The family gathered at the state-run restaurant on Fendou Road for lunch. After eating, Xu Mingxuan and Er Zhuang took the packed lunch on a bicycle to deliver it to Old Man Zhang and the others working in the dilapidated house.
Chen Lan, however, was still preoccupied with the treasure map and decided to take the four children to see the Jewish synagogue in Harbin that afternoon.
Jiahui rode the bicycle, carrying Chen Lan and Jiayao, while Jiahe rode with his second brother, Jiaxing.
Before setting off, Jiahui asked, "Mom, where are we planning to go this afternoon?"
Chen Lan thought for a moment and replied, "Let's go to Daoli District! I heard that most of the people who lived there back then were Russians and foreigners, and many Jews also lived in Daoli District. It's said there are many Orthodox churches and Jewish synagogues built there. Let's go see them this afternoon."
Jiahui cheerfully agreed, "Okay! Mom, hold on tight! Here we go!" She then pedaled the bicycle and set off.
In this day and age, Chen Lan dared not ask strangers for directions to find a Jewish synagogue. She had to resort to a clever but simple method: asking for help from the system, her cheat.
Chen Lan sat on the bicycle's crossbar and used her mind to open the system, purchasing a modern map of Harbin.
Chen Lan reasoned that if the Jewish synagogue still existed in later generations, it would definitely be in the same place in the 1970s, as ancient buildings don't move no matter how much time passes.
Taking the map from the system's warehouse, Chen Lan opened it and began to study it while sitting on the bike.
Chen Lan's guess was correct. At the intersection of Tongjiang Street and Dongfeng Street in Daoli District, there was indeed an old Jewish synagogue, which was the chief synagogue of the Jewish community back then.
So, Chen Lan immediately told Jiahui that the destination was Tongjiang Street and, looking at the map, explained the specific route.
Half an hour later, the group on bicycles finally arrived at the old Jewish synagogue located at the entrance of Tongjiang Street.
At first, Chen Lan and her children didn't dare to get too close, stopping their bicycles and looking at the synagogue from a distance. The synagogue was a two-story brick-concrete structure, a typical ancient Jewish-style building. Its earth-yellow exterior walls were mottled and weathered due to age and disrepair.
The entrance to the synagogue had a tall, dark red wooden door, flanked by two dark red large windows. The wooden door and windows were also somewhat faded and peeling paint due to age. Both the door and the windows were designed with pointed arches and round arches.
The roof of the synagogue featured two green domes of different sizes. A silver Star of David, a hexagram, stood at the highest point of the two domes, glittering in the sunlight.
The glittering hexagram on the dome, composed of two equilateral triangles, was the Star of David, a distinctive symbol of Jews wherever they went.
Chen Lan carefully examined the plaque hanging on the synagogue's door and discovered that it had now become the guesthouse of the Harbin Vehicle Factory.
Chen Lan then decided to go inside and take a look. Jiahui, not interested in the Jewish synagogue, volunteered to stay and watch the two bicycles.
Given Jiahui's martial arts prowess, Chen Lan readily agreed. Without another word, she led her three sons towards the synagogue's entrance.
Chen Lan, accompanied by her three sons, entered the European-style solid wood door with Jewish architectural features. As they walked, she carefully observed the interior structure of the old synagogue. She found that the main hall was a large, perfect square, with a huge semicircular dome rising from the roof, adorned with a European-style chandelier, giving it a grand and magnificent appearance. The design of the chandelier was also very unique.
The front hall of the synagogue had two spiral staircases on either side. Chen Lan looked up from the staircase and discovered that the synagogue had a total of three floors. She noticed that almost all the doors and windows in the synagogue bore the hexagram pattern, and some even had a nine-pointed star pattern.
Chen Lan only knew that the hexagram was the Star of David, symbolizing protection and blessings, and representing the goddess. As for the nine-pointed star, Chen Lan had no idea what it signified, but she guessed it likely had a positive meaning.
Just as Chen Lan and the children were engrossed in their observations, two staff members approached and began to ask them to leave.
Chen Lan and her three sons quickly exited the old synagogue. Upon reaching their bicycles, Chen Lan took out the map from her pocket and studied it again. She discovered that not far from their location, on Jingwei Street, there was another Jewish synagogue called the New Synagogue.
So, the mother and her five children immediately rode their bicycles and soon arrived at the New Synagogue on Jingwei Street. This church was also a brick and stone structure.
The entire building of the New Synagogue was square. At the entrance, there were three large wooden doors, with three wooden arches supported by four round, pointed columns, forming a triple arch external porch. The entire architectural design bore a strong Arabic architectural style.
The facade of the New Synagogue incorporated alternating white stones and red bricks, creating a decorative banding of red and white.
The roof of the New Synagogue was covered by a large double-centered dome, topped by a hexagram star of David, a typical decoration for Jewish buildings.
Chen Lan and her children only looked at the New Synagogue from the outside, not daring to go inside for a closer look. This was because a plaque hanging at the main entrance of the New Synagogue stated it was the Harbin Municipal Public Security Bureau Club and Guesthouse.
Seeing the words "Public Security Bureau," even if Chen Lan had the courage of a leopard, she wouldn't dare to sneak inside. She immediately led her four children away on their bicycles.
Chen Lan studied the map again and found that on this very Jingwei Fourth Dao Street, there was the private mansion of a wealthy Jewish magnate named Soskin.
So, Chen Lan immediately said, "Daughter, Jiahui, quickly turn the bicycles around and head right on Jingwei Fourth Dao Street. There's the mansion of a wealthy Jewish magnate there."
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Lan and her five family members arrived in front of a mansion and stopped. The mansion was tightly enclosed by an iron fence, and a large padlock secured the gate of the fence. Chen Lan could only look at the mansion from outside the fence.
It was an old building in the classical Jewish style, with a rectangular floor plan. The main body of the house was a stone and wood structure, and its overall exterior was greenish-gray.
The front of the house had six columns, and the sides also had two columns supporting the heavy eaves. Although the mansion was only one story high, it still gave an impression of grandeur and splendor.