Chapter 1: Rules

Luochuan City, also known as Luoyi, boasts over five thousand years of civilization and more than four thousand years of urban history. It is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and the eastern starting point of the Silk Road. Thirteen dynasties established their capitals in Luochuan throughout history, and to this day, five major ancient capital sites remain. Surrounding Luochuan are countless tombs, and the largest tomb complex in China, the Mangshan Ancient Tombs, is located right in Luochuan.

Such a profound historical and cultural heritage has also created Luochuan’s unique cultural atmosphere. The city is commonly said to yield treasures three feet beneath the ground. From ancient times to the present, it has been a gathering place for all kinds of antique dealers, which in turn has fueled the prosperity of Luochuan’s antique market. Just as everyone in Beijing talks politics, in Luochuan, all you hear about are antiques.

“Gang-ge, watch my stall for me, I’m going to the restroom.” At a stall in Luochuan City’s Antique Market, behind a table filled with all kinds of bronzeware, the just-turned-twenty-year-old Nancy Stewart was a bit restless.

It wasn’t that Nancy Stewart urgently needed the restroom, but rather that his right eyelid kept twitching uncontrollably. The last time this happened was when Nancy Stewart was eleven, in fifth grade. Back then, to complete a “Learn from Lei Feng, do good deeds” assignment, Nancy Stewart insisted on helping an eighty-year-old lady who had just crossed the street by escorting her back across—only to have her fall hard in the process. As a result, he was chased for three blocks by the old lady’s grandson. If he hadn’t known the area well, he would have gotten quite a beating.

“Young man, don’t tell me you’ve got kidney problems at your age. This is your third trip to the restroom already.” Mr. Carter, from the neighboring stall, joked and waved his hand, signaling Nancy Stewart to hurry up and come back.

Mr. Carter's full name is David Carter, just over thirty years old. His family has lived near the antique market for generations. When the market was relocated and expanded, their old house was taken for the project, and they were compensated with twelve apartments. So Mr. Carter suddenly became a “second-generation landlord.” His family lives in two of the apartments, and the other ten are rented out. Having been interested in antiques since childhood, David Carter simply quit his job and started running a stall at the antique market.

There are fixed stalls and shops in the antique market, but David Carter prefers running a stall and chatting with people. Over time, he became friends with Nancy Stewart, who also runs a free stall. Out of seven days a week, the two of them spend six together; only on Sundays does Nancy Stewart skip the market, saying he needs to go home to take care of his sister.

The restroom is inside the antique market. After passing through the fixed stalls, Nancy Stewart relieved himself, lit a cigarette, and bantered with a stall owner for a while before slowly making his way back. He was still muttering to himself: ever since he was eleven, he hadn’t done any good deeds, and today’s eyelid twitch felt ominous. Maybe he should pack up early and go home.

“Hm? What are those people doing?” As he exited the antique market, Nancy Stewart immediately saw four or five people standing in front of his stall. When he recognized one of them, he froze, shrank his head, and was about to turn back, but it was already too late.

“Xiaofan, did you go all the way to the Pacific to pee? What took you so long?” The sharp-eyed Mr. Carter spotted Nancy Stewart and called out in his booming voice, “Hurry up, we’ve got customers! Are you doing business or not?”

“Gang-ge, I… I just have an upset stomach.” Seeing the group in front of his stall turn around, Nancy Stewart silently cursed his luck. But it was too late to run, so he had to brace himself and walk over.

“Oh, big brother, it’s you! No wonder I heard magpies chirping when I left home today—turns out an honored guest was coming.” Nancy Stewart quickened his pace, put on a bright smile, and greeted one of the men.

Truth be told, though Nancy Stewart had only recently shed his boyishness, he was strikingly handsome—standing at 1.82 meters, with sharp brows and bright eyes, and a hint of boyish shyness in his smile. In the antique market, his looks were one of a kind. The young ladies accompanying their elders to the market loved to gather around Nancy Stewart’s stall.

“Magpies? Are you sure it wasn’t crows you heard?” The man Nancy Stewart called “big brother” looked to be in his early forties, not tall, lean, with a buzz cut and piercing eyes. He wore a half-smile as he stared at Nancy Stewart.

“No way, big brother. With you here, it’s definitely magpies.” Nancy Stewart walked up to his stall, took out a pack of cigarettes, deftly flicked out a few, and offered them to the group. “Big brother, are you here to support my business again today?”

“That’s right. Pack up your stall, let’s talk in the back.” The middle-aged man nodded. “The sun’s too harsh out here—let’s find a teahouse to sit and chat.”