Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Yu Shu pulled Yu Fanxing's attention back to the main issue: "First, don't worry about the shoes. This patch of ground feels different underfoot, harder, there must be stone slabs or something else down there."

"Really?" said Yu Fanxing, tapping the grassy spot with the tip of her dainty leather shoe. "I can't feel anything different!"

"Well of course you can't feel anything with just a little tap like that."

Yu Fanxing pouted. "I can't get my nice shoes wet! No matter what's down there, just get some people to dig it up and see."

Yu Fanxing called the estate steward to bring some servants and dig up that patch of ground to find out what was there.

As the soil was removed by hoes and shovels, large flat stone slabs were soon revealed underneath.

The steward tapped the stone slabs with his shovel, judging by the sound: "There's empty space underneath, it looks like a cellar of some kind."

Yu Fanxing's eyes lit up instantly with excitement: "It definitely won't be just a vegetable cellar! No one hides their vegetable cellar so secretly and seals it with huge stone slabs like this!"

Yu Shu and Yu Fanxing exchanged a glance, the corners of Yu Shu's lips turning up as they shared the same hopeful thrill.

Treasure, it must be treasure! And even more tempting than the treasure itself was the prospect of exploring for it!

While the workmen were prising up the stone slabs, Yu Fanxing went back to her room to change into an adventuress outfit like the heroines of adventure movies, and had a matching outfit brought out for Yu Shu too, along with a complete set of exploring gear found in one of the storehouses.

It took considerable effort to pry up the heavy, thick stone slabs. Yu Fanxing had some of the estate's grape-farming laborers called over, and with the strength of a team of oxen they finally shifted aside one of the slabs, revealing mud-caked steps leading down into darkness.

Yu Fanxing recoiled in horror several yards back, covering her nose and mouth. Her previous excitement vanished in an instant — no amount of gold or antiques could make her step into that morass of mud and worms!

Holding a flashlight, Yu Shu peered into the cellar from the opening. The cellar looked to be about 200 square meters, less than 2 meters tall, filled with large and small wooden boxes. Many boxes had decayed from age, and mud from the ceiling had fallen into them, obscuring the contents.

As Yu Shu's flashlight swept over the corner, she saw dense masses of rats swarming as they fled from the beam of light, sending chills down her scalp.

Sealed for nearly a century, the cellar was badly waterlogged, with pools of water, thick mud and all manner of subterranean creatures everywhere. With the stone slab removed, the stench of decay flooded out, assaulting the nose despite Yu Shu wearing two face masks.

In an instant, all the gold and antiques lost their allure.

And Yu Shu suddenly gained that traditional Chinese virtue of "nobility in poverty."

"Qinghua porcelain plate with landscape and figures from Qianlong reign, olive-green vase with winter melon motif from Shunzhi reign..."

Overwhelmed, Yu Fanxing could stand no more, cursing roundly that the damned thief really knew how to steal, leaving only the second-rate stuff.

Yu Shu tentatively suggested: "Why not take these crates back to the museums?"

Wary that Yu Fanxing might take offense since it reeked of moral coercion, she still felt it improper to privately hold national treasures of such importance.

To her surprise, Yu Fanxing instantly agreed, even deciding to auction off the gold coins and "junk" to swindle some French money for the museums back home.

"Perfect!" Yu Shu smiled.

Back in Cheng City's luxurious Chuangyuan estates.

Yu Yan's sudden return brought great joy to both Yu Heting and Lin Yanqiu. Over dinner, Lin Yanqiu asked eagerly:

"No advance notice before coming back, work troubles back in France?"

"No need to make a fuss," Yu Yan smiled reassuringly. "Just taking some days off to see you and grandpa."

Yu Heting chuckled at his eldest grandson. "We old folks are doing perfectly fine, no need to fret."

"Isn't Youlin home?"

The senior Yu's face twisted upon mention of that damned fool, pained over the reason yet also angry over the aftermath. His complex feelings were akin to a subway elder gawping uncomprehendingly at a smartphone screen.

"In his room. Boy's been acting strange past few days, blowing his top over anything, cursing and smashing stuff all the time."

In a conspiratorial whisper to grandson and husband, Lin Yanqiu shared: "I'm betting it's girl troubles — that imprint and purse he made recently were clearly gifts for some girl. And I actually spotted him secretly carving a jade hairpin in his room last time back! I thought it was for me at first, but he took it out with him that very day and came back fuming like a firecracker afterwards!"

No wonder Shen Youlin had been so terribly temperamental lately, turned out some girl had dumped him.

Yu Heting's eyes bulged incredulously. "What manner of heroic maiden could possibly bear to abandon my precious scion??"

"I'll go up and check on Youlin." Yu Yan excused himself.