After Prison, I Return to My Old Trade of Vein Divination

Northeast China in the 1990s, a turbulent time of storms and upheaval.

Chen Dongzhi, nicknamed Gouzi, regained his freedom after completing three years of reform. After leaving prison, he returned to the trade of tracing mineral veins, introduced by his old acquaintance Tian Zhenhe. This craft, inherited from his ancestors, is a folk geological surveying technique used to identify terrain and rock strata and assess mineral deposits underground.

He teamed up with two brothers who had weathered hardship alongside him: the brave and brawny Er Lvzi handled the heavy work and kept watch; the refined-looking but tough Wu Guniang was skilled at dismantling ancient mechanisms and had a meticulous mind. The three made a strict pact: they would never rob tombs, would stay within the bounds of the law, and would make a living solely through their skills.

The group headed for an abandoned mine at Liudaogou, Hun River. The old mine tunnels were fraught with danger, with frequent cave-ins and underground rivers. Geological phenomena of all kinds created countless illusions, and the group found themselves trapped in deadly predicaments several times, escaping by the skin of their teeth through careful observation.

By chance, they were drawn into a real estate dispute in the provincial capital. Underground in an old factory district lay caves where people from the Yuan dynasty had once sought refuge. A long-buried unsolved case came to light, while their business rivals secretly laid traps at every turn.

Memories of youth offered spiritual solace through years of hardship, but in the present, they were careful not to overstep. He and Xiao Jia understood each other deeply, while Wu Guniang and Xiao Juan developed feelings for each other. There are no ghosts or supernatural nonsense in this book; every strange occurrence has its roots in geology, physics, or human nature. Three ordinary people who have weathered countless hardships stand together as brothers and fight to survive amid the tide of the times.