I took the register of names. And with it, his unspoken debt. Patar taught me this was a fool's bargain, a tra…
I took the register of names. And with it, his unspoken debt.
Patar taught me this was a fool's bargain, a trade destined for loss.
But he was wrong. In truth, I have been the one in debt all along—since five years past, ten, since the very first well was dug to bind Hexi together.
In the desert, a merchant follows water. Water draws people, and people are the source of all wealth.
Their wells became my trade routes. Their sacrifice gave me Poplar Bazaar.
It is time to settle my account.
This departure will be long. I wonder, will I see the poplars green again?
I must believe so. I believe in my own strength, and I believe in his vow.
"Sentiment is a weakness in our trade," my Patar used to say. But look how far it has brought me.
From Hexi to Chang'an, to Jingchu and beyond. My road is long yet.
And I know he, too, will keep walking his path, until the promise is fulfilled and the land is one.