Chapter 6, The Secret in the Oil Lamp

Jiang Xiaohu smiled wryly: "Wife, please don't tell me that you intend to take the silver back to return it to her"

The old woman beside finally cried enough; she wiped her eyes and reached out to touch her cane. To her surprise, she also grabbed the silver coins on the ground, and instantly she was overjoyed: "Heaven has eyes, Heaven pities me, the silver has come back!"

Looking at her silhouette, Jiang Xiaohu smiled bitterly

"Do not forget, they love to steal treasures," Miss Lan said as she walked to the bedside and sat down, her face filled with worry. "He has been following you for so long without taking action, and he has even tried every means to scare me away. It is very likely that he is after that treasure of your family."

"The Thousand-Hand Sect?" Jiang Xiaohu was even more astonished, shaking his head, "Aren't they specialized in stealing? I am so poor that I can barely afford to eat, they would incur losses by following me"

Jiang Xiaohu was frightened and nodded repeatedly: "With such a large family, there must be many people. Don't let them see us."

After speaking, she pulled Jiang Xiaohu to the door and pointed at a damp patch under the window: "Look, I remember we never poured water here, yet the soil is wet.

But this lamp is too shabby, not even a pawnshop is willing to accept it, what is he doing with this?

Jiang Xiaohu immediately nodded: "Alright"

The two had already reached the door when they heard the sound of crying. Miss Lan could not help but stop in her tracks, hesitating: "Xiao Hu, look at how pitiful she is, how can we still take her money..."

Jiang Xiaohu stared wide-eyed, unable to speak for half a day

Miss Lan shot him a glare, and before she could say anything, she heard an even louder cry and cough coming from the room. She immediately panicked and said, "Oh no, she must have discovered the missing silver!"

Jiang Xiaohu hurriedly went up to pull her: "Wife!"

It turns out to be a young man, the old woman finally saw clearly what was in front of her, slowly got up from the ground, brushed off the dust from her body, looked at him again with a puzzled expression, and said, "What did you just say, the heavens have no eyes?"

Such an event should have taken place at night, but unfortunately, the two could no longer bear their hunger. Therefore, Miss Lan disregarded her status and, risking danger, climbed over the walls of someone else's home.

"Secret?" Miss Lan was taken aback for a moment, then waved her hand, "I don't care!"

She covered her mouth and coughed twice, leaning on her cane and swaying as she walked. After taking just a couple of steps, she suddenly remembered something, turned around and said: "Since this silver is yours, I should return it to you. However, it seems that your wife is quite frugal and compassionate, and knowing that you have taken the silver, she might just beat you. Therefore, I will do a good deed and keep it for you instead. You can retrieve it from that old hag in the future."

Jiang Xiaohu seemed to see a ghost, pulling her along and saying: "Forget about her, let's go."

Let's go

"Is this yours?" The old woman exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly turning around to look at her surroundings, revealing a look of realization. "Oh dear, I must have taken a wrong turn, young man. Thank you for your guidance, thank you!"

Miss Lan was overjoyed and immediately made a decision: "This is the one!"

Miss Lan quickly dragged Jiang Xiaohu up, and soon, the two arrived at the room upstairs

Seeing her standing there in silence for a long time, Jiang Xiaohu was puzzled: "What are you doing here?"

Enough, enough! Young Lady Lan joyfully held up the silver, clearly delighted. These two ingots of silver must weigh at least thirty to forty taels. We can go out to eat now.

Isn't it still early?" Jiang Xiaohu rubbed his eyes, looking at her with a puzzled expression, which gradually turned into surprise. "Your face... it seems like your complexion isn't very good..."

A long time

Jiang Xiaohu carefully examined: "Isn't this perfectly fine?"

Oh dear, my wife is right, she is right!

Miss Lan nodded and said, "I saw many spirit tablets of the Jiang family here yesterday"

This was her first time doing such a thing, and she felt quite guilty. She turned to look at Jiang Xiaohu by the wall and said, "Isn't this... not very good?"

It turned out that the two were penniless. After much contemplation, Miss Lan devised a clever plan based on the tales she had heard about the martial world while at home. The plan was to rob the rich to help the poor. Although there were only two impoverished individuals in need of assistance at the moment, it was still possible to reach a consensus with Jiang Xiaohu.

Jiang Xiaohu was at a loss for a long time, finally looking at her and gently speaking: "Wife, how about this... I could go to Yongcui Tower to get you something to eat..."

Jiang Xiaohu's gaze flickered slightly: "That lamp ... ... "

"She is so pitiful, are you even human!" Miss Lan exclaimed in anger, pushing his hand away, ignoring him further, and turning to walk out of the courtyard.

Jiang Xiaohu scratched his head, not believing: "If it weren't a ghost, then the spirit tablet..."

It has disappeared

Cough... This unfilial thing is hopeless, " the old woman seemed very sad, crying and sobbing as she walked towards the door, " I might as well take some money to buy a coffin.

"Naturally, it has been taken away by someone," Miss Lan released his hand and stamped her foot, "This place has been empty for over ten years. Look at how thick the dust is on the ground; anyone who steps here will leave a trace."

How do you know

He must be very skilled in lightness techniques to be able to play tricks right under my nose without me noticing. Many of those who excel in lightness techniques in the martial world are from the Thousand Hands Sect, so he is very likely to be a member of the Thousand Hands Sect

"I possess lightness skills and can run swiftly," Miss Lan instructed him, "You just stand here and wait. I will quietly go in first to take a look."

You do not lack silver to spend, so why must you take mine?

Because that treasure holds a secret that cannot be taken away by others

Jiang Xiaohu remained silent for half a day, suddenly looking at her and sighing: "In fact, it is of no use to them even if they obtain the treasure"

Miss Lan looked at him, almost in tears: "I can’t walk anymore"

Jiang Xiaohu laughed in anger: "Do I have a grudge against you?"

Miss Lan suddenly sat up from the ground, calling out: "Xiao Hu, Xiao Hu!"

A beam of sunlight filters through the gaps, illuminating the old floorboards, and then passes through the spaces between the floorboards to fall onto the ground, resembling a patch of golden brilliance. The floorboards have become somewhat loose underfoot, with dust cascading down through the gaps, and numerous dust particles scatter in the air, reflecting the sunlight.

The silent attic

Jiang Xiaohu has never been a thief; upon hearing his wife's call, he immediately slipped over

Before long, the old woman from earlier indeed stumbled out, leaning on her cane, crying out: "Which scoundrel has stolen my silver!"

Jiang Xiaohu nodded: "Alright"

Do you still have money

Seeing him agree, Miss Lan felt much more at ease and recalled another matter: "I seem to be hungry"

Jiang Xiaohu was also pleased: "This is the one!"

One hour later

They had visited several wealthy households in succession, where people were coming and going. Of course, with Lan Xinyue's skills, it would be a piece of cake to snatch a few taels of silver in front of those servants. However, our young lady Lan would never stoop to such a disgraceful act that would tarnish her dignity. Thus, by the time the sun had risen to its zenith, the two had yet to have their breakfast.

"Foolish, of course, it was tampered with; otherwise, how could it have gone out for no reason?" Miss Lan clapped her hands and stood up cheerfully. "I suspect he added some saltwater inside. I heard that saltwater sinks beneath the oil, and once the oil on top burns out, the lamp will extinguish automatically, leaving only water. But at night, we can't see clearly, so we thought there was still plenty of oil left, which is why we found it strange."

Miss Lan suddenly remembered something and said anxiously: "Xiao Hu, they haven't closed the door, they will definitely be back soon. We need to find some money and leave quickly."

Wife, let's change to another one

Immediately following was a fit of severe coughing

"I am not afraid," Jiang Xiaohu inexplicably surveyed the room, as if recalling something, "This is what you mentioned last night..."

Miss Lan said with satisfaction: "As long as he is a human and not a ghost, that is acceptable. Although I do not know his exact identity, I saw him last night and have made some guesses."

The outskirts of the city, the sun is shining brightly

Miss Lan was taken aback and hurried over to retrieve her cane for her

Seeing her weep bitterly, her condition becoming increasingly tragic and pitiable, Miss Lan hesitated for half a day, and finally could no longer endure it. She steeled her resolve and placed the silver and the cane beside her.

Jiang Xiaohu nodded: "But there are no footprints on the ground, it doesn't seem like anyone has been here."

Oh my! The old woman is sitting on the ground, crying bitterly, "You heartless one, you only cared about leaving first, without a thought for me. Raising a son who is unfilial, cough... I finally managed to save a little money for a coffin, and now it has been stolen by some wicked person. Cough, cough... Everyone is coming to bully me, this lonely old woman who is unwanted, oh heaven!"

"Gone?" Jiang Xiaohu was extremely surprised. After thinking for a moment, he was not particularly afraid. "I wake up outside the city every day. This house might really be haunted, but my surname is Jiang, and they haven't harmed me..."

Jiang Xiaohu opened his mouth wide, and it took him a long time to react: "Someone really moved our lamp."

The old woman is truly very aged, with a head full of white hair that conceals her years. Her back is hunched, her breath is labored, and her legs tremble uncontrollably. Although she leans on a cane, walking remains exceedingly difficult for her

Get up, let's talk about it when we get back

"No!" Miss Lan was angry and twisted his ear, "Only bullies pick on the poor. We are the ones who rob the rich to help the poor. If we were to rob someone as poor as this, wouldn't that make us the bad guys too?"

No

Then let us go eat

Good

Due to her failing eyesight, she surprisingly did not notice that there were still two thieves standing in the yard and walked straight into the house

Miss Lan shook her head: "Someone has tampered with it"

Hard work pays off for those who are diligent, and the two of them encountered good fortune this time, as they found a suitable family to target for robbery in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense

Hearing him say this, Miss Lan also became worried and looked inside: "It seems there are indeed many people, what should we do?"

Suddenly, a person appeared and spoke, startling the old woman on the ground, who rubbed her eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

"Little Lake, I am hungry," Miss Lan called weakly.

Good

There is a string of money on the table inside. Jiang Xiaohu's eyes sparkled with excitement

Following the sound, Miss Lan hurried over, dragging his arm while calling out, "Get up, Xiao Hu, quickly get up, we need to go back soon!"

Before he could finish speaking, Miss Lan smiled mysteriously and said, "Yes, let's go see the lights"

Jiang Xiaohu stared at her with a bewildered expression on his handsome face: "Heaven, why do you not show me any pity? I am on the verge of starving now, and yet Heaven is blind, utterly blind!"

She walked while crying, as if she were in a hurry to chase the thief. Unfortunately, her physical strength was insufficient, her eyesight poor, and she tripped over something underfoot, falling right in front of the steps, her cane flying far away.

Who is it

Why

Jiang Xiaohu hurriedly supported her: "Wife."

Wife, is this the place?

"That makes sense," he finally came to his senses, looking at Miss Lan with great admiration, "My wife is truly clever!"

The room is very tidy and clean, and there are quite a few furnishings. The wooden table, wooden chairs, and wooden cabinets are all complete. Although the quality is average, for an ordinary family, having these items is already quite good. Moreover, several old New Year paintings are hung on the wall. It is unclear why the owner of this household is so lax in their precautions, leaving the door unlocked even during the day.

"Let's see who is causing trouble," Miss Lan suddenly laughed, "Xiao Hu, we no longer need to be afraid."

Miss Lan lightly touched the tip of her toes, and like a swallow, she glided up the stone steps, quietly peeking inside. Only then did she push the door open and walk in. In less than the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea, she poked her head out from the door and joyfully waved to Jiang Xiaohu

Miss Lan shook her head: "No, that person must have come back to move those things after scaring me away yesterday, and then cleaned up the traces on the ground." At this point, she raised her eyebrows with pride: "But he shouldn't have removed the traces I left behind; how could a ghost be so meticulous?"

"It is not that there are ghosts, but rather that there are schemes," Lady Lan interrupted him, her expression grave. "They have not harmed you because the time has not yet come."

Jiang Xiaohu is afraid: "But they will force me to give up the treasure, what should I do?"

Jiang Xiaohu looked at her and smiled: "My wife is right."

The offering table, incense burner, and spirit tablet have all disappeared

Not bad

But he knew that as long as we examined carefully during the day, we would discover the flaws. Therefore, after he played tricks to confuse us and moved us to the wilderness, he returned to pour out the water and replaced it with oil, which is why the head of the Qilin turned in a different direction

The two of them rummaged through the bedside, the drawers, and the cabinets for quite a while, and finally, Jiang Xiaohu managed to find two ingots of silver from the cabinet

But look at how dilapidated their house is; they definitely have no money Lady Lan blinked, feeling troubled

The tall courtyard wall clearly indicates a wealthy family, with lush branches and leaves almost half extending beyond the wall. Under the dense shade of greenery, one person is crouching on top of the wall, while another person is standing at the base of the wall

What about the spirit tablet

The two quickly restored everything in the room to its original state, then went out, hurried down the steps, and ran joyfully towards the gate. However, at that moment, an old woman unexpectedly entered.

Jiang Xiaohu said: "Quickly take it away, it will be enough for us to eat for a long time"

What to do? A confused voice

"It is not for taking; we will have to return it once we earn the money," Miss Lan corrected seriously. After thinking for a moment, she put one of the ingots back into the cabinet, saying, "Let’s leave some for them; they might need it too."

This house is neither new nor old, with neatly arranged and clean bluestone steps. It is neither too poor nor too rich. Most importantly, the door is half ajar, and it is quiet inside, with no one guarding it.

The old-fashioned oil lamp still stands intact on the ground, its lampshade worn and filled with a pool of oil

I remember that when I went to sleep yesterday, the qilin head on this lampstand was facing the window, but look, now it is facing our bed

"Do not go!" Miss Lan jumped up and glared at him, "I have left, let's go over there and take a look"

After speaking, he left with a cheerful smile

Miss Lan panicked: "Xiao Hu, she is back!"

The room is indeed completely empty

Upon hearing this, Miss Lan angrily shook off his hand and said, "What do you mean by that!"

Look at how large this courtyard is; they must be wealthy

Wife, let's not look for wealthy families anymore, said Jiang Xiaohu, leaning on the low wall. There is no one in this family.

Little Lake, come and look, there is no one!

What should we do? Young Lady Lan rested her chin on her hands, sitting on a pile of straw, lost in thought. In the end, she finally made up her mind and, holding Jiang Xiaohu's hand, urged, "Xiaohu, let us pretend we know nothing. As long as you do not reveal the whereabouts of that treasure, we will be safe."

Jiang Xiaohu stared wide-eyed, frozen in place

"She is perfectly fine," Jiang Xiaohu interrupted her, impatiently, "Hurry up, hurry up, it would be unfortunate to get involved with her."