Три призрака города

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March 1, 2005: Sunny turning cloudy

I got up very early today, and while washing my face, I accidentally knocked over the kettle. Xiao Bi was very angry and called me a pighead, but I didn't argue with her. I heard that she lost a lot of money playing mahjong with the doctors last night. The book says that staying up late or gambling can cause emotional distress, so I forgave her.

Four years ago, a wave of interest in biology swept across the United States. Xiao Bi and I were very farsighted at that time and chose to study biology. Xiao Bi once said that from then on, life sciences would be the world. But now she works as a salesperson for a pharmaceutical company, playing cards with doctors, giving money to hospital directors, and making a living by earning some kickbacks. Her lofty ideals have long been worn away by the current state of development in China. It's so frustrating!

The postgraduate entrance exam results will be released tomorrow. Last year, my mom got a Guanyin statue from the shrine at my maternal grandmother's house. My grandmother said that as long as I wore it around my neck for forty-nine days, I would pass the exam safely. I don't remember how long I wore it, but I do remember that the red string that I wore with the Guanyin statue always faded. My poor white shirt was ruined after I only wore it once.

This afternoon, my dad called to ask about my postgraduate entrance exam results. I told him I would wait until tomorrow. He then asked if I was looking for a job. I thought I should wait until tomorrow; if I passed the exam, I wouldn't look for a job. Finally, he asked if I wanted to go abroad. I thought about it and decided to wait until tomorrow.

In the evening, I went to the cafeteria and got a plate of shredded pork and eggplant. It was too salty, so I also bought a Fanta. When I was almost finished drinking it, I suddenly remembered that yesterday's newspaper said that Fanta contains carcinogens. After hesitating for a long time, I decided to finish it anyway, because I couldn't waste that 1.5 yuan.

After finishing my meal, I decided to take a shortcut through the woods back to my dorm. I accidentally saw two handsome guys kissing. One of them had a very eye-catching earring on his right ear, so I sighed that it's getting harder and harder to find a boyfriend. I burped while trampling on the grass and suddenly regretted drinking all my Fanta.

On March 2, 2005, my neighbor, Sister Cuihua, said it would rain today.

While I was dreaming, my mom called to ask about my postgraduate entrance exam results. I touched the Guanyin statue, told her I would check later, and went back to sleep.

Around 10 a.m., my dad called to ask about my postgraduate entrance exam results. I stretched and decided to get up.

At 11 o'clock, Deng Fei called to ask about my postgraduate entrance exam scores. I told him I got 55 in English, 64 in Politics, and a total of 320, wondering if it was enough. He praised me for doing well and then said he got 402.

At 11:30, Huang Ying called to ask about my postgraduate entrance exam results. I gave the same answer as above, and she scolded me for getting such a lucky score without even reading a single page of the book.

At midnight, Xiao Bi came back and asked me about my postgraduate entrance exam results. I gave the same answer as above. Then Xiao Bi scolded Deng Fei for being a braggart and Huang Ying for being psychologically unbalanced. Finally, he thoughtfully scolded me for being incredibly lucky.

I called my mom and dad each in the evening to report my progress. They were both quite satisfied, and then I hung up.

When I went to sleep, I found out it hadn't rained today. Cuihua was lying.

It finally rained on March 3, 2005.

I woke up hungry this morning. Xiao Bi left a note on a piece of toilet paper saying that she was going to XX hospital to treat XX doctor to dinner. The toilet paper was stuck to the window with transparent tape. It was really embarrassing.

The dormitory was empty, so I went to the dormitory next door for a walk. I took Cuihua to eat, but when we got downstairs I realized I didn't bring an umbrella.

I climbed back up to the fifth floor and only found one. When I got to the cafeteria, I found that my right side was soaked with sweat, and I realized that I should start dieting. So I ordered a plate of braised beef brisket with persimmons and grilled squid, plus three ounces of rice, as my big meal before starting my diet.

Cuihua offered me Fanta, but after thinking for a while, I decided to switch to Mirinda.

On the way back, I saw a beautiful woman in a red dress, but her face was pale. Just as I was lamenting that girls these days are willing to freeze to death for the sake of beauty, I noticed that she was floating forward with her feet off the ground. So I grabbed Cuihua and ran.

Back in the dorm, Cuihua pointed to the mud all over her pants and asked me why I ran. I said I saw a ghost. Cuihua got angry and shouted that she hadn't seen a single person on the way back. Everyone agreed that I was just too fat and hallucinating.

While flipping through the newspaper that evening, I discovered that Mirinda had also been found to contain carcinogens. I was heartbroken and wailed for Xiao Bi...

On March 4, 2005, my mother's world turned completely dark.

Last night I dreamt that a beautiful woman in red kept smiling at me. She looked familiar, and I felt an instant attraction to her. So we chatted about gossip, from basic skincare to weight loss secrets to celebrity privacy. When I woke up, I realized that she was the female ghost I saw yesterday. I felt a chill. I told Xiao Bi about it and also hung up the Guanyin statue that my grandma gave me.

Xiao Bi scolded me for being superstitious, then launched into a tirade against hospital corruption, going from criticizing ordinary people for not being able to afford medical care to criticizing the wife of the hospital director for being ugly. Finally, she asked me to treat her to a meal to vent my anger.

In the afternoon, Deng Fei called and said that according to a well-known person, the postgraduate entrance examination score line will be greatly increased this year, with a predicted score of 321. His tone was full of sympathy for me.

I called my mom that night to tell her the news, and she felt like her world had turned completely dark. I comforted her. Finally, my mom said that Deng Fei was a treacherous guy, obviously vain and frivolous, always showing off his good grades, just like his mother, inherited from her. Xiao Bi nodded repeatedly beside her.

I suddenly remembered someone telling me last week that Deng Fei had always been honest and kind, a good-natured child. It wasn't until I was almost asleep that I realized the person who said that was actually my mother. It makes me sigh at how fickle women can be.

I've decided that after I finish writing in my diary, I'll kneel on the bed and chant Amitabha Buddha a few times, hoping that I won't dream of the red-clothed female ghost again.

I didn't leave the house on March 5th, 2005, so I don't know what the weather was like.

My hand was shaking badly when I picked up a pen today, and Xiao Bi concluded that I had Parkinson's disease, looking at me with pity.

I frowned at her, and she said that I looked exactly like someone with Down syndrome.

I suddenly realized that I kind of dislike Xiao Bi.

My head hurts. That woman came into my dream again to bother me. She said her name was Xia Canyue.

Isn't it a beautiful name? It's just a pity it's a ghost's name.

I never remember my dreams; even the strangest ones disappear completely by dawn, except for Xia Canyue.

After much thought, I decided to record my dream. If one day that female ghost drives me insane, this diary will definitely be a valuable tool to aid in my treatment. Xiao Bi said that in today's society, we should try to insure ourselves; those who don't know how to protect themselves will die a terrible death.

The dream started in a department store. People say that dreams are often about things we yearn for but can't have, and that seems to be true. But why did I dream about a department store instead of the lottery jackpot?

Xia Canyue, still wearing that red dress, floated over and greeted me with a smile.

I clearly told myself that the thing in front of me was a ghost, and the following dialogue ensued:

Who exactly are you?

"Oh dear, didn't I tell you my name?"

"without."

"Look at my memory! My name is Xia Canyue, a crescent moon in summer. Everyone says I live up to my name, hahaha..."

"Um, Miss Xia, I actually wanted to ask if you are a person... or... that?"

"Which one? Of course I'm not human. Have you ever seen a person this beautiful?"

"Do you really exist? Or are you just a figment of my imagination?"

Do you think you can even imagine a ghost as beautiful as me?

"Was that you I saw that day in the rain?"

Do you think other ghosts would stroll in the rain with the same romantic flair as me?

"One last question, why are you bothering me?"

"Why can't I cling to you? Don't you think it's an honor to have such a beautiful ghost like me clinging to you?"

"..."

As dawn broke, Xia Canyue left, carrying dozens of bags as she floated away from the department store. I've always thought shopping is a woman's greatest hobby, and it seems even a female ghost is no exception.

When I finished writing down my dream, Deng Fei called to show off his newly acquired limited edition Jay Chou CD and invited me to Pizza Hut.

I casually asked him if too much fat would cause hallucinations. He thought about it for a long time and concluded that I really shouldn't eat pizza anymore. So before I hung up the phone, I told him that I've always thought Jay Chou was a bit of a closet pervert.

Then I turned on my computer and went online. A few days ago, I discovered that a woman with a strange expression has become very popular online. She likes to pose in front of the camera with various S-shaped curves to prove that she has a great figure. It is said that a large number of fans are online every day waiting for her fresh photos.

Today, another woman was discovered who sang a song satirizing S woman, and she gained a lot of fans and became very popular.

I suddenly realized that Xiao Bi and I also have the potential to become famous. If we take some photos of ourselves, name them "Two Winter Plum Blossoms," and post them online, we'll definitely outshine the aforementioned people...

The incredibly good weather on March 6, 2005

From now on, I've decided to write my diary using a more detailed narrative style, which may be of great help to me as a future psychiatrist.

It was raining and snowing this morning. Xiao Bi drank too much last night and was still sleeping, constantly muttering, "Two more bottles of Moutai."

In the afternoon, a friend I hadn't seen in a long time asked me to go out for a heart-to-heart talk. He sounded heavy-hearted on the phone, and it seemed that he was having trouble with both work and love.

The meeting place was a bar I wasn't familiar with, about half an hour away. I grabbed an umbrella and squeezed onto the bus. The air was stuffy, and the man behind me kept getting close. When the bus braked, I accidentally stepped on his foot with my high heels. He groaned, but I pretended not to hear and continued looking at the blurry street outside the window, feeling great.

I got off the bus and wandered around that street for ages, but couldn't find the shop. I took out my phone to ask him to come pick me up, but it was dead. Then I remembered that year when I went to celebrate Deng Fei's birthday, standing near the neighborhood, listening to Deng Fei yelling angrily on the phone, "You stay there and don't move, I'm coming to get you! How many times have you been to my house and still can't find the door? You idiot!"

When I came to my senses, I realized that the rain had gotten even heavier. I grabbed a random passerby and asked if he knew the Moonlight Bar. The man looked at me strangely, then waved me over to follow him.