The Spring-Dodging Agency

The "Spring-Dodging Agency" opened a storefront at the end of the old street, the entrance so narrow it looked like a crack squeezed between two buildings. The sign was handwritten, the characters crooked and twisted, like the "ancestral secret recipes" found in old, neglected neighborhoods.

As the Spring Festival approached, the sound of firecrackers grew louder, seemingly about to shake the city. But inside the agency, it was eerily quiet. Old Liu sat behind the counter, slowly sharpening his kitchen knife, which was rumored to "dodge all disasters." He wore a grease-stained apron, his face wrinkled like an old newspaper crumpled by time.

Most of the people who came here were young people who had heard of the "spring-dodging" custom but didn't know how to do it. They carried a hint of confusion, a hint of curiosity, and a hint of fear of the unknown destiny.

"Dodging spring isn't about dodging the season, but dodging the 'misfortune' at the very moment of the spring equinox," Old Liu said slowly, adjusting his reading glasses on his nose. "When the spring equinox arrives, the five elements of energy are chaotic, and those who clash with it are more likely to attract misfortune, so they have to 'dodge'."

His theory sounded absurd, yet it surprisingly resonated with the anxieties of young people. In modern society, workplace involution, emotional setbacks, and the pressure of life made them feel like they had nowhere to escape. Thus, the "Spring-Dodging Agency" became their temporary haven.

The agency's business was simple: at the exact moment of the spring equinox, customers would enter a specially made "spring-dodging hut," which was filled with all sorts of "amulets": rusty copper coins, blackened wooden swords, and some dried plants with unidentifiable names. The hut was airtight, with only a dim light bulb, as if time itself was isolated outside.

Zhang Qiang was a regular at the agency. He was a programmer who faced the cold computer screen every day and felt like he was turning into a pile of code himself. Last year, because he "didn't dodge well," his project had a major mishap, and his boss gave him a severe scolding. So, this year, he booked his spot to dodge the spring early.

The day before the spring equinox, Old Liu cleaned the hut extra carefully and even ceremoniously put a new talisman on the door. Zhang Qiang was holding his phone, scrolling through Douyin, waiting for the moment to "dodge the spring." He looked at the festive Spring Festival short videos on the screen and suddenly felt that the world was particularly lively, while he was isolated outside.

At the very moment of the spring equinox, Old Liu opened the door to the hut. Zhang Qiang walked inside, the door closed again, and the room was silent. Old Liu continued to sharpen his knife behind the counter, the sound of grinding like he was preparing for the next customer to “dodge the spring.”

And so, the business of the Spring-Dodging Agency got better and better. Old Liu had gone from an unknown old man to a mysterious presence on the old street. He was no longer just a knife sharpener, but a guide to "dodging fate."

Until one day, a young girl came to the agency. Unlike the other customers, she didn't look anxious but rather very calm. She asked Old Liu, "Is dodging the spring really useful?"

Old Liu stopped what he was doing, looked at the girl, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. His smile, under the dim light, looked a bit eerie: "Of course it's useful. It can make you temporarily forget that you are being swallowed by life."

The girl seemed not to understand and frowned in confusion. Old Liu slowly added, "After all, the real fear doesn't come from the spring equinox, but from the fact that you can never escape life."

The girl seemed thoughtful and turned to leave the agency. She did not book a spot to dodge the spring but instead walked into the lively street, merging into the crowd. The sound of firecrackers exploded in her ears, but there was no longer the fear she felt earlier.

Inside the agency, Old Liu opened the door of the hut. It was empty; there was nothing inside, only a dim light bulb flickering. He picked up a piece of paper from the ground that Zhang Qiang had dropped. On it was written a line of code:

if(life==bad){ life = waitfor(nextyear); }

Old Liu looked at the line of code and smiled, then continued to sharpen his knife. The world continued to operate at its own rhythm. Some chose to "dodge," and others chose to face it. The Spring-Dodging Agency, continued to play its true-and-false role in this absurd reality.