Early the next morning, Jiang Li woke up inside her pocket space and washed up using the spiritual spring water.
She prepared breakfast in the space for herself, and just as she finished eating and stepped outside, Jiang Jinxiu had already arrived at the front gate.
Jiang Li opened the door for her.
The moment Jiang Jinxiu entered, she asked impatiently,
“Lili, are you feeling better? Let’s hurry to the clinic. We still need to deal with your job and sell your house.”
Jiang Li continued pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Auntie, I think I caught another chill last night. Not only am I not better, I feel even worse. I… I’m going to take some more medicine.”
With that, she turned and walked back into the house.
Behind her, Jiang Jinxiu frowned deeply, staring at her suspiciously.
What’s going on with Jiang Li?
Why has everything suddenly become so troublesome?
She followed her inside and saw Jiang Li “taking medicine.”
In reality, Jiang Li wasn’t swallowing any medicine at all.
She was simply drinking water—
Spiritual spring water.
“Lili, if you don’t recover soon, when are you going to get rid of the baby? We don’t have much time left.”
After a pause, Jiang Jinxiu continued,
“How about this—you stay here and rest. Just give me the deed to your house, and I’ll go sell it for you.”
Jiang Li had known she’d be impatient.
Fortunately, she already had a way to keep her occupied.
After her parents had been sent away, Jiang Jinxiu had claimed she was worried the authorities would discover the Jiang family’s hidden wealth. She had insisted on moving it somewhere safer.
At the time, Jiang Li had been just a young girl with no parents to rely on. She had only been married to Lu Yuanshan for a month and had no emotional attachment to him yet.
She had trusted only her aunt.
So she’d told Jiang Jinxiu where the family’s hidden treasure was concealed.
A few days later, however, her uncle had also come asking about the treasure.
Feeling uneasy, Jiang Li had thought her uncle could at least keep her aunt in check, so she had told him as well.
Later, both her aunt and uncle had taken the treasure to Hong Kong, using it as startup capital for their business.
They had even tried to exploit Jiang Li herself, intending to trade her body for business advantages.
Fortunately, she had refused and eventually started her own company instead.
Since both Jiang Jinxiu and Jiang Jin’an were consumed by greed…
She could use that weakness against them.
At the same time, she might finally uncover where the first treasure had been hidden.
“Oh… Auntie, there’s actually something I wanted to tell you.”
She pretended to think carefully.
“Yesterday, while I was lying in bed half-asleep, I suddenly remembered something. I think my parents had another hidden treasure… one I never told you about.”
“Another treasure? Where is it?”
Jiang Jinxiu’s eyes immediately widened.
Like a maggot catching the scent of carrion, she eagerly leaned closer.
So the Jiang family was even richer than I thought…
Of course, Jiang Li had no intention of revealing any location.
The “second treasure” was entirely fabricated.
As long as she never disclosed where this imaginary treasure was hidden, Jiang Jinxiu would have no choice but to indulge whatever requests she made.
“But, Auntie…”
She rubbed her temples.
“My head hurt so badly yesterday that I couldn’t remember where it was.”
“And even now… I still can’t.”
Disappointment flashed across Jiang Jinxiu’s face.
But Jiang Li quickly continued,
“Auntie, I do have an idea.”
“I can’t remember where the other treasure is hidden. But if you take me to see my family’s original treasure… maybe seeing it will jog my memory.”
Thinking back on her previous life, she realized how foolishly she’d trusted those ungrateful wolves.
After allowing them to move the family’s fortune, she’d never even known where they’d stored it.
She had asked Jiang Jinxiu about it afterward.
Her aunt had merely assured her it had been hidden somewhere safe and told her not to worry—that it would eventually be transported with them to Hong Kong.
In her previous life, Jiang Li never saw the treasure aboard the ship.
Nor did she ever see it after arriving in Hong Kong.
Still, she knew where it had gone.
Her aunt and uncle had used it to build their business empire, with Jiang Jinxiu taking the lion’s share.
She knew that asking Jiang Jinxiu directly would never work.
That’s why she’d come up with this excuse.
Besides, even if she somehow forced Jiang Jinxiu to tell her, there was no guarantee the woman wouldn’t lie.
It was far safer to see the location herself.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Jinxiu nodded.
“Fine. I’ll take you there. But it’s broad daylight, so we’ll have to be careful.”
Privately, however, she had already decided to keep the so-called second treasure for herself.
Once she learned where it was hidden, she wouldn’t move it immediately.
Otherwise, her greedy younger brother might discover it.
After they reached Hong Kong, she could simply contact her connections in the Revolutionary Committee and have them secretly transport it over for her.
Before leaving, Jiang Jinxiu warned her again.
“Lili, there’s something I need to remind you.”
“Don’t tell your uncle anything about this new treasure.”
“He’s dishonest. If he finds out, he might steal it for himself—or worse, accidentally lead the Revolutionary Committee to it. That wouldn’t be good for either of us.”
“I’m only saying this because I care about you.”
“I’m the one who truly has your best interests at heart.”
“Your uncle can’t be trusted.”
Jiang Li narrowed her eyes.
You heartless beasts…
Neither of you is any better than the other.
“I understand, Auntie.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t tell anyone except you.”
Satisfied, Jiang Jinxiu finally relaxed.
Jiang Li was such a simple-minded girl.
She would never deceive her.
The two women left the house together and rode their bicycles to a remote area on the outskirts of the city.
The place was filled with abandoned houses that had been deserted for years.
Most were crumbling and uninhabitable.
Beyond them lay barren fields and the foot of the mountains.
Jiang Li recognized the place immediately.
Jiang Jinxiu’s husband’s family had once been poor.
This had been her former in-laws’ home, and Jiang Jinxiu herself had once lived there.
Later, thanks to Jiang Li’s parents’ help, Jiang Jinxiu had secured a better job and improved housing, eventually moving into a courtyard house in the city.
She had probably hidden the family’s treasure here because there were too many eyes in town.
That way, when the treasure was eventually moved, no one would pay much attention.
Jiang Jinxiu unlocked the courtyard gate.
After both of them entered, she immediately locked it again from the inside to keep outsiders away.
They walked into the house together.
In the innermost room, Jiang Jinxiu lifted an iron hatch built into the floor.
A cellar entrance was revealed.
“Everything’s down here,” Jiang Jinxiu said.
“I checked on it just a couple of days ago. Nothing should be wrong.”
“We’d better go down and have a look anyway,” Jiang Li replied.
Jiang Jinxiu agreed without objection and led her into the cellar.
The wooden chests were exactly where they had always been.
Jiang Li opened one.
The valuables inside were still there.
Only then did she quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Tonight…
After exposing Jiang Jinxiu’s affair…
I’ll come back and take everything away.
Jiang Jinxiu, meanwhile, couldn’t wait any longer.
“Lili, you’ve seen the treasure now.”
“Has it helped?”
“Do you remember where the other treasure is hidden?”