After they got home, Lin Xiuqing also asked him about recovering the Great Ding.
"Why did you give it away already? You could at least have brought it home for a few days so I could see what it looked like."
"Silly, the Great Ding might be a rare find, but it's terribly inauspicious. It's not something you should keep at home." Ye Yaodong stripped off his dirty clothes as he spoke.
"There's a saying that dings were cooking vessels in ancient times, used to turn living things into dead things. Only later did they become vessels for clan rituals, used to hold sacrificial offerings. That's why they're so inauspicious. An ordinary household can't keep that in check."
"I hadn't thought about that at first. Then A-Guang's dad suggested putting it in the temple so it wouldn't take up space, and that reminded me. An ordinary household can't handle a ding like that. It belongs in a museum or a temple."
Lin Xiuqing didn't know anything about dings, either. Once he said it was terribly inauspicious, she lost interest, though she had wanted to take a look at first.
"Then don't bring it home. Offering it to Mazu is good. They can put it to use in the temple, too."
"Mm."
"Dad brought me a bucket just now, too. He said it held something you wanted and told me to hide it well. I didn't even dare lift the cover. What is it?"
"Where did you put it?"
"I hid it in the bedroom."
Ye Yaodong headed straight into the bedroom and looked around.
Lin Xiuqing followed him in and told him it was behind the door. Only then did he spot the bucket there. He lifted the cloth covering it, saw the black box sitting undamaged inside, and bent