Chapter 321 – The Things Grandmother Left Them
After looking around, Jiang Junmo led Lu Xia back to the master bedroom.
Then he walked straight to a tall cabinet and reached out to open the door.
…There was nothing, empty inside.
But he didn’t care. Instead, he knocked on the side of the cabinet against the wall and then pressed a button, causing a door to suddenly appear on the wall side of the cabinet. Jiang Junmo opened the door, revealing a passage.
Lu Xia was stunned when she saw this. “This… Does the house have a hidden room?”
Jiang Junmo nodded. “Yes, this secret room has existed since the construction of the house. It’s very concealed. Grandmother left some things for us down there.”
Saying that, he took a flashlight from his bag, entered first, and walked into the passage.
It was only now that Lu Xia realized he had brought it along. She thought so, why did he insist on taking the bag when they went out? She even thought it might be for carrying New Year’s goods later.
But it wasn’t the time to think about these things now. She quickly followed Jiang Junmo into the secret passage.
Inside, there was a descending staircase.
This secret passage probably hadn’t been entered by anyone for many years; it had a dusty smell.
At first, she was concerned that the air might not circulate well here, but it seemed that there were ventilation holes designed. Upon entering, breathing was unexpectedly smooth.
The passage wasn’t large. The two of them quickly reached the lower level, which seemed to be some kind of cellar.
However, at this moment, there were only two boxes inside, and the place looked empty.
Jiang Junmo went straight to the boxes. He didn’t plan to take them out, but he opened the smaller box on top.
The items revealed nearly dazzled Lu Xia’s eyes with their sparkling golden light. On the top layer were jewelry pieces – jade bracelets, gemstone hairpins, pearl necklaces – and many more accessories made of gold.
Jiang Junmo removed the top layer of jewelry, revealing small yellow ingots beneath. She couldn’t discern the exact number, but there seemed to be quite a few.
Lu Xia was shocked. “Didn’t you say your grandfather’s estate was squandered away?”
Jiang Junmo shook his head. “While most of it was squandered, a few things remained. After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother and mother didn’t dare to flaunt their wealth as widows and orphans, so these things remained untouched.”
He moved the small box aside, opened the larger box beneath, and revealed some larger items like porcelain, calligraphy, inkstones, and the like. She didn’t understand these items, but given how discreetly they were stored, they were probably antiques.
“All of these were left by my grandmother for me. Even my sisters don’t know about this cellar. My grandmother only brought me in here once when I was a child.
Only back then, I didn’t know if these things were valuable. I simply saw them as a secret between me and my grandmother…”
Listening, Lu Xia fell silent. She couldn’t help but admire the grandmother. A widow raising a daughter in such turbulent times must have been unimaginably difficult. Not only did she preserve the family’s assets, but she also raised her child in good health. It must have been an incredible challenge.
“But my grandmother treated my sisters well too. Before she passed away, she left them each a considerable amount of gold ingots and jewelry. She didn’t give me anything back then, just said that she was leaving the house to me. My sisters agreed to it as well.”
“I thought these things had already been divided among us by then, but I didn’t expect there to be so much left.”
After listening, Lu Xia didn’t know what to say. She could perceive the grandmother’s favoritism toward him, but as beneficiaries, they had no right to criticize her.
Lu Xia walked over and hugged him. “Let’s go pay respects to your grandmother’s grave in a few days. This new granddaughter-in-law of hers should also pay her respects.”
Jiang Junmo smiled. “Okay.”
*
Chapter 322 – Grandma Liu
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Afterward, the two of them looked at these things again. Lu Xia thought for a moment, “These are all priceless treasures. Let’s not use them if we don’t have to in the future. Let’s keep them as heirlooms.”
“Alright!”
Later, the two of them restored the boxes, but whether or not to take the items with them immediately became a dilemma.
In theory, these items had been safe here for many years, but with the upcoming renovations and the potential for more people being around, it was better to take them.
However, carrying so many things all at once wasn’t feasible for the both of them.
So, Jiang Junmo thought for a moment and said, “Let’s leave these with you. It’s safer.”
Lu Xia nodded. Even though they hadn’t discussed where to put the items, after spending so much time together, Jiang Junmo had already guessed where she could store things.
But he didn’t inquire further. He left her the flashlight and went out first.
Lu Xia smiled as she watched him leave, then she directly stored the boxes into her space and followed him out.
Once outside, Jiang Junmo knew that she had secured everything without needing to ask.
After restoring the cabinet, the two of them intended to leave.
However, at this moment, Lu Xia suddenly thought, “When we come back, do we need to visit your teacher’s house and Senior Brother Xu’s house?”
Jiang Junmo nodded, “We should, but not before the new year. Everyone is busy now. We can do it after the new year, and also give our New Year’s greetings.”
Lu Xia agreed, “Alright.”
After they left the house, they closed the door and locked it with the previous lock.
At that moment, they noticed some neighbors approaching.
Seeing them coming out from the house, a curious neighbor asked, “Is this your house?”
Jiang Junmo nodded, “Yes, it’s my house!”
Then an elderly lady who spoke first looked puzzled, “Isn’t this the house that Old Lady Jin left for her grandson? Are you her grandson? Or did someone sell the house to you?”
After hearing her question, Jiang Junmo looked at her carefully and replied, “Grandma Liu, I am her grandson, and the house hasn’t been sold.”
“Oh, it’s really you!” Grandma Liu exclaimed in surprise. “The last time I saw you, you were just a little child. I didn’t expect you to remember me.”
Jiang Junmo smiled. He wasn’t as reserved as before. “I remember. I even had the candied hawthorn you gave me when I was a child.”
“Well, remembering is good. Remembering is good. My, my, you’ve grown so big. Is this your wife? Oh my, she’s so beautiful. Do you have any children?”
“Yes, this is my wife, Lu Xia. Our child is almost three years old.”
Seeing the familiarity between the two, Lu Xia also greeted, “Hello, Grandma Liu.”
“Ah, hello!”
Grandma Liu’s face blossomed into a smile. “You’re planning to move in, huh?”
Jiang Junmo nodded, “That’s the plan, but it’ll take some time. We need to renovate the place before we can live in.”
Grandma Liu nodded, “That makes sense. Your place has been empty for too long. You know, you might not be aware, but many people have been keeping an eye on your house. A few years ago, someone almost broke in. The local authorities had to step in. In these past years, people have been coming and asking if the house is for sale, but they can’t find the owner, so they give up.”
Jiang Junmo frowned upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected these issues. He was grateful to the local authorities and decided to express his gratitude later.
“Thank you for looking after it all these years, Grandma Liu.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’ll be good when you move in. It’s quiet here. Your big house sitting empty is quite conspicuous. Once you move in, you won’t have all those messy issues.”
Jiang Junmo chuckled, “Alright, I understand. Grandma Liu, we’ll be on our way now. We’ll come visit you after we move in.”
“Okay!” Grandma Liu was beaming with happiness. “I live right across from your house. Just give a shout, and I’ll hear you.”
