《輕如薄紙的背負與緣份的古鏡》

2016年10月19日：廢紙焚燒場的毒氣與夜奔

夜晚，我和胡笳待在一個巨大的舊草棚裡。草棚內有一排排的桌椅，所有的門窗都沒有框架，只是草牆上的寬大豁口，兩側皆有。草棚的右側緊緊連著一棟同樣陳舊、刷著白石灰泥的兩層小樓，這裡看起來像是一個被廢棄的紙張焚燒場。草棚與樓房的前方是一片開闊的空地，後方則流淌著一條靜謐的小河。

正當我們忙著手頭的事情時，忽然看見外面的空地上從左側開進來一輛大卡車，緊接著又跟進了第二輛，車斗裡塞滿了廢紙。車上下跳下來幾個人，一副盛氣凌人、來者不善的模樣。旁邊樓房裡隨即有人下樓與他們接洽。我心裡暗自嘀咕：這個時辰怎麼可能會有正經的生意往來？預感不祥。

我壓低聲音，對正在幾步開外埋頭幹活的胡笳說：「趕快關燈，從後窗跳出去！」我倆貓著腰，借著一排排桌椅的掩護，悄悄且快速地奔向後窗。路過牆壁時，我順手撥下了上面的電燈開關，然而神祕的是，燈火並未熄滅，依舊散發著黃燦燦的光芒，將整個草棚照得一片通明。胡笳在身後低聲說：「不能關，突然滅燈反而會引起外面人的注意，還好沒滅。」好在草棚比較低，有朝外斜伸出去的寬屋簷，外面的人一時間還沒注意到裡面的動靜。

說時遲，那時快。我跟著胡笳先後跳出後窗，跑過腳下一片由黑瓦砌的舊屋頂，迎著呼嘯的夜風，縱身朝著遠處全力一跳。胡笳落在了靠近小河對岸的淺水裡，似乎不小心崴了腳，正一臉痛苦地捧著左腳按摩。我入水的位置比較靠近河流中央，借著河水的浮力，身體毫髮無損。我們迅速游過去，將身體半泡在冰冷的河水裡，躲在大柳樹的陰影中，警惕地觀察著對岸。

這時，只見草棚的窗洞口晃動著幾個人影，其中一人端著一個臉盆，朝河裡倒出了兩條魚。其中一條黑黝黝的魚竟然帶著強烈的攻擊性，直接全速沖著我們的方向游過來。「毒魚！」我說。我們跳出水面爬上河岸，在夜幕中奔逃，濕漉漉的衣服上拖帶著泥水。

跑出一段距離後，我們再度折返回去，想躲在暗處看個究竟。這時才發現那片廢墟不知何時已經被一圈高大的木柵欄給圍了起來。眨眼之間，柵欄內部突然升騰起火光，火勢蔓延得極其迅猛，剎那間化作一片沖天的火海。我們退到馬路對面遠遠地看著，四周也漸漸聚集了前來圍觀的附近居民。

就在這時，我看見二樓的窗戶裡突然探出一個人影。那人將手裡的一個布袋子在空中抖弄了幾下，一股濃黑如墨的煙塵瞬間被抖了出來，借著風勢迅速擴散。「快跑！」我說，「那是毒氣！」

我背起胡笳就跑，用另一隻手摀住自己的口鼻，提醒他：「千萬不要將毒氣吸進去！」此時的胡笳已經被嗆得臉色煞白，連呼吸都變得極其微弱。我背著他，朝著遠處幽深黑暗的巷子深處狂奔。在驚恐中醒來。

禮堂的驚險搜捕與背負

在以前的另一個夢裡，我也曾救過胡笳。

在一個大禮堂內，觀眾席上坐著不少人，我們也在。見幾個人進來，一排排查找，要抓胡笳。我心裡明白，坐在原位裝無辜是絕對敷衍不過去的。

就在他們逼近的那一剎那，我猛地站起身來，迎著衝上來的人對打了幾下，憑著驚人的爆發力將他們逼退。趁著一片混亂，我拉起胡笳，大步跨過一排排高高的靠背椅，身手敏捷地直接從禮堂後門逃了出去。一出大門，我立刻將胡笳背在自己的背上在夜色中狂奔。那一刻，我心中驚奇地發現，背上的他竟然輕得就像是一張薄薄的白紙，毫無重量，這使我得以帶著他大步流星、腳不沾地般飛速逃離了險境。

【備註】關於緣份的古鏡故事

聽說過一個關於緣份的故事：

從前有個書生，和未婚妻約好在某年某月某日結婚。奈何，到那一天，未婚妻卻嫁給了別人。書生大受打擊，一病不起。眼看書生奄奄一息，家人用盡各種辦法卻也無能為力。這時，一名和尚決定點化他。和尚到他牀前，從懷裏摸出一面鏡子叫書生看一看。

書生看到一名遇害的女子一絲股躺在海灘上，一名路人經過，看了一眼，便搖搖頭，走了。之後又路過一人，他將衣服脫下，給女屍蓋上，便走了。過了一會，再路過一人，走了過去，並挖了一個洞，小心翼翼把屍體掩埋了。書生看著鏡子裡發生的，滿面疑惑，然後，書生在鏡中看到自己的未婚妻在洞房花燭，被她丈夫掀起蓋頭紗的瞬間。

書生還是不明所以。於是和尚解釋道，那具海灘上的女屍，正是他未婚妻的前世。而他，就是第二個路過的人，曾經給過她一件衣服。她今生和他相戀，就只為了還他一個情。但她最終要報答一生一世的人，是最後那個把她埋起來的好心人，那人就是她現在的丈夫。

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The Feather-Light Rescue and the Ancient Mirror of Destiny

October 19, 2016: The Escape from the Toxic Smoke

Under the cover of night, Hu Jia and I occupied a massive, weathered straw shed. Inside, rows of tables and chairs were set out; yet, the doors and windows completely lacked frames, existing merely as wide, gaping horizontal voids carved directly into the thatch walls on both flanks. The right side of the shed was joined seamlessly to a two-story building sharing the same dilapidated aesthetic, its exterior coated in white lime mud; the site possessed the distinct atmosphere of an abandoned wastepaper incineration facility. Flanking the front of the structures was a vast, open courtyard, while a tranquil, narrow river trickled directly behind them.

While we were busily engaged in some task, I suddenly spotted a truck aggressively veering into the open courtyard from the left, immediately followed by a second vehicle, their storage beds crammed to the brim with crumpled wastepaper. Several people jumped out of the vehicle, exuding an air of ill intent. Someone from the adjacent concrete building hurried downstairs to negotiate with them. Why on earth would there be business transactions at this ungodly hour? I muttered to myself, a bad feeling creeping over me.

In a hushed, frantic whisper, I turned to Hu Jia, who was working a few paces away: "Hurry, kill the lights and leap out the back window!"
Crouching low beneath the silhouettes of the tables and chairs, we slipped silently and rapidly toward the rear opening. As I passed the wall, I reached out and flipped the master light switch; yet, miraculously, the illumination refused to die. Instead, it continued to cast a brilliant, warm amber glow, flooding the entire straw shed with light. Hu Jia whispered from behind, "Do not force it. A sudden blackout would instantly betray our movements to the thugs outside; it’s a blessing it stayed on." Fortunately, the structure of the shed was remarkably low, capped by a wide, sweeping thatched eave that slanted outward, shielding our frantic movements from the intruders in the courtyard.

Before the thought could even settle, the crisis erupted. Following closely behind Hu Jia, I cleanly vaulted through the low rear window opening. We bounded furiously across a vast expanse of old rooftop shingles made of overlapping black tiles. Bearing into the midnight wind, we executed a grand, desperate leap out into the distance. Hu Jia crashed into the shallow current close to the opposite bank of the river, seemingly twisting his ankle, as he sat clutching and massaging his left foot in intense pain. My own descent struck closer to the center of the riverbed; thanks to the dynamic buoyancy of the current, my body remained entirely unharmed. We lunged through the current, anchoring our bodies half-submerged within the deep, protective shroud of a weeping willow tree, warily watching the opposite bank.

Just then, a few shadowy figures materialized at the window voids of the straw shed. One man hoisted a massive washbasin and violently sloshed its contents into the river, discharging two bizarre fish into the current. One large, pitch-black fish instantly locked onto our coordinates, charging with a terrifying speed straight toward us. "There are venomous fish in the water!" I said. We launched ourselves out of the riverbed, scrambling frantically onto the grassy bank and sprinting blindly into the darkness, our soaked garments dripping heavy, muddy trails behind us.

After running a considerable distance, a powerful curiosity compelled us to cautiously retrace our steps, desperate to peer through the shadows and witness the outcome. Returning to the perimeter, we found that the entire clearing had been heavily sealed shut by a colossal grid of timber fencing. In the blink of an eye, roaring pillars of fire erupted within the enclosure, the blaze spreading with an apocalyptic speed until it transformed the site into a raging ocean of flame. We were forced to retreat across the main road, watching from a distance as a crowd of locals gradually gathered around us.

Suddenly, I looked up to see a dark silhouette extend itself from the window of the second floor. The figure held a canvas sack, giving it several violent, snapping shakes in mid-air, instantly unleashing a dense cloud of pitch-black ash that expanded rapidly on the wind. "Run!" I hollered. "That is lethal chemical gas!"

Without a shred of hesitation, I hoisted the injured Hu Jia onto my back, sealing my own nose and mouth tightly with my free hand while screaming a warning to him: "Do not inhale a single drop of that smoke!" Hu Jia was already gasping for air, his face turning completely pale as his breathing grew perilously faint. Carrying him upon my spine, I summoned every ounce of raw kinetic strength in my legs, sprinting like a maniac deep into the shadowy labyrinth of a distant alleyway. Marooned in a state of absolute panic and frantic exhaustion, I snapped wide awake.

The Auditorium Rescue
I've dreamt of rescuing Hu Jia before.

In a spacious auditorium, many people were already seated, and we were among them. Suddenly, several men entered and began searching row by row, intent on capturing Hu Jia. It was no longer possible to maintain a facade of indifference.

Just as the searchers closed in on our row, I unleashed a surge of overwhelming, formidable power! I sprang up, confronting the approaching men head-on, and with a few heavy, forceful blows, I drove them back. Amidst the ensuing chaos, I grabbed Hu Jia, vaulted over the high-backed auditorium seats, and dashed straight toward an open exit at the rear, vanishing into the night. The moment I crossed the threshold, I hoisted Hu Jia onto my back and took off at a full sprint. To my utter astonishment, he felt completely weightless—as light as a mere sheet of paper. This absolute lightness allowed me to move with the speed of a gale and the intensity of a raging fire; I covered ground in great, swift strides, drifting away with ease and leaving all danger far behind.

[Note] The Story of the Mirror of Destiny

I once heard a story about destiny:

Long ago, there was a scholar who agreed to marry his fiancée on a specific year, month, and day. However, when that day arrived, his fiancée married someone else instead. The scholar suffered a massive blow and fell gravely ill. Seeing him on the verge of death, his family tried every possible means but remained entirely helpless. At that moment, a monk decided to enlighten him. The monk came to his bedside, drew a mirror from his robe, and told the scholar to look inside.

The scholar saw a murdered woman lying completely naked on a beach. A passerby walked past, took a single look, shook his head, and walked away. Afterward, another person passed by; he took off his clothes, covered the female corpse with them, and walked away. A moment later, a third person passed by, walked over, dug a hole, and gingerly buried the corpse. Watching the events unfold in the mirror, the scholar was filled with confusion. Then, the scholar saw his fiancée in her bridal chamber, at the exact moment her husband lifted her bridal veil.

The scholar still did not understand the meaning. So, the monk explained: that female corpse on the beach was his fiancée's previous life. And he, the scholar, was the second passerby who had once given her a piece of clothing. She fell in love with him in this lifetime simply to repay that single debt of affection. But the person she ultimately had to repay with her entire lifetime was the final, kind-hearted man who had buried her; that man was her current husband.

特別感謝 Gemini AI 提供充滿活力的翻譯和文本潤色。

Special thanks to Gemini AI for providing the spirited translation and text refinement.

第四百零五篇