Chapter 301 The Tin Box
The following day, Commander Gu unusually did not take Xiaoman out for a stroll, saying that he would take his grandson to visit several old comrades and subordinates in the compound to pay New Year's respects and collect some red envelopes.
The bodyguard, Xiao Li, drove Nan Zhiyi to a heavily guarded, detached building.
This is the vault set up within the military region, mainly used to store important documents, archives, and some senior officers' personal valuables entrusted to them for safekeeping.
Xiao Li guided Nan Zhiyi through a series of procedures to verify her identity and complete registration.
After a staff member in military uniform with a serious expression checked all the documents, he led them through several heavy iron gates and into the building.
The storage area was much simpler than Nan Zhiyi had imagined, with no fancy decorations, only rows of sturdy, numbered dark green metal cabinets.
The staff opened one of the cabinet doors according to the number, and inside were several wooden boxes and metal crates of different sizes neatly stacked.
Nan Zhiyi first picked up the two brown paper document bags on top and carefully examined the documents inside.
One document is the property deed for the old house belonging to the Nan family in the center of Jian'an City, and the other is the property certificate for a small villa in Fangyuan. The papers are slightly yellowed, but well-preserved, and the ink on the parents' signatures is still clear.
The small, heavy metal box contained neatly stacked banknotes, bound with brown paper straps; the amount was considerable.
In the wooden boxes next to it were gold bars and silver coins, neatly arranged and lined with soft velvet, all gleaming.
Finally, there were a few jewelry boxes.
What came into view were my mother and her old jewelry: gold necklaces, jade bracelets, pearl earrings, gemstone brooches... most of them had been lost and recovered, with only a few particularly precious pieces missing.
The storage conditions were much better than she had expected; the jewelry still reflected a warm luster under the dim light.
Nan Zhiyi's heart was filled with turmoil.
She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing against the cool objects, and finally chose the black jade bracelet that her mother often wore, putting it on her wrist.
She picked up a pure gold longevity lock that she had worn when she was a child, intending to take it back to Xiaoman.
Nan Zhiyi carefully closed the jewelry box and the other boxes, picked up the tin box containing the cash, and locked the cabinet door.
She plans to deposit the money in a bank and, once things become clearer, invest it in real estate or other industries, thus leaving Xiaoman with enough savings.
Nan Zhiyi carried the small tin box home. As soon as she entered the door, Aunt Wu came to greet her.
"The commander just sent word that he took Xiaoman out for lunch and won't be back. Perfect, shall I cook you a hot pot? It's so cold and gloomy today, a hot pot is the warmest thing to eat."
Nan Zhiyi placed the box she was carrying in the entryway and replied, "Great! It'll taste even better if it's just the two of us eating together."
Aunt Wu smiled broadly, "That would be wonderful! I'll stew you another bowl of sweet fermented rice balls with extra osmanthus flowers. You used to love eating this when you were at home."
Nan Zhiyi stepped forward and took Wu Ma's arm.
"Aunt Wu, you've made me gain weight these past few days. If you keep spoiling me like this, I really want to take you back to the capital with me. Without you, I'm afraid I won't even enjoy my meals."
Wu Ma gently patted Nan Zhiyi's hand.
"Oh. Wu Ma's whole family is in Jian'an... Besides, it's good to be a little chubby. You were too thin before, but you look just right now, and you look healthy."
Just then, a bubbling sound came from the stove, and the soup in the pot was boiling.
Aunt Wu quickly said, "Oh dear, the pot's boiling! I need to hurry and add the sliced meat and vegetables!"
Nan Zhiyi let go of his hand and rolled up her sleeves: "I'll help you wash the vegetables and prepare the dipping sauce. Let's do it together and it'll be faster."
"Okay, Zhiyi is the most diligent."
The two chatted and worked in the warm kitchen, and soon a steaming copper pot was brought to the table, with sliced mutton, cabbage, tofu and vermicelli laid out beside it.
After finishing the hot pot, Nan Zhiyi leaned back in her chair with satisfaction and gently rubbed her stomach: "I ate too much, my stomach is all round."
Aunt Wu laughed and said, "It's a blessing to be young and have a good appetite! Look at Aunt Wu now, she can't eat much even if she wants to. I feel so bad about it."
Nan Zhiyi agreed, "Okay, then I'll listen to Aunt Wu from now on. I'll eat whatever I want and never mistreat myself."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu slapped the table with delight: "That's right! Being chubby brings good fortune! Look at our Xiaoman, so fair and plump, who wouldn't be happy to see her?"
Just as Nan Zhiyi was about to answer, the phone rang.
It was Zhang Yueran calling: "Sis! It's me!"
A few days ago, during the Chinese New Year, Nan Zhiyi specially used the Gu family's phone to wish Aunt Feng and Zhang Yueran a Happy New Year, and also told them that she would stay in Jian'an for a few more days.
Zhang Yueran called this time to ask her when she would be returning to Beijing.
Nan Zhiyi calculated the start date of school and said, "I plan to go back two days before school starts, so Xiaoman can spend more time with Grandpa."
"Sis, I've already bought my train ticket. I'm going back to school the day after tomorrow!"
Nan Zhiyi remembered that she had mentioned going back to school early to prepare for the exam for Professor Chen's research group, so she asked, "You're going back so early, are the school dormitories open yet? Is there heating? Why don't you stay at my place for a few days instead of staying in the dormitory? Anyway, Sister Zhang is at my house, so it's convenient."
Zhang Yueran: "The dormitory manager said they'll open some doors on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year for those who return to school early. Heating? They'll turn it on at night. But I can go to the library during the day; it's warm there. Sister, I won't stay at your place; it's too much of a hassle. I have a ton of things to do back home. I haven't finished reading the reference books my professor gave me; I need to hurry up and prepare for the research group's exam. I'll just stay in the dorm for a few days; at least I won't get cold!"
Nan Zhiyi knew that she was determined and it was for important business, so she didn't press her further. "Alright, take care to keep warm and wear more clothes. Once you're settled in at school, remember to call me and let me know."
"Okay, okay! Alright, I'm hanging up now, I still need to pack my luggage!"
"etc!"
"What's wrong, sis?"
Nan Zhiyi quickly advised, "Don't bring too much stuff this time. It's too tiring for a small family like yours to carry so much stuff on the train. Besides, you have everything you need at home... If you need anything, I can bring it to you from home..."
"Okay, I'll talk to Mom, but you know her personality, I'm really afraid I won't be able to persuade her..."
Zhang Yueran talked about the New Year for a while before hanging up the phone in a hurry.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com