Zhang Jinsheng pointed to a three-story building in front and said, "That was Cao Minglu's home. After he got rich, he built a small western-style building and opened a cultural relic shop downstairs. Of course, there are many authentic items in the shop, but they are not good ones."
He led us into an alley and back to his home. I originally thought that he was a hateful person for his grave-robbing business, but when I walked in, I felt sorry for him. The house was low and there was nothing decent in the house. An elderly couple was bedridden, and his wife was at home with four children.
His wife looked like a typical country woman, with a simple and honest look on her face, but due to overwork, her face was full of wrinkles and her skin was rough. All four children were in school, and the eldest daughter was only in high school. This was also poisoned by the concept of favoring boys over girls. There were three girls above, and finally a son. But this undoubtedly put a heavy burden on Zhang Jinsheng's shoulders. If he didn't choose to rob tombs, the money he earned from his small business would not be enough to support his children, let alone the medical expenses of his elderly parents.
His wife was very kind and welcomed us in. After pouring hot water, she started kneading dough and preparing to make pancakes for us. Zhang Jinsheng went out to sell beef and came back to make a big pot of beef soup. We all felt bad to eat for free at their house, but Zhang Jinsheng winked at me and whispered that when he fell in the tomb, he had picked up a small thing in his hand. He had secretly looked at it and it was a gold ring with gemstones. It would probably sell for a good price.
He fried some peanuts, peeled some salted eggs, and took out a bottle of white wine. I said your neck injury is serious, and you dare to drink. After dinner, go to the hospital to rebandage it.
"Hey, I get hurt all the time. Didn't you see your sister-in-law didn't ask anything when she saw it? Drinking some wine is just the right thing to reduce inflammation."
Zhang Jinsheng nonchalantly invited Shen Bing and I to sit at the table. The three of us sat around the steaming beef soup. We each finished a cup and drank some of the soup. It tasted pretty good and was especially fragrant.
"If you keep getting valuable antiques, you should be able to sell them for quite a bit of money, but why does it look..." Shen Bing frowned and looked around the shabby house, but didn't utter the word "shabby".
Zhang Jinsheng drank a glass of wine, licked his lips with his tongue, sighed and said: "The old man and the old lady have been ill in bed all year round. They have earned a lot of money, but it is all spent on medical expenses. As children, we have to treat the old people even if we lose everything."
His words immediately made us respect him and changed our view of him. People who respect their elders are always worthy of respect. The words "tomb robber" were written on his face, but now they have been wiped off unconsciously.
After two more drinks, he told us that his parents' medical treatment alone would not have made him so poor. The main reason was that his sister had a strange disease, which cost him a lot of money. His brother-in-law was an honest boy. He followed him to do some small business in the town and made a living, so he paid for the medical treatment. As a result, he went all over Henan Province, but could not get cured. Now he lies in bed waiting to die.
Shen Bing asked curiously: "What strange disease did you get?"
"I can't tell whether he is sick or not. His face is darker and he is getting thinner day by day, like a bag of bones. He cries out for injustice all day and night, and the shouting can be heard throughout the town." Zhang Jinsheng drank a glass of wine and shook his head.
"Then it's like you're possessed by evil spirits. Why don't you find a doctor to take a look?" Shen Bing looked at me and said.
"After seeing him, they said it wasn't evil spirits, but a real illness. They told me to go to the hospital for a checkup, but they couldn't find out what was wrong with me."
I frowned and cried out for justice in the middle of the night. I was 100% sure that I was possessed by evil spirits. I couldn't realize that the fortune teller I hired was a fake.