The Curse of 25 Days

  Yesterday was really a mess, in my memory I've never gotten sick so fast and so violently, nor have I ever burned myself into this state. This morning when I woke up, my head was still dizzy, but my consciousness was clear, using my clear consciousness to think about yesterday, I could hardly remember anything.

  Everything is chaotic and vague.

  I'm still a bit fuzzy on what happened yesterday. I don't really remember how I ended up in the hospital, or how I got the shots - it's all just fragments.

  I went to the bathroom and relieved myself, washed my face, looked in the mirror and saw that I was wearing a different set of clothes.

  This is my spare sportswear, I don't know how to put it on.

  Whether it was someone else who changed into it for me or I wore it myself, I really have no impression at all.

  The deepest memory is that letter. I hastily patted my pocket, the paper quietly lay there, I let out a sigh of relief, this letter was just fine.

  I feel that although I'm weak all over, my illness isn't serious anymore. This address was originally the vague destination of mine from yesterday, let alone now that I'm clear-headed.

  Immediately went to settle the discharge procedures, took back the deposit, and found a taxi outside. I handed over the address and said, "Do you know?"

  The taxi driver nodded, and twenty minutes later we arrived at the entrance of the residential area. I got out of the car, and this residential area didn't have any security guards or anything like that. It looked very old and worn out. I walked in and found Building 6, Unit 6, and the door was also wide open. I hesitated for a moment at the entrance. The building looked so old and gloomy, without any signs of new life or joy. There wasn't even a single red character (a traditional Chinese decoration).

  But the answer was right in front of me, I squeezed out the last bit of strength from my body, a person with a high fever is really weak, and even the whole world feels soft and mushy. I went upstairs, it's gloomy inside, with a musty smell like rotting earth.

  The musty smell made me sneeze, the dark corridor was cluttered with junk, I stumbled up to the 6th floor, hesitated for a moment at the door, and knocked gently.

  There was no one in the house responding to me, so I increased my voice again.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Then I heard someone inside shouting, "Who's there?"

  I said, is this Ai Feng's home? I am her friend.

  It says inside, no surname Ai.

  I was stunned for a moment, and still unwilling to give up, I checked the address and doorplate again, and there was no mistake at all.

  But this door can't be knocked on anymore, I hesitated at the door for a while, and just as I turned around, the door opened.

  An elderly woman stood at the door, looked me up and down and said, "Are you looking for Da Ai?"

  I nodded, and the aunt said, come in.

  I hurriedly walked in, the house was very clean and bright. Auntie pointed to the living room and said, come sit down first.

  I obediently sat down, but Auntie didn't sit down, standing there sizing me up for half a day, suddenly saying, are you or not? Are you surnamed Ding?

  I nodded and said, "Are you the mother of Da Ai?"

  Auntie smiled and shook her head, saying, "Dingding, don't you recognize me? I'm your Aunt Zhao, the mother of Er Lüzi."

  I let out an "ah" and suddenly remembered, it was indeed Er Zhu Zi's mother. At that time, Aunt Zhao was a kind-hearted person, every time we went to their home, she would give us some food to eat, but in the past, there really wasn't much to eat, either potatoes or sweet potatoes, or some green vegetables that had just been picked from the field.

  I hastily stood up and asked Aunt Zhao, "Is this your home? What about Er Lu Zi?"

  Aunt Zhao's expression turned gloomy. She said, "He is at home. You've come just in time. It's been many years since we've had a friend visit. You two chat."

  After finishing her words, she beckoned me to follow her. I followed her and walked over. Aunt Zhao opened a bedroom door and said, "You two chat first, I'll go wash some fruit for you."

  I saw a man about my age lying in bed, looking at me with some confusion. The bedroom was also very clean and bright, and the man on the bed looked like he had a rosy complexion, even a bit chubby.

  I knew it was the second donkey, a high paraplegic second donkey. I thought he would have a miserable life all these years, but unexpectedly under his mother's care... He looks even better than me in spirit.

  The two donkeys sized me up for half a day. His voice was trembling as he said, "Are you Dingding? Little Dingding?"

  I nodded and went in, calling out "Erluizi", feeling that my eyes were already moist. It had been so many years since I last saw him, but what I saw was a disabled person.

  But where can I go?

  He is just a man who will die.

  The Second Donkey smiled and nodded. I walked over and sat down beside him on the bed. The Second Donkey said, "Don't blame me, I really can't get up."

  I hastily said, I've heard of it.

  The two donkeys were stunned, and one of them said, "What did my mother say?"

  I shook my head and whispered, I love you so much.

  The two donkeys were stunned for half a day and said, "Big love? Can you still get in touch with her?"

  I said it's been a long time since we last contacted each other, and suddenly she got in touch with me again. She asked me to come back for her wedding.

  The two donkeys' faces suddenly turned red. He said, "Wedding? Wedding? Don't attend the wedding, hurry up and leave, you hurry up and leave."

  I was scared, I didn't know what I had done to offend him, his voice got higher and higher, shouting "wedding, wedding", Zhao's aunt rushed in from outside, held Er Duzi's head with her hands, and sang softly.

  "The moon is clear, the birds are singing, and the leaves are shaking against the window frame..."

  This lullaby calmed the two donkeys down, their eyes as heavy as a thousand catties slowly closed, and the last word in his mouth was still "hurry up, don't..."

  Aunt Zhao put down the head of the second donkey, looked at me with some embarrassment, and the two of us tiptoed out of the bedroom and back into the living room.

  Aunt Zhao wiped her eyes with her hand and sighed, saying that this child's spirit is getting worse and worse.

  I don't know what to say, so I remain silent.

  Aunt Zhao said, "What wedding? Who's getting married?"

  I said, Da Ai is getting married.

  Aunt Zhao was stunned for half a day and said, "Is Big Love going to get married?" After some thought, she added, "He's also getting old, it's time for him to get married."

  I asked cautiously, why was Erzi so resistant to marriage?

  Aunt Zhao shook her head and said, "No, nothing like this has ever happened before. Where did Da'ai get married? I'll go pay my respects too, after all we've been neighbors for so many years."

  I said, I'm not sure either, maybe in an ancient village?

  Aunt Zhao's face suddenly turned pale, she said, "Gucun? Get married in Gucun?"

  I was startled and said, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

  Aunt Zhao was like seeing a ghost, standing there stupidly for half a day, then said, Second Donkey's body is not good, I can't entertain you, go away.

  The eviction order was so resolute and merciless, a stark contrast to the warmth of our reunion after such a long separation. I stood up but didn't leave, with a lingering question in my mind - now that I've finally seen the people of this ancient village, I have to ask.

  I'm saying, Aunt Zhao, I just have one question, after I ask it, I'll leave, okay? Please.

  Aunt Zhao seemed unwilling to listen to what I had to say, pointing at the door with her hand. As I walked over and put on my shoes, I said, "Aunt Zhao, please, just one question."

  Aunt Zhao pursed her lips and nodded, I asked, why did the ancient village become deserted?

  Aunt Zhao opened the door and almost pushed me to the doorway, reaching out to close it. I hastily grabbed the door and almost begged, "Will you answer me?"

  Aunt Zhao seemed to have made up her mind, she said it was because of the wedding, the wedding ten years ago. Every ten years, there is a wedding in Gu Village, this is the disaster of Gu Village, it is the curse of the whole village. Now another decade has arrived, as long as you are from Gu Village, as long as you have lived in Gu Village for one day, no one can escape.

  Aunt Zhao's ferocious face scared me, I had never seen a person's face twisted like this before, as if every word was a curse, she faced me but seemed to see a ghost.

  Can't even run away?

  Is it possible for anyone to escape if they've stayed for just one day?

  I stood at the door for half a day, and the door rang again. Zhao's expression softened, but it was not good. She said, "Little Pang is in the Southern Hospital, our family can't afford to treat him, so we just abandoned him ruthlessly. He has been there for a long time. Since you're back, go take a look."

  I nodded and heard the iron gate close heavily, I shivered with a chill from the bottom of my heart.

  The desolation of the ancient village is actually related to a wedding?

  So what will this wedding I'm about to attend bring me?

  Is it an invitation to life or a death warrant?

  When I left, I had a very complicated mood. Seeing childhood playmates become like this, lying in bed like a useless person, is an indescribable oppression.

  Think about the memories of those years, they were all warm and beautiful. Originally, it was some encouraging words to each other when we parted ways, written on paper, how did it become a curse?

  A high paraplegic, a vegetative person, fell from a high place and hung his head three meters high, swaying back and forth.

  Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?

  I sighed, hailed a taxi and went to the Southern Hospital. The name of this hospital sounds like it's private. After I got in the car, the driver looked at me with deep meaning, then all the way he told me about his own vitality.

  When I arrived at the hospital, I finally understood why he was showing off to me like that. The Southern Hospital didn't look very big, but the sign above it that read "Urology Department" wasn't small either. After entering, the corridors were filled with banners that read things like "Reviving the Dead", "Assisting Growth", and "Reclaiming Vigor", everywhere hinting that this was a place for treating something.

  It's actually a bit strange that I came in, this private hospital is still treating andrology, how did Xiaopang get thrown here by his family?

  This approach is understandable, with a mix of heartache and helplessness. The child cannot be cured, but they also can't just watch them die. With no conditions at home, they can only leave them in the hospital, knowing that even the hospital can't save them from death.

  Rather be known as a deadbeat myself than have my child lose their life.

  But would private hospitals be so kind?

  Did I take the wrong path?

  As I walked in, two nurses immediately surrounded me, bowing and greeting me as if they had seen a VIP. Their small eyes darted around, accompanied by knowing smiles, as if they had already diagnosed my condition. I hastily said, "I'm not here to see a doctor, I'm looking for someone."

  The nurse responded with a "oh", and from her tone I could tell she was slightly disappointed. She asked, "Who are you looking for? Let me check the patient's room."

  I thought for half a day and still couldn't remember what Little Fatty's surname was, after all, I left when he was only five years old, and the next time I came back, I didn't see him either. In rural areas, people are not very concerned about children's names and everyone calls them by their nicknames.

  But I'm not stupid, I'm a writer, my mind is full of all sorts of conflicts and plotlines. In a sense, as soon as the nurse asked me, I went through all my possible responses and her possible reactions.

  I just came to take a look at Xiaopang's. Firstly, I couldn't afford the hospital bills, and secondly, if I were to take him away, it would also be delaying his treatment.

  So I replied, it's like this, I'm an intern reporter from the city, came here to gather information and heard that you've taken in a patient who is a vegetable, and the hospital has been treating him for free for several years. I think this is a good deed, perfectly fitting the current propaganda needs, this is the Chinese dream! I'd like to do an interview, will you accept it?

  The nurse looked me up and down again and said, we have regulations, interviews need to be uniformly arranged, I'm not in charge. However, this vegetative state you mentioned, I haven't heard of it.

  I let out a sound, it seems I really did mishear, a private hospital wouldn't be that kind-hearted after all, profit is their main priority.

  I said thank you and turned to leave, stepping out the door and stopping for a moment at the entrance, unsure of where I should go next. Should I go back and ask which hospital it was? Zhao Ayi would probably not be too happy if she saw me.

  After all, I grew up with Er Duzi, and as a first-class talent, others can't see the day, looking at it in my heart will not feel comfortable.

  I have nowhere else to go, I still have three injections tonight, and I don't know whether to get them or not. Otherwise, I'll just get them here at the hospital?

  As I thought of this, I turned around and was about to head back when I saw the nurse rush out, seeing me at the door she let out a sigh of relief and said, "Sorry, sorry, I've asked for instructions, you can conduct the interview."

  I exclaimed in surprise, didn't you say there wasn't any?

  The nurse stuck out her tongue and said, "I don't dare to take charge, nor do I know what you're up to, so I lied. Sorry, our hospital director said that it has a very good propaganda effect for the hospital, after spending so much money for so long, it's also considered as promoting us."

  I walked in quickly and the nurse said, "I'll take you there. You can take a look at the patient's condition first. We're having a meeting right now and the hospital director will be here soon."

  Followed the nurse to a ward, it was a single room, a bit beyond my expectation. The nurse seemed to deliberately explain that our hospital is all in this environment.

  I said, is the town hospital this good?

  The nurse said, "Don't underestimate our town hospital. People from nearby cities also come here for treatment. We are one of the top urology hospitals in China. Don't think that just because you're young, you'll be fine if you get checked up here. There's no such thing as a perfect man."

  I'm sure there's something wrong with the check-up here, I thought to myself and smiled. The nurse said, "Wait a minute, the leader will be here soon." I had something else to do, so I left first.

  After finishing speaking, he turned around and left. I looked at the person lying on the bed in the room, sighed, although I couldn't recognize him anymore, but it must be Xiao Pang.

  All around were surveillance devices, a thick tube connected to a mask was buckled onto Xiaopang's face. I walked over and suddenly found a pair of shoes on the ground.

  I was stunned for half a day. This plot has appeared in my mind before. A shoe under the bed of a patient who had been in a coma for many years often foreshadowed...

  I turned around and looked back, no one was following me. I walked over and shouted "Little Fatty", the person on the bed didn't react at all. I suddenly pinched his arm with my hand, still no reaction.

  It seems I've written nonsense again, besides, such a large hospital wouldn't lie for one person.

  These past few days I've actually been in a very ambiguous state, the whole thing is too surreal and makes me suspicious, but on the other hand, I deeply believe it.

  Now my suspicion has been confirmed, Xiao Pang really didn't have any reaction. I sat there for half a day, looking at my childhood playmate lying here like a piece of wood, feeling unbearable in my heart.

  I whispered, Xiao Pang, do you still remember me? Dingding, don't you remember anymore? How did you become a vegetable? When we were young, you were the laziest. Do you remember that? We buried a time capsule under the old locust tree, and your wish was to always lie down and have others serve you. Now you've got what you wanted, but is this really what you desired?

  I heard a sudden urgent voice coming from inside the machine. An alarm sounded and I suddenly saw Little Fatty's fingers moving.

  His eyelids were also moving, I said, Little Fatty, did you feel me?

  The alarm stopped ringing. I saw Xiaopang's fingers move with difficulty, and I said, "If you know who I am, move your fingers twice."

  Under my gaze, his fingers moved twice.

  I didn't expect Xiaopang to still know me even in a coma, but thinking about it again, this would be such a terrible state, as if the soul was sentenced to decades of imprisonment. You can feel the outside world, but you can't move at all, not even die.

  Trapped in eternal darkness forever.

  Is this going to be my fate? Forever trapped at twenty-four, forever suffering through all of this?

  I suddenly felt like crying, wanting to cry for our fate. I sniffled and saw Xiaopang's fingers drawing circles, very regularly drawing circles.

  I stared for half a day, suddenly realizing he was writing. I have a habit of always carrying a pen and paper with me, recording any good ideas that come up. I quickly took out the things from my bag, Xiao Pang only had one finger that could move, so I put the pen on the paper and wrote along with his movements bit by bit.

  It's written in a messy and unclear way, can't see it at all.

  But Xiao Pang's hand was still moving, I followed him stroke by stroke, constantly trying various combinations, and finally managed to write out this character.

  As I wrote the last stroke, my whole body stiffened. The word was so ordinary, yet to me, it was terrifying.

  After trying twenty times, this character finally revealed its ferocious appearance.

  This is a marriage character, wedding of the wedding.

  My voice started trembling, I said, "Do you know that Da Ai is getting married?" Are you talking about the wedding? If so, tap your fingers twice.

  I saw the fingers move slowly again and then start to rotate, this time I had experience, after a few attempts, the second character appeared.

  Run away!

  This is the second character, Xiao Pang lets me escape.

  I was just about to speak when the door was pushed open and a woman walked in saying, "Are you the journalist?"

  I hastily stood up and nodded, the woman said, I am the president of this hospital... sorry... wait.

  The woman looked straight at the little fat man on the bed and said, "He's moving, he's moving, hurry up and call the doctor, hurry up."

  After finishing, he ran out and didn't even care about me. I walked over to Xiaopang and said, "I will definitely rescue Da'ai before the wedding. If you get stuck somewhere, I'll come back with you too, don't worry."

  After finishing, I took the things and left the ward. Seeing the doctors running here, I walked out quickly. Originally, I still wanted to have a few more injections in the hospital to cure my high fever, because now I feel my body temperature rising again, and my head is starting to dizziness.

  But Dà ài's wedding is in these few days, I must return to Gǔ Cūn.

  It wasn't until I was about to leave that I realized how much the whole town rejected the ancient village. Taxis simply wouldn't go there, some bluntly saying they wouldn't go, while others euphemistically said the road was impassable.

  I'm now dizzy and having a high fever, if I have to find another bike to ride back, I'm afraid I won't make it to the destination before losing my life halfway.

  After weighing it on the street for half a day, I think there are still more than 20 days to live, and I can't just throw it away like this.

  I hailed another car and returned to the town hospital, re-admitted and went through the formalities all over again. No matter what, I'll get through today first, and tomorrow when the medicine is still effective, buy a bicycle and ride it back.

  So I fell asleep in the hospital with a very sad mood, and in my dream, I returned to my childhood, watching us write down our wishes one by one, and then ran happily under the old locust tree.

  Just as the iron shovel had just touched the mud under the locust tree, the sky suddenly changed, with lightning and thunder, I saw that everyone had grown up, and every face was very blurry.

  I saw Xiaobudian's head flying high in the air, circling around the pagoda tree.

  I saw two donkeys with their large bodies bent like they had been broken by someone, folded together like a quilt.

  I saw Little Fatty fall heavily to the ground, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape, but unable to make a sound.

  I was terrified and suddenly turned around to see Da Ai wearing a blood-red long dress standing there, with a bright red veil covering her head.

  But I couldn't see Xia Ai, I shouted her name, but she just disappeared like that.

  I heard the ticking sound, and saw a huge clock hanging on the pagoda tree, displaying time, those digits were characters I had never seen before, like a group of tadpoles swimming around on it.

  But I understood it anyway.

  It says: Twenty-four.