Chapter 3

That feeling was incredibly mysterious, as if the statue of the God of Wealth had been touched by something, and in that instant, it was about to come to life.

It was like dry wood meeting a raging fire, like the positive pole meeting the negative pole, like parched seedlings meeting a drop of water, or like a pervert meeting a beautiful woman. That desire was unbridled. If the statue of the God of Wealth could speak, Ding Ning was sure it would say the word "money."

However, this feeling did not last. It flashed through Ding Ning's mind like a spark and then vanished without a trace.

But this time, Ding Ning was absolutely certain that it wasn't an illusion, absolutely not!

He wasn't entirely sure in the Guandi Temple, but now he was certain: this statue of the God of Wealth was strange!

Ding Ning's hands were trembling, and his heart palpitations seemed to be amplified infinitely at this moment. His heart was beating restlessly in his chest, the sound as loud as a drum.

Ding Ning felt he should do something. The God of Wealth should be particularly sensitive to money, right?

Holding the statue of the God of Wealth in one hand, he carefully placed the coin on the statue with the other hand.

It was stable and wouldn't fall off. Ding Ning held the statue nervously, feeling it silently.

Unfortunately, that feeling did not reappear.

Ding Ning, unwilling to give up, tried placing the statue and the coin in various ways—close together or a little apart. No matter how he tried, that mysterious feeling did not return.

He kept trying until midnight, but Ding Ning made no new discoveries.

As the night deepened, drowsiness gradually crept over him, and Ding Ning finally gave up.

However, he was certain of one thing: this statue of the God of Wealth was definitely not ordinary. He just hadn't found the right method yet. It was currently in an unactivated state.

*****

"A'ning, wake up."

His mother's gentle voice sounded in Ding Ning's ear. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and struggled to sit up.

He had stayed up too late last night, and Ding Ning didn't even get up to practice Tai Chi in the morning.

"Mom, I overslept."

"It's okay. You're on summer break and don't have to go to school. It's not a big deal to sleep in one day. But don't oversleep tomorrow. You know your health isn't good, and you still need some moderate exercise."

Shisan Niang reminded him a few times, then smiled at Ding Ning. "We have guests coming today, and they'll be eating at our house. Go to the convenience store and buy some vegetables to prepare for the guests."

"Um... who's coming?"

"It's Aunt Wu from the weaving factory and her daughter Mengyao."

Ding Ning frowned slightly, remembering the two of them.

Aunt Wu, a woman adorned with gold and silver, was from Qingshan Village and was the current village chief's sister. She bought the Chinese knots and other handicrafts that his mother made. It was said that this woman was very capable, with a net worth of several million and a factory in the city. She had visited their home twice, and Ding Ning's impression of her was not good.

In the past, when Aunt Wu's family wasn't as wealthy, she was the only person in Qingshan Village who got along well with his mother. Aunt Wu had a good feeling about Ding Ning when he was a child, as he was handsome and polite. She once said she wanted to take Ding Ning as her son-in-law, and his mother happily agreed. The old man was even present as a witness, and the two families exchanged a betrothal token.

But after Ding Ning started gaining weight, Aunt Wu never mentioned it again.

As for Aunt Wu's daughter, Wu Mengyao, Ding Ning also remembered her. Every time Aunt Wu came, her daughter would come along. Wu Mengyao was quite pretty and cute as a child, which was why his mother agreed to Aunt Wu's proposal.

However, as time passed, Wu Mengyao changed. She always acted like a high-and-mighty princess, and after seeing Ding Ning gain weight, she looked down on him. Ding Ning disliked her sense of superiority and her worldly attitude.

Hearing that these two were coming, Ding Ning was even less willing. "Mom, if they're here to buy the Chinese knots, just sell them. Why do we have to entertain them? I'm not going."

"Don't talk nonsense. You and Mengyao are betrothed, after all. Aunt Wu wants to buy all the Chinese knots we have left. You're starting high school soon, and we haven't raised enough money for your tuition yet. Selling the remaining Chinese knots will help. We can be poor, but we can't lose our dignity or manners. If someone is willing to help us, they are a guest. We can't afford a lavish meal, but not entertaining them would make us look bad. We can't do that. Get up quickly."

Shisan Niang, though in her early thirties, had never done heavy labor. She stayed at home every day and was well-protected from the elements, looking like a woman in her mid-twenties.

Moreover, she was always steady and composed. In Ding Ning's memory, his mother had never truly lost her temper, even when the neighborhood gossips talked about her. She seemed to hear nothing.

Her clothes were simple but clean and appropriate. Ding Ning always felt that his mother's past was not simple, but he had never asked about it.

Shisan Niang handed fifty yuan to Ding Ning. "Get up quickly, buy the vegetables early, and don't let Aunt Wu and the others laugh at us."

Ding Ning reluctantly took the money, got up, washed up, and went out.

He still held the statue of the God of Wealth, but that mysterious feeling never reappeared.

He went to the village convenience store and bought a piece of meat, a can of food, and a few bottles of drinks. It was summer, and they still had some vegetables at home.

The fifty yuan was spent, and Ding Ning, holding the statue of the God of Wealth in one hand and the groceries in the other, walked out of the store.

Just as he stepped out, he saw a few children playing outside.

A few mischievous boys from the village had pushed a girl down, snatched the ice cream from her hand, and scattered.

The girl was only five or six years old. Village children were tough, and a fall wasn't a big deal, but the one-yuan ice cream being taken away made her cry loudly.

Ding Ning recognized the girl. She was Dian Dian, the daughter of Mr. Wang, the village primary school teacher, who had also taught him.

Mr. Wang had high hopes for Ding Ning when he was in primary school and always cared about his studies. Ding Ning's current academic achievements were inseparable from Mr. Wang's guidance.

Seeing his daughter being bullied, Ding Ning wouldn't chase the children, but he couldn't just stand by.

He walked over to Dian Dian, picked her up, and comforted her gently, "Dian Dian, don't cry, don't cry."

"I... I want my ice cream..."

Dian Dian was crying loudly. As a child, she didn't care about a scrape but was still thinking about her ice cream.

Ding Ning helplessly felt his pocket. The fifty yuan was already spent, and he wished he had kept one yuan.

"Ah! I still have this coin!"

Ding Ning suddenly felt the coin from last night and was delighted. He took out a one-yuan coin and handed it to Dian Dian, saying, "Here, big brother will give you one yuan. Go buy a new ice cream."

"Thank you, big brother!"

The little girl immediately stopped crying and happily took the one yuan from Ding Ning, running quickly into the convenience store.

Ding Ning smiled and was about to turn and leave, but at that moment, the statue of the God of Wealth in his hand suddenly changed!

The statue that had been in his hand disappeared in an instant!

As he gave away the one yuan, an extremely fine thread, finer than a hair by a hundred times, appeared in Ding Ning's body!

A feeling of unprecedented clarity and freshness enveloped Ding Ning's entire body, and even his heart, which had always been uncomfortable, felt a sense of unprecedented lightness!