Sure, let's do this! On his way to the key-tablets, if Mr. Salad touches the following things, he'll be able to get an emotional read:

linked to yancai:
— a handful of branches bundled together for decorative purposes: these connect to fear and a sense of alarm, the panic of being hunted. Closer inspection reveals these are from the forest, likely brought in for their (now-faded) refreshing scent

— a hand-written invitation to join beautiful Miang-Si's debut celebrations in a few months, before she joins the waves and droves of youths seeking matches the year after — this item emanates feelings of intense, covetous jealousy

broader plotlines:
— one of the maps of Sa-Hareth: true, blood-curdling horror and nightmarish fears; whatever the person who made or traded this map last experienced was vile, overwhelming and wrong