Watching the figure flash past the melon field, the second master Xiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Brother."
"Go back."
The first master Xiao had a deeper understanding of his niece's martial prowess. She was an unfathomable master, capable of making them disappear without a trace with ease.
Back at their lodging, after a long silence, the first master Xiao finally asked, "Second brother, are we really giving up like this?"
The second master Xiao countered, "Does brother really dare to call the police?"
The first master Xiao growled, "But I'm not reconciled! Half the family fortune, more than what you and I have combined."
If the elder brother was not reconciled, how could the second master Xiao be?
But, "Brother, you saw it yourself. Those small secret rooms were filled with mud and sand that had accumulated over the years, with tree roots growing into them. This means the chests have been gone for a long time."
"Decades have passed, and many residents have come and gone in the courtyard. Who knows who took them."
"Who knows if they were taken after we left the country? After all, father hired helpers."
These were the reasons the first master Xiao vomited blood after discovering that the eight small secret rooms they had dug up were all filled with mud, sand, and small roots.
This was also the reason why the houses later collapsed.
Because he couldn't believe that the family fortune he had yearned for day and night was gone.
Holding onto a sliver of hope, he dug along the secret rooms throughout the entire courtyard, hoping that underground changes over the past few decades had shifted the chests elsewhere.
Who knew that the ground beneath the courtyard was filled with dense, tiny roots.
He was not reconciled and dug under the houses. He thought he could fill them back up as he dug, with no impact on the courtyard.
Who knew that the soil mixed with roots could not be compacted properly, and after just one moderate rain, all the houses collapsed.
If the collapse hadn't happened during the day, they would have lost their lives.
"I'm not reconciled!"
The first master Xiao slammed the table. "Third brother has no idea about his mother's dowry."
"Sister Xu's clues are completely unreliable. Keeping her by Third Brother's side for so many years only corrupted Weiwei."
"She didn't accomplish anything important, and only discovered it after Third Brother recovered."
"But that damned girl, Jingjing, has already taken control of everything around Third Brother."
"You are mistaken."
A cold voice rang out, and a figure descended from the roof.
The first master Xiao gritted his teeth as he glared at Tian Jing, who was holding a child in the courtyard.
"You? You're eavesdropping again? How much did you hear?"
"Not much, not much."
Tian Jing shook her head and swayed. "I only heard about the family fortune, chests, small secret rooms, and Sister Xu's mission."
"No wonder you were willing to pay sixty thousand to buy that courtyard."
"Originally, I planned to leave after hearing this. After all, eavesdropping is not what a gentleman does."
"Who knew I'd hear you mention Sister Xu. Actually, I have a clue that might be useful to you."
The second master Xiao asked anxiously, "What clue?"
Tian Jing remained silent.
The first master Xiao glared at his younger brother, always so impatient. He looked at the silent Tian Jing. "How much do you want?"
Who knew Tian Jing shook her head. "I'm not sure if this clue is useful."
"It's just speculation pieced together from Sister Xu and Xiao Shuyuan. So, no money, it's yours for free."
The first master Xiao was ashamed and annoyed. "Then why didn't you speak earlier?"
"I was wondering where to start. Who knew you were more impatient than Second Brother."
Tian Jing's words almost made the first master Xiao spit blood. "Then have you thought about it?"
"I've thought about it."
Tian Jing nodded. "Listen carefully, I'll only say it once."
Seeing the four Xiao family masters in the room prick up their ears, Tian Jing slowly began.
"Don't you forget, Sister Xu had intermediaries when passing messages."
"She told me she always passed messages to someone named Guo Xiaofeng."
"And I know someone named Guo Xiaoli. I don't know if they are related."
"This Guo Xiaoli is the current wife of Chen Yaoming, who is Chen family, the one who had Xiao Wei and gave birth to me."
"Another suspicious point is that Xiao Shuyuan said Chen Yaoming's cousin, Chen Yaoshi, went to the Xiao family residence."
"And the child in Xiao Wei's womb is actually Chen Yaoshi's. Is it confusing?"
"Heh, you both corrupted her anyway, and it's your Xiao family's reputation that's at stake."
"As long as you and the Chen family don't provoke me, I don't care."
"Alright, this is the clue I've thought of from Sister Xu's and Xiao Shuyuan's testimonies based on your conversation, which I believe is useful to you."
"As for whether it's true or false, you'll have to verify it."
As her voice faded, Tian Jing's figure flickered, and she was gone from the courtyard.
Only the giggling laughter of a child remained.
Tian Jing was in a very good mood. She had finally managed to sow discord between these two families.
It was worth her effort to pay attention to them every day and even plant plants outside the wall of Li Aiguo's courtyard to eavesdrop.
A cartload of watermelons had been transported away.
Li Zhengguo returned home with his two sons. "Wife, did you forget anything?"
Tian Jing looked confused. "Forget what?"
Li Zhengguo raised his arms. "Your sons."
Tian Jing smacked her forehead. "Oh dear, my memory. I'm sorry, sons. There's a lot going on lately, and there are many people and things I need to pay attention to. My energy is a bit overwhelmed. Please forgive me this time."
Hao Hao and Xiao Bo were speechless.
They had waited for their mother in the melon shed for a long time and knew she had forgotten them when she didn't return.
If their mother hadn't told them to wait, they could have gone home by themselves. It was so close.
"Okay, we forgive you, Mom."
"Good sons."
Tian Jing lowered her head and kissed each of her sons.
"Mmm, it tastes like watermelon. Hurry and wash your faces."
After the father and sons washed their faces and hands, Li Zhengguo asked his wife if something happy had happened. Her good mood was evident.
Tian Jing pursed her lips and smiled. "I'll tell you tonight. Be careful of eavesdroppers."
...
At night, after the children were asleep and Li Zhengguo had eaten his fill, his wife finally whispered to him how she had tricked the first and second masters Xiao.
Li Zhengguo turned and covered the delicate body in his arms. He intended to express his admiration for his wife's cunning and deceptive nature with his actions.
...
The villagers were busy with the autumn harvest, while the Li family was busy selling watermelons.
Grandpa Xiao stared, dumbfounded, as his granddaughter counted the money from selling watermelons.
"It's so profitable?"
"Of course. This is an economic crop. Do you know why the villagers dared to plant watermelons on their own initiative in the spring when I wasn't home?"
"They had tasted the sweetness of watermelons. With a few mu of land, they earned several hundred, enough to buy the house plots they needed. But they wanted to be greedy and chilled the town mayor's heart. The town mayor no longer lets me lead them."
"Because he understood human greed. Even if I led them to common prosperity, how would the town mayor deal with common prosperity in other villages?"
"Must it all depend on the seedlings I cultivate? Once I leave, they can't manage. How long do I have to be responsible for them?"
"If they profit, they'll praise me. If they lose, they'll curse my ancestors."
Grandpa Xiao understood his granddaughter's meaning. Sixty mu of land yielding watermelons could bring in ten to twenty thousand a season.
It was so easily obtained, it was no wonder people became arrogant. It wasn't a good thing.
"Whatever. I don't understand these things, but I know that rotten mud cannot be plastered onto a wall."
Since Grandpa was not benevolent, Tian Jing was relieved.