After leaving the cemetery, we headed towards the Wen family's old residence.
The old house is located in the suburbs, built against the mountain. It is the only house within a ten-mile radius. It is a four-story villa from the Republican era, covering an area of more than 3,000 square meters.
After Wen Jiarong passed away, the place was nationalized by the government.
When Lin Xiaoxiao and Luo Qingming saw the appearance of the old house, they couldn't help but open their mouths wide.
It's spectacular.
It's as magnificent as a castle.
"Grandpa, how did you manage to get the property rights back from the government?" Lin Xiaoxiao was really curious.
Logically speaking, such a large residential building should be firmly in the hands of the state.
If this were in the future, it could be developed into a tourist attraction.
This is Wen Jiarong's residence.
This gimmick alone is enough to attract countless people to come and admire it.
Her uncle looked at her lovingly and said, "Nancheng plans to merge several vocational colleges to form Nancheng University. Your great-uncle donated funds to them."
"In addition, we have also invested in the construction of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei railway and the Yangcheng Bridge Hospital Hotel."
Lin Xiaoxiao gave a thumbs up, "Grandpa is so righteous."
This series of investments and donations amounted to at least several hundred million yuan.
It was only 1995, and China was still in the planned economy era, so there was no legal channel for foreign capital to enter.
Uncle was probably one of the earliest Hong Kong-based capital firms to cooperate with the mainland.
Uncle laughed and said, "The money you donated all belonged to your mother. How can your uncle talk about righteousness?"
“You can’t say that,” Lin Xiaoxiao said with a disapproving look. “If it weren’t for you helping Mom manage her businesses all these years, accumulating wealth bit by bit, we wouldn’t have the capital to donate. And because of Grandpa’s entrustment before his death, you have protected Mom for twenty years. This dedication, sincerity and virtue are priceless acts of righteousness.”
Wen Shiyu and the others nodded in agreement.
It is no exaggeration to say that without Uncle, there would be no Gu Rong Trading Company as we know it today.
Uncle played an indispensable role in developing Gu Rong Trading Company into the largest business tycoon in the port city.
Although all the initial funds and industries were given to him by Wen Jiarong, as Lin Xiaoxiao said, without his leadership, no amount of initial capital could have accumulated into a substantial sum.
Wen Shiyu knew she lacked the talent to manage a business, and she offered to transfer some of the shares of Gu Rong Trading Company to her uncle more than once, but her uncle refused each time.
He only holds the original shares in his own hands; the rest are all under Wen Shiyu's name.
If this isn't righteousness, then what is?
"They're all good kids." The uncle looked at the younger generation surrounding him, deeply moved.
His gaze swept through the crowd and landed on the stone lions at the entrance of the old house. He said in a faint voice, "Without Brother Rong, there would be no Uncle today."
So whatever he does, it's all done willingly.
Lin Xiaoxiao had heard Shiyu tell the story of her uncle.
Uncle was sold to the Wen family by his parents. It was during the late Qing Dynasty, and the Wen family was a well-known wealthy family in the area. Uncle had several older brothers, but his family was poor and could not afford to support so many people. So his parents had no choice but to sell him when he was just over five years old.
At five years old, he was not good at many chores and was often bullied by the older servants in the mansion. When Wen Jiarong, who was only six years old, saw him, she took him to her side. Perhaps it was the first time that Wen Jiarong had seen someone younger than herself in the mansion, so she liked to play with him. She would take him to school and teach him to read and write.
On the surface, the two are master and servant, but in private they are like brothers.
The turning point came when Wen Jiarong was seventeen. The entire Wen family was slaughtered overnight, and all their treasures were looted. Wen Jiarong and his uncle, who were away from home, escaped the calamity.
At that time, it was the early stage of the warlord wars, and local business families, led by the Wen family, became the targets of the warlords' plunder.
The warlord who massacred the Wen family was a very powerful figure at the time. How could the underage Wen Jiarong possibly challenge him?
He resolutely joined the warlords' ranks, and with his intelligence and superb tactics, he quickly gained their favor. In just three years, he transformed the warlord army that occupied four provinces in East China.
During that time, his uncle followed him in countless battles. Wen Jiarong saved his life, and he also saved Wen Jiarong's life.
The two were sworn brothers, bound by life and death, and shared a deep bond.
The phrase, "Without Brother Rong, there would be no Uncle today," was Uncle's heartfelt statement.
"Let's go in and take a look, see if anything has changed over the years," the uncle said to Wen Shiyu and the others, wiping his eyes.
The moment you push open the door and step inside, a sense of luxury washes over you.
The interior is exquisitely and luxuriously decorated. The spacious hall is paved with smooth marble tiles, each tile acting as a mirror, reflecting the magnificent chandelier on the ceiling. The walls are adorned with precious calligraphy and paintings.
The faces of the crowd darkened.
In their eyes, all that exists is luxury and chaos.
Every room in the mansion looked like it had been burgled; things were ransacked and some walls were even smashed with holes.
The uncle sighed, "I knew it would turn out like this."
The government nationalized the mansion, intending to preserve it as a cultural relic.
However, it's inevitable that many people with ill intentions will sneak in to look for the treasure.
When Wen Jiarong died, very little was found in the mansion; most of it consisted of useless calligraphy and paintings.
Where did all the gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques go?
Everyone guessed that he was still in the house, but hadn't been discovered yet.
Such a beautiful mansion, ruined like this, even Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed how immoral it was.
If repairs are desired later, it will likely require a significant investment.
"These paintings weren't stolen after all." The uncle looked at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the surrounding walls and found it somewhat amusing.
I thought I would see a bare house, but it turns out there were still some things left.
Lin Xiaoxiao stood under a painting, looked up at it for a long time, and asked in surprise, "It can't all be real, can it?"
"Of course it's true," Uncle laughed. "Anything that your grandfather put in this house is genuine."
Wow!
Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed Luo Qingming's arm and shook it, "Did you hear that? It's all true."
Luo Qingming looked up twice, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Then we really have to thank those thieves for not recognizing the value of the goods."
They must have thought the thing hanging so prominently on the wall was fake, which is why they didn't take it.
These paintings and calligraphy works are all unique pieces. They may not be valuable now, but that doesn't mean they won't be valuable in the future.
Moreover, they are all works by famous artists.
While Lin Xiaoxiao was admiring the treasures, only Wen Mo noticed Wen Shiyu's tightly pursed lips and solemn expression.
"What's wrong?" Wen Mo asked softly, holding her hand.
Wen Shiyu shook her head, staring intently at the wall next to the stairs. After a long while, she walked over, and Wen Mo quickly followed.
Noticing their actions, Lin Xiaoxiao and the others followed them over.
Wen Shiyu touched the wall, and Wen Mo had a sudden flash of inspiration, "This is...?"
He looked at her questioningly, and Wen Shiyu nodded.
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