It was nearing noon, and the streets of Tokyo City were bustling with people. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between tall buildings, spilling onto the asphalt and reflecting a lively scene.
Nohara Hiroshi wore a crisp, dark gray suit, carrying a black briefcase in his left hand, walking steadily along the sidewalk.
He lifted his chin slightly, his chest straight, his eyes and brows radiating the ambition of a newly appointed official—just last week, he had been promoted to Section Chief of the Fourth Squad, Sales Division 2, Futaba Trading Company.
Life had reached its peak!
"I must secure supply contracts with seven stores this month and achieve the 1 million yen flying start goal first!"
Hiroshi silently clenched his fist, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of his briefcase. "When that happens, the two people in the Fourth Squad, Kawaguchi and I, will both get a 10,000 yen bonus. This is a great opportunity to buy things for Misae and Shin-chan."
Although the entire Fourth Squad consisted only of him and his junior Kawaguchi—and Kawaguchi was often ridiculed in the company as a "low-level scheming fatty," being slow and fond of petty tricks—Hiroshi was currently focused entirely on achieving results and paid no mind to such minor issues.
He had even started planning: once he received the bonus, he would first buy Misae the new hand cream she had been talking about for ages, and then buy Shin-chan that limited edition action kamen toy set.
Just then, a sudden wave of dizziness struck him. Hiroshi stumbled, quickly grabbing a nearby utility pole to steady himself.
Frowning, he touched his forehead, feeling a slight coolness on his fingertips. "Damn it, did I sweat too much rushing for the train yesterday and then catch a chill from the wind?"
After work yesterday evening, he had sprinted all the way down the platform to catch the last train home, soaking his shirt with sweat. Once on board, he was blasted by the cold air conditioning. At the time, it felt refreshing, but he hadn't expected to feel unwell today.
Hiroshi sighed helplessly, found a roadside bench, and sat down, placing his briefcase on his lap and rubbing his throbbing temples with both hands.
In a daze, last night's dream resurfaced in his mind—in the dream, he had become a Chinese person living in China in 2026.
That was practically another world. Skyscrapers were even more densely packed than in the most bustling part of Ginza, Tokyo. Self-driving cars ran on the roads, and people could accomplish all sorts of tasks using thin mobile phones. Even military news reported that China's aircraft carrier fleets could already contend with the United States. Just witnessing that powerful military growth in a dream made his heart surge.
"sugoi (amazing)..." Hiroshi couldn't help but murmur, tapping his knee lightly with his fingers. "The China in that dream was too prosperous; the level of technology is unimaginable."
But the next second, he shook his head abruptly, a wry smile playing on his lips.
It was 1992 now. In his memory, China was still a country that had only recently opened up. The occasional Chinese news reports on TV showed simple streets and plainly dressed people, completely different from the powerful nation in his dream.
"I must be too tired from work lately, that's why I'm having such strange dreams," Hiroshi reassured himself, rubbing his heavy head.
Still, although the dream was ridiculous, it was quite interesting. Especially the novel things he saw in the dream felt fresh even upon reflection now.
Hiroshi raised his wrist to look at his watch. The hands pointed to 11:25, right at lunchtime.
"I should eat something first. I need a full stomach to have the energy to continue running errands."
Nohara Hiroshi felt the dizziness in his head subside significantly. He rubbed his stomach, stood up, and looked around with his briefcase in hand. His gaze quickly settled on a small shop nearby displaying a sign that read "Handmade Fried Dumplings."
Warm yellow light shone through the glass window. He could vaguely see the shop was full of diners, and a faint aroma drifted over with the wind.
Instantly, his mind conjured images of the fried dumplings' golden, crispy skin, and the savory, juicy filling inside once bitten—chives with garlic, springy octopus, and pork belly filling—paired with a bowl of white rice and steaming miso soup. It was the perfect combination.
"I'll eat this!" Hiroshi walked over quickly, pushed open the glass door, and the shop's bell chimed "ding-a-ling."
A staff member wearing a dark blue apron immediately came forward, a warm smile on his face: "Welcome! How many in your party, sir?"
"Just one. Could you please find me a seat by the window?" Hiroshi said with a smile.
"Certainly, this way please!"
The staff member led him to the window seat and handed him a menu. "Sir, what would you like to eat? Our specialty is the Chive and Pork Butt Fried Dumplings, and the set meal with rice and miso soup is very popular."
Hiroshi glanced at the menu. The set meal was priced at 500 yen. Although it was more expensive than the soba noodles he usually ate and felt a bit extravagant, he thought that as a newly appointed Section Chief, he should maintain a certain status. He said without hesitation, "I'll take one Fried Dumpling set meal, plus two extra cloves of garlic."
"Very well, please wait a moment!" The staff member replied respectfully and turned toward the kitchen.
Before long, the set meal was served.
Six steaming hot fried dumplings were arranged in the center of the plate, their skins golden and crispy, with slightly charred edges. Beside them were a bowl of hot white rice and a bowl of miso soup containing Kelp Tofu and Arugula.
"Gulp!" Hiroshi swallowed, picked up his chopsticks, and put a fried dumpling into his mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
The crispy skin gave way, and savory juices burst in his mouth. The freshness of the chives, the springiness of the octopus, and the tenderness of the pork butt blended perfectly. Paired with a mouthful of white rice, it was incredibly satisfying.
Hiroshi devoured the food, quickly finishing more than half the plate of fried dumplings.
Full and satisfied, he leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his miso soup while his mind started wandering again.
He decided not to think about work matters for now, lest they spoil his good mood, so his thoughts drifted back to last night's dream.
In the dream, it seemed that Chinese dumplings were mentioned, and they were different from Japanese fried dumplings?
Hiroshi frowned in recollection, murmuring thoughtfully to himself: "In China, both dumplings and rice are staple foods, so they can't be eaten together... and it seems they don't put garlic in their fried dumplings. Instead, they eat raw garlic, or make it into a paste and dip the dumplings in it, like wasabi?"
Fried dumplings and rice couldn't be paired together, and neither could combinations like ramen and fried dumplings, ramen and rice, or ramen and bread.
Nohara Hiroshi couldn't help but laugh dryly: "That sounds truly joyless!"
"Sir, you are absolutely right!"
Just as Nohara Hiroshi was sipping his miso soup and letting his mind wander, a voice suddenly came from beside him.
Hiroshi looked up and saw it was the shop owner, walking over with a teapot and a look of approval on his face. "Chinese dumplings are indeed like that. Our Japanese fried dumplings have been modified to better suit Japanese tastes. Sir, you must be an expert. Have you traveled to China?"
Hiroshi's heart skipped a beat. He had never been to China, yet the Chinese person's memory in his mind suddenly surged forth, bringing various pieces of information about Chinese dumplings into clear focus.
He subconsciously straightened his back, displayed a reserved smile, and nodded lightly:
"I've been a few times. I previously went to Northeast China and ate their Sanxian Dumplings there. They contained shrimp, egg, and chives, and tasted very fresh;"
"I also visited Qilu Province and ate the Spanish Mackerel Dumplings from the coastal areas; the fish meat was especially tender;"
"The Mutton Dumplings in the Capital City are also excellent; eating a bowl in winter is especially warming."
"Oh, and the Crab Roe Soup Dumplings in the Jiangnan Region are also famous. The skin is thin, the filling is large, and soup flows out when you bite into them. They are truly a top-tier delicacy."
After saying all this, Hiroshi himself was startled. The words had tumbled out completely spontaneously, as if he had genuinely visited those places.
Meanwhile, the shop owner and the surrounding diners, upon hearing his words, immediately gathered around.
The owner said with admiration in his eyes: "Sir, you are truly knowledgeable! I've only seen Crab Roe Soup Dumplings in magazines; I didn't expect you've actually eaten them!"
"sugoi! So China has so many types of dumplings!"
"I traveled to China before too, and I ate Sanxian Dumplings in the Northeast. They really were delicious!"
"I've been to Qingdao. The Seafood Dumplings there are truly impressive; the craftsmanship is much better than ours in Japan!"
The diners chattered excitedly, their gazes toward Hiroshi filled with respect.
Sitting in the middle, listening to everyone's praise, Hiroshi's vanity was instantly satisfied. The corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted slightly, and he straightened his back even more.
Although he had never been to China, the memory of the Chinese person he dreamt about last night felt exactly like his own personal experience. He could unconsciously blurt out anything—
Anyway, none of these people had been to China, and even if they had, they wouldn't understand it in such depth.
"Hehehe!"
After Hiroshi paid and left the dumpling shop, the diners inside were still discussing the topic.
Thinking of their admiring looks directed at him, Nohara Hiroshi felt incredibly pleased!
"But isn't this a little too real?"
Nohara Hiroshi walked down the street, musing that it truly felt as if he had merged with the memory of a Chinese person. He couldn't help but purse his lips: "It's like... that Chinese person experienced transmigration... Wait?"
transmigration?
Nohara Hiroshi subconsciously spoke, uttering two standard Chinese syllables in mandarin, and immediately his entire face froze slightly.
His eyes were filled with utter astonishment.
When did he... learn Chinese mandarin?!