Many people secretly brought their broken bottles and jars to Sun Zhongquan for appraisal, but none of them caught his eye. Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Guodong hurried home overnight and brought back the gold ingots he had taken from a grave. Though honest, Zhang Guodong wasn't foolish; he had six ingots in total, but he hid four of them just in case. Near the construction site stood a massive locust tree, so large that it would take three people to encircle it. Zhang Guodong climbed to the top of the tree, dug a hole with a knife, and hid the gold inside.
The next night, Zhang Guodong went to Sun Zhongquan's residence in secret. When Sun saw the two gold ingots, his eyes widened. Regardless of their historical value, each piece weighed more than half a pound of pure gold. When asked about their origin, Zhang Guodong didn't dare to say they were dug up from a grave; he simply said they were heirlooms handed down from his ancestors and that he wanted to sell them for some grain because his days were tough. Sun Zhongquan was overjoyed upon hearing this and promised to appraise the gold's quality the next day. If the gold was of good quality, it could easily sell for a thousand or eight hundred yuan, a staggering sum at the time. Hearing this, Zhang Guodong returned home full of joy, eagerly awaiting the results.
However, the more Sun Zhongquan looked at the gold, the more he liked it. One day, two days, three days passed, and he grew more and more reluctant to turn it over. Zhang Guodong came every day to ask about the appraisal and when he could get the money, but Sun Zhongquan kept stalling with various excuses. In this way, a month quickly passed. One day, Zhang Guodong's elderly mother fell ill, urgently needing money for medical treatment. Seeing no results after so long, Zhang Guodong grew desperate and threatened to report Sun if he didn't get the money soon.
Sun Zhongquan panicked upon hearing this and tried to persuade Zhang Guodong to wait a little longer. However, Zhang Guodong insisted on getting the money to treat his mother. Seeing no way out, a malicious thought arose in Sun Zhongquan's mind: to kill and silence him. He arranged for Zhang Guodong to come and collect the money that night. When Zhang Guodong arrived, Sun said the person bringing the money from the city would be there soon, so they should drink while they waited. Thinking the money was about to arrive, Zhang Guodong happily drank with Sun. However, Sun had already poisoned the wine. After just a few sips, Zhang Guodong started writhing in pain, realizing the truth. Despite the severe pain, he lunged at Sun Zhongquan, biting his shoulder and refusing to let go. In the struggle, Sun grabbed a chopstick and stabbed Zhang Guodong's eyes, finally breaking free.
The poison wasn't lethal enough; Zhang Guodong passed out but didn't die. There was no turning back for Sun Zhongquan. To avoid being discovered, he carried Zhang Guodong to the construction site that night and encased him in concrete, making him part of a pillar. From then on, no one would ever know the origin of those two gold ingots.
After hearing Zhang Guodong's story, the two listeners were filled with rage. Sun Zhongquan was truly despicable, killing for gold. What about Zhang Guodong's sick mother? Who would take care of his wife and children? He lacked any sense of morality. No wonder Zhang Guodong's eyes were filled with such intense hatred.
"Alright, tell us your unfulfilled wishes, and we'll do our best to help," said Grandpa Li generously.
"My greatest wish is to tear that beast to pieces. I wonder how my elderly mother and poor wife and children are doing...," Zhang Guodong said, tears streaming down his face.
"Don't be sad. The incense is about to burn out. First, tell me why you scared that little girl in our class," Grandpa Li said, seeing the incense nearly finished.
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"That girl? She is Sun Zhongquan's daughter. From the first moment she walked in, I sensed that same aura that led to my death," Zhang Guodong said, his eyes flashing with malice.
So, Sun Li was indeed Sun Zhongquan's daughter, just as suspected. "Sun Zhongquan, the father of Sun Li, died several years ago from liver disease. He died in great pain," I added, hoping this would bring Zhang Guodong some solace.
"He died? The heavens have eyes! Haha, he died painfully! Haha!" Zhang Guodong laughed, a sense of release evident in his voice.
After killing Zhang Guodong, Sun Zhongquan gave one gold ingot to a high-ranking relative, keeping the other at home. The relative identified the ingot as a rare treasure from the Southern Song Dynasty, rewarding Sun with two thousand yuan. Sun Zhongquan reveled in his good fortune, soon becoming more powerful and oppressive. In the 1970s, his high-ranking relative was overthrown, and the ingots were found, leading to Sun Zhongquan's downfall. He was sent to a labor camp, and his family moved to the county. After the reform and opening up, he was released but suffered greatly for his past deeds, eventually dying in fear and misery. This story shows that justice prevails, and good and evil will be repaid accordingly.
As Zhang Guodong expressed satisfaction, I reminded him to state any remaining wishes quickly before the incense burned out.
Zhang Guodong sighed, "I worry most about my family. If they are still alive, please sell the gold and give half the money to them as my final contribution. You can keep the other half as thanks."
"We're not like Sun Zhongquan. We will help find your family and give them all the money," Grandpa Li assured him.
"Yes, we will definitely help you," I added.
Seeing our determination, Zhang Guodong smiled gratefully, "I'm relieved. My last wish is to have my remains removed from the pillar and buried properly."
Looking at the pillar, I frowned, thinking it would be a difficult task. But Grandpa Li promised confidently, "We'll ensure you rest in peace."
"I will be grateful forever!" Zhang Guodong's voice faded as the incense burned out, leaving a peaceful smile on his face. Grandpa Li performed a ritual, and the spirit departed. Iron Pillar woke up, and we recounted the story to him. Filled with anger, he vowed to help fulfill Zhang Guodong's wishes.
Leaving the lab, the three of us headed to the playground. In the middle of the playground stood a massive old tree, protected by a fence due to its age. According to Zhang Guodong's description, the gold ingots were hidden in this tree. Iron Pillar quickly climbed the tree and soon found the gold hidden by Zhang Guodong. It seemed Zhang Guodong had made the right choice; no one would ever think to hide treasure in a tree.
"Mission accomplished!" Iron Pillar shouted, riding his motorcycle with Grandpa Li sitting on the back, pulling me along with a rope. The three of us hummed happily as we headed home.
The next day, Grandpa Li went out early and didn't return until very late. Seeing the light on at Grandpa Li's house, we hurried over to check on him. He was sitting in his room, reeking of alcohol, drinking tea. "Where have you been all day? Why are you back so late? It looks like you've been out drinking!" Iron Pillar asked.
"Hehe, of course! Today, I went to see an old friend!" Grandpa Li said with a belch.
"Old friend? You've never mentioned any old friends before. We've never heard you talk about having friends all these years," I said, puzzled.
"Bah, I'm old, but I've had friends. Do you think I've lived this long without making any? Let me tell you, when I was younger, wandering the world, I helped many people and made many friends. I just didn't want them to find me," Grandpa Li said. Looking at the two of us, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Do you know who I met today? I went to see a friend at the Cultural Relics Bureau and sorted out the issue with those four gold ingots."
It turned out that when Grandpa Li was young, he had saved a man named Liu Changyou. Over time, Liu had risen to become the deputy director of the city's Cultural Relics Bureau. Grandpa Li had recognized him on TV. Knowing the historical value of Zhang Guodong's gold ingots, Grandpa Li couldn't bear to sell them as mere gold, so he thought of Liu Changyou. After finding the bureau's contact number, he quickly got in touch with him. Liu, who had been looking for Grandpa Li, was thrilled to hear from him and sent a car to bring Grandpa Li to the city, where he warmly welcomed him.