Chapter 1989

Chapter 1989

Sunday.

Five in the morning.

The entire city was still asleep. Even the birds hadn’t awakened. The sky was still dark, barely tinged with the faintest light on the horizon.

Riiiing—

Riiiing—

In the northern room of the courtyard house, the urgent ringing of a phone shattered the silence.

Dong Xuebing was fast asleep, turning over in bed, still lost in dreams.

Next to him, Xie Huilan stirred under the covers. From the ringtone, she instantly knew it was Dong Xuebing’s phone. Still with her eyes closed, she nudged him with her elbow. “Your phone.”

Dong Xuebing groaned groggily, then sat up sleepily, rubbing his forehead. “What time is it? Who the heck is calling this early?” He got out of bed and picked up his phone from the table. It was a call from the county, Zhang Dongfang. His heart sank a little. Not even a whole day back home, and the county’s already got something going on? He sighed in annoyance. Ever since becoming the top official, he’d immediately brace himself anytime he got a call at night.

What do officials fear most?

Incidents. Always incidents.

Dong Xuebing picked up. “Old Zhang, something happened again?”

But Zhang Dongfang’s tone immediately put him at ease. “Haha, yeah, something happened, Xuebing.”

Zhang sounded unusually excited, which reassured Dong Xuebing. He sighed in relief. “What’s going on?”

“It’s good news,” Zhang Dongfang reported joyfully. “The main chamber of the ancient tomb has been located.”

Dong Xuebing blinked, careful not to wake his wife, slipped on his slippers, and stepped outside into the courtyard. “Located already? That fast? When did this happen?” That’s surprising. When he’d seen that future newspaper back then, it took more than two months, from discovering the first artifact to confirming the main tomb and broadcasting it live nationwide. That was considered quick. Some tombs, especially ones on cliffs or complex terrain, take years to excavate.

Zhang Dongfang explained, “Just now. Honestly, it was all thanks to those tomb robbers. Remember the two tunnels they dug? Later, Teacher Chu and the archaeology team were worried that more robbers might come and steal from them, so they planned to fill them in. As they were doing that, they removed some nearby soil and—boom—found clues. Chu and Zhong stopped the backfilling and used their expertise to identify the likely location. Then they moved dozens of meters over, cleared the surface grass, and began a targeted dig. The team worked overnight and didn’t rest at all. And just an hour ago, the main chamber emerged. It hasn’t been opened yet, but the surrounding soil is being cleared. The experts are sure this is the main tomb.”

Dong Xuebing was delighted. Sleepiness vanished. “Nice!”

No wonder it was found so quickly—partly thanks to the tomb robbers.

“But it was close,” Zhang said with lingering fear. “Those guys weren’t amateurs. Out of such a huge area, they almost hit the exact spot. They might’ve breached the chamber if they hadn’t been off by just a few dozen meters. That would’ve ruined everything—the tomb, its historical value—it’d all be gone.”

Dong Xuebing wasn’t buying the “experts among robbers” theory. “Nah, that was dumb luck—like a blind cat catching a dead mouse.”

“Haha, probably. So, when are you coming back?”

“Tonight. I’ll catch a flight and be there by evening.”

“Alright. That’s the update. Get some rest. I’m still keeping an eye on things for now, but I’ll get some sleep later too.”

“Okay, don’t wear yourself out.”

Zhang Dongfang chuckled, “Military personnel will arrive this morning to secure Qingluan Mountain fully. After that, we’ll finally be at ease.”

“They approved it?” Dong Xuebing asked.

“They did. With protection sorted, we can focus on other things.”

Dong Xuebing, of course, knew exactly what “other things” meant.

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing stretched with a deep breath. The sky was slightly brighter, and the fresh morning air was invigorating. Today was the last day he could relax. Once he returned tonight, it would be back to the grind. The discovery of the main tomb meant the real battle had begun—a battle to push Jiaolin County into city status. And the upcoming tomb excavation would surely be nationally televised.

Live broadcasts.

Publicity.

Building momentum.

There was so much to do.

Dong Xuebing decided to rest a bit longer and went back inside. He lay down next to Huilan again, gently pulled the blanket over her feet, and drifted off to sleep.

Morning.

Just past seven.

Luan Xiaoping came in to wake them. Breakfast was ready.

“Mom, you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble again,” Xie Huilan said, sitting up, embarrassed.

Luan Xiaoping handed her the baby. “Your job is to take care of the baby. Leave the rest to us. I’m not that old yet. Go ahead, he’s been crying—must be hungry.”

“Alright.” Xie Huilan started nursing the baby.

Dong Xuebing, though awake, was still lounging under the blanket.

“You lazy thing,” Luan Xiaoping smacked his backside, “Get up, the sun’s already up. Oh, and while I was out buying breakfast, I saw the Youth Daily at the newsstand. Front page had something about Jiaolin County and a tomb discovery. I wasn’t sure if it was related to you, but I bought a copy anyway. Here.”

“Youth Daily?” Dong Xuebing shot up and grabbed the newspaper. “Let me see—yup, front page!”

A scenic photo of Qingluan Mountain topped the article. The text explained that experts had confirmed the largest Han Dynasty tomb cluster ever found. Even the recent tomb robbery incident was briefly mentioned.

“To date.”

“Largest tomb cluster.”

Nice choice of words for promotion.

Even though it was only the largest among Han Dynasty tombs, it was still the largest.

Dong Xuebing hadn’t expected the news to hit the papers so quickly, especially not a national-level outlet like Youth Daily. He thought it’d take at least a week. But it made sense. The tomb robbery stirred quite a ruckus, and the discovery couldn’t be kept quiet. Now that the military was guarding the site, there was no longer any risk, so going public was fine—a good thing.

Xie Huilan was intrigued too. After feeding the baby, she said, “Let me see.”

Dong Xuebing handed her the paper proudly. She skimmed it and chuckled, looking him over. “You’re something else. Sometimes I wanna crack you open and see what’s inside. How do you have such ridiculous luck? Even something like this falls into your lap.”

Dong Xuebing grinned, “That’s right—who do you think I am?”

Luan Xiaoping gave him a light smack, “Enough bragging. Get up and eat before the food gets cold.”

Dong Xuebing was in such a good mood that he ate extra—two full trays of buns all by himself. If Huilan hadn’t been dieting, breakfast wouldn’t have been enough.

“What’s got you so happy this morning?” Luan Xiaoping asked, puzzled.

Dong Xuebing chuckled, “You’ll find out soon. I can’t say just yet.”

She might not understand, but others certainly would—like the Xie family, or Han Jing.

Just after breakfast, Han Jing called. Upon confirming they were still at the courtyard house, she dropped everything and came over.

“Your in-laws are here,” Luan Xiaoping smiled.

Han Jing arrived. “Where’s Xiaobing?”

Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan came out. “Mom, I’m here.”

Han Jing pulled him into the courtyard, set a copy of the Youth Daily on the table, and cut straight to the point. “You saw the paper?”

Dong Xuebing nodded, “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Han Jing scolded.

Dong Xuebing smiled wryly, “I wasn’t sure until today. I only got the news by phone this morning.”

Han Jing quickly changed her tone to cheerful. “You hit the jackpot this time! I don’t even know what to say. Your father knows, too. He didn’t have any objections; he just told me to say this: your county can start applying for city status if the historical value is really as the article claims. I asked how likely it is. He wouldn’t say for sure, but said the chances are very good. What’s your take?”

Dong Xuebing cleared his throat, “Mom, I’ve been thinking the same. Old Zhang and I finished drafting the application a few days ago.”

Han Jing blinked, “It’s all ready?”

Dong Xuebing nodded, “We’re just waiting for the publicity wave to peak before submitting it.”

Han Jing laughed in disbelief, “You really are fast. Your father and I thought you might not think of it and were planning to suggest it.”

Xie Huilan laughed, “He’s cunning, especially with things that lead to promotions. He’d never miss something like this. He’s been planning it for a while.”

Han Jing sighed in admiration. “Our little Bin really has foresight. When he first chose Jiaolin County, I was against it—thought it was a demotion. But look at him now—going from county party secretary to city party secretary. It’s like skipping a whole step. His luck is truly unbelievable.”

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