Free Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler

dollars. It was more than twice as much as Willy and Nancy could earn if they taught in their hometowns. But in order for them to leave, the Party officials in the Fuling English Department had to agree to transfer the young couple’s dossiers.
    Willy and Nancy submitted their requests. Politically, their applications were weak: neither student had joined the Communist Party, and they had never been particularly well liked by the cadres. Both had been criticized for their romance, among other minor transgressions. As graduation approached, there still was no word on the dossiers.
    Finally, Willy took action. He didn’t ask anybody for advice—years later, he explained that he simply followed his “sixth sense.” One evening, he escorted Nancy to the home of the English Department’s Communist Party Secretary. The Party Secretary was not particularly friendly, and Willy had never liked him; but now the cadre smiled and invited the young couple inside. He remarked that Yuhuan sounded like a good place with a promising economy. But Zhejiang province was far away and transferring documents was not simple.
    Willy explained that, more than anything in the world, he wanted to go east. He took out an envelope, placed it on the low tea table in front of him, and said, “Please do me a favor.”
    “I’ll try,” said the Party Secretary, and then he escorted the young couple to the door. Nobody said a word about the envelope.
    Another official handled graduates’ work assignments, and Willy and Nancy visited the man’s apartment and performed the same ritual. Each envelope contained five hundred yuan; the total represented half a year’s income for Willy’s father. It was the first time in his life that Willy had bribed an official.
    Shortly before graduation, the college informed Willy and Nancy that their dossiers were being sent east.

Peter Hessler
The Wall Street Journal
7-2-63 Jianguomenwai Diplomatic Apartments
March 12, 1999
Dear Pete,
I was perfectly glad to hear from you this time. In my view, it should be great news for China since there is an extra foreign Yashua [toothbrush] from the other side of the pacific ocean. Probably you are beding a Chinese birtch when my letter arrives. Anyway, please read it, it can be used as “viagra.”…
The job in the school isn’t so good. I feel too tired, in fact we are coolies in the school. We are discriminated. For there is an old birtch who is in charge of salary, she is undersexed and mean, she can never get any pleasure from anything except money. Half a year passed. I am feeling better and better, anyway I am glad that I can come to Zhejiang Province. After all, there are more opportunities here. While I am still working hard at English for I have Zealotry in this language, I have confidence in myself that one day I will be a VIP, not like toothbrush any more. Meanwhile my teaching here is extremely successful. You and Adam are somewhat my icoms in the teaching….
Pete, I hope that you will seize a chance to visit me in Yuhuan. My yahoo students have itching desire to see you.
By the way, I have several questions for you.
I: what does “KTV” stand for?
II: what’s the term (the proper Englihs) for the people who to go other
city to earn living (especially farmers from sichuan)?
III: What’s the full form of “DVD” “VCD”?
IV: Do you want to be Chinese-American?
V: How many wives do you want to have?
VI: Are you still impotent? (YOUR BIRD CAN NOT ERECT)?
Yours,
        Willy
    AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL in Yuhuan, Willy and Nancy realized that Mr. Wang’s description of the island had not been accurate. First of all, the place was relatively undeveloped; the city of Wenzhou, thirty miles away on the Ou River, was the region’s boomtown. Second, there had been a problem with Willy and Nancy’s jobs. In fact, the high-paying jobs did not exist. Mr. Wang apologized for the misunderstanding, and then he gave them teaching positions that paid roughly half of