Section 7: Sleeping Like the Dead

In the afternoon, they visited the ancient village of Xichuan Town, which also featured Ming and Qing dynasty residences. The number of preserved houses was even greater than in Qixia Town, with 224 well-maintained buildings. Afterward, the tour guide hurriedly led them on a brief visit to Mandarin Duck Valley. It was nearly dusk when they set off on the return journey. The coach brought everyone back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Dinner was a buffet at the hotel, followed by free time—some went swimming, others sang, played cards, or chatted, each enjoying themselves in their own way.

Sima politely declined Lu Yu’s invitation and returned alone to his room. He locked the door, drew the curtains, and exhaled deeply, his entire body relaxing. Finally, he had a moment to review the day's gains, and his heart stirred with excitement. He removed a pendant from his neck—not really a pendant, but a small, somewhat worn brocade pouch originally meant to hold a birth jade token. Sitting cross-legged on the large bed, his hands trembling slightly, he eagerly untied the drawstring and poured out a thumb-sized “bead.” Its color was a pale bluish-white, and it rolled restlessly from time to time.

In his previous life, Sima had “picked up” this very object in Qixia Town and spent a long time figuring out its nature. It was an incredibly precious “insect egg,” inside which slumbered a rare larva of a demon gu insect. Ignorant and fearless, he had inadvertently awakened the creature, which changed his fate utterly. Like a reckless youth, he had plunged headlong into a cruel, dark world—ignorant, deceived, betrayed, imprisoned, tortured—and ultimately met a tragic, unbearable end. Those painful experiences were etched deeply in his memory; he had never forgotten them.

The gu insect had yet to mature, and Sima resolved not to wait any longer. Good things came with trials, and dreams prolonged in the night. What was truly his was only that which he had consumed. He hummed softly, “Return what you took from me, spit out what you swallowed... repay what you owe me, hand back what you stole...” He picked up the “insect egg” with three fingers, bringing it close to his nose to sniff.

Sensing the human host’s determination, the “egg” suddenly grew scorching hot, its supple shell rippling as if the gu insect was eager to break free. Without hesitation, Sima placed the egg in his mouth, grabbed the teacup on the bedside, and took a sip of cool water. Swallowing it like a pill, he heard a soft “gulp,” a sound that seemed thrilling in the stillness of the night.

The “egg” rolled down his esophagus into his stomach. Moments later, a surge of heat rose within his gut, shifting wildly left and right, forcing him to sweat profusely until his clothes were soaked through. His face flushed like the fierce general Guan Yu, steam rising from his mouth and nose. His body felt sticky and uncomfortable, but he was not alarmed. He stripped naked and took a cold shower, which somewhat subdued the internal heat.

After drying off, weariness washed over him like a tide. Leaning against the wall, he staggered to the bed and collapsed onto the covers, sprawling out like the Chinese character for “big.” Before sinking into a deep sleep, memories of his past life surfaced—those gains made while walking the razor’s edge, experiences bought with his life...

That night, Sima slept as if dead. The next morning, his phone and doorbell blared incessantly, finally rousing him. Groggy, he hastily dressed and opened the door. Lu Yu stood there, face full of helplessness and a stiff expression, complaining, “Big brother, wake up quickly! We’ve been waiting for you!”

Only then did Sima recall the final day’s itinerary. They were to check out early, then travel by bus to visit the Stone Forest Caves and the Forest Park, skipping a return to the hotel. After lunch, they would head straight back to Changzhou. Scratching his head, he apologized and asked Lu Yu to wait five more minutes. Turning swiftly, he hastily packed his luggage—throwing everything into his travel bag without care—and followed Lu Yu to the lobby to check out. Group activities meant no one could be left behind. Lu Yu took no more smiles from him and took the room card, telling Sima to head to the parking lot first, leaving the checkout to him.

Sima hurried to the parking lot and boarded the bus. Sincerely, he apologized to the class teacher, the tour guide, and the classmates present. He believed in owning his mistakes and standing at attention when reprimanded. Oversleeping and missing the departure time was not a big deal; everyone was understanding—it just meant more time to chat. By the time Lu Yu was the last to board, it was nearly 8:30 a.m. The half-hour delay was nothing new to the driver, who set off toward the first stop, the Stone Forest Caves, without a second thought.

Sima had skipped breakfast and was so hungry he felt his chest pressed to his back, his vision flickering with stars, his limbs cold. He knew this was the gu insect settling in his body, devouring his essence. If he fainted from hunger, it would be a serious embarrassment. Fortunately, he was prepared, having packed several Snickers bars. He unwrapped one, shoved it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it to stave off hunger.

Each box contained sixteen bars, weighing 70 grams each, composed mainly of milk chocolate, peanuts, and glucose syrup—high in calories, sugar, and fat. Sima didn’t mind the richness and swiftly ate the whole box, finally easing his hunger. His experience with “feeding” the gu insect taught him that Snickers bars could effectively relieve hunger and replenish energy, but it was only a temporary measure. A balanced diet was essential, and he would need proper nutrition once home.

For the rest of the trip, Sima moved along with the group, blending in quietly without causing any trouble, enduring patiently until the return. The bus rolled along the highway, passengers dozing off. Fearing attention, Sima refrained from eating his lunch openly, quietly finishing another box of Snickers before closing his eyes to rest. They arrived safely back in Changzhou City.

As night fell and the city buzzed with noise, Sima did not return home immediately. Instead, he headed straight to Four Seasons Plaza downtown, where he feasted on signature dishes from Xibei: tender roasted lamb leg, Bavarian-style crispy pork knuckle, and a tomahawk steak from Jiutianjia. Though the flavors were only passable, the generous portions and reasonable prices made it worthwhile. Full and satisfied, Sima took a taxi home.

Having been away for three days, Sima Daoyan and Xia Ting found their son somewhat unfamiliar, fussing over him with care. Fighting off sleepiness, Sima shared some amusing travel anecdotes and took the opportunity to tell Xia Ting that, since the food and sleep had been poor while out, he hoped for a weekend of hearty, rich meals to recuperate. Xia Ting readily agreed, but seeing her son’s heavy eyelids, she urged him to wash up and rest.

Their son had returned safely and longed for his mother’s cooking. Xia Ting felt pleasantly surprised; Sima rarely praised her culinary skills, though he never complained either, leaving her with the lingering sense that her “revolution was not yet complete and comrades still needed to strive.” Sitting down to ponder the next day’s menu, Xia Ting’s thoughts were read by Sima Daoyan, who remarked, “Our son has a strong palate. He likes braised bighead carp with vermicelli and a sprinkle of white pepper. Also, braised pork belly with vegetarian sausage; the vegetarian sausage tastes better than the meat…”

Hearing this, Xia Ting brightened, thinking perhaps her husband was not so ineffectual after all.