CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: HIDDEN MYSTERIES

Oh my, she pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. It really hurt, so it seemed she wasn’t dreaming.

She quickly walked over and happily dipped her hand into the hot spring. Perhaps it was psychological, but her fingertips felt immensely pleasant.

She really wanted to undress and dive in to enjoy herself, but considering her already outstanding appearance, she restrained her thoughts. If the hot spring had some special function, being too beautiful might not be a good thing in her current situation.

Sighing lightly, she gave up.

Touching her smooth young face, she couldn’t help but recall the difficulties of those years, bringing to mind past events.

Although she was now in her second year of high school, preparing to take the Gaokao in July, her family hadn’t been very supportive of her studies. Her two sisters-in-law frequently made sarcastic remarks.

But, given her good grades, the high school in town waived her tuition and book fees, thwarting her sisters-in-law’s attempt to argue that she wouldn’t earn her keep otherwise.

Unexpectedly, just before the school year began, she met Granny Zhang, who had sprained her ankle near the school. Learning that Granny Zhang lived alone and was the widow of a martyr, she began visiting before and after school to help with chores.

Over time, through casual conversations, Granny Zhang learned about her family situation.

To her surprise, a few days later, Granny Zhang contacted the Yu Family through an intermediary, proposing that she move in to take care of her, offering five yuan per month plus meals, without affecting her schooling.

The Yu Family, astounded by such an offer, agreed without even asking for her opinion.

However, Granny Zhang was clever, stipulating to the Yu Family that if she returned home for leave, the costs should be deducted from the five yuan.

For the sake of those five yuan a month, the Yu Family had no objections, let alone the fact that one less mouth to feed also saved them a good amount of rations, bringing them unexpected joy.

She was the last to know, but she understood Granny Zhang was trying to help her.

Since then, apart from sending five yuan home at the end of each month, she rarely returned to the Yu Family. Living with Granny Zhang for over a year transformed her from a sallow, skinny little girl into her current appearance.

Because of this, her second sister Yu Erlili, often made snide remarks when she visited home, while her eldest and second sisters-in-law became much more restrained.

Now that she was leaving, she wondered if Granny Zhang would feel uncomfortable. She must write a letter tomorrow to prevent Granny Zhang from worrying about not receiving any news.

To her, Granny Zhang was no longer just an employer, but family; henceforth, she was her responsibility. Without Granny Zhang, continuing high school might have remained uncertain.

She collected her thoughts and prepared to go back to the house and check upstairs.

Upon entering the kitchen, she casually closed the bamboo door leading to the hot spring area, only to discover that behind the door lay something unexpected—a mysterious entrance leading underground.

Xinyan’s heart was beating wildly with excitement, her mind filled with various speculations as she descended the stairs. There were no lights or windows inside, yet everything was surprisingly clear.

This seemed like a storeroom, as half the space was empty while the other half was filled with shelves.

However, Xinyan noticed that apart from six boxes—one large and five small—on the foremost shelf, there was nothing else.

Looking at those six boxes, her heart raced with excitement, and her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.