Chapter 11 No wonder my wife got cancer, it's all karma
"Like you said, Director Ming trusts me and values me. I do the same. I trust him and respect him. I don't want to face him for decades to come with a gap in my heart."
Tang Zhixu withdrew his gaze and sat down on the sofa in silence.
"What are you going to tell him?"
"Tell the truth. If he agrees with you, do as you say."
Tang Zhixu couldn't help but stand up again and walked in front of her.
"Are you really stupid or just pretending? Ming Yuanxing, he's the director of the Shanghai Museum. What are you asking him to agree with? Even if he agrees with you a thousand times, he can't possibly tell you to take these artifacts back and sell them. You said you respect him, so if you respect him, don't make things difficult for him."
"Then let's make things difficult for him. As the director, it is also one of his jobs to clean up the mess for his subordinates." Qin Tian looked at Tang Zhixu calmly and said without any warmth.
Tang Zhixu turned around, picked up the shoebox and comic book on the ground, opened the door and walked out without looking back.
Several sheets of paper were spread out on the large desk, covered with drawings of rabbits, turtles, and roses. Qin Yizhang sat in his office chair, absorbed in drawing the princess's long hair. Tong Zhongyuan had been gone for a week, and only half of the summer vacation was over. There was no one left to play hide-and-seek or catch watermelon worms with her.
She was thirsty from painting, so she jumped off her chair to get a drink of water. In the tea room, Aunt Chen, Uncle Zhang, and another aunt she didn't know well were chatting. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they paid no attention to her.
"I didn't realize Old Qin was so bold. How dare you take this?"
"If you walk by the river often, you will get your feet wet. Half of the cultural relics in the Shanghai Museum were found by him. You know how it is. When he finds something, he gives the unit the majority share and keeps the rest for himself. That's how it is, isn't it? Who can tell the authenticity at a glance?"
"What nonsense is that? All cultural relics unearthed in China belong to the state. Just because you think they're authentic, you can take them home? Especially since you work at the Shanghai Museum. You should either quit your job and start your own business. Let's see whether you make money based on your skills or go to jail based on your skills."
"So, he's in trouble this time. They say it's his first time taking it, but who knows for sure. His wife has cancer, and he usually wears tattered clothes, looking like he's barely making ends meet. Yet, his leader, Team Leader Ming, takes good care of him. And yet, he's already become incredibly wealthy."
"Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder my wife got cancer. It's karma. Can cultural relics be taken so easily? They have been passed down for thousands of years. Without a destiny, they can't be suppressed."
"That's right. I heard that the one found this time was a large copper coin with a He Xiangu flower pattern, which had been kept at home five years ago. As it turns out, if a person does something bad, even the gods can't help."
"What was the outcome?"
"I heard that Team Leader Ming wanted to protect him and give him a warning. But Deputy Director Wang disagreed, saying the punishment was too light and that others would follow his example. He wanted to expel him."
Qin Yizhang suddenly didn't want to drink anymore. She took the cup and sat back down. That afternoon, she had drawn a whole stack of pictures. She forgot what she had drawn, but she only remembered that the paper was damp, and as soon as the brush touched it, the color melted, like black, withering flowers.
Later, my father went to work as a data clerk at the Folk Customs Museum. Until his retirement, he never set foot in the Shanghai Museum again. The heavy door of the Shanghai Museum was closed to him forever.
After her mother passed away, she changed her name to Qin Tian and enrolled in the Cultural Relics and Museum Studies program. The year she graduated, she returned to the Shanghai Museum—or rather, to a brand new one. The British-style building that had shaped her childhood, along with the name Qin Yizhang, had long since vanished with the surging Huangpu River.
Standing beneath the azure sky was a magnificent replica of an ancient building, shaped like a round earth and a square sky. She gazed up at its bronze tripod-like shape and resolutely pushed open its solemn door. She once again stood within the unattainable halls of the Shanghai Museum.
Qin Tian stood in the director's office of the Shanghai Asian Museum, looking down at the parquet floor. Ming Yuanxing took a sip of tea and shook his head helplessly.
This girl was incredibly stubborn. He'd told her to stay in the UK until the exhibition was complete before returning, and the implication couldn't have been clearer. Yet, she changed her flight and returned the day after the exhibition was finished. He'd also specifically advised her to rest for a few days to adjust to the jet lag after her long journey. As it turned out, she'd arrived at the museum right after landing, her suitcase in hand. He'd originally recruited her for this very reason, and over the years, he'd witnessed her growth and her struggles, and he felt both a deep appreciation for her talent and a genuine heartache for her.
"Why didn't you listen when I told you to rest at home? Don't rely on your youth and good health. Girls, you should take care of yourself."
"I have something to tell you." Qin Tian still lowered his head.
"If you have something to say, just sit down and talk. Why are you standing? I'm not the dean of studies."
Qin Tian squatted silently, opened the suitcase, took out the artifacts, and placed them on Ming Yuanxing's desk. Ming Yuanxing looked at her in surprise, picked up one of the artifacts and examined it, his expression gradually becoming serious. He raised his head and was about to ask, but Qin Tian had already spoken.
"These are eleven artifacts from the British Museum. I saw someone selling them on Ebay, so I bought them."
Qin Tian explained the whole story, only omitting the fact that the last two Chinese cultural relics he bought were still in England. There was no need to complicate things before the goods arrived in China.
Ming Yuanxing said nothing after hearing this, falling into deep thought. His expression was calm, and he didn't blame her. He thought for a long time, and suddenly realized she was still there, so he motioned for her to sit down first. After that, he fell into a new round of contemplation.
Qin Tian sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for her decision with his eyes watching her nose and his nose watching his heart.
Ming Yuanxing finally came back to his senses from his thoughts. He stood up, filled a cup of water to make tea, and returned to his seat. He took a sip of tea, looked up, and said, "So, first, you pack these cultural relics, along with their original packaging, into a box, seal it, and take it to the warehouse to register. Neither the box nor the seal should have the Shanghai Museum mark. Tell Lao Li not to put it with the museum's other items. Put it separately, somewhere the cameras can clearly see it. Print out several copies of the transaction records and prices, and put one with the cultural relics. Take the other two copies to the finance department for reimbursement. I'll take care of them and pay them as travel and public relations expenses. We'll look into it later. I need to think about this again. Let's do it this way."
Qin Tian hesitated to speak, but she didn't know what to say. "Thank you?" "I'm sorry"? Those were words only a child would say. The words kept rolling around in her mouth, but she couldn't get them out.
Seeing her expression, Ming Yuanxing said gently, "It's not a big deal. Don't overthink it. Even if it really is something from the British Museum, it's just a thief in their family, not our fault."
Qin Tian bit his lips to control his tears and lowered his head even deeper.
"It's okay, it's okay," Ming Yuanxing stood up and patted her shoulder. "Go ahead. After handing in your stuff, go back and rest up this afternoon. Don't come tomorrow if you don't have anything to do. Come back to work after you've adjusted to the time difference. I still have a lot of things for you to do later, so you need to get better."
Qin Tian bowed to Ming Yuanxing without saying a word, then walked out of the office dragging his suitcase.
As she turned the corner, she saw Tang Zhixu leaning against the wall, a cup of coffee in hand, looking at her with an indistinct expression. She stopped and he walked over, taking the suitcase naturally and handing her the coffee. She took a sip of the coffee; it was a cappuccino.
"What did he say?" Tang Zhixu asked.
"Let me put it in the warehouse first and get reimbursed."
Tang Zhixu nodded and handed the suitcase back to her.
"Then I won't go. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Aside from Director Ming, don't let anyone else know."
Qin Tian arrived at the cultural relics warehouse, registered, and handed the box to Lao Li. Lao Li explained that the curator had just called and asked him to accompany Qin Tian into the warehouse to ensure the entire process was recorded by the cameras. Qin Tian didn't know Ming Yuanxing's intentions, but she trusted him unconditionally. After placing the items in the designated location, she looked up at the cameras before leaving.
On her way out of the warehouse, she passed the coin collection and stopped, looking at the F12 column. Lao Li asked Xiao Qin, "Do you want to see the coins? Sure, I'll open it for you." She shook her head and walked out.
She knew what was there. There was a large copper coin with a lotus flower in its hand that had lived in her home for five years.
Only later did she learn that this large copper coin dated back to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. While it held some value as a cultural relic, it wasn't particularly rare or valuable. If it weren't for Qin Yunjie's private collection, it might not even have been worthy of inclusion in the Shanghai Museum's collection.
For the five years it had been in her home, it had been placed beneath her mother, Han Wenying's pillow. She vaguely understood the reason behind her father's actions. He Xiangu, the Goddess of Medicine, was that right? Could this save her? Cure her without medication? He had read widely, traversed history, only to become such an ignorant, superstitious person, a laughingstock, lose his respected job, and fail to keep... his mother. She died; He Xiangu hadn't cured her at all. Shortly after Qin Yunjie was fired, she died of depression. This was the final outcome her father had chosen for himself on the path of cultural heritage.
She left the Shanghai Museum and gazed back at the massive bronze structure. She would never become another Qin Yunjie. She would dedicate her youth and her passion to the cause of cultural relics. She would bring every hidden artifact back to light, and she would bring home every artifact that wanted to return home. She pressed forward, unwavering, for she was not only their protector, she was the king of this place.
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