After talking with Lu Xiuhe, she felt that she might need some time to think things through. Fortunately, there was a project starting up in Qingcheng, so she decided to go there without hesitation, handling the work inspection while also sorting through her emotions. She didn’t want to waste time on either front.

Qingcheng, true to its name, was beautiful, with clear mountains and rivers and pleasant scenery. The only downside was that it often rained throughout the year. She had been there for a week, and the sky had been overcast the whole time. Last night, there had even been a heavy rainstorm. Despite the rain, the workers were wearing raincoats and working diligently. Some were laying the foundation, others were welding steel bars, while a few were mixing cement and sand. Looking up, she saw the high-rise buildings from the blueprints. The two buildings on the left side of the “T” shape had been half completed, while the right side had just started, but already showed some signs of taking shape.

She spoke with Zhao Chen about the construction issues, and as they spoke, light rain began to fall again. The raindrops hit her head, forehead, and clothes.

“The weather here really changes fast. The rain started without any warning,” she said.

“Mm, it rains all year round here, and it’s hard to get clear weather,” Zhao Chen replied.

She had been there for several days and hadn’t seen the sun once.

“With all this rain, do you think it’ll affect the project schedule? Should we consider extending the timeline?”

Zhao Chen shook his head. “No, I adjusted the schedule earlier. There won’t be any major problems.”

“That’s good.”

“By the way, I heard from Xiuhe Jie that you two plan to go back and meet the parents this year. I just wanted to say congratulations in advance and wish you success,” Meng Suihuan continued.

When she mentioned Lu Xiuhe, she noticed Zhao Chen softened, his demeanor becoming gentler.

“Yeah, we do plan to do that. I’ve been buying things recently, and Xiuhe’s been helping me with suggestions. If you have time, maybe you can offer some advice too,” Zhao Chen said.

This wasn’t a big deal, so she naturally agreed.

“Sure. You know Xiuhe’s situation. She’s been divorced and has been out with me, so the older folks in the village like to gossip. When you go back, no matter what you hear or see, or if you meet anyone you shouldn’t, just stay calm.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to propose, not to fight,” Zhao Chen said with a steady voice, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. “I’ll keep my composure.”

As they were talking, a group of people rushed toward them, shouting, “Sir Zhao! Sir Zhao! There’s been a landslide, a landslide over there!”

Upon hearing this, both Meng Suihuan and Zhao Chen’s faces changed. They quickly followed the others to the site. When they arrived, there were already many people gathered around. Zhao Chen immediately began to ask for details.

“Sir Zhao, several of our guys fell down. Some have fractures, others just scraped their skin. They’ve all been rescued, no major injuries.”

Still, Zhao Chen wasn’t reassured and had the people count the number of people again. After recounting, one person, Zhang Tiezhu, was still missing. Zhao Chen immediately sent people to search around the construction site and the black hole of the landslide. With a lot of people, it didn’t take long to find Zhang Tiezhu. He was discovered deep in the landslide, along with a few small objects.

At first, everyone was focused on rescuing Zhang Tiezhu and didn’t pay attention to the items. It was only when the rain continued to fall on them that the mud began to wash off, revealing the ancient items hidden inside. Meng Suihuan immediately recognized that these items looked like antiques displayed in a museum.

At the same time, Zhang Tiezhu, who had been unconscious, woke up and said he had seen bones and a coffin under the ground. Bones, coffins, various porcelain, jade, and a piece of gold leaf—looking at all of this, Meng Suihuan couldn’t help but take a heavier breath. There might be a historical relic from an unknown dynasty buried beneath.

Meng Suihuan wasn’t the only one thinking this. Zhao Chen, standing beside her, also had the same thought.

“Xiao Huan, the things down there might not be simple. Should we block off the area and I’ll bring people down to investigate?” Zhao Chen asked.

“No need,” she replied, taking out her phone and dialing a number. “There’s been a lot of rain lately, and there’s a risk of another collapse, which could be dangerous.”

“What should we do about this now?” Zhao Chen asked.

“Since this is a professional matter, let’s leave it to the professionals,” she said, and immediately contacted the Qingcheng Museum. Once the call was connected, she got straight to the point.

“Hello, I’ve discovered nearly 10 ancient objects such as porcelain and jade in Shoukang Village, and I suspect there may be a tomb here. I hope your unit can send professionals to conduct an investigation.”

“Okay, I’ve recorded the situation. Relevant personnel will come over for an inspection soon.”

“Soon? How long will that be? Can’t you arrange someone to come now?”

“Sorry, this is a unit matter, and it’s inconvenient to disclose.”

Meng Suihuan frowned. “Your unit is so large, and all the personnel are out on field investigations? Isn’t there anyone else who can come?”

“Do you think what you just said makes sense?!” The voice on the other end was cold, and the attitude seemed to have angered the person on the phone, causing their tone to become impatient.

“What’s reasonable or not?!”

“Maam, to be honest, I receive about forty or fifty calls like yours every day. The reasons are almost identical. Do you really think excavation and investigation are a joke? Just by taking a quick look, one can identify antiques? If archaeology were that simple, wouldn’t everyone be able to do it? What do we have to do with this?! Maam, I really don’t have the energy to waste time arguing with you. Leave your address, and when we have time, I’ll see if anyone is willing to come over.”

The tone was dismissive and contemptuous, even over the phone. Meng Suihuan narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “With your arrogant attitude, even if you beg me now, I won’t give you any leads.”

“Because, you’re not worthy.”

After hanging up, Zhao Chen approached and asked, “Xiao Huan, what’s the situation? When will the museum people arrive? Do you need me to go pick them up?”

“No need,” Meng Suihuan replied, her voice colder than the rain, “The people from the Qingcheng Museum are arrogant and look down on our small discovery.”

“Since the museum is out of the question, I still have the contact information for Director Liu from the Qingcheng government. I can reach out to him and see if he can help…” Zhao Chen began, but before he could finish, Meng Suihuan shook her head in refusal.

“It’s not appropriate.”

Although they had some dealings with the Qingcheng government, their relationship was not deep. The other party might not be willing to help, and even if they did, it could cause unnecessary trouble. It would be more trouble than it was worth.

“I’ll try contacting Lao He in Ning City to see if he has any connections in this area.” She called Lao He and briefly explained her suspicions, “Of course, I’m just speculating; I’m not sure if there are actual ruins down there.”

Unlike the person from the museum, Lao He took this matter very seriously. “It’s better to believe it than to dismiss it. By coincidence, one of my old classmates is an archaeologist. He’s free these days, so I’ll ask him to come over.”

“Alright.”

Lao He’s recommendation proved reliable. His classmate, Professor Wu, arrived at the Shoukang Village train station by 9 p.m. Although the plan had been to go the next morning, Professor Wu didn’t waste any time and immediately went to inspect the porcelain and jade pieces that had been brought out from the landslide. He examined them thoroughly under a magnifying glass in the light, feeling the patterns with his fingers. After a long while, he suddenly became excited and couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

“Where were these items found? Take me there right away—”

“Now?” Zhao Chen glanced at the time, hesitating. “Professor Wu, the place where the porcelain and jade were found collapsed this morning, and the ground structure might be unstable. There’s a risk of a secondary collapse. For safety’s sake, let’s wait until tomorrow during the day to go.”

“Xiao Zhao, I’ve been in this field for so many years, seen all kinds of situations, and have experienced everything. I’m already battle-hardened. Besides, I’m just going to take a look for now, not to do any excavation. There shouldn’t be a problem,” Professor Wu said seriously while holding the porcelain. “Do you know what this is? Looking at the patterns and the material used in the firing, these items are likely from the Han Dynasty. Currently, there are fewer than ten Han tombs excavated nationwide. These items are extremely precious, a testament to our history, and could fill many cultural gaps. We can’t afford to delay this!”

“I can’t make this decision; I need to consult our leader.”

“Hurry up and call your leader, don’t waste time.”

Under Professor Wu’s urging, Zhao Chen dialed Meng Suihuan’s number. “Boss Meng, Professor Wu took a look at the porcelain, and he suspects it could be Han Dynasty porcelain. He wants to go to the collapse site now to check the situation.”

“Now?” Meng Suihuan was surprised. When she met Professor Wu earlier, he seemed calm, but now he was so eager.

“Alright, since Professor Wu wants to go, take a few of your guys with you and make sure to guarantee his safety.”

Originally, Meng Suihuan had already gotten into bed, but upon hearing that Professor Wu wanted to inspect the site overnight, she couldn’t sleep. She got dressed and got up, planning to go check the situation as well. The night wind was a bit cold, so she adjusted her cotton coat and stood outside the collapse site, waiting.

Meanwhile, in Ning City, Lu Linshen was deeply focused on his work. Ever since his confession, whenever he had a moment to himself, his mind would drift to her, remembering every little detail—her expressions, her smiles, her frowns, and her anger. Several times he thought of calling her like he used to, but he was afraid that if he did, she would bring up the divorce again. He could only focus on work to distract himself.

“Lao Lu, Lao Lu, why are you still working on the project? Meng Jie has had an accident, a big one!” Qin Yu rushed over. At first, when he heard his name being called, Lu Linshen remained unmoved, but when he heard “Meng Jie has had an accident,” his calm demeanor immediately shattered. He quickly stood up, anxiety written all over his face.

“What happened to her?!”

“Meng Jie went to Qingcheng for an inspection. There’s news online saying the area she was in collapsed, and it seems like she’s been injured…”

Collapse. She was in trouble. And injured. These words kept repeating in his mind. He immediately pulled out his phone, not caring about anything else, and quickly dialed the first number on the screen. As he waited, his palms started sweating. The longer the call went unanswered, the more anxious and irritable he became.

Bang.

He suddenly stood up, grabbed his coat, and rushed out.

“Hey, Lu Ge, where are you going?”

“Train station.”

When he arrived at the train station and tried to buy a ticket, Lu Linshen realized what “the busier you are, the messier things get” truly meant. He didn’t have his ID card. There were no tickets left for Qingcheng at this hour. Just then, someone gently tapped him on the shoulder. A man wearing a hat, looking sharp, said to him, “Brother, I see you’re trying to get a ticket to Qingcheng but couldn’t get one. I’m heading there too. Do you want to ride with me? The fare is this amount.” The man raised five fingers.

“Let’s go.” Without hesitation, Lu Linshen agreed, stood up, and started walking out. The man quickly followed and led him to his car, then got out again.

“Where are you going?” Lu Linshen frowned and asked.

The man smiled kindly at him and said, “Brother, you sit here and wait for a bit. I’ll go call a few people. Once we have enough, we’ll head out.”

“Let’s go now. I’ll cover all the expenses.”

“Are we going or not?”