Wan Lan patted the great white elephant beneath her and gazed rather wistfully at the army she had raised.
"Wujia, do you think your tribe is great?"
Wujia, a rank-and-file soldier, nodded. "Of course. Our tribe is the greatest tribe in the world."
"Yes, and the wisest, strongest, most broad-minded great tribe, versed in everything from astronomy to geography, right?"
Wan Lan glanced sidelong at the soldier nodding so earnestly.
"But why don't I see any of that in you?"
Wujia looked up blankly.
"Huh?"
Wan Lan pointed at the soldiers behind Wujia.
"I don't see it in any of you. I don't see the greatness, wisdom, courage, fearlessness, or those wildly imaginative romantic ideals you talk about."
She withdrew her gaze, threw her head back with a laugh, and reached out to grasp the sky.
"Don't you think that's the biggest problem? Your ancestors were clearly great, both wise and brave, with hearts that embraced the world and the composure to face powerful invaders without fear.
But there's not a trace of that in you."
At first, Wujia couldn't understand. His face was full of bewilderment, and he had no idea how to answer that question.
"Maybe I'm too stupid?"
Wan Lan shook her head. "Wujia, what do you want to do most right now? What do you want most out of life?"
Wujia scratched his head. "I know this one. I want to settle down and earn lots and lots of money. Then maybe I could live the good life other people have."
Wan Lan looked at the sky and sighed.
"What sort of life do other people have?"
Anticipation for the future filled Wujia's face as he imagined it.
"Not having to worry about money, having more than I could spend in a lifetime, being able to