Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Finding the Account Book

Chapter 217: Finding the Account Book

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The next day, Wen Nian didn’t run into Jiang Chun again and happily spent another night in the ancient town with Shen Jun before leaving.

After returning home, Wen Nian continued to focus on her studies, feeling the pressure mounting.

Due to the events from their childhood, Shen Jun carried a sense of guilt towards Jiang Chun. So, whenever he received a message from her, he would respond, but his attitude had become more distant.

Wen Nian decided to take some time to visit her ancestral home and requested a day off from her studies, inviting Shen Jun to join her.

Ever since the summer vacation began, the two of them practically saw each other every day. When Shen Jun found out that Wen Nian would be going alone, his eyes lit up.

Shen Jun: What are you going to do tomorrow?

Wen Nian: I’m going back to my hometown to look for something.

Upon learning that Wen Nian would be going alone, Shen Jun’s eyes lit up.

Shen Jun: 1’11 accompany you! I’ll be your free driver and laborer.

Wen Nian thought that although their ancestral home wasn’t large, it had two entrances, and it would indeed be challenging for her to search alone. So, she agreed to Shen Jun’s offer to accompany her.

When they arrived at Linxi Village, it was still early in the morning, just past 9 o’clock. They parked the car in front of the ancestral home.

Shen Jun followed Wen Nian into the Wen family house and curiously asked, “What are you looking for when you mentioned finding something yesterday?”

Wen Nian herself wasn’t sure how it looked, so she thought for a moment and described, “Take out any notebooks or books with words and numbers on them and put them aside.”

Shen Jun teased with a smile, “The way you’re doing this reminds me of those scenes in TV dramas where they search for corrupt officials’ account books.”

Wen Nian chuckled and replied, “I’m actually looking for account books, but they’re our own. My grandfather should have a ledger, but I don’t know how big it is or what it looks like.”

Shen Jun looked at Wen Nian in confusion and asked, “Should? Are you looking for something that you’re not even sure exists?”

Impatiently, Wen Nian asked, “Are you going to help me look or not?”

Shen Jun quickly responded, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Wen Nian led Shen Jun past the storage room near the main entrance and started searching. After all, she had already removed even the floor tiles from the storage room, so it was certain that there wouldn’t be any account books there.

Four to five hours passed, and the two of them thoroughly searched the Wen family house.

Due to the gold bar incident from last time, Wen Nian didn’t spare even the floor tiles this time. However, in the end, they only found a pile of her and her brother’s old exercise books and textbooks.

Shen Jun went to the car and fetched two bottles of water, unscrewing the caps and handing one to Wen Nian. He finished his own bottle in one breath and then regained his composure. “We almost dug up the whole place. What’s so important about these account books?”

Dejected, Wen Nian sat in the main hall and recounted the incident when they found the gold bar. “I feel like there must be more than this. I suspect that my grandfather had a significant amount of money hidden somewhere, and 1 want to know where that money was spent.”

Shen Jun felt that Wen Nian’s words lacked context. Her grandfather was no longer alive, yet she was speculating about a sum of money that may or may not exist.

After some thought, Shen Jun said, “Could it be that you suspect someone borrowed money from your family and now, after your grandfather’s passing, they refuse to repay it?”

Wen Nian initially didn’t want to talk about the unpleasant aspects of her family, but Shen Jun’s quick thinking led him to this conclusion. So, she shared those past events and suspicions.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jun pondered for a moment. “If your grandfather hid the money so well that even your father and uncle don’t know about it, and assuming it was a loan, they would have exchanged it for gold at a jewelry store. There are so many jewelry stores in the city, and this happened over a decade ago, so it won’t be easy to find.”

Resting her chin on her hands, Wen Nian sighed, “Exactly, that’s why we still need the account books. At least we’ll know how much gold was exchanged.”

“If you were living in a house like this, where would you keep it?”

Shen Jun stepped out of the main hall and surveyed the surroundings. The Wen family house had two entrances and was made of wood. Though it was a single-story building, it occupied a large area.

Shen Jun looked at the sturdy beams supporting the tiled roof in the main hall and murmured to himself, “A small notebook. Without a secret room, it could only be hidden up high or deep underground. Jewelry would be kept underground, but account books… on the beams?”

Shen Jun beckoned to Wen Nian with his fingers.

Wen Nian hurriedly ran over, her face filled with excitement. “Did you think of something?”

Shen Jun smiled at Wen Nian and said, “If 1 help you find it, what will you give me as a reward?”

Wen Nian gave Shen Jun a disdainful look. “Why do you always ask for rewards from me?”

Shen Jun laughed and said, “This is the product of my wisdom. Just agree to one condition for now. 1’11 let you know what it is later. Plus, you owe me two favors now, including the previous one.”

Eager to find the account books, Wen Nian nodded repeatedly. “Okay, as long as we find them, 1’11 agree to your condition..”