed. “Oh, what a mess this has turned into,” Mu Dong sighed, then woke his mother. “Mom, I’m fine. Go back to the inner room and sleep. My cold’s just starting to clear up—I don’t want you to catch a cold too.” Seeing that her son was all right, Mu’s mother felt a weight lift off her heart and got up to leave. Mu Dong also got up to use the bathroom. His body still felt a little sore, but he was already feeling much better. With another day or two of rest, he’d be back to normal. When I walked into the main room, sure enough, Dad was also lying on the couch fully clothed. I hurried over to wake him up and took him to the inner room. After using the restroom, Mu Dong found himself unable to fall asleep. Having slept for over a day, he felt wide awake. Mu Dong felt that this “cold” was directly related to the fact that he’d been under so much stress recently and had suddenly relaxed during the New Year celebrations. Mu Dong had managed every detail of the sand stockpiling operation with all his might, all to seize this opportunity and realize his dream of wealth. The results were excellent, and Mu Dong was very satisfied. So during this Spring Festival, his mind and body had suddenly relaxed—combined with the fact that he’d indeed caught a chill on the sofa—which had led to this whole mess. “Oh, I’ve let my family down,” Mu Dong thought to himself. This incident has caused his family so much anxiety—it really shouldn’t have happened. It was also his own fault for being so busy all the time that he neglected to exercise; his physical condition had weakened, which is why he fell ill. He’d have to step up his exercise routine from now on. Mu Dong thought about it for a while, then drowsiness overcame him, and he slowly drifted back to sleep, sleeping soundly.