Chapter 237: Removing the Talisman (Grand Finale)

Although we had decided to go to the United States, we couldn't just leave; there were many things to handle before going abroad. Da Jin Ya's family was based in Beijing, during this time he and Pangzi sold off antiques, while I returned to Fujian to visit relatives.

Afterwards I also visited the families of several fallen comrades, and during that period I went with Pangzi to Inner Mongolia, where we had once been sent down to work, spending altogether over two months before finishing everything.

When I returned to Beijing, it was already deep winter, with only a few days left before our departure; everything was already prepared, and lately I've been busy every day drinking with acquaintances to say goodbye.

That day Shirley Yang wanted to go out for a walk with me to see winter Beijing, so I took her to Beihai Park.

Due to the overnight northwest wind, the ground was exceptionally clean; this winter at the end of 1983 seemed especially cold, the air felt frozen, inhaling felt like sucking ice shards into the stomach, irritating the lungs; by daytime the wind had eased a bit, but the sky was overcast, the sun's position invisible, and it might snow heavily before nightfall.

Beihai Park lies at the northwest corner of the Forbidden City, with a history of over a thousand years; it was once the imperial forbidden garden of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Walking along the lakeside, looking at the Qiong Island White Pagoda in Beihai Lake, with a hint of desolation. I felt that in winter there was really nothing worth playing with here, but since my trip abroad was imminent and I didn't know when I could return to Beijing, I couldn't help feeling attached to the white pagoda and red walls; although the weather was cold, I didn't mind too much.

Shirley Yang was in high spirits; she had already brought Axing over to the United States and settled her down, and Professor Chen, who was treating mental illness in the United States, had also shown considerable improvement in his condition.

At that moment I saw many people skating on the frozen lake surface; among them were a few veterans who skated there every winter, wearing flower-patterned skates, showing off various moves—sometimes like a dragonfly touching water, sometimes like a purple swallow skimming waves—so I stopped with them to watch.

Shirley Yang said to me: "This place is really lively; the pleasure of skating in the winter's classical groves is probably only to be found in Beijing."

I replied offhand: "Of course; even the blue waves of the Five Lakes and the waters of the Four Seas can't compare to skating on Beihai Lake."

Shirley Yang asked me: "From your reluctant tone, do you have second thoughts about going to the United States with me? I know this puts you in a difficult position, but I'm really worried you'll go back to grave robbing; if I'm not in the United States watching you every day, I simply can't relax."

I said: "There's no turning back once the bow is drawn; I've already made up my mind to go to the United States, certainly no regrets. Although I do feel some reluctance to leave China, once I've thoroughly carried out the overall plan and mission, I can still bring you back for a visit." Saying this, I pulled out a grave‑robbing talisman from my pocket and showed it to Shirley Yang: "Look at this; Pangzi and I have already removed the talisman, which is tantamount to washing our hands in a golden basin—we'll never engage in grave robbing again unless we get bored of life; from now on we'll just do some honest business."

Grave‑robbing Colonels must wear the grave‑robbing talisman; it serves as a work permit, and in a certain sense it also represents luck—once hung around the neck it must never be taken off, for if it is removed it signals a break in fortune, and putting it back on would no longer bring the protection of the Ancestral Master.

Only when deciding to end one's career would one choose to remove the talisman, which is equivalent to the greenwood outlaws' practice of washing hands in a golden basin; very few who remove it ever return to the old trade. The Elder Liaochen was an exception back then; to assist Shirley Yang's maternal grandfather, the Partridge Scout, Elder Liaochen removed the talisman and came out of retirement, only to die in the Western Xia treasure cave in Blackwater City.

Seeing that I had already removed the grave‑robbing talisman, Shirley Yang felt moved and said: "Since ancient times, how many tombs have been looted? Those that remain preserved usually have something special about them, hiding countless dangers, which is why I've always worried about your grave robbing. Now that you finally agree to take off the talisman, this is truly wonderful; once you're in the United States, I won't have to worry about you sneaking back to rob graves."

I told Shirley Yang: "If I don't see the overall plan through to the end, I won't come back. I've heard that America is great in many ways, but its eating habits and lifestyle are hard to get used to. I've heard that Americans' diet is monotonous, their food is coarse—two slices of bread as hard as stone, with a couple of slices of tomato and a half‑cooked beef patty slapped in between, or else they just chop up rotten vegetables and eat them straight; can that even be called a meal? What I ate on the front lines in Yunnan was far better; we certainly won't be eating that every day, right? I think Americans really don't know how to eat or appreciate food, which explains why the country is so rich—it's all saved from their mouths."

Shirley Yang said: "How could you possibly eat hamburgers every day? There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in the United States; if you want to eat, we can go every day. What do you mean by lifestyle?"

I said: "You don't know this? In China, saying 'I love you' might happen only a few times in a lifetime, but I've heard that in the United States, couples who say 'I love you' once a day are already drifting apart and heading for divorce; to be just enough they'd need to say it morning, noon, and night, and ideally add two more when getting up and going to bed—even saying it ten times a day wouldn't annoy anyone, and sometimes people make long‑distance calls just to utter that sentence, repeating it so many times without getting tired—it's truly strange. I suspect this rumor is basically true, because I've also heard that American soldiers wounded on the battlefield, near death and still breathing, will charge their comrades to tell their wives this very phrase..."

I pretended to be on my last breath, unable to catch another, and went on: "Lieutenant… promise me… help me tell my wife… just say… I love her." After saying that I myself was already laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

Shirley Yang also laughed at my antics, but then said: "Lao Hu, you're really shameless—what's there to laugh about? This sentence isn't just for lovers or sweethearts; you can say it to children and parents too. Letting someone know how important they are to you is perfectly normal and necessary. From now on you should also say it ten times a day."

(End of book)