Mr. Liu wasn't foolish—he knew "good luck" meant official promotion. He told Grandpa he'd pay the 300,000 yuan if his son advanced. Two weeks passed as Grandpa's health deteriorated: paralyzed in bed, reliant on neighbors, covered in snake-like sores, and now blind. We learned Mr. Liu's eldest son had transferred from Liaozhong County Government to Yuhong District Government and been promoted.
The tomb's effect had manifested in two weeks. Grandpa asked neighbors to demand payment, but Mr. Liu avoided us, even giving a fake address. Grandpa had sacrificed everything—for nothing. Regret was useless now; heavenly tombs shouldn't be pointed lightly.
My heart ached like a ,a jar of mixed spices spilled). Grandpa had risked his life for my future, but what was the point of such a future? I couldn't bear to trade his life for mine.
Thinking of his three-month deadline, I wept, "Grandpa, are we letting that Liu family profit for free?"
He sighed, "There's a way, but I'm too crippled to move."
I clung to this last hope. With parents gone, Grandpa was my only family—I'd risk anything for him.
"Take my Qing Nang (ancient feng shui pouch). Inside is a phoenix wood sword. At midnight, kill the golden and silver snakes with it—my sores will heal. Gouge out the rabbit's eyes and feed them to the toad in the reeds. I'll recover in three days."
Despite the incredibility, I followed his instructions. Armed with the sword, I took a train to Liaozhong, waiting at a friend's house until midnight.
The village was pitch-dark, but moonlight guided me. Reaching the Liu family's ancestral tomb, I felt queasy at the thought of snakes and rabbits. But Grandpa's image steeled my resolve. I found the foot-wide hole as he'd described.
Holding a red candle to the opening, I froze: no snakes or rabbits, just a dark void. The surroundings were ordinary.
Panic set in—failure meant Grandpa's death. I leaned against the tomb, fighting sleep, when a pierced the silence, sending chills down my spine.
"Snakes lay eggs, cats climb roofs, mice steal imperial grain."
A girl's voice chimed in, "No! It's 'Build Tuliang, prosper the nation, a phoenix sings to the world.'"
Two boys laughed, "Sister's lying! Where's the phoenix? What's nation-building to us? Come play—let's catch fish."
"I can't swim!" the girl protested.
It was past 1 AM. Who let children play in a graveyard? Cold sweat poured down my back. I gripped the phoenix sword, crouching behind the tomb. Moonlight revealed three children by the water:
A girl in a white gauze dress,Two boys in golden and silver silk robes, typical of ancient landlords' children.
They circled the girl, pointing at the water, laughing merrily.
My mind reeled: Golden and silver... Were these the "snakes"? "Coiling around a rabbit"—keeping her from leaving? But they're children!
As I hesitated, a chill hit me. The girl's voice rang out behind me: "Big brother, what are you doing on my Little Gold and Little Silver's 'roof'? Don't crush it—come down!"