CHAPTER 50: 050 POPULATION (SKY BLUE BLOOD PHOENIX AND HE SHI BI ADDED MORE)

April is almost over, and the fragrant flowers of the human world have all faded, while peach blossoms start blooming in the mountain temples.

But in Northern Guanzhong, there are no peach blossoms in April, only bare branches, as the climate remains quite cold and the trees have just begun sprouting new buds.

Li Xianglu has finished sowing seeds; in just three days, sprouts one centimeter tall emerged, which greatly delighted her. Mr. Li credited the success entirely to his diligent conditioning of the garden.

In Guanzhong, during the non-busy farming season, people eat only two meals a day and skip dinner, but Mr. Li would not have it so; he insisted on eating something in the evening, even if just a bit of thin porridge, especially since Li Xianglu was at the age of growing and had previously suffered from malnutrition. Now was the time to nourish well, and Li Xianglu didn’t oppose this, acknowledging that her health indeed needed attention.

In the afternoon, Li Xianglu made noodles in soup; both grandfather and granddaughter each had a bowl, feeling extremely cozy and warm, planning to read some books together before sleeping. Just then, Li Dafu came in hurriedly, hesitating at the entrance, unsure whether to enter or not.

Mr. Li, however, welcomed him with a warm smile, and Li Dafu quickly greeted, "Uncle Huai, how have you been?"

Mr. Li smiled and nodded, "Not bad, still physically strong."

By this time, Li Xianglu had finished washing the dishes and removed her apron, coming out of the kitchen donned in a white Lenin Suit shirt and black trousers, looking very stylish, especially since her previously sallow and gaunt cheeks had fleshed out slightly, giving her a pristine, city-girl appearance.

Seeing Li Dafu in a daze, Li Xianglu quickly recovered and smiled, "Uncle Li is here."

Li Dafu widened his eyes, feeling a bit sour, but he couldn’t really blame her for addressing him as such since she had been adopted out; he was now merely a distant cousin.

Actually, at that time, it was possible for him to take her under his own care, despite his large household. After all, she was a capable child and could have been married off after three or four years of fostering.

Thinking thus, a look of regret crossed Li Dafu’s face.

Li Xianglu understood and inwardly sneered coldly, yet she didn’t blame him. Everyone is selfish, putting themselves first. If her own parents could abandon her, why not an uncle?

Li Xianglu greeted him and then went to the kitchen to bring a bowl of water as soon as she entered Mr. Li’s east-side cave dwelling, she heard Li Dafu mentioning, "The household registration can be processed now; the application has already passed down to the brigade level, just need a certificate to proceed at the county office."

Li Xianglu raised an eyebrow; transferring household registration? When did this happen, and why didn’t she know about it?

She placed the water on the kang table, noticing that Li Dafu seemed eager to speak to her alone, but was cautious of Mr. Li’s presence. However, Li Xianglu wasn’t in the mood to listen and left smiling.

After Li Dafu left, Mr. Li called her back in.

Li Xianglu brought in a basin of hot water, hurried Mr. Li to wash his feet, but she didn’t ask about Li Dafu’s visit that evening.

Mr. Li did not rush to wash his feet, but handed over a piece of paper first.

Li Xianglu looked at it under the lamp; it was a permit for household registration relocation, to an address in the county town, and the person being relocated was herself.

Li Xianglu raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise, seeing that Mr. Li seemed indifferent, she asked curiously, "Grandpa, did you move my household registration to the county town?"

Mr. Li nodded and said, "Yes, you are young and can only do so much. The work points you earn here are not enough for your food and drink. It’s better to transfer your household registration to the county town. With the grain ration relationship, you won’t have to work so hard."

Li Xianglu raised her eyebrows, thinking how Mr. Li could sometimes be as cunning as an old fox, and sometimes as confused as an oblivious old woman. Was this really about the grain ration issue?

Today, getting a city household registration is as difficult as ascending to heaven; it is a primary prerequisite for finding a job in the city, and many people are breaking their heads trying to get in.

And yet, Mr. Li managed to secure her a household registration in just a month. No wonder Li Dafu’s gaze was so complex before, full of reluctance and pity. Was he regretting not having adopted his daughter over?

Li Xianglu didn’t want to think about these complex issues. Mr. Li was kind to her, and being a grateful person, she would definitely treat him even better, considering him the closest person in her life. She really didn’t like to speak those nauseating words, so she simply asked, "Shall we transfer the registration tomorrow?"

Mr. Li nodded and said, "Yes, your biological parents will have to go too, to sign at the public security bureau."

Upon hearing the names of Li Erfu and Ge Sanmei, Li Xianglu frowned slightly, not out of disgust but feeling that tomorrow might not be so easy, especially given Ge Sanmei’s obstinate nature.

Li Xianglu wiped Mr. Li’s feet and then helped him onto the kang bed, before she took the water out.

She locked the outer iron gate in passing and quickly washed up before going back to her cave dwelling.

These past few days, Li Xianglu had opened the two camphor wood boxes, and just as she had guessed, there was a five-centimeter-thick compartment beneath. The compartment’s top panel could be opened manually by tapping it lightly with the hand and then pressing downward, causing the two panels to fall inward and open.

It mainly needed to be correctly aligned and pressed into place upon closing – a technique from skilled artisans. While the technique was impressive, what truly excited Li Xianglu was that she found a treasure.

On the innermost side of one box was a golden key glued, likely made of pure gold, and very ancient in style. The other box contained an ultra-thin piece of material that couldn’t quite be identified as paper, yet was not paper, very flexible, resembling animal skin, but it was exceptionally thin and tough. For a moment, it scared Li Xianglu as she thought it was human skin, but the natural texture clarified it wasn’t.

Indeed, it was a treasure map, but it was not a detailed one, just a temporary hiding place for some objects.

The text on it was in simplified Chinese, with some traditional characters, explaining that the family might face danger and decided to hide some assets. The map’s location was in Shanghai, unrelated to the golden key, suggesting that the key was for another treasure altogether.

Even so, Li Xianglu was very content, thoroughly surprised. Even if she couldn’t find the lock that the key would open, the key itself was made of pure gold, weighing a good twenty grams in hand.

Now that she had stumbled upon a small fortune, Li Xianglu felt she had to find a way to take a trip to Shanghai within these two years, to retrieve the treasures marked on the map before Big Shanghai’s reform and opening-up started major construction, making it difficult to locate anything.