Chapter Eight: Zhuge Xuan
Soon, the car drove into a place called Zhuyuan Township. After entering a village, the village chief greeted us warmly. Professor Chen intended to head straight to the excavation site, but the chief insisted we stay for a meal. Unable to refuse, a few of us went into a house with yellow earth walls and black tiles.
Most of the houses in this village were made of mud, with several rooms connected in a row, spanning multiple levels joined by stone steps. Bamboo groves grew abundantly nearby, encircling the village in lush patches. Even in the height of summer, the place felt remarkably cool and refreshing.
The villagers were not only hospitable but also considerate. Seeing that none of us were locals, they served breakfast that included not just pumpkin flowers but also soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns, all homemade. Ah, the taste—it was simply delightful.
As we were leaving, the fat man grabbed the village chief’s hand and said, “Brother, we’ll be back in a few days. Remember to make more pumpkin flower buns for me.”
Everyone laughed heartily. Just then, a young man wearing glasses walked over from the crowd. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be part of our archaeological team. However, as he came closer, I couldn’t help but utter a surprised “Oh.”
The fat man reacted immediately, whispering to me, “Damn, isn’t that Peanut?”
I looked at the man—it was unmistakably Peanut, but something felt off. Just as I was about to approach him, Professor Chen suddenly said, “Ah, let me introduce you. This is my nephew, Chen Zixiang. He studied history at National Taiwan University and is joining us for this expedition…”
After Professor Chen had finished introducing us to him, I saw a look of surprise cross Peanut’s face. He spoke in Mandarin with a distinct Taiwanese accent, “Oh, so you’re the folks my uncle mentioned. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you.” He extended his hand for a handshake.
The fat man and I were stunned, unsure how to respond.
Damn, Peanut’s name really was Chen Zixiang, but how could he be Professor Chen’s nephew? He acted as though he didn’t know us, and, most bizarrely, his voice had changed. One can imitate a different voice, but not so completely as Peanut had—he seemed to have an entirely new vocal cord.
Uncertain, the fat man gave me a subtle signal, so I quietly shook hands back.
From here on, the road was inaccessible by car. We trekked east for more than ten miles before the excavation site came into view in the distance.
On the way, the fat man and I kept a close watch on Chen Zixiang’s every move. If not for his face, I would have sworn this man could not possibly be Peanut.
Peanut was always smiling, but his smile was clearly forced. This man, however, had a laugh that sounded like a ghost’s wail, making him seem foolish. His movements were also a bit delicate, and he kept exchanging suggestive glances with Yang Lang, which gave me goosebumps.
The fat man took out a cigarette and offered it to Chen Zixiang. “Brother, have one.”
This was likely a sudden idea, since we all knew Peanut only smoked counterfeit cigarettes and looked awkward doing it. The fat man wanted to test him, to see if he’d slip up.
But Chen Zixiang quickly waved his hands. “Oh, thank you, but I don’t smoke.” He then pulled out a bag of betel nuts from his pocket and asked if we’d like to chew some.
Hiss… Now we were stumped. The fat man quietly pulled me aside and said, “Maybe he just looks like Peanut.”
I said, “How could it be such a coincidence? It’s one thing to look alike, but having the same name too?”
The fat man replied, “Maybe he doesn’t want Professor Chen to know he knows us. Still, I think he really is the professor’s nephew. Damn, who’d have thought he was from Taiwan?”
“We’ll just wait and see. We’re heading into the tomb soon. Once we’re alone, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
As we spoke, we arrived at the excavation site. There were many people around, with tents scattered further away. At the moment, they weren’t digging but were busy with their own tasks; a few were playing poker.
When Professor Chen appeared, many people came over to greet him, some asking when other archaeological teams would arrive. I paid little attention to their chatter, instead scanning the area for the seven large gates Professor Chen had mentioned. But after a while, I saw nothing.
Just then, a girl in her early twenties, dressed in archaeological gear, ran toward us.
“Professor Chen!” she called from afar. Two men followed behind her, all three carrying large backpacks. They were clearly the other members joining us for the tomb expedition.
After Professor Chen introduced them, I learned the two men were brothers named Zhang Yadong and Zhang Yaxi. The girl, whom the fat man had referred to as a feng shui expert, was named Zhuge Xuan. She was quite attractive—even the unflattering work uniform couldn’t hide her figure. Her voice was coquettish, though, making the ‘feng shui expert’ bit seem unlikely.
But the fat man wasted no time in starting a quarrel with her. “Hey, miss, it’s sweltering out here. Isn’t it tough for a girl like you?”
Zhuge Xuan, holding Professor Chen’s arm, shot the fat man a glare. “Who are you calling ‘miss’? Don’t talk nonsense.”
At her words, both Zhang brothers glared at the fat man, like a pair of imperial guards.
The fat man chuckled, “My mistake. How about I call you ‘big sister’ instead?”
“You…” Zhuge Xuan’s eyes widened even more, but she looked rather pretty when angry. “Uncle Chen, what kind of people did you bring? I’m not going with him.”
Professor Chen laughed, “Oh, he’s just teasing you. Now that everyone’s here, let’s get started. If all goes well, we’ll be out before nightfall.”
Then Professor Chen sent Yang Lang and Chen Zixiang to fetch our equipment, with the fat man tagging along for reassurance. Professor Chen went off to consult some colleagues.
I was about to follow the fat man, but Zhuge Xuan grabbed me.
“Hey, come with me,” she said mysteriously, beckoning.
“Me?” I was surprised. “Why should I go with you?”
As soon as I spoke, the two ‘imperial guards’ looked displeased, and Zhuge Xuan’s expression changed.
Zhang Yadong spoke up, “Yuan Jie, Xiao Xuan is a leader in our archaeological team. Even if you’re just a layman, since you’re joining us, you should listen to her.”
I laughed and ignored him. The two brothers were clearly bookish types infatuated with Zhuge Xuan, and their words reeked of scholarly pretension. If I talked much with them, I feared my own teeth would rot from the sourness.
Before I could get impatient, Zhuge Xuan turned and snapped at them, “Are you done? Stop standing around and go help them with the gear!”
The brothers, utterly smitten by this little goddess, obeyed at once and walked straight over to the fat man and the others.
Turning back, Zhuge Xuan gave me a sudden smile. For some reason, her smile unsettled me, as if she were plotting something.
“Hey, be honest, you and the fat man are tomb raiders, aren’t you?”
Her words made me instantly alert.
“No, we’re coal miners,” I replied, unwilling to admit anything—and besides, I wasn’t a tomb raider.
“I’m serious,” Zhuge Xuan said, clearly ignoring my lie. “Don’t tell anyone, but my grandfather was a tomb raider too.”
She was clever—too clever. Talking much with her might not be good for me or the fat man, so I looked for an excuse to leave. Suddenly, a thought struck me: in the photos on my phone, Peanut was chatting with a woman—it might have been her, since there were few women on the team.
Zhuge Xuan seemed about to say more, but I interrupted, “Hey, when did Chen Zixiang join your team? Must have been quite a trip from Taiwan, right?”
She glanced at him from a distance, then replied, “He arrived a few days ago. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, nothing. He just looks a lot like an old friend of mine. Just curious.” I thought to myself, there’s definitely something odd here.
Zhuge Xuan eyed me suspiciously but didn’t press further. She quickly resumed her mysterious expression and said, “Are you planning to take something from the tomb to sell? If so, I can help you.”
Her words left me utterly dumbfounded.