Foreman Lao He informed Lin Ning that the first floor of the building was nearly complete. Once finished, they would seal the roof of the first floor and begin construction on the second floor.

However, before sealing the roof, a ceremony known as “raising the beam” had to be performed.

Raising the beam refers to the process of installing the central beam, which is the highest beam in the main roof of the house.

The central beam is located at the very heart of the house, symbolizing the stability and tranquility of the entire structure. The success of the beam-raising process not only affects the sturdiness of the house but also foretells the fortunes of its owner.

Therefore, raising the beam is an extremely important ceremony, accompanied by many taboos and customs.

Lin Ning had been preparing for this ceremony for a long time. She spent several days exploring the Ziyun Mountains and found a fir tree. The tree was perfectly straight, with nearly the same diameter from top to bottom. Moreover, the area around the fir tree was filled with smaller fir trees, symbolizing future prosperity and numerous descendants.

The beam-raising ceremony had to be held on an auspicious day, and Lao He was an expert in this regard. He explained many precautions to Lin Ning, all of which she carefully prepared for.

Lao He also warned Lin Ning to guard against sabotage. Before the beam was raised, the central beam must not be dirtied by others, nor should anyone step over it. Doing so would bring misfortune to her descendants, preventing them from ever achieving success.

“Boss, you must keep a close eye on this central beam.”

“Don’t worry.”

When night fell and no one was around, Lin Ning stored the central beam in her Ruyi Space. This way, no one could find it, no matter how hard they tried.

On the day of the ceremony, Lin Ning retrieved the beam from the space the night before. She stayed awake all night, ensuring no one could tamper with it.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, a shadowy figure did appear, sneaking around and fumbling about, clearly up to no good.

Lin Ning shouted, “Who’s there? What are you doing?”

The intruder, startled that Lin Ning was still awake, turned and fled. Lin Ning chased after them for a few steps but then stopped. What if there were two people? She might be falling into a trap.

Lin Ning returned to her post, her eyes wide open like copper bells, and stayed vigilant throughout the night.

Early the next morning, many people began arriving at the construction site. Word had spread that Lin Ning was holding the beam-raising ceremony, and everyone came to watch the spectacle.

Lin Ning glanced around and recognized many faces: Old Ding, who had made her Ruyi bracelet; Zhang Tao, who had sold her the house; a bathhouse worker she had once worked with; and, further away, Feng Tianqi and Chen Caohua. Surprisingly, they had come too.

When the auspicious hour arrived, Lin Ning led the group in placing the prepared offerings on the altar. This was part of the ceremony—first, they had to worship the gods.

After the worship, a string of 1,000 firecrackers was set off. Amid the crackling sounds, Lao He and his construction team slowly hoisted the central beam into place on the roof.

Once the beam was secured, Lin Ning brought out a large winnowing basket filled with candies, copper coins, small change, peanuts, and buns. This was for the “beam-tossing” ritual.

The basket was hoisted up, and the carpenter began tossing its contents in all directions while singing:

“Toss the beam to the east, where the rising sun brings prosperity;
Toss the beam to the west, where the qilin brings double blessings;
Toss the beam to the south, where descendants will become top scholars;
Toss the beam to the north, where granaries will overflow year after year.”

The crowd below erupted in excitement, scrambling to catch the tossed items. The more lively the commotion, the more auspicious it was for the homeowner. Those who caught the items would also benefit, making it a win-win situation.

Moreover, Lin Ning had prepared high-quality items—plenty of coins and sweet candies, which delighted the children especially.

After the lively tossing, the ceremony concluded, and the crowd dispersed. The central beam was left exposed to the sunlight, a process known as “sun-drying the beam.”

Following this, Lin Ning had Liu Fen prepare a feast of fine food and wine to entertain Lao He’s team. She also gave each worker a red envelope, marking the end of the beam-raising ceremony.

The site was bustling with noise, and the ground was littered with red paper from the firecrackers, creating a vibrant and prosperous scene.

Lin Ning was overjoyed. The livelier the ceremony, the better it boded for her future life. Throughout the process, she kept a close eye on the central beam, fearing something might go wrong. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, a few stragglers remained, including Old Ding.

Lin Ning approached him and invited him to sit. Old Ding, wearing a cotton mask, was coughing heavily and had lost a lot of weight. He waved his hand in refusal. “No, I’m not in good health. I shouldn’t impose on your space.”

Lin Ning didn’t insist. Old Ding then said, “Lin Ning, there’s something I need to tell you. Come with me for a moment.”

Lin Ning followed him outside, and Old Ding whispered, “While you were raising the beam, I noticed a man entering the easternmost room. He stayed inside for quite a while before coming out. You should check it out to make sure they didn’t do anything malicious.”

Lin Ning’s heart sank. “Thank you, Master Ding. I’ll go check right away. Do you know who it was?”

“No, I don’t. It was a man in his thirties, quite tall. Oh, and there was a woman with him, probably his wife.”

“Master Ding, was the woman’s hair permed?”

“Yes, small curls, like sheep’s wool.”

Lin Ning knew exactly who they were—Feng Tianqi and Chen Caohua! They were a married couple, and more importantly, they held a grudge against her!

After thanking Old Ding and seeing him off, Lin Ning hurried to the easternmost room.

The room only had four walls; the roof hadn’t been built yet, and the floor was still bare earth. Lin Ning inspected every brick but found nothing unusual.

If it wasn’t on the walls, it must be underground. Lin Ning grabbed a shovel and began digging from one corner. She dug and dug until, in the southeast corner, her shovel hit something hard.

She dug it out and found a red cloth bundle. Seeing this, Lin Ning knew something was wrong.

When building a house, the worst thing that could happen was someone using dark magic to sabotage it. Malicious individuals or even craftsmen could bury cursed objects in certain parts of the house to disrupt its feng shui, bringing misfortune to the owner. Sometimes, not only would the owner suffer, but their descendants would also be affected, leading to family ruin or even death.

Lin Ning called Lao He over to examine the object.

Lao He was horrified when he saw it. “Damn it! Which bastard is trying to mess with me? If I find out who it is, I’ll kill them!”

When they unwrapped the red cloth, they found a small wooden sword, a talisman, and a bloodstained piece of fabric.

Lao He examined each item. “This is a peach wood sword, but whoever made it clearly didn’t know what they were doing. It’s very crude. The talisman is also a mess, probably copied from some random book. As for this cloth…”

Lao He sniffed it. “It’s either chicken blood or dog blood! Damn it, this person doesn’t even know how to curse properly. What kind of nonsense is this?”