Following the address on the bank card, I arrived at an old house on the outskirts of town.
Confirming the address was correct, I carefully examined the gray-walled, black-tiled house before me.
Judging by its architectural style, it appeared to be from the early Republic of China era.
The house seemed out of place with its surroundings. It was unclear whether the owner had intentionally preserved this style or if there was another reason.
I knocked for quite some time with no response. Seeing no one else around, I climbed over the wall using an old scholar tree that grew by the fence.
The courtyard was covered in fallen leaves, piled up in a thick layer. Stepping on them felt soft, like walking on a carpet.
Approaching the house door, I pushed open a double-paneled glass door. Before even entering, I was almost suffocated.
The moment the door opened, dust and the smell of mildew billowed out, making me cough for a long time.
I couldn't quite understand. Sister Ying had left me a bank card, but there was no money in it. Yet, she had left me the address of this place. What did it mean?
And the PIN for the bank card, she had said the PIN was six zeros.
Since there was no money in the bank card, why would she tell me the PIN?
Looking at the dusty, empty house with no furniture, I could see everything at a glance.
I followed the stairs to the innermost part of the house and climbed to the second floor. As I stepped on the stairs, I feared they might collapse at any moment.
I proceeded with extreme caution with every step.
The layout of the second floor was similar to the first, with just a few more rooms.
After covering my mouth and nose and circling the area, I still found nothing.
Next, I climbed a ladder to the third floor. The third floor was small, just an attic with a small window at the furthest end.
The window was obscured by dust and dead leaves, allowing only a sliver of light to penetrate.
I tiptoed to the window, afraid that one wrong step might cause me to fall straight through the floorboards.
After opening the window, I finally managed to take a breath of cleaner air.
By the light that shone in, I noticed a safe, about half my height, placed in the corner of the attic.
I walked over and examined the safe closely, discovering it had a combination lock.
I frowned slightly and started manipulating the numbers on the lock. When all the numbers on the lock reached zero, with a "click," the lock sprang open.
So, the PIN Sister Ying gave me was to open this safe?
I was curious. After all this trouble, what had Sister Ying left me?
When I opened the safe, I was stunned!
It was filled with money, neatly stacked in bundles!
This was the first time I had ever seen so much money. To be honest, the shock of it all left me unable to recover for quite some time.
I had no idea how much money was in this large safe, but I guessed it was at least several million!
I closed the safe and sat down on it, my heart pounding "thump, thump, thump."
Why had Sister Ying left me so much money?
Was this ill-gotten gains from selling fakes in Guangling?
I couldn't quite figure it out. Why would Sister Ying do this?
If, as Yan Hongguang had said, Sister Ying had sold so many fakes during her time in Guangling, she was clearly after money.
But now that she was gone, she left me so much money?
It just didn't add up!
Or was her objective never about money in the first place?
If not about money, then what was it about?
I suddenly thought of the zisha teapots!
If it wasn't about money, then Sister Ying's only objective was those zisha teapots!
This matter was becoming increasingly complicated. To understand the truth, I would have to ask Sister Ying herself. Otherwise, just my own wild speculation wouldn't lead to any conclusions.
Locking the safe, I left the house. When I arrived at the hospital, Hong Yunpeng told me that Uncle Hong would likely be discharged tomorrow.
"Damn it, I'll get revenge for this sooner or later!" Hong Yunpeng said indignantly.
I comforted him, "It's good that he's alright. After Uncle Hong is discharged, what are your plans?"
Hong Yunpeng looked helpless. "I haven't thought about it yet. My dad's idea is for me to recuperate for a while and wait for the dust to settle. Xiao Fei, what about you? What are your plans?"
"I don't have any good plans for now either. How about we reopen the shop at Hongyuan?" I suggested.
"That's fine too! With your skills, that's a viable option," Hong Yunpeng suddenly thought of something. "Oh, right, have you heard that Anyuantang is reopening?"
"Reopening?"
"Yes! Apparently, Bai Zhujing led the effort to take over Anyuantang, and Liu Hun is a major shareholder." Hong Yunpeng said through gritted teeth.
Liu Hun was the same old hoodlum who had previously kidnapped the Hong father and son, and Hong Yunpeng hated him to the bone every time he mentioned him.
"Wasn't Anyuantang owned by the Yan family?" I asked, a bit confused.
"Who knows? I heard it from a friend. They say it's opening today, and the name is still Anyuantang."
"What about An Zhongyi? What's his situation?"
"Uncle An was taken away by the Yan family. After all, he worked for the Yan family his whole life, so the Yan family wouldn't just abandon him."
I nodded. I had never met this "father" of Sister Ying.
"Do you have anything to do this afternoon?" I asked.
"What's up?"
"Why don't we go and join the fun?" I raised my eyebrows.
Hong Yunpeng's eyes lit up. "Are you talking about going to Anyuantang?"
"Anyuantang is reopening, don't you want to see it?" I chuckled.
Hong Yunpeng licked his lips. "You wait here for me, I'll go get the car!"
Half an hour later, Hong Yunpeng drove me to Guangling Ancient Street.
As soon as we got out of the car, we heard the sound of firecrackers.
Looking towards the source of the sound, I saw a "Duan Long" weaving through the crowd, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums. The dragon rose and fell.
Dragon dancing was a characteristic of the southern regions. It was used to enhance the festive atmosphere during celebrations.
"Duan Long" was a unique type of dragon in Guangling. The dragon's head, body, and tail were not connected by fabric. Only red silk ribbons were tied to the dragon's head and each segment of its body.
As Hong Yunpeng and I squeezed through the crowd, we saw a large offering table set up at the entrance of Anyuantang. On the table was a Xuande censer of uncertain authenticity, along with some offerings.
The greeters standing at the entrance were all dressed in bright red robes. Behind the offering table stood several people, led by Liu Hun, with Bai Zhujing and others following.
"What a grand spectacle!" Hong Yunpeng said coldly.
I knew Hong Yunpeng must have hated Liu Hun at that moment, so I didn't say much.
After all, if Yan Hongguang hadn't shown up earlier, I probably would have been dealt with by that guy Liu Hun.
"Why are you here?" a clear voice called out from behind me.
Turning around, I saw it was Bai Hanyan.