35: Chapter 35 Demanding a Title

A sickle was no match for a hoe, nor was it as good as a shovel.

The digging was very slow.

As midnight approached, he used his phone for light.

He had only managed to dig a small pit.

Fortunately, the old house's foundation was pure earth; no matter how hard it was, he could still loosen the soil with the sickle.

It was just that the efficiency was too low.

Just as Zhao Jian stopped to rest and catch his breath,

a Weasel stealthily hopped in.

It gave Zhao Jian a start.

The Weasel was also quite startled.

They stared at each other tensely, neither of them running away.

Zhao Jian spoke first, "Little guy, do I look like the Jade Emperor or the Buddha to you?"

The Weasel actually took a serious look at him.

Then, it turned and left without looking back.

After this brief rest, Zhao Jian regained some strength and resumed digging.

Finally, the sickle struck something in the soil, making a distinct sound.

Found it!

He frantically brushed away the dirt with his hands; it was a wooden box.

There was no telling how long the box had been buried; parts of the surface had already rotted.

But the inside was still very solid.

He dug the box out.

He could see that it originally had an iron lock.

By now, it had rusted into iron dross.

Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Jian gently opened the box.

Instantly, a shimmering, golden glow met his eyes.

It was gold!

Without hesitation, he pulled out some tissue paper he had on him, wrapped the gold, and tucked it into his pocket.

Though it had been buried in the foundation for untold years, it was still as bright as new.

It was good stuff.

By now, the sky had turned completely dark.

In this desolate village and wild hills, no taxi drivers would accept a fare.

Walking back was even more unrealistic.

Now was the time to use his accumulated connections.

He dialed a number.

"Hello, Good Younger Sister, are you busy?"

Su Wanyin, answering the phone, checked the caller ID again.

It was indeed Zhao Jian.

Suddenly calling her 'Good Younger Sister'—did he lose a game of Truth or Dare?

Regardless, she was quite happy that Zhao Jian had called her of his own accord.

"I just got off work. Why, don't you have to accompany your Good Older Sister tonight?"

"I just accompanied her the day before yesterday."

"Oh."

The sound of high heels stomping hard on the ground was clearly audible through the phone.

Zhao Jian didn't say anything.

She was the one who insisted on asking, yet she got upset when he told the truth.

"Then what do you want with your Good Younger Sister?"

Thinking of her for no reason? Su Wanyin didn't believe it.

"I can't get a taxi in Wu Village. Come pick me up."

"By the way, bring some cooking oil, rice, and pork when you come."

Zhao Jian had eaten the two old men's fish, and their information had saved him time in finding the gold.

He prepared some gifts as a way of giving back.

Su Wanyin listened to his requests.

She thought: Did you go fishing?

She knew about Wu Village; that place had long been deserted. It was an abandoned village.

Aside from fishing, she couldn't imagine what Zhao Jian would be doing there.

It couldn't be some outdoor intimacy, could it?

After hanging up, Su Wanyin drove off to go shopping.

Zhao Jian meanwhile strolled to the village entrance.

It was too dark; as a woman, Su Wanyin might not be able to find the way in while carrying rice and cooking oil.

To avoid a situation like the Calabash Brothers saving their grandpa.

He chose to wait outside.

About an hour later, Su Wanyin arrived.

In the trunk were two jugs of peanut oil, a 50-jin bag of rice, and 10 jin of pork.

She hoisted the rice onto her shoulder and carried a jug of oil in each hand.

"There's also 10 jin of meat for you to take. Where do these things go?"

Zhao Jian was stunned.

During their four years of university, this woman couldn't carry anything; even a 5-liter bottle of water had to be delivered by him.

In just four months, where did she get all this strength?

"Oh, if you want to look, I'll let you look all you want when we get back. Just tell me where to put these things."

She was a bit tired.

Zhao Jian silently took the meat and led the way.

Ultimately, he couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked:

"How are you walking so fast while carrying 50 jin of rice?"

"I just picked it up and—ah! Oh, it's so heavy! Brother, I can't carry it."

Su Wanyin suddenly realized her mistake.

She quickly set down the rice and cooking oil, pretending to be weak.

At the same time, she cried out in her heart: Damn it, I've been exposed!

Zhao Jian didn't believe her, but he couldn't let her carry so much. He took the initiative to shoulder the rice.

At the same time, he whispered in her ear, "Big liar!"

Su Wanyin gave a couple of dry laughs and didn't argue.

During university, she indeed enjoyed acting like a frail, beautiful girl in front of Zhao Jian.

Enjoying his protection.

They soon reached the two-story building where the two old men, Li and Xiao, lived.

The building had no front gate; perhaps it had been sold when the owners moved away.

Zhao Jian heard no sound from inside.

Old people sleep early and wake early; they were probably already asleep by this time.

He placed the rice and oil under the window. As for the meat, he tied the plastic bag securely and hung it on the clothesline in the yard.

It wasn't high, but just high enough that the Weasels couldn't reach it.

On the way back, Zhao Jian explained how he had met the two old men.

He omitted the part about searching for gold.

Su Wanyin remained silent after hearing this. She thought of herself.

Although her monthly salary was high, nearly twenty thousand,

her mother's illness required long-term medication and could worsen at any time, requiring hospitalization.

If it weren't for the money, she should have found a job in Xiong City with Zhao Jian and built their own little home.

The car followed the navigation to the bottom of Zhao Jian's rental building.

Su Wanyin got out and opened the door for Zhao Jian. "We're home."

At the same time, she curiously surveyed the surroundings.

It was a very ordinary village, mostly consisting of single-story houses.

There were also color steel rooms added as second or even third floors on top of the bungalows.

A few were for rent to earn some income.

Most were built to strive for demolition compensation.

As for whether it was dangerous, that wasn't something the landlords concerned themselves with.

"Zhao Jian, remember I told you a while ago that my Best friend works at an Animation Company? If you haven't found a suitable job, you could try there."

"Anytime is fine."

She spoke relatively tactfully.

Zhao Jian didn't take the bait.

He just waved and said, "Drive safely on the road. Bye-bye."

He was about to leave after saying that.

Su Wanyin bit her lip and couldn't help asking, "You're leaving just like that? Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything?"

She slightly tilted her head.

Showing her profile to Zhao Jian.

The hint was obvious: Kiss me!

But Zhao Jian didn't see it; he only thought she was reminding him not to forget the money for the rice.

He took out his phone and transferred money.

"Alright, alright, I didn't forget. I've transferred the money to you; go ahead and accept it." His doting voice made Su Wanyin feel weak in the knees.

But the content made her anxious inside.

She quickly said, "I didn't mean that, I'm not..."

Soon, the notification for the received payment sounded on her phone.

When she looked up again, Zhao Jian had already gone inside.

Unable to explain the misunderstanding, Su Wanyin vented her frustration on the ground.

With one stomp, her heel finally snapped.

She crouched down, wanting to pick up the heel.

To her surprise, Zhao Jian walked out again.

He was holding a pair of flat shoes.

"Driving in high heels is dangerous, and I saw you didn't have any flats in your car. Put these on."

The size was about the same as Su Wanyin's.

The woman, who had been in a bad mood just a moment ago, now turned from anger to joy, thinking: He cares about me; he definitely still loves me!

But there was one more question she couldn't help asking:

"Where did these shoes come from?"

Zhao Jian's feet were much larger than hers; it was impossible for him to buy size 36 shoes.

"Stole them from the landlord."

"Huh?"