Revisiting Is Like Smoke and Like a Dream

"You can never show cowardice, let alone cry one day, otherwise you will never cross this threshold in your life. Remember, after taking this step, you can never look back." In Sijiu City that year, a biting cold wind was howling, mixed with heavy snow. In the dimly lit Dongsi Hutong, red lanterns were hung high, and the courtyard was full of people. Looking at the door through the condensed glass window, a half-grown boy stepped forward resolutely and heavily crossed the threshold that was extremely lonely even in the Forty-Nine City with high walls and deep courtyards. This novel and its characters are purely fictitious. Any similarity is purely coincidental and should not be imitated.