Summaries

Synopsis

In a small museum lies in the Suiren (Suiren is the name of a primitive God of China in prehistory) country of western China, there is a sculpture stands near to a pristine well, which was carved on Xihan Dynasty, over 2200 years ago, of course which is an invaluable asset. All governments from antiquity to now has being promulgated a series of laws to protect the sculpture, especially in many times wars, but it often be taken photos, smuggled to overseas and made a great deal of rubbings, for financial gain lawlessly.

An old man, Yumingcheng, who is an archeologist mainly studying archaic epigraphy, still acts as in the small museum from 35 years ago to now, when the "Culture Revolution" was spreading out in China. He has safeguarding the sculpture by propounding the government to construct a gloriette (a gloriette looks like a kiosk but it is more complicated and more elaborate) for it all along, therefore all colleagues such as Li, Sheng, Zhao, Qiang, Xie and Tong respect him deeply and call him as "Teacher Yu". In fact, Yu sees the sculpture much more important than his life in his heart. Li is the highest leader of the museum, and Sheng is the second one of it, but both of whom are directed by Gao.

In spring 2002, an America, George Aizhonghua, who has Chinese origin, and "Aizhoghua " in his name sounds means "love China" according pronunciation of it. George comes to the town for buying some rubbings of the sculpture, and he intends to bid RMB 50000 yuan for a piece of rubbings, which surprise at anyone including the officials of the country. Gao, has working at the museum before he enters the government of country, leads George to see the sculpture, the fancy and beautiful of which enchant George, he decide to buy one rubbings immediately. All people hope Teacher Yu can make one rubbings at once for George, but he doesn't willing do thus. He said it is an illegitimate deed, because according the laws of China, this sculpture can't be allowed to make any rubbings even and take any photos, which makes everyone felt disappointed deeply. At the time, George finds there is a gap in head of the imperishable sculpture, and the design just is very near to the head of Nvwa (Nvwa is the most famous Goddess of primitive China in prehistory) on it, based on which George only bid RMB 30000 yuan. Why there is a gap in the sculpture?

About 2 months before George coming, a child, six-years-old, the son of Tong who is a very beautiful and sexy divorced woman, smashed up a bit of the sculpture when he playing with other children. Certainly, Teacher Yu fells much too harrowing, so he becomes ill and has to stay in hospital. After Teacher Yu comes out hospital, right away, he starts to look for the gap destroyed by that Child, but he still can't find anything even all of his colleagues help him. Therefore, Teacher Yu decide to ask the child where on earth the gap he breathed upon, but his face and expression shake in the child's shoes, so Tong tangles with Teacher Yu furiously, thus the old man falls in faint. Soon, Teacher Yu ask Tong and her child to compensate for the sculpture, but colleagues know Tong is the inamorata of Gao, so nobody agree the old man's view.

Teacher Yu can't arrest the eager of everyone's, hence, after he introduces a lot of knowledge of Chinese ancient rubbings, he has to make a rubbings for George using an especial immemorial craft called as "Taota", by the means a rubbings can appear too much colorful and be too much valuable. Then, the museum gets the RMB 30000 yuan. However, it is only a beginning, Gao and other officials starts always ask the museum to make rubbings again and again, to sell them or to bribe dignitaries or magnates such as Guo, who is the vice-chairman of the city, the superior of Gao. Moreover, other people even including the local peasants also extort rubbings, which makes Teacher Yu fell deeply discomposure and anxious. He can't stop people to attaint the sculpture, so he thinks he is sorry for it. Thereby, he leads his son to hide the sculpture into that pristine well, in a rain evening, to avoid it to be made rubbings evermore. Teacher Yu was taught the method by Xu who was the curator of the museum, 35 yeas ago when it was in "Culture Revolution", and Xu fell into the well for suicide and died after telling Yu all about the sculpture, because Xu couldn't suffer from Hongweibing.

The second morning, Qiang and Zhao find the sculpture doesn't exit there, and then they call the police at soon, and Teacher Yu is arrested. Zhao and Xie who is the girlfriend of Zhao's, summon many people to sign their names for adjuration, and Gao helps Teacher Yu go out jail. Gao is deeply affected by the spirit of Teacher Yu, since he decides to appropriate some funds to the museum for building a gloriette above the sculpture, which makes Teacher Yu fells happy and hopeful. On the other hand, Gao suggests construct a monument at 3 meters before the sculpture, for commemorating the tribulation of the sculpture while the gloriette was building, and advices Teacher Yu to draft out the epigraph as well as Guo to write it, because Gao crows about Guo's calligraphy is the best. People flatter the idea of Gao's is very splendiferous. Thus, two projects begin at the same time.

To set up the two fabrics needs about one month. In the time, the annual campestral action of the country is opening, which need all members of the museum to join, for collecting folk songs or ballads and showing for villagers. After a month, it is out of expectation! When Li, Sheng, Zhao, Qiang, Xie, and Tong come back from village, they find that it is above on the monument, not above on the sculpture that the gloriette stand! It is an absurd wrong, for the hardhat's cursoriness. Teacher Yu is confused and disoriented. He is within an inch of one's life for desperation and grief. Two days later, on a dusk, the son of Tong apologizes to Teacher Yu, although which is useless, the old man teacher him must read hard and do his best to protect the sculpture when adult.

Although, Teacher Yu still give up. One day, he comes across a young boy with a young girl making love in a very secluded small cabin, which locals in a campanile of their museum. The old man fell much happy because he is going to lease out the covert room to anyone for their amorism even sex act, again and again. Li and Sheng agree him to do thus, so the adamant old man starts to collect rent day after day. Why Teacher Yu does it is he want financing by himself to rebuild a new exact gloriette, after the foregoing gloriette build at fault. He has strived for nearly whole life, but the government gives him only one times abidance. Old man understands Gao will not appropriate money again, so he does. The ways sure enough, more and more lovers come into the cabin, and Teacher Yu earns much money. Gao think Teacher Yu is an excellent model, and media especially TV of the town and city report the deed of Teacher Yu on the spot. Old man becomes a celebrity. Much more various people enter the love-cabin, of course the majority of whom isn't husband, the youngest pair is only 16-years-old, still nonage. The income is near to enough to reconstruct a new gloriette soon. But, just at the moment, it is out of expectation again! A blue couple kill themselves in the love-cabin! It makes Teacher Yu breakdown drastically, but just near the dead body, he actually finds the gap of the sculpture, which makes Teacher Yu doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Soon, the police comes, and they confiscate his all income based on the way, although the pitiful old man explains at his best to them that the only aim he dose in this wise is to rebuild an agloriette, not to cheat money.

One month later, in an evening, moon being bright, Teacher Yu died. He still doesn't realize his virtuous wish. Behind his body, there is the false sculpture with droll and sarcastic meaning. But, Gao gets a preferment for Guo's help. Afterward, Li, Sheng, Qiang, Zhao, Xie and Tong still stay in the small museum and it comes back quiet, and the country comes back quiet, and life comes back quiet.