"As far as I know, ghosts usually remain in the same position as when they died. If neither of you died by hanging, then you shouldn't be in a hanging position after death."

Ji Qian frowned, somewhat puzzled by the reason. It couldn't be that the rules for ghosts were different in ancient times.

This was the first time Madam Qian had heard of such a claim. She and Mr. Qian exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in the empty eyes of the paper figure.

Seeing that her thoughts had reached a dead end, Ji Qian stopped worrying about it and asked, "Can I go take a look at that hidden compartment?"

Even if Ji Qian hadn't mentioned it, Madam Qian was still prepared to take a look.

She didn't live to see the fate of her two children. Now that her younger daughter is in trouble, she at least needs to make sure her grandson hasn't escaped.

As expected of a successful businessman, Mr. Qian even designed the switches for the hidden compartments in a rather bizarre way.

Ji Qian stood by the bed in the bedroom, looking at the fixed chamber pot hidden at the foot of the bed. She, who always considered herself to be well-mannered, was filled with swear words.

Madam Qian was completely oblivious to Ji Qian's predicament, and continued to give her repeated instructions:

"The bottom is a movable disc. You put your hand in, turn it three times to the left and three times to the right, and the hidden compartment will open."

Although Madam Qian said the chamber pot was clean, Ji Qian couldn't get over the fact that the spout was covered in dirt and dust.

This time, Ji Qian didn't look back. She ran straight to the door, grabbed Xu Qi who was about to run away, and pulled him into the house by the collar.

"Sis! Sis, I was wrong! No, Ji Qian, what are you doing?!" Xu Qi vividly demonstrated what it means to beg for mercy and then become angry.

Unfortunately, he was facing Ji Qian.

No matter how much he threw a tantrum, Ji Qian's hand remained firmly still, and she dragged him all the way to the bedside.

"Put your hand in, turn it three times to the left and three times to the right, and then you can leave."

Xu Qi looked at the chamber pot in front of him and felt his heart sink.

He looked up at Ji Qian with tears in his eyes, his voice filled with disbelief: "After knowing each other for so many years, how could you be so cold-blooded?!"

Ji Qian patted his head and gently comforted him, "Sweetie, have you lost your memory? I've always been like this."

[This is a video with a certain odor.]

How can there be such a shameless person in the world!

【Ahhh, Ji Qian, I'm going to kill you! Qiqi, don't reach out! Don't listen to this woman's manipulative tactics!】

[Shameless to this extent, Ji Qian, you truly live up to your reputation.]

[This Mr. Qian is crazy. Couldn't he have put it in a cleaner place?]

But the one in front, that really does prevent theft!

That makes sense. Who in their right mind would steal someone else's chamber pot?

[Mr. Qian: The Art of Control]

Seeing Ji Qian's resolute attitude, Xu Qi had no choice but to reach in with a humiliated expression.

As Mrs. Qian said, the bottom of the chamber pot was a rotating disc, but perhaps because of its age, Xu Qi had to exert a lot of effort to finally manage to push the disc.

After completing the task of spinning six times, Xu Qi collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.

As the disc was turned, the wall behind the bed slowly moved to the left until it had rotated six times, revealing a hidden compartment the size of a suitcase.

Ji Qian leaned closer to look, but there were no child remains as she had imagined; instead, there was only an old, yellowed envelope.

The envelope was signed by Qian Jingxuan, the youngest grandson of the Qian family.

Ji Qian opened the envelope and quickly glanced through it. The letter was left by Qian Jingxuan when he returned to the old house after he came of age, and it detailed his experiences after that night.

That night, after Madam Qian left, Qian Jingxuan's aunt, Qian Handuo, the youngest daughter of the Qian family, held him and hid in the secret compartment for a long time.

Only after the sounds of fighting outside had subsided did Qian Handuo decide to go out alone to check the situation.

Before leaving, she specifically instructed Qian Jingxuan that if she did not return, he should not go back to the house to look for her, but should escape back to the city through the back door.

Qian Handuo never returned.

So Qian Jingxuan remembered his aunt's words, climbed down from the master bedroom window, and then slipped up the mountain through the back door.

Qian Jingxuan was too young to remember the way and had no money, so he could only beg along the streets. He didn't know how long he walked before he finally saw the familiar city gate.

After entering the city, Qian Jingxuan couldn't find the academy where his brothers studied, so he had to ask around along the way. Fortunately, he ran into his second grandfather, Qian Erma, who was out shopping at the market.

"Er Ma is Er Niu's younger brother. After growing up, he passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). He has been teaching at the academy ever since."

Upon receiving the news that her grandson had lived to adulthood, Madam Qian's mood improved considerably, and she even had the mood to explain the relationships between the characters in the letter to Ji Qian.

[Erniu, Erma, this family knows how to name their children.]

[You don't understand what I said before. This is called having a humble name so the child is easier to raise. That's how the old people in the village used to name their children.]

Yes, my grandparents' generation was like a zoo, with tigers, mules, donkeys, and even a creature called a rat.

My uncle's original name was Wenyuan. When he was a teenager, he had poor health and almost died.

My grandma decided to change my name to Gou Dan (Dog Egg). Now, at 65, Uncle Gou Dan can run and jump around, and he's healthier than me.

[Fun fact: Xin Qiji's son was named Xin Tiezhu]

I know! Look at Xin Jia Tiezhu, a nobleman who will rise to prominence without disaster or hardship.

Because the murderer was never found, Qian Jingxuan and his remaining brothers all changed their names and even dared not return to collect the bodies of their relatives and elders.

This letter was left by Qian Jingxuan when he sneaked back alone before his wedding. For safety reasons, he didn't even use the front door; he climbed up through the window he had previously used to escape.

This letter was left for Qian Handuo; Qian Jingxuan did not see her body when he escaped.

Although he knew the odds were against him, Qian Jingxuan still hoped that if Qian Handuo was still alive, she could follow this letter to find her family and reunite.

[Could Qian Handuo really be dead? This is too tragic.]

Logically speaking, the odds should be against them.

Nineteen years old, the prime of life!

This nephew is quite considerate; he even knew to leave a message when he came back.

How could a wealthy businessman from a family with upright morals and kind nature suffer such a tragic fate as the entire family being murdered?

Does anyone remember what Master Qian said about this being a cover-up? It must mean they knew something they shouldn't have known.

[I suspect there's some big news coming!]

[Wasn't I watching a variety show? How did it turn into a century-old unsolved case being revealed?]

[Hi, Director Liu's variety shows always have a gossip-filled vibe, you'll get used to it.]

[Yeah, if it weren't for all the gossip, that show wouldn't have been banned.]

Help! What kind of riddle are you guys playing?!

My grandma said that if you only say half of what you mean, your tongue will rot!

After reading the letter, Ji Qian had a vague idea of ​​the direction of the next search.