Chapter 4: Musings Between Two Streets

There has never been any ultimate purpose; there is only the progress of society

When Mr. Sun was giving a speech at the hall, I attended. Mr. Sun said ... ...

Recalling three years ago, during my sophomore year, as I engaged in debates with others on the forum, a faint smile appeared on Li Zicheng's face. Perhaps this is the ultimate answer. However, sometimes certain things replace progress itself. Although there is absolutely nothing in this world that can substitute for progress itself, still...

I dream of it, who would want to be bullied by foreign devils here, but...

They are currently in London

Sometimes ... ...

What awaits China in the coming decades

Yes, young master

For an answer, generations of Chinese people have searched for over a hundred years. Yet, even after more than a hundred years, people in China remain perplexed. In the face of so-called strength, individuals continue to desperately seek answers.

Hmm?

While secretly contemplating this thought, Li Zicheng let out a cold sneer, wondering if returning a few months earlier would allow him to change history

However, at this time, New York had already become the most prosperous city in the world of this era. Manhattan Island was bustling with activity, and due to the thousands of construction projects taking place each year, the streets of New York were filled with building materials, with traffic congestion far exceeding that of 21st century New York. The only thing that could provide Li Zicheng with a sense of familiarity was probably the reddish-brown sandstone buildings that dominated the urban landscape of New York.

Young master, shall we find a carriage

Mr. Sun said that the Wuchang Uprising was successful, and the whole nation responded to the uprising. The fall of the Qing Dynasty is imminent, and soon the revolution will succeed, leading to a republican state. China will become strong, and at that time, foreign devils will no longer dare to bully us. Everyone is saying this, that the revolution has succeeded, and the Han people will take charge. Naturally, the country will become strong, and our lives abroad will improve.

Recalling his experience of being sprayed with chemicals at the Atlanta customs, Li Zicheng sighed inwardly that if it weren't for Captain Thomas Li vouching for him and even paying a bail of 500 dollars, he feared he would have been thrown into prison as soon as he set foot on land. He reflected that America in this era is certainly not a paradise, at least not for an Asian person with yellow skin, as it is not "beautiful" here.

In modern China, for several decades, generations of Chinese people have imagined "justice" through the lens of "revolutionary and counter-revolutionary" ideologies, and subsequently, in the name of revolution, unleashed a massacre on Chinese soil, resulting in rivers of blood. Millions of ordinary individuals became the victims of this so-called "justice," but did they find the answers they sought

When his mind fell into contemplation, Li Zicheng recalled a debate he had with his father, which was ultimately summarized by his father in a single sentence

Sir, we have arrived at Wall Street

After the Chinese coachman brought the carriage to a stop, he glanced nervously at the police officer in the distance. He swallowed hard, his palms almost sweating, and slowly opened the carriage door, whispering something to the interior of the carriage.

For many Chinese immigrants, they live and reside their entire lives in the few crowded and narrow blocks of Chinatown, never stepping into the world of white people. It is within Chinatown that Chinese immigrants, under unique circumstances and with a particular psychological state, have cultivated a distinct immigrant culture. It can be said that Chinatown is another hometown they have built in America. Only there can they raise their heads to speak loudly and laugh, and only here do they feel a slight sense of comfort, freedom, and confidence. Chinatown is another hometown they have built in America. Only there can they raise their heads to speak loudly and laugh, and only here do they feel a slight sense of comfort, freedom, and confidence.

It is a long way from Chinatown to Wall Street, not to mention that I have no idea how to get there.

What is the point of thinking about these things? Just focus on your own matters

Li Zicheng could not help but feel a bit frustrated upon realizing that he was only half a day behind him. If it had not been for his identity issues that delayed him in Jacksonville, he might have truly met that founding father. It is worth noting that when he arrived at New York's Grand Central Station, the founding father had just boarded a ship bound for London from the dock.

If only I could return a few months earlier

After a moment, A Si fell silent, his eyes fixed on the young master. The young master paid him 30 dollars a month; if the young master could employ him for a few more months, perhaps he could...

Go to Wall Street

From a very young age, influenced almost imperceptibly by others, I have never been particularly fond of the term "revolution". In modern Chinese history, terms such as revolution, democracy, freedom, ideology, republic, and great unity have all been used to invoke reason, modernity, individuality, humanity, and a new era. At the same time, these words have also been employed to incite violence among the masses, to consolidate power, to trample on rights, distort humanity, and create homogeneity

What are you saying

New York in this era is experiencing a flourishing period, a time when luxury tastes are all the rage, and a golden age that ignites the passions of the idealistic nouveau riche

Ah He - Picture - Book 4, have you ever thought about returning to your home country

The young master's question took Ah Si by surprise, and the words "returning to the country" caused a peculiar glimmer to flash in his eyes

The Chinese coachman drove the horse-drawn carriage cautiously as he entered Wall Street, his actions becoming increasingly careful. He was aware of the type of people present here; anyone could crush him like an ant. He truly wondered what that gentleman was doing here

Occasionally, when Li Zicheng saw the photographs of figures like Sun Yat-sen hanging in the street-side shops, he couldn't help but sigh that his timing was off. If only he had arrived a day earlier, he might have encountered Sun Yat-sen and others who came from Denver to New York after the Wuchang Uprising. Perhaps he could have had a chance to meet this founding father, or maybe...

The ticket for third class costs one hundred twenty-six dollars

As A Si spoke, Li Zicheng noticed a hint of anticipation in his eyes

A single sentence from A Si left Li Zicheng in silence. Is it really the case? Perhaps for those who find themselves in a foreign land, this is a simple expectation. But what is the reality? The success of a revolution does not necessarily equate to strength

As soon as he finished speaking, A Si dashed towards the street corner. Watching A Si, who was dressed in a gray suit and wearing a duckbill cap, weaving through the crowd, Li Zicheng couldn't help but chuckle.

As I was pondering in my heart, a voice came from beside me. A respectful young man, around sixteen or seventeen years old, who had been following Li Zicheng, spoke up.

Chinatown, on the surface, appears to be a place where Chinese people reside, but in reality, it serves as their "sanctuary." Yet even here, the Chinese continue to suffer. They are still subjected to attacks with stones and *images*, vegetable carts are overturned, and their braids are sometimes still pulled.

This is Chinatown

A week ago, with the assistance of Captain Thomas Li, I finally freed myself from "bail" and took a train from Florida to New York. In the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Chinatown, I encountered Ah Si, a boy who had smuggled himself into the United States from his home country, originally intending to reunite with his father, only to find that his father had passed away two years prior. Alone and without family, he had been working as a helper in Chinatown. Similarly, I too was without family and in need of a companion familiar with New York, making our meeting almost a natural occurrence.

Walking through Chinatown, Li Zicheng observed the fellow citizens around him who were cutting off their braids or placing five-colored national flags outside the shops. He looked at those who wore long robes and jackets but covered them with suits outside; they were indeed his compatriots

Unfortunately, this place only belongs to white people

Reflecting on the events that will unfold in the coming decades, Li Zicheng could not help but let out a long sigh

A Si's words left Li Zicheng momentarily stunned, wondering why arriving a day earlier would have been better

If one cannot manage their own affairs, how can they have the capacity to think about other matters

Young master, it would have been better if you had come a day earlier

A Si, please go find a carriage

The carriage slowly traverses the streets of Manhattan, observing the intersecting carriages and automobiles on the narrow streets outside, and gazing at the passersby dressed in coats and wearing top hats

Perhaps, there has never been a great organization in China; perhaps, in the choices of direction within Chinese society, we always draw the worst lot; perhaps, every opportunity we encounter leads to failure; perhaps, we are perpetually repeating the historical mistakes and tragedies depicted in books; perhaps, to this day, we still do not know where we come from or where we are headed.

As the words lingered on his lips, Li Zicheng ultimately swallowed them back. For China, perhaps modern China has always been fraught with calamities. The Second Revolution buried the path of constitutionalism in China, leading the nation down a road it was all too familiar with: a chaotic struggle between revolutionary and non-revolutionary forces, between local and central powers, and among local warlords. Ultimately, the vitality of the entire nation suffered a severe blow

As Li Zicheng was lost in thought, the carriage clattered forward. At this moment, Li Zicheng, sitting inside the carriage, did not see the driver urging the horses, who was constantly yielding to other carriages or automobiles. For the Chinese people of this era, even when traveling on foreign streets, they instinctively made way for foreigners, as if this submissiveness had already permeated their very bones

In a matter of minutes, Ah Si brought a Western-style hard-top horse-drawn carriage, also driven by a Chinese person, to a stop by the roadside

If I had the money to go back to my country, I would have returned long ago. Why would I still stay in the United States to endure hardships and be mistreated

As he gazed at Manhattan before him, Li Zicheng could not find the "concrete forest" and the "standing city" he had once seen. The island of Manhattan, later referred to as a symbol of America, also revealed no signs of the towering skyscrapers that lined its streets.

This is Manhattan in 1911

As a young person who identifies as a "calm type," I have also sought answers, but what is the ultimate answer?

As he nodded while entering the carriage, Li Zicheng instructed A Si with a word.

Casting his gaze at Ah Si, who was sitting opposite, Li Zicheng asked with a smile

Young master! The carriage has arrived