The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

Lin Zheng stepped into the noise.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma emanating from the bakery, a blend of freshly baked cookies and cakes and the scent of caramel.

Lin Zheng knew that he was in the midst of the city's Christmas Eve scene.

This huge commercial district, usually bustling with traffic, now reveals its glamorous side as the heart of the city under the festive decorations.

At the entrances of shops on both sides of the street, there are tall Christmas trees, covered with decorations of all sizes: red spheres, golden stars, and silver snowflakes.

The clear, melodious Christmas carols sung by a children's choir emanated from the street speakers.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, each bundled up in thick winter clothes. Wool coats, down jackets, heavy cashmere scarves and gloves—the various materials and styles blurred into a single mass in the night.

Lin Zheng was pushed forward by the flow of people, and his steps became light and leisurely as a result.

The joy of the festival permeated every corner.

He saw a group of children.

They wore Santa hats of various styles, their faces beaming with excited, innocent smiles. They giggled, clutching tightly to the hem or corner of their parents' coats, leaning forward, their fingertips pointing to the shop windows displaying all sorts of toys.

Electric trains sped along the tracks, plush toys were piled up like small mountains, and all sorts of Lego bricks were assembled into the shape of castles. The children's voices were high-pitched and bright, filled with longing.

He continued walking and saw another young couple.

The boy put his arm around the girl's shoulder, and the girl gently rested her head on his shoulder. They drank steaming hot cocoa. A smudge of cream clung to the girl's lips, which the boy gently wiped away.

Further on, Lin Zheng found an old man on a bench.

Beside the old man lay a bundle of fresh pine branches tied with kraft paper. The green needles gleamed and seemed full of life under the dim light, emitting a fresh, woody fragrance. He stood up, turned his head, and gave the old woman who had come towards him a big hug, revealing a kind smile.

The festive atmosphere around him gradually permeated Lin Zheng's mood, and he found that the corners of his lips were also curving upwards.

Although he was a stranger in a foreign land, he was still infected by this widespread joy.

He thought of his distant hometown and the festive atmosphere of every household decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations during the Spring Festival.

That was another form of liveliness, another form of reunion.

Lin Zheng was in a good mood; the festive atmosphere eased his fatigue and academic pressure from the past few days.

He temporarily forgot the heavy burden he carried.

He even thought that it would be great if his parents could be standing here right now, so that he could spend a different kind of New Year's holiday with them.

The financial buildings here are towering, the shopping malls are brightly lit, and the restaurants and bars are bustling with activity.

These reflect people's expectations of the "American Dream": freedom, prosperity, unlimited opportunities, an Eden where everything can be achieved through hard work.

Lin Zheng's pace gradually slowed down, and he finally stopped in front of the window of a gift shop on the street.

Bathed in soft, warm yellow light.

A mannequin mother in a velvet nightgown, with a kind smile on her face, is telling a bedtime story to two mannequin children sitting in front of the fireplace, while a father stands behind them with a gift, ready to surprise them.

Bright red light "burned" in the fireplace, making crackling sounds.

A tall Christmas tree stood in the center of the room, adorned with golden bells and silver ribbons, and piled high with beautifully wrapped gifts beneath it.

A soft blanket was draped over the sofa, a steaming cup of cocoa sat on the coffee table, and several cute gingerbread men were placed next to it.

Lin Zheng believes that this is the Christmas many people want, a night full of love and abundance.

For a moment, he stared blankly, homesick, longing to go home for the Spring Festival.

After an unknown period of time, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, and the noise slowly faded away.

A cold wind blew, and scraps of paper flew everywhere.

Lin Zheng then looked away from the shop window. He decided to go home and call his parents to tell them how much he missed home.

Just as he was about to turn around and start walking home, he suddenly realized that a group of people had gathered around him.

A group of homeless people.

Several people pressed their bodies against the glass of the shop window, their shadows stretched long and distorted.

Many people were wrapped in tattered blankets, some of which were so worn that their original color was no longer visible.

They erected makeshift shelters in front of the shop window using tents and plastic sheets, trying, even in vain, to ward off the biting chill of the night.

The group of homeless people were unusually quiet; they hardly spoke, argued, or complained loudly.

Only occasionally, a faint cough or a soft, suppressed sigh would come from some dark corner, sounding particularly clear in the night wind.

They didn't reach out to beg from passersby, nor did they make any noise. They simply clung silently and closely to the shop window that emitted a warm glow, with an almost pious devotion.

On the other side of the shop window, there is an elaborately designed luxurious scene: a warm, peaceful, and flawless family scene with mannequins sitting around a fireplace.

On this side, homeless people exert all their strength to get close to the glass, to feel even the slightest bit of the false yet alluring warmth seeping from inside.

Their eyes, peering blankly through the thick glass, stared at everything inside.

The warm light shining from the shop window illuminated them.

The light gave them a warm glow, but their eyes remained devoid of any warmth.

They watched quietly as the fireplace burned, as the soft blankets were laid out, as the beautiful Christmas tree was decorated, and as their family gathered together in harmony.

They watched, they longed, they were here celebrating Christmas.

Lin Zheng noticed that one of the old women was moving her lips slightly, seemingly silently mimicking the smile of the dummy mother.

But the smile froze when it reached the corners of her eyes, forming deep lines.

This sight instantly extinguished the festive joy in his heart.

This glass door blocked out the cold wind, blocked out the warmth, and blocked out hope.

It is the dividing line between heaven and hell.