Chapter 1: A Great Dream of Five Hundred Years (I)

The young man coughed in his throat, suddenly sat up, coughed out a thick clot of blood, and with his eyes already open, he looked around in confusion at everything.

"Madam, Madam, it seems that the young master is not dead, the young master seems not to be dead," the maid said, trembling her voice as she saw the white breath coming from the young man's mouth

Having said that, without waiting for Song Nan to respond, he raised his voice and called into the inner room: "Aunt Song, Aunt Song, I have brought fish for Nan Ge'er."

The big fellow scratched his head and laughed, saying: "What is this? Brother Nan and I are good friends. Having survived this great calamity, we will surely achieve great success and bring glory to our ancestors in the future"

The afternoon sun warmly enveloped the boy, who felt a comforting warmth throughout his body. The wild chrysanthemums blooming in the corner of the yard were a brilliant golden yellow, and a wave of fragrant aroma wafted through the air. How real all of this felt

Song Nan held the steaming fish soup, the mist in his eyes rising, gradually becoming moist

Aunt Li was startled and quickly turned her head to stare closely, but after a while, she saw nothing unusual. She scolded, "This girl, you must be seeing things. How could someone who is dead still... Ah!"

A woman dressed in a blue cloth skirt turned her head, wiping her tears, and said to a young maid who was kneeling by the bed, crying while burning paper money in the brazier.

Aunt Li had not finished her words when she suddenly let out a scream, startling everyone in the room. The crowd looked over in terror, only to see Aunt Li covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide open, while with the other hand she pointed at the corpse of the young man, exclaiming: "It moved... it really moved, Amitabha, may the Bodhisattva bless us, may the Bodhisattva show mercy..."

Amidst the clamor of suggestions and advice from everyone, the woman by the bedside could only weep sorrowfully, on the verge of collapse

The Song family lady smiled radiantly as she took the fish, saying, "Don't leave just yet; I've made fish soup, and you should have a bowl too"

The younger sister went up the mountain to gather herbs for you. She heard that people recovering from serious illnesses need to nourish their bodies, but she had no money to buy any. So she went up the mountain hoping to find some wild ginseng or he shou wu or something like that. Haha, I certainly don't have that kind of patience, but I can catch fish

Big Niu chuckled and said: "What are you talking about? If you can keep your life, I will be happier than anyone else. Big Niu and you are brothers; speaking like that is being distant."

"Aunt Li, you... take a look... over there." The young maid's eyes widened in shock as she pointed at the corpse of the young man on the bamboo bed, her upper teeth clattering against her lower teeth.

"Hurry up, why are you still dawdling?" the woman urged.

The two engaged in casual conversation, during which Daniu shared some amusing stories from the streets with Song Nan. Song Nan felt considerably more at ease. Before long, the maid Xiaoping brought out a large pot of steaming fish soup and called out: "The fish soup is ready, gentlemen, please drink some while it's hot."

The young man wore a look of confusion, his gaze shifting across the faces of those before him. After a long pause, he hoarsely uttered, "I am so cold!" His eyes rolled back, and he fainted once more.

The Song family lady was taken aback, suddenly embracing the young man's body, overwhelmed with joy and tears, exclaiming: "My son is truly not dead, my son has returned to life, heaven has blessed us, and the Bodhisattva has opened their eyes."

In Song Nan's memory, there is everything about the great figure of the library. He knows that what he says is true. Ever since he moved from the grand residence on Beida Street to this modest courtyard in Xiao Shiqiao five years ago, he has become neighbors with the Li family living next door. The Li family has set up a small stall on the back street, selling snacks and soups, and Li Daniu is the son of the Li family

This is not a dream; I clearly have the memories of another person in my mind. My current name is Song Nan, a sixteen-year-old boy. When I looked in the mirror this morning, I saw a young, thin, unfamiliar face staring back at me. It seems that my soul has attached itself to the body of this boy named Song Nan. Could this be what is known as borrowing a corpse to return to life? It is simply hard to believe.

The Song family lady took most of the jewelry and valuable items, purchased a variety of nourishing herbs and food, and, following the physician's instructions, gradually helped the young man recover. After several days, the young man's health gradually improved, and he was able to sit in the courtyard under the sun with the assistance of a maid. However, he was still reluctant to speak, and his eyes remained perpetually dazed.

In the early morning, a thin mist rises over the streets of Weizhou, and white frost covers the tiles on the rooftops. In August, the deep autumn of Weizhou already shows signs of the impending winter. The early-rising citizens of Weizhou have donned thick jackets, huddling their heads and exhaling warm breath as they begin a day of busyness.

The young maid had already cried to the point of being a tearful figure. Upon hearing this, she nodded in agreement, straightened up, and turned to leave. Suddenly, she seemed to be spellbound, standing there with a face full of horror.

As the crowd approached with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, they noticed the young man's complexion gradually shifting from pale to a healthy flush. The white mist escaping from his mouth further convinced them of his miraculous revival, and they gathered around him in excitement, chattering animatedly among themselves.

Xiao Ping smiled with her lips pressed together, reached out to take a ladle, and served each of them a large bowl of fragrant, milky-white fish soup, handing it to their hands

The courtyard was quiet under the sunlight. With a creak, the gate of the yard opened, and a sturdy young man wearing a bamboo hat walked in. His dark face was full of smiles, and he held two fat fish in his hand. Raising his hand, he laughed loudly, "Nan Ge'er, I went to the Hu River and caught two big carp to bring to you. Later, I will ask Aunt Song to stew a fresh fish soup for you to nourish your body"

Indeed, it is best to quickly have someone prepare the coffin for your esteemed mother. If there are not enough hands, you may call my Da Niu to assist. The two of them have a good relationship, and it would be a way to fulfill the obligations of friendship.

Da Niu furrowed his brows, used his chopsticks to pick up the fish from his bowl and placed it into Song Nan's bowl, then tilted his head back and gulped down the fish soup, smacking his lips and saying: "Delicious, fresh! Aunt Song's cooking is countless times better than my mother's."

Aunt Li, filled with suspicion, followed the maid's hand but could not discern the truth after a long while. She then turned her head and said, "You girl, what is there to look at"

Although the young man did not speak, thoughts surged in his mind like boiling water: Am I seeing ghosts? Is this a dream? Yet it did not seem like one; he was clearly enjoying a vacation by the sea, only remembering the thrill of riding the waves on a surfboard. A massive wave approached, the kind most suitable for surfing. He leaped into the wave, but suddenly, something struck his waist, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the water. Immediately, he felt a heart-wrenching pain... It felt like a group of sharks. When he finally woke up, he found himself inexplicably lying in this unfamiliar place.

A person cannot be brought back to life; the Song family lady, please accept my condolences and adapt to the changes. This child was unfortunate, and there is no way to force it.

Song Nan smiled and said: "Much better, thank you for your concern. My mother mentioned that these past few days, running errands and getting medicine has caused you quite a bit of trouble."

Song Nan felt a warmth in his heart. Although he had been confused and in a bad mood these past few days, the care from those around him was like a ray of sunshine in this unfamiliar era, illuminating his heart shrouded in mist. Perhaps he would never be able to return to the era he once lived in; these people would become companions on his future journey through life.

The maid Xiaoping called out excitedly to the crowd outside, "Ladies and aunts, do not be afraid. My young master is not dead at all; he was merely choked by a blood clot in his throat. My young master is alive..."

In the main room, several white candles were lit, and in the center lay a bamboo bed with a thin boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old lying straight on it. Beside the bamboo bed, a woman in her thirties was crying hoarsely, while several other women around her were wiping their tears and offering comfort.

Alas, the Song family lady has lost her resolve. Xiaoping, your mistress is deeply saddened; it would be best for you to take the lead and manage these matters. Tsk tsk tsk, what a pitiful pair of mother and child, how did they end up in such a situation today

Big Niu said: "Please don't belittle me. Your young master is a master, but I, Big Niu, am just a country bumpkin and a mere figure in a book. Xiao Ping, if you keep calling me that, I won't dare to come again in the future"

Daniu agreed, took off his bamboo hat, reached for a simple wooden stool, and sat down opposite Song Nan, saying: "Nan Ge'er, how do you feel?"

... ...

In a humble alley of the small stone bridge in the west of the city, there stands an ordinary residence, consisting of three blue brick rooms accompanied by a small courtyard. In the cold air, the sound of sorrowful weeping can be heard emanating from the residence

It is also necessary to inform the Song family, after all... after all, they are of the Song lineage, and they cannot stand by and do nothing, can they

Except for the Song family lady and the maid, everyone else suddenly let out a cry and scattered in all directions. The Song family lady rushed forward, tearing away the yellow paper from the boy's face, and cried out: "My son, your mother knows you did not die willingly; it must be that you are reluctant to part with your mother. Do not harm others; just take me away..."

The crowd was astonished, all eyes fixed on the deceased. The room fell silent, and the white candle flickered twice. Suddenly, everyone saw that the yellow paper covering the deceased's face had been blown aside halfway. Immediately, a gurgling sound emerged from the deceased's throat. The room erupted in chaos, with someone screaming: "Incredible, it's a resurrection! Oh heavens, it's a resurrection!"

"No, Aunt Li, I clearly saw the yellow paper covering the young master's face move just now. The young master... it seems he is not dead." The maid said, her voice trembling.

In the sixteenth year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, in August, in the city of Yuanzhou, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province

The busy Song family woman hurried out from indoors, dusting off her apron and smiling as she said, "Is that you, Daniu? Thank you for taking such good care of my Song Nan."