Letter

Letter

Letter in Chinese on parchment paper to Shihuo from his nephew. "It has been six years since uncle was forced by your mother to wonder the southern land. Now we have no chance to get together. Besides you will enrich your intelligence and knowledge much more than I who live like a snail in rural areas and never goes any further than ten li. I have very little to see and hear and the situation is getting worse. It is lamentable that time will never return sun and moon move like flowing water. I have been busy on common things for half my life.... What I hate the most is having this filthy reputation of opium. In addition to that for years no matter which war we fought we were cornered again and again. These shameful situations are unberable to recall. I have been here for one month now. Whenever I see Halls of Tongs standing like forests wild flowers growing together in patches people rejoincing over food and wine in dailey life how can I not be moved? In my view point it seems to the the place I should dwell. I received my father's letter recently he demands I go over to Seattle. I plan to follow his order to launch forth in the now near future. My uncle asked me to come to the US before. Now it is quite easy to go with Chinese civilian's identification. the customs will not stop us. I only need to follow the rule to take care of my lung and liver problems. Hope I can make it as early as possible then we can expect to meet again and do noyt need to miss each other in two lands. How fortunate! How fortunate! To Uncle Shihuo for examination."

1999.060.190