Chapter 155: Familiar color! Familiar feel! Familiar taste!

The next evening, after finishing their work, the two of them headed deep into the mountains early, making their way toward Crowing Rooster Mountain, which they had scouted out the day before.

As before, Zhou Sinian carried Ming Dai across mountains and ridges, effortlessly as if strolling through his own backyard. Because they were wearing lighter clothes now, it was much more convenient, and Zhou Sinian moved even faster.

By not yet nine o'clock, the two of them had arrived at Crowing Rooster Mountain.

Compared to Great Green Mountain and Wild Boar Ridge, Crowing Rooster Mountain was not very large, but like Wild Boar Ridge, it featured a rather peculiar geological structure that made it the type of mountain where caves were easily dug.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Wang family had not yet arrived, Ming Dai used her spatial treasure-hunting ability to search around, and sure enough, she discovered a matching cave.

However, compared to the one at Wild Boar Ridge, this cave was merely used for hiding things and was not very large. At present, there was nothing inside the cave at all.

Ming Dai tried searching other areas and eventually discovered numerous boxes piled together!

The two of them eagerly rushed over to check, only to find that the spot where the boxes were placed was somewhat unusual!

These densely packed small earthen mounds and various stone steles were clearly a graveyard!

Although Ming Dai was not afraid of corpses, she still found the atmosphere here eerie and spine-chilling.

Zhou Sinian felt nothing. He stepped closer to inspect a stele and pointed at a small earthen mound to ask Ming Dai.

"Ming Dai, what is this?"

Fearing he might be scared, Ming Dai teased him, "These are meat buns with stuffing."

Realizing Ming Dai was teasing him, Zhou Sinian cooperated by opening his mouth wide and exclaiming, "These buns are huge! A single steamer wouldn't fit them!"

Ming Dai was amused, feeling that the scene was not quite as creepy anymore.

Following the guidance of her spatial treasure-hunting ability, the two walked deeper into the graveyard and soon found the exact location.

Seven or eight graves were densely scattered here, and the items were hidden beneath one of them.

Ming Dai stepped closer to read the stele.

"Beloved Father: Ma Sanbiao."

Only then did she understand that this was the graveyard of the Ma family.

However, buried inside were not coffins, but wooden boxes.

With this realization, Ming Dai used her spatial treasure-hunting ability to transfer all the items inside directly into her spatial warehouse.

When she opened them to take a look, there were five boxes of small gold bars and three boxes of large gold bars!

The remaining boxes were filled entirely with jade, emeralds, and precious gemstones!

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

Dazzled by the shimmering treasures, their eyes ached as they let out uncool expressions of awe, unable to suppress the huge grins spreading across their faces!

Finally, it was Zhou Sinian who reminded Ming Dai that the bad guys were about to arrive.

Ming Dai wiped away her drool, transferred everything else into storage in her spatial warehouse, filled the empty boxes with wild boar manure, and tucked them back underneath the grave mound.

It was almost ten o'clock now, and rustling sounds drifted up the mountain path—the Wang family had arrived!

Fearing wild beasts might harm them in the mountains, Wang Youcai had specifically obtained a gun from the militia and cautiously made his way toward the graveyard.

Ma Guifen, startled by the occasional bird calls echoing through the mountains, asked with a trembling voice, "Youcai, could you have guessed wrong? When my father's grave was relocated back then, my brother had a geomancer look at it, and they said Crowing Rooster Mountain brings prosperity to the Ma family, which is why my father was moved here. Surely my brother wouldn't put our father through all this trouble just for some treasures, would he?"

At this moment, Wang Youcai's desire for the small gold bars completely overcame his fear.

"Heh, you're underestimating your brother. For money, there's nothing he wouldn't do. How do you think those small gold bars came to be? It wasn't because he..."

Halfway through, mindful of something, he stopped talking.

"Alright! Back then, right after the treasures surfaced, your father's grave was relocated. Who would believe there's no fishy business going on?! Anyway, since we're already here, I am definitely going to take a look!"

Wang Defa, carrying supplies nearby, chimed in, "Exactly, Mom, do you still want to eat meat or not? If we don't have money, forget about meat—our whole family is about to starve to death!"

At the mention of meat, Ma Guifen fell completely silent.

With guilty consciences, the three of them didn't even dare bring a flashlight. Carrying a revolving lantern, they searched for quite a while before finally locating Old Man Ma's gravestone.

Wang Youcai held up the lantern to illuminate the stone, his voice trembling with excitement, "Here it is! This is it!"

Wang Defa eagerly picked up a shovel and prepared to dig, but Wang Youcai stopped him.

Looking nervously around his surroundings, Wang Youcai took the items his son had carried up.

Ever since their house had been haunted, he had become extremely respectful toward ghosts and deities.

He took out the yellow paper he had managed to buy, lit it, and while burning it, the three of them kowtowed to the gravestone.

"Respected Father-in-law, your humble son-in-law has no intention of offending you, please forgive us!"

"Dad! You know Fen'er hates not having meat to eat, you won't mind, right?"

"Grandpa, I'm just looking for some pocket money, I'll buy good wine and bring it to you later!"

After comforting themselves psychologically, the three of them started digging!

Confirming that they had begun working, Ming Dai brought Zhou Sinian into her spatial domain.

Tonight, she had prepared a massive surprise for the Wang family!

Amidst a mixture of terror and thrill, the Wang family quickly dug down to the items.

Wang Defa happily scraped twice with his shovel and reached out to touch them—they were hard, wooden boxes!

Wang Youcai came over to help, and exerting strength together, they hauled the box up.

Feeling the distinctive carvings and textures on the box, Wang Youcai's voice grew shrill with excitement.

"It's this! This is it! We found the right place! Your uncle really did hide the stuff in the mountains! And he even lied to me, claiming the things belonged to someone else and had already been transported away!"

Wang Defa's eyes turned green with excitement. Looking down into the pit, there were at least five or six more boxes underneath!

Standing nearby, Ma Guifen stared at the boxes in disbelief. Where had her father gone?!

It took the three of them another hour to pull all the boxes up!

Wang Defa excitedly counted them—big and small, there were a full twelve boxes in total!

"Dad! We're rich! We're really rich!"

Wang Youcai's hands shook as he tried to light a cigarette, failing for a long time.

"Defa, Guifen, we must keep this quiet! We absolutely cannot let your uncle find out that we dug up these boxes, otherwise, your uncle won't let our family go!"

Wang Defa and Ma Guifen nodded fiercely.

Finally, Wang Youcai shoved the unlit cigarette straight into his mouth to chew and swallow it, then pointed at the largest box.

"We can't possibly carry this many things out of here all at once! First, let's open this largest one, take out some small gold bars, and hide the rest somewhere else. We can slowly smuggle them out when we have time later!"

Wang Defa was already beside himself with excitement, using a shovel to pry open the box.

Wang Youcai and Ma Guifen stepped forward eagerly, not even daring to blink.

With a click, the box popped open!

A familiar scent drifted out. Wang Youcai sniffed, and his face froze.

Wang Defa and Ma Guifen hadn't noticed anything unusual yet; the moment the lid flew open, they eagerly reached inside.

The very first touch revealed something was terribly wrong!

That slippery texture was nothing like the feel of small gold bars at all!

Besides, it smelled far too foul!

Wang Youcai, who hadn't reached out to touch, tremblingly raised the revolving lantern to shine it inside the box.

In the dim, yellow light, a full box of pig manure looked exceptionally familiar!

Ah!

It had the exact same color! The exact same texture! The exact same stench!

Blech!

Ahhhhh! I'm stuck with writer's block! Major writer's block!

I don't know if you guys can accept this plot development, but I didn't want to write anything cliché. Let's go with this for now, and I can change it later if it doesn't work!