Chapter 1 Dream

On a late autumn morning in 1966, just as dawn was breaking, the sounds of people getting up could be heard from the courtyard at No. 35 Xiaohuaihua Hutong.

They quickly dressed, thinking they should hurry out and line up.

If there's anything bad about their compound, it's that water is inconvenient.

There was only one water tap in the entire courtyard, and more than a dozen households relied on it for drinking water and washing. This small tap bore an unbearable burden. Most of the residents were workers, and when they all crowded together to use the tap during work hours, it was incredibly frustrating. Not to mention, there were always a few inconsiderate people who deliberately blocked the water tank with their clothes!

Soon, a door opened, and a thin, frail old woman darted out, her legs moving incredibly fast. She carried a basin and rushed towards the water tap in the middle of the yard. Her speed was astounding; you really couldn't tell she was in her fifties or sixties.

The skinny old lady, Chang Dafeng, was short in stature but wicked at heart. She enjoyed watching how no one could do anything about her, no matter how anxious they were; they could only wait for their own instincts to kick in.

Just as I was getting close and feeling quite pleased with myself, a tall, long-legged young man suddenly appeared from the opposite direction. Good heavens, with one stride of his long legs, he took three steps in two and a half, and in a flash, he overtook me, ran ahead, and was the first to grab the water tap.

Chang Dafeng: "...@#￥%!"

The young man glanced at the clothes in Aunt Chang's basin, raised an eyebrow, and said with a grin, "Aunt Chang, you're too kind!"

The young man had fair skin, almond-shaped eyes, a pointed chin, and a smirking face that was utterly annoying!

Chang Dafeng looked at the Yu family boy who had gotten there first, and slammed the basin down on the edge of the pond in annoyance. She said sarcastically, "He's a young and strong lad after all. I wonder what kind of girl Aunt Hao can introduce to you. You're really lucky!"

Yu Junsheng pretended not to hear and deliberately said, "That's right, being able to marry me is a blessing earned over three lifetimes!"

Bah! I must be blind to marry a penniless orphan like you!

Chang Dafeng sneered inwardly, just about to say that Yu Junsheng was patting himself on the back, when she heard him say in surprise,

"Hey, Aunt Chang, washing clothes again so early in the morning?"

Instantly, the people in line behind them started cursing.

"Damn it! Don't they have any sense of public decency? They always come to do laundry when everyone is rushing to work!"

"Exactly, Aunt Chang, you do this every day, are you doing it on purpose?"

"You old woman, you're so heartless..."

Before Yu Junsheng could say anything, Chang Dafeng was drowned out by the accusations from her neighbors.

Chang Dafeng was embarrassed for a moment after her thoughts were exposed, but she was also put in an awkward position by the barrage of words. She put her hands on her hips and cursed, "Pah, you little brat! I got this faucet with my own skills, why can't I use it? If you're so capable, get up and stand in front of me! If you can't get up, then shut up!"

Everyone immediately fell silent; they couldn't win the argument, they simply couldn't win!

Using foul language and profanity is the least of her worries; if anything displeases her, this old shrew can lie on the ground and throw a tantrum!

When it comes to shamelessness and tantrums, they are no match for this old lady!

However, they were all secretly cursing the old lady for being so unethical. Everyone else would do their laundry when the tap was not busy, but Aunt Chang always did it early in the morning when there were many people. Wasn't she deliberately delaying everyone's business?

For a moment, everyone, young and old, waiting to go to work, envied Yu Junsheng. That Junsheng was clever; he ran fast and beat Chang Dafeng to it. Otherwise, they would have been waiting forever.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the person had already finished washing up while they were arguing. The washbasin was overturned, leaving only a puddle of steaming hot water in the sink.

As they watched the rising white steam, everyone had different thoughts.

There's no snow now, so everyone uses cold water to wash up in order to save water. Yu Junsheng, an old man who washes his face with hot water in the morning, is the first in the courtyard.

A woman in a blue cotton-padded jacket, her long face, thought for a moment, then chuckled and teased, "Oh, Junsheng, you even use hot water to wash your face?"

Chang Dafeng looked at her fingers, which were red from the cold, and felt a pang of sadness. She pouted and said, "A grown man using hot water? How effeminate. Not manly at all!"

"They have no respect for the elderly or care for the young at all. I, as an elder, haven't even had hot water to wash yet."

Yu Junsheng paused in his steps, grinned, and said to Chang Dafeng with a smile, "Aunt Chang, look at how thin-skinned I am, I have to take good care of myself. Unlike you, your skin never gets chapped no matter how much you wash it in this cold weather." After saying that, he turned and went back to the east wing.

Chang Dafeng scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. You think you're thin-skinned? There's no one like you in our compound... Oh, you little brat, are you calling me thick-skinned?!" When she realized what she meant, Chang Dafeng jumped up and down.

The long-faced old lady, Guan Ailian, rolled her eyes, inwardly cursing her as an idiot. But she wouldn't say it aloud; she was the most respectable old lady in the courtyard, always needing to maintain her image, unlike a shrew like Chang Dafeng who would curse at the drop of a hat.

Hearing Chang Dafeng start cursing and listing Yu Junsheng's faults again, Aunt Guan silently moved her basin to the side. She wanted to stay away from this shrew; it would be beneath her dignity!

Someone around laughed out loud, "Aunt Chang, if you want hot water at home, just ask Haiyang to boil it!" The implication was that Yu Junsheng was no relative of hers, so who did she think she was, nagging and asking him to give her hot water? She had no shame.

Chang Dafeng, however, didn't catch the implication. She scoffed, "It's just a little hot water, as if nobody can't afford it." Then, she added smugly, "My son Haiyang got a raise last month, 35 yuan a month. Kaixiang gave it all to me, saying it was to show filial piety to his mother. I'm saving it all for his future wedding. He can't be like some people who are extravagant and spend all of Kaixiang's meager salary every month. Otherwise, they'll be starving!" Her words implied that Yu Junsheng was unfilial and didn't know how to manage money without his parents' supervision.

"Junsheng is a bit of a spendthrift. He just finished paying off his mother's debt not long ago, and he's already squandered all the money he had. Sigh, he'll be fine when he gets married."

Aunt Guan's eyes darted between the two rooms in the east wing of Yu Junsheng's house.

The old man is right. Introducing Junsheng to his niece from his maternal family will make the two families relatives. How could this young couple possibly live in two large rooms? They're not frugal or simple at all. As relatives, they're helping them stay here to prevent them from making mistakes. What do you call that? That's called mutual help!

Aunt Guan made up her mind, borrowed some water from the washbasin, and happily ran home.

When Grandpa Guo returned from the toilet, he saw the still steaming hot water in the sink and exclaimed with regret, "Oh, oh dear! I could have used that water to wash my face. It's such a waste to just throw it away!"

Chang Dafeng spat fiercely, "Pah, you stingy old man!"

She would never admit that she also really liked Yu Junsheng's half basin of hot water, and was extremely jealous that Yu Junsheng had coal to use.

*

Turning into the room from the east wing, Yu Junsheng's smiling face immediately fell. It wasn't for any other reason than the blind date that Aunt Hao had introduced him to, which he had just mentioned.

Strangely enough, ever since he asked Aunt Hao to help him find a partner, he has been having the same dream every night.

At first, I thought it was just a dream stemming from my thoughts about it during the day, and that I was at the age to get married, so I was having such an absurd dream.

But then he had the same dream for two days, three days in a row… every day, and the scenes in the dream were so vivid, just like they were really happening right next to him, which made it all rather mystical. Although Yu Junsheng didn't believe in ghosts or gods, he was still getting a little uneasy.

In his dream, he was satisfied with the man introduced to him by Aunt Hao, and they quickly got married. However, not long after the marriage, his partner started an affair with Zheng Haiyang from Aunt Chang's family in the courtyard. Just as he discovered the affair and wanted to confront the two adulterers, he accidentally died.

Zheng Haiyang's ex-wife died of illness, and he himself died in an "accident." The two adulterers, now free of obstacles, could finally get together legitimately.

The marriage of a widower and a widow was blessed by their neighbors. Their relationship was also very good after marriage. Zheng Haiyang treated his stepson as his own son, and everyone in the courtyard praised him as "generous, kind and righteous".

What kind of bullshit stepson is this? That bastard Zheng Haiyang is clearly raising his own son. How could he not treat that brat well?

That's right, the adulterous couple grew bolder and bolder, and before they knew it, they had a child. So they conspired to stage a scene to make him believe that the child was theirs.

Because of his shallow kinship with his father, he treated that brat like dirt, giving him whatever he wanted. But as soon as he died, the ungrateful little brat ran to Zheng Haiyang's arms and giggled, "Daddy, that annoying person is finally gone. The three of us can be together forever!"

In the dream, she discovered something was amiss because her son was growing more and more like that bastard Zheng Haiyang. Unexpectedly, she suddenly died in an "accident," and the matter had to be left unresolved.

With the troublesome person "coincidentally" gone, Zheng Haiyang openly took over his job, moved into his house, and "by chance" obtained a large sum of money in the house.

This "coincidence" made Yu Junsheng's fists clench, but he could only watch helplessly as this family enjoyed themselves together.

He also watched as Zheng Haiyang, using the money he received from his family as a safety net after the reform and opening up, seized opportunities and expanded his business empire, eventually becoming one of the richest men in the area. The couple, though seemingly incompatible, enjoyed a loving marriage, successful children, a happy old age, and a long and healthy life.

What's even more outrageous is that when reminiscing about the past and mentioning himself, that bastard Zheng Haiyang actually said, "He was smart to die young!"

Yu Junsheng almost laughed out of anger. That bastard, so shameless! He cursed and swore that God was blind, that the heartless couple who had done so many wicked things could still live to be a hundred!

What kind of junk is this?!

He refused to believe that the fool in his dream was himself, but just now, when Aunt Chang mentioned the person that Aunt Hao had introduced to him, Yu Junsheng was inexplicably reminded of the scene in his dream.

The wife who cheated on him in his dream seemed to be the one introduced by Aunt Hao.

He now has only one thought: are the things that are about to happen in his dream real?

*

Soon, the dream was confirmed.

Yu Junsheng sat anxiously at the scrap metal recycling station all day. Before he even entered the compound after get off work, he was stopped by someone.

A long-faced middle-aged woman, Aunt Guan, stopped him with a beaming smile. "Wenzi, I heard you asked Aunt Hao to help you find a partner? It's been several days and you still haven't heard anything. I guess she doesn't have anyone suitable. Well, here I am, a perfect girl for you! Oh my, she's a perfect match for you!"

Yu Junsheng's eyes flickered, and he said with a half-smile, "Really? It's a pity I've already entrusted this matter to Aunt Hao. I dare not trouble you again, otherwise it would be an open embarrassment to Aunt Hao. How will you and Aunt Hao get along then? I can't harm you!" Aunt Hao's husband is the manager of the courtyard, and Aunt Hao is respected by everyone in the courtyard because of her kind heart. No one is foolish enough to offend someone openly.

Aunt Guan's face froze for a moment, then she smiled and complained, "You're too honest, kid! Let's just say you two like each other, what can Hao Jingui say?"

"What? Junsheng entrusted this matter to me, and you still want to steal my thunder? Lao Guan, that's not fair!" A round-faced middle-aged woman walked over with a not-so-good expression. It was Aunt Hao.

Being caught red-handed trying to steal someone's partner is somewhat embarrassing. Moreover, Aunt Hao's husband, Uncle Zou, is one of the few level eight fitters in the factory, while Aunt Guan's husband works for someone else; they dare not offend her.

Aunt Guan chuckled awkwardly, "How could that be, Lao Hao? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I just thought it was hopeless since you hadn't made any moves for so many days. I thought Junsheng's matter couldn't be delayed, and since I have a niece on my family's side, I thought I'd try to mediate. I meant well, but look at all this mess..."

Aunt Hao gave a perfunctory reply, "Oh, thank you so much! But you don't need to worry about it. Junsheng's matter has made progress. Perfect, saves me the trouble of coming to you again." Aunt Hao hated people like Aunt Guan who went around in circles, and she was too lazy to pay attention to her little schemes. She went straight to introducing Yu Junsheng.

"That girl's parents both work at a food factory, and she works there too. She's the eldest of four siblings. As soon as I mentioned your situation, her parents agreed. I've met the girl; she's stunningly beautiful. If you're satisfied, we can meet her another day."

With everyone in her family working, and herself having a job, Aunt Guan felt a little embarrassed, thinking of her niece who lived in the suburbs and hadn't had much schooling. Given the circumstances, even a fool would know which option to choose, let alone that cunning little brat, Yu Junsheng. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Aunt Guan slunk away, but secretly she was thinking of going back to reconsider.

Yu Junsheng, the person involved, was not particularly happy.

Food factory, four siblings, the eldest in the family—these all-too-familiar elements made his heart sink with each one he heard.

But clinging to a last sliver of hope, she tentatively asked, "Aunt Hao, what's that girl's name?" Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

"Oh dear, look at my memory! That girl's name is Jiang... Jiang something," Aunt Hao slapped her forehead, "Oh! I think it's Bai Qiu! I must say, it's a rather nice name! I've arranged to meet her at the state-run restaurant in a couple of days, so don't be late!" With that, Aunt Hao disappeared in a flash; she still had to go back to cook for her husband!

With a crash, that familiar name shattered Yu Junsheng's last hope.

The fool in my dream who was cheated on, raised someone else's child, and even after he died, gave the adulterous couple jobs, houses, and money—was he really him?!

No way, he's determined to ruin this blind date!