Dinner was a little late. After finishing, An Moxue sighed, "Auntie, you don't know, I've eaten plenty of delicacies outside, but I always miss your cooking."
Aunt Ma laughed and said, "It's probably because it's the same taste as your mother's. There are several cooks in the family, and back then, Miss Ma liked my cooking the most. I don't think my cooking is that delicious."
Aunt Ma smiled, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. This feeling of being needed made her feel that she could continue to cook for the young lady for many more years to come.
Old Ma also said, "I love your aunt's cooking the most, it's delicious."
“Auntie, you’re used to eating your own cooking, so you don’t think much of it, but it’s very precious to Uncle Ma and me.”
And so, the three of them finished their meal and sat together chatting. Before they knew it, it was already dark.
Old Ma stood up and said to An Moxue, "Put on your clothes and come with me."
An Moxue blinked her big eyes and looked at Old Ma, "Uncle Ma, are you really going to abandon me?"
Old Ma walked up to her, gave her a good whack on the head, and laughed and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? You're all grown up now, you should take care of your own things. Let your aunt and me relax a bit, otherwise we'll be on edge all the time. Come down and come with me, what's with all the talk?"
Aunt Ma looked at her and said gently, "Go on! You've grown up now, it's time to pass on what's yours."
"All right!"
Old Ma was speechless at her unwillingness. He had never seen anyone like her before; she was being so unenthusiastic even when offered her property.
An Moxue, on the other hand, felt lonely. She felt that if Old Ma was still helping her manage those shady assets, it was because he cared about her. If that care faded, after the couple passed away, who in this world would care about her?
Will I become truly all alone?
It was not even five o'clock yet, but it was already very dark. Old Ma led An Moxue along the way.
An Moxue asked in confusion, "Uncle Ma, isn't this the road to the livestock shed?"
"Okay, just come with me."
When we arrived at the place, it was indeed a large livestock shed.
Old Ma walked ahead without saying a word, and An Moxue followed silently behind. When they reached the front of the stable, Old Ma pressed and twisted the stone trough. After several attempts, An Moxue heard a slow, muffled sound as something started moving.
He asked An Moxue, "Do you remember how to drive it?"
An Moxue nodded, and Old Ma led her to a small house next door. This was where Old Ma usually stayed when he wasn't driving. An Moxue stood at the door and, with the help of her flashlight, saw that a section of the kang (a heated brick bed) covered with straw mats had collapsed. Old Ma lifted the straw mats to reveal a hole about one meter square in the ground.
Old Ma lit a match and placed it at the entrance of the cave. Several minutes passed before he said, "Go down and take a look. Inside are all the things Second Master left for your mother, and some were specifically for your mother's children. Now they're all yours. Go!"
It was only then that An Moxue realized why Aunt Ma had fed livestock in the village for so many years, and why Old Ma had returned to the village after being discharged from the army and driven a cart for so many years.
An Moxue glanced at Old Ma, who smiled and said, "Go quickly."
An Moxue took a flashlight and went into the kang (heated brick bed) cavity. Inside were stone steps, and An Moxue went down the steps to a stone door.
There was a complex pattern on the stone gate, starting with grooves and ending in a slot for a small fox in the middle.
An Moxue took off the little fox pendant from her chest and placed it in the groove. It fit perfectly, but the stone door did not open. She thought for a moment, then took out a sharp knife and made a small cut on her finger. The blood dripped into the groove of the stone door and followed it all the way to the little fox in the middle. With a snap, the little fox fell down, and the stone door slowly opened.
An Mo picked up the little fox and put it around his neck. The stone door was fully opened, revealing a large stone chamber. It was unusually dry inside, with a thick layer of quicklime on the floor. Inside, a pile of boxes was neatly arranged.
There was an exceptionally exquisite and intricate rosewood box on the outside. An Moxue took the box off, and there wasn't a speck of dust on it.
It was a small fox in the recess. She took out the little fox and put it inside. The box popped open and the little fox fell out.
An Moxue picked up the little fox and put it on. She then picked up the top piece of paper, which was a letter left by her grandfather to her mother. The letter described the treasure here, the family genealogy in the box, a family tree, and the location of the treasure in the family tree, as well as the method of collecting it, and the deed to the house in the county town.
This is the last core secret and treasure of the Nalan family's direct line.
An Moxue counted the boxes; there were a total of one hundred and twenty. The contents of each box were clearly marked, and they were all rare and precious gemstones and jade, much rarer than what she had found in the Nalan family mansion in Anping County. She only glanced at them before storing them all in her spatial storage.
I'm so happy I could fly! This must mean I'm rolling in gold, to have so many precious gems and jade. These are worth more than gold.
After leaving the stone chamber, An Moxue closed it again. Stepping out of the kang (heated brick bed) opening, she asked Old Ma, "Uncle Ma, have you seen what's down there? Do you know?"
Old Ma looked at her mouth, which was practically splitting open to her ears, shook his head, and said, "I haven't seen it before, so I don't know."
An Mo chuckled, "Uncle Ma, you and your aunt have no idea what's inside, yet you've guarded it for so many years. Isn't that a waste?"
Old Ma glared at her, clearly disagreeing with her words. "What do you know? That's what Second Grandfather said he'd leave for Miss and her future children. How could the contents be anything less than perfect? I'll just guard it well. What's inside is none of my business."
"Yes, yes, it wasn't me. I shouldn't have questioned you, alright? I'll find a chance to move everything to a safer place tonight, so you don't need to worry about this place anymore, okay?"
Old Ma nodded and asked, "Do you have the property deed from the county?"
An Moxue nodded and said, "Yes."
Old Ma breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. When the time is right, you can reveal your Nalan family identity to the government and get the old house back."
"It's alright. Even if I don't confess, I still have ways to get my ancestral home back. I'll rebuild it and restore it to its original state. What do you say?"
"not good."
An Moxue asked in surprise, "Why? Uncle Ma?"
"The second master said, 'What's lost is lost, don't be sad, just keep it in your heart. Look forward, don't look back, it should have its new glory.'"
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