《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

《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

《一千八百萬美金、搬運人潮與老五通櫃的幻影》

【作者注】

以前我買過彩票，大約有三五年的時間，我隔個十天半月就去買一張。無論大獎的獎金是多少，我每次只買一塊錢。竊以為這樣做既主動抓了個機會，給自己存有一絲撞大運的希望。窮人也要有點希望，才能活得有意義。但同時又不能沉溺於賭，所以這也是在鍛鍊自己的自控能力。當然了，真正有自控能力的人是不賭的。後來彩票對我一點兒吸引力也沒有了，就不再買。

記得第一次買彩票大約是在1992年初秋。那天在紐約上州的傑尼瓦（Geneva, NY），我從社區大學提供的免費英語班下課回家，路過一個加油站，看到有三四十人在排隊。來到美國後我還從沒看到過有人排隊買東西的，心生好奇便打聽了一下，對方說是今晚的彩票獎金巨大。我也糊里糊塗地排上了隊。輪到我時，收銀員讓我到邊上拿一張印有許多數字的小粉紅紙，在上面圈出6個數字。我照著做了，花了一塊錢。當時我根本不知道怎麼兌獎，後來才知道要到報紙上查兌獎號，或者到賣獎券的地方詢問，再後來可以直接上網查詢結果了。所以，我的第一張獎券是否中獎，永遠成了一個謎。

後來在超市麵包房裡打工時，遇到巨額彩票獎金，便有人組織大家二十多人湊在一起買，每人也是出一塊錢。我自己買第二張獎券，大約是在雪城大學讀書的時候。那時我剛剛離了婚，心情低落，前途似乎渺茫，就又去買了一張。時至今日，我還保留著205張從2009年4月28號到2015年9月8號之間的舊獎券，2009年之前的沒保留下來，那之後我便徹底不買了。

夢裡出現的 Mimi，是我們當時住的大樓裡的一個清潔工。平時她在樓裡工作時態度比較冷漠，似乎對我們東方人有些愛理不理的。當時那棟大樓裡住了幾十戶人家，一共就只有兩家東方人。有趣的是，大樓裡那個看門的老頭兒倒是很和藹善良的，平時他開著一輛奔馳（Mercedes）轎車。

2012年5月23日，大樓前和藹的老門衛

【夢境正文】

2020年2月14日：清晨做了一個夢。夢中的我躺在中間那間屋子的沙發椅上熟睡著。這完全對應了現實中的情況：我對燈光極其敏感，只能在自然夜色裡安睡。當天凌晨三點多醒來後，我嫌屋裡的燈光太亮——胡笳是個夜貓子晚上不睡覺——於是我便去中間的屋子裡繼續睡。

夢中，過去大樓裡的清潔工 Mimi 突然出現在屋外過道上，大聲說：“You've won 18 million Dollars!”（你中了1800萬美金！）隨著她這一聲喊，許多人開始絡繹不絕地搬了許多新家具進屋。我還躺著，意識朦朧，半夢半醒。

胡笳也在人流中轉過頭衝我說：「起來，有人請吃飯。」他身邊站著的幾位，氣質很好，有點像國會議員。

我起來以後，去裡屋看了看，擺滿了新的木質家具，很高興。有一個櫃子很像家里的老五通櫃。繼而發覺這些家具式樣都過於老式，像是普通人家的普通家具。

我問 Mimi——她這時變得很謙和，過去在樓裡工作時比較冷：「我想換家具，這些家具實在是太普通了。」她像僕人對主子似的回答說：「可以。」她又重複了一遍：“You've won 18 million Dollars!”

我問怎麼回事，她說我買的彩票中獎了。獎票公司是通過 Email 找到的。她說獎票公司的人來找到樓里的工作人員打聽時，他們一聽名字就知道是我。

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

The 18-Million-Dollar Fortune, a Parade of Furniture, and the Ghost of an Old Chest

[Author's Note]

I used to buy lottery tickets over a span of about three to five years, purchasing one every ten days or fortnight. No matter how astronomical the jackpot grew, I only ever spent exactly one dollar. I quietly reasoned that by doing so, I actively seized an opportunity, keeping alive a sliver of hope for a stroke of grand luck. Even those with little means need a bit of hope to find meaning in existence. Yet, one must never indulge in gambling, so this practice was also a way to train my own self-control. Of course, those who possess true self-control do not gamble at all. Later on, the lottery lost all attraction for me, and I stopped buying them entirely.

I remember buying my very first lottery ticket in the early autumn of 1992. That day, in Geneva, Upstate New York, I was driving home from a free English class provided by the local community college. Passing a gas station, I noticed a crowd of thirty to forty people waiting in a long line. Since arriving in America, I had never seen anyone line up to buy anything, so out of curiosity, I inquired and was told that the jackpot for that night's draw was massive. Confused but intrigued, I joined the queue. When my turn came, the cashier directed me to grab a small pink slip of paper printed with numerous numbers and circle six digits. I followed the instructions and spent one dollar. At the time, I had no inkling of how to check the results; I only learned later that one had to check the winning numbers in the newspaper or inquire at a retail location. Years later, one could directly check the outcomes online. Thus, whether that first ticket won anything remains an eternal mystery.

Later, while working in a supermarket bakery, whenever the lottery prize swelled to an immense sum, someone would organize a pool of over twenty co-workers to buy tickets together, with each person contributing one dollar. The second time I purchased a ticket on my own was during my studies at Syracuse University. I had just gone through my divorce; my spirits were incredibly low, and my future felt utterly bleak, so I went out and bought another ticket. To this day, I still preserve 205 old lottery tickets dating from April 28, 2009, to September 8, 2015. The tickets from before 2009 were not kept, and after 2015, I stopped buying them completely.

Mimi, who appeared in the dream, was a cleaner in our apartment building at the time. Usually, she was quite cold and aloof while working in the building, and she seemed to look down on us Asian families a bit. Out of the dozens of households living in that building at the time, there were only two Asian families. Interestingly, the elderly doorman in our building was actually very warm and kind, and he drove a Mercedes-Benz.

[The Dream Entry]

I had a dream early this morning. In the dream, I was fast asleep on a sofa chair in the middle room. This perfectly mirrored reality: I am exceptionally sensitive to light and can only sleep in the natural darkness of the night. Having woken up around three in the morning, I found the bedroom lights far too bright—Hu Jia is a night owl who stays up all night—so I migrated to the middle room to continue sleeping.

In the dream, Mimi, the former cleaner from our old building, suddenly appeared in the hallway outside, calling out loudly: “You've won 18 million Dollars!” Following her announcement, a steady stream of people began hauling a vast amount of brand-new furniture into my apartment. I remained stretched out, my consciousness hazy.

Hu Jia swept past amid the flowing crowd, turning to shout to me: "Get up, someone is treating us to dinner." The figures standing beside him carried themselves with an air of high prestige, looking precisely like a delegation of congressmen.

Once I got up in the dream, I walked into the inner room to inspect the space and found it packed with brand-new wooden furniture. My heart swelled with delight. One particular chest bore an uncanny resemblance to the old five-drawer cabinet (Wu Tong Gui) from my childhood home. But a moment later, I noticed that the styling of these pieces was far too antiquated—they looked exactly like the ordinary furniture found in any typical household of yesteryear.

I turned to question Mimi, who appeared remarkably humble and gentle in the dream, a stark contrast to her cold demeanor when she used to work in our building. I told her, "I want to change this furniture. These pieces are far too plain." With the docility of a servant addressing her master, she replied softly, "Of course." Then, she repeated that phrase once more: “You've won 18 million Dollars!”

When I asked what had happened, she explained that a lottery ticket I purchased had hit the jackpot. The sweepstakes company had tracked me down via email. She mentioned that when the lottery officials arrived at the building to inquire with the staff, they knew immediately who it was the moment they heard the name.

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.

第四百十篇

《通往彼岸桃花源的密碼：數字6與不銹鋼飛鳥》

2007年12月01日靈魂不死夢：

夢見許多過世了的人，其中也有我母親。他們大多在中、老年紀，但仍然生活得很自在。有成雙成對的夫妻、也有還在交朋友、談戀愛。我母親就在談朋友，有十一個對象，我還為她辯道：只要是單身就可以談朋友，多少都沒關係。【母親在世時是傳統的舊時代的思維，好馬不配雙鞍，好女不嫁二郎。】

我問他們：「為什麼我們活著的人看不到他們，」他們卻說：「他們可以看到我們。」我想證實一下他們確實存在，我試圖抓住一個人的手，等到白天可以告訴活著的人他們確實存在。

我告訴活著的人，靈魂不死，人們不信。我就叫人們在屋子外邊等著，聽動靜。屋子沒有門，門洞與窗口都敞開著，我在昏暗的屋子裡，隔開一塊薄薄的上面用黑色炭筆塗寫著許多字樣和圖案的木板，跟那些過世了的人交談，我還特地大聲說話。等我說完話，出去問外面的人們是否聽到我們屋裡的交談，人們都搖頭說什麼也沒聽見。我氣得不行，明明我看見了他們怎麼就看不見？明明我為了他們能聽到而大聲與靈界人交談可他們就是聽不到。

可能是靈界的人要幫助我，在黃昏時分出現過一、兩個過世了的曾經是有名的人物幻影。一個是阻擊手西方人，穿著迷彩綠軍服。在他們出現的短短時間裡，只有幾個孩子看到了。幻影消失後卻留下了他使用過的槍，槍管還熱著。

後來在街上看到舊報紙，我馬上趴在地上查看報紙的日期。很難看到日期，等終於看到日期了又看不懂。在月的前面是「寺」字，還有幾個字母出現在日的前面，包括「竹」字頭的一半。

2009年9月10日夢：

我走在沿河邊的一條小街上，好像是丘陵地帶，因此確切地說這河應該是山澗，澗底和岸邊遍布大小石塊兒，街道也就跟著自然山坡上上下下，路也由石板鋪成。路邊參差錯落著由水泥或石頭壘的房屋，灰白色調、貧瘠、樸素但都很幹淨；高的也只有兩層。

上了個坡，就到家了，好像第一次來這裡，母親不在家。我收拾屋子，整理完畢，做在門口的石階上可以看到不深的河水、碎石河灘，及小街風光。

母親在下坡的一塊小空地跟人聊天兒，招呼我過去。

不知怎麼我沒到母親那裡，就跟一個老太太背對背地睡在一個硬板床上；沒門沒窗但不冷。睡了一會兒我溜下床，想著去母親的家去拿我放在那裡的相機和錢包等。

天還不算黑，我使勁看了看附近的樣子好記住回來的路；看見一個高高的桿子上面有個圓牌子，灰白底色的牌子上畫了一個圓圈，圓圈裡面是一個阿拉伯字母6。

走著走著就迷了路，找不著母親的住處了，照理說沿河走不會走丟的。

再走一會兒，看見沿河這邊的山路堵塞、房屋倒塌、或正在朝河的方向滑坡墜毀；好像剛剛經歷過地震；但是沒見人受傷，有參加救護的村民。

我找到人問路，說我要去那個有6字牌子的地方。那人說回去的路已經不通，你只好沿著這條河繼續往前走，直到碰到大橋或是什麼能過了河，在河對面轉回來，繞到山腳下，才有可能回家。有多遠的路程，一個小時能行嗎？我問；那人搖頭。

天漸漸黑下來，我身無分文，下身只穿了一條短褲。

我決定不論多麼困難也要自己往回走，沒走多遠，突然看到一條一尺來寬的石塊小路橫在河床上，而且這裡的水淺得沒有沒過這條石路。我就急忙一腳深一腳淺地奔跑了過去，上了岸。

這裡的景色跟河對岸不一樣，房子更正氣一點。在路邊小灌木叢的枯枝上看到一個巨大的已經曬幹了的紫紅色的章魚。

再走幾步，看見沿河有排一人高的竹樓，低下空架子，上層沒牆但有簾子，還露出幾雙小腳。撩開一看，原來是幼稚園的睡床，幾個孩子熟睡著。這床是斜的，低處向河，好傢伙，一不小心就會滑下去的，是為了培養孩子們游泳的？

盤算著待會兒，天黑了就在那裡睡覺。

再走幾步，發覺這裡的房舍都很古色古香，從門窗看進去，裡面的擺設都是紅木、梨木、桃花木等雕刻鏤花古典美觀的硬木家具，還有考究的厚重木料大門。

家中休閒的老人們，健康的皮膚古銅色，穿著古樸得體，表情溫厚善良。好啊~我感嘆，多虧了有那地震和塌方，我迷了路才來到這裡。這裡跟河對岸如此不同，安逸、逍遙、古樸、典雅如入桃花源。

走著走著，河流分出幾叉了，且寬了許多，我徹底迷了路。我問一個老人，說我要找那個有6字招牌的去處。

回答我的確是個妙齡女郎，她給我看一本小冊子，我沒帶眼鏡，我說，你能不能給我一張地圖？「我正要進屋子給你去複印呢。」她說著就進了那大門，我沒跟進去，便醒來了。

2017年2月8日夢：

半夜3點多，醒來跟Pip說了剛剛做的夢，他每天這時候都在電腦前。睡不著了，乾脆起來記錄夢境（現在三點半左右）：

剛剛夢中看到百公尺開外大山的崖壁一側，有三條不同高度上山的路。像半開放式隧道，可看到，車輛往上開，一輛輛排隊，道路比較擁擠，多數是大卡車。突然我看見有崩塌現象，先是小石子兒落下，很快，大塊山石，裂開，塌方，斷層岩石落在了那些車上，人車無處可逃。接著就是山崖表面的大面積塌方。

有兩個山體斷崖，幾乎同時發生這樣的事件。

我趕緊到二樓的家窗口，叫母親拿手機給我，好去照相。一想，我們住的樓房也是建在這樣的山體之上的，底下我們看不到的路上一定也在塌陷。我對母親和大哥說，趕緊出來到後方路對面的大商場處避難，那裡的商店只有兩層樓高，而且地勢平坦。下了樓，來到外面，已經有很多人了。有個十幾歲的女孩說，在這裡，離開樓房一點距離就可以了。我還擔心，對面的山體離開我們不遠，我們樓房所處的山體就在腳下，這裡的感覺是盆地，一旦大面積塌方發生，呆在這裡還是不安全的。商場那裡空地面積大多了。

醒來。 （四點四分記錄完畢，睡覺去了）

2017年2月17日夢：

我和母親被小W接到家裡，進大門時，看到有許多年輕人在油漆樓房的門框，粉刷外牆，那裡有好幾棟樓。小W家在三樓。進了屋子我見有兩個床，很高興，母親坐靠在一個床上休息，我摩挲這邊的床鋪說，那我們有地方睡覺了，明天再走了。小W說，不行的，你們一定要在11點17分前離開的。他的意思是說這段時間家裡不會有其他人。

還沒到點兒，我們準備離開時，聽到有開門聲，我和小W都到了門口，門開了，是小W的父母回來了。他們看到屋裡的人愣在門口。我趁他們還沒緩過來，側身出走。母親被他們截住了。印像中小W的母親是不喜歡小我與我交朋友的，擔心他們對我母親不好。我在樓下轉悠，不知道來時自行車停在了哪裡。

已經是黃昏時分，我在樓下轉悠，忽然三樓窗子打開，小W探出身子，將一串鑰匙，扔下來給我，說自行車停在了銀行邊上。那鑰匙串兒上有幾個扁平的不銹鋼車料小動物。掉下來時還看到有一隻棕色的小鳥銜住，到了地上一看那鳥也是不銹鋼車料。我抬頭對他說好好照顧我媽。

2025年6月14日夢：

跟一對老夫婦去住旅館，好像我是他們的助理。住在一套大屋子裡。兩天後他們回去了，留下我處理他們不要了的東西。那些東西屬於我了。我以為就幾套老先生的西裝呢，結果是西裝就有好幾套還有十幾條圍巾，那面料細膩柔滑似乎是羊絨的。我還想老夫婦只住兩天旅館，至於帶那麼多東西嗎？這還沒完，我不斷拿，東西不斷地出來，有十幾隻高級包包，還有高級精緻的小物件兒。

我媽也在場，我找到大塑膠袋來裝，我媽幫忙拿。不一會兒有五、六個旅館清潔工進來，她們要打掃屋子了。我趕緊讓母親先拿了五、六大袋子的東西走。我繼續收拾，似乎沒完沒了。腦子裡有Prada印象，Prada是世界頂級的奢侈品，我也先拿了五六袋子的東西先回自己的住處，就在同一樓的10層。

放下東西，接著來取，清潔工已經將剩下的東西放在門外樓道裡了。我又取了一些，就算了，留下一些。這回我沒坐電梯上樓，只是走上去的。橫穿樓道時，發覺樓道是一間有門聯通的教室，大學裡的教室，有電腦等就醒來了。

奇怪我以前的夢裡，基本上都窮得身無分文。

前兩天也做過一個夢，我很富有，有許多錢當時我還跟Pip說了，但沒記下來，問他記不記得，他說好像是我的夢裡有許多金銀財寶。 

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

The Code to the Other Peach Blossom Spring: Numeral 6 and the Stainless Steel Bird

December 1, 2007: The Immortality of the Soul (靈魂不死夢)

I dreamed of many people who had passed away, including my mother. Most of them appeared to be in their middle-to-elderly years, yet they were living very freely and comfortably. There were couples together, and others were mingling and falling in love. My mother was actually dating and had eleven suitors! In the dream, I even defended her actions, arguing that as long as someone is single, it doesn't matter how many people they date. (In real life, my mother possessed very traditional, old-fashioned values, firmly believing that 'a good horse doesn't wear two saddles, and a virtuous woman doesn't marry twice.')

I asked them, 'Why can’t we, the living, see you?' They replied, 'But we can see you.' Wanting to prove their existence, I tried to grab someone’s hand so that I could tell the living during the day that they truly exist.

When I told the living that the soul is immortal, no one believed me. So, I asked them to wait outside the house and listen closely. The house had no doors—the doorways and windows were completely wide open. Inside the dimly lit room, separated only by a thin wooden board covered in various words and charcoal drawings, I conversed with those who had passed away, deliberately raising my voice. Afterward, I went outside to ask the crowd if they had heard our conversation. Everyone shook their heads, saying they heard absolutely nothing. I was incredibly frustrated. I could clearly see them, so why couldn't anyone else? I had shouted just so the living could hear my conversation with the spirit world, yet they remained completely deaf to it.

Perhaps the spirits wanted to help me; at dusk, the phantoms of one or two famous deceased figures appeared. One was a Western sniper dressed in green camouflage military uniform. During the brief moments they appeared, only a few children managed to see them. When the phantom vanished, he left behind the rifle he had used—and its barrel was still warm to the touch.

Later, seeing old newspapers on the street, I immediately got down on the ground to check the dates. It was difficult to read, but when I finally caught a glimpse, I couldn't understand it. Before the month, there was the Chinese character for 'Temple' (寺), and several letters appeared before the day, including one that looked like the top half of the 'Bamboo' radical (竹).

September 10, 2009: The Mountain Torrent and the Peach Blossom Spring (山澗桃花源)

I was walking along a narrow street by a river in what seemed to be a hilly region. To be precise, the river was more like a mountain torrent, its bed and shores scattered with boulders large and small. The street naturally followed the undulating hillside, paved entirely with stone slabs. Flanking the road were houses built of cement or stone—grayish-white, barren, and humble, yet impeccably clean. The tallest were only two stories high.

After climbing a slope, I arrived home. It felt as though it was my first time there, and my mother wasn't home. I tidied up the house, and once finished, I sat on the stone steps by the door, gazing out at the shallow river, the pebbled beach, and the quaint street scenery.

Down the slope, my mother was chatting with some people in a small open clearing, and she gestured for me to come over.

For some reason, instead of heading down to her, I ended up sleeping back-to-back with an old woman on a hard wooden bed. The room had no doors or windows, yet it wasn't cold at all. After sleeping for a while, I slipped out of bed, intending to go to my mother’s house to retrieve my camera and wallet that I had left there.

It wasn't dark yet, so I stared hard at the surroundings to memorize the way back. I noticed a tall pole topped with a circular sign. On the grayish-white background of the sign, a circle was drawn, and inside it was the Arabic numeral '6'.

As I walked, I lost my way and couldn't find my mother’s residence. Logically, one shouldn't get lost walking along a river, but I did.

A moment later, I saw that the mountain path on this side of the river was blocked—houses had collapsed or were sliding into the river due to what looked like a recent earthquake. However, no one seemed injured, and local villagers were actively participating in rescue efforts.

I found someone to ask for directions, stating that I needed to get back to the place with the '6' sign. The person told me that the path back was completely blocked. 'Your only choice is to keep walking along this river until you hit a large bridge or a crossing. Cross over to the other side, loop back around the foot of the mountain, and only then might you find your way home.' I asked how far it was and if it would take an hour. The person simply shook their head.

The sky gradually darkened. I was completely penniless, and from the waist down, I was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

Deciding to head back no matter how difficult, I hadn't walked far when I suddenly spotted a narrow path of stone slabs, about a foot wide, stretching across the riverbed. The water here was so shallow that it didn't even submerge the stones. In deep and shallow strides, I frantically scrambled across the river and made it to the opposite bank.

The scenery here was entirely different from the other side. The houses were far more elegant and stately. On the withered branches of a roadside shrub, I spotted a massive, completely dried, purple-red octopus.

A few steps further, I noticed a row of bamboo stilt houses about a man's height lining the river. The lower frames were empty, and the upper levels had no walls, only curtains, beneath which several pairs of tiny feet protruded. Lifting the curtain, I realized these were the sleeping beds of a kindergarten, with several children fast asleep. The beds were slanted, tilting downward toward the river. Good grief, one wrong move and they would slide right in! Was this designed to train the children to swim?

I quietly planned to sleep there once darkness fell completely.

Walking a bit further, I realized the buildings here were incredibly antique. Peeking through the doors and windows, the interiors were adorned with exquisite, classical carved hardwoods—rosewood, pearwood, and mahogany. The grand entrances were made of heavy, sophisticated timber.

The elderly residents relaxing at home possessed healthy, bronzed skin, dressed in simple yet elegant traditional attire, their expressions profoundly gentle and kind. Ah! I marveled to myself, Thank goodness for that earthquake and landslide. If I hadn't gotten lost, I never would have stumbled upon this place. It was completely different from the opposite bank—peaceful, carefree, ancient, and elegant, as if I had stepped right into the legendary Peach Blossom Spring.

As I kept walking, the river branched into several wider streams, and I became completely lost. I asked an old man, repeating that I was looking for the place with the '6' billboard.

Instead, a beautiful young lady answered me. She showed me a small booklet. Since I wasn't wearing my glasses, I asked, 'Could you just give me a map?'

'I was just heading inside to make a photocopy for you,' she said, stepping through the grand entrance. I didn't follow her inside, and right then, I woke up.

February 8, 2017: The Mountain Cliff Collapse (山體塌方)

Around 3:00 AM, I woke up and told Pip about the dream I just had; he is always at his computer at this hour. Unable to fall back asleep, I decided to get up and record it (it is now around 3:30 AM):

In the dream, I saw the sheer cliff face of a massive mountain about a hundred meters away. On one side of the cliff, there were three mountain roads running at different heights, resembling semi-open tunnels. I could see vehicles queuing up to drive upward; traffic was heavily congested, mostly consisting of large trucks. Suddenly, a landslide began. At first, it was just small pebbles raining down, but very quickly, massive boulders cracked open and fractured. The collapsing sheets of rock crashed directly onto the vehicles below; the people and cars had absolutely nowhere to escape. This was instantly followed by a massive, sweeping collapse of the cliff's surface.

Two different mountain cliffs suffered this catastrophic collapse almost simultaneously.

I rushed to the window of our second-floor home, shouting for my mother to fetch my phone so I could take a photo. Then, a terrifying thought struck me: the building we live in is also built upon this very same mountain structure. The hidden foundations beneath our roads must be collapsing too. I yelled to my mother and eldest brother to hurry outside and take refuge at the large shopping mall across the back road—the shops there were only two stories high, and the terrain was flat. Reaching the ground floor and stepping outside, a crowd had already gathered. A teenage girl remarked that as long as we stayed a short distance away from the high-rises, we would be fine. But I remained deeply worried; the opposite mountain wasn't far from us, and the very mountain our building sat on was right beneath our feet. This area felt like a basin; if a massive landslide occurred, staying here would still be dangerous. The open space by the mall was vastly safer.

I woke up. (Recording finished at 4:04 AM, heading back to sleep.)

February 17, 2017: The Departure and the Stainless Steel Charms (小W家的留難)

"My mother and I were picked up by Little W and taken to his home. Entering the main gate, I saw many young people painting the door frames of the apartment buildings and whitewashing the exterior walls; there were several residential buildings there. Little W's family lived on the third floor. Stepping inside the apartment, I was delighted to find two beds. My mother sat back against one bed to rest, while I stroked the sheets of the other, happily saying, 'Wonderful, we have a place to sleep now. We can leave tomorrow.'

But Little W interjected, 'No, that won't work. You absolutely must leave before 11:17.' He implied that no one else would be home during this specific window.

Before that exact time arrived, just as we were preparing to leave, we heard the sound of the front door opening. Little W and I hurried to the entrance. The door swung open, and it was Little W's parents returning. They froze at the doorway, stunned to see people inside the apartment. Taking advantage of their momentary shock, I slipped past them and made my escape. My mother, however, was intercepted by them. I had a lingering impression that Little W's mother never liked him being friends with me, and I worried they might mistreat my mother. I wandered around downstairs, completely unable to remember where I had parked my bicycle when we arrived.

It was already dusk as I paced below the building. Suddenly, a window on the third floor flew open. Little W leaned out and tossed a ring of keys down to me, shouting that my bicycle was parked right next to the bank. Looking closely at the key ring, it held several flat, stainless steel charms shaped like little animals. As it fell, I saw a small brown bird swoop down and catch it in its beak. When it hit the ground, I realized the bird itself was actually one of the stainless steel charms. I looked up at him and yelled, 'Take good care of my mom!' "

June 14, 2025: The Infinite Cashmere and Prada (無盡的奢侈品)

I was staying at a hotel with an elderly couple, acting as their assistant. We occupied a massive suite. Two days later, they checked out and left, leaving me behind to sort through the belongings they no longer wanted. All those items now belonged to me. I initially assumed it was just a few of the old gentleman's suits, but to my surprise, there were several suits and over a dozen scarves—the fabric felt incredibly fine, smooth, and luxurious, seemingly pure cashmere. I wondered to myself: the elderly couple only stayed for two days, why on earth did they bring so many things?

But it didn't stop there. As I kept pulling items out, more and more things kept appearing—dozens of high-end luxury bags and exquisite, sophisticated accessories.

My mother was also present. I found large plastic bags to pack everything, and my mother helped me carry them. Shortly after, five or six hotel housekeepers walked in; they needed to clean the room. I hurriedly had my mother take five or six large bags of items and leave first. I continued packing, and the stream of treasures seemed absolutely endless. The brand 'Prada' flashed vividly in my mind—knowing it is one of the world's top luxury brands. I personally hauled five or six massive bags back to my own place first, which happened to be on the 10th floor of the exact same building.

After dropping off the first haul, I returned for the rest. The housekeepers had already neatly placed the remaining items out in the hallway. I gathered a few more pieces and decided to call it a day, leaving the rest behind. This time, I didn't take the elevator up; I decided to walk. Crossing through the corridor, I discovered that the hallway connected directly into a classroom—a university lecture hall equipped with computers and technology—and right then, I woke up.

It is so strange; in my past dreams, I was almost always completely penniless.

Just a couple of days prior, I had another dream where I was incredibly wealthy with a massive amount of money. I told Pip about it at the time, but didn't write it down. When I asked him today if he remembered, he said, "I think you dreamt you had a mountain of gold, silver, and treasure."

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.

第三百九十五篇