IN MY SPARE time I'm fond of collecting things. I used to go for strolls in the antiques and curios market, where I'd occasionally pick up a couple of unremarkable pieces. I didn't have any great expectation their value would increase over time: this was just a leisure activity for me, and a way of increasing my sense of appreciation for both the past and the present.
These visits continued sporadically, and over a long period of time I befriended many different sorts in the trade, talking long with old acquaintances. We casually asked each other for advice and exchanged the experiences of times past and the joys and worries of the present. We never expected to stumble across a rare piece—it's permissible for a man to want a good time, but he mustn't be greedy.
However, there was one purchase with which I would be reluctant to ever part. It was seven old letters written by Ba Jin[1] in his early years of life, to a girl from Shanxi. When I saw the letters I was quite excited—I'd searched long and hard for them. The journey to "discover" this girl, which I began upon acquiring the letters, would eventually take me over two years to complete. I wish to record that story here, and the twists and turns I met at every corner. At the same time, through this book, I would like to disclose the contents of the seven letters to readers and the research community.