《窄庫推車的霸氣工人、窗櫺閃光燈與「曾」家馬隊的惡作劇》

【作者注】

夢裡所謂 PY 的住房，現實中其實是 J 父母的家。兩位老人去世後房子歸了 J。因為 J 當時不在美國，我和胡笳便在2001年至2006年間租住在那裡。我們搬走以後，那棟房子便一直空關著。現實中根本就沒有任何專人看管，只是由我和胡笳每隔個十天半月，自己開車回去開開窗、透透氣。潛意識卻在夢裡把這個簡單的日常習慣，演繹成了一場有人看管、甚至招來軍車搜捕的荒誕大戲。

【夢境正文】

2023年8月17日：PY 的那套住房我已經有好久沒去了，平時都是交由專人看管著的。這回我去了，心裡總覺得有些不太習慣。中途有修理工上門來修理東西，他把自己的車停在了房屋西側的車庫裡。車庫狹窄，只能容下一輛車。（現實生活中那地方是條露天車道）。

等幹完活兒之後，只見那個修理工居然直接用雙手將他的車子推出了車庫。車庫大門口的地面上還有一個凸起的台階，他也只是加大力度，就把整輛車給推上了台階，一路推到了外面的大馬路上才發動開走，好霸氣。

負責看管房子的人家有一個小女孩，她敲門進屋，在桌上留下了一部折疊式手機。

沒過多久，外面又傳來了敲門聲。我透過窗戶看到門前的車道上正停著兩輛車，後面那一輛是軍用卡車，裡面黑壓壓地坐滿了荷槍實彈、神色威嚴的軍人。前面那輛車裡則下來了幾個身穿便衣的人，他們徑直來到門口，就開始大聲宣讀罪狀，作勢就要進屋抓人。

正當爭辯之際，突然走過來一個人對著領頭的說：「弄錯了，不是這一家，趕緊撤！」話音剛落，「呼啦」一下，這撥來勢洶洶的人便走得乾乾淨淨。直到這時，我才放下心來。

我順手拿起小女孩留下的那部折疊手機，來到了東邊的窗戶前。我用手分開百葉窗的條櫺，透過那道窄窄的縫隙，想用手機對著外面那群正準備離去的人拍張照片。

可好巧不巧，那部手機在按下快門的剎那，「唰」地一下，閃光燈竟然發出了一片刺眼的光。這一下立馬被還沒走遠的軍車上的人給發現了。

剎那間，四五個軍人迅速抬起了手中的槍，齊刷刷地對準了我所站立的那扇窗戶。他們有的拿著手槍，有幾個手裡拿著的則是極其先進的長槍，那黑黝黝、冷冰冰的槍管看起來十分滲人。

我心知不妙，急忙離開窗子想躲避。但詭異的是，這整面牆壁在這一刻竟然全都變成了透明的玻璃，我根本無處藏身。無奈之下，我立馬走出了大門，雙手高高攤開，做出一副把手機主動交出去的姿勢，面部表情也盡量顯得平靜，試圖向他們傳達：我並沒有任何惡意。

最後才發現，這根本不是什麼抓捕，是「曾」家的人馬在故意表演的一場惡作劇，目的是為了在某個日子向房子的主人表示祝賀的，結果卻荒誕地找錯了地方。

**********************************

The Strongman in the Garage, an Accidental Camera Flash, and the False Arrest Misadventure

[Author's Note]

The residence referred to as PY’s quarters in the dream was, in reality, J’s parents’ old family home. After the elders passed away, the property was inherited by J. Since J was not in the United States at the time, Hu Jia and I rented and lived in that house from 2001 to 2006. After we moved out, the house remained locked and vacant. There was never any designated housekeeper looking after the property; rather, Hu Jia and I would simply drive back every ten days or a fortnight on our own just to open the windows and air out the rooms. Yet, my subconscious took this simple real-life routine and dramatized it into a grand narrative involving a property caretaker and a sudden military raid.

August 17, 2023:

I hadn't visited PY's residence in a very long time; it was usually left under the care of a housekeeper. Returning this time, I felt a distinct sense of unfamiliarity. A repairman arrived to fix some fixtures, parking his vehicle inside the garage on the west side of the house. The garage was exceedingly narrow, barely accommodating a single car.（In real life, that place is an open-air driveway.）

Upon completing his task, the repairman unexpectedly proceeded to manually push his car out of the garage with his bare hands. Although there was a raised step at the threshold of the garage door, he simply applied a sudden burst of immense strength, shoved the vehicle up over the ledge, and rolled it all the way out into the main road before turning the ignition to drive away. It was a display of sheer, formidable power.

The housekeeper's young daughter knocked and entered the room, leaving a folding mobile phone behind on the table.

Shortly after, another knock rattled the front door. Looking through the window, I spotted two vehicles idling in the driveway. The one in the rear was a military transport truck, packed with heavily armed soldiers wearing solemn expressions. Several men in plain clothes disembarked from the front vehicle, marched straight to the entrance, and began bellowing out a list of criminal charges, preparing to breach the house to make an arrest.

As a heated argument ensued at the door, someone abruptly approached the leader and interjected, "There's a mistake, it's not this house. Retract immediately!" No sooner were the words spoken than the aggressive faction cleared out as swiftly as they had arrived. Only then did I fully breathe a sigh of relief.

I picked up the folding phone left by the young girl and walked to the eastern window. Parting the slats of the window blinds, I attempted to snap a photograph of the retreating crowd through the narrow gap.

Unluckily, the exact instant I pressed the shutter, the phone's flash emitted a brilliant, blinding burst of stark light. This sudden illumination was instantly detected by the alert soldiers on the military truck who hadn't yet departed.

Within a heartbeat, four or five soldiers raised their weapons, aligning their barrels squarely at the window where I stood. Some held pistols, while others wielded advanced long rifles—their dark, cold metallic muzzles appearing thoroughly menacing.

Aware of the danger, I bolted from the window to seek cover. Yet, incomprehensibly, the entire solid wall had transformed at that moment into transparent glass, leaving me completely exposed. Seeing no alternative, I marched out the front door, spreading both hands wide in a submissive gesture to surrender the phone, keeping my facial expression entirely neutral to project that I harbored no ill intent.

In the end, it was revealed that the entire event was an elaborate prank staged by the "Zeng" family cohort. It was meant to be a theatrical congratulatory surprise to the homeowner for a specific occasion, but they had absurdly targeted the wrong house.

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.

第四百二十五篇

《十一層空鎖公寓、野鴨頭老手機與水簾洞裏的同學會》

【作者注】

現實生活中我根本不存在多餘的公寓。這又是一個有趣的「富夢」，潛意識在夢裡憑空為我添置了一套十一層的房產。而夢裡那個光著腳丫子、進不去的中專班同學會，則對應著我內心深處某種既渴望重逢又自帶靦腆、不願打擾的真實底色。

【夢境正文】

2023年8月7日:  

去了一趟另外的一套公寓，那套公寓在一棟大樓的第十一層上。裡面一共有三間屋子，平時我們並不常去，一直空鎖著。

天矇矇亮的時候，我迷迷糊糊地醒來。發覺西北角上的大玻璃窗外，似乎有個小西正在朝著我這邊看。仔細一看，原來是一隻綠頭野鴨子。大大的眼睛挺可愛，正一眨不眨地盯著我看，萌萌的。不知牠只是出於好奇看我，還是想跟我傳遞些什麼信息。

我輕輕地走過去。誰知「呼啦」一聲，陽台上的幾隻鳥一下子都飛走了。

我一回頭，看到靠牆的一張小長桌上，不知何時多出了一個老式的手機。那手機的顏色跟剛才那個野鴨頭的墨綠色一模一樣。此時，手機上的一個指示燈正一閃一閃地發著紅光。我納悶，從哪兒蹦出來的手機？我心生警惕，也不敢去接聽，只想著趕快回家去告訴家人。

我迅速轉身離開，下了樓。但是走的時候，那個手機的紅燈還在閃個不停，有些放心不下。

來到了樓下的大廳裡，正好碰到了大樓裡的門衛。我便走過去跟他說了那個奇怪的手機以及我的擔心。我問他，那紅燈一閃一閃的，到底是要我去接聽呢，還是在向我提示著什麼？如果說是有電話打進來，那為什麼又聽不到半點鈴聲呢？我希望門衛能上樓去幫忙查一下，但他似乎不太願意。

我跟著他走進了電梯，一起上了樓。可奇怪的是，到了中途門衛卻突然不見了。電梯最後停在了十樓，我也只好跟著其他乘客一起跨出了電梯。

此時的樓道裡到處都是積水，天花板上就像水簾洞似的，正不住地往下淌著水。

一陣喧嘩聲突然從旁邊的一間屋子裡傳了出來。我走過去一看，原來是有人在裡面聚會，而且聚會的居然全都是我中專班的同學。有同學進進出出，但詭異的是，他們彷彿都看不見我。我似乎還看到了我當年的同桌小T的身影。

我正猶豫著是否也進去參加，結果一低頭，看見自己還光著腳丫子呢，那就算了。

**********************************

The 11th-Floor Locked Apartment, the Mallard-Green Phone, and a Class Reunion in a Flooded Hallway

[Author's Note]

In reality, no such extra apartment exists. This was yet another amusing "rich dream" where my subconscious conjured up an entire piece of real estate on the eleventh floor out of thin air. Meanwhile, finding myself barefoot and unable to join that technical school class reunion reflects a deep, underlying part of my nature—a lingering bashfulness that longs for connection yet hesitates to impose or disturb others.

August 7, 2023:

I paid a visit to another apartment we owned, located on the eleventh floor of a high-rise building. It contained three rooms that we rarely visited, remaining locked and vacant.

As the sky was just beginning to brighten, I drifted into a state of semi-wakefulness. I noticed a small creature outside the large glass window in the northwest corner, peering in at me. Looking closely, it was a mallard duck. It had large, endearing eyes and stared at me unblinkingly with an utterly adorable expression. For a moment, I wondered if it was observing me out of pure curiosity or trying to convey some hidden message.

I softened my steps and crept toward the window. Suddenly, with a loud rustle, several birds perched on the balcony were startled and flew away simultaneously.

Turning around, I noticed an old-fashioned mobile phone sitting upon a small console table against the wall, though I had no idea when it had appeared. The phone was the exact same shade of dark green as the mallard's head. A indicator light on the device was flashing a steady, rhythmic red. I wondered where on earth this phone had come from. Feeling wary, I did not dare answer it, thinking only of returning home quickly to inform my family.

I left in haste and headed downstairs. Yet, as I departed, that red light continued to flash behind me, leaving me with a lingering sense of unease.

Upon reaching the ground-floor lobby, I ran into the building's doorman. I approached him and recounted the strange phone and my anxieties. I asked whether the flashing light meant I was supposed to answer a call or if it was alerting me to something else. If a call was coming through, why was there no audible ringtone? I requested that he go upstairs to investigate, but he seemed entirely reluctant.

I followed him into the elevator anyway, and we headed back up. Strangely, midway through the ascent, the doorman vanished completely. The elevator ultimately ground to a halt on the tenth floor, and I followed the other passengers out of the cabin.

The hallway here was heavily flooded with standing water, and streams were cascading down from the ceiling like the Water Curtain Cave from legend.

A burst of loud clamor suddenly erupted from a room nearby. I walked over and discovered that a party was underway inside, and the people gathered there were none other than my old classmates from my technical school branch. Several classmates drifted in and out of the doorway, yet strangely, none of them seemed to notice me. Amid the crowd, I caught sight of the silhouette of Yifan, my former desk partner.

I hesitated, wondering if I should join the gathering. But looking down, I discovered I was entirely barefoot. I reasoned that it was best to forget it, and abandoned the idea.

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.

第四百二十四篇

《紐約地下通道的迷路、木柵欄外的問路與地下奴工？》

2023年5月27日：

似乎是在紐約，想回家。我知道只要往東走就行。後方遠處有一棟地標性的建築，通體墨綠色，似乎是一家藝術博物館。那棟樓所在方位讓我想起了安德魯·魏斯的著名畫作《克里斯蒂娜的世界》（Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth）。我知道自己只要朝著相反的方向走就行。

來到一條繁忙的街口，必須要經由地下通道才能過馬路。地下通道裡有幾條岔道，我轉著轉著就徹底迷失了方向。

通道兩側看見有幾間開著門的小屋子。這條岔道比較髒，屋子狹小且條件很差，其中一間裡住著一個瘦小的男青年。裡面家徒四壁，地上甚至開始流出污水。

我又轉到了另一條岔道，這裡顯得比較乾淨明亮一些。一間裝有大玻璃門的屋子似乎是個公司，有個西方男人正站在門口懸掛寫有漢字的小簾子，門廳裡面還站著三個著裝得體的男人。我走上前問：「怎麼才能走出去？」但並沒有得到任何實質的答案。

我又在裡面轉了轉，一扭頭看到外面的樓房與天空，便立馬走上台階，居然真的就離開了地下街道。回頭一看，那棟墨綠色的樓依然矗立在那裡，我繼續往前走。

走著走著，我似乎想找個人確認一下方向。看到右側有一個農莊，兩個西方人正在裡面工作。等其中一個人停下手裡的活兒，我隔著塗過白漆的舊木柵欄大聲問：「那個方向是否是東方？」正問著，另外一個工人也朝這邊走過來了。

他們反問我打哪兒來的。「取道日本，從中國來的。」我回答。似乎他們打算帶我一程。在他們轉身去取車的時候，我順便觀察了一下這個農莊。

突然，我看到有一排東方人正坐在兩個舊倉房之間狹窄的空隙裡。他們衣著極其樸素，其中也有人穿著綠軍裝，像是文革時期的穿戴。他們看著我，臉上毫無表情。

我走過去跟他們伸出大拇指，但似乎自己的大拇指有些僵硬，怎麼也沒能完全伸直。心裡的感覺頓時有點不妙，隱隱覺得他們似乎都是被這個農莊控制著幹活的奴工。

趁著那兩個準備帶我一程的西方人還沒出現，我即刻撒丫子走人。我推著一個小推車，貓著腰，急急忙忙地往回走。這時，突然有人拍了拍我的右臂。啊呀，他們追上來了！

醒來，原來是胡笳在拍我。估計是我在夢裡逃離現場的動靜太大了。早晨時間是5點57分。

**********************************

The Labyrinth of the New York Underpass, Inquiries at the White Fence, and the Hidden Laborers?

I seemed to be in New York, with a strong desire to return home. I knew I simply needed to head east. In the far distance behind me stood a landmark building, entirely dark green, which appeared to be an art museum. The location of this building reminded me of Andrew Wyeth’s masterpiece, Christina's World. I reasoned that I only needed to walk in the exact opposite direction.

Arriving at a bustling intersection, I was forced to use an underground pedestrian underpass to cross the street. The underpass contained several branching tunnels, and after winding through them, I completely lost my sense of direction.

I noticed a few small rooms with open doors along the way. This particular branch was quite filthy; the quarters were cramped and the conditions wretched. In one room lived a frail young man; the space was utterly destitute, and sewage had begun to pool across the floor.

Turning into another branch, the surroundings became cleaner and brighter. A room with a large glass door appeared to be a company office; a Western man stood at the entrance hanging a small curtain inscribed with Chinese characters, while three immaculately dressed men stood inside the lobby. I approached and asked, "How do I get out of here?" but received no definitive answer.

After wandering a bit longer, I turned my head, caught sight of the buildings and sky outside, and immediately climbed the steps. Incredibly, I successfully exited the underground streets. Looking back, that dark green building was still standing there, so I pressed on.

As I walked, I felt the need to find someone to confirm my direction. To my right was a farm where two Westerners were working. Waiting until one of them paused his labor, I called out across an old wooden fence painted in weathered white: "Is that direction East?" As I inquired, the second worker walked over to join him.

They asked where I had come from. "By way of Japan, from China," I replied.

It appeared they intended to give me a lift. While they went to retrieve their vehicle, I took the opportunity to look around the farm. Suddenly, I spotted a line of Asians sitting in the narrow clearance between two old barns. Their clothing was exceedingly plain; some wore green military uniforms characteristic of the Cultural Revolution era. They stared back at me, their faces entirely devoid of expression.

I walked toward them and flashed a thumbs-up gesture, yet my thumb felt stiff and refused to straighten completely. A wave of unease washed over me; I intuitively felt that they were slave laborers controlled by the farm.

Before the two Westerners returning with the vehicle could reappear, I took off instantly. Pushing a small handcart, I hunched my back and retreated in frantic haste. Just then, someone suddenly tapped my right arm. Oh no, they had caught up to me!

I awoke with a start to find Hu Jia tapping me. It turned out the commotion of my escape inside the dream had manifested physically. The morning clock read 5:57 AM.

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.

第四百二十二篇

《迪斯尼渡口的冰封山梁、復活的黝黑鯉魚與錯過的班船》

2023年5月：

乘渡船過了一條不寬的河，說是去迪斯尼。隨著人流往前走，途中有幾家涼亭棚子搭成的小吃鋪，裡面有人在講故事。

右方有一個比較陡峭的高坡，大約有一兩層樓高。我也走過去跟著爬。腳下並沒有路，泥地已經開始結凍，泥土呈現的不是黑色而是白雪，但並不蓬鬆。我高一腳低一腳地爬上斜坡，發現上面原來是一道窄窄的山梁，放眼望去是一片銀乾坤、玉世界。

這時，有幾條似乎是剛剛被凍住了的魚從下面蹦了上來，其中一條魚還艱難地動了動嘴巴。我伸手把那條魚抓了過來，放進口袋裡，接著又順手抓了一個凍疙瘩放進另一個口袋。

我立馬轉身下來朝著渡口走去。沒過多久，口袋裡的那兩個小傢伙在體溫下漸漸暖了過來。我掏出來一看，原來一隻是烏龜，身子比一般的烏龜要稍長一點兒；另一條是鯉魚。牠們此時的鱗甲都變得黝黑滑亮。

我開始到處找水，心裡害怕牠們會渴死。在一家小食店的後廚裡，我找到幾個杯子，裡面剩有小半杯水。我把牠們放進去喝水。

隨後我匆匆趕到碼頭，此時一班渡船剛好啟航離開。我在碼頭等了下一班船，這才過了河。

**********************************

The Frozen Ridge at the Disney Ferry, the Revived Black Carp, and the Missed Boat

I took a ferry across a narrow river, bound for Disney. Moving forward with the crowd, I passed several snack stalls set up under pavilion sheds, where people were telling stories inside.

To the right rose a fairly steep slope, about one or two stories high. I walked over and began to climb it. There was no path underfoot; the muddy ground had begun to freeze, and the soil appeared not black but filled with white snow, though it was not powdery. Trudging unevenly up the slope, I discovered that the top was a narrow mountain ridge—a vast, panoramic world of silver and jade.

Just then, several fish that seemed to have just been frozen leaped up onto the ridge; one of them was still feebly moving its mouth. I reached out, caught the fish, and slipped it into my pocket, then casually grabbed a frozen clod of earth and put it in my other pocket.

I turned around immediately, heading back down toward the ferry. Before long, the two little creatures in my pockets began to warm up against my body. When I pulled them out, I discovered that one was a turtle, its shell slightly longer than usual, and the other was a carp. Their scales and armor were now a glossy, polished pitch-black.

I began searching everywhere for water, terrified that they would perish of thirst. In the back kitchen of a small eatery, I found a few cups containing a fraction of a cup of water. I placed them inside to drink.

Afterward, I hurried to the pier, but a ferry had just unmoored and departed. I waited for the next scheduled boat before finally crossing the river.

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.

第四百二十一篇

《大廳矮桌的錯置期貨單、24美金盈利與消失的下單鍵》

2023年5月14日：

好像是在旅途中，進了一間大廳。在門左側找到一個小矮桌。我將一個大本子從手提箱裡取出，想坐在箱子上操作，但皮質的軟箱有點合不上。

桌面並不大，上面還堆放著其他東西。我的大本子無法展平，打開後像報紙一樣大，是幾張疊在一起的淺棕色的油紙，很薄、有點皺，但很結實。本子上面密密麻麻地印滿了一行行的字母和數字。

還沒等坐穩，我手裡拿著的筆不小心就點在了某一組字母上了。「嘀嗒」一聲，動靜像是在屏幕上點擊了一下，信息迅速就傳了出去。我心裡一驚：「啊！」原來是一不小心意外地下了一張期貨市價單，且已經成交！

買進的合約名稱是D字打頭的，一共三個字母。我的第一反應是必須立即管控新增加的風險敞口，這是交易的紀律！我的習慣是，只要出現不在計劃或預料之內的情況，需要立即截斷額外的風險。

我迅速打開了這個D字開頭的合約價格圖，發現線條是上漲後的窄幅整理，新合約顯示已經有了24美元的盈利。同時我注意到，賬戶裡還有一張過夜單，暫時贏利6美元。

當務之急是要把這手多單平倉。我想將這手不小心買入的多單平倉，或者設置一個跟蹤止損，但任憑我怎麼找，也找不到可以點擊下單的按鍵。

醒來，時間是早晨8點37分。  

**********************************

The Accidental Futures Order on the Low Table, a $24 Profit, and the Vanished Execution Button

May 14, 2023:

I seemed to be on a journey, entering a large hall. To the left of the door, I found a small low table. I retrieved a large ledger from my suitcase, intending to sit upon the case to work, though the soft leather luggage would not easily close.

The tabletop was small and cluttered with other objects. My large ledger could not be laid flat; when opened, it was as large as a newspaper, consisting of several sheets of light brown greaseproof paper layered together—very thin and somewhat wrinkled, yet highly durable. The ledger was densely printed with rows of letters and numbers.

Before I could even settle into my seat, the pen I was holding accidentally tapped against a specific group of letters. A crisp click resounded, precisely like a tap on a digital screen, and the order was instantly transmitted. Panic hit me: "Ah!" I had inadvertently executed a futures market order, and it was already filled!

The purchased contract name began with the letter "D" and consisted of three letters total. My immediate reaction was that I must manage this newly added risk exposure immediately—this is the strict discipline of trading! My habit dictates that whenever an unplanned or unexpected situation arises, any additional risk must be cut off instantly.

I swiftly pulled up the price chart for this D-initiated contract and discovered it was in a narrow consolidation phase following an upward move. The new contract indicated a profit of 24 dollars. Concurrently, I noticed an overnight position remaining in the account, showing a temporary gain of 6 dollars.

The urgent priority was to close this long position. I wanted to close the long contract purchased by mistake or establish a trailing stop, yet no matter how frantically I searched, the button to execute the order was nowhere to be found.

Waking time: 8:37 AM.

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.

第四百二十篇

《扣牌局中的「OH」王牌與意猶未盡的清醒》

2023年4月24日：

跟兩個男人一起打牌。牌是扣著放的，自己能看到，到時候大家一起翻牌。

這一圈兒我手裡拿到了一幅好牌，有五六張A，還有Q、J、小怪、10等。其中有一張特殊的牌，上面赫然寫著「OH」。我便問兩個牌友，這是什麼牌？他們回答說，這是介於大怪和小怪之間的大牌。

我聽後把那張牌拍在桌上，說：「出牌吧。」

他倆看了一眼，都不出了，搖搖頭說：「你這已經是明牌了。」說完，我就醒了過來。

【作者注】

現實中我根本不會玩牌，在夢裡也全然不知道玩的是什麼牌。但是手裡抓到那麼多好牌，確實挺令人高興的。醒來後心裡似乎有點兒後悔，沒能在那個美夢裡多呆一會兒。

小時候我跟哥哥們和鄰居小夥伴兒們打過「爭上游」、「24點」、「拱豬」還有「打升級」。那時「35分」是三個人打，「40分」或「80分」是四個人打的，有一副牌和多副牌一起打的打法。當時我特佩服我五哥，什麼牌已經出過了，誰手裡還有啥牌，他都能全部記住或算出來。

**********************************

The "OH" Trump Card in a Hidden Game and an Unfinished Awakening

I was playing cards with two men. The cards were dealt face down, visible only to oneself, to be revealed simultaneously at the end.

In this particular round, I drew an exceptionally strong hand containing five or six Aces, a Queen, a Jack, a Low Joker, a 10, and others. Among them was a peculiar card marked with the letters "OH." I questioned my two opponents, asking what kind of card it was. They replied that it was a powerful card, ranking between the High Joker and the Low Joker.

I laid the card flat upon the table and said, "Your turn to play."

Both of them refused to play, stating, "Your hand is already an open game." With that, I woke up.

[Author's Note]

In reality, I do not know how to play cards, nor did I comprehend what game was being played in the dream. However, holding such a formidable hand was genuinely exhilarating. Upon awakening, I felt a lingering regret that I had not remained within that dream a while longer.

During my childhood, I used to play card games like "Zheng Shang You," "24 Points," "Gong Zhu," and "Sheng Ji" with my older brothers and neighborhood playmates. "35 Points" was played by three people, while "40 Points" or "80 Points" required four players, sometimes using a single deck and other times combining multiple decks. Back then, I deeply admired my fifth older brother; he could memorize or calculate exactly which cards had already been played and what remained in everyone's hands.

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.

第四百十九篇

《垂直的高牆、乒乓拍夫婦與黑白幾何的扣子世界》

【作者注】

窮困是我夢裡的一個常見主題，經常是到了該用錢的時候，我翻遍口袋卻連一個鋼鏰都沒有。

【夢境正文】

2022年10月6日：

母親病了，我去探望她。按理我應該帶上午飯的，但是我什麼都沒有，既沒有東西做飯，也沒有錢去買。在去探望她的路上，我深感窮困潦倒，無路可走。

不知怎的，我來到了桂蓉的住處，那是一棟不高的樓房的二層。她此時並不在家，我只好轉身往回走。然而來時的路卻全都不見了，原本上來的樓梯突然變成了垂直的牆了，根本沒法子下去。

我轉到了後陽台，那裡沒有安裝欄杆，靠牆的地方有一堆凌亂盤在地上的粗麻繩，繩子上還打著結，一頭牢牢地固定在牆上。我想著如果將麻繩理順放下去，就可以順著繩子下樓，出路總是有的，心裡便放下了心，坐在陽台上卻一時間忘了自己原本要幹什麼。

這時已是掌燈時分，街上人煙稀少。一對中年夫婦從右邊走進了我的視野。突然，那個男子倒在了路中央，卻不見那女子上前去扶他，她只是弓著腰、背對著男子在原地等待。再仔細一看，那男子此時已經躺在了一塊大乒乓球拍上。那塊球拍很大，板子是瘦長形的，上面貼著紅色的膠皮。那個女子就這麼弓著背，拖著這塊乒乓拍默默前行。

當他們走到我的左側時，那個男子又從拍子上折騰到了地上。那女子依舊只是弓著腰，在原地默默等待他重新回到乒乓拍上，然後繼續往前拉。那男子似乎完全沉浸在自己的思緒裡。這條路相當艱險，那女子似乎早已習以為常，只是在旁邊默默幫襯、等待。

這時，一陣歌聲從我身後的樓下傳來，那是桂蓉的歌聲。我連忙喊道：「桂蓉，桂蓉！」她來到了我身邊。我們已經好久不見了。我跟她提起自己要去探望母親，卻遇到了沒有食物又迷了路等困境。

我指了指路上的那對夫婦。桂蓉立馬就下樓去幫助他們，我也順著那根粗麻繩下到地面，過去幫忙。此時他們已經開始往回走，桂蓉扶著那個男子，女的跟在後面。我問：「我能做點什麼？」桂蓉回答：「把手錶拿上。」

我彎腰在地上看到了一個鈕扣大小、表面是玻璃的物體，我以為是沒有手錶帶的錶盤。接著發現旁邊還有一隻女士手錶，表面也和那個鈕扣一般大，我便一併撿了起來。天黑看不真切。

我追上那個女子，拿出那個小鈕扣和女士錶，指著那個金屬鈕扣問：「這也是手錶嗎？」只見她用手順勢一划拉，瞬間那個小小的鈕扣就變成了一個臉盆口大小的扁平容器。裡面展現出一個發光的、乾乾淨淨的世界。說是世界，其實裡面既沒有山水、也沒有樓房和人物，倒像是擺放著一些幾何形的透明物體，有球形的，差不多都有巴掌大小，整個是一個沒有其他色彩的黑白空間。這一顯現雖然只是一瞬，但給我的感覺極其精彩，令人振奮。

我又跟她提起自己要去探望母親所遇到的困境。說到桂蓉的歌聲時，她對我說，桂蓉的歌唱其實也是被他們倆激發出來的，原來他們早就認識。我知道桂蓉以前是不怎麼唱歌的，心裡很想聽聽桂蓉是怎麼喜歡上唱歌的。

這時我在地上又看到了一顆鈕扣，撿起來給她看，問：「這也是手錶嗎？」她看了一眼說不是，順手一抹那鈕扣的表面，根本毫無反應，就隨手扔了。

我們隨後來到了一家燈光幽雅的咖啡館門口。我站在門口還有些猶豫，因為我此時身無分文。那女子直接帶著我走了進去。屋子裡兩邊靠牆的地方各有三四張桌子，客人並不多。我們走到最裡面，那裡有一張暗紅色的長皮沙發。當我們走過去時，左手最後一張桌子後面的一位西方老人正好起身離開。我們便坐在了那張長沙發上，靠近那位老人剛剛離開的桌子。

突然我發覺那個女子變成了矮個子。她起身站在了我左側的沙發上，對我說：「對不起。」她即便站直了身體，也只有和我的上身一般高。我笑著說：「哈哈，坐在我的腿上吧。」

我右側沙發上的幾張報紙此時散落在了地上，那是咖啡館裡的報紙，估計是剛才那位離開的老人看過留下的。桂蓉和那個男子隨後也來了，坐在了我的右側，靠近桌子。

我正興奮地等待下文呢，忽然間他們都不在了。只留下了我一個人，孤零零的。我心裡感到好奇怪、好寂寞，正想弄個明白，立馬就醒了。

**********************************

The Vertical Escarpment, the Ping-Pong Paddle Couple, and the Monochromatic Geometry of the Button-World

[Author's Note]

Poverty is a recurring theme in my dreams. Frequently, when it is time to pay or use money, I search my pockets only to find I do not possess a single penny. 

[The Dream Entry]

My mother was ill, and I went to visit her. By all rights, I should have brought a prepared lunch, but I possessed absolutely nothing—no ingredients to cook with and no money to buy food. On the way to visit her, I felt utterly destitute and stranded, with no path forward.

Somehow, I arrived at Guirong’s residence, situated on the second floor of a low apartment building. She was not home, so I turned to make my way back. However, the path of my arrival had completely vanished; the stairs I had just climbed had suddenly transformed into a sheer, vertical wall, making descent entirely impossible.

I moved to the back balcony, which lacked any guardrails. Coiled loosely on the floor against the wall was a heap of thick hemp rope, heavily knotted, with one end anchored firmly to the structure. I reasoned that if I uncoiled and lowered the rope, I could slide down it to reach the ground—there was always a way out. With my mind at ease, I sat on the balcony, yet in that moment, I completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing.

By then, the streetlamps were being lit, and the roads were nearly deserted. A middle-aged couple walked into my field of vision from the right. Suddenly, the man collapsed onto the road. The woman made no move to assist him; she merely stood there, hunched over, her back turned to him as she waited. Looking closer, I saw that the man was now lying atop an object resembling a table-tennis paddle. The paddle was big, with a elongated blade covered in red rubber sheet. The woman, remaining hunched over, silently dragged this paddle along the perilous path.

When they reached my left side, the man tumbled off the paddle onto the ground once more. The woman, still hunched over, simply waited in silence for him to return to the paddle before continuing to haul him forward. The man seemed entirely immersed in his own thoughts. This road was exceedingly hazardous, yet the woman seemed entirely accustomed to it, quietly supporting and waiting for him.

Just then, a voice drifted up from beneath the building behind me—it was Guirong singing. I called out, "Guirong, Guirong!" She soon joined me upstairs. It had been ages since we last met. I spoke to her about my plight—how I was on my way to visit my mother but had no food and had lost my way.

I pointed toward the couple on the road. Guirong immediately went downstairs to assist them, and I slid down the hemp rope to the ground to join the effort. By then, they were already heading back; Guigrong supported the man, while the woman followed behind. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. Guirong replied, "Pick up the watches."

I bent down and spotted a metallic object the size of a button, its surface made of glass, which I took to be a watch face lacking its straps. Beside it, I discovered a lady's wristwatch with a face of the same miniature size. I picked them both up, though it was difficult to see clearly in the darkness.

I caught up with the woman and produced the small button-like piece and the watch. Pointing to the metal button, I asked, "Is this a watch too?" With a simple stroke of her hand across its surface, the tiny button instantly expanded into a flat vessel the size of a washbasin. Revealed inside was a glowing, perfectly pristine world. To call it a world is inaccurate, for it contained no mountains, rivers, buildings, or figures; instead, it displayed various geometric, translucent objects, some spherical and roughly the size of a palm. It was an entirely monochromatic, black-and-white space devoid of other colors. Though this manifestation lasted only a split second, it felt extraordinarily magnificent and exhilarating to me.

I spoke to her again about my distress over visiting my mother under such hardships. When our conversation turned to Guirong's singing, she told me that Guirong's voice had actually been drawn out by the two of them—it turned out they were old acquaintances. I knew that Guirong rarely sang in the past, and I felt a strong desire to hear how she had come to love singing.

Just then, I spotted another button on the ground. I picked it up to show her, asking, "Is this a watch too?" She looked at it, said it was not, and ran her hand across its surface. When it yielded no reaction, she casually tossed it away.

We soon arrived at the entrance of a softly lit, elegant cafe. I hesitated at the threshold because I was completely penniless. The woman guided me straight inside. Along both walls were three or four tables, with few patrons present. We walked to the very back, where a deep red leather sofa stretched across the space. As we approached, an elderly Western man rose to leave from the last table on the left. We sat down on the long sofa, near the table the gentleman had just vacated.

Suddenly, I noticed that the woman had become quite short in stature. She stood up directly on the sofa to my left, saying, "I am sorry." Even standing fully upright, she only reached the height of my torso. I laughed and said, "Haha, just sit on my lap then."

A few newspapers on the sofa to my right had scattered onto the floor—they belonged to the cafe, likely left behind by the elderly man who had departed. Guirong and the husband arrived next, seating themselves to my right, near the table.

I was waiting with great excitement for what would happen next, when in an instant, they all vanished completely. I was left entirely alone on the long couch, isolated. A profound sense of strangeness and loneliness washed over me. Just as I sought to understand what had happened, I woke up immediately.

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.

第四百十八篇

《斷崖打坐、富人區的爭辯與水晶工藝品迷你街》

2022年10月2日:

海邊沙灘的左側有大石斷崖，石頭表面凹凸有致且十分光滑，不見有草，大約有五六層樓的高度。斷崖上邊靠近海的地方有一個半圓的小網棚，我就坐在裡面面向大海打坐。

打完了坐，來到一個公用的小平房，東西有兩個進出口。在裡面碰到了兩位五六十歲、看上去事業有成的白人。他們問我住在附近嗎，我手指了指不遠處豪宅錯落但並不擁擠的東坡，回答說：「是的，就在那邊。」他們似乎有些驚訝，其中一個人對我有善意，另外一個面露一絲傲慢與不信。因為這裡是富人區，房產都很貴。我有點爭辯地說：「我和我丈夫都是一個一文不名的窮學生，從中國來到這裡的，憑藉著自己的本事和努力才成就了這一切。」

說完我就走了出去想回家。將要到小房子的東邊出口時，正好他們倆也從那個門出來，還說著話，似乎還是不信我說的。他們沒注意到我，我就停下腳步站在房子一側，等他們走遠了，我再往回走。

在我前方一箭之遙的是一條蜿蜒平緩的山路，兩邊散落著幾棟小洋房，我家就在那裡了。這時有一個十五六歲的小男孩從那裡迎面走來，他說：「今天是撿水晶的日子。」我問：「撿水晶？」他回答：「就是下到沙灘上去撿被潮水衝上岸的水晶，是各種顏色的水晶砂石。幸運的人會撿到鑽石呢。」

場景突然變了，原本路兩旁的巨石塊兒一下就變成了兩邊有一個挨著一個小商店的迷你街道，路比較窄。小店裡面不大，門窗都開得比較低矮，裡面陳列的都是水晶工藝製品，琳琅滿目。但顧客是走不進去的，只能在門窗處跟裡面的店員交易、購買。那些製品的設計，顯得相當豪華、大氣。

那小男孩這時在前面的地攤上買了兩個三寸長的竹籌碼。他遞給我一個，說是用這個籌碼才能買東西。小男孩在右手邊一個店門口處買了一樣東西。當我看到時，店員正用紙把它包裝起來，我沒看真切，只是感覺非常漂亮，有一尺多高，腰鼓形，表面似乎有水晶雕刻的植物莖葉等，大概有兩三種顏色，晶瑩剔透。

一轉身，我左後方的石牆上也開了一扇矮矮的門。我往裡一瞅，又是一家水晶商店。我看到有幾個大碗尺寸的器皿，荷葉邊，植物形狀，非常漂亮。我說：“Sleek！”裡面的女店員問：「你說什麼？」我指著裡面的兩個器皿說：「這兩個相當的 sleek。」我的意思是說這兩個設計有現代感，流線型，漂亮。我又說：「另外一個就比較老式了，那個是我們叫車料的老工藝，中規中矩的保守式樣。」  

**********************************

Meditation on the Cliff, a Debate in the Wealthy Enclave, and the Miniature Street of Crystal Crafts

To the left of the ocean beach rose a precipitous cliff of massive stone. Its surface was contoured and smooth, entirely devoid of grass, reaching a height of about five or six stories. Near the sea, atop the cliff, stood a semi-circular mesh shelter, and I sat inside it, facing the ocean to meditate.

After meditating, I walked to a public pavilion with entrances on its east and west sides. Inside, I encountered two white men in their fifties or sixties who appeared highly accomplished. They asked if I lived nearby. I pointed toward the eastern slope where luxury homes stood scattered but uncrowded, and replied, "Yes, right over there." They seemed somewhat surprised; one showed goodwill, while the other wore an air of arrogance and disbelief, for this was an affluent neighborhood where real estate was exceedingly expensive. Somewhat argumentatively, I said, "My husband and I came here from China as penniless students. We achieved all of this entirely through our own ability and hard work."

Having said this, I stepped outside to head home. As I approached the eastern exit of the pavilion, the two men happened to walk out of the same door, still talking, seemingly still skeptical of my words. They did not notice me, so I halted and stood along the side of the building, waiting until they had walked far away before resuming my journey home.

A stone's throw ahead of me lay a winding, gentle mountain path scattered with a few small western-style houses; my home was right there. Just then, a teenage boy around fifteen or sixteen years old walked toward me and said, "Today is the day for gathering crystals." "Gathering crystals?" I asked. "Yes, going down to the beach to collect crystals washed ashore by the tide—crystal sand and stones of various colors. Lucky individuals might even find diamonds."

Suddenly, the scenery shifted. The massive boulders that originally flanked the path transformed into a narrow miniature street lined with small shops standing side by side. The shops were small inside, with low doors and windows. Inside, a dazzling array of crystal crafts was on display, but customers could not step inside; they could only transact and purchase through the doors and windows with the shop assistants. The designs of those pieces appeared remarkably luxurious and grand.

The boy then purchased two three-inch bamboo tokens from a street stall. He handed one to me, explaining that these tokens were required to buy goods. He then bought something at a shop entrance on the right. By the time I saw it, the assistant was wrapping it in paper. I did not see it clearly, but felt it was exceedingly beautiful, about a foot high, shaped like a waist-drum, its surface seemingly carved with crystal plant stems and leaves in two or three translucent colors.

Turning around, I noticed a low door cut into the stone wall to my left rear. Poking my head in, I discovered yet another crystal shop. I saw several large bowl-sized vessels with ruffled lotus-leaf edges shaped like plants, beautifully crafted. I said, "Sleek!" The female sales assistant inside asked, "What did you say?" I pointed to the two vessels and said, "These two are quite sleek." I meant that these two designs possessed a modern, streamlined look. I added, "The other one is rather old-fashioned; it is the old craftsmanship we call cut-glass—proper, conventional, and conservative in style."

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.

第四百十七篇