My former colleague Prof. Yang bought a $4,000 Mercedes. It was indeed capable of moving when it was in its better mood, but Prof. Yang made sure never drive it on a high speed road or anywhere more than 10 miles from home.

Every Sunday morning, he would wash or polish his Mercedes and drive it into town to meet friends for coffee or just to the Famer’s market for some local produces.

Eventually, I could not resist my curiosity, “Dr. Yang, why did buy such a junk that moves only when it is in the right mood?”

He paused for a long while, gazing into the distance, as if wondering into a world far away.

“It had been my dream, from a long time ago, that someday I would be able to drive a Mercedes. Move or not; it is still a Mercedes and it brings a smile to my heart whenever it accompanies me into town.”

From that day on, I promised myself that someday I will also realize my dream.

My dream is not a Mercedes, but unlimited supply of fried instant noodles油炸方便面, anytime, anywhere.

Why?

For the three years when I was in Tsinghua Graduate School, the hall way in our dormitory would often simmer in the steam of 盐水煮白面 before bed time when the hungry young men returned from a long day’s toil in their lab. Often, the whole building would suddenly turn into pitch black.

“又跳闸了! ”

“不过，可以吃了吧?”

“别刮啦！我的铁锅底都快让你刮穿啦”

“你捞的就剩个锅底，我不刮吃啥？”

In the darkness I fell into a sweet dream of my 油炸方便面.