Chapter 48: In the basement, I learned the old lady’s secret
Seeing her grandmother coming, Ruoyu subconsciously glanced at Shihuai beside her. She has never been good at lying and fooling people, so she was quite nervous.
For a moment, I didn’t know how to cover for Shi Huai.
Shi Huai and Ruoyu were very close. She rubbed Ruoyu's arm, half of her body moved close to her, slightly tilted her head, and put her lips close to Ruoyu's ear to give her an excuse to send her grandmother away.
Old Mrs. Zhou was busy cheering her up and didn't notice the secret conversation between the two sisters-in-law.
After listening to Shi Huai's advice, Ruoyu's heart was beating fast and heavy. She wondered if this would work.
But now, in order to help grandma get out of the haze, I have no choice but to give it a try.
Sacrificing Zhou Xu shouldn't be a problem, right?
Ruoyu took a deep breath and walked up to her grandmother: "Grandma...I, I have something to tell you."
Mrs. Zhou held Huanyue in her arms. Seeing Ruoyu's troubled expression, she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?"
Ruoyu couldn't help but glance back at Shi Huai, and clenched her fists slightly: "About, about Zhou Xu."
It was a rare opportunity to hear her eldest grandson's name from Ruoyu's mouth. Old Mrs. Zhou handed the joy to Aunt Zhang beside her and listened carefully to the soft voice of her granddaughter-in-law.
"Didn't Shi Huai and I go to Jiang'an to look for Zhou Xu some time ago?"
Ruoyu and Zhou Xu had never mentioned what happened in Jiang An to the old lady. Now that Ruoyu brought it up on her own initiative, Old Lady Zhou immediately realized that something was wrong.
She took Ruoyu's hand, frowning slightly: "Just tell me what's going on. Don't be afraid. Grandma will support you!"
The old lady was kind and compassionate, and she worked hard for the family. When I think of her old age, she is often depressed.
Ruoyu felt more determined. Since Shi Huai could help the old lady out of depression, she would do her best to help!
She bit her lip, and under the old lady's gaze, she turned sideways to look at Shi Huai who was not far behind her.
In the old lady's eyes, this seemed like a gesture, and she was not very happy to let Shi Huai listen here.
Shi Huai looked into Shang Ruoyu's eyes, but before he could speak, he heard Mrs. Zhou say, "Let's go to the tea room and talk."
"Um."
Hearing that grandma and Ruoyu were going to the second-floor bedroom, Shi Huai put on a calm smile, "I remembered that I haven't taken my folic acid supplement today. Grandma, please talk to you and your sister-in-law first. I won't go. I'll come to see you later."
Before leaving, Shi Huai and Ruo Yu passed each other, and she gave Ruo Yu a look of trust and encouragement.
Ruoyu pursed her lips, thinking that telling her grandmother about Jiang An wouldn't be considered a lie. She shouldn't be able to reveal any flaws, right?
As I was thinking about it, I took the elevator upstairs with my grandma.
*
The house where the old lady lived was sparsely populated and quiet. Apart from Aunt Zhang, the servants would only enter the house during necessary cleaning times and would not stay in the main house at other times.
Aunt Zhang has taken Xiao Huanyu to play in the garden, and the entire living room is now empty.
Shi Huai made sure that there was no one else in the main hall before walking into the basement.
As if with God's help, the old lady's basement was locked all year round. She was in a hurry when she came out today and forgot to close the door tightly, leaving a gap.
Shi Huai pushed open the door, and the huge interior space came into view.
The lights are bright, and there are special people who come to clean the room regularly. It feels more like a small museum than a basement.
The various ancient authentic works and valuable antiques inside are protected by custom-made glass covers.
Several long-lost ancient paintings caught Shi Huai's eye. Unexpectedly, the sought-after authentic works were actually in the Zhou family. They must have been restored by a master, and the calligraphy and paintings were exquisitely detailed and lifelike, like brand-new treasures painted thousands of years ago.
The Zhou family cherishes every hard-earned treasure.
However, Shi Huai did not sneak here to view antiques. She was looking for the engagement gift from her grandparents.
It was not until he reached the end of the corridor that a painting hanging in the center, titled "Birds on the Branches of Trees in Spring Mountains," caught Shi Huai's eye.
She stopped and looked up at the original painting, her heart beating fast. One glance and she was sure.
This original painting only left a name in history books, and no one has ever seen it in person.
Either this original painting was destroyed during the war and disappeared from the world. Or, in ancient times, this authentic painting that has been passed down through the ages was bought by someone with a keen mind and hidden in his home.
At that time, she discussed with her senior brothers and sisters what the final outcome of this picture of intertwined branches would be.
However, most people believed that the originals had long since crumbled into dust and melted into the universe. Any authentic work that had survived for millennia must have belonged to a royal family, a powerful and wealthy family. However, a family that could maintain its roots for millennia was simply a fantasy.
This true sign symbolizes lasting love and deep affection.
Unfortunately, the paper was wrinkled and yellowed from water, and stained with mildew, and the handwriting was blurred to the point that the structure of the characters was difficult to discern. The outline of the face in the painting was even unclear.
If seen by others, this original work would probably be beyond restoration.
In her early years, she had helped her grandfather restore quite a few original paintings, all of which had been damaged to varying degrees. Having inherited her grandfather's true skills, she had a keen eye and could spot problems at a glance.
This painting must have been well-preserved and restored, so its overall structure is still intact. However, it has been stained and wrinkled by water, and its exquisiteness is far less than usual.
Shi Huai took out his cell phone and took a picture of the painting.
She was confident that she could restore the painting.
After doing this, she did not stay any longer and quietly left the basement, deliberately not closing the door tightly, pretending that she had never been here.
*
As soon as Zhou Xu came back in the afternoon, the old lady called him over to kneel in the ancestral hall.
Zhou Xu looked at his wife who was accompanying his grandmother with a confused look on his face.
Ruoyu's eyes were panicked and evasive. She looked at the ceiling and the tiled floor, but she didn't dare to look at him. She looked obviously guilty.
Zhou Xu chuckled softly, didn't ask any more questions, put down the things in his hand, and followed his grandmother's instructions and went straight into the ancestral hall.
Ruoyu watched her husband walk away without any hesitation or questions, and kept apologizing in her heart.
I'm sorry, Zhou Xu, for grandma's sake, please bear with it for now.
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