Zhulan picked up the jade pendant, which was what she had been most concerned about. This was no ordinary object—it was the very item that the old lady had entrusted her to keep safe before she died, and it was the most valuable of all.
Zhou Shuren also looked at the jade pendant, furrowing his brows. There shouldn't be such a pendant in this family—it clearly belonged to a household of significant wealth. "Where did this come from?" he asked.
Zhulan's mouth twitched slightly. "I don't know either. The old lady was too sick to explain everything before she passed away."
Now, recalling that time, the old lady had not finished speaking before she took her last breath, surely she must have felt unwilling to let go.
Zhou Shuren had a memory of his mother with her eyes wide open, full of reluctance. Analyzing the situation, he said, "This thing could either spell trouble or have significance. Didn't you say it was mentioned in a novel? Is it mentioned there?"
Zhulan pondered, "Not really. The story doesn't talk much about this family, mainly portraying them as extraordinary characters. The old lady isn't mentioned at all in the book. But whether it's meaningful or a curse, we have to keep it safe."
Zhou Shuren tried to remember again. He didn't have many memories of his mother, but those he did remember painted her as a capable and decisive person, especially during turbulent times. She was the one supporting the family, which likely was why they had survived intact. Sadly, the old lady didn't live to enjoy the good fortune; she had died a year before the new dynasty was established.
Zhou Shuren felt a pang of sorrow at the thought, while Zhulan had already counted the silver coins. "We have a total of over one hundred and fifty taels of silver at home, and these pieces of jewelry were prepared by the old lady. They're easy to take with us and hide if needed, can be used as emergency funds or exchanged for money, and, during peaceful times, can be used as a dowry for the daughter."
At this point, Zhulan couldn't help but admire her mother-in-law's foresight and meticulous planning.
Zhou Shuren didn't know whether it was because he had become Zhou Shuren or because of the original occupant's emotions, but he felt stifled. "However, even though we have quite a bit of silver, it's still not enough to cover the expenses of the imperial examination. Just taking the test to become a scholar costs a lot, not to mention anything above that."
Zhulan looked at Zhou Shuren and thought they really were two peas in a pod. If they didn't make things clear today, there would be misunderstandings later on. Their relationship was already unstable—having a thorn in her side would be no good for her. After observing him, she could tell that this man had decent intentions; his eyes couldn't lie. "There's more," she said.
Zhou Shuren suspected he had misheard. "What did you say? I didn't catch that clearly."
Zhulan replied, "I said our family's assets aren't limited to these. There's more, but we can't take it out right now."
Zhou Shuren suddenly looked up. "In my memory, your family wasn't wealthy, and neither was this one. Even with my mother's abilities, the turmoil has cost us a lot. Having saved up this much is already remarkable. Are you saying we have more than this?"
Zhulan coughed and pointed at herself, "You've forgotten that the original occupant was skilled in martial arts, which is why your mother approved of me and allowed our marriage."
Zhou Shuren was no fool. After thinking it over, he hissed, "War spoils?"
Zhulan replied, "You could say that. During the war, when uprisings were common everywhere and bandits were rife, many took advantage of the chaos to plunder. Do you remember, from your memories, that when our home ran out of grain, you and I went back to my parents' house and ended up following my father into the mountains to hide from soldiers and bandits?"
Zhou Shuren did remember; the original occupant had been frightened and had come down with a high fever, delirious. "Indeed, that happened."
Zhulan continued, "With the husband ill and no medicine, the original occupant was desperate. She begged her father and brother to come down the mountain, and they unexpectedly encountered 'thieves falling out with each other.' A group of ten or so soldiers was up against twenty or so bandits. In the end, only two bandits survived. Since my father and brother saw a few faces, they decided to eliminate the injured ones instead of sparing any. Otherwise, letting them go could have brought endless calamity, maybe even leading to our family's annihilation."
Zhou Shuren understood, "So your father took the treasures?"