After Lin Zhensheng left, the black wild cat that had been hiding earlier crawled out from behind a broken wicker basket in the corner.
The next day dawned clear and calm. The heavy rain from the night before seemed to have scrubbed the world clean. Early in the morning, villagers were already heading out to the fields, tools in hand, ready to work.
Lin Moyang also rose early and stepped out, leaving Shen Youwei alone in the house. Seeing the empty spot beside her, she felt a slight pang of disappointment. Recalling the moments she had spent alone with Lin Moyang the night before, a secret joy bubbled up within her. *This adorable yet vexing man is truly a decent fellow,* she thought. After a moment’s contemplation, she climbed out of bed before he could return.
Meanwhile, back at the old house, Lin Moyang looked at the overturned chairs and stools, along with the tipped-over wooden box on the floor. He knew at once that a thief had been there. Looking up at the crooked rafters, he saw a damp piece of red cloth; he surmised that the box had been taken from up there. The commotion he had sensed during the thunderstorm the night before must have been the source of this mess.
*But what could be inside this box?*
Lin Moyang crouched down and rummaged through it for a moment, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. As he rose, his gaze fell upon a straw effigy in the corner. He walked over, picked it up, and was immediately struck by the talisman pinned to its body. Although he didn’t know the exact meaning of the symbols, the nail driven into the effigy’s head was proof enough: this was a curse.
A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps broke out across his skin. He pulled out the nail, revealing a yellowed slip of paper tucked inside. Opening it, he saw the words: "Lin Fuxing, Year of the Renyin, third month, second day, between 5:00 and 7:00 PM."
Lin Moyang froze. Lin Fuxing was the name of his biological father.
"Who on earth would curse my father? And why? Could the accident from back then be connected to this curse?..."
A flood of questions rushed into his mind, leaving him completely baffled. He eventually decided that he had no choice but to seek out his father’s old friends and try to gather some information. He looked up at the rafters again, the scene from the previous night playing out in his mind.
*Rafters? Silver dollars?*
The two words suddenly clicked, and Lin Moyang had a rough idea of the thief's identity. He glanced at the chaotic floor and sneered. Whoever it was must have taken a hard fall; he would be able to verify his suspicions the next time he saw them. He placed the straw effigy back into the wooden box and set it on a cabinet in the old house, intending to move it to his own cottage once he finished inspecting the place.
Between the poisoned silver dollars from yesterday and the straw effigy from today, everything was telling him that he needed to scour the old property thoroughly to see if there was anything else to be found.
He stepped behind the old house and looked at the dilapidated wooden shack, feeling overwhelmed. Relying on himself alone, he doubted he could finish the repairs in under two or three months. He decided he would fix it bit by bit in his spare time, and once he’d earned some money, he would hire someone to help.
Just as he stood there lost in thought, the sound of flapping wings caught his attention. He turned and saw a small grove of long-needle pine trees—about twenty of them. The vibrant green was a welcome sight to his eyes. He noticed a dark cluster in one of the trees—evidently the nest of the bird he had just heard.
His father had planted this grove years ago. It had taken a great deal of effort, supposedly to ward off evil spirits and suppress bad luck. Later, however, two bodies were mysteriously found hanging in the trees, and the area was sealed off as a crime scene. Over the years, out of either superstition or a desire not to disturb the site, no one had dared to set foot there.
*Could this pine grove be connected to the curse? Did my father know about it and plant these trees as protection?*
Lin Moyang didn't care to overthink it; he decided to step inside and see for himself. So many years had passed; the case might have been solved long ago.
As he approached the grove, a faint, woody fragrance greeted him. As he ventured deeper, the scent grew stronger. It wasn't just the smell of pine; it was a rich, earthy aroma mixed with the scent of mushrooms. It reminded him of a high-end ingredient he had eaten in his past life: matsutake mushrooms.
He began searching the forest floor carefully. Sure enough, at the base of a pine tree, hidden beneath a cluster of dry, yellow needles, a hint of creamy white peeked through. Lin Moyang knelt and carefully brushed away the needles, revealing clusters of round, creamy-white mushrooms. Their caps were wide, covered in fine scales, and curled slightly at the edges, looking like delicate little umbrellas and emitting a unique, earthy fragrance.
Lin Moyang’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes sparkling with delight. These were plump, high-quality mushrooms; he could surely fetch a good price for them at the black market. As he surveyed his surroundings, a business plan began to take shape in his mind. The problem that had plagued him last night—finding a consistent source of income—had been solved in an instant.
Just as he was reveling in his good fortune, he caught sight of more potential patches hidden under the pine needles nearby. He stood up and cautiously made his way toward them. He discovered over a dozen clusters scattered throughout the grove—some just pushing through the soil with tightly furled caps, others fully mature and exuding an enticing aroma.
"Damn! This grove my old man planted is actually a gold mine!"
He whispered in excitement, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby. He carefully covered the treasures back up with needles and continued searching, making sure to hide every cluster he found to prevent others from discovering them. Once he had finished, he checked every spot one last time to ensure nothing had been missed, then headed home with a racing heart.
Compared to the poisoned silver dollars and the straw effigy found in the middle of the night, this grove behind the house was a true treasure.
Back at the old house, Lin Moyang grabbed the wooden box and headed toward his cottage. By the time he arrived, Shen Youwei had finished tidying up and had already warmed up the leftover chicken from the night before. Seeing him enter with a box in his arms, she grew curious. "Where... where did you get... a box... this early in the morning?"
She kept her gaze fixed on the wooden container. Lin Moyang set the box on a cabinet and grinned. "Inside is a living bodhisattva. I paid my respects this morning, and it led me straight to a treasure trove!"
The straw effigy representing his father was, in his mind, a living bodhisattva. Hearing this, Shen Youwei felt an itch to open it and take a look. Lin Moyang quickly stopped her, looking mysterious. "Wife, this isn't meant to be opened. A fortune teller left this for my dad; if you open it, the magic fades. We’re counting on this to make our fortune!"
"Is... is it really that mystical?" Shen Youwei stared at the box, wide-eyed.
"Of course it is!" Lin Moyang declared confidently. "By tonight, it will bless us with a tidy profit!"
Seeing his conviction, Shen Youwei was even more inclined to believe him. She made a mental note to find a lock for the box later so it wouldn't be opened or damaged by anyone else.