A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

A box that looked like a fire poker, a black jar with several large holes, of unknown material, a radio that was broken beyond recognition, a pot with several large holes and rust, a withered flower, a broken chair, and newspapers, needless to say.

I've seen people come to pick up bargains, but I've never seen anyone actually collect junk.

Su Xiulan was also embarrassed, "The kids like it, and it's not worth much money anyway, so let's just take it back and let them play with it."

The old man shook his head. He had seen children spoiled, but he had never seen one spoiled like this.

"Give me 5 cents!"

The old man took a puff of his old pipe, waved his hand, and said, "Get out of here quickly, don't keep me from going home to sleep."

So many things for only 5 cents?

"Five cents won't hurt you, you won't be cheated," Su Xiulan thought without hesitation. She took out the money and handed it over, afraid that the old man would change his mind. She quickly grabbed her things and led her child away.

"Let's go home!"

If it gets too late and the oxcart leaves, they'll have to walk back, which would be a real problem.

The scrap yard was already quite remote. After finding a secluded corner, Su Xiulan and her two sons put their things on the ground and looked around warily.

With a wave of her hand, the whole pile of things disappeared.

Su Xiulan hesitated for a moment, "How about we keep the old broken iron pot? And the cloth?"

I can't go back empty-handed, or people will gossip.

With a warm and tidy broken iron pot and a small roll of cloth, the family excitedly headed towards the oxcart.

Shortly after the group left, just as the old man was about to lock the door and go home, a middle-aged man came running over with a shiny leather bag, his voice urgent, "Grandpa, did you receive a box that looks like a fire poker? I'll give you 10 yuan!"

uncle???

A box shaped like a fire poker? Who's got a screw loose? Making a box that looks like a fire poker?

"20 is fine too!"

"I'll offer 50! It's just a piece of junk, 50 yuan is a high offer, isn't it?"

The man was very anxious, and the old man was even more bewildered. Even if he sold the entire scrap yard, it wouldn't be worth more than 50 yuan.

"100! Find it for me now, and I'll give you 100 yuan!"

The old man's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He threw the lock on the ground and jogged into the yard.

Are you sure you have it with me?

"Yes!"

The man didn't care how dirty it was inside; he just wanted to find the item as quickly as possible.

They searched until dark, but still couldn't find the strange box.

Looks like we'll have to keep looking tomorrow!

The middle-aged man sheepishly gave the old man a dollar as a tip. The old man frowned. A box that looked like a fire poker? He seemed to remember it.

When did I see him? I reckon he's still here! But that's 100 yuan! The old man immediately became very motivated!

……

The wind felt like a dull knife cutting into her face, stinging painfully. Su Xiulan carried a pot in one hand and a few feet of cloth in the other, leading several children as she walked very fast.

Having made a lot of money today, Su Xiulan was very excited and couldn't wait to go home and brag to her husband.

"Hey girl, please be kind and give me directions."

A young woman carrying a child bumped into them and ran over, her voice urgent, "My baby has a high fever, and I don't know the way. Could you take me to the clinic?"

Su Xiulan was a kind-hearted person who had children of her own and knew how anxious one was when their child was sick. She quickly pointed to the end of the alley and said, "Go straight from here and turn east twice."

"Oh, sister, you're a real saint! But I don't know the way, could you give me a ride for a bit? Just a short distance!"

The woman's voice grew more anxious, tears streaming down her face, her hand gripping Su Xiulan's sleeve tightly.

Su Xiulan hesitated for a moment, but then, considering that the health center wasn't far away and she had enough time, she nodded in agreement.

Nuannuan blinked her eyes, feeling that this aunt was a bit strange.

【Warm and sweet baby, tell your mom not to go!】

[This is a sham; the baby in her arms isn't sick at all!]

[It's a dead end! A trap!]

Hearing it was a trap, Nuannuan frowned. Just as she was about to call for her mother, the woman moved faster than anyone else, grabbing Su Xiulan's arm and dragging her into the alley, muttering, "Sister, just consider it doing a good deed for your child!"

Su Xiulan was pulled and stumbled, and Da'an and Xiao'an quickly followed, with Nuannuan also trailing behind.

After walking a few steps, Su Xiulan realized that she was in a dead end.

On both sides were half-collapsed earthen walls, and on the ground, apart from snow, there were only clumps of frozen dog poop; not a single ghost could be seen.

What else didn't she understand? The woman who had been crying just moments before released her grip and sneered, "Brothers, hurry up and come out! I've brought Feiyang in for you!"

As soon as the sound subsided, a large, imposing man was revealed behind the broken wall.

The leader had only one eye, and his gaze towards Su Xiulan gleamed with a thieving light. The one next to him had unusually large ears, like protruding ears. There was also a skinny one, like a monkey, and a very fat one.

There are really four... each with its own unique characteristics.

But their eyes remained as fierce as ever.

The four men blocked the road behind them, tapping the ground with dark sticks in their hands.

Su Xiulan's face turned pale instantly, and her legs trembled, but she instinctively shielded her three children behind her.

"What are you trying to do? In broad daylight, what if the patrol sees you..."

Su Xiulan's voice trembled, but she couldn't back down now; her three children were still behind her.

The one-eyed man sneered, "Haha, the patrol team? Even dogs don't come here, do you think the patrol team would come?"

The others laughed, "Hey girl, we're a bit short on cash. We heard you made a small fortune. Just leave the money, and we're all pretty easy to talk to!"

"Exactly! We only rob people of their money, not their lives!"

"You bought a new piece of fabric? Perfect timing, I need to change my clothes too!"

The one-eyed man chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He slapped his black wooden stick against his palm, making a loud cracking sound. "In this alley, I'm the law! The patrols won't even come near! If you know what's good for you, hand over all your money and cash, and that two hundred yuan you just transferred! Hurry up, don't force me to take action!"

Su Xiulan was startled. This person could accurately say two hundred yuan, so it seemed that he had been keeping an eye on them for a long time.

Damn it, she didn't have two hundred yuan in her hand at all.

Su Xiulan was filled with regret. She should have known better than to bring the child out for a stroll and simply waited by the oxcart to go home.

Da'an clenched his fists nervously, while Xiao'an's legs trembled so much that he grabbed a stone from somewhere and his teeth chattered.

Only the youngest, Nuannuan, peeked out from beside her two older brothers' legs, her fluffy little head peeking out.

The little girl showed no fear whatsoever; her eyes even held a hint of excitement. Tilting her head, she asked the burly men in a childish voice, "Bald uncles, are you robbing us? Is nobody really coming this way?"