After Lao He’s thorough examination, it was confirmed that the three items had been deliberately placed there to sabotage Lin Ning. However, because the person responsible was inexperienced, the attempt was clumsy and had no real impact on the house’s feng shui.

While no harm was done, the act was still deeply unsettling. Lao He promised Lin Ning that he would assign two people to keep watch at night to prevent further sabotage.

That evening, Lin Ning took the three items to a crossroads and burned them. According to Lao He, this would minimize any potential misfortune.

But Lin Ning wasn’t about to let this slide. Since Feng Tianqi had dared to pull such a stunt, she was determined to make him pay.

She sought out Zhang Tao and asked him, “Do you remember that man who wanted to buy your house?”

“Of course I remember! He offered me 5,000 yuan for my house, paid a deposit, and then disappeared, costing me a lot of money!”

“I heard that man’s name is Feng Tianqi, and he lives at 129 Jianguo Road. You might want to check there.”

Following Lin Ning’s tip, Zhang Tao went to the address. As soon as Feng Tianqi opened the door, Zhang Tao punched him in the nose.

“You scoundrel! How dare you stand me up!”

Feng Tianqi, caught off guard, was furious. He immediately fought back. Having trained in the military, his punch landed squarely on Zhang Tao’s face, causing him to spit blood and lose two teeth.

Zhang Tao was even angrier. “Feng Tianqi, you stood me up and now you dare hit me? I’ll fight you to the death!”

Only then did Feng Tianqi realize this was Zhang Tao!

Oh no, he had offered to buy Zhang Tao’s house and even paid a 50-yuan deposit. But after returning, he felt Lin Ning had tricked him—the house wasn’t worth 5,000 yuan. So, he simply disappeared without a word. He hadn’t expected Zhang Tao to track him down!

Feng Tianqi quickly grabbed Zhang Tao. “Brother, I’m sorry. I was busy those days and couldn’t go through with the purchase. By the time I went back, your house was already sold. It’s not my fault.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now?”

Zhang Tao was livid. “Even if the deal falls through, there’s still basic decency! If you didn’t plan to buy it, why haggle over the price? You wasted my time and cost me 150 yuan!”

Feng Tianqi learned that Zhang Tao had originally agreed to sell the house to Lin Ning for 3,000 yuan. But because of Feng Tianqi’s interference, Lin Ning only paid 2,800 yuan. After all the back-and-forth, Zhang Tao ended up losing 150 yuan!

Pointing to his missing teeth, Zhang Tao demanded, “You owe me 200 yuan! If you don’t pay up, I’ll report you to the police and have you thrown in jail!”

Feng Tianqi had no choice. To avoid further trouble, he handed over 200 yuan, and Zhang Tao left, cursing under his breath.

After Zhang Tao left, Feng Tianqi punched the wall in frustration until his fists bled. He was furious! This was all Lin Ning’s doing—she must have set him up!

However, Feng Tianqi secretly gloated. During Lin Ning’s beam-raising ceremony, he had buried a peach wood sword, a misfortune talisman, and a piece of chicken blood-soaked cloth under her house.

These were homemade items based on the Lu Ban Manual. The peach wood sword was supposed to sever the luck of Lin Ning’s descendants, and the talisman would bring her lifelong misfortune. He chuckled to himself. No matter how successful Lin Ning seemed now, she was destined for bad luck.

Thinking this, Feng Tianqi’s anger subsided.

For some reason, Feng Tianqi couldn’t stand the sight of Lin Ning. The more successful she became, the more it irked him. He felt that all her achievements should have been his, and he was determined to take them back.

Chen Caohua handed him a towel. “Tianqi, wipe your hands.”

“Thanks.”

“Tianqi, what’s the next step?”

Feng Tianqi was determined to break into the real estate business. “We’re buying land! We’re going to build houses too!”

And so, Feng Tianqi began scouting for land. Eventually, he bought two plots diagonally across from Lin Ning’s property, planning to build his own houses.

Not only Feng Tianqi, but others also started buying land, all coincidentally around Lin Ning’s property.

Everyone knew that once Lin Ning’s building was completed, it would be rented out as a shopping mall. The area was bound to become prosperous, and building there would guarantee profits, whether through renting or running their own businesses.

Thus, even before Lin Ning’s building was finished, new constructions began popping up around it. In just a few months, Dong’an County was transformed into a bustling hub.

One day, Lin Ning brought some gifts to visit Old Ding. Thanks to him, she had discovered Feng Tianqi’s sabotage and wanted to express her gratitude.

When she arrived at Old Ding’s house and knocked on the door, it was his nephew, Ding Houzhao, who answered after a long wait. “Who are you looking for?”

“Is Master Ding home?”

“He doesn’t live here anymore.”

With that, Ding Houzhao slammed the door shut. No matter how much Lin Ning knocked, he refused to open it again.

An elderly woman passing by quietly told Lin Ning, “Old Ding was kicked out by his nephew.”

“Kicked out? Where is he living now?”

“At the foot of Ziyun Mountain. He built a shack and lives there alone.”

In such cold weather, how could a man in his seventies survive in a shack? He’d freeze to death at night!

Lin Ning hurried to Ziyun Mountain and found the makeshift shack. It was barely larger than a doghouse, supported by a few dry branches and covered with straw. The wind made the straw sway, and the shack looked like it could collapse at any moment.

Lin Ning approached and called out, “Master Ding? Are you there?”

“Cough, cough, cough—!”

A violent coughing fit came from inside, followed by a frail voice. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Lin Ning.”

Old Ding crawled out. “Oh, Lin Ning. What brings you here?”

In just a few days, Old Ding had grown even thinner, his face pale. He coughed violently before speaking, just like last time, and wore the same white cotton mask.

“Lin Ning, I’ve been coughing too much. You should keep your distance.”

“Master Ding, why are you living here?”

Tears streamed down Old Ding’s face. “Don’t ask. I’ve been coughing so badly that my nephew and his wife said I have tuberculosis and kicked me out. They’re afraid I’ll infect them.”

Tuberculosis, or “consumption,” had a high mortality rate at the time. But Lin Ning doubted Old Ding had it. If he did, the disease would have spread everywhere by now.

Lin Ning was furious. “That’s your house! They have no right to kick you out. If anyone should leave, it’s them!”

Old Ding shook his head. “Forget it. I’m just an old man. It doesn’t matter where I live. I’ll probably die in a few days anyway.”

“Have you been to the hospital? What did the doctors say?”

“I haven’t gone. I don’t have the money.”

Lin Ning sighed. In any era, elderly people without money or family often met tragic ends—either homeless on the streets or freezing to death under bridges.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.”