Zhang Haike was a child of the Zhang family’s branch, so he had very few opportunities to visit the main family estate. The children of the main family were mostly arrogant, so whenever Zhang Haike occasionally entered the main family estate, those children were generally unwilling to play with him.
However, Zhang Haike didn’t really mind this, because to him, the authority represented by the main family was merely derived from the external support of the Zhang family members, and it was a kind of unspoken understanding. He believed that as an outsider, he could live more freely. The main family had many strict rules that weighed heavily on people, and what particularly concerned Zhang Haike was that he often saw a particularly reclusive child in the main family.
This child didn’t speak and didn’t play with the other children; he would just quietly stand in the courtyard or under the corridor pillars, staring blankly at the daylight in the courtyard. Zhang Haike found this very strange. This child was very special, which sparked his curiosity to learn more about him. Furthermore, the fact that this child was also not well-received by others in the main family gave Zhang Haike a sense of familiarity.
One time, Zhang Haike’s father took him to the main family for business. While his father discussed matters with other clan members, he wandered alone in the courtyard and saw this child again—three-year-old Zhang Qiling at the time. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Haike mustered his courage and walked over to him, asking, “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you playing with them?”
The child looked at him, shook his head, and did not speak. This was the first time Zhang Haike and Zhang Qiling had spoken. That day, Zhang Haike stayed with Zhang Qiling in the courtyard. Zhang Haike had a strange tenacity; he felt that as long as he kept talking, this child would eventually respond to him, would eventually communicate with him. It was just that this time he finally met his match.
The child quietly listened, gazing at the sky, and Zhang Haike wondered if he was even paying attention or understanding what he was saying. When he left, he thought to himself, could he be a sick child? An abnormal child? Or perhaps he couldn’t speak and didn’t understand what he was saying at all?
After that meeting, it took ten years before they met for the second time. By then, Zhang Haike was already fifteen. The children of the Zhang family had to undergo very strict training from a young age, with rigorous requirements for agility and skills. At fifteen, it was a crucial turning point because after that, the children could seek out ancient tombs on their own to establish their reputations. The Zhang family referred to this act as “going wild.”
However, among a group of children preparing to go wild, Zhang Haike saw Zhang Qiling, who was a head shorter than him, and he couldn’t help but be very surprised.
Going wild was a very dangerous endeavor. Many children from the Zhang family had lost their lives during this process. However, thanks to the strict training of the Zhang family, these situations gradually improved over generations. Many children were aware from a young age of the dangers of going wild, so they trained diligently. Additionally, some children in the Zhang family chose to give up this training early on to avoid such dangers. On one hand, they wouldn’t compete for any status within the family, and on the other hand, they preserved their own lives.
Going out to the wild often comes without considering the consequences. One basic mindset of the Zhang family is that as long as a task can be accomplished, the means do not matter. This is why many children often band together to rob an ancient tomb. With more people, there is strength in numbers, and they can work together by dividing tasks. Zhang Haike noticed that Zhang Qiling seemed to have no such plans; while everyone else was preparing to pack their luggage, food, and travel expenses, he had already quietly set out on his own.
Zhang Haike was a person with extensive social connections. At that time, he was discussing with several friends where would be suitable to rob or obtain an ancient tomb. One of his friends had somehow acquired a layout of an ancient tomb in Shanxi, which was said to be an oil pit, and as long as they got there, they could easily obtain antiques.
This was also permitted within the Zhang family, as the source of information and the ability to process and manage intelligence were considered very important skills. If Zhang Haike followed them, this test would likely present no problems, and the subsequent events would not occur. However, seeing the thirteen-year-old Zhang Qiling set out alone made Zhang Haike involuntarily worried.
On one hand, Zhang Haike was someone who greatly disliked the family system. His aversion to his own family stemmed from this; he disliked the rigid rules imposed by the family. He felt it was very unfair for a thirteen-year-old child to be out on the road alone. He had heard from other children in the family that Zhang Qiling’s father had passed away when he was about seven or eight years old, and he was raised by uncles and older relatives. Although he was not abused, he did not receive much care or happiness, yet Zhang Qiling remained silent and withdrawn. Zhang Haike felt that perhaps there were people in the family who did not wish for him to continue living.
At that time, Zhang Haike was very confident in his abilities. He had not only trained his fingers to be a third longer than those of ordinary people, but his strength and speed had also reached a considerable level, making him a rare tomb raider. In contrast, Zhang Qiling was still a particularly small and thin child. His finger strength and length were not particularly remarkable, and he appeared frail when walking, leading Zhang Haike to believe that his journey would surely end in disaster. Therefore, Zhang Haike chose to part ways with his friends and decided to protect this young boy from the Zhang family. This might have been the most successful decision of his life.
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