Section Two: Butterfly Dream

"Teacher Zheng, don't explain it to him. Rong Fei has always been clumsy since he was young..." The voice of his mother was clear and crisp, without a hint of hoarseness, carrying a strong Beixin accent. He turned his head, more surprised to see his mother than his father; she appeared even younger, definitely resembling the mother from thirty years ago

What is going on, not careful at all... His father did not inquire about his injuries or feelings, as usual, always blaming him first

I, I, '' he sat up in panic, '' what is happening? Who can tell me what is going on? ''

No, I am not saying this..." He found it almost impossible to explain. If he were a fan of web novels in his long dream, he would understand one term—transmigration. Unfortunately, he never read web novels; his computer, equipped with 4G broadband, was used solely for work and reading the news.

After his parents passed away, Rong Fei insisted on leaving the hospital, but the doctor would not allow it, nor would the classmates sent by the school to accompany him. He stayed for five days and finally left the hospital. The first thing he did was to return to his hometown, Fujia Bao, to see his grandmother. Fujia Bao is located in the southern suburbs, and his grandmother still lived alone. He pushed the borrowed bicycle into the small courtyard, his heart racing. Although the scene before him confirmed that it was indeed 1981, the Wenchang Temple at the edge of the village still stood there, untouched by the highway that later passed by the village. The courtyard was lively; a yellow dog wagged its tail and rushed over to greet him, while a few chickens clucked and scurried away from the dog's sudden excitement upon seeing its owner. Yet, he still felt anxious. Is Grandma here? Is she still alive?

He started from a blank slate, having worked as a teacher at a secondary school for children of workers and as a secretary to a factory director. Fortuitously, he was promoted to a middle management position. During this time, he took a paid leave to study international finance and library science at Fudan University for two years. Upon returning to the factory, he served for a long time as the marketing director, with his highest position being the assistant general manager in charge of marketing. In that large factory, he had many university classmates, and his situation was relatively good; his salary and gray income were quite decent compared to those around him. He became enamored with singing, playing cards, and engaging in countless activities typical of aimless young people. However, after turning forty, a storm of change occurred. Due to a conflict with the new leadership, he resigned despite the organization's attempts to retain him and the advice of his wife and friends. He moved to Beijing and joined Beijing Hyundai, intending to return to his original field of marketing, but ended up working as an engineer in the power systems department, focusing on the adaptation of Korean technology. Picking up his discarded profession was challenging and exhausting, often requiring him to work late into the night. Although his salary increased compared to before, the actual amount he took home did not rise significantly. He shared a rented apartment with others near a bridge, and there were so many bridges in Beijing that he could hardly keep track of them. Later, the company provided him with a housing unit, and he asked his wife to resign and move to Beijing, to which she agreed. He worked tirelessly to earn more money, unaware that money is not the only measure of success.

He was sent back to school by his grandmother. As usual, she accompanied him to the road at the edge of his village, watching him disappear into the distance

"Do you remember when you bumped into the uneven bars during gym class?" He now clearly sees that it is his university class advisor, Teacher Zheng Xiaoying, who at that time was not yet called an advisor, and her teaching methods were completely the same as those in middle school. Teacher Zheng is his senior, not teaching classes, but serving as a full-time class advisor.

He had lunch at his grandmother's house, enjoying her specialty, hand-pulled noodles, which were incredibly fragrant. He ate two large bowls and still felt unsatisfied. He was reluctant to leave his grandmother, staying until late in the afternoon, feeling a deep attachment, much like a child who adores his mother. He felt like a long-lost traveler returning to his hometown; his grandmother's somewhat dilapidated house felt so familiar, and every piece of furniture captivated him. He rummaged through and found his childhood toys and the hundreds of picture books his grandfather had bought for him, which later became highly sought after, now lying there in good condition. Because of him, his grandmother had carefully preserved each of his belongings.

The cold moonlight enveloped him entirely, and the surroundings were tranquil and deserted. Rong Fei stood quietly on the terrace, lost in thought as he gazed at the moon above. He remembered having read Zhuangzi's works and the story of Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly. His current feelings resembled those of Zhuangzi in the book, though he did not possess Zhuangzi's carefree demeanor. He longed to share his feelings with someone, to shout out his voice with abandon. He felt excited, confused, and even fearful. He longed to share his feelings with someone, to shout out his voice with abandon. He felt excited, confused, and even fearful.

The school also has a responsibility ... ... '' A female voice, very soft, he could not recall whose voice it was

Yes, Grandma is here. She heard the noise and came out, then stood there in terror, "Xiao Fei, what happened to you?" He was immediately overwhelmed by a surge of joy, stepped forward, and tightly embraced Grandma, "Grandma, you are here, how wonderful, how wonderful. You have no idea how much I missed you..." Tears rolled down uncontrollably, falling on Grandma's neck. "Xiao Fei, what happened? What’s wrong with your nose? Did you get into a fight? Quickly tell Grandma..." "Grandma, you are here, how wonderful, how wonderful. You have no idea how much I missed you..." Tears rolled down uncontrollably, falling on Grandma's neck. "Xiao Fei, what happened? What’s wrong with your nose? Did you get into a fight? Quickly tell Grandma..."

It is truly wonderful that Grandma is alive! Rong Fei emerged from that terrifying and bewildering dream, shaking his neck, which had become stiff and sore from constantly looking up at the moon, and returned to the classroom

Waking from that strange long dream, he found himself facing the deep autumn of 1981. His nose was injured for a ridiculous reason, had undergone surgery, and still throbbed faintly. He lay in the hospital, the wind seeping through the ward's window; perhaps there was no wind, but rather the poorly sealed window made him feel as if there was. A damp patch on the yellowed ceiling resembled a map of the eastern coast of Africa. The bedding was quite old, carrying a musty smell that made him feel nauseous. There were two other patients in the same ward, and their companions wore clothes that seemed familiar, the main colors of thirty years ago: blue and black, in the style of the Zhongshan suit, which he hadn't seen in a long time. Only the cadres from the Central or Military Intelligence in the television shows wore such attire. However, the characters on TV always appeared in crisp clothing, while the ones before him were indeed wrinkled. Oh, the peasant-looking man had a grayish-white towel wrapped around his head. He had no time to discern, as his father suddenly appeared, astonishing him; his father looked very young, at most forty-five, without wrinkles, and his hair was also jet black. He wore a gray Zhongshan suit, with a fountain pen tucked into his pocket. These scenes were not particularly strange, but what puzzled him most was that his parents came to see him, as they were entirely the same as they had been thirty years ago.

The latter half of the dream became quite strange: due to Zhang Xin, he did not engage in any romantic relationships during the last three years at the academy. In the summer of 1984, he graduated from the university beneath his feet and was then assigned to a large military industrial factory, where he remained for twenty years, got married, had children, and lived a life that was neither poor nor rich, but rather plain and dull. The dream was intermittent, yet the clear parts were so vivid in detail. For instance, the difficulties he faced during his marriage; his parents only provided him with 1,500 yuan as a wedding gift. The rest he had to resolve on his own. The gold bars that his grandmother had saved (his grandfather had operated a sizable gold shop in Beiyang before the liberation) were divided between his father and uncle around 1983, and shortly thereafter, they were sold off under the pretext of doing business. The price of gold was only 6 yuan per gram. Whenever his grandmother mentioned it, she would sigh, and at times, she would even cry. But it was too late to change anything; there was nothing to be done. When he started his family, his grandmother gave him all the 800 yuan she had saved, which displeased his father greatly.

The National Day holiday is approaching, and I will return as soon as the break begins. Grandmother's voice drifted far away. That is certain; where else could I go if not back to Grandmother's place during the holiday?

In his dreams, there are two people he cares about the most, and they are also the clearest to him. One is his wife, Xing Fang, an ordinary woman with an exceptionally kind heart, who accompanied him for twenty-one years without complaint or regret. A sudden heart attack took her life at the age of forty-three. Yes, she had health issues; after giving birth to their son, her health deteriorated, and she developed many chronic illnesses. He never seriously arranged for her treatment, and Xing Fang never made any demands in this regard. She always silently took care of the household chores, striving to prepare the most sumptuous meals for him when he returned home, and kept their jointly built home spotless. At that time, their son was studying abroad in Australia, and when she passed away, there was not a single family member by her side. He rushed home, only to face a cold corpse. He suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt; he had done so many things that wronged her, yet she never said a word, not even a single word of resentment. It was as if those things had never happened. When he faced her unresponsive body, he realized that she had known. She had endured it all, for the sake of this family, for their son, and for everyone she believed she should protect. After his wife's passing, he spent a year in a daze, learning to drink excessively. One day, after leaving a bar, he wandered aimlessly and was struck by a bright red sports car while crossing the street. Even in mid-air, he clearly saw the deep red sports car and the surprised expression of the young man in the driver's seat, who had dyed blonde hair. He also remembered that it was October 30, 2009, a Saturday, on a day when fine rain was falling.

Apart from Xing Fang, there was also grandmother. He grew up by his grandmother's side, which was different from his younger brother Rong Yi. Grandmother passed away when he was thirty years old, and at that time he was away on a business trip, with only his granddaughter-in-law Xing Fang by her side. His parents, uncle, and aunt were not present; they had always been cold towards grandmother, who they regarded as a burden, including regarding her funeral arrangements. At that time, he was unaware and always busy, rarely caring for or accompanying grandmother. Every time he visited her, he did not know to talk more with her about his past and his childhood. He always thought that buying some fruits and pastries for grandmother was a sign of filial piety, never realizing what grandmother truly needed. When grandmother was gone, he regretted it, but what use was regret?