Chapter 65: The Dilapidated House
Chapter 65: The Dilapidated House
After dinner, Lu Jiaxin suggested going for a walk and specifically requested Gu Wenfeng to accompany her, while Xue Mao, who wanted to tag along, was left behind per her request.
As they strolled along the road toward a more secluded area, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Regarding the treasure hunt, have you mentioned anything to Zhao Dajun?"
Gu Wenfeng shook his head. He hadn't breathed a word about it to Zhao Dajun until he had a clear idea of Lu Jiaxin's intentions.
Lu Jiaxin immediately felt relieved. "Brother Gu, please don't tell him about the treasure hunt. Find an excuse to send him back to Siyou City."
Although Gu Wenfeng had his suspicions, he still asked, "Miss Lu, may I ask why?"
Lu Jiaxin paused before answering, "Based on my interactions with him over the past few days, I feel that given Zhao Dajun's personality, there's a high likelihood that he would ask me to donate the treasure if we find it."
Gu Wenfeng was taken aback. "Miss Lu, why do you think so?"
Lu Jiaxin had her reasons. "My uncle and his family wanted to take over my house, and when I stood up to them, he thought I was being disrespectful. I have a cousin who had to drop out of school due to family difficulties, so I supported her financially to continue her education. He believes that it's more meaningful for me to spend money on helping others rather than on my own frivolous expenses."
It was hard to disagree with Zhao Dajun's moral character and capabilities, but Lu Jiaxin despised how he liked to stand on a moral high ground and dictate others' actions.
Gu Wenfeng didn't want Zhao Dajun to leave, so he said, "Miss Lu, I'll test him tonight. If he truly has such intentions, I'll send him back."
"You test him first!"
Lu Jiaxin wanted Gu Wenfeng's help, so she was willing to give him this face.
Gu Wenfeng was tight-lipped, skilled, and well-connected in the ancient capital. The last point came as a pleasant surprise to Lu Jiaxin. Nonetheless, it was a good thing, as they would have help in case they encountered any difficulties.
That evening, Gu Wenfeng chatted with Zhao Dajun and steered the conversation toward antiques. He mentioned that one of his comrades had a family heirloom—a precious item passed down through the generations. However, due to a crowded household that often led to arguments, his comrade's father sold the heirloom and used the money to buy each of his three sons their own house.
"What kind of treasure was it?" Zhao Dajun asked.
"It was an imperial edict written by Emperor Yongzheng himself," Gu Wenfeng replied. "That particular emperor was known for his exquisite calligraphy, which is highly sought-after and supposedly holds great research value."
Zhao Dajun frowned. "Brother Gu, didn't you try to convince your comrade to donate that item?"
Difficulties were temporary and could be overcome, but once an item was sold, there would be no opportunity for further research.
Gu Wenfeng sighed inwardly. Zhao Dajun had to leave. He was already inclined to suggest that his comrade donate their family heirloom; there was no telling what he would do if Lu Jiaxin truly found treasure in that house. How could he expect someone who had expended so much effort and resources to simply donate everything? Besides, whether or not to donate should be the owner's decision.
The next morning, Gu Wenfeng spoke to Lu Jiaxin. "Miss Lu, give me five days, and I'll send him back."
"Alright, but you must not let him know about the treasure hunt," Lu Jiaxin replied.
After their conversation the previous night, Gu Wenfeng wouldn't dare mention it to Zhao Dajun. "Rest assured, I won't tell him. Miss Lu, that house is too rundown. We'll need to repair it before we can stay there. It's perfect timing, as we can get Dajun to help us fix up the house over these few days."
Free labor was always welcome.
After their conversation, the group set off. Along the way, Gu Wenfeng told Lu Jiaxin that the house was a large compound with three separate courtyards. Sun Xun lived in the first courtyard, while his uncles' families occupied the second and third courtyards. Sun Xun's father had two brothers, and during the division of the family assets, Sun Xun's grandfather had drawn the lot for the first courtyard. Sun Xun's family was the only one among the three brothers with a male heir, which was why they had such a spacious living arrangement.
Lu Jiaxin furrowed her brows at his words. "Did the Sun family create any trouble when you were buying the house?"
Gu Wenfeng didn't hide the truth. "Those hooligans were hired by one of Sun Xun's cousins. However, we bought the house fairly and have all the necessary documents. Their underhanded tactics were futile."
Lu Jiaxin was mainly concerned about the Sun family suspecting their intentions.
Gu Wenfeng smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry about that. The house is registered under Xue Mao's name, and we're saying it's for him to start a family. They looked into Xue Mao's background and attributed his good fortune to luck."
Relieved that the Sun family hadn't raised any suspicions, she nodded.
After two bus rides and a ten-minute walk, they finally arrived at the Sun family's residence.
Pointing at the open gate, Gu Wenfeng drew a line in the air and explained, "There used to be three large gates here, with smaller side gates on either side. Later on, they kept one gate and bricked up the others."
Lu Jiaxin studied the weathered old gate and walls, feeling a sense of historical weight. It was a shame that, in a few years, all of this would be demolished to make way for modern skyscrapers.
Stepping through the entrance, Lu Jiaxin noticed a door to the left and a long, covered walkway to the right.
Gu Wenfeng opened the door and, after everyone had entered, closed it firmly. "If we don't keep it shut, the Sun family will come and go as they please, treating this place as their own. After Xue Mao lost twenty yuan, the axe I bought also went missing, so I'm not letting them in anymore."
Initially, they had tolerated the Sun family's excesses to avoid raising suspicions about their motives. But after losing money and belongings, they had no qualms about keeping them out, and their reason for doing so was justifiable.
As soon as she stepped inside, Lu Jiaxin understood why Gu Wenfeng had said the house was uninhabitable. The walls were so dilapidated that their original color was unrecognizable, and grass grew on the courtyard walls. All the doors and windows were broken, and two of the rooms didn't even have doors. Sunlight streamed through the cracks, and she imagined that the house would be filled with rainwater during a downpour.
The courtyard itself was spacious, but on the left was a vegetable garden, and on the right was a corrugated iron shed and a chicken coop, with three poles in the middle for hanging laundry.
Lu Jiaxin exclaimed in disbelief, "Sun Xun's family didn't live here before, did they? How did the house become so run-down and disorderly?"
The place looked nothing like a lived-in home.
"Sun Xun likes to gamble and doesn't take care of his wife and children," Gu Wenfeng explained. "However, the doors and windows were damaged by the other members of the Sun family before they moved out. When we first came here, it was even dirtier and more chaotic, and it took Xue Mao and me half a day to clean it up."
Lu Jiaxin found the actions of the two families despicable. If they couldn't afford to buy the house, resorting to such despicable tactics was unconscionable. "Tear down the corrugated iron shed and the chicken coop, and move the laundry poles to the side," she instructed.
Gu Wenfeng wasn't surprised by her decision to stay here. If their group didn't move in, making daily trips back and forth in search of the secret passage would arouse the Sun family's suspicions.
Lu Jiaxin and Xue Mao stayed behind to tidy up the house while Gu Wenfeng and Zhao Dajun returned to the rented room to retrieve their belongings.
After inspecting all six rooms, Lu Jiaxin pondered the possible location of the secret passage. It was unlikely to be in the courtyard, as it would have been discovered when the Sun family cultivated the vegetable garden or constructed the iron shed and chicken coop.
The kitchen and firewood room were also improbable locations, as men from aristocratic families during feudal times didn't enter the kitchen, adhering to the belief that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. Based on the TV shows she had watched in her previous life, secret passages were usually found in bedrooms or studies.
(End of Chapter)
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