“I’m an orphan. I was raised by my grandfather since I was little.” David Carter spoke with a hint of sadness. As for his parents, the old man had never mentioned them to him. After he became old enough to understand, he asked about them, but the old man always said he’d tell him later. That “later” still hasn’t come, and to this day he remains in the dark. Before leaving this time, he asked again, but the old man just dodged the question as usual, refusing to discuss it at all.

“小于, which school did you graduate from?” Henry Brooks didn’t press further and immediately changed the subject.

“I graduated from a junior college, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature.” David Carter replied. The reason he chose this major was both out of personal interest and his grandfather’s insistence. Before junior high, he was always taught by the old man, who basically followed the methods of ancient scholars—starting with the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, and even making him develop the habit of writing with a brush. Even now, he’s still used to writing with a brush. Using a fountain pen or a ballpoint pen just feels awkward to him.

But what David Carter didn’t expect was that while the major was easy for him to study, it was very hard to find a job after entering society. The state no longer assigns jobs, and if he wanted to work in his field, the only options were secretary or editor, but both industries were hard for him to break into. He drifted in the south for two years, changing jobs seven or eight times, but none of them were related to his major.

“小于, if you trust me, I can help you find something. It might be a bit tough, and the pay probably isn’t high, but it’s quite suitable for your current situation. Of course, if you have other plans, just pretend I never mentioned it.” Henry Brooks said. Although the museum security guard job was only temporary and the pay wasn’t great, it didn’t require much skill, but it was stable—very suitable for David Carter right now.

“Thank you, Grandpa Wu. I don’t have any special requirements for a job. As long as I can do it, I’ll work hard.” David Carter didn’t even ask what the job was and thanked him repeatedly.

“Don’t thank me yet. Wait until the job is settled.” Henry Brooks said. Although he was ninety percent sure, until David Carter officially started, he couldn’t make any promises. Of course, with David Carter’s college diploma, being a security guard was more than enough—maybe even a bit of a waste of his talents. But the museum wasn’t like other places; even for a security guard, there were requirements for education and experience.

“It’s alright. Whether I get the job or not, I’m grateful to you.” David Carter said. At home, you rely on your parents; away from home, you rely on friends. He was a stranger in Tanzhou and had to seize every opportunity. Besides, tonight Henry Brooks had already done him a big favor. As for his granddaughter, that pretty policewoman, she hadn’t shown him a friendly face.

“小于, just for what you said, even if I can’t find you a job, you can still follow me.” Henry Brooks said. He was an expert at the Tanzhou City Museum and already had a few students. Even if David Carter didn’t have professional knowledge, he could teach him slowly. Most importantly, he had a son who was the deputy director of the museum, so arranging a temp job shouldn’t be a problem.

After sitting on the train all day and then running around all evening, Henry Brooks was a bit tired. David Carter walked him home, agreed on a meeting place for the next day, and then left.

Ever since getting off the train, David Carter had been following his instincts. When he left Henry Brooks’s house, this feeling grew even stronger, as if there was some invisible force ahead drawing him in, making him want to go and take a look. When he reached the outer wall of a huge building, he gradually stopped. Walking along the wall, he soon reached the main entrance, and only then did he realize it was the Tanzhou City Museum.

He saw a plaza next to the museum, with pavilions at each of the four corners, each containing stone tables and stools. Along the inside, there was a row of long benches—perfect for sleeping on. Although he’d originally planned to spend the night at an internet café, David Carter now decided to spend the night at the museum’s entrance.

But David Carter didn’t choose to sleep in the pavilion. He walked into one, checked out the inside, slung his bag over his back, then took a running leap onto the railing. With his knees slightly bent, he sprang upward, lightly hooked his hands onto the corner of the pavilion roof, and with a twist of his waist, flipped himself up. The whole process was as silent as a cat climbing a tree, and he landed quietly on top.

“I clearly saw someone here just now—where did he go?”

David Carter had only just gotten up there when someone walked into the pavilion, looked around, and, seeing no one, muttered to himself.

David Carter used his bag as a pillow, cradled the “Boy Bathing the Ox” figurine in his arms, and lay sideways on the glazed tiles, soon falling into a deep sleep. That night, David Carter had a dream. He dreamed of an ancient man with a long braid, carving a piece of bamboo root. His knife moved swiftly, bamboo shavings flying, and before long, the shape of the “Boy Bathing the Ox” figurine emerged. But the scene in the dream was both real and illusory. He tried hard to see the man’s face clearly, but no matter how much he focused, he couldn’t. On the contrary, when he tried to walk closer for a better look, he woke up.