Chapter 198

Han Cheng borrowed tools from the army through Zhang Hongtu and handed him the spare keys to the old house, instructing him to quietly place them inside without drawing attention.

On Sunday, the weather was sunny and suitable for “renovating the flowerbed.”

Han Cheng explained his intentions to borrow the car from Grandpa Zhang, planning to take the whole family back to the old house to dig for gold.

Originally, they intended to bring Zhuzi along, but Grandpa Zhang said that such matters should stay within their own family and not be disclosed to outsiders, not even to them.

Zhuzi had always considered himself half a member of the Han family. After all, Aunt Su and Uncle Han never kept anything from him, big or small, and he was always involved in everything with his younger siblings. However, hearing Grandpa refer to him as an “outsider,” he felt slightly sad. It was only then that he realized, no matter how close they were, that he and Fantuan were indeed children from two different families with no blood relation.

“Is Zhuzi a bit unhappy?” Grandpa Zhang asked his obedient grandson.

Zhuzi nodded honestly. “A bit, Grandpa. Since I moved into Fantuan’s house, they have treated me like family; they have involved me in everything, except this time.”

The old man said, Here’s the corrected version:

“As you grow older, there will only be more and more such things in the future. Grandpa’s intention is not to distance you from them; on the contrary, it is for the long-term relationship between our two families that we need to pay attention to etiquette in certain matters. When we should avoid suspicion, we should avoid it. How many antique calligraphy and paintings do we have in our family, and how much gold have our ancestors inherited? Currently, besides me, even your father doesn’t know, and Grandpa has never revealed it to anyone else. 

Thanks to our ancestors being low-key and living a simple and frugal life, no one doubts it. Although it is all something that has been passed down from our ancestors, with a legitimate origin, neither from stealing nor robbing, These treasures have been passed down from generation to generation until now. How many people have been imprisoned for this in the past decade? It is precisely because your parents know nothing that when our family was slandered, their backs were straight, and they were able to withstand trial after trial with reason. In the end, the injustice was settled. However, if there was a slight lack of confidence at that time, our family would have been labeled as landlords.

You may not understand these things when I tell you now, but you will eventually understand them when you grow up. I don’t intend to pass these things on to your parents; I will hand them over to you directly when you turn eighteen. Grandpa believes you can handle them well.

Zhuzi, your uncle Han’s family are good people, and both our families are honest with each other. But some things that might cause unnecessary trouble are better kept secret.”

Zhuzi nodded solemnly. “Grandpa, I understand. But no matter what happens in the future, it won’t affect our relationship. They will always be my family.”

Grandpa Zhang patted his grandson’s head, smiled at him, and said nothing more. The ability to nurture such a fine child stems from adults setting a positive example to follow.

………

Han Cheng, being cautious, parked the car at Zhang Hongtu’s house, and the family walked a few extra steps to the old house.

As fate would have it, they encountered Jiang Xue, whom they hadn’t seen in years, on the way.

Being in the performing arts, Jiang Xue had maintained herself well. Over the years, she hadn’t aged; with a more fashionable hairstyle and attire, she looked even younger and more beautiful.

Jiang Xue didn’t expect to run into Han Cheng’s family here. She smiled serenely. Despite being in her thirties, the subtle signs of aging around her eyes were visible but not prominent.

Jiang Xue greeted him warmly, “Han Cheng, Xiaoxiao, how have you been?”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled back. “Comrade Jiang Xue, you’re getting younger and prettier. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Jiang Xue’s gaze shifted to the four children, evoking an unexpected wave of emotion within her. “Watching the children grow up makes me realize how swiftly time flies. Fantuan has already grown into a big boy; I can hardly recognize him anymore. When I departed Qingfeng Town, he was not as tall as Xiao Doubao is now. Back then, you were just pregnant, and now the children have already reached their own milestones. Time truly passes by too quickly.” 

After Jiang Xue left, she cut off all communication with Qingfeng Town, had little contact with her family, and no longer paid attention to any news related to Han Cheng. If her aunt hadn’t informed her about her mother’s serious illness, she wouldn’t have entertained the thought of reconnecting with the Jiang family. So, she didn’t know that Su Xiaoxiao gave birth to twins. She didn’t even ask if their family had returned to live in the capital. 

The longer Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan grow, the less they look like each other. Xiao Roubao eats faster, especially after entering kindergarten, where they are already half a head taller than Xiao Tangyuan. Now, if they weren’t aware that Tangyuan and Roubao were twins, they would think Xiao Roubao was one year older than Tangyuan.

Su Xiaoxiao touched the heads of the two little cubs and said with a smile, “They are twins. My younger son’s name is Xiao Roubao, and my daughter’s name is Xiao Tangyuan. Hey, look, it’s Aunt Jiang. Fantuan, Doubao, don’t you recognize Aunt Jiang?”

The cubs exclaimed in unison, “Aunt Jiang.”.

Jiang Xue nodded; only then did she realize that when she saw her old classmates and friends again, the inexplicable sense of familiarity was something that others could not give. Judging from Su Xiaoxiao’s appearance, she could guess that she was doing well, and Jiang Xue was really happy for them in her heart.

Jiang Xue took a box of chocolates from the items she had prepared to bring home, bent down, and handed it to Xiao Tangyuan: “I brought back some snacks from my last performance. You guys should try them.”

Xiao Tangyuan looked at her mother, and Su Xiaoxiao said, “You should thank Aunt Jiang.”

The kids thanked her in unison, and sharp-eyed Xiao Roubao noticed the pattern on the box, his eyes lighting up. “It’s chocolate!”

Jiang Xue looked at the adorable, chubby children in front of her and smiled warmly: “Xiao Roubao is really clever; it is indeed chocolate.”

Since they weren’t particularly close, it wouldn’t be proper to accept gifts, but refusing would seem petty. A box of chocolates wasn’t an expensive gift from Jiang Xue to her old classmate’s children, so there was no need to decline. However, it wasn’t appropriate to discuss deep topics. With a closer friend, she might inquire about their personal lives, but with Su Xiaoxiao, their conversation ended with basic pleasantries and farewells.

Su Xiaoxiao graciously invited her to come inside, but Jiang Xue politely declined; she said that she needed to urgently go home and visit her sick mother. After saying their goodbyes, they went their separate ways, knowing they might only meet again if fate allowed.

Just like their respective life paths, their processes and destinations were never in the same direction.

……

The kids ate their chocolates, bouncing ahead, while Su Xiaoxiao walked behind with Han Cheng.

“Jiang Xue seems to have changed a lot,” Su Xiaoxiao said.

Han Cheng replied, “People always change, but how others change doesn’t concern us.”

Seeing that Han Cheng didn’t want to continue the topic, Su Xiaoxiao stopped talking about it. She put a piece of chocolate into Han Cheng’s mouth and tried one herself: “Jiang Xue has good taste; the chocolate from this place is the best.”

Each of the kids had two pieces, while Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng had three each. Xiao Roubao, who loved chocolate the most, finished his quickly. Xiao Doubao only ate one piece, saving the other in his hand, which had melted by the time they reached home.

Xiao Doubao wanted to wash his hands, but Xiao Roubao grabbed Xiao Doubao’s hand to lick it, which disgusted Fantuan. “Xiao Roubao, can you stop being so disgusting?”

Xiao Roubao pouted and disagreed: “My brother’s hands are not dirty, so he’s not disgusting.”

Han Cheng lifted the little kid by the collar: “No mischief. Your mom has more; you can have another piece. After eating, take your sister and play nearby. Take good care of her.”

Xiao Roubao agreed; as long as he got to eat, he didn’t mind his dad lifting him by the collar. “Yes, sir!”

…….

The Fengshui pond hadn’t had fish for decades, and there was no standing water at the bottom, saving them a lot of trouble.

The tools borrowed from Zhang Hongtu were placed on the living room table: micro-civil explosive ammunition, a large hammer, shovels, a saw, and a drill-like device similar to a 21st-century electric drill. It seemed very comprehensive.

Han Cheng put on protective gloves, brought out the tools, and told Fantuan: “There might be a loud noise later. Take your siblings to play at the door; don’t let anyone come near. If anyone asks, say we’re renovating the flower bed. Keep an eye on the front and back doors.”

Fantuan understood the importance and nodded. “Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t even let a fly in.”

Fantuan took his sister’s hand and said, “Let’s go play outside.”

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the explosive ammunition and said, “What is this?”

Han Cheng set it aside: “For blasting. We won’t need it. Zhang Hongtu thought I was blowing up the house.”

Su Xiaoxiao originally thought it was funny, but after staring at the bridge, she felt a bit worried and said, “This bridge doesn’t look thick from above, but it’s quite large up close. Can we break it without blasting?”

Han Cheng struck it with a large hammer a few times: “Listen to the sound; it’s hollow. This means it’s empty inside. The gold must be in there. I’ll use the drill to weaken the structure first, then break it open with the hammer. It will be noisy.”

Han Cheng struck again from top to bottom, feeling that only the middle section was hollow, with solid parts above and below. The gold shouldn’t fill the entire pier. He checked the other pier and found it hollow in the middle, too. He told Su Xiaoxiao: “Go to the first room on the right in the main house and find some of my mother’s old clothes, something that can be carried by hand. Find a few; the gold is heavy, and we can’t fill one completely.”

Su Xiaoxiao blinked, surprised at the amount of gold they had.

Han Cheng found her expression amusing, guessing her thoughts, and kissed her cheek. “I don’t know how much there is. Maybe not that much, but it’s better to be prepared.”

The whole family works together; Han Cheng is responsible for smashing bridge piers; Su Xiaoxiao is responsible for finding containers; and the cubs are responsible for being watchguards.

As the sound of drilling began, the gold-digging operation officially started.

Su Xiaoxiao entered Han Cheng’s parents’ room for the first time, and although it was already dusty, the decorations were neat and elegant, indicating that her mother-in-law was someone who loved life.

Su Xiaoxiao looked around and saw several large cabinets in the room, but she didn’t see the clothes Han Cheng mentioned.

Su Xiaoxiao opened the wardrobe and found several suitcases neatly stacked, similar to those used as luggage in the Republic of China era, square and leather, looking sturdy.

There were four in total. Su Xiaoxiao took them out one by one to clean the dust off. The first three were light, but the fourth felt heavier as if something was inside.

She decided to open them one by one.

The first three were empty. When she opened the fourth, she thought she was seeing things. She closed and reopened it to make sure it was real, then stood there, dumbfounded.