There was a spare iron shovel in his bag. I rolled my sleeves without hesitation and started to help him dig the soil. Although I wasn’t as good as Old Yao, I was young. Soon enough, we exposed the cover of a wooden coffin. Old Yao told me that he had found the goldfish bracelet inside.

“Can we open it?” I asked. Old Yao shook his head resolutely. Every profession had its own rules. If Old Yao said no, it meant no. 

I thought for a moment, then suggested, “We should continue digging. I want to see if there’s something odd about this coffin!”

Old Yao didn’t talk much. He wouldn’t nag or babble like Li Mazi. After listening to my suggestion, he continued to dig without...