On a letter that was burned by Jason Smith in his early years, it was written: “The gold, silver, and copper coins moved from the government office to the small courtyard will ensure that you and your servant will never lack food or clothing. In your leisure time, you can collect some antiques that bring you joy, as a way to cultivate your temperament. Though the town is small, coarse grains can nourish the stomach, books can nourish the spirit, scenery can nourish the eyes, and solitude can nourish the heart. From today on, do your best and leave the rest to fate. The hidden dragon lies in the abyss; blessings will surely come in the future.”

Although Jason Smith resented that man, he believed that not spending money when you have it would bring down heaven’s wrath. In this honest and simple little town, it was hard to be extravagant even if you wanted to. Over the years, Jason Smith had truly come to enjoy the business of collecting junk, filling a large vermillion lacquered chest with all sorts of oddities like green gourds. Yet Jason Smith had a mysterious intuition: among the thirty-some assorted items in the big chest, this gourd was the most valuable, followed by a rusty purple-gold bell. When shaken, you could clearly see the clapper striking the inner wall, but instead of a crisp sound, there was only silence, which made Jason Smith both creeped out and intrigued. Lastly, there was a simple teapot inscribed with the name “山魈.” As for the rest, Jason Smith only liked them superficially; it was hardly love at first sight.

A child named Dylan Scott stood outside the door, cursing loudly and with great vigor.

Not long after, the cursing abruptly stopped.

Then Ethan Brooks saw that fellow suddenly push open his own courtyard gate, his face full of panic. After bolting the door, he squatted beside it, constantly winking at Ethan Brooks, signaling for him to squat down beside him.

Ethan Brooks didn’t know what was going on, but he hunched over and ran to the child’s side. After squatting down, he whispered, “Dylan Scott, what are you doing? Did you make your mother angry again?”

The child sniffed hard and lowered his voice, “Ethan Brooks, let me tell you, I just ran into a strange man. The white bowl in his hand could keep pouring out water. Look, the bowl was only this big, but I saw with my own eyes that he poured water for a whole hour! When that guy passed by the entrance of our Clay Bottle Alley just now, he seemed to stop. Could it be that he saw me? Oh no, oh no…”

The child gestured with his hands to show the size of the white bowl, then patted his chest and sighed, “It really scared Jason Smith’s father to death.”

Ethan Brooks asked, “You mean that storyteller under the locust tree?”

The child nodded vigorously, “Exactly. The old man doesn’t have much strength in his hands—he can’t even lift me—but that broken bowl of his is really creepy, really creepy!”

Suddenly, the child grabbed Ethan Brooks’s arm, “Ethan Brooks, I’m really not lying to you this time! I swear, if I’m lying, may Jason Smith die a horrible death!”

Ethan Brooks raised a finger and made a shushing gesture.

The child immediately fell silent.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the door, gradually growing louder, then fading away.

One thing subdues another.

The child, who was usually fearless, plopped down on the ground, wiped his face haphazardly, and turned pale. It was obvious that this snot-nosed kid named Dylan Scott had truly been scared half to death.

Suddenly, the child asked, “Ethan Brooks, do you think that guy went to my house? What should I do?”

Ethan Brooks said helplessly, “How about I go back to your house with you and take a look?”

The child had probably been waiting for Ethan Brooks to say this. He jumped up, then slumped back down, crying, “Ethan Brooks, my legs are so weak I can’t walk.”

Ethan Brooks stood up, bent over, grabbed the child by the back of his collar, lifted him with one hand, and opened the door bolt with the other, then walked out of the courtyard.

The child’s house wasn’t far, just about a hundred steps away. Sure enough, Dylan Scott saw that old man in his family’s courtyard, and his mother had even brought out a stool for the old man.

At that moment, the child felt like the sky was falling, so he chose to hide behind Ethan Brooks, letting the taller one take the lead.

Ethan Brooks didn’t let the child down, intentionally or not shielding him in front.

When the troublemaker Dylan Scott grabbed Ethan Brooks’s sleeve, he was suddenly filled with courage for no reason.

The old man didn’t mind, sitting on the bench, thinking for a moment. The white bowl in his hand disappeared into thin air.

Dylan Scott’s legs immediately went weak again, and he hid behind Ethan Brooks, trembling with fear.

The old man glanced at the unusually calm country woman, then at the straw-sandaled youth with furrowed brows, and finally said to the cowering child, “Little one, do you know what’s in your water jar at home?”

The child shouted from behind Ethan Brooks, “What else could there be? The fish, shrimp, and crabs I caught from the creek, and the loaches and eels I fished from the fields! If you like them, just take them, don’t be shy…”

The child’s voice grew lower and lower, clearly lacking confidence.

The woman smoothed her hair at her temples and looked at Ethan Brooks, gently saying, “Ping’an.”

Ethan Brooks understood her meaning, rubbed Dylan Scott’s head, then turned and left.

Deep in her eyes, the woman harbored a trace of guilt toward this straw-sandaled youth.

She set aside her distracting thoughts, turned to the old man, and asked, “Esteemed immortal master from afar, do you intend to buy this opportunity, or take it by force?”

The old man shook his head and smiled, “Buy? I can’t afford it. Take it by force? I can’t take it either.”

The woman also shook her head, “That may have been true before, but it may not be so in the future.”

The old man, who had been at ease, was struck as if by lightning when he heard this. He suddenly waved his sleeve, his fingers moving rapidly.

He sighed deeply, “How did it come to this!”