Chapter 236

I listened as Da Jin Ya spoke with increasing excitement, his true feelings stirred. Though he was merely a petty merchant, unlike Ming Shu, he shared experiences with me and Pangzi. Veterans of the sent-down youth program, whether acquainted or not, instantly feel a kinship upon mentioning their past—an unspoken closeness born of shared fate. Pangzi had just compared Da Jin Ya to Ming Shu, going too far; though Da Jin Ya pointed at us promising wealth, he genuinely hated to part with us.

So I said to Da Jin Ya: "Old Gold, as the saying goes, one's native soil is hard to leave—I too am reluctant to depart China, reluctant to leave this land soaked with my comrades' blood and tears, even more reluctant to leave my kin and companions. But in Tibet, I realized that besides grave-robbing, Pangzi and I know nothing else; our thinking has fallen behind societal progress—a sorrow indeed. Moreover, having visited many places and seen secret artifacts in ancient tombs, I feel some things are better left buried forever."

Since antiquity, most Gold-Seeking Captains who removed the talisman chose to retreat into monastic life, spending their remaining years with ancient Buddhas and dim lamps. Having endured much, they inevitably realize: trading life for wealth is not worth it.

The burial objects in tombs are lifeless things; it is only human greed that gives them value. To risk one's life for things deep underground is hardly worthwhile—gold, stone, and jade may be fine, but they pale beside the preciousness of one's own life.

Furthermore, the main point: valuable items are the root of all evil. Burial goods in ancient tombs are nearly all priceless; if one could successfully rob a tomb, a vast fortune would follow. Yet no matter the motive—whether squandering wealth or aiding the poor—these artifacts eventually enter society, sparking countless open and covert conflicts, bloodshed and strife. All sins arising from burial goods ultimately trace back to the Gold-Seeking Captains who unearthed them.

I told Da Jin Ya: "They say life has three sufferings and three joys, but look at our wretched existence—truly a path of hardship and obstacle. We've eaten the bitterness we should, suffered the punishments we deserve, yet today we remain mere petty traders with no prospects, nearly cast out by society. I think we cannot stake our future and hope entirely on grave-robbing; if we do, the road ahead will only narrow. We will not bow to fate, so Pangzi and I will go to America, start anew in a fresh environment, learn new things, and integrate our general line and general task into every endeavor, to forge a life unlike the present."

Pangzi wondered: "What is the general line and general task? I recall we never made such a plan—don't just improvise."

I said: "I was reminded by seeing that teacup from the Lushan Conference—our general line henceforth is to make money, our general task is to earn money. I've heard overseas Chinese communities have a place called Little Taipei; when we earn enough, we'll also establish a Little Beijing in the U. S. to corrupt those Americans."

Da Jin Ya, eyes glistening, said: "Still, it's Master Hu who dares dream big—such a grand goal I never dared imagine. Better to bring brothers along to build Little Beijing. We'll make those Americans change their tune, eating corn noodles and flatbread all day, with Wang Zhihe's stinky tofu and chili oil..."

Pangzi interjected: "Huff two puffs of Hademen cigarettes, fish and slaughter all night singing. Beijing has long had three absolutes: Peking opera, candied haws, and courtyard homes. When I strike rich, I'll damn well plaster the Empire State Building full of candied haws." After saying this, the three laughed heartily, as if already standing atop the Empire State Building, taking in all of Manhattan's scenery.

After laughing awhile, easing the mood, I asked Da Jin Ya if his earlier words were a joke—did he truly want to go to America with us? His father is in poor health, my family's elders are in a rest home, Pangzi has no other kin, so Da Jin Ya cannot simply abandon home and business like us, saying he'll go and going—especially since this journey means crossing oceans to America.

Da Jin Ya said solemnly: "I just advised you not to go to America because I hate to part with you two masters! If you fly off and leave me alone in Panjiayuan, what's the point? To be frank, I've seen through it: even if Panjiayuan's business is tossed about for ten more years, it'll still be this—I've long yearned to go overseas for gold. Our ancestors left behind countless priceless relics abroad; if I go to America and strike it rich, first I'll acquire a few genuine treasures—this is brothers' lifelong wish; second, I'll bring my old father over to let him enjoy some foreign blessings. But I lack overseas connections—getting out is as hard as climbing to heaven. Master Hu, could you speak a few good words to Miss Yang to help me sneak out too? I hear the United States is not only materially advanced but also culturally inclusive—even chicken-thieves and dog-scoundrels would find use there. Do you think my two skills...?"

I thought more people would be livelier, sparing Pangzi and me a dull life abroad—since Shirley Yang isn't a trafficker, I'll temporarily promise Da Jin Ya I'll speak for him upon return.

So Pangzi, Da Jin Ya, and I began calculating how to quickly find buyers for our goods, how much money we could raise together, and where to watch strip shows in America...

The talk grew heated, nearly ignoring Ming Shu, who stood aside hungry, as if nonexistent. But Ming Shu wouldn't forget himself: "Are you mistaken? Do you think America is that easy to profit from? Though, speaking of it, treasures lost to America are indeed many—reportedly the world's most valuable Chinese porcelain—the Yongle Qinghua Chuntian Tianyan Vase—is in a collector's hand in Los Angeles, plus Qianlong's Great Jade Mountain, also in the U. S., each worth a city. Why not join us? Let's devise a way to swap this bottle back; when funds are sufficient later, we can continue the corpse trade—this line brings money fastest."

I told Ming Shu: "If you want to go to America, that's your affair—we have no right to stop you. But considering our shared ordeal—having circled Kunlun Mountain's Ghost Gate twice and returned—I must advise you: at your age, after going to America, just do small-time antiquities trading to support yourself; don't keep dreaming of a comeback by trafficking zongzi. Did Kunlun Mountain teach you nothing? Even if you brought back glacial crystal corpses and made money, you lost your wife, your adopted daughter no longer follows you, leaving only two prodigal sons—you still can't tell whether this venture gains or loses. No matter how valuable a corpse, it's not worth as much as a living person."

Having said that, I considered my duty to Ming Shu fulfilled, saw we were nearly full, then bade farewell to Ming Shu and returned with Pangzi and Da Jin Ya.