CHAPTER 308: CHAPTER 236: UNVEILING THE MYSTERY

Night had fallen completely outside, and in the yard, aside from their few vehicles, there were two more parked, indicating that every era has its wealthy people. The nearby village was dark, and as the car got closer to the county town, the streets grew livelier with pedestrians and the glow from each household.

Zhou Xiaozheng drove the car, glancing at Zhou Jiao rubbing her forehead and chuckled softly. Zhou Jiao shared his quiet nature, so he used an excuse to take the children away.

The car stopped at their house entrance, and Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter returned to the main house, both letting out a breath simultaneously before exchanging smiles.

Zhou Jiao settled her son down, retrieved a wicker box from the wardrobe, and placed it on the table, watching as her father came in holding tools. She nervously clenched her hands, holding her breath as she watched silently.

Zhou Xiaozheng carefully emptied the box, then felt around the corners inside. Shortly after, he took a damp cloth and gently wiped the edges until the seams became visible. Using a small knife, he cut the lines and lifted the inner lining, finally revealing the entire seam of the box. After putting down the tools, he gently wiped the glue stains with hot water until no marks remained.

After a short wait, when the watermark vanished, Zhou Xiaozheng softly said, "We’re finally about to uncover the mystery. Jiao Jiao, come help dad hold the box."

Zhou Jiao held the box with both hands, holding her breath, admiring as he disassembled the box. When the whole bottom part was taken out, they saw several layers of oilcloth covering a thin wooden board.

Father and daughter were stunned; imagining was one thing, but actually seeing the dark oilcloth, waiting to be uncovered possibly revealing secrets from decades ago, was shocking.

Zhou Xiaozheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his reddened eyes. He picked up the dagger, and when his hand steadied, he carefully cut the adhesive on the oilcloth.

Zhou Jiao stood in front of him, able to hear his heart pounding, watching worriedly as he removed the thick black oilcloth.

"Don’t worry, Dad’s fine. Your grandmother should have put everything here just in case. Next, we need to open the lid. You press down the lid, and I’ll restore the bottom."

Zhou Jiao nodded, and after more than an hour, watching her father restore the box to the point where no sign of tampering could be detected, father and daughter both sighed in relief.

Zhou Jiao returned to the wardrobe, took out a black combination lockbox, and placed it on the table. Zhou Xiaozheng fiddled with it for a while and found that opening this box would leave traces, so he shook his head at her.

After clearing the table and removing the double layer of oilcloth, they finally saw the content; two file bags wrapped in newspaper. Zhou Xiaozheng opened a bag, pulling out a letter. He pushed the rest towards Zhou Jiao, taking out the letter for himself and, after reading it, couldn’t help but walk towards the study.

Zhou Jiao watched his back worriedly, then picked up the letter with its densely packed small characters.

"Zheng’er:

By the time you see this letter, Mom would have joined your dad, watching you from afar in the heavens, so don’t be sad. For you, my only son, Mom feels deep regret for being unable to take care of you to adulthood, or to see you raise your children.

If time could be reversed, ....

After you’ve read this letter, Mom doesn’t know if our Zheng’er is still a babbling child or has become a refined gentleman. Remember, it’s crucial that the Gu Family’s last assets not be leaked. Remember never to flaunt wealth, and learn to endure. Your dad and I only wish for your peace and abundance in life..."

After reading the letter, Zhou Jiao was in tears, wiping them with a handkerchief, which she then carefully folded and placed back into the envelope. She emptied the contents of the file bag and picked up three photographs inside, looking at her young grandparents, and could no longer control herself, sobbing at the table.

Zhou Xiaozheng calmed his emotions, returning to the room.

He patted his daughter’s back, took the photos from her hand, and looked at his mother’s smiling face in the picture. He took a deep breath, holding back tears, smiling as he comforted her.

"Look, you really take after your grandmother. Don’t cry. She wanted us to face everything with a smile. Jiao Jiao, do you think Dad looks like your grandmother? Look again at your grandfather’s eyes and eyebrows."

Zhou Jiao looked up at her grandparents’ photo with red eyes. "Aunt wasn’t lying, Grandpa and Grandma really were a perfect match as the rumors say. Dad, you have all of their good traits. I resemble Grandma the most. This must be taken when they were abroad, right?"

"The background looks like it’s abroad, during a time when technology like this wasn’t available in our country. These photos must have been taken while they were studying abroad. You truly look like your grandmother, at first glance one might mistake you for her; no wonder your aunt lost her composure when she saw you."

The father and daughter chatted for a while. Seeing her mood lighten, Zhou Xiaozheng placed the three photos back into the envelope.

He then went through the remaining documents and deposit slips, sighing as he said, "Your grandparents should have gone abroad. With these things, they would have risen again sooner or later. There was no need to fight alone."

"Store everything safely. Apart from Dad, don’t mention this to anyone. Right now, we can’t go abroad - the foreign deposit slips and safes can only stay as they are. Other than what’s hidden at the Gu Family’s old residence, don’t touch anything else. If it’s gone, it’s gone. Safety first. The moment Dad returns, someone will surely be watching you."

Seeing his serious expression, Zhou Jiao nodded earnestly, realizing the importance.

After repeatedly instructing her, Zhou Xiaozheng was satisfied with her response, saying with a smile, "All right, don’t be too tense. Dad has money to ensure you have a good life; if not, I would really use it. Jiao Jiao, my little princess, deserves to be treated like one."

Zhou Jiao felt his deep affection and laughed heartily.

Zhou Xiaozheng took a small box from the combination lockbox, opened it and handed it to her, "This Jade Pendant, seal, and little key are related to the foreign inheritance. Keep them on you, and don’t give them to anyone."

"Dad, you should wear it around your neck. You keep it. I’m afraid I’ll lose it."

Zhou Xiaozheng shook his head, "It can’t be kept with me, firstly because military personnel can’t wear it, my amulet is also kept in my undershirt pocket, and secondly, it wouldn’t be easy to explain to your mom if she sees it. It’s safest with you. Anyway, all these will be yours in the future. If your grandmother was still alive, they’d also be left to you since you resemble her the most. If you do have a brother in the future, you can decide how to share it with him."

Taking his words to heart, Zhou Jiao didn’t argue, deciding to deal with future matters when the time comes. She accepted the Jade Pendant and seal, wearing them closely.

He watched as she organized what wouldn’t be taken back, wrapping them neatly in oil paper. With a dagger, he opened the wall in a corner and concealed the items, restoring everything to its original state. She stepped forward to examine it and gave her father a thumbs up.

Zhou Xiaozheng raised an eyebrow proudly, "This still isn’t good enough, I’ll design something else tomorrow. You haven’t even seen your old man’s skills yet. The gold bars hidden in this family have remained undiscovered for decades, except by your mom. The way these two boxes came, they’ll return the same way, since there’s no shortage of smart people in the world."

Zhou Jiao nodded proudly, recognizing her father’s ingenuity as he accounted for everything. She glanced at the now-empty wicker box and smacked her head. She then hurried to the wardrobe, taking out prepared items to place inside.

With a smile, Zhou Xiaozheng watched his daughter endlessly remind him of which items were for personal use and which were gifts. He was simultaneously worried and delighted by the sight of the brand new cotton jackets and insoles.

After she finished her instructions, Zhou Xiaozheng teased, "My sweet little jacket, your dad is going to suffer."

Zhou Jiao burst into laughter, as she couldn’t handle noisy atmospheres, feeling a tad sorry for her old man.

Seeing her intent on accompanying him to the door, Zhou Xiaozheng quickly stopped her, "I can see myself out, it’s windy outside. In the future, when you’re home alone, remember to shut the study’s door, and don’t come out for any noise you hear outside."

After ensuring her acknowledgment, he left the main house, closing the living room door. He took a glance at the yard’s street lamp, thought for a bit, and turned on the kitchen light.

Moments later, Zhou Xiaozheng stood in the yard, assured as he looked at the brightly lit surroundings, and then walked out.