Chapter 3, What, Digging Up My Ancestors' Grave!

Hmm. I let out a grunt without even raising my head. The guy often comes here to pick up goods, and since business isn't really thriving anyway, I just let him be.

Not long after having lunch, the blazing sun scorched the concrete road outside like a fireball, and the summer in Shanghai is truly stifling! Standing under the sun for just half an hour, any exposed skin is sure to turn red! I sat under the fan, cleaning a drum can with acetone, sweating profusely, as if it were raining down.

My name is Qian Long. I inherited the family business and opened a shop near the Old City God Temple in Shanghai, primarily engaged in antique restoration, while also selling some small items obtained through various means. The skills my grandfather learned from Gong Maolin encompassed porcelain, calligraphy and painting, seals, and cloisonné. By the time it reached my generation, the only craft I could truly understand was porcelain.

I glanced outside; having run this shop for several years, I often encounter such naive individuals. Usually, I would just cough a couple of times or straighten my back to signal that I am sitting here and am very much alive. However, today, the accent of this young lady piqued my interest. Although I cannot speak her dialect, I can still understand it. Her accent seems to be from the vicinity of Ling County. But today, the accent of this young lady piqued my interest. Although I cannot speak her dialect, I can still understand it. Her accent seems to be from the vicinity of Ling County.

My name is Wu Jiayi, and our grandfather is an old acquaintance. " Wu Jiayi put down the incense burner and turned to face me as she spoke.

Upon seeing that I could understand the Hunan dialect, the young lady immediately gained confidence, straightened her two towering hills concealed beneath a light green floral short-sleeve shirt, and walked directly into the room: "May I ask if your surname is Qian?"

Who exactly are you? Having my background so thoroughly investigated and the books scrutinized makes me feel very insecure

The young lady picked up a newly crafted five-legged incense burner, fiddling with it as she said, "Your grandfather is Qian Yi, isn't he?"

Just as the document was established here at Bazi Head, a series of "clack clack" sounds from high heels could be heard: "May I ask if the boss is present?"

More than forty years have passed, and looking back at our family, it seems that we have not experienced peace since grandfather's passing; rather, we have been plagued by continuous misfortunes. In just forty years, three uncles have successively passed away, all afflicted by strange illnesses. Their entire skeletal structure became twisted and deformed, muscles calcified and ossified, and a peculiar growth appeared on their heads, about the size of half a fist, from which hard skin continuously shed like scales. My father seemed to have realized something; when he began to feel even slightly unwell, he left home to wander the world. Of course, this was already five years ago.

Wu Jiayi seemed not to have heard me speak, took a deep breath, and continued, "It's the same illness as your three uncles." Seeing that I couldn't speak Hunan dialect, she switched to Mandarin.

However, I still offered some words of comfort: "Oh... people cannot be brought back to life; Miss Wu, please accept my condolences."

"Ah Wen, what are you busy with? I came to pick up some goods!" The speaker is one of my peers, whose shop is not far from here. He is from Guangdong, has a long face resembling a bitter melon, and a prominent back of the head. Everyone calls him Ba Zi Tou. "Picking up goods" is a term used in the antique trade, referring to the practice where antique dealers can take each other's items for sale on behalf of one another. Regardless of the value of the antiques, as long as it is someone known in the industry, they can take the items as long as a written agreement is established. For nearly a century, there have been no incidents of "picking up goods" where the parties do not honor their agreements or lack integrity, thus forming a customary rule within the industry.

At this point, I have somewhat understood the situation regarding the illnesses of the three uncles. I cannot count how many times I have pondered over it. It always feels somewhat eerie, as if ever since the destruction of Yanling several decades ago, a nightmarish curse has been haunting the entire family. Seeing Wu Jiayi's gaze fixed on me, I remained silent

I am the owner here, young lady. What can I do for you? I set down the pottery jar in my hand and took a couple of steps outside to greet her. My shop is the only one around, with everything displayed here, so generally speaking, I can hardly be bothered to even stand up.

Let us not beat around the bush; I am here to save our lives. Wu Jiayi paused for a moment and continued: You should have guessed that the ten teachers who led the destruction of Yanling angered the gods. More than forty years have passed, yet this misfortune still looms over the few surviving families, and it continues unceasingly through generations, until this family disappears from the world

This reminded me of the time I accompanied my grandfather to Yanling, and I felt a bit more at ease: "Oh, hello, hello, your grandfather is Mr. Wu Yue, right?"

Wu Jiayi nodded without answering. I then asked, "Miss Wu, what brings you to me?"

Wu Jiayi nodded slightly and let out a long breath: "Digging up your grandfather's grave will naturally reveal the truth"

I lit a cigarette and found a stool for Wu Jiayi: "Do you have a solution?"

"Yes, how does the young lady know?" In our line of work, we rarely inquire about each other's names, which made me instinctively more vigilant

"My father has passed away." Wu Jiayi suddenly blurted this out, leaving me momentarily at a loss. I thought to myself, what does your father's death have to do with me? Did your father's father know my father's father? Just because your father has died, do I have to go to the funeral?