Chapter 004: Treasure

Zhang Lianyi was taken aback, thinking to himself how familiar this singing sounded. It seemed like he had heard it somewhere before. However, before he could react to the scene before him, he suddenly heard a loud bang at the door, as if someone was forcefully kicking it.

By noon, Zhang Lianyi still did not return home; he merely instructed his wife to bring him some food, saying that he needed to make several more mud bricks to catch up on the progress. This unusual behavior of Zhang Lianyi did not attract the attention of his family, as the hardships of these days had long since numbed their hearts considerably

Zhang Lianyi was extremely furious, and without having time to think much, he immediately rolled out of bed and shouted at his wife, "Stop singing! It's the middle of the night, what are you going crazy for!" After saying this, he didn't care about his wife's reaction and rushed to the door, opening it. Just as he was about to start cursing, he suddenly froze in place.

The entire process felt as if it were a performance, yet it was so real. Zhang Lianyi was unable to utter a single word from beginning to end, as if a mysterious force had taken control of his consciousness the moment he opened the door. It was only after his son had left that he finally came to his senses

The son squatting at the door wore a solemn expression; he remained silent and motionless, his entire body resembling a stone statue, with only the glimmer of tears in the corners of his eyes. As soon as his mother's words fell, he suddenly gritted his teeth and widened his eyes, letting out a loud shout, and his clenched right hand abruptly relaxed, causing the woman sitting in front of the mirror to fall in response.

Due to his previously affluent family background, Zhang Lianyi had read quite a few books, which set him apart from most people in the village. Although he could not understand why such a uniquely shaped small bronze figure was unearthed in this place, he knew that such items were certainly very valuable. Therefore, after the initial fear, he quickly cleaned the dirt off the small bronze figure, took off his shirt to wrap it up, and placed it back in its original spot, covering it with dirt again. Although he could not understand why such a uniquely shaped small bronze figure was unearthed in this place, he knew that such items were certainly very valuable. Therefore, after the initial fear, he quickly cleaned the dirt off the small bronze figure, took off his shirt to wrap it up, and placed it back in its original spot, covering it with dirt again

The woman's singing gradually faded, and then she slowly turned to face the door. Her long hair cascaded down, obscuring much of her face, creating a very blurred image, yet exuding an indescribable charm. Even in such a scene, Zhang Lianyi, who had been her husband for half a lifetime, suddenly felt a strong impulse! However, what happened next took Zhang Lianyi completely by surprise

The woman slowly raised her head and gave a sorrowful smile to her son at the door, a smile that was undeniably filled with sorrow. From the corners of her beautiful eyes, a stream of red tears flowed down: "You... do you really want to kill me?" As she spoke, she suddenly tore open her clothing at the chest, revealing a pair of fair and rounded breasts: "A thousand years of cultivation, only to repay this lifetime of longing! This body is not mine; if you want to kill me, then do it! I have made mistakes in love and have sown the seeds of emotional wounds!"

That night, Zhang Lianyi slept very soundly, as if he were under some kind of spell. Until midnight, he was suddenly awakened from his dream by a strange sound. When he hurriedly opened his eyes, he found the entire room brightly lit. His usually gentle and quiet wife was wearing a snow-white long gown, combing her hair in front of the mirror while humming a tune: "Bamboo flowers in the moonlight, the clear autumn stretches for miles. Long hair down to the waist, the mirror reflects a rosy hue, no wind, three feet of waves, listening to the sound of the waves from the shore. In the deep boudoir, I cannot bear to listen..."

However, these strange phenomena did not in the slightest affect Zhang Lianyi's desire to make an unexpected fortune. Taking advantage of the night, he hurried home while concealing the bronze figure, hiding it in the corner of the side room without informing his wife and children.

The scene before him was so bizarre that it left one somewhat breathless. Zhang Lianyi felt a chill running down his spine, his legs grew weak, and he involuntarily sat down on the ground

The son stood up, slowly walked to his mother, and squatted down beside her. The teenager, who was only in his teens, unexpectedly lifted his mother in his arms and turned to place her down on the kang. He leaned down and gently wiped his mother's face with his hand, softly saying in a very low voice, "Wait for me to come back!" After saying this, he stood up and walked out the door. Before long, a sound of a door closing could be heard in the courtyard, indicating that he had returned to his room.

Before long, the other family members also arrived one after another. Under Zhang Lianyi's direction, they did not continue digging that day; instead, they had their wives and children fill the molds with soil while he diligently pounded each piece with a wooden mallet. During this time, a few villagers came to offer their help, but Zhang Lianyi unprecedentedly declined—his tone was polite and courteous, yet left no room for negotiation. Although the family found this strange and were somewhat dissatisfied, Zhang Lianyi remained the head of the household, so they could only mutter a few words in private without daring to voice their objections.

He stumbled forward, only to see his wife's face flushed, her breathing somewhat rapid yet very strong, clearly not in serious trouble. He turned and walked out to his eldest son's door, where his son's snoring was steady and long, as if none of this had ever happened. In the night sky, there seemed to be a fleeting sound of a woman's laughter that gradually faded away, and the ancestral home he had grown up in suddenly appeared somewhat terrifying in his eyes

In the evening, Zhang Lianyi had already sent the women and children home early, while he lingered alone at the earth mound until it was completely dark. Only then did he muster the courage to dig out the bronze figure he had wrapped in his coat. At the very moment the bronze figure was fully lifted from the ground, Zhang Lianyi distinctly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, followed by a strange woman's laughter and a man's seemingly suppressed low growl drifting past his ears

He saw his eldest son with his front legs bent and his back legs pushing, half-squatting at the door, with his left hand in front and his right hand behind, striking a standard pose of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow. However, his left hand and gaze were directed towards his mother, who was getting ready.