Indeed, it stands to reason that before the new wife came in, my mother should have accumulated an astonishing amount of wealth. It can even be said that she is as rich as a country. But where did that money go?

Just after I said this, I saw Uncle Ai's brows frowning.

I thought he was also wondering about this, but the next moment, he raised his hand, took out a crimson brocade box from his sleeve, slowly put it on the small table, and pushed it in front of me.<

/p>

I was stunned for a moment: "This is——"

He looked at me: "Miss, this is the eldest lady's thing."

When I heard this, I was immediately shocked: "My mother? My mother, she——"

"No, she gave this to me originally."

"..."

He emphasized the word "at the beginning". Just these two words poured cold water on the charcoal red in my heart that was suddenly blown hot. It immediately cooled down, but I felt a little suffocated for a long time.<

/p>

After a while, I slowly reached out and picked up the brocade box.

The brocade box is only about the size of a palm, but it is made very delicately and is also very heavy. It feels heavy in the hand. I understand the situation of the Yan family. The brocade box where some important items are placed is made of pure gold. Even if this brocade box is not, it is only

I’m afraid it’s not that far off.

Opening the brocade box carefully, there was only one thing inside.

A key.

This is...

I picked up the key. If my mother had given this key to him and asked him to give it to me, it would have been so many years ago, but it was still brand new. The workmanship of the key is very fine, especially in the places where I can get it.

It's only as big as a fingertip, but it's carved with detailed auspicious clouds and dragons, which are lifelike, showing its superb skills.

And I recognized this key almost at first sight. It was the same as the dagger that Fu Badai gave to Nian Shen, the dagger that Empress Zhaolie gave to the Supreme Emperor, and the Biyue that Empress Pei Yuanhao gave to Nian Shen.

Scimitar, from the same lineage!

I couldn't help but feel nervous.

After I saw the dagger and the blue moon scimitar, I had already vaguely felt the connection between the two, and now, another key has been handed over to my hand. Is this another coincidence?<

/p>

Or is someone deliberately arranging it?

I raised my head and looked at Uncle Ai. He was also staring blankly at the key in my hand, as if he was seeing it for the first time. Looking back on his attitude towards his mother in the past, it was indeed unlikely that he would do anything without permission.

I opened it without permission and peeked into the things my mother left for me.

But I still asked him: "Uncle Ai, what kind of key is this?"

"I don't know either."

"Didn't mother tell you when she gave it to you?"

He didn't speak, just stared at the key and said, "Miss, can you let me take a closer look?"

I nodded and handed the key to him. He took it and carefully turned the key over and over in his palm, then rubbed the pattern on it, then raised his head and looked at me, and said: "Miss, this is iron Home craftsmanship."

"Tie family?"

"The Tie Family at Tie Family Bank."

"...Oh." I suddenly realized.

The iron ore in Xichuan is not owned by the state. Naturally, other families mine and cast it to supply Xichuan's foreign wars. Among these big families, the Tie family is the most powerful. Not only do they mine more iron ore , skilled in cast iron craftsmanship, but they obtained the support of the Yan family in the early stage and opened a bank. Half of the money circulation in Xichuan was controlled by the Tie family.

I even know that the 5,000 taels that Mrs. Yan’s wife received for various expenses each year were directly handed over to my mother from the Tie Family Bank.

The difference between Tiejia Bank and other banks is that not only can you borrow money and store assets, but more importantly, because of Tiejia's iron casting technology, you can prepare an iron box for every customer who stores important items. The only key is that only the person holding the key can open the iron box. The key becomes the only certificate that can be used to collect things from the bank.

And in front of me, the key my mother left for me is the key used by the Tie family's special skill in casting and the Tie family's bank——

I suddenly seemed to understand something.

Uncle Ai had already handed the key back to me with both hands. I looked around with the key and said with a smile, "Did my mother put all her money in the Tie Family Bank? This key, Is it the proof of getting money?"

"I don't know about this. It's just——"

I looked at his hesitant expression and said, "Just what?"

Uncle Ai said: "With that money, the eldest lady is as rich as the country. Even if the new lady came back then, the money will still be there."

As he said that, he glanced at me.

I couldn't help but frown.

Indeed, I was asking him just now where the money went. If the money was really deposited by the mother into Tiejia Bank, then it is her own asset after all. Even if the mother does not take it out, even if it is The interest money we took out was enough for some people to live a luxurious life for decades. However, we in Xishan later lived in such poverty that we even needed help from others.

Why doesn't mother take out the money?

Could it be that the key that can be taken out at Tiejia Bank is not money?

I fumbled with the delicate patterns on the key again with my fingertips, then put it back into the brocade box and slowly closed it.

The brocade box was closed, but the doubts in my heart deepened.

Mother, what exactly did you leave to me...

While I was still thinking, Uncle Ai groped in his sleeve for a while, took out something from it, and put it in front of me.

When I saw it, I was shocked.

That's a thick stack of silver notes, which is taller than a teacup!

"Miss."

I didn't rush him, I just took a look and said with a smile: "Uncle Ai, I am also in business now, and my life is not hard."

Uncle Ai's eyebrows showed the unfinished pain just now: "Isn't this called bitter?"

I smiled and said: "I have money."

"If you have money, you won't live in that kind of place!"

I laughed bitterly in my heart. I said he was a monk, but I saw that he was not as pure as a monk at all. On the contrary, he was more secular than ordinary secular people, so I smiled and said: "That is my husband's family."

His eyes suddenly widened: "Husband's family?!"

This time I was a little surprised.

I got married and gave birth to my daughter here. I thought that since he came here, he would naturally understand my situation very well, and this should be no exception. But seeing that he has already become a monk, that is another matter. My news

Yan Qingchen knew that everyone else knew it, but there was no need to tell him. This time Yan Qingchen asked him to come, and of course he would tell him the general situation about me, but some details, I'm afraid.

I won’t mention it again.

I don’t want to mention it either.

Thinking of this, I smiled and said, "This is my husband's house."

"Your husband's family?" He seemed to be still immersed in huge shock and murmured: "Then, who is your husband?"

"Yes..." There was an inexplicable lump in my throat, but I quickly wiped it away and said with a faint smile: "I am a fisherman, but now I am an official."

"What?!" He couldn't believe it more and more, and his expression changed instantly, which was a bit interesting.

Even though I live in this small fishing village and live an ordinary life of food and clothing, he still looks sad for my misfortune and is very angry and heartbroken. Now that he actually knows that I married a fisherman, he is afraid that he will be furious.

Alright?

Seeing that he seemed to be angry, I just thought that I couldn't tease him anymore, so I smiled and changed the subject: "By the way, maybe you have met my father-in-law."

"Oh?" Uncle Ai was stunned and said, "Who is he?"

"Uncle Ai, do you still remember the erudite conference held by Mr. Fu at Xishan Academy in the third year of Tianqi?"

He nodded: "Of course I remember, that's a big deal."

"Then do you still remember that there was a man named Liu Shizhou reading——"

Before I finished saying the word "scholar", I saw Uncle Ai's face trembled. My heart also moved inexplicably, and I stopped talking.

Uncle Ai didn't respond for a moment, I didn't speak, and the cabin suddenly fell into a weird silence.

However, this silence was quite short, and he already raised his head and looked at me, saying: "Liu Shizhou?"

"Uncle Ai, have you really seen him?"

"Yeah." He nodded, as if he remembered it without any effort at all, and as if the events of the third year of Tianqi were still yesterday. He frowned slightly and said softly: "A scholar with a family, a poor person

It’s really rare to be like that and come all the way to attend the Erudite Conference.”

I was also a little surprised: "Do you really remember?"

"Why don't you remember? It's his fault. He's so tired at home, but he's still smart." He said, raised his head and glanced at me: "I hit it off with your teacher, and it's so long since we met.

Just close to becoming irreconcilable. Humph!"

I smiled.

Manager Ai doesn't like scholars. This is something that everyone in Shu, or the Yan family, knows. It seems that it's because he didn't do well in studying since he was a child. He was often beaten up by teachers in private schools. I heard that even the tip of his little finger was scolded.

After being interrupted, he dropped out of school angrily and refused to touch a book again. However, this man's savvy in doing things and being a person was obviously innate. With two years of private schooling, he knew a few words, and later his

The family fortune is actually better than those people in the previous private school who memorized the book very well.

Even so, he still doesn't like scholars. I even know that he hates Fu Badai very much. When two people meet, they won't quarrel. But you can't stand me and I can't stand you. As long as they appear at the same time, the atmosphere will be very tense.

Oops.

Such a person who knows etiquette but does not know how to read has now become a monk. No wonder he is still so worldly.

However, I have somewhat guessed what he said.

I even once speculated that many of my father-in-law, Mr. Liu Shizhou's actions towards Jiangnan were influenced by Fu Badai at the Erudite Conference. Now listening to what Uncle Ai said, it seems that he was not influenced by Fu Badai.

But the two of them are basically the same person.

No wonder Fu Badai likes Qinghan so much...

Thinking of this, I can't help but feel a little sad in my heart.

I'm not jealous, and I don't think he looks down on me because he values ​​others. Besides, he values ​​Qing Han, who is someone I value equally in my heart... But I know very well that the more he values ​​Qing Han, the more he values ​​Qing Han.

The road ahead will become increasingly difficult.

Just when I was secretly feeling sad, Uncle Ai continued: "So, your teacher also recommended him to meet your mother."
Chapter completed!