The planks were blackened but solid, and in some places forged iron fittings were still visible.

When archaeologists arrived, they explained to the villagers: hundreds of years ago, an ancient trade route passed through here. Along this river, merchants’ boats carried grain, furs, and silver. One day, a ship sank and was buried under layers of earth.

For the village, it became a real sensation. People gathered at the excavation site for a long time, marveling at how past and present intertwined in such a mysterious way.

And the tractor driver, without ever intending to, became part of history — for it was he who had accidentally uncovered the forgotten secret of the ancestors.