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 The Monster of Ambition In my junior year, after the crackdown on the democracy movement and the closing of the church, my life in college reached its lowest point. Ventures into political reform had been thwarted and avenues for exploring the religious aspects of life had been closed. Even with all the books available to me, college was not the heaven that I had imagined. Receiving repeated threats from Smiling Scorpion that I would be sent to Tibet upon graduation if I continued to neglect political studies, I began attending Mr. Breakwind’s political meetings on a more regular basis, suffering through the boring sessions as I had at the aircraft factory. But I attended other classes less and less, spending more and more time— sometimes for a good stretch of the day—at the White Pagoda, lying under a poplar tree and reading books from the list that Li Ling had given me a long time ago. More than ever, I missed the conversations that I had with Li Ling in the aircraft factory. Although I had not heard from her since her marriage, I thought about her from time to time and wondered if I should contact her at her mother’s address. But I never wrote the letter to her that I had drafted in my mind several times, because I thought it would be improper for me to contact a married woman. To forget about Li Ling, I tried to date a girl from my class, but it went nowhere. The girl was pretty, but my conversations with her were always dry and boring, and I let the relationship fade after a few months. In those days, besides books, the only thing that could bring me some joy was the occasional letter from Smoking Devil, which usually was full of good news and advice that lifted my spirits for a while. In May, I got a letter from him that surprised me. ‘‘You will never guess what I am doing now,’’ Smoking Devil said in his letter. ‘‘I have been promoted to the position of Party secretary of the village of Big Porcupine! I am ‘Uncle Cricket II’ now! Imagine that! When the next Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution comes along and The Monster of Ambition  a new crop of Beijing Kids is sent to Big Porcupine, Uncle Cricket II will show them around. Just like old times. Frankly, it is good to be in a position of authority. Better to be the small king of a village than a pompous minister in a big city like Beijing. Ministers in Beijing are more numerous than hairs on a cow! Didn’t I tell you that joining the Party was the future for us? My work is to move my lips: giving orders, answering the telephone (the village got its first telephone last year), and eating at everyone’s house in the village (which is the most demanding part of my job, although I like it the best). ‘‘But smoking a good pipe after a good meal is not all that I do these days. I have been busy working on the kang too. I am now the proud father of five Golden Flowers. Five beautiful daughters! And a sixth is on the way. I know you are going to scream about the Party’s one-child policy . To hell with that! I am a peasant now, and peasants don’t give a damn about the decrees of emperors. As the peasants say: Heaven is high and the Emperor is far away—too far to touch us. My biggest mission right now is to have a son, and I will not let my wife get off the kang until she gives me a son. I have a bet with Broken Shoe, who has four daughters now and is as determined as I am to get a big, fat son. Whoever loses the bet will throw a banquet for the entire village to celebrate the birth of the other’s son. ‘‘Have you joined the Party yet? Take my advice: This is the best way to get ahead in China. Political power means everything—I am not going to tell you all the details, but trust me, it will bring you everything.’’ It seemed that Smoking Devil was right again. With graduation and job assignment fast approaching, I knew I had better start improving my relationship with the Party secretary or I would be in very serious trouble...

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