In the center of town, on a bustling market fair day, people filled the streets, engaged in buying and selling. I navigated through the crowd, feeling shy and reluctant to greet acquaintances who would inquire about my job, love life, and family—questions I grew tired of answering. Subconsciously, my thoughts drifted to him, just as they did during our middle school days when I hoped and feared running into him at the market. Now, as a middle-aged woman, I didn’t expect such an encounter, considering he had gotten married while I seemingly remained single. My dreams hadn’t provided a clear answer.

One of the grocery shops in the middle of the street belonged to my uncle. Before stepping inside, I cast a final glance at the people behind me and spotted him amidst the crowd! To my surprise, he wore glasses—unnecessary for his good eyesight, as it was me who needed glasses. We stood out among the crowd. My heart raced as I entered the shop and engaged in conversation with my uncle, who appeared much older than I remembered. Unexpectedly, he entered the shop and sat across from me. Some old classmates had mentioned that he had betrayed his wife and was involved with a female colleague. I found it hard to believe since he had looked down on me in middle school when I shared my admiration for a handsome singer. He gave me the impression of someone uninterested in romantic affairs, always serious, speaking little, and seldom smiling. How could such a man engage in flirtation?

Nevertheless, he started talking to me as if we had seen each other every day, even though we hadn’t crossed paths in over twenty years! I couldn’t recall the exact details of our conversation, but the atmosphere felt harmonious and exhilarating. He smiled, and I mirrored his expression. Suddenly, a woman appeared, seemingly searching for something, but her gaze fixated on me. It was his wife, as he had shared her photo with me on WeChat. I pretended not to recognize her, fearing that she would suspect our contact. She didn’t appear as friendly as she did in the photo. He remained oblivious to her presence. I shifted the topic of our conversation to praise how beautiful and understanding his wife was, hoping it would please her.

Nervousness overwhelmed me, and I failed to hear what he said next. Suddenly, someone tapped my head, and when I turned, I saw his wife. I stood up and shook her hand, introducing myself and assuring her that I had no intention of stealing her husband, as I respected her. I mentioned that I was friends with her elder sister, which was true, as we had all been in the same middle school classroom. However, she seemed skeptical and spoke to me disdainfully. Worried that my uncle and aunt would notice something amiss, I hastily excused myself and left. My heart brimmed with sadness. He appeared so pitiable in front of his wife, and I felt sorry for him.

I arrived at the crossroad where my three uncles were waiting. On my mother’s side, I have a total of six uncles, with the second one having passed away last year. It was peculiar that my second uncle resembled the first, the third resembled the second, and so on, with each successive uncle resembling the previous one. With my uncles by my side, I felt safe and no longer concerned about his wife physically assaulting or insulting me. He followed me on a motorcycle and offered to give me a ride home. I was pleased by his boldness but declined the offer. Suddenly, his wife reappeared, as if she had discovered some evidence regarding me and her husband. However, under the protection of my uncles, she stared at me in anger but refrained from scolding or attacking me. He approached me closely, speaking tenderly, smiling at me, and looking at me passionately. His wife was beyond furious and seemed irrational.

I escaped with my fourth uncle and went to enjoy a bowl of cool rice noodles that his wife—my aunt—had handmade. I left the crossroad, leaving him and his wife behind. I didn’t feel happy or satisfied that the boy I had a crush on twenty years ago was finally showing affection towards me. Instead, I felt sadness, a sense of loss, and pity for him.

Then I woke up in my bed, realizing that my interactions with him were limited to just two conversations on WeChat. I had learned about his love affair with another woman last year, and I hadn’t seen him in nearly twenty years.