Chapter Sixty: Zhuangzi Dreams of the Butterfly

Zhao Zejun had a dream.

Last week, after accompanying a client to Wudang Mountain, he was dragged into a heavy drinking session upon their return. He drank too much, ended up vomiting violently in the restroom of the clubhouse, and finally fell asleep, slumped over the toilet.

In his dream, he was seventeen again, back in his senior year, Class One.

How wonderful it was to be young—to be able to flirt with the class beauty, to indulge in the bittersweet games of young love without a care, because youth meant endless possibilities. Who knew—perhaps they’d part ways today, only to meet by chance tomorrow at a café on the corner.

In his dream, he relived that event which had always weighed on his mind: the demolition. This time, Zhao Zejun showed no hesitation; he acquired a bunch of houses, all waiting for the compensation that would come with their demolition. After all, it was a dream—the bigger your heart, the grander the stage!

In his dream, Jiang Xuan was still alive! That little scoundrel—always greedy since childhood, always taking more than his share, and the pretty girls were all ruined by him!

He encountered all sorts of characters he’d never met before in reality: the cunning, corpse-like antique shop owner; the bullied son of a bureau chief; the old soldier missing a part of his leg...

It was raining. The sky hung low and gray, the sun nowhere to be seen.

The rain kept falling, and the atmosphere was tense and uneasy...

Within the dream, Zhao Zejun vaguely heard a familiar voice calling his name.

He slowly opened his eyes to a snow-white ceiling, and the first thing he saw was a familiar face...

“Mom...?” Zhao Zejun stared at Zhou Ya, who appeared noticeably younger than he remembered, momentarily dazed.

What the hell, why would my mom come to the clubhouse?

God, I swear I didn’t call any girls over—it was all the client’s doing, I just drank... Wait, I’m a single guy, so what if I did? It’s perfectly reasonable...

No, no, it wasn’t my dad calling girls over, so why am I explaining myself to Mom?

What a tangled mess. Zhao Zejun shook his head hard, trying to clear the confusion from his mind.

Behind Zhou Ya was a profusion of fresh flowers. She clutched Zhao Zejun’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears. “Son, you’re finally awake. You scared me half to death...”

...

A dozen seconds later, Zhao Zejun was fully awake at last.

He remembered—damn, it was all just a dream!

Yet the dream had felt so real. He actually had traveled through time. During the rescue operation in Gaogang Village, he’d had a high fever; he’d saved a baby, fallen, and then slipped into a half-real, half-imagined faint.

Basically, he’d just had a good, deep sleep.

He quickly grasped the situation—he was in a ward at the First People’s Hospital of Yijiang City.

There were many people present: his father and mother, Jiang Xuan, Junzi, Liang Shi, Director Li from the neighborhood office, some unfamiliar doctors, a female journalist he’d met once, and several middle-aged men in suits he didn’t recognize... He had an IV drip in his hand.

“Where’s the kidnapper?!”

With a groan, Zhao Zejun sat up in bed. Damn, had they caught that kidnapper? There was nothing he hated more than those bastards who trafficked children!

He shot a glare at Junzi—this guy was too ruthless. If you’d discovered it, you should’ve dealt with it then and there. Instead, you waited for me to put on this whole show. What if the house had collapsed during that time?

Junzi had meant well, though, so Zhao Zejun couldn’t really complain.

But he didn’t even get the chance to speak. The moment he woke up, everyone in the room surged forward, chattering all at once to the point where his head throbbed.

The doctor, cold and efficient, said, “Alright, family members stay. The rest, please leave. The patient needs to rest. Whatever it is, wait until tomorrow.”

With a dismissive wave, he herded them out like flies.

Zhao Tao stood, making a gesture to see the guests out. “Thank you all for your concern, but let my son rest for now.”

“Rest well, Zhao. We’ll come visit you another day.”

A dignified, well-dressed middle-aged man nodded at Zhao Zejun, then shook Zhao Tao’s hand firmly and said in a low voice, “Thank you for raising such a fine son.”

“It was my duty,” Zhao Tao replied with a humble smile and nod.

The man in the suit led the others out of the ward. As the room cleared, Zhao Tao coughed and said, “Jiang Xuan, you stay.”

“Oh.” Jiang Xuan fetched a small stool and sat quietly in the corner, eyes downcast.

Once everyone else had left, Zhao Tao shut the door and glared at Zhao Zejun. “Alright, tell us—what have you and your mother been hiding from us all this time?!”

“He just woke up, don’t pressure him! And besides, what he did was good—really good! You should be proud of him!” Zhou Ya rounded on Zhao Tao like a mother lion, jabbing her finger for emphasis. “I’m warning you, he just woke up. If you scare him into another incident, I’ll divorce you!”

Zhao Tao was exasperated. “I didn’t say he did anything wrong. I’m just asking...” Then, with a stern face, he turned to Jiang Xuan in the corner. “Jiang Xuan, you tell us—”

Jiang Xuan was deeply aggrieved, thinking, Uncle Zhao, this isn’t fair! Your wife scares you, so you come and take it out on me—that’s not right!

...

With a joint account from Jiang Xuan and Zhao Zejun, the matter was finally explained to the family.

They told about seventy or eighty percent of the truth: Zhao Zejun had helped Yu Zhe write articles online and made some money, with which he bought a house at a bargain, sold some ebony wood for a good sum, then bought a two-story house. When he saw the house of an old Red Army soldier collapse, his sense of justice compelled him to organize a rescue team...

Zhao Tao and Zhou Ya listened as if they were hearing a tale spun by a storyteller, faces full of astonishment from start to finish. It was unclear if they even understood it all.

As for how he was so certain there would be a demolition—well, Director Yu had let it slip inadvertently...

“So you were planning this all along, ever since last year when you asked me about buying a house for demolition compensation?” Zhao Tao asked.

Once again, Zhou Ya erupted at Zhao Tao. “As long as he’s safe, that’s what matters! Besides, our son has earned so many houses for the family—how can you not be satisfied?”

“I didn’t say anything bad about him—I was just praising him,” Zhao Tao replied, frustrated.

“Dad, it’s all fate’s arrangement,” Zhao Zejun said, feigning mysticism.

“Don’t give me that. You’re my son, I know you—you’ve never been one to sit still. And you, young Jiang Xuan, the two of you are always off getting into mischief together. Thank goodness nothing serious happened this time!” Zhao Tao cleverly shifted the focus back to Jiang Xuan.

Zhou Ya shot Zhao Tao a glare and said to Zhao Zejun, “Son, don’t worry about the house for now. Just rest and focus on your upcoming college entrance exams.”

“It’s fine, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get in,” Zhao Zejun reassured her.

“Now that everything’s settled, let me say a few words.” Zhao Tao glanced at Zhou Ya, coughed, and spoke solemnly. “First, what you did this time was absolutely right. The college entrance exam is just one step in life; living is about much more than that. A real man knows what to do and what not to do. You saved lives, and that’s the bigger picture. Just remember, in the future, if something like this happens again, you must pay attention to your own safety.”

“Yes, yes, Dad—what’s the second thing, or is there a ‘but’ coming...?”

Zhao Tao chuckled in exasperation. “No ‘but.’ Let’s get to the second point. Your mom and I have always seen you as a child, but this incident woke us up—you really are grown up now. Buying property, investing, organizing rescue efforts... Even I might not have handled it as well as you did—maybe not even as well. As for the college entrance exam, your practice scores have been good. Your mother and I aren’t worried anymore...”

“Dad, what are you trying to say?” Zhao Zejun sensed there was something more.

Zhao Tao and Zhou Ya exchanged a look. Zhou Ya nodded gently. Zhao Tao sighed, his tone both joyful and tinged with resignation. “You’ve grown up. Your mother and I are getting older. If we keep treating you like a child, we’ll only hold you back. From now on, as long as you don’t break the law or violate morality, do what you want—boldly and openly. Don’t sneak around anymore. Young people should have their own dreams, and don’t be afraid to fail. Your mother and I will always have your back.”

“Yes, even if your dad and I can’t help much, as long as we’re here, you’ll always have a home—a place to sleep, a hot meal waiting for you,” Zhou Ya added, her eyes reddening.

For a moment, Zhao Zejun was at a loss for words.

Looking at his parents, who now bore faint signs of age, he was struck by a strange, elusive feeling.

Perhaps it was his previous life that had been nothing more than a dream.

Maybe, he’d fallen asleep in a classroom one day, dreamed a long dream about the future, and then awoke to the sound of Old He’s piece of chalk hitting him, called up to the blackboard for dictation...

The Dream of the Butterfly—was it the butterfly dreaming it became a man, or a man dreaming he had become a butterfly?

Who could really say?

But did it matter? Whether he was the sleeping Zhuang Zhou or the butterfly dancing in the wind—it no longer seemed important.

What truly mattered was right in front of him.