Chapter 218 - 218: Five Gold Bars
Shen Jun brought Wen Nian to the bedroom of her grandfather in the Wen family house. He moved the table to the center of the room and stepped on it.
Even with Shen Jun’s height of 185cm, he was only half a head taller than the ceiling beams. Standing on tiptoe, he looked at the beams covered in a layer of thick dust, but there was no trace of any account books. He frowned and bit his lower lip.
Wen Nian watched as Shen Jun looked around without taking any action. “Nothing?”
Shen Jun shook his head. But after thinking it over, they had searched every accessible place on the ground, and if they wanted to ensure it wouldn’t be accidentally found, the high beams were the safest option.
Sighing, Wen Nian said, “Could it be hidden in the walls? Maybe we should knock on the bricks as well.”
Shen Jun’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He reached up and carefully felt the wooden beams. There were a total of four beams in the room, and when Shen Jun reached the third one, he felt a gap with his hand. He looked at Wen Nian and said, “Bring a damp cloth.”
Seeing that there was a chance, Wen Nian excitedly fetched a damp cloth and handed it to Shen Jun.
After cleaning the area, Shen Jun observed it carefully while using his hand to feel for any irregularities. He discovered a small rectangular gap on the beam. Pressing down with force, a faint sound emerged.
Once he released his hand, Shen Jun noticed a slightly raised piece of wood. When he lifted it, he discovered a hollowed-out space inside, just deep enough to hold a small notebook.
After taking it out, he restored the wooden beam to its original state.
The notebook was only the size of a palm. Shen Jun jumped off the table and handed it to Wen Nian. “Take a look and see if it’s the one.”
Eagerly, Wen Nian took it and eagerly flipped through the pages. The notebook wasn’t thick, containing only a dozen or so pages.
This notebook started recording from the time of Wen Nian’s great-grandfather. Due to the turbulent times, her great-grandfather was concerned about those things being discovered, so he used symbols to represent gold and jewelry on the pages.
The last time it was used was half a year before Wen Nian’s grandfather Wen Sheng passing. It only had dates and the mention of five gold bars, followed by the handwritten words “approximately 75,000.” However, there was no mention of its purpose.
Looking at this sum of money with no indication of its purpose, Wen Nian sighed in frustration. “My grandfather was too reckless. He simply wrote down the amount for such a large sum of money, and that was it.”
Shen Jun looked at the words “approximately” and said, “Moreover, this number is just an estimate. It means that your grandfather hadn’t exchanged the money yet after taking it, so he only wrote down an approximate amount.”
Wen Nian nodded. “That’s likely the case. But it’s still a significant discovery. With the amount and dates, it will be much easier to find. Let’s go back for now.”
In the late 1990s, 75,000 yuan was a large sum of money. Most small jewelry stores wouldn’t have had the capacity to handle it, so Wen Nian was confident about finding the right store.
After leaving the Wen family house, Wen Nian went to lock the door while Shen Jun started the car to dissipate the heat inside.
Li Ke took her daughter Wen Yan to the town to catch a ride, planning to go to the city to stroll around and buy some clothes.
As they passed by the old house, Wen Yan’s eyes lit up when she saw Shen Jun.
Li Ke, on the other hand, had her eyes fixed on the car, thinking that if they could hitch a ride, they could save a few dozen yuan.
Although both families had a falling out last year, as long as there was an opportunity to take advantage of, Li Ke wouldn’t care about saving face. Can face be eaten as a meal?
Li Ke held Wen Yan’s hand and walked towards Wen Nian, smiling and greeting her, “Wen Nian, why do you have time to come back today?”
Wen Nian had known Li Ke for a while, so she was well aware of her shamelessness. She calmly greeted her, “Auntie.”
After locking the door, she got into the car with Shen Jun.
Li Ke, in a conscientious manner, opened the back door and pushed Wen Yan inside.
Wen Nian noticed the noise and turned her head to look at the mother and daughter who had already sat in the car. She furrowed her brows and asked, “What are you two doing getting in?”
Li Ke replied with a smile, “You’re going back to Hai City, right? We’re also heading into the city. Young man, I’m Wen Nian’s aunt. Let us hitch a ride with you. Thank you!”
Shen Jun didn’t even have a chance to say a word before Li Ke had made the decision.
Wen Nian closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Since they were already in the car, kicking Li Ke out would inevitably lead to a struggle. It would attract the attention of idle gossips in the village, and she would become the center of attention for the next few days.
Considering that it was only a half-hour journey, Wen Nian turned to Shen Jun and said, “Let’s go.”
Li Ke sat in the back seat behind Wen Nian and turned her head to take a look at Shen Jun. She couldn’t help but praise, “Young man, you’re so handsome! You’re even better looking than many celebrities! What’s your name?”
Wen Nian directly retorted, “Auntie, there are four lives in this car. If you can’t be quiet, we can drop you off in town to catch a bus..”