Sure enough, it was from Xu Ma that they heard about the Great Grandfather Xiao.
It turned out the Xu family were attendants to Grandmother Xiao.
Xu Ma's husband was originally a child of the Xiao family. After the entire Xiao family moved overseas, there were many trivial matters. While her husband was out on business, he was involved in a car accident and died on the spot.
Grief-stricken, Xu Ma only wished to live with her son.
Not long after, Grandfather Xiao and his daughter also went overseas. Xu Ma was then assigned a task by the Eldest Master to marry Xiao Shuyuan.
She refused vehemently, being a woman of principle who believed in remaining faithful to one's spouse.
Mistress Xiao told her about Xiao Shuyuan's physical defects, and with coaxing and deception, she finally agreed.
She was also told to leave her son behind with her parents, the reason being it would be better than being with a stepfather.
Her parents also promised to take good care of their grandson, and thus, she was bestowed upon Xiao Shuyuan by the Eldest Master as if by imperial decree.
Although Grandfather Xiao did not want anyone from his brother's side, he thought that his loyal servant needed someone to care for him, so he agreed.
Grandfather Xiao's household was simple. With her accompanying the young lady and managing the kitchen, life was not bad.
But how could the Eldest Master have sent her here for an easy life?
Her first task was to further corrupt the already somewhat spoiled young lady.
Her second task was to monitor the situation on the master's side and report any unusual activity.
She had returned this time because the master had been ill for a long time and decided to return to his roots.
This was not only because of the great changes in the country, but also because the property the master had been allocated overseas, apart from his residence and some money, was this quadrangle courtyard.
The master had decided to return to reclaim it.
The young lady had not returned with him because Xu Ma had advised her to, saying that the master's illness was minor and that she and her fourth foreign husband should just go on their honeymoon.
"Then what did you say that almost made my grandfather have a stroke?"
"I, I reported the young lady's unusual behavior, and, and also told them over there that the master was recovering well and asked if they still wanted to poison the master again."
Poisoning?
What kind of hatred was this?
Tian Jing's voice turned chillingly cold, "When did the poisoning stop?"
Xu Ma's forehead was pressed against the ground. "It stopped before I returned. Because the master had coughed up blood several times, he thought he was going to die and wanted to come back to deal with his posthumous affairs."
"And also to find the young lady and entrust what little he had to her."
"As soon as the young lady's infatuation wore off, she would divorce. The master had intended to bring her back, thinking that with the less open-minded atmosphere in the country, perhaps her attitude towards marriage could change."
"But she hastily married before the master returned. The master no longer held any hope for the young lady and decided to bypass her and give this quadrangle courtyard to the younger lady."
Tian Jing sneered, "Your young lady hastily married? Wasn't it you who persuaded her?"
"Yes, I persuaded her. I advised her to only believe in love. Once she no longer felt the sweetness and impulse of love, I advised her to divorce and find someone else."
Persuaded?
Heh, when Xiao Wei gave birth to her, she was already eighteen years old.
Now she was in her forties, not a young girl, not a sheltered young lady who had never seen the world. Who could persuade her?
It was merely a case of going with the flow, and Xu Ma had become Xiao Wei's scapegoat.
Xiao Wei, an idealist who only wanted to live in a fairy tale and have a sweet life with her prince charming.
A selfish person who treated her own child as a burden and discarded her carelessly.
"Anything else?"
Xu Ma's face was pressed to the ground by an invisible force, her lips pursed. She was terrified.
"Yes, yes, I haven't had time to tell the master yet."
"Speak."
"I discovered that the master kept looking towards that dry well. I suspect there's something under the dry well."
"This quadrangle courtyard was bought by the old master for the madam. The old master loved living here the most."
"The Eldest Master asked me to monitor the master, suspecting that the old master had left private assets for the master."
"During the war, the old master's assets decreased significantly. The old master claimed they were confiscated. Neither the Eldest Master nor the Second Master believed him."
Tian Jing hadn't expected that the changes in this life would be so significant.
In the first life, if the Eldest Grandfather Xiao and Second Grandfather Xiao had received this news, what would Chen Yaoming have to do with it?
No!
Tian Jing's eyes narrowed. "Through whose hands was your message transmitted?"
"A man named Guo Xiaofeng. He is a subordinate the Eldest Master has recently found in the country."
That made sense.
"The Eldest Master hasn't returned to the country. Through whose introduction did he find Guo Xiaofeng?"
"I, I don't know. This, this is not something I should know."
Xu Ma was almost like a paper cutout stuck to the ground.
Xiao Shuyuan watched, trembling. "Young lady, I, I suspect the Chen family is involved. I have seen Chen family members enter the Eldest Master's residence before."
"Which member of the Chen family? And when?"
Did the Chen family have the ability to find the Xiao family overseas?
"The person I saw resembled Chen Yaoming from back then. He was probably in his thirties."
"It was last year. Because the master was returning to the country, I was busy with the paperwork outside and saw him by chance."
In his thirties? Resembling Chen Yaoming?
Other than Chen Yaoming's only paternal cousin, Chen Yao Shi, there was no one else.
If Chen Yao Shi was involved, then Chen Yaoming's uncle, Chen Guangfu, must have known.
This father and son pair had never appeared in the first life.
And Chen Yaoming in this life actually knew to go to Ku Mountain to find Grandpa Chen.
In her first life, she was brought here in September. At that time, although she hadn't interacted with Grandpa Chen, she knew that no elderly person had passed away in Ku Mountain during those years.
*Swish*
Tian Jing darted out of the room.
Xu Ma gasped for air. It was too terrifying.
...
"Zheng Ge~"
Li Zhengguo gently opened the door. "What's wrong?"
"Where are the children?"
"They are all asleep in Grandpa's bed."
"You come out."
Tian Jing led the way into the west room.
Li Zhengguo entered the west room and embraced his wife. "Did you find anything out?"
Tian Jing activated her supernatural ability, forming a shield, and relayed everything Xu Ma had said to her husband.
"...Do you think there's a connection between Chen Yaoming's sudden trip to Ku Mountain and Chen Yao Shi's appearance overseas?"
Li Zhengguo nodded. "Yes, it should be Chen Guangfu."
"However, I still feel something is not right. Many things, especially those related to money, have deviated from the first life."
"Chen Yaoming's intentions are very clear. First, to go to Grandpa Chen's house to find the golden lock, and second, to get the key from me."
"And Chen Yao Shi has introduced Chen Yaoming's brother-in-law to Eldest Master Xiao, intending to intercept information here."
"These make me have a guess."
Li Zhengguo became serious. "What guess?"
"Chen Guangfu in this life knows the location of Grandpa Chen, knows all of Grandpa Chen's investigation materials, and knows what is under this quadrangle courtyard."
"And he probably also knows that I am different now. You, however, have probably not been exposed yet, as your affections have always been focused on me."
Li Zhengguo's body tensed. "Rebirth? Transmigration?"
"That's my guess. After Chen Yaoming returned, he didn't come to ask me for the golden key, so Chen Guangfu must have known I was different. Therefore, he is waiting to see what happens in Ku Mountain and is focusing on this side first."
"If my guess is correct, then we don't have the advantage he does. After all, the most we know is about ten years into the future, while he certainly knows much more."
Hearing this, Li Zhengguo relaxed his body. "Since he is being so cautious, we can only pretend to be ignorant for now."
"If I haven't revealed myself, I'll continue to hide. You hurry and move the things underground."
Tian Jing's eyes sparkled. "I plan to move them to a place that even if he knew about it, he wouldn't dare to dig, and that cannot be bought with any amount of money."
Li Zhengguo looked down at the sparkle in his wife's eyes. "You're not planning to move them under the Prince's Mansion Museum, are you?"
"You know me best, Zheng Ge."
"Heh heh heh." Li Zhengguo laughed heartily. "I think if he knew, he would definitely spit up three liters of blood."
"Hmph, when we get back, I'll also find out what's in Ku Mountain and see how to deal with it to make him spit blood again."
"Don't forget Grandpa Chen's regrets."
"I know. I also have regrets, so I won't donate them."