Xiaoman knew that Tian Dahua wouldn't feel at ease until this matter was resolved. "My solution has a prerequisite."
Tian Dahua: "What premise?"
"If Tao Xudong can figure out the meaning of those paintings, this matter can be completely resolved."
"This... even his great-grandfather and his maternal grandmother couldn't figure it out, how could he?"
"I think Tao Xudong is quite smart."
Tian Dahua thought Xiaoman was smarter than Tao Xudong: "Why don't you take a look for him?"
Xiaoman looked at Tian Dahua and said, "Since it involves treasure, I can't get involved. You, your older brother, and Dabao should also stay out of it. With Binzi around, those two families won't dare to touch Tao Xudong, much less our Da Ni."
Tian Dahua was taken aback: "I didn't think that much about it, so... so Xudong has to solve this himself?"
“Hmm. If he wants Da Ni to help him take a look, then Da Ni can help him. If he doesn’t say anything, then forget it.” Seeing that Tian Da Hua was still worried, Xiao Man added a few more words of advice: “With our whole family here, those two families wouldn’t dare to do anything to the young couple. Besides, Tao Xudong and our Da Ni still live in our Han Family Village. If you’re really worried, then don’t let them go back.”
"Fine. I won't let them go back until this matter is resolved."
"Um."
After resting that night, Tian Dahua told Han Gui about it: "Xiaoman told us not to get involved, you see..."
Han Gui thought for a moment and said, "Xiaoman is right. Only the person who has truly mastered painting knows for sure. So let's not get involved in this. Let Xudong figure it out himself."
"Then tell Xudong tomorrow that he can completely resolve this matter once he figures out those paintings."
"OK."
"Oh, right. Didn't I ask Xiaoman to help me match Dabao and Huniu together the other day? Xiaoman said..." These past few days, with Tao Xudong's mother, fake father, and fake cousin around, Tian Dahua hadn't mentioned Dabao to Han Gui. "Look, about Huniu..."
"It's alright. If we're not afraid of Xu Dong's situation, why should we be afraid of anything else?"
"Then I'll tell Xiaoman tomorrow."
"Um."
The next morning, Tian Dahua saw Xiaoman and said to her, "Xiaoman, your older brother and I don't mind that Hu Niu was adopted."
Xiaoman smiled and said, "Then I'll give it a try after Dabao and that educated youth are separated."
"Okay. If it works out, your older brother and I will give you a big red envelope."
"OK."
These past few days, Han Gui and his colleagues have been busy at the new house as soon as they finish work.
Han Gui took a moment to call Tao Xudong aside: "Your second aunt said that if you can understand those paintings, this matter can be completely resolved. When you have time, think about those paintings carefully. Your second aunt and I are just farmers, we don't know anything about paintings, so this matter can only be resolved by yourself."
Tao Xudong also wanted to get rid of those two families as soon as possible: "Okay, I'll study it quickly."
"Don't worry, with your second uncle around, they won't dare to do anything. However, you'd better not go back until things are resolved."
"I know. Thank you, Dad."
"It's alright. Go get back to work."
"Um."
After learning that Xiaoman had a solution, Tao Xudong wanted to ask her for advice.
After finishing his work, Tao Xudong returned with Han Gui and the others. After greeting the Han grandmothers, Tao Xudong walked up to Xiaoman and said, "Second Aunt, I want to ask you something."
Xiaoman knew what he wanted to ask. "Okay."
Xiaoman called everyone who knew about this into the house.
After everyone sat down, Xiaoman glanced at Tao Xudong and said, "Go ahead and ask."
"Okay. Second Aunt, I heard from my father that as long as I can figure out those paintings, you will have a way to completely resolve this matter?"
"Hmm. Even if you give them those ancient paintings now, if they can't understand them, they'll think the paintings you gave them are fake. So now we can neither burn those ancient paintings nor give them to them."
Tang Huihui: "Xiaoman, you're not planning to have Xudong decipher those paintings and then lead them on a treasure hunt, are you?"
“No.” Xiaoman looked at Tao Xudong and said, “If you can understand those paintings, you should first go and see how much your maternal grandparents’ family left you. If it’s a lot, take some of it. If it’s a little, keep it all.” Tao Xudong could decide how much.
Tao Xudong understood somewhat: "Then I'll give those ancient paintings to my fake father, and they won't bother me anymore once they find something?"
Xiaoman smiled and said, "It's not for your fake father, it's for those two families. If you give it to your fake father, he might secretly dig up the things behind the other family's back, and they'll keep bothering you. So, both families have to be present when you give it to them. Moreover, you have to find a way to make them discover the secret in the painting. That way, they can find what you left for them."
Xiaoman looked at the others: "Next, it's time to divide the spoils. Gold and silver are manageable; we can just split them equally. But if there are antiques, things will get complicated. If neither family is greedy and they divide the spoils amicably..."
Xiaoman looked at Tao Xudong and said, "Then consider it a loss to avoid disaster. If they can't divide it equally, or if someone wants to take it all for themselves, then what you've left them isn't treasure, but a source of trouble."
Tao Xudong was secretly astonished. If those two families weren't greedy, they wouldn't have schemed against him and his mother. This method could both completely extricate him from the situation and turn those two families against each other: "Second Aunt, I will definitely figure out those paintings."
Xiaoman smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you can't figure it out. You're married now. If anything happens to you, we won't ignore you. Besides, you'll become stronger and stronger in the future, and when you're strong, they won't dare to covet what's yours."
Tao Xudong was very touched: "I know. Thank you, Second Aunt."
Xiaoman smiled.
After finishing his meal, Tao Xudong went home.
After he left, Han Dashan called Han Gui, Han Zhuang, Tian Dahua, Li Qiaoqiao, and Dabao into the house: "No matter how much Xudong digs up in the future, you can't be envious. If any of you dare to be envious, I'll break your legs."
Han Gui: "Father, don't worry."
Everyone else said they weren't envious.
Han Dashan: "Ill-gotten gains are not to be taken. Just you wait and see. Those two families will definitely not come out unscathed."
On the other side, after Tao Jinzhu got home, he called his father to go to the Wu family's house.
After learning that Tao Xudong had found a powerful backer, Wu Erbao called his son and daughter over as well. His daughter was Tao Jinzhu's mistress. Her given name was Yue.
After listening, Wu Yue said, "Can we think of a way to bring his second uncle down?"
Tao Jinzhu: "How do we do it?"
Wu Yue: "Let's write a letter of complaint to the military."
Tao Wang took a drag of his cigarette: "No way, if they find out we did it, they could kill us all."
Wu Yue: "Then what should we do?"
A group of people discussed it for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution.
Meanwhile, Da Bao went to the educated youth settlement after school. Many days had passed since Luo Wenlan fell in front of his house, and Da Bao felt that Luo Wenlan should be calm by now.
After finishing work, Luo Wenlan would try to avoid Da Bao whenever she saw him.
Da Bao called out to Luo Wenlan, and Luo Wenlan had no choice but to come over: "What do you want?"
Da Bao looked at Luo Wenlan and said, "Was it true that you said you wanted to break up with me the other day?"
"Um."
Da Bao was a little sad: "Just because I fell?"
"Yes. I've fallen so badly and you still haven't found the person who put the stones there. You don't care about me at all."
Da Bao asked again, "Are you really going to break up with me?"
"Um."
Da Bao clenched his fist: "Okay."
Tian Dahua was washing her hands in the yard when Dabao came in: "Mom, Luo Wenlan and I broke up."
"That's great! Da Bao, what do you think of Tiger Girl?"
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