Chapter 139: Treasure Hunt
Chapter 139: Treasure Hunt (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Recommendations)
The next morning, Mr. Lambert took the train straight to the treasure site to inquire about the land's owner. Since the place was not far from London, Mr. Lambert returned home by noon after completing his inquiry.
Seeing Mr. Lambert walk in with a peculiar expression, Mother Sally asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is the land owned by the royal family or nobility, and we're not allowed to dig for treasure there?"
"No, it isn't", Mr. Lambert shook his head, then picked up a cup from the table and took a sip of water before continuing, "When I went there this morning, I found that the place is a small farm with a shabby cottage. The locals told me that this small farm has been managed by an agricultural company for the past decade. The owner hasn't visited the farm a few times during that time."
"That's even better, right? Since they're not professional farmers, the chances of them agreeing to let us dig on their land should be higher", Liam said happily after hearing his father's account.
"Exactly. I was quite pleased and went to the town to find out who owned the land. It turns out that the land belongs to a woman named Jane Sterling."
"Hold on, that name sounds familiar. I think I've heard it before. Do I know her?" Sally suddenly said.
Lambert nodded, "You definitely know her. She went to university in London and later married a dentist named Charlotte Granger."
Liam spat out the water he was drinking, "Father, are you saying that the treasure is hidden on the farm of my classmate Granger's mother?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that's exactly it", Lambert continued, "I think you need to use your wizarding methods to contact your classmate. The Granger family is currently on vacation, and we can't reach them."
"Alright", Liam sighed, thinking how much easier it would be if everyone had cell phones.
That evening, Liam received a reply from Hermione, "Dear Liam, we are in Calais waiting for the boat to take us back home tomorrow morning. After receiving your letter, my parents were very excited and agreed to let you search for the treasure. Their only request is that they hope to join you once they return, as my parents are also interested in treasure hunting."
It looks like the treasure hunt party has grown. Now, we can only hope that the treasure is bountiful enough to justify all the effort.
On the third day, the day after the Grangers returned, Liam and his family drove to the Grangers' farm near Eastbourne.
Since Eastbourne is located at the eastern end of the South Downs, it is one of the sunniest places in the UK, making it a popular tourist destination. Along the way, they saw many vehicles traveling on the roads.
After arriving in Eastbourne, they turned east and drove for another ten minutes. The scenery along the road gradually changed from hotels and residences to hedges and farms. Finally, they turned onto a gravel path and reached their destination.
As Mr. Lambert had described, Liam saw a small farm at the end of the gravel road. The farm's house was a stone-built cottage with a pointed roof, but the windows and roof tiles were broken, suggesting that few people visited the place.
Surrounding the house was a chest-high stone wall, and a blue Volkswagen Estate was parked inside. It seemed that the Grangers had already arrived at their farm.
Sure enough, after hearing the sound of the car, the Granger family of three emerged from behind the dilapidated house. It appeared that their trip to France had been enjoyable, as everyone had a healthy tan.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Mother Sally and Mrs. Granger began preparing a picnic in the yard, while the fathers took their children to start the treasure hunt.
Based on Nick's description, they soon found the large stone embedded in the ruined wall at the edge of the pasture. According to Mr. Granger, this place used to be an estate owned by a French noble family, which was later sold to Hermione's maternal ancestors. The stone had not been moved since then.
It was only at this moment that Liam realized Hermione came from a wealthy family. But thinking about it, it made sense. Dentistry is one of the most expensive majors in British universities. A family that could afford to send their child to dental school must be well-off.
In Nick's letter, the chests were buried under the large stone in the Chamber of Secrets. Nick also mentioned that the ghost specifically emphasized that the stone was part of the Chamber of Secrets and that digging around it would reveal the entrance.
Following Liam's directions, the two fathers dug with shovels for a while. Indeed, about thirty centimeters down, several clearly cut stones were exposed.
This discovery lifted everyone's spirits. Even the two wives came out from the yard to help with the shovels. After more than an hour, a stone archway two meters wide and two meters long was revealed. The wooden door and iron latch attached to the archway were also exposed.
The latch had a lock, but two hundred years of weather had completely rusted it. Mr. Lambert swung his shovel and smashed the lock off in one blow.
Fortunately, the hinges were made of copper and had not rusted. With a creak, they pushed the door open. Inside, they found a pile of black, decayed straw. After clearing the straw, three wooden chests, each about one and a half meters wide and long and two meters in length, were revealed.
Using the steel wire rope and pulley from the car, they easily dragged the three chests out of the Chamber of Secrets along the newly dug slope. The chests were sturdy and did not crack as expected.
After a simple lunch, the two men took crowbars to pry open the chests and see what was inside. Liam had just confirmed with Taoist Techniques that there was nothing dangerous inside, so he stood by with a smile. Hermione stood nearby, her eyes wide with excitement.
The first chest contained a pile of clothes embroidered with gold and silver threads. Unfortunately, due to the long passage of time, the colors had faded to a dull gray.
The second chest was filled with cotton wadding and other shock-absorbing materials. Beneath these, a small stack of gold and silver vessels was found. Upon closer inspection, they realized these were items used in churches, such as crosses, incense burners, and candlesticks. Mr. Lambert picked one up and shook it, saying, "This seems to be just gilded; it's too light." Mr. Granger picked up another cross and nodded, "This cross is made of silver." In the end, they discovered that only the smaller items, about the size of a palm, could be made of precious metals, while the others were at most gilded.
This so-called treasure seemed a bit anticlimactic. Everyone turned their attention to the last chest. This chest was different from the others; it was coated with black lacquer and adorned with simple patterns.
When they opened the last chest, Hermione let out a scream.
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(End of Chapter)
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