He gently pushed open the rickety wooden gate, made of pieces held together with twigs. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a thin, wiry old man with sparse whiskers and wearing patched-up shorts, sitting cross-legged in the courtyard. He skillfully mended a tattered fishing net with a shuttle.,A thick gold chain, weighing at least a couple of ounces, exuded an air of social status. In the center of the chain hung a Buddha pendant.,Eight months ago, the old man used this tattered fishing net to pull him out of the Bian River...twice!。