Chapter 69: The Secret Passage is Found
Chapter 69: The Secret Passage is Found
Upon discovering the secret passage, Lu Jiaxin and Gu Wenfeng remained calm, while Xue Mao started to get anxious. Pulling Gu Wenfeng aside, he whispered, "Sister, did the person who told you about this place mention any treasures hidden within? Gold, silver, or jewels, perhaps?"
The prospect of finding such treasures excited him.
Realizing how his words could be interpreted, and fearing that Lu Jiaxin might misunderstand, he quickly added, "Sister, since you bought this house and found the secret passage, whatever we find down there belongs to you."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "If there are gold, silver, and jewels, we'll split them into three portions, one for each of us."
She, too, hoped for such treasures, as they would be easier to liquidate. However, based on her knowledge, the passage only contained calligraphy and books, with no mention of gold or jewels. If there had been, Sun Xun would have sold them for money instead of going to an antique shop to sell the calligraphy.
She wasn't trying to deceive Xue Mao; she intended to divide any findings equally among the three of them. She had gone to great lengths to locate these antiques, not only because she lacked the initial capital but also because she didn't want Sun Xun to sell them cheaply to foreigners, allowing the treasures to leave the country.
Xue Mao objected, not wanting Lu Jiaxin to give any portion to Gu Wenfeng. "Sister, a third is too much. Just give Brother Gu a small share."
Noticing his growing concern, Lu Jiaxin couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe there's nothing down there at all. Perhaps the Sun family only used it as a shelter during times of turmoil?"
Xue Mao clasped his hands together and pleaded, "May the Buddha and Bodhisattva bless us. There must be treasures down there!"
After their discussion, they stepped out into the yard. Lu Jiaxin had been preoccupied with thoughts of the secret passage and had neglected other matters. Now that the passage had been found, she felt more relaxed. However, upon reaching the yard, she noticed the pile of wooden boards stacked in the corner, each carved with intricate patterns. She walked over for a closer look and realized that, despite their intricate carvings, the boards were weathered and aged.
Lu Jiaxin called out to Xue Mao and instructed him to gather all the boards with patterns. "Once we have time, we'll clean them up," she said.
Xue Mao scratched his head and asked, "Sister, what use are these boards besides burning for firewood?"
Perhaps it was a professional habit, but Lu Jiaxin had a fondness for beautiful or unique things and liked to document them. She found some of the patterns quite appealing and wanted to sketch them.
"Let's keep them for now. You never know when they might come in handy," she said.
Xue Mao didn't question her further and began sorting through the boards, selecting those with patterns. As for Lu Jiaxin, she wasn't suited for manual labor, so she returned to her English studies.
Lu Jiaxin had a habit of taking afternoon naps. To her surprise, when she woke up, Xue Mao informed her that Gu Wenfeng had entered the secret passage just ten minutes earlier.
Hearing this, Lu Jiaxin hurried to the bedroom, but as she stood at the entrance of the passage, she hesitated. Mistaking her hesitation for fear, Xue Mao said, "Sister, you stay here and keep watch. I'll go down and take a look."
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "No, let's wait for Brother Gu to come back up."
Xue Mao usually listened to her, and even though he fidgeted anxiously like a caged monkey, he refrained from descending and remained by the entrance.
Seeing his anxious state, Lu Jiaxin deliberately brought up something he dreaded. "When we return to Sijiu City, I'll ask Brother Gu to enroll you in an evening school. It's time you got a proper education."
Due to her planned trip to the ancient capital and Xue Mao's aversion to studying, this matter had been delayed. However, she was determined that he would not remain illiterate, hence the insistence on evening classes.
Xue Mao knew he couldn't escape this fate, so he said, "Sister, I'll go to evening school, but I want to sell breakfast and earn money to support myself."
Understanding his desire to be self-reliant instead of depending on her, Lu Jiaxin could only express her approval. However, she needed to make a trip to Peng City first, and the enrollment would have to wait until the following year.
As they chatted, they suddenly heard faint footsteps coming from below. They immediately fell silent and looked down.
After a while, Gu Wenfeng climbed back up. Xue Mao, unable to contain his curiosity, asked anxiously, "Brother Gu, did you find any treasures down there?"
Zhao Dajun glanced at Lu Jiaxin, noticing her calm demeanor. With a smile, he said, "Miss Lu, there are no gold, silver, or jewels in the passage. There are ten camphor wood boxes. Eight of them contain books, one has calligraphy and paintings, and the last one is filled with jars and pots."
Lu Jiaxin was aware of the existence of ancient books and calligraphy but had no idea about the ceramics. Given that the Sun family's ancestors had hidden them in the secret passage, she surmised that they must be valuable. The more she learned, the more she felt Sun Xun had been foolish to sell such a collection for only 10,000 green coins.
Xue Mao, his disappointment evident, asked, "So, there's only books and calligraphy, no gold or jewels?"
Gu Wenfeng had been surprised by the contents as well. However, he added, "Even if there's no gold or jewels, books and calligraphy are still valuable."
Noticing Xue Mao's dejected expression, Lu Jiaxin chuckled. "Gold and silver have their value, but antiques are priceless. Xue Mao, if those paintings are authentic masterpieces, they could be worth more than gold or jewels."
After saying this, she turned to Gu Wenfeng and said, "Brother Gu, we need to bring those items up as soon as possible and then rebuild the kang."
She was concerned that if they took too long, the Sun family might hear the commotion and become suspicious.
Gu Wenfeng also wanted to retrieve the items quickly and transport them back to Sijiu City, thus completing his task. "Let's have Brother Xue help me bring the items up," he suggested.
Due to the narrowness of the passage, they couldn't use poles or carry the items on their backs; they had to be lifted by two people.
"I'll go down," offered Lu Jiaxin.
Gu Wenfeng reluctantly said, "Miss Lu, it's pitch-black down there. You might bump into things. Let me get a carrying pole and some rope. Once we bring the items up, you can take a look."
Lu Jiaxin was determined to explore the secret passage herself and witness this piece of history. She knew that if she didn't, she would regret it later.
Understanding her stubbornness, Gu Wenfeng stopped persuading her and only reminded her to descend slowly to avoid any injuries.
With the carrying pole and rope in hand, Lu Jiaxin followed Gu Wenfeng down into the passage. Xue Mao stayed behind to keep watch and answer the door should anyone come knocking.
The entrance to the passage was rectangular, about 80 centimeters wide and 1.5 to 1.6 meters long. It descended more than eight meters from the entrance to the floor below.
Once they reached the bottom, Lu Jiaxin noticed that the passage varied in width, ranging from 1.45 meters at its widest to 80 to 90 centimeters at its narrowest, with a height of just over two meters. The floor was smooth and level, but the darkness enveloped everything. Fortunately, Lu Jiaxin had come prepared with two flashlights.
After walking for about 20 meters, Gu Wenfeng suddenly stopped. He pointed to an arched wooden door on the right and whispered, "The items are in there. Be careful when you go inside."
Lu Jiaxin shone her flashlight on the wooden door, wondering how it had managed to remain intact for so many years and what material it was made of.
She gently pushed open the door, and Gu Wenfeng, stooping, walked in. Lu Jiaxin followed, and once inside, she shone her flashlight around the room, revealing a space of about seven or eight square meters. Ten camphor wood boxes were stacked and arranged neatly.
(End of Chapter)
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