"Don't worry, I'll go find out the situation right away. It will be alright. How are you feeling?" Pei Jing looked at Zhi Xia's pale face worriedly and asked.
"I'm fine." Zhi Xia looked at him pleadingly, "I'll have to trouble you with my grandparents' matter. Thank you."
Pei Jing nodded. He was still somewhat worried about her, since her condition was far from good. "I'll ask Xiang Xiang to help you rest in her room first. When I come back, you can immediately know the news."
Afraid that she would disagree, Pei Jing said that.
Sure enough, Zhi Xia was most concerned about the old master and old madam. "Okay, Uncle Pei please go quickly. I'll go find Xiang Xiang myself."
Pei Xiang was the younger daughter of the second branch of the Pei family, one year younger than Zhi Xia. The two had met several times before.
Afraid that she would feel embarrassed coming to the house, Pei Jing had called out Pei Xiang to instruct her to take care of Zhi Xia before leaving.
After greeting Old Pei, Pei Xiang supported Zhi Xia back to the room and even poured her a glass of water.
"Thank you." She was quite uncomfortable at this time, so she didn't reject Pei Xiang's care.
"You're welcome, are you alright? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Pei Xiang asked.
Zhi Xia shook her head. "No need, I was probably too anxious. I'll be fine after resting for a while."
Pei Xiang didn't force her either, she just exhorted her, "Then lie down and sleep on my bed for a while. If you really feel uncomfortable, call me. But don't force yourself to endure it."
Pei Xiang's kindness made the turmoil in Zhi Xia's heart fade a little. She smiled and responded.
Lying on the soft bed, Zhi Xia actually fell asleep.
In a daze, it seemed that someone was talking to her. She opened her eyes and saw two little dumplings rushing over to call her mother.
Zhi Xia was just about to reach out to pick up the little dumplings when they turned into nothingness the moment they fell into her arms.
Zhi Xia shook and woke up completely.
Opening her eyes, she saw her grandmother sitting by the bed looking at her.
Touching her cheek, the old lady asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"
"No." Zhi Xia shook her head, sat up from the bed, and said joyfully, "Grandma, you're back. Where's Grandpa?"
"He's outside talking to your Grandpa Pei." The old lady knew that today's events must have frightened Zhi Xia, so she quickly explained, "Zhi Xia, our family is fine. Don't worry either. Your grandpa and I went to claim some things, not to be called over for an interrogation."
Seeing the old lady's tearful eyes, Zhi Xia suddenly realized something.
What she had known in her previous life—not long before the founding of the country, when the An family still lived in the old house, a group of bandits broke into the An house to rob them, killing her aunt whom she had never met.
This incident had always been an unforgettable wound in the old lady's heart.
Later, she only heard that the group of bandits had been wiped out, and some of the An family's lost property had been recovered, but not all.
It seemed now that the missing ones must have been related to the Lin family, after all their notorious "Black Dragon Mountain" name was known to all back then.
Afraid of poking at the old lady's heart, Zhi Xia didn't dare to ask in detail.
Hearing Old Pei and Grandpa talking, Zhi Xia knew she had guessed right.
They had been invited over today to claim those properties.
The old master had been meticulous at the time, and had marked all the An family's gold bars. This was later imitated by many wealthy families in Jin City.
Lin Zheng must not have done any processing when he obtained these assets back then, afraid of being found out. And because of this, even though those things had been lost for over 20 years, they could still be recognized as the An family's belongings.
Grandpa patted the old lady's hand and said to Old Pei, "Those properties have been lost for so many years. We didn't expect to be able to find them back to begin with. Although it is a pleasant surprise, with the current situation, money in hand may not be a good thing. I think it's better to donate it, at least it can leave us a good name."
When millions worth of family wealth had all been donated years ago, he didn't care about this little bit either.
The old lady chimed in, "Yes, just donate it. Money stirs people's hearts. Keeping it in hand will only cause trouble. Our family being safe and sound is the most important."
Her eyes were red, possibly because she was thinking of the past events. She seemed to have aged a lot in that instant.
"Donating it all? Isn't that too wasteful?" The speaker was Wang Yue, Pei JianGuo's mother and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Pei family.
As soon as she spoke, she was glared at by her husband Pei Yong and embarrassedly lowered her head, "I'm just thinking for Zhi Xia. This child has suffered so much since she was little. It's hard for her to finally come back. Don't Uncle and Aunt plan to leave some dowry for the child?"
Old Pei glanced at his daughter-in-law imperceptibly and admonished, "Whether to leave it or not is the An family's own business. You and I are on good terms with Uncle An, so I don't mind bringing this up. But as a person, you still need to know your place."
Wang Yue broke out in a cold sweat. "Dad, why are you talking as if I'm coveting that money? I can't even covet it! Forget it, I shouldn't have said that. I won't say anything more."
The nice conversation between the three elders was ruined by Wang Yue's blunder. No one spoke much more, only ate quietly.
After the meal, everyone left.
Pei Yong called Wang Yue into the room and questioned her, "What were you randomly interfering for at the dinner table just now? How the An family deals with their property is their own business and has nothing to do with you."
Facing her own man, Wang Yue was no longer so timid. "What's wrong with me? I just casually said a sentence because I felt it was too wasteful. I didn't say much. Do you have to make a big fuss out of it and yell at me?"
"In any case, you shouldn't have said that." Pei Yong stared at Wang Yue and exhorted her once more, "Our family's relationship with the An family, you know very well. Dad sees Uncle An as even more important than himself. If you want to live a peaceful life, don't have any improper thoughts."
Pei Yong's exhortation was well-intentioned, but he didn't know that Wang Yue went and praised Zhi Xia to her son afterwards.
As for her motive, it was obvious.
She didn't believe the An family was really so selfless as to donate all their millions of family wealth and not leave themselves a back road.
There's a saying that goes a broken ship still has three catties of nails. It was said before that just sweeping the cracks of those wealthy households would be enough for an ordinary family to spend a lifetime.
So when Pei JianGuo took a liking to An MeiYun, Wang Yue didn't object at all even though she didn't think highly of An MeiYun. Now seeing this Zhi Xia who seemed softer and easier to manipulate, she had another idea.
When Jiang Su from the second branch returned home, she chuckled and pulled her daughter's hand to advise her, "Xiang Xiang, you must not learn from your eldest aunt in the future. That petty look of hers is really laughable."
