With Li Luoyu cracking jokes and stirring up chatter, the grandfather and granddaughter finally finished dinner.
She pushed the old man into the bathroom and had him take a nice, comfortable wash. Afterward, she went back to his room, changed the sheets and quilt covers, and only then sat down, ready to have a serious talk with him.
The old man, however, kept pacing around the room—wandering into the study one moment, then stomping into his bedroom the next.
“Huh? Where did my study go? How come it’s empty?”
“Grandpa, what are you doing? You’re making me dizzy,” Li Luoyu said.
The old man scratched the back of his head, looking furious. “Did those bastards haul away everything from our house?”
Li Luoyu: “……”
Better not mention the space for now—what if it scared him half to death?
“Uh… well…” she said guiltily, rubbing her nose and glancing at the study. “Grandpa, I moved everything somewhere else last night. Those people didn’t take even a scrap of paper from our house.”
The old man let out a heavy sigh and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. His rough hand rested on his granddaughter’s head. It felt like, overnight, his little granddaughter had grown up—and become a lot more lively, too.
“Come on, tell Grandpa—did they scare you today? Did those bastards bully you?”
“Bullying me? As if!” Li Luoyu dragged over a small red lacquered stool and sat beside him, looking smug. “I grabbed a pair of chopsticks and—whoosh, whoosh—threw them out. Took out the hands of two lackeys. Blood was gushing everywhere! They were so scared they nearly wet themselves and didn’t dare smash anything else in our house. Pretty awesome, right?”
The old man’s eyelids twitched. He didn’t quite believe her. Sure enough, she added:
“And Grandpa Liu, Grandma Li, Grandpa Wei, and Grandma Wu all came to back me up. Those guys left in a real sorry state.”
At least those old folks still had some conscience—they hadn’t let his granddaughter suffer.
The old man nodded in satisfaction. “Mm, well done, Luoluo! They deserved a beating!”
The girl had always been wild since childhood, just like her father. Her skills weren’t bad either—beating up a few people wasn’t a big deal.
“Grandpa, what if I go around saying it was my cousin-in-law who told me? That he felt guilty for how our family’s been treated all these years, and thought my cousin coming to take my house was too heartless—so he secretly warned me last night to prepare for a search. Do you think my cousin and her husband would end up fighting? Maybe even scratching each other’s faces bloody?”
The old man: “……”
“If it wasn’t your cousin-in-law, then where did you get your information from?”
Li Luoyu choked for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. “Of course… I overheard him talking…”
There was no way she could tell him she’d transmigrated into a book. He’d probably think she’d lost her mind.
“Grandpa, do you know who’s targeting our family?”
The old man glared at her. “You’re just a kid. Don’t go poking your nose into things.”
Li Luoyu pouted, stubbornly lifting her chin. “And you’re an old kid who just likes fooling the young!”
“Oh, right!” She suddenly ran back to her room, grabbed the box she had dug out from under his bed along with his bankbook, and handed them over. “Here—these are what I found under your bed last night. Grandpa, what treasure’s hidden in this box?”
The old man didn’t take it. Instead, he pushed it back to her. “That box was left for you by your mother.”
“My mom?” The box looked completely ordinary—even the lock was nothing special. Right in front of him, Li Luoyu opened it in a few quick moves.
Inside were a letter, a map, and a property deed to an old residence in Hangzhou.
She unfolded the letter. The paper had already yellowed with age. It roughly explained that her maternal grandparents had taken her uncle’s family abroad years ago, leaving a large sum of money to her mother, who in turn had left it to her. The money had been hidden in various spots on an unnamed mountain near the Li family’s old residence.
As for the map—it was drawn on cowhide paper, its edges worn and frayed. The red circles marking the treasure locations had already blurred.
The deed to the Luo family’s old residence in Hangzhou was written on rice paper, slightly yellowed. Though the vermilion official seal had faded, it still carried an air of solemn authority.
Li Luoyu pursed her lips, her voice a little muffled. “Mom said the Luo family left me a sum of money… and also this old residence in Hangzhou.”
“Mm.” The old man took a sip of tea, as if he had long known about it. “That old residence is the largest traditional Chinese estate in Hangzhou—mountains, water, scenery all included. Even the Taihu stones in the garden date back to the Qianlong era. It’s a perfect place to retire. Back then, our Li family could still protect it in the name of preserving cultural relics…” He paused, then continued, “Tomorrow morning, quietly go find Grandpa Liu and ask him to help watch over it. It would be a real pity if it got ruined.”
At his age, he had long since seen through the changes of the world. These days… it wasn’t easy for anyone to live.
Li Luoyu nodded. Since it belonged to her, she would definitely protect it well. “Then, Grandpa, let’s go live there in retirement someday.”
The old man shot her a look. “A young girl like you—stop talking nonsense.”
“Hehe~” Li Luoyu chuckled. “Just wait and see, Grandpa. In a few years, the good days will come.”
The old man’s expression turned serious. “Luoluo, Grandpa has arranged for you to be sent down to the countryside. It’s not far from where your second uncle’s unit is stationed. Once you get there, take good care of yourself. Don’t go picking fights all the time—”
Before he could finish, Li Luoyu’s voice shot up sharply, cutting him off. “Sent down? Where? Wait—shouldn’t it be exile instead?”
“You’re just a young girl. There’s no need for you to suffer with Grandpa.”
“Then what about you? Where are you going?”
The old man’s voice lowered. “Grandpa will probably be sent to Heilongjiang…”
“I’m not going!” Li Luoyu shot back. “I’m going with you to Heilongjiang. At my uncle’s place, they have to plant two crops a year—I’m just a girl, I can’t handle that kind of work. I’m going north to hibernate for the winter!”
The old man: “……”
He completely lost patience with his impossible granddaughter and snapped, “Hibernate, hibernate—why don’t you just laze yourself to death!”
“You’re going to the countryside whether you like it or not! Otherwise, you’re getting married. The childhood engagement your parents arranged isn’t bad—I’ll call that old fellow tomorrow and make sure they agree—”
Li Luoyu exploded, jumping to her feet. “Old man! How can you be so cruel? You’re actually cursing me to get married! No way! And if you send me to the countryside, I’ll run away. I know the roads—I can make it all the way to Heilongjiang on my own!”
With that, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
This life is impossible…
The old man: “……”
The doorframe creaked loudly. He grabbed a shoe from the floor and chased after her. “Hey! You little brat! Stop right there! Get back here—see if I don’t break your legs!”
But Li Luoyu was quick. In just a few steps, she darted back into her room, locked the door in one smooth motion, and shouted through the crack, “Old man, getting angry is bad for your health! Go to sleep—who knows, we might have to trek across mountains and rivers tomorrow!”
“You little brat—just you wait, I’ll deal with you tomorrow!” he barked, before trudging back to his room with the shoe still in hand.
It had to be said—the ginseng chicken soup made with spiritual spring water worked wonders. Just earlier, the old man had been weak and listless, but now he was energetic enough to chase his granddaughter all over the house.
Once he’s fully recovered, she thought, I’ll help him cleanse his marrow too—turn him into a handsome old man.