During the Southern Song Dynasty, the triennial imperial examination period arrived once again. Scholars from all over the land flocked to the capital city of Lin'an, filling every inn to capacity.
At the Auspicious Inn, located beside the "Yin Yue Well" of the famed "Ten Scenes of West Lake," resided He Menggui, a scholar from Wenchang, Muzhou, Yanzhou Prefecture. He had left Shixia Academy three months earlier to come here and prepare for the exams. As the saying goes, "Ten years of solitary study go unnoticed; one success brings fame throughout the world." Scholar He, tense with study, counted the days until the approaching exam on his fingers.
Three nights before the test, he suddenly had a strange dream. He saw himself holding several cabbage seedlings in his left hand and a hoe in his right, digging holes to plant cabbages on the wall of his family courtyard. Soon, rain began to fall. Remembering his parents were still working in the fields, he put on a conical hat, opened an umbrella, and went out to deliver the rain gear. Upon returning and pushing open the courtyard gate, he was startled and delighted to see his cousin Lu Xiuying standing in the yard. His parents had arranged a childhood betrothal between them, agreeing that they would marry if he passed the exam. That night, he and his cousin slept on the same bed back-to-back. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to turn over and get closer to her, he found himself completely unable to move. Desperate and burning with frustration, he sighed deeply in regret.
This sigh, ironically, woke Scholar He from his dream. Realizing he had been dreaming, he felt puzzled. He rarely dreamed, and now, on the eve of such an important exam, to dream of these things—what could it mean? After washing and dressing the next morning, he went out to find a fortune-teller to interpret his dream. Not far down the street, he found a man with a sign reading "Li the Half-Immortal, Iron Mouth, Direct Judgment." Though blind, this "Half-Immortal Li" seemed to know far more than those with sight. Scholar He recounted his dream. After pondering, Li shook his head and said, "Scholar, dreaming of planting cabbages on a wall clearly foreshadows you will not 'zhong' (pass)—this means you have no hope of success in this exam. Carrying both a hat and an umbrella on a rainy day? That's clearly superfluous. And if you were lying naked with your cousin on the same bed, yet unable to consummate your love, isn't that just empty joy? Scholar, does my interpretation seem appropriate?"
Scholar He found Li's words very reasonable, paid his fee, and turned to leave. On his way back, he thought: "I, He, am one of the top students at Shixia Academy in Yanzhou. Everyone believes I will surely pass this exam. If it truly means I won't 'zhong' as the dream suggests, and word gets out, won't I be utterly disgraced? Since success is hopeless, why bother taking the exam and wasting my effort? I might as well go home early and find a village school to teach at."
Having made up his mind, Scholar He immediately returned to the inn to pack for his journey home. The innkeeper, Yang Chenglong, seeing this, was astonished and asked, "Scholar He, with the great exam so near, why are you packing? Are you dissatisfied with our service and seeking lodging elsewhere?" Seeing the misunderstanding, Scholar He explained, "Master Yang, you are mistaken. I have no complaint; I simply do not wish to take the exam and plan to return home." Yang, surprised, pressed, "And why is that?" Scholar He then carefully recounted his dream and Li the fortune-teller's words. To his surprise, Yang Chenglong burst out laughing. "Master Yang, why do you laugh?" asked Scholar He. Yang became serious and said, "Scholar He, Scholar He, you're usually so clever, yet so foolish now! Can a single dream decide your whole life? You believe the blind Li's nonsense, made up just to earn a meal? After ten years of study, wouldn't that all be in vain? Moreover, in my view, your dream is actually full of good omens. Let me interpret it for you!"
Still half-convinced, Scholar He asked, "And how would you interpret it?" Yang stroked his beard and slowly replied, "Dreaming of planting cabbages on a wall means you will surely 'gao zhong' (excel and pass)! Going out in the rain with both hat and umbrella shows you are exceptionally well-prepared—'better safe than sorry.' Sleeping back-to-back with your cousin means the time when you can turn and face each other is near; your marriage will soon be a happy union. Scholar He, isn't this interpretation quite logical? Furthermore, setting aside the dream, the exam is right before you. This is the moment countless scholars dream of. If you don't take the exam, you have zero chance of passing. Wouldn't that waste ten years of hard study and betray your parents and teachers? If you do take it, you have a chance. One leap to fame hinges on this single effort."
Hearing Master Yang's words, Scholar He suddenly saw things clearly. Thinking it through, he found the reasoning sound. Having prepared so thoroughly, how could he flee at the last moment? He immediately abandoned his plan to go home and continued his serious studies at the "Auspicious" Inn. On exam day, he walked into the testing hall with full confidence.
Hard work never betrays. He achieved third place in the highest rank of the imperial examination.
The same dream, interpreted in two completely different ways, changed Scholar He's fate and taught him this lesson: destiny must be grasped in one's own hands.