After Transmigrating, The Fat Wife Made A Comeback!

by Usui Takumii

not mine, wuxiaworld site. 1126 chapters and ongoing.

19. 321 to 340

After Xia Zhe finished cooking, he called Qiao Mei over to eat together. It was a full moon night, so they decided to eat on a low table outside. It was late at night and he had a beautiful girl by his side to admire the moon together. It made for a lovely scene.

After dinner, the two of them talked about what happened today.

Are you familiar with those two people from your village?

Xia Zhe asked.

I'm not. Actually, I've only seen them once. At that time, my second grandfather's family wanted to matchmake me. My grandfather was seriously ill then and their plan was to marry me off, wait for my grandfather to die before snatching my family's house,

Qiao Mei said as she looked at the moon in the sky.

She wondered if her grandfather was doing well in the village. It had been two months since her grandfather last wrote to her. However, she still called him on the phone regularly and she heard from Uncle Zhao Liang that her grandfather was doing well. The four younger siblings at home were also filial to her grandfather. Zhang Qian also did not come to ask Li Gui for money anymore and everything was fine at home.

Xia Zhe's heart ached as he hugged Qiao Mei and asked,

How is grandfather's health now? Why don't I get someone to bring him over for treatment now.

Qiao Mei leaned on Xia Zhe's shoulder and said,

Grandfather is much better now. Moreover, there are four children at home to play with him. He's very happy now and he's cheerful every day.

The person who instructed the two people today is from the He family. It's He Mei's third uncle, He Ning. He stays in the suburbs and is seriously ill, so he won't be able to live long. However, the Cao family recently gave him that ginseng in exchange for the stability of their positions in the government for the next few years. If He Ning stays alive for a few more years, many people will suffer,

Xia Zhe said.

Qiao Mei kept quiet. The ginseng had caused trouble instead. If she had known earlier, she would not have given something so good to the Cao family. He Ning did not even know her, yet he could come up with such a despicable method to harm her. If it was anyone else on the receiving end, the person probably would have suffered greatly.

If those two people had succeeded today, she would be doomed. In this era, tricking a soldier into getting married using a fake pregnancy was not a matter that could be resolved by getting criticized and re-educated. It was a jailable offense. If that happened, she would have a criminal record after she was released and she would never be able to find a good workplace.

He Ning was so ruthless only because Qiao Mei was in his way.

Do you know where He Ning lives?

Qiao Mei looked up and asked.

Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei curiously and said,

Why are you asking this?

I… I just want to know where he lives! I'll take a detour in the event I have to pass by, in case I get captured. What if something happens and you can't find me?

Qiao Mei pouted and said.

Xia Zhe could not help but pinch Qiao Mei's cheek. It was so soft and cute.

He lives in the suburbs, near the nursery. I don't know where exactly, but there aren't many residents there. As long as you don't go to the nursery, you'll be fine.

Xia Zhe gave some thought to it and felt that he needed to find out He Ning's address. It would be bad if He Ning continued to have an eye on Qiao Mei.

Qiao Mei nodded and noted it down obediently. When she had some free time, she would go there to ask around. She knew the location of the nursery because Aunt liked orchids very much, but there were very few pretty ones available in the capital.

Someone had told her that there was a nursery in the suburbs which specialized in growing rare flowers and plants and asked her to go there to take a look. However, she had always felt that it was too far and was unwilling to make the journey. This time, she could take the chance to make a trip to find out where He Ning lived as well as to buy a few pots of orchids.

As Qiao Mei thought about this, she leaned against Xia Zhe's shoulder and gradually fell asleep. Xia Zhe was about to say something when he turned around and saw Qiao Mei sleeping soundly with her eyes closed. He smiled tenderly and carried Qiao Mei back to the bed in the house.

The next morning, there was an argument in the He family. Xia Xiu's interrogation room had kept the matter very quiet and it was already the next day when the He family found out that Wang Yong had been interrogated.

He Ning was so angry that he refused to speak and did not want to eat breakfast. This was the first time he had seen someone fail at such a small matter. It was only much later that he found out what went wrong.

They've only been married for a few months. How can Qiao Mei slim down so much that they can't recognize her? How is that possible!

He Ning said with a frown.

If something else had gone wrong, he could still accept it, but this bunch of good-for-nothings even got the person wrong! They were definitely lying!

He Ning looked at He Mei coldly and asked,

Exactly how much does Qiao Mei weigh now?

Reluctantly, He Mei said,

Slightly more than 100, I guess.

He Mei also could not believe that the original Qiao Mei was a big fatty. If Xia Zhe was even willing to marry a fat person like Qiao Mei, then what was wrong with her? Why was he not willing to accept her!

He Ning asked again,

She looks as beautiful as a fairy?

He Mei was even more unwilling to admit this fact and nodded reluctantly.

He Ning sighed. He was unwilling to face the fact that he had failed this time because he had underestimated his opponent. He originally thought he did not need to put in too much effort to handle a country girl, thus he did not ask for a lot of details before getting someone to arrange this matter. If he had paid more attention at the beginning, he would have known what Qiao Mei looked like now.

It was said that after Qiao Mei came to the capital, she visited many prominent families. Her reputation for being beautiful had long spread around and he would have only needed to ask around to know about it. It was his fault for not paying attention and causing the plan to fail.

He Ning stood up and walked around the living room a few times before stopping in front of the French windows. He looked into the distance and said,

I can't continue to rest anymore. If I continue like this, I'm going to be crippled.

Ever since he obtained the ginseng, his health had become much better. He no longer felt weak and dizzy like before. The effect of this ginseng was hundreds of times stronger than the normal kind. He also did not feel as lifeless as before, and could feel that his body was much more agile.

He wanted more of this ginseng. One was far from enough!

Find out where that woman lives now, what time she usually goes out, who she knows and what activities she takes part in. Find out all these for me,

He Ning said.

I have the information. She's now living in the Xia family's old house, that courtyard house. She had followed Xia Zhe around to visit the neighbors, but now she seldom leaves the house,

his attendant said from the corner of the living room.

He Ning's eyes lit up. When Old Madam Xia died, she left this house solely to Xia Zhe. He had found out long ago that there were many treasures hidden under the Xia family's courtyard house.

Is the Cao family still living in that courtyard?

He Ning asked.

The attendant continued,

They're still around. Recently, they've been looking around for a house, but they haven't found anything they like. They have seen a few really nice places, but they keep rejecting the options. I don't know why.

He Ning smiled and said,

Go and tell them to hurry up and give them some pointers. Then, let the Xia family know what the Cao family is doing.

Yes.

The attendant went out to carry out the instructions.

In the living room, He Guo and He Mei looked at each other. He Mei did not know anything, but He Guo knew a lot about what had happened back then. He Guo looked at He Ning and said,

You can't be thinking of…

He Ning looked at his elder brother with a smile and did not say anything. If the Cao family really dug up something, that would become the Cao family's weakness. When the time came, He Ning could easily make use of the Cao family. If the Xia family knew that the Cao family had dug up something, Xia Zhe would definitely not be able to stay calm. A young and impetuous lad would not allow his family's things to fall into the hands of other people.

Then, once Xia Zhe made a wrong move, he would be able to get anything he wanted from the Xia family. If Xia Zhe could manage to keep his cool, He Ning had other plans that he could set in motion.

After the Cao family received the news, the entire family was in an uproar. They did not know why the He family knew about this. They did not leak any information at all and wondered who exactly informed He Ning about this matter.

What should we do now?

The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law said as she looked at Cao Da anxiously.

Cao Da sat on the chair and sighed.

I just know that He Ning would never lose out. He's threatening us because he has something on us now.

Old Master Cao had gone overseas to visit his relatives earlier and had recently returned to settle these family matters. He looked at the junior family members in the yard and said,

There's no other way. It's too late for us to stop now.

It was not as if he had not done anything all these years. He had already searched underground. Even if they were not the ones who buried the things, who would be able to give any good explanations if anything was found under their house? Furthermore, they had recently searched under the floor tiles again. Anyone who came to investigate would be able to tell what they had done. If word got out, it would be even more difficult for them to explain. No one would believe anything they said now.

It did not matter whether outsiders believed them or not. What was more important was that He Ning had something on them now and could expose them at any time to make everyone believe that they had found something.

Since he reminded us to hurry up, tell him that we appreciate his kindness and know what to do next. Ask him not to worry,

Old Master Cao said resignedly.

He Ning was ruthless and meticulous in whatever he did. Even when he clearly had something on someone, that person still had to thank him.

After He Ning's attendant spoke to the Cao family, he arranged for people to secretly guard the Xia family and observe their movements carefully.

Xia Zhe discovered this on the same day the arrangement was made. Qiao Mei had originally planned to go to the antique market again. She still needed two pairs of tables and chairs at home, but Xia Zhe stopped her before she left.

What's wrong?

Qiao Mei asked curiously.

Xia Zhe said solemnly,

Try not to go out these few days. Just stay at home and wait a few days before you go out again.

Qiao Mei looked around and whispered,

What happened?

Xia Zhe leaned close to Qiao Mei's ear and said,

I don't know who is secretly monitoring us. There are more people spying on the Cao family, but there are also a few people observing us.

Qiao Mei was very puzzled. She did not understand what relationship the Cao family could have with the Xia family. They did not have much contact with each other at work nor did they have any common relatives, so how could anyone think that they were related. The only form of relationship they had was living in the same courtyard house.

The house? Could it be…

Qiao Mei stared at Xia Zhe to confirm if her thoughts were correct. Xia Zhe understood what she meant and nodded.

Maybe the Cao family is being targeted by someone else. Recently, they must be tired from working during the day and then coming back to dig at night. It's possible that the neighbors heard the commotion or perhaps there were children who saw them and accidentally said something. It's hard to tell who sent these people here,

Xia Zhe said.

Although there were many possibilities, Xia Zhe felt that this matter was arranged by He Ning. Qiao Mei also thought the same thing. A few days ago, he had just tried to destroy their marriage. Now that such a thing was happening, it was hard not to suspect that he was the one who arranged it.

What does he want? Could it be that he wants to take advantage of the situation?

Qiao Mei also thought that He Ning might have done this and thought that he wanted to take advantage of the Cao family's dig to take the treasures for himself.

Xia Zhe did not understand their intentions either.

Let's wait patiently.

Ever since there were people monitoring the surroundings, the Cao family no longer went to work. They dug the ground at home day and night to look for those things. Even their grandchildren who were in other cities were recalled home to dig together. Since the He family already knew about what they were doing, they were not afraid of others finding out. Anyway, even if they managed to dig something up, they would still die. If they could not dig it up, they would also not be able to survive. It was a vicious cycle so they could only do whatever they could.

When Qiao Mei saw the Cao family working so hard, she secretly pulled the treasure chest down another 20 meters while they were resting. Even if they worked themselves to death, they would not be able to find the treasure chest.

After digging for more than a week, the time came to hand over the house. Xia Zhe went over to collect the keys. The Cao family knew that this day would come and had long thought about how to delay it for a period of time.

Have you not found a place to stay yet?

Xia Zhe asked as he looked around.

It's not easy for us to suddenly have to find a house. Can you give us a few more days? Anyway, you're not in a hurry to stay here. Can't you just give us a few days?

The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law negotiated with Xia Zhe in a self-righteous manner.

This reason was exactly the same as what Zhou Hua said when she requested to stay in Xia Zhe's house, that if no one else was going to stay there, it was only right for them to stay. Their mentality was that since no one was going to use the place anyway, Xia Zhe had no reason not to let them stay.

Xia Zhe did not say anything and turned to leave. The Cao family members looked at Xia Zhe as he left and smiled smugly. Young people were so easy to fool, they believed everything and did not have their own opinions on anything.

Even in the beginning, they had already thought it through. If they could not find anything, they would not leave the house. If Xia Zhe forced them to leave, they would publicize this matter extensively. At that time, the Xia family would be implicated. There were so many people in the Xia family, thus they would definitely be concerned about their reputation. Besides, Qiao Mei's grandfather was alone and there were already so many rooms for him to stay in at their side.

If Xia Zhe were to criticize them, then they would offer to pay rent. It was not like they were asking to live there for free. He would not be able to kick up any fuss once they paid rent.

When Xia Zhe reached home, he said,

The Cao family is behaving like we expected. They don't plan to move away anymore.

Qiao Mei said angrily,

I just know that they want to cheat me of my ginseng!

Xia Zhe pinched Qiao Mei's little cheeks and said with a smile,

Don't be angry. I have plenty of ways to deal with them.

Qiao Mei's eyes lit up and she asked curiously,

What solution do you have?

Cao Da had encountered a problem previously but it was suppressed by He Ning later. Since he can suppress it, I can revive it again and make him leave quickly,

Xia Zhe said.

At that time, the Cao family could go to the countryside, the suburbs, and the wilderness. They could go anywhere they wanted!

The people from the Cao family were all useless. The only pillar of the family was Cao Da. If Cao Da failed, the Cao family would be finished. Therefore, Old Master Cao would definitely leave quickly to protect his son.

If Xia Zhe wanted to stir up trouble, he would inevitably encounter He Ning. As long as it was something He Ning had promised, there was nothing he could not do. Therefore, when the time came, He Ning would definitely do his best to protect the Cao family. This was why He Ning had been able to survive until now. Even though he had harmed many people, those who had been helped by him would still remember his kindness.

It's my fault for thinking too simply of this matter. I should have asked them to move away immediately and not given them time,

Xia Zhe said apologetically as he patted Qiao Mei's head.

It's not your fault. It's the Cao family who didn't keep their word. What has it got to do with you? You just need to learn from your mistakes and don't be so soft-hearted anymore,

Qiao Mei comforted Xia Zhe.

Xia Zhe smiled and looked at Qiao Mei. The anger in his heart had lessened a lot. He had also guessed He Ning's motive over the past few days. He Ning wanted to see the Cao family fight with the Xia family so that he could reap the benefits.

Xia Zhe wanted to go out to run errands, but Qiao Mei hugged his arm and refused to let him go.

Qiao Mei said in a pitiful manner,

It's already so late, don't go out. I'm scared to be alone. Look at the weather, it's probably going to rain soon.

Xia Zhe looked up at the sky and thought that it might be better to wait until tomorrow. It was not appropriate to leave Qiao Mei at home at a time like this, and he did not want to trouble his aunt and sister to come over.

Alright, I'll stay at home with you,

Xia Zhe said.

If he went out and He Ning's men came to the house to take revenge, it would be terrible if Qiao Mei got caught in the situation. These days, he did not dare to let Qiao Mei leave his line of sight for fear that something might happen. It would be better to bring Qiao Mei along to run his errands tomorrow and forget about going out tonight.

Not long after, it started to storm heavily. The bean-sized raindrops pattered on the roof tiles, making it too noisy to fall asleep. When Xia Zhe kept groping around under the blanket, Qiao Mei sat up angrily and slapped his stomach.

I'm going outside to take a look.

Qiao Mei still had something important to do tonight.

It's my fault, my little ancestor. What if you catch a cold if you go outside so late at night?

Xia Zhe thought that it was his fault and quickly apologized.

Xia Zhe kept stopping her from going out. Qiao Mei was so angry that she reached out, grabbed his hands and pinned them above his head, pressing him onto the bed. Then she sat on him and looked at him.

This posture seemed to be exactly the same as what happened when they first met. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with a deep gaze. Seeing that the situation did not seem right, Qiao Mei hurriedly got out of bed and ran towards the toilet in the side room.

Don't follow me! I'm going to the toilet!

Qiao Mei shouted towards the bedroom.

Xia Zhe was still slowly reliving the feeling he felt in bed just now and gradually recalling what had happened that very first night.

When Qiao Mei reached the side room, she did not go into the toilet at all. She stood by the window and quietly scattered some vine seeds, slowly inducing their growth. The vines quickly crawled along the wall to the window.

Qiao Mei reached out to hold the vines and said softly,

My little darlings, whether we succeed or not depends on this! Tonight, it will depend on your performance! If you perform well, you will be greatly rewarded!

When the vines heard what Qiao Mei said, they became even more active.

Qiao Mei gently held the vines and transferred energy to them. Very soon, the roots of the vines formed a huge net under the Cao family's side of the house.

The Cao family members continued digging even in the rain. However, they did not dig in the yard this time. Some time ago, they had already searched through the entire yard. If they did not manage to find anything at the depth they reached, they were sure that there was definitely nothing in the yard.

This time, they were digging inside the house. The floor tiles had already been cracked and removed. They planned to dig through one room at a time and they were sure that they would find something eventually. Two days ago, they had sent all the children staying in the side rooms to their relatives' houses. By now, only the main room was still untouched.

Everyone in the Cao family was trying their best to find something underground in every corner of the main room.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound that shook the entire house. The Cao family members looked up at the house and ran out the next second with their hands over their heads. As they ran, they shouted,

Run! There's an earthquake!

The neighbors also switched on their lights one after another. Qiao Mei wanted to continue watching the Cao family's farce, but the door of the side room was suddenly slammed open. A black figure rushed in, hugged Qiao Mei tightly and rushed out with her.

Qiao Mei was not afraid. She knew that the person hugging her was Xia Zhe. He must have heard the Cao family's yells and came to look for her. Given that he had experienced an earthquake himself, he was more sensitive to such a matter. If not for Qiao Mei saving him then, he would have died long ago.

Xia Zhe only let go when they were out of the house and in the courtyard.

Are you alright? Are you scared?

Xia Zhe asked as he held Qiao Mei's shoulders tightly.

Qiao Mei gently touched Xia Zhe's chest and felt his rapid heartbeat and panicked breathing.

Qiao Mei smiled and looked up.

I'm fine. Don't be afraid.

Xia Zhe slowly exhaled and hugged Qiao Mei tightly in his arms.

I won't dare to let you out of my sight again.

Qiao Mei laughed heartily in Xia Zhe's arms and said with a smile,

Are you going to watch me even when I go to the toilet and take a bath?

Xia Zhe thought for a moment and replied,

We're legally married, so I'm fine as long as you don't mind.

Qiao Mei raised her hand and gently hit Xia Zhe's chest twice.

I don't think it was an earthquake just now. Earthquakes will shake the earth and mountains. It just shook for a moment and then there was nothing.

Qiao Mei checked with him.

Xia Zhe looked around and said,

I think the sky looks quite normal too. It shouldn't be an earthquake. Looks like someone's house collapsed.

Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other and understood what each other was thinking. The first people to mention an earthquake were the Cao family members. Moreover, they had also felt some tremors at their side of the house. Furthermore, there were more than enough reasons for the Cao family's house to collapse.

Xia Zhe carefully brought Qiao Mei to the side bedroom and said,

Rest here. It's raining heavily outside, so don't go out. I'll go and take a look at the situation and I'll tell you when I'm back. You don't have to wait for me to come back to go to sleep. Just sleep in this room tonight.

Xia Zhe went to the master bedroom to get two new sets of pajamas, one set for himself and the other set for Qiao Mei. Now that the weather was so cold and she had just gotten drenched in the rain, it was better to be careful.

Have a good rest. I'll be back in a while.

Xia Zhe quickly gave Qiao Mei a kiss and put on the raincoat that he had left in the side room before going to the Cao family's side.

Whatever happened to the house was a small matter. If someone got hurt, he had to help out. No matter how bad these people were, they did not have any intention of harming others. They were forced into it.

Qiao Mei did not want anyone to die either. She just wanted to teach the Cao family a lesson. However, this lesson seemed to be a little too big. Half of the backyard had collapsed and all the rooms would have to be repaired. Even when it was completed, it would definitely feel different from before. However, there was nothing she could do about it.

Xia Zhe's appearance shocked the Cao family, but it was actually not that strange. It was impossible for Xia Zhe not to know about it after such a huge commotion. Moreover, this house did not collapse from any earthquake at all. It was caused by all the digging they did.

The Cao family was just about to find an excuse to send Xia Zhe away when the other neighbors came running over to ask what had happened.

What happened?

Why did this house collapse?

Who knows! This house is quite sturdy. We've lived here for so long without any issues.

Everyone started discussing among themselves. Although such houses had been around for a long time, it was uncommon for them to collapse. Even if any collapses occured, it would only be confined to a storeroom or one or two side rooms. No one had ever encountered a situation like what happened with the Cao family, where half of the house had collapsed.

Other people might only have a collapsed storeroom, but the Cao family only had a storeroom left.

Just as everyone was discussing, the remaining rooms also collapsed. Now, not a single room was left intact.

What exactly did the Cao family do to cause this house to collapse?

Director Cao, what exactly is going on?

Xia Zhe said as he looked at the surrounding ruins helplessly.

Even if you don't want to return the house to me, you don't have to do this.

The neighbors understood what was going on once they heard what he said. Two days ago, they had already heard that Xia Zhe had used a 100-year-old wild ginseng to exchange for the Cao family's side of the house. Everyone knew about this matter and had praised Xia Zhe for being a good kid who knew how to fulfill his grandmother's wishes. The people who lived here were all old neighbors and everyone knew Old Madam Xia's character.

Back then, Xia Zhe's grandmother, Wu Min, often helped the people around her. The neighbors in the vicinity had all been indebted to her at one time or another. Everyone remembered her kindness, so they doted on Xia Zhe very much.

Everyone knew about the exchange done with the ginseng. Not only did they know about it, but they also knew that the Cao family had turned around and given the ginseng to the He family.

However, they did not expect the Cao family to go to such an extent. Not only did they take the ginseng and use it to protect their wealth and status for the rest of their lives, but they even forcefully took apart Xia Zhe's house. This was an ancestral home and it would be difficult to restore it to its original condition.

The neighbors took out their flashlights to see which Cao family members were around. They realized that only the adults were there and the children were not with them. It was obvious that this was definitely not an accident. This was man-made!

These people were afraid that the children would get hurt in an accident and had sent them away in advance. The Cao family was really black-hearted.

Cao Da quickly waved his hands around and explained to everyone,

It's not like that! It's not what everyone thinks!

Then tell us how this house collapsed!

The neighbors demanded an answer.

Cao Da stammered and did not know how to explain. The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law stood up and explained to everyone,

It's the heavy storm today that made the house collapse. What happened today was an accident and we were almost buried as well.

I haven't been back to live in the front yard for more than 10 years. Tonight, the front yard didn't collapse but the backyard did. Furthermore, it collapsed right after you refused to give me back the house,

Xia Zhe said to the Cao family.

On the Cao family's side of the house, even if all the side rooms collapsed, the main room should not have been affected. Such an important part of the house would have been constructed with good materials and would not collapse so easily.

The rain was just too heavy! We were almost smashed as well!

Cao Da said.

The Cao family really had no other reason to refute the accusation, and could only make everyone believe that they were also the victims so that everyone would be less suspicious of them.

Xia Zhe shook his head and did not say anything. They just stood there in a deadlock. Everyone just joined in and waited for the Cao family to explain themselves. However, the Cao family did not dare to speak up and confront Xia Zhe. They were worried that the more they said, the more mistakes they might make.

The rain is getting heavier. Why don't we clean up tomorrow? Let's all go back today,

someone in the crowd shouted.

Xia Zhe turned around and left. He still had to go back and accompany Qiao Mei. The Cao family's mess would have to wait until tomorrow. The only good thing was that he did not have to go through too much of a hassle to cause trouble for them.

The crowd gradually dispersed. The Cao family members looked sadly at the collapsed ruins. Old Master Cao crumpled to the ground and sat there in a daze. None of them had expected this outcome.

They did not plan to leave, so they did not move anything out of the house. Now, all the household appliances at home were ruined!

Old Master Cao did not care about the furniture. He was upset about the jade antiques that he had accumulated over his entire life. Those were all his treasures that stayed in good condition for most of his life. He did not expect them to be destroyed at this moment and was on the brink of tears.

Old Master Cao did not come from a privileged background and was born in an ordinary family. Later on, he worked as a waiter in a restaurant and met his benefactor there. After that, he became an apprentice in a pawnshop. He was diligent and quick-witted, so he quickly became the manager of the shop. As time passed, he also fell in love with antiques and calligraphy. When someone came to pawn valuable things, he would hide them.

Later on, Old Master Cao hid everything he had and only kept a few of his most precious jade artifacts with him. After being displaced and wandering around for half a year, he finally moved into this part of the Xia family's house. He originally thought that he could live in peace for a few years, so he had placed the items inside the wall of the main room. Now that the house had collapsed, the jade were all gone.

Old Master Cao wanted to weep out loud, but he was afraid of disturbing the neighbors, so he could only sit on the ground and teared as he looked at the ruins.

He did not dare to act rashly and attempt to look for those treasures in the ruins. If someone found out about it, he would never be able to explain himself. At that time, he would have to explain where his money came from and how these things came about.

Why is Old Master Cao so sad? What happened to his family?

asked a passerby.

Him? I guess he's crying for his treasures.

The people around him laughed about it and went home.

The people here had all lived here for more than 10 years and everyone knew everyone's background. It was no secret that Old Master Cao liked antiques, but there was no evidence so no one reported it. Now, it seemed that Old Master Cao had hidden away a lot of

good stuff

!

When the Cao family members saw the old man crying silently, they realized something was wrong. However, it was too late and all the things inside must have been destroyed.

Qiao Mei had yet to withdraw the underground vines. Now, she could still sense what was happening at the Cao family's side and she silently observed the items in the ruins.

She could find scattered money, broken porcelain, eroded calligraphy and paintings, broken bangles, among other things. These things were not valuable at all. Shei slowly searched around and suddenly felt energy surging nearby. There must be something valuable nearby.

Qiao Mei looked around and finally found an inconspicuous jar. She used a vine to slowly reach into it and found a treasure!

It was a rusty iron box. After opening it, she found a crystal clear bangle inside. The quality of this bangle was definitely not inferior to the one she was wearing! It was such a pity that it was part of a set and only this bangle was left intact.

The golden energy slowly transferred to Qiao Mei's body through the vines. She closed the box and wrapped the vines tightly around it before pulling it underground.

Father, stop crying. Let's find a place to stay first,

Cao Da advised.

If Old Master Cao continued crying in such heavy rain, he would probably fall sick and be hospitalized.

Where else can we go…

asked Old Master Cao.

The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law said,

Let's go to stay at Xia Zhe's house. He can't possibly leave us in the lurch!

The rest of the Cao family members also thought that it was a good idea. As long as they stayed in the front yard, they would definitely still be able to dig up something!

However, they did not expect that Xia Zhe had no intention to let them into the house.

The Cao family made their way to the front yard and knocked on the door. Their voices were so loud that they could be heard from two streets away. Xia Zhe came out with an angry expression and asked the Cao family,

What do you want?

The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law put her hands on her hips and said,

Our house collapsed! You have to take us in!

Xia Zhe was so angry to hear what the Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law said that he burst out laughing. How dare they destroy someone's house and then still have the cheek to ask the owner to take them in. If they wanted to ask for help, then they needed to have the right attitude. What were they trying to do with this air of self-righteousness?

No, my wife is asleep. She's pregnant and can't take any shock. You guys can find another place.

After saying that, Xia Zhe closed the door and refused to open it no matter how they shouted.

Qiao Mei got up in a daze and looked towards the door.

Xia Zhe! Xia Zhe!

Qiao Mei shouted twice before she saw a black figure enter the room.

I'm here.

Xia Zhe took off his raincoat and placed it along the long corridor. He went into the room and hugged Qiao Mei.

Why is it so noisy outside?

Qiao Mei asked curiously.

She had been focused on searching for treasures in the Cao family's side and did not notice that the Cao family had started to have designs on her front yard.

It's nothing, let them be.

Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and went to bed.

Qiao Mei found a comfortable angle and gradually fell asleep.

The Cao family members took turns to shout at the door. They did not believe that Xia Zhe would be able to sleep well if the five of them took turns to keep shouting!

Xia Zhe! Open the door!

Xia Zhe, you're just leaving us to die!

Even if we die, we're going to die on your doorstep! Open the door!

Not long after they started shouting, a pebble was thrown out from next door and someone shouted,

Are you done! Why are you shouting in the middle of the night! Stop shouting!

The Cao family was so frightened that they stood rooted to the ground. Old Master Cao sat on the steps outside Xia Zhe's house and sighed.

Let's go. Let's look for a guest house,

Cao Da said.

We don't have money! Everything at home is gone!

the Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law whispered.

Cao Da helped Old Master Cao up and walked towards the road. The Cao family's eldest daughter-in-law could only follow behind and scolded him softly, talking how she had never had a good day after marrying Cao Da.

She said such things a few times a day since something happened to Cao Da, so everyone was used to it.

Cao Da first made arrangements for his family to stay in the guest house and then went to the suburbs alone to look for He Ning. He had to ask He Ning for help on this matter. Only He Ning could help their family now.

He Ning received the news even before Cao Da arrived, but he only knew that Cao Da had dug up his house and caused it to collapse. He did not know that Xia Zhe did not take them in and even chased them away.

The last time he failed, he admitted that he had underestimated his opponent and that was why he did not succeed. This time, it was supposed to be foolproof. He did not expect Cao Da, that idiot, to be able to dig until the house collapsed! What a joke!

You're asking me to clean up your own stupid mess!

He Ning said as he pointed angrily at Cao Da who was standing in the living room.

He Ning now hoped that the crystal chandelier hanging from the living room ceiling would fall and smash this idiot to death! He was so incompetent that everything he touched turned to dust! He was as useless as Wang Yong and the others!

Get lost!

He Ning said as he turned around.

The guards in the house chased Cao Da out. He Ning was not exactly heartless. Before Cao Da left, he even gave him 500 dollars to help his family survive this period of time.

After sending Cao Da away, He Ning could not sit still. He had already sent someone to observe Xia Zhe's house for a long time, but Xia Zhe actually did not do anything for a week. He Ning thought that Xia Zhe was really calm.

Did Xia Zhe really not know anything, or did he have extraordinary endurance?

He had secretly gotten someone to spread the news about the Cao family to Xia Zhe a week ago. Xia Zhe already knew about it! Yet Xia Zhe chose not to take action even after knowing about it.

How impressive,

He Ning said, looking out the window.

He Ning looked at the rain outside and said with a smile,

As expected, the person chosen by Old Madam Xia really can't be underestimated. It's a pity that Xia Zhe has a fatal weakness. Since ancient times, no man can resist the charms of a beautiful woman.

Since Xia Zhe did not fall for his trap and even gave him a big gift, he had to return the favor.

He Ning called his attendant over and whispered something in his ear.

Go,

He Ning said.

Yes.

The attendant rushed out after receiving the order and disappeared into the night.

At the crack of dawn, there was a big group of people gathered at the main door of Xia Zhe's house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had just fallen asleep when they were woken up by frantic knocks on the door.

What is it…

Qiao Mei asked in a daze.

Xia Zhe changed quickly. He went out to take a look and then came back to help Qiao Mei change her clothes.

These people don't come with good intentions. Get dressed first, so that you don't catch a cold,

Xia Zhe said gently.

It was still early in the morning, the rain had just stopped and the dew was heavy. It was easy to catch a cold at a time like this and nothing was more important than Qiao Mei's health.

Stay in the house and don't come out.

Xia Zhe walked out after saying that.

There was a big group of people waiting outside with all kinds of tools. They looked menacing.

Who are you?

Xia Zhe asked after he opened the door.

The man in front of him looked like the leader of this group of people. He was about 40 years old and looked kind, but was probably a wolf in sheep's clothing. Looking at the tools his subordinates were holding, Xia Zhe could already guess who they were.

Hello, you must be Xia Zhe. My surname is Chu and I'm the section chief of the Inspection Department. We received a report that there is a large number of restricted items hidden in your house. We came to do a check and hope that you can hand them over,

Section Chief Chu said. Restricted items referred to any items or publicity materials that were detrimental to the country.

You must have heard wrong. We don't have any restricted items,

Xia Zhe said.

That's not for you to say. We won't know if you're telling the truth. We'll only know whether there's any after we go in and conduct a search,

Section Chief Chu said as he took two more steps forward.

Xia Zhe looked at the people in front of him and thought that they looked legitimate. If he stopped them from entering the house to search the yard, there was a high chance that he would get into trouble for obstructing a public servant. They would also think that he was preventing them from entering because there really were restricted items in the house.

Xia Zhe pondered for a moment before stepping aside to let them in.

He realized that this was He Ning's backup plan to ruin his reputation. As long as anything was found within the Cao family's section or his section of the house, he would not be able to escape the aftermath.

The group of more than 20 people standing outside rushed into the house, but they did not act rashly. Two old men came out of the group with their walking sticks and slowly observed the surroundings with their flashlights.

Comrade Xia Zhe, please don't take offense. These are our old experts who are especially experienced in digging for treasures and doing inspections,

Section Chief Chu explained to Xia Zhe with a smile.

Section Chief Chu, you don't have to explain it to me. I understand. It's just business, right?

Xia Zhe said as he looked into Section Chief Chu's eyes.

Those eyes were filled with murderous intent, scaring Section Chief Chu so much that his back broke out in cold sweat. However, Section Chief Chu still had to stand up straight as he had the He family behind him!

Of course it's just business! We're all legitimate,

said Section Chief Chu.

That's good. Don't cause the house to collapse with your digging, like what the Cao family did. That would be a disaster. Am I right, Section Chief Chu?

Xia Zhe said as he looked at the ruins of the Cao family a distance away.

Don't worry, we're all professional experts,

said Section Chief Chu.

The two experts pointed around and exchanged opinions. Finally, they decided to dig in the corner of the courtyard and a few other spots that they deemed special, including inside the well and under the cherry tree.

Just as they were about to start, Xia Zhe looked at Section Chief Chu and said,

This cherry tree was planted by my grandmother when she was still alive. I don't want it to be damaged at all.

Section Chief Chu ignored what Xia Zhe said and waved his hand to get his subordinates to continue.

Xia Zhe looked coldly at the people who were about to start work. His gaze was even colder than the icy rain that poured down last night.

Chu Fan, 42 years old, originally from Zhaocai Village, started working at 17 years old after being introduced by someone…

Xia Zhe stood where he was and quietly narrated details of Section Chief Chu's resume.

Section Chief Chu looked at Xia Zhe in surprise. This was only the first time they met and he did not expect Xia Zhe to be able to memorize details of his resume. A small fry like him usually did not attract any attention. There were not many people in the Xia family who were involved in politics and Xia Zhe also never asked about political matters. He did not expect Xia Zhe to know everything so clearly, down to the timeline. There were certain things that even he could not remember clearly by now.

Be careful, all of you! Don't expect to keep your job if you damage anything here!

Section Chief Chu said to his subordinates.

The Xia family was indeed not to be underestimated. Even though he had He Ning backing him up, He Ning would not help him if something really happened. A small fry like him was like cannon fodder. It would be no loss to the two families to simply throw him to the wolves.

Xia Zhe stayed with them in the yard and carefully looked at every place they dug. If they managed to throw in any restricted items when no one was paying attention, he would not be able to defend himself at all. After all, it would not be the first time that He Ning had done something like this.

Over the past few years, as long as He Ning had any doubts, he would get someone to check for restricted items at Xia Zhe's house. However, his people would be chased out due to inconclusive evidence. He Ning did not believe that Xia Zhe could still be so calm after knowing about the Cao family's actions, unless… unless Xia Zhe knew that the items were not in the Cao family's side but in his own yard!

This was also the reason why He Ning had asked these people to dig up the house thoroughly. He Ning believed that Old Madam Xia had a very good reason for giving this house to Xia Zhe alone.

Not long after, another group of people came to the door. These people were not Section Chief Chu's subordinates, but the Xia family members.

Xia Zhe did not get anyone to inform his family. It was Zhou Sheng who had sent a message to the Xia family in the middle of the night to inform them that Xia Zhe's house had collapsed. All the Xia family members rushed over in a panic, and even Xia Fang and Xia He rushed over from afar.

What's going on?

Xia Mao asked as he entered and saw the people in the yard.

Xia Fang and Xia He quickly grabbed hold of Xia Zhe and asked if Qiao Mei was injured or traumatized by the incident.

Xia Zhe pointed to the room and told them that Qiao Mei was inside, so they went in to see her. They did not know how to deal with the matters outside anyway, but they did not worry about it as all the men of the family were around.

The rest of the family members stood behind Xia Mao. This matter was not big enough for them to alarm Xia Jun yet.

Section Chief Chu said with trepidation,

Someone reported that there are a large number of restricted items in your house. We had no choice but to come and do a search to see if it's true.

Section Chief Chu looked carefully at the expressions of the Xia family members. He had been forced by He Ning to come here and carry out this task, but he could not afford to offend the Xia family either. He was just a junior section chief and was in no position to deal with either family. It was such a dilemma for him.

Xia Mao looked expressionless, but he was feeling extremely shocked. He did not know whether there was anything buried underground. Back then, he had his own suspicions but Wu Min never mentioned anything to him.

While Xia Mao could control his expression, the people behind him were not able to do the same. Everyone was stunned, especially the womenfolk.

When Section Chief Chu saw this, he realized what was going on. It appeared that what He Ning told him earlier about the Xia family members not knowing about this matter was the truth. Now that he had said it out so openly, the Xia family must be in a state of disarray.

Nonsense! During that time, my family gave everything we had to the government. In order to commend us, the government even specially gave us a letter of commendation. The letter is still hanging at home now!

Xia Mao said angrily.

You're right, but we still have to do a routine check. Who knows what's under the ground? It's not for us to play favorites,

Section Chief Chu said with a smile.

Of course Section Chief Chu is businesslike. We all know that,

Xia Wen said.

Section Chief Chu knew about this eldest young master of the Xia family, who looked gentle and refined but was actually the one not to be trifled with. Back then, He Ning had reminded him not to communicate too much with Xia Wen. The young master was sharp and quick-witted, and would definitely be able to get something on him.

Xia Mao did not know if there was anything underground or not, but he was relieved to see Xia Zhe's calm expression. Even if there was, Xia Zhe had probably already dealt with it.

While they were talking, the workers had already dug down two meters deep. The Cao family's team of weak people could not dig so much in one night. These workers were professionals and they were quick and efficient..

The people who jumped into the well had also dug out a lot of soil and piled it up high beside the well.

When the Xia family heard that Xia Zhe's house had collapsed, they immediately sent someone to investigate. Later on, when they found out that it was the Cao family's side which had collapsed, they were relieved. However, they also had a lot of doubts and suspicions. Logically speaking, the entire house was constructed using top quality materials. They could not understand why only the Cao family's side collapsed and not a single room was left standing.

There must be something wrong here. When Xia Mao and Xia Wen came, they already knew that this matter was not that simple.

The Xia family members stood in the yard and watched them dig. The Xia family's intelligence officers came in from time to time to submit their reports. Section Chief Chu saw what was happening but he was unable to stop them. He had no right to say anything.

It was a battle of capital and might between the He family and the Xia family. A small fry like him could only wait quietly. If he said anything wrong, it could bring about a calamity for him.

He Ning had instructed the team that they must dig something out. No matter how capable the Xia family was, he wanted to skin them alive. However, he also told the team to end the battle quickly without any delay. The Xia family would definitely not give the team the luxury of time at all.

When the team dealt with other families In the past, it was normal for them to dig for three to five days. However, this was the Xia family the team was dealing with and there was no way they would allow a slow and lengthy digging process.

Section Chief Chu also had his own superior at work. If the Xia family reached the higher-ups to issue an instruction for the team to stop digging, they would have made a wasted trip. However, if such a thing should happen, making a wasted trip would be the least of his problems by then!

The Xia family was a family of soldiers and politicians after all. It was not a small matter to be accused of hiding restricted items. If the team did not manage to dig up anything and the Xia family asked about who had slandered them, Section Chief Chu would not be able to bear the consequences.

Their digging had already revealed a portion of the thick roots of the cherry tree. They all dug carefully and slowly, afraid that they would break any of the roots.

The Xia family members stared at them intently. If they damaged even one of the roots, no one would be allowed to leave today!

Xia Zhe looked at the tree and recalled what his grandmother had said previously. Back then, he was still too young to understand what she meant. When his grandmother was still alive, Xia Zhe had grown up by his grandparents' side. At that time, Xia Mao and Xu Lan did not have the time to take care of Xia Zhe. One day, Wu Min held Xia Zhe's hand and came to this cherry tree, telling him to treat this tree well.

She told him that if this tree could not be saved or needed to be dug out some day, he would have to do it himself. No one else was allowed to do it.

At that time, he only thought that it was because this tree was planted by his grandparents so it had great sentimental value for them. Now that he thought about it carefully, there might be another reason behind her instruction.

After digging for three to four meters under the tree, they still found nothing. If they continued digging, they might reach the groundwater. If that happened, the water would surge up and flood the entire house. Besides, what normal person would dig for three to four meters to hide something? How long would it take for a person to dig so deep? Even if they wanted to hide something, they would not hide it so deep down.

Xia Mao felt relieved when he saw that there was nothing buried here. Xia Zhe did not know how many treasure chests there were within the yard, so he just pretended that there was nothing under the tree.

Section Chief Chu's subordinates inspected another spot and sent someone to dig there. Xia Zhe looked at the well in confusion. Logically speaking, these people should have found something after so long. He and Qiao Mei had just buried it two days ago, so he did not understand why there was nothing discovered yet.

Then what should I say when they found it and brought it up? Should I say that it was something left behind by my ancestors hundreds of years ago? However, other than the gold and treasure items, there were also silver dollars from recent years inside.

Then who should I say it belonged to…

Let's just say that it belonged to the previous owner of the house, the Jiang family! This house had gone through eight owners before it finally fell into the hands of the Xia family. Most of the Jiang family members had died early and there was not a single one left by now. There was no choice but to let them take the blame.

Just as Xia Zhe was thinking about how to get out of this situation, he heard someone shouting from behind,

Oh no! We've dug up underground water!

The people digging at the cherry tree shouted out. The Xia family members all looked over. At this moment, the diggers had already climbed out of the pit. The water quickly filled the entire pit and started to overflow.

As more and more underground water gushed out, it eventually formed a fountain. The amount of water gushing out was even greater than the rain last night. In just a few minutes, it had flooded the entire yard and completely filled up the few pits that were dug earlier.

After what happened, there was no way to dig anymore. Section Chief Chu looked at the yard full of water and felt at a loss. There was definitely no way to continue digging today with the whole place being so flooded. If they were to come back another day, the outcome would probably be the same. Given that they did not manage to find anything even after digging up the groundwater, people would say that they had wronged the Xia family.

The Xia family was not one to be bullied. Someone would have to pay for today's losses.

Dig, continue digging. I want to see what else you can dig up. You have flooded the house and yet you still haven't found anything. If you can't dig anything out today, don't even think about leaving!

Xia Mao roared.

Section Chief Chu stood awkwardly beside Xia Mao and smiled apologetically. He did not know what to say and could only bite the bullet and asked his subordinates to continue digging.

They had no choice but to dig randomly in the courtyard. When they reached a depth that was waist deep, they were not able to dig anymore. If they jumped in and continued digging, the water would soon reach their heads. None of them dared to jump in, but none of them dared to stop either, so they could only dig around silently.

What are you doing!

A shout came from outside the door.

Section Chief Chu knew that his mission had failed and he would not be able to keep his position. Everything was ruined!

The person who came in was Section Chief Chu's superior, Wei Huai.

As soon as Wei Huai entered, Section Chief Chu went up to him. However, Wei Huai acted as if he did not see Section Chief Chu and walked straight to Xia Mao.

You must be Comrade Xia Mao,

Wei Huai said with a smile.

Xia Mao nodded and did not say anything. Wei Huai did not mind that Xia Mao did not exchange pleasantries with him. After all, no one would be in a good mood after someone caused their house to be in such a state.

I'll take him away now. Your family is one of the pillars of the country and can't be holding on to any restricted items. This is all a misunderstanding.

After saying that, Wei Huai waved his hand and prepared to leave with his staff.

Xia Mao shouted,

Wait!

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Xia Mao quietly.

Who are you?

Xia Mao asked Wei Huai.

I forgot to introduce myself to you. I'm Wei Huai, his superior,

Wei Huai said.

You have to finish what you started. You can't give up halfway, right? Your subordinates brought people to search my son's house and said that there were restricted items inside. Did you find anything?

Xia Mao asked.

Wei Huai glanced at Section Chief Chu, who immediately understood and stepped forward to say,

There are still many rooms that we haven't searched. We still can't say that there is nothing here.

He had already taken a look at the furniture in the house, but just because there was nothing suspicious about the furnishings did not mean that there was nothing buried under the floor tiles.

That's fine. We have plenty of time. Section Chief Chu, hurry up and search. You have to give our Xia family a conclusion today,

Xia Mao said as he pointed at the rooms.

Xia Wen, go and open the main door. Let the neighbors passing by take a look and bear witness for us,

Xia Mao said to Xia Wen with his hands behind his back.

Xia Wen ran to open the main door. Many passersby stood at the door and watched. The Cao family's house had collapsed last night and the Xia family's house was being searched today. They definitely did not want to miss such a thing and had come to take a look.

Everyone, come in and take a look!

Xia Wen said.

Many of the people outside knew the Xia family. They had all come to take a closer look and Zhou Sheng also rushed over early in the morning.

Xiao Zhe, how's Mei Mei?

Zhou Sheng hobbled in with his walking stick.

When Xia Zhe saw that, he hurriedly went forward to render assistance and said,

Grandpa Zhou, why are you here? Qiao Mei is fine, she's in the room.

Zhou Sheng was relieved to hear that Qiao Mei was fine. Since Xia Zhe was still here and looking well, he must be fine too. Zhou Sheng slowly walked up to Xia Mao.

Xia Mao, what if this house collapses from their digging?

Zhou Sheng looked in the direction of the Cao family's side and felt an ache in his heart.

Xia Mao lowered his head and said gently,

Uncle Zhou, it's fine. They have two experts here. Even if they're digging for something, there's also no need to dig up every inch of the ground.

Zhou Sheng snorted.

Hmph, experts? Yet the groundwater has been dug out and the entire courtyard is flooded.

Grandpa Zhou, if you're worried, I'll ask a few more experts to come over. They're all teachers from my school,

Xia Wen said.

Zhou Sheng smiled and nodded.

Yes, yes, yes. Xiao Wen is an expert as well. The people you find would definitely be right for the job.

Not long after, seven to eight experts arrived outside the door. Xia Wen had already sent them a message earlier, asking them to come by. This was to prevent the inspection team from spouting nonsense that people could not understand.

In the past, people did not pay much attention to education and they all looked down on teachers. Even if they had children, they would let the children come out to work at an early age. Even though there were prominent families who saw the value in education, they were still in the minority.

If those two experts from the inspection team really went around spouting nonsense to the neighbors, the Xia family would not be able to clear their name even if they wanted to.

Let the experts work together! These are all professors from the university. You can all go and investigate, but hurry up! You have to give our family an explanation today. Don't let others think that our family is doing anything wrong,

Xia Mao said to Wei Huai.

Today, they must reach a conclusion in order to settle the matter and convince everyone. Otherwise, there would definitely be other people who would use this as an excuse to cause trouble in the future. Firstly, it was to prevent the people in front of them, as well as outside, from eyeing the Xia family. Secondly, it was to stop certain Xia family members behind him from eyeing anything in this courtyard.

Section Chief Chu wanted to say something but Wei Huai stopped him. Xia Mao turned around and went into the side house to take a rest. With so many people around, these people would not dare to bring out anything to frame him.

Xia Zhe stood silently at the side and looked at the cherry tree. The water was still gushing out under the tree. As he walked over to the side house, he passed by Wei Huai and said,

I hope that after you're done investigating, you will restore my tree to its original state.

Comrade Xia Zhe, don't worry. We definitely won't destroy anything of yours.

Wei Huai gave him a polite smile.

Xia Zhe nodded and said,

That had better be the case.

Let's dig too,

Xia Wen said before he entered the side house as well.

All the Xia family members had come into the side house. The womenfolk present did not dare to speak. There were not many stools in the room, so they could only stand inside.

Father, mother and aunties, you can go to the room in the main house. I'll keep an eye on things here,

Xia Zhe said.

Xia Mao stared intently at the courtyard and said,

I'll stay here. The rest of you can go to the other room. Xia Wen, you stay here as well.

Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen worriedly. He quietly reached out and held her hand to reassure her. She lowered her head and followed Xu Lan and the others, but she still felt worried and looked back at him every three steps she took.

Xia Mao was so busy that he only just realized that Qiao Mei was also in the house and he had yet to check on her.

Oh, is Qiao Mei alright!

Xia Mao stood up from the stool and yelled out.

Xia Zhe shook his head and said,

She's fine. She's not affected.

Xia Mao nodded in relief and sat down. Xia Wen looked into Xia Zhe's eyes and said,

They'll be going to Qiao Mei's room later. Perhaps get her to tidy up now, so that she doesn't feel too rushed later.

Xia Wen was implying something and Xia Zhe seemed to understand what he meant.

Xia Wen did not know if there was anything in this courtyard, although his whole family had never stopped being suspicious of this courtyard. In particular, Third Aunt-in-law did not hide her unbridled interest in the house and would use this as an excuse every year to express her desire to occupy this house.

If there was really something underground and yet these people did not manage to dig up, then either Xia Zhe found a new place to bury it or he did not manage to hide it in time and had put it all in the main house.

Okay, I'll tell her now.

Xia Zhe turned around and went to the main house.

Zhou Hua ran in front of him and rushed into the main house in a hurry. She had long guessed that there must be something in this courtyard. It turned out just as she expected! Given that there were so many people here today, it served to prove that she was right!

Xia Zhe must have hidden all the things away! If nothing was found even after digging up such a big courtyard, he must have hidden them in the main house. She wanted to be the first one to go in and take a look!

Zhou Hua pushed open the door forcefully only to see an empty space. The five rooms in the main house only contained the furniture that Xia He had bought for Xia Zhe some time ago. There was nothing else.

Zhou Hua then ran to open the wardrobe and cabinets. There was nothing inside except for one or two pieces of old clothing. Feeling disappointed, Zhou Hua sat down on a chair.

Xia Zhe ran to Qiao Mei's room and held her hand.

Are you… are the babies feeling okay?

As Xia He and Xia Fang were still in the room, Xia Zhe was too embarrassed to ask about Qiao Mei in front of them and could only use the children as a cover.

Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe and said,

Feeling much better. Father and elder brother didn't come in as well?

Qiao Mei kept the modern way of thinking from her other life. Although she knew that in this era, she needed to behave in a manner that avoided arousing suspicions, she was much more open-minded than most people of this time.

Xia Zhe patted Qiao Mei on the head and said,

They have to keep an eye on things outside.

This young girl really just said whatever was on her mind. She did not think too much and just did things according to her heart.

Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe,

Help me get my bag. I want to change my clothes.

Xia Zhe brought the bag to Qiao Mei as she had asked. While she was rummaging through her clothes, Qiao Mei took the opportunity to nip off a small bit of the thousand-year-old ginseng root and hid it under her nail.

I think I'll go and make some ginger soup for everyone. The weather is so cold after the rain,

Qiao Mei said.

Xia Zhe nodded and accompanied Qiao Mei to the kitchen to make the ginger soup. While no one was paying attention, Qiao Mei added the ginseng root from under her nail into the ingredients and made a full pot of soup.

When everyone drank the hot ginger soup, their entire bodies warmed up and they could feel the chill and fatigue being swept away.

Come take a seat and don't tire yourself out,

Xia Mao said to Qiao Mei with a smile after he drank the soup.

The first time when Xia Mao saw Qiao Mei, he already felt that this child was very obedient and sensible. Others may say that Qiao Mei was a village girl who was not worthy of Xia Zhe, but he did not think so. A village girl had her own good points.

What exactly is going on?

Xu Lan asked Xia Zhe.

The Cao family's side suddenly collapsed in the latter half of the night and I went over to take a look at what happened to their house. Then they came and said they wanted to stay over, but I didn't let them in. After that, these people came to dig up the courtyard,

Xia Zhe said.

Zhou Hua drank the ginger soup in one gulp and looked at Xia Zhe with resentment as she whispered,

Now that the door is closed, tell us everything. Have you hidden everything well!

Everyone stopped drinking. Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua expressionlessly and asked,

What do you mean by everything?

We're all family. Why are you so petty? It's not like I want anything from you. Just tell your third aunt-in-law the truth so that I can cover for you when the time comes,

Zhou Hua said.

If not for the fact that there were so many people outside, Xu Lan would have stood up and given her a tight slap to wake her up.

Xia Zhe ignored Zhou Hua and turned to remind Qiao Mei,

They're coming in to search the house later. Just put all your things in your bag.

Qiao Mei nodded. The calligraphy and painting which she had bought at the antique market, the jade jewelry and the bangle were all in her bag. There were also two bundles of money which she had brought with her to cater for emergencies.

There were also Qiao Mei's personal items and underclothes. She wanted to make sure that these things would not get dirtied when they came in to rummage through the cabinets.

Qiao Mei put her bag to one side. Given that everyone had arrived at the house so early in the morning, she knew that all of them must not have eaten yet. Qiao Mei whispered to Xia Zhe,

I'll go and prepare some food for everyone. They must be hungry since they came so early in the morning.

Xia Zhe nodded and instructed,

Be careful then. If it's too much work, I'll go out and buy some. Don't tire yourself out.

Qiao Mei smiled and said,

It's alright, I'm already well rested. I'll go now!

Wait a minute!

Xia Zhe took out his jacket from the cabinet and put it on for Qiao Mei, buttoning it up properly.

Don't catch a chill.

Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei gently. The truth was that he was afraid the people outside would eye Qiao Mei covetously. Even though Qiao Mei was pregnant, she still had a good figure and had even grown more busty recently. He could not let others feast their eyes on such a sight.

Wearing Xia Zhe's clothes, Qiao Mei looked like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes. It did not fit her and looked big and loose. Xia Zhe patiently rolled up the sleeves for Qiao Mei until she could see her own hands.

I'm off!

Qiao Mei happily ran to the kitchen to cook. Xia Zhe handed the bag to Xia He and said,

Sorry to trouble you, elder sister. I still have to go to the front to keep an eye on them.

Sure, leave it to me,

Xia He said.

Xia Fang looked at how Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were behaving in a loving manner despite everything that was happening and knew that everything was alright. Xia Zhe must have made all the necessary arrangements.

Zhou Hua did not give up on her belief that there were things buried underground. She searched through every room and only went out unwillingly after confirming that there was nothing in the main house. The moment Section Chief Chu arrived at the house, she firmly believed that there must be something in this courtyard. Otherwise, there would not have been an investigation launched out of the blue.

Back then, Wu Min's family was considered a wealthy family. She did not believe that they did not have anything left. Even if they had donated everything back then, it was impossible that they did not keep a few things.

All these years, she had been looking for the family's valuable items, but she did not manage to find anything. It turned out that they were all hidden in this courtyard!

No wonder the old lady insisted on leaving this courtyard to Xia Zhe. After today, she must sit Xia Zhe down and ask him what was going on. If she could not get anything out of him, she would ask Xia Guang to come back and ask him!

They were all members of the Xia family, so they had to have a share of all these things! They were all the old lady's biological children, so why should all these things be left to only one grandson, Xia Zhe? Were all her other grandchildren not her biological kin? Zhou Hua herself had even given birth to three boys for the Xia family! Even if this was not an achievement, she should still be rewarded for her efforts!

When all the womenfolk in the family were asked to come out of the main house, Qiao Mei also came out of the kitchen to cooperate with the investigation. All of Section Chief Chu's subordinates went into the house to do the search. The floor tiles in the house were all pried open and examined bit by bit. Qiao Mei did not feel any heartache when she watched the Cao family's side of the house collapse, but she felt upset now as she saw the house being stripped bare. This was a historical building. Once it was damaged, it could never be returned to its original state.

Even if the Cao family's side was not pulled down by Qiao Mei, it would still be considered unsafe for habitation as the foundation had been made unstable by their digging. However, if the house remained standing, the Cao family would continue to occupy it. She had no choice but to pull it down.

When Xia Xiu received the news about what happened, she rushed over from the army unit and only managed to reach the house now. As soon as she entered, she saw the Xia family members standing outside and the people inside digging away. On the way, she had already learned the whole story and so she did not ask much.

Oh, Eldest Aunt is here.

Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Xiu, who arrived much later than the others.

Xia Xiu looked at Qiao Mei and asked,

How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?

Qiao Mei shook her head. She thought it seemed that Eldest Aunt was still quite fond of her, given that Eldest Aunt checked on her as soon as she entered the house. The earlier misunderstanding was something they could put behind them.

I'm fine.

Qiao Mei looked at the floor tiles and sighed silently.

It's alright. There are probably cracks on the old floor. Take this opportunity to put in a new floor,

Xia Xiu said grandly.

Qiao Mei looked at Xia Xiu and smiled. It seemed that Eldest Aunt was quite an easy person to get along with. Xia Xiu did not have Xia Fang's gentle temperament and she was more capable and forthright. She looked a little fierce but was actually very protective of her loved ones.

I haven't had the chance to apologize to you for what happened the last time. I believed in slanderous gossip without checking it out and ended up maligning you,

Xia Xiu said as she looked at Qiao Mei seriously.

Qiao Mei could tell that Xia Xiu really wanted to get along well with her and said gently,

It's fine. It was just an oversight on the part of Eldest Aunt. I don't blame you.

The kitchen was in a mess, so Qiao Mei could only bring out everything to cook outdoors. When Xia Zhe saw this, he hurriedly went over to help out. Before long, the fragrant dough soup was ready.

Of course, Section Chief Chu and his team did not get a share of the food. They could only smell it but were unable to eat it and it made them feel terrible.

Xia Mao deliberately stood at the door to drink the soup. He was overjoyed to see them working on an empty stomach.

In the end, they did not manage to dig out anything by the time night fell. Wei Huai brought Section Chief Chu with him to apologize to the Xia family, and then they announced in front of the neighbors that someone made a malicious report against the Xia family but nothing was found in the house.

There were experts everywhere in the courtyard at the moment. If none of them managed to dig anything up, there must be nothing underground.

Wei Huai left with Section Chief Chu and his team, and Xia Wen sent off all the experts who were his colleagues. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu went to deal with the aftermath of this matter, leaving Xia Wen, Xia Zhe and the remaining womenfolk in the house.

The repairs for this place won't be completed so fast. Come stay at my place,

Xia Fang said.

Qiao Mei thought for a moment and shook her head.

I'm worried that I will fight with Kong Li. Aunt, I think we'd better not.

Xia Wen looked at the courtyard and said,

Leave the repair work to me. Our school has experts in the architecture department and many students. We can get them to come over to help out, and they can also make use of the chance to learn about such buildings.

Xia Zhe nodded and said,

Thank you, elder brother.

From the looks of it, Xia Xiu probably intended to get He Ning to hire someone to repair the courtyard. However, he would not dare to use someone that the He family hired. If these people were to plant something inside while repairing the courtyard so as to frame the Xia family, they would find it hard to explain themselves. It was better to use people whom his elder brother knew, as he would be able to check on their backgrounds.

Let's go, Xiao Jing. We'll go make the arrangements now.

Xia Wen held Tan Jing's hand to leave together.

Tan Jing looked at Zhou Hua reluctantly. She was still waiting for Zhou Hua to ask about the things underground so that she could also benefit from the knowledge.

Xia Wen could tell what Tan Jing was thinking and he looked downcasted. He pulled Tan Jing away without further ado and she had no choice but to leave with him.

Chapter 336

Xia Fang looked at the cherry tree in the courtyard with heartache. There were a lot of memories attached to this tree. Her mother did not leave behind much and only this tree could still bring back many happy memories for her.

Can this tree survive?

Xia Fang asked Qiao Mei.

She knew that Qiao Mei was very good with plants. Under Qiao Mei's guidance, the orchids at home were blooming nowadays. When the weather was good, she would bring the orchids to the living room to admire them.

The tree will definitely survive, but if we don't stop the water from flowing out, everyone living here will not be able to survive,

Qiao Mei said helplessly as she looked at the bubbling fountain on the ground.

Actually, those people did not dig up the groundwater just now. It was Qiao Mei who had loosened the soil to stop them from being able to continue digging. However, she did not expect the water to flow out continuously like a fountain.

Let's leave it for the next few days. It'll be fine after a few days when it stops raining,

Xia Zhe said.

He had encountered such a situation during a previous mission, and it became fine after a few days.

Even so, we can't just let the water keep flowing out. The courtyard is about to be destroyed since the soil has all been dug up,

Xia He said as she looked around.

It's fine. The courtyard has a drainage system. After elder brother makes the arrangements to repair the courtyard, we'll get everything repaired. The water won't flow into the house for the moment,

Xia Zhe said.

Just as everyone was thinking about the cherry tree in the courtyard and how to drain the water, Zhou Hua became anxious. She whispered,

Xiao Zhe, just tell everyone the truth. Where did you put those things? Hurry up and dig them out now that they're gone so that we can take them away.

Xia He was rendered speechless when she heard this and rolled her eyes in anger. In the past, Third Aunt-in-law was not so stupid. Why was it that the older she got, the more foolish she became?

Putting aside the fact that they did not know if Section Chief Chu had left anyone behind to spy on them, the people who had been keeping an eye on the Cao family still had not left yet. There were so many pairs of eyes outside staring at the Xia family covetously. Yet, Zhou Hua seemed totally oblivious and ready to announce her thoughts to the whole world.

Xu Lan was also angry when she heard this. She would usually pretend not to hear anything when Zhou Hua talked, but Zhou Hua still dared to spout such nonsense at a critical moment like this. Was she trying to kill the Xia family!

Liu Fen, I'm leaving. Are you coming back with me?

Xu Lan asked.

Let's go, let's go!

Liu Fen hurriedly held on to Xu Lan's arm and left Xia Zhe's house.

Liu Fen also wanted to know if there was anything buried under the old house, but she knew that it was not the time to ask these questions now. She also knew that it was best if these things did not appear for the rest of her life. She and Xia Yao were living a prosperous life and her children were also doing well. All she wanted was for all of them to be safe and sound.

Xia Fang looked at Xia Zhe and said earnestly,

Why don't you come to my place?

Xia Zhe shook his head. He knew that Qiao Mei did not like Kong Li, so he still had to respect Qiao Mei's wishes. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, but she did not say anything.

Aunt, we won't go over. So many things have happened at home. Although Qiao Mei is in good health, she's still probably a little traumatized,

Xia Zhe said with a smile.

Xia He thought for a moment and said,

Why don't you guys go back to grandfather's place? It's indeed not quite possible for Qiao Mei to rest well and take good care of her pregnancy with Kong Li around.

By the way, why isn't Kong Li here?

Qiao Mei asked curiously.

Usually, Kong Li would be the first to rush to the front when it came to such matters. She loved to watch dramatic events like this, especially when it involved Xia He.

She's still sleeping at home. Not even a thunderstorm or an earthquake can wake her up,

Xia He said mockingly.

Qiao Mei suddenly felt a little emotional. For a person to be able to behave like this, she had to be a callous person.

You should all go back to stay at grandfather's place. I've already disturbed Aunt for the past few days. When Kong Lu arrives, I'll get him to take Kong Li away immediately!

Xia He hugged Xia Fang's arm and said sweetly to her.

When is he arriving?

Xia Zhe asked.

In his letter, he said in two or three days' time,

Xia He said.

I'll ask him to speed up and travel both day and night,

Xia Zhe said as he looked at Xia He.

If it were the old Xia He, she might have told Xia Zhe not to rush Kong Lu as it would be dangerous and that he should ask Kong Lu to be careful and to take his time. Now, she only wanted to leave the Kong family as soon as possible.

Chapter 337

Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and wanted to go forward to deal with the roots of the cherry tree. When Xia Zhe saw this, he quickly stopped her and said,

Just tell me what to do. You can instruct me from the side.

Now that it had started to rain again, Xia Zhe went into the house and took out the raincoat for Qiao Mei to wear. He was worried that Qiao Mei's wrist would get tired if she had to hold an umbrella for a long time.

It's indeed difficult to do such work in my current clothes. I'll rely on you then.

Qiao Mei instructed Xia Zhe on how to wrap up the roots of the cherry tree to prevent them from rotting. Otherwise, given the incessant flooding from both the rainwater and the groundwater, the roots would rot from being soaked in water for too long.

Actually, she was just putting on an act for everyone. Even if this tree died, she would be able to resurrect it. However, she had to make it believable. Otherwise, people would cast suspicions on her.

Zhou Hua sat at the side and looked at Qiao Mei with disdain. This young woman was shameless enough to be able to flirt with a man in front of so many people. She was not as decent as she looked!

After taking care of the cherry tree, Qiao Mei went to pack up the things in the house. They had just moved in for a few days and did not have anything valuable with them. She packed a few items of clothing for both of them and prepared to leave, but Zhou Hua continued to sit down motionlessly.

Aren't you leaving, Third Aunt-in-law?

Qiao Mei asked.

I'll help you look after the courtyard! Look, it's so chaotic around here. There are all kinds of people here. I'll help you look after the things here so they don't get stolen,

Zhou Hua said.

Third Aunt-in-law, there's nothing valuable in this house,

Qiao Mei said.

Zhou Hua pointed at the beds and furniture in the house in exasperation and said,

You're a child from the countryside after all! Don't you know how to be thrifty! All the things in this house cost money! You've only been married for a few days and you're already looking down on these things!

Before Qiao Mei could get angry, she suddenly felt a tight grip over her hand. Xia Zhe had become angry.

Third Aunt-in-law, there's no need to waste your time waiting here. Whatever you want is not here. Even if it is, it's not yours.

Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua with a vicious look.

What he said made Zhou Hua so angry that her eyes turned red. She was the third daughter-in-law of the Xia family! She had officially married into the family! She had given birth to three grandsons for the Xia family!

Why was it that the things passed down in the family could not be given to the third son of the family but were all taken over by the eldest son's family! They had already taken the house, did they have to take all these things as well!

You'd better speak louder too. He Ning's cronies haven't left yet. You'd better let them all know that there's something under the ground. When the time comes, let the He family come and tear down this house. If the Xia family gets implicated, Third Uncle's life will become even more difficult and I hope you'll be happy then!

Xia Zhe said.

Zhou Hua was overjoyed! It seemed that there was really something in this courtyard!

However, why was this matter related to the He family? What did Xia Zhe do to offend the He family?

What did you do to offend the He family?! Why did you offend him for no reason?! The He family is not to be trifled with! What if you implicate your third uncle?!

Zhou Hua complained as she looked at Xia Zhe.

The He family was the one who started all the trouble, but the Xia family members did not tell their womenfolk about it. This was all political and military strife. The women stayed at home all day and did not work or have any social circles. They just stayed at home obediently, so there were many things that they did not know.

Xu Lan would occasionally hear Xia Mao talk about his family matters. After all, she still had some connections in the military art troupe and might be able to help. Liu Fen did not care about these things at all. What she cared about was Xia Yao's safety and whether her whole family was doing well. She would not even bother to listen to anything else even if someone wanted to tell her.

As for Zhou Hua, they deliberately kept everything from her. Zhou Hua was very easily deceived and misled. If she knew about all these family matters, everyone on the streets would know about whatever was happening in the Xia family the next day.

Sometimes, Xia Jun regretted not being stricter about his sons' marriages. The Xia family had allowed their children to fall in love freely and marry whoever they liked without any restrictions. However, this freedom had now become a

hidden danger

for the Xia family.

Let's go to grandfather's place.

Xia Zhe held on to Qiao Mei and led her out of the courtyard. He then looked back at Zhou Hua, who was still in the courtyard.

Zhou Hua looked up at the roof and saw a black shadow flashed past. It seemed that what Xia Zhe said was true. If there was really someone secretly monitoring this house, then she definitely would not be able to find anything.

Why is Third Aunt-in-law not leaving yet? Is she so confident that she's better than all the experts? So many experts can't manage to find anything, but she seems to think that she can,

Qiao Mei asked curiously.

Qiao Mei did not mean to look down on or mock Zhou Hua. She was really curious about it.

It made the situation even more hilarious. Although Qiao Mei spoke very softly, everyone around could hear her.

Third Aunt-in-law, when did you learn about archeology? You even have such skills!

Xia He asked with a laugh.

Xia Fang scolded Xia He from the side,

Don't look down on your third aunt-in-law! Your third aunt-in-law is so much more professional than those experts.

Xia Fang rarely joked and was unwilling to make fun of other people, so what she said must be true. So what exactly was Third Aunt-in-law's expertise?

Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Xia Zhe, then at Zhou Hua behind him with an incredulous look.

What does that mean?

Xia He asked, feeling puzzled.

Looking at Qiao Mei's expression, Xia Zhe laughed and said,

Third Aunt-in-law's grandfather is a famous local tomb robber. It's said that Third Aunt-in-law's father knows how to do that too. As for Third Aunt-in-law… I'm not too sure about that.

How would I have that kind of skill? In our family, the skills are only passed on to the men, not the women. By the time it gets to my generation, these sinister skills are gone. No one else knows how to do it,

Zhou Hua explained quickly.

Zhou Hua was telling the truth, but there were also some other things that she did not say. She had watched her father and grandfather do these things for a long time and had learned a little from them. She was not proficient in it, but she had enough knowledge to get by.

This was not a matter to be proud of. After she left the village, she did not tell anyone about it. When she married into the Xia family, she never mentioned it at all. Even her own children did not know about these things and she did not expect Xia Zhe to know about it.

Oh, no wonder. Third Aunt-in-law is so capable.

Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Hua and asked excitedly,

Then Third Aunt-in-law, can you see anything? To be honest, we don't know if there's anything under the ground. If there is, can you guess the approximate location?

Qiao Mei asked Zhou Hua in a low voice with a serious and sincere expression. Zhou Hua thought that she did not look like she was lying. Could it be that they really did not know anything?

From Xia Mao's expression today, it seemed like he also did not know if there was anything buried at home. Qiao Mei's expression looked real, but didn't Xia Zhe say that there was something to be found?

We're just guessing. After all, the He family has been watching us and I also don't know where to start.

Xia Zhe quickly understood what the young girl wanted to do, so he cooperated with Qiao Mei as she looked at Zhou Hua with a troubled look.

Zhou Hua believed what Xia Zhe said and whispered,

I think there are three suspicious places, namely under the cherry tree, the abandoned well, and the corner of the southeast wall. However, nothing has been dug out from these three places. The other places all look unlikely to me, so there are probably no other possible spots apart from the three. If we want to find anything, we have to dig very deep down.

Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei looked at each other. Qiao Mei was even more shocked as she knew where those things were hidden. Zhou Hua was right about all three places.

It looked like they should not underestimate others. Everyone had a capable side to them.

You're just making wild guesses. When I was just born, my family only had enough money to barely survive. Later on, when I was at the age when I could remember stuff, my family couldn't even afford to buy food anymore. At that time, as soon as we had money, my maternal uncle would come and borrow it all. No matter how much money our family had, it was not enough to give to my uncle,

Xia Fang said with a sigh.

Her uncle loved to gamble. Back then, if they did not give him money, his creditors would come knocking on their door. Therefore, they had sold many things in the house to pay off her uncle's debts.

Later on, my uncle lost his house in a bet. In a fit of anger, my aunt-in-law went back to her own family with the children. In the end, my uncle fell ill and died. At that time, it was my mother who paid for the coffin he was buried in,

Xia Fang continued.

Actually, Xia Fang still liked that uncle of hers very much. Putting aside his gambling habit, her uncle was a knowledgeable and passionate person. Every time he came to the house, he would bring gifts and nice food for Xia Fang.

Wu Min was usually busy with housework and Xia Jun was in the army all year round, so only her uncle kept her company. He would bring her to the temple fairs and even let her ride on his shoulder.

Later on, she did not know who led her uncle astray and brought him gambling. From then on, he made one wrong move after another. He only cared about money and no longer cared about his relatives.

Of course, Zhou Hua did not believe this story and she felt that there would definitely be one or two valuable items left behind. She did not believe in the tale of the prodigal uncle.

Xiao Zhe, if there's really something, you can't just keep it for yourself! Everyone should have a share!

Zhou Hua said with a smile.

Xia Zhe looked to the other side and ignored what Zhou Hua said.

Initially, he had no intention of taking it all for himself. He was going to wait for the matter to blow over before giving everything to his grandfather and letting him do the distribution. However, from the looks of it now, there was definitely no benefit in giving it to someone like Third Aunt-in-law. It would only make Third Uncle die faster and even implicate the Xia family.

These things had to wait.

The He family was not having a good time either. The news quickly reached the He family and He Ning was so angry that he could not even eat lunch.

What a bunch of trash! How can there be nothing under the ground of the Xia family's house!

He Ning grabbed a vase and threw it to the ground.

His attendant was so frightened that he did not dare to make a sound.

What the hell is going on!

He Ning said, pointing at his attendant.

They've basically dug four to five meters deep into the ground at the Xia family's house. They also carefully checked all the places that we suspected, as well as all the remaining spots. But there's not enough time, so they weren't able to check carefully. When we go again next time…

said the attendant.

After hearing this, He Ning sat on the sofa weakly and said,

What next time! Will the Xia family allow you to have a next time? Useless things! Forget it, this matter will end here. The same plan won't work on the Xia family anymore.

The Xia family still did not know Qiao Mei's identity, so it was time to give them a big gift.

Go and find the Liang family and tell them Qiao Mei's identity. They will understand and thank me when the time comes,

He Ning said with a smile.

Yes.

The attendant went off to look for the Liang family.

The Liang family was now at a dead end. If the Xia family found out that Qiao Mei was related to them, the Xia family would probably not feel good about it.

After the Cao family stayed in the guest house for an entire day, Old Master Cao could not sit still anymore. As soon as the rain stopped, he brought the entire Cao family back to the wreckage. They were shocked to see that someone had obviously dug through the site.

The Cao family members all rushed into the wreckage to look for their own things. Old Master Cao was the most careful and the luckiest. He quickly found his precious box, but it seemed to have been opened by someone and casually thrown aside.

Old Master Cao opened it carefully and his heart almost stopped beating.

The things inside had long been crushed into pieces and there was nothing left. After the heavy rain, most of the calligraphy and paintings that were hidden at home were also ruined.

Oh heaven! Why do you do this to me!

Old Master Cao hugged his mahogany box and sat on the ground, crying bitterly.

The people around him also sobbed from time to time. The passers-by all knew what had happened to the Cao family, but no one dared to go forward to take a look. Although the Cao family members were pitiful, they were also hateful people.

After crying for a long time, they still could not find anything useful. The women of the Cao family all returned to the guest house. There was no point in guarding the things in the wreckage as they were all crushed and useless now.

The men of the Cao family all went out to think of ways to find a place to live. They could not keep staying in the guest house as it was not a long-term solution.

Before leaving, the old man took a look at the Xia family's house. The Xia family could no longer live here as well. It was dug around as much as their side and looked like it could collapse at any time.

However, why was there nothing dug up? Was there really nothing, or did they not dig enough to reach the things?

On the way, the old man suddenly remembered that Wu Min had an older brother who was well-known in the area for being a gambling addict. It might have been possible that he had squandered away all the family assets.

It seemed that the Xia family really did not have much left.

The old man left reluctantly.

Qiao Mei originally wanted to stay with Xia Zhe's grandfather, but then she felt that it was not that convenient for them to live in the same house. The house was also quite far from the hospital, so they made a last minute decision to go to the house that belonged to Xia Zhe's parents.

As soon as he reached the door, Xia Zhe became nervous. Previously, they had only gone to his grandfather's house. This was the first time that he formally brought Qiao Mei back to his parents' house.

This house was usually not occupied. Xia Mao spent most of his time in the army and rarely went home. Xu Lan usually stayed in the house that was near the military art troupe and only returned to this house when Xia Mao came back. She was allocated the house by her workplace unit when she was young. It was very small, but it was good enough for a short stay.

Xia Zhe was raised in his grandmother's courtyard house when he was young. When he grew up and went to school, he lived with Xia Fang and rarely came to this house. In his eyes, this was not considered his home. He would consider his grandmother's courtyard house to be his home.

We've been too busy these past few days and it didn't occur to me to bring you here to take a look.

Xia Zhe explained as he looked at Qiao Mei.

Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe was not so familiar with this place because he had gone to the wrong block when he entered the courtyard just now. In the end, it was Zhou Hua who showed them the way.

Before Qiao Mei could speak, Zhou Hua said,

You have been busy? What are you guys so busy with?

It seemed that Zhou Hua still refused to give up on the issue of there being something underground.

Nothing much. Is Third Aunt-in-law staying here too?

Xia Zhe asked.

Zhou Hua said,

Of course!

Xia Zhe had always been in the army and did not know much about the matters at home. Usually, when Xia Yao and Xia Guang came home, they would bring their families to stay with Xia Jun. However, when only the womenfolk came back, they would stay at Xia Mao's house.

It was convenient to go anywhere from here and the complex was lax about visitors, so Liu Fen and Zhou Hua would come here to stay.

Xu Lan and Liu Fen were chatting in the house and were shocked to see the people coming in with all their bags. It was only later that Xu Lan realized that she should have asked Xia Zhe if he wanted to come back with them.

She did not do it on purpose as it did not strike her that this was also Xia Zhe's house. Xia Zhe also did not think of it either.

Liu Fen quickly took Xia Zhe's things and brought them upstairs to his bedroom. Liu Fen often came to this house, so she knew the layout of the house like the back of her hand.

Xia Zhe's bedroom was only about 20 square meters. It was very simply furnished. There was only a bookcase, a desk and a single bed.

Qiao Mei looked at the narrow single bed and frowned. How could both of them sleep in such a small bed at night? Fortunately, she had lost weight and did not look like she used to. Otherwise, this bed would definitely collapse!

Xia Zhe, who was behind Qiao Mei, was very satisfied with the size of this single bed. This way, he could stick even closer to Qiao Mei!

Qiao Mei put down her luggage and started to unpack. Not long after, she took out the necessities from her luggage and put them aside. She changed the bedsheets and blankets, and then prepared to go downstairs to cook.

Liu Fen witnessed all these quietly with a look of approval in her eyes. This was so much better than what Tan Jing could do when she first came. Back then, Tan Jing could not even change the bedsheets properly and was unteachable.

Liu Fen was very satisfied with how diligent Qiao Mei was, but she did not understand what Xia Zhe was doing, following behind Qiao Mei all the time. How could a man enter the kitchen!

Xiao Zhe, such a big thing has happened at home. Aren't you going to your grandfather's place to take a look? Your wife will be fine here with us. Go and do what you have to do!

Liu Fen shouted at Xia Zhe.

Xia Zhe reached out and took the kitchen knife from Qiao Mei's hand. He clumsily cut the potatoes and said,

My father has already told my grandfather that the most important thing for me to do now is to stay by Qiao Mei's side.

Qiao Mei was pregnant and yet He Ning's ultimate goal was to make Xia Zhe a member of the He family. He Ning would not harm anyone from the Xia family, so he would only target Qiao Mei.