“Goodbye, boss!” “Goodbye, boss!”
“Bye! Have fun during the May Day holiday!”
Yan Qing smiled brightly as she waved goodbye to her workers, then with a loud clang, pulled down the rolling shutter door. She ran a large decoration company with fifty to sixty workers under her management.
She had grown up in the countryside. Her grandfather was a carpenter, and her grandmother knew how to weave. Her parents also made a living crafting furniture for others.
Unfortunately, fate was unkind. Her grandparents passed away from illness when she was nine.
Then, in her second year of university, her parents were hit by a drunk truck driver at 10 p.m., just as they were finishing work and heading home. Both of them died, leaving only her aunt by her side.
Having been immersed in that environment since childhood, Yan Qing wasn’t a master carpenter, but she was fairly skilled—able to make simple furniture and cabinets without any problem.
After her parents passed away, she drifted through university in a daze. After graduating, she used the compensation money from her parents’ accident to open a small rosewood furniture shop.
Because her furniture was sturdy, durable, and made with genuine materials, she gained quite a number of customers through referrals. Many of them also asked her to recommend decoration companies. Over time, she simply opened her own decoration company.
She gradually learned many things, mastering about half of the entire renovation process.
Beep. Yan Qing unlocked her car door, casually placed her handbag on the passenger seat, and drove to a warehouse supermarket not far from her home.
She bought some gifts to bring to her aunt’s house, along with fruits, vegetables, and beef and mutton. Since she had nothing to do during the holiday, she planned to go on a picnic with her best friend, Fenfen.
That evening, she drove to her aunt’s house for dinner. At the table, her aunt fussed over her endlessly, piling food into her bowl. No matter how much she ate, the food never seemed to decrease, giving Yan Qing a bit of a headache.
Before leaving, her aunt handed her the demolition compensation money from her grandparents’ old home. There were 3 million in the card. Since they had already agreed to split it evenly, Yan Qing accepted it.
“Qingqing, have you prepared the things for the picnic? We’ll leave at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I’ll drive to pick you up. I’ve got everything else, you just need to bring some food. Don’t forget to carry a big backpack!”
After receiving Fenfen’s message, Yan Qing replied “OK.” She checked the items she needed to bring, then washed up and went to bed.
The next day.
“Wow, the air is so fresh!” Yan Qing shouted loudly beside a small stream.
Not far behind her, Fenfen and her boyfriend were arranging things, preparing for a barbecue.
“Hurry up! Finish washing the vegetables and come over—we’re about to eat!”
Hearing this, Yan Qing quickly crouched down to wash the vegetables. The river was filled with beautiful pebbles. Among them, she noticed one that looked like obsidian. When she held it up to the sunlight, it seemed to contain a flowing color within.
It flashed for a moment.
Yan Qing didn’t think much of it. She slipped it into her pocket and went back to eat.
That night, after returning home, she collapsed onto the sofa. Hiking was exhausting. After resting for a while, she sorted her things and decided to take a bath. As she was about to toss her dirty clothes into the washing machine, she felt the stone she had brought back.
She casually placed it on the coffee table before going to bathe.
After soaking in the bath for an hour, Yan Qing came out feeling dizzy. Suddenly, her nose tingled—and then a warm flow.
She looked down to see blood on the floor. Oh no, a nosebleed again. She hurried to find tissues. As she reached for them on the coffee table, the blood trickled past her fingers and dripped onto the table—right beside the stone. A few drops vanished in an instant.
After stopping the bleeding, Yan Qing quickly wiped the blood from the table.
“Huh, the stone seems brighter…”
She didn’t think much of it and went to rest. Meanwhile, the stone grew smaller and smaller… until it disappeared completely.
And Yan Qing, fast asleep, knew nothing of it.