The Chinese Dream on Earth

The Freedom of University Life in the 1990s

University life in the 1990s was relatively free. The campus at Sichuan University allowed stalls to be set up, where vendors sold everything from books to food and clothing. Different dormitories would also host second-hand goods sales, primarily organized by students who were about to graduate. All they needed to do was post a notice on the bulletin board downstairs and wait for customers. I loved visiting these dorms to hunt for second-hand books and tapes. I managed to pass the CET-6 English exam by spending just five or six yuan on a nearly new set of textbooks and tapes that originally cost much more. After passing the exam, I hosted my own clearance sale in the dorm, selling off unused books, tapes, and old clothes. I even resold the CET-6 materials for the same price I bought them. Once, I bought a black wool slip dress for fifty yuan on Chunxi Road, wore it a few times, and ended up selling it to a teacher from another school for the same price. There were also frequent visits from people outside the school selling lingerie and clothes in our dorms. The university had a food science department that often sold bread in the dormitories, and every time I saw their offerings, I regretted not being in that department, where I could have enjoyed a variety of snacks.

While my roommates were busy studying in the library or pursuing double majors—one in computer science, another in law—I leisurely explored the various curiosities on campus. The university library was a large building with an extensive collection of books. I had a natural love for novels, so while others were studying, I was borrowing novels from the library. The library had everything from famous biographies to world classics, and I indulged in reading them. Occasionally, I also read strange and supernatural stories. One semester, there was a trend on campus of summoning spirits using a glass plate. A fellow student from the Chinese Department, who was also from my hometown, told me about it, but I was skeptical. Unable to convince me, she invited me to her dorm, where a few of her classmates joined us for a spirit-summoning session. They drew circles on a large sheet of paper with a center marked as the spirit's seat and others labeled with possible answers to questions, such as "yes," "no," "good," "bad," and numbers. We turned off the lights, lit candles, placed the glass plate on the spirit's seat, and everyone lightly placed a finger on the plate, chanting for the spirit to appear. After a while, the plate started to move, seemingly on its own, allowing us to ask various questions, with the plate pointing to corresponding answers. The girls asked all sorts of strange questions, from love and marriage to wealth, and even the spirit's gender and age. After everyone finished asking, they sent the spirit back to its seat, and the session ended. I was stunned and found it hard to believe what I had witnessed. Later, I told my roommates about the experience, but they didn't believe me until I invited my hometown friend to perform the ritual again in our dorm. After experiencing it firsthand, my roommates were convinced, and we ended up asking many odd questions. I still clearly remember that all four of us asked whether we would get into graduate school, and the spirit confidently answered that we would. At the time, I was struggling with my studies and had no intention of pursuing further education, so I asked repeatedly, but the answer remained the same. Looking back now, all four of us eventually did go on to graduate school, including me, the worst student in the group. For a while, students often summoned spirits in the dorms at night, and during the day, they secretly discussed the questions and answers. University students have a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge. One girl in our department was so determined to uncover the truth that she borrowed several books from the library specifically about spirit summoning. She discovered that similar practices existed both domestically and abroad, but also found that many people had unfortunate encounters with spirits, leading to strange events or even death. The numerous case studies and analyses in the books gradually calmed everyone down, and life returned to normal. Most of the experiences and phenomena we encounter in life have been explored by others before us. When those around us can't explain or solve the problems we face, we often find that the answers are already in books. My university life didn't teach me much practical knowledge, but it did teach me how to seek answers in books and draw inspiration from those who came before us.

One time, the school held a table tennis tournament, and our class had participants. Watching the ball bounce back and forth made me eager to try. After the tournament ended, I asked our class's player, Arui, "When did you start practicing?" He replied, "I started in elementary school." I then asked, "I've never played table tennis before. How long would it take for me to get as good as you?" He smiled and said calmly, "No matter how much you practice, you'll never be as good as me." Unconvinced, I asked, "Why not?" He replied impatiently, "Isn't it obvious? You don't even know how to hold the paddle, and I've been playing for over ten years. Even if you practice every day, you won't catch up to me." Although he was the best player in our class, I wasn't satisfied with his answer. I believed that with enough practice, I could become as good as him. Table tennis is a skill that improves with practice; I wasn't good simply because I had never had the opportunity to play before.

My competitive spirit kicked in, and I borrowed a paddle and ball, practicing against the dormitory wall. It wasn't easy to hit the ball as it bounced back from the wall, especially without any foundation. The monotonous practice against the wall was dull, and I envied the students who played on the outdoor cement tables every day. When there were no classes, table tennis enthusiasts would rush to claim a table early in the morning. Each table had its own rules, with matches consisting of six, twelve, or twenty-one points, the longer matches being more serious and competitive, much like a real tournament.