So, the two packed their belongings quickly, took their meager funds, and embarked on their journey to find out about Lin Wanqing's background. They first returned to the place where Ah Yu had lived as a child. The familiar streets were now unrecognizable, replaced by towering buildings, and the old house of their memories was nowhere to be seen. Ah Yu inquired around and finally found an elderly man who still had some recollection of what had happened back then.
"The Lin family did indeed suffer a terrible fire back then. Afterwards, it seems everyone in the family moved away, but I don't know exactly where they went," the old man recalled. Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing felt a little disappointed after hearing this, but they didn't give up. They continued to inquire in the neighborhood and learned that the old housekeeper might have moved to a small town in the south of the city.
V. Following the Clues in the Small Town
Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing rushed to the small town in the south of the city. The town was small, with a bluestone road running through it, lined with old houses, and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard. They went from house to house asking about the old steward's whereabouts, but most people shook their heads, saying they didn't know. Just when they were feeling somewhat desperate, at the town's market, an old woman selling vegetables overheard their questions and said, "Is the old steward you're talking about surnamed Chen? If so, he seems to live in that dilapidated temple at the west end of town."
Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing were overjoyed and immediately hurried towards the dilapidated temple at the west end of town. The temple looked extremely run-down; the paint on the temple door had peeled off, revealing the rotten wood inside. Entering the temple, in the dim light, they saw an elderly man with gray hair sitting on a prayer mat, meditating with his eyes closed. Ah Yu stepped forward and softly asked, "Excuse me, are you Steward Chen?" The old man slowly opened his eyes, scrutinizing the two people before him, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Ah Yu explained her and Lin Wanqing's identities and their purpose to the old man in detail. After listening, Butler Chen's face showed a complex expression. "So many years have passed, I never thought someone would still come to ask about what happened back then." He stood up, walked to a corner of the temple, and rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items to find an old box. Opening the box, he found some yellowed letters and several photographs.
“These are some things from the Lin family back then; perhaps they can be of some help to you,” said Butler Chen, handing the box to Ah Yu. Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing eagerly began to examine them. One of the photos was a family portrait of the Lin family, and the little girl in the photo bore a resemblance to Lin Wanqing. Most of the letters were correspondence between the Lin family and their business partners, but one letter in particular caught their attention.
VI. Hidden Clues in the Letters
This letter, written by the head of the Lin family to a business friend, mentions several disputes within the family business, seemingly implying that the fire years ago was not accidental but related to internal family conflicts and business rivals. The letter also mentions a mysterious organization that appears to be manipulating events behind the scenes, plunging the Lin family into crisis.
After reading the letter, Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing were filled with shock and confusion. "What exactly is this mysterious organization? Why are they targeting the Lin family?" Lin Wanqing asked, frowning. Ah Yu pondered for a moment, "It seems the truth we're looking for is far more complex than we imagined. But this letter at least gives us a direction; we must continue investigating along this lead."
Butler Chen watched them from the side and sighed, "After that great fire, the Lin family completely declined. I've been wandering around, and all these years I've been inquiring about the Lin family's descendants. I never expected to meet you today. I hope you can find out the truth of what happened back then and give the Lin family an explanation." Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing thanked Butler Chen and left the dilapidated temple with the letter and photos.
Back at the inn in the small town, the two carefully examined the letters and photographs again, trying to find more clues. They discovered addresses and names written on the back of the photographs. Although the handwriting was somewhat blurred, careful examination still revealed some clues. One of the addresses seemed to be the location of a property owned by the Lin family in the past, and the names likely belonged to someone closely related to the Lin family.
VII. Hope and Challenges Brought by New Clues
Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing decided to follow the address on the back of the photo to find new clues. They set off early the next morning. After several days of travel, they finally found the place. It was an abandoned factory, overgrown with weeds, its gate tightly shut and secured with a rusty padlock.
They circled the factory and found a gap in the wall, which they climbed over. The factory was eerily quiet; the machinery was covered in dust and cobwebs. In an office, they found some old documents that mentioned a company called "Wansheng Group," which seemed to have close ties to the Lin family's business dealings back then.
Further investigation led them to a diary at the bottom of a filing cabinet. The diary belonged to an accountant who had worked at the factory years ago. It detailed the business competition between the Wansheng Group and the Lin family, as well as some shady tactics. The diary revealed that the Wansheng Group was ruthless in its pursuit of acquiring the Lin family's assets, and may even have orchestrated the fire.
However, just as they were engrossed in their newly discovered clues, they suddenly heard footsteps outside. Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing were startled; had they been discovered? They quickly extinguished their candles and hid in a corner. They saw a group of people carrying flashlights enter the factory, the leader seemingly directing the others to search for something.
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