Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire

Chapter 72: Chapter 66 Purpose

At night, four people stayed in the newly purchased house.

Gu Wenfeng avoided Zhao Dajun and said to Lu Jiaxin, “I’ve only taken two months of leave, and once the time is up, I’ll have to go back.”

Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “It hasn’t even been half a month yet, no need to worry.”

She said not to worry, but in her mind, she was thinking that they needed to find the secret passage as soon as possible so that Gu Wenfeng could go with them to Peng City. Brother Gu was not only capable and tight-lipped but also had a wide network of contacts, which might come in handy there.

The next day, Lu Jiaxin went shopping for pots and pans with Xue Mao, while Gu Wenfeng and Zhao Dajun went to buy tools for house repairs.

Now that policies had relaxed, aside from electronic products like color TVs and refrigerators, agricultural products and kitchenware could be bought with money. Lu Jiaxin felt that the timing of her visit was good; a few years earlier would have been too depressing.

Every time Xue Mao shopped with Lu Jiaxin, he was scared out of his wits, feeling that in her eyes, money was like paper, “Sister, we can’t buy anymore, or we won’t be able to take it back home.”

Actually, they could have paid someone to help deliver the items home, but Lu Jiaxin didn’t want to be so high-profile, so she didn’t buy anymore.

After buying the items, the siblings returned to the house and found that the doors and windows of her room had all been fixed, with the windows even covered with newspaper.

Zhao Dajun said, “Miss Lu, you are in poor health and can’t catch a cold, so Brother Feng and I fixed up your room first.”

Zhao Dajun was undeniably hardworking, but since they had differing worldviews, it was better to part ways sooner rather than later; otherwise, it would certainly end unpleasantly.

Xue Mao cooked dinner, Zhao Dajun helped start the fire, and Lu Jiaxin discussed with Gu Wenfeng where the entrance to the secret passage might be.

Lu Jiaxin said, “Brother Gu, I think the entrance to the secret passage is most likely in two places: the study or the master bedroom. So, we need to figure out which of these six rooms is the study and which is the bedroom.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǤ0.сᴑ

The more detailed the information, the better, as they could analyze it to find useful clues and take less circuitous routes. Having a target makes the search quicker, easier, and more cost-efficient.

Seeing her excitement, Gu Wenfeng couldn’t help but throw cold water on her enthusiasm, “Miss Lu, are you so certain that there are treasures in this house? What if the news is false and there’s nothing at all?”

Lu Jiaxin didn’t argue but simply said with a smile, “If it’s false, it’s just my bad luck, and I’m sorry for making you all go through this trouble with me.”

Gu Wenfeng said nothing more.

Lying in bed at night, Lu Jiaxin pondered over where the entrance to the secret passage could be hidden. The first thing she thought of was the three kang beds; an entrance underneath would be secret and safe. However, this was just her initial suspicion, and she needed more information to confirm it.

While they were busy, Second Uncle Lu, Second Aunt Lu, and Lu Jiajie arrived in the Forty-nine City. Ma Lili was both surprised and angry to see her in-laws, as Lu Jiajie hadn’t told her about such a big matter in advance. Although she was dissatisfied in her heart, she still smiled and welcomed them into the house.

Mother Ma, who was retired at home, instantly changed her expression upon seeing the two walk in. They had interacted unpleasantly twice before, “Why have you come?”

Although the adoption affair had caused a rift between mother and daughter, she believed her daughter wouldn’t keep such a big matter secret. Thus, the truth was clear: the daughter hadn’t known about the arrival of these two in advance.

Though Second Aunt felt uncomfortable, since this was the Ma family’s house, she didn’t show any displeasure.

Second Uncle Lu said, “Don’t blame Lili, it was Jiajie who said Xinxin moved out of the house, we couldn’t rest easy so we came to see.”

Ma Lili looked at the two of them with surprise, when had they ever cared so much about Jiaxin? She knew that there had been an unpleasant dispute over adoption between the second and third branches of the family years ago.

Mother Ma felt relieved after hearing this; she had assumed they had come over because of the issue of adopting a grown daughter into their family. Although it was the Ma family’s business, she somewhat feared Second Aunt Lu’s meddling nature.

She followed up on Second Uncle Lu’s comment, “For the sake of a new wife and another family’s child, to push one’s own daughter out, it’s really shameful.”

Second Aunt felt like she had found a kindred spirit and, together with Mother Ma, they condemned Lu Hongjun and Ding Jing. Because they had a common target, the humble dinner passed in harmony and contentment.

After dinner, seeing that it was getting late, Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt took the initiative to leave. As soon as they left the family compound, the old couple walked toward the bus station.

Seeing this, Ma Lili hurriedly pointed in another direction and said, “Dad, Mom, the guesthouse is over there.”

Second Aunt Lu replied, “Why stay in a guesthouse? Are you burning money? Jiaxin’s house is so big, it can easily accommodate the two of us.”

Ma Lili, who was planning to buy a house and wished she could split a single penny in two, thought it was a good idea they were going to Jiaxin’s place, as it would save on accommodation costs.

But before she could speak up, Lu Jiajie said, “Dad, Mom, didn’t I tell you that the keys are with Big Brother? We can’t enter even if we go there now.”

Ma Lili’s heart skipped a beat, the keys were clearly with her, so why had he said they were with Big Brother? After six years of marriage, she knew Jiajie well, so she asked with a smile, “Jiajie, didn’t Xinxin come back with you?”

Lu Jiajie shook his head and said, “No, she was waiting for Xue Mao to return together. I have to rush back for work, so I couldn’t wait and came back first.”

Ma Lili feigned anger and said, “How could you come back alone? Last time everyone was terrified, if something happens again, how will we explain it to Third Uncle?”

Lu Jiajie explained, “Don’t worry, she’s protected and nobody dares to touch her. I already called Third Uncle before boarding the train.”

Finishing his words, an idea occurred to him: “Dad, Mom, I’ll go to the convenience store next door to call Big Brother to see if he’s home. If he’s there, he can bring the keys directly, saving me a trip.”

Ma Lili found an excuse to go with him, and after crossing the street, she asked in a low voice, “What’s going on? Aren’t the keys with me?”

Lu Jiajie replied with a bitter smile, “On this trip back, I spoke till I was blue in the face, telling them that Jiaxin has a big house. When my parents heard it, they made me bring Lu Wang to the Forty-nine City, saying if there’s no place to live, he could stay at Jiaxin’s. If he couldn’t find work, he could also come out to gain some experience. But Jiaxin disagreed, and we even had a fight over it.”

There was more he hadn’t said yet. On the way back to the Forty-nine City, his parents talked about how living with the Ma family couldn’t be a long-term plan. Jiaxin had such a big house, their family of four could completely move there and live together. He had refused, but it was clear his parents hadn’t given up.

Ma Lili’s face darkened, having a squabble with her fifteen-year-old niece at their age, they had no shame: “Are they planning to move in while she’s away and settle it later?”

Lu Jiajie quickly assured her that he wouldn’t bring them there.

Ma Lili was nearly furious, “If they really move in, how is that different from robbers?”

Lu Jiajie said with a pained face, “I’ll call Third Uncle and Big Brother first, arrange for them to stay in the guesthouse tonight. Later, Third Uncle and Big Brother should come to visit them, and we can make arrangements then.”