Chapter 5 — A Pigsty Cleaner Than the Ancestral Home

The eldest uncle stared at the ledger, his facial muscles twitching violently.

This ledger is invalid.

When my mother was still alive, she gave money to her children. Since when do debts get chased after someone has already died?

The third uncle had just returned from the police station, and upon hearing the words gold bars, his legs gave out beneath him.

What gold bars?

Qin Man Man pointed directly at the ledger in my hand.

Grandmother hid gold at the very bottom of the pig trough!

The third uncle's eyes instantly turned red.

Qin Li, did you know about this beforehand?

No wonder you stubbornly refused to leave the pigsty no matter what.

A chill ran so deep through my heart that I almost wanted to laugh. Just last night, they were cursing me for being base and shameless for living in the pigsty. Now that they knew there might be gold buried there, they claimed I had plotted this all along. Shen Yan protected the ledger.

The ledger was inside an iron box. You were the ones who smashed the wall to take it out.

The third uncle refused to listen to reason.

Even so, it is still my mother's ledger.

The gold is my mother's inheritance, and all three of us sons and daughters must have a share.

I raised my head.

Third uncle, grandmother's inheritance was already fully divided long ago.

The fish pond yields a dividend of over five hundred thousand yuan every year, but when you took it, you never said anything about sharing it with me.

His face turned beet red, completely blocked by my words.

That is not the same thing!

Qin Man Man immediately chimed in.

What is not the same?

The fish pond was given out publicly by grandmother, but the gold was hidden away secretly, which proves that even she knew this gold could not be let others see.

Upon hearing those words, Qin Huai Thanh's expression changed instantly.

Man Man, you can eat your words casually, but you cannot speak carelessly.

The eldest uncle seized upon this point.

That is right. The origin of the gold is unclear.

Before it is fully investigated, no one is allowed to take it.

The police officer nodded.

If there is indeed property of significant value, it must be tallied on the spot, and its origin and ownership must be verified.

Qin Man Man looked at me triumphantly.

Did you hear that?

Do not think that just because your name is written on it, it belongs to you.

This time, I did not retort, because I also needed to legally acquire that gold. At nine o'clock in the morning, the lawyer Zhou Hang Jian arrived. He wore a black down jacket and carried a briefcase in his hand. As soon as he stepped through the door, he inspected the seal.

Has it been tampered with?

Qin Huai Thanh shook his head.

The seal on the pig trough was not touched, but the eastern wall was smashed by Qin Zheng De.

Lawyer Zhou looked at the eldest uncle.

Mr. Qin, you took it upon yourself to open the box designated by my client to be handed over to Ms. Qin Li. I will make a formal record of this behavior.

The eldest uncle felt his face burning with humiliation.

I am her son.

Lawyer Zhou's voice was very calm.

From a legal standpoint, even a son cannot seize property that has already been gifted to someone else.

Qin Man Man rolled her eyes.

Naturally, a lawyer speaks for whoever pays him.

Lawyer Zhou opened his briefcase.

Grandma Qin paid my fees while she was still alive.

She also left a second explanatory document, demanding that it be read before the pig trough is opened.

That statement left everyone stunned. The eldest uncle grew anxious.

What second explanatory document?

Lawyer Zhou pulled out a document.

This is not a will, but an explanation of the asset's origin and a confirmation of the gift.

The contents must wait until after the pig trough is opened and verified against the actual objects before it can be read.

Qin Man Man immediately sneered.

No matter how you spin it, you still want to dig it up first.

Lawyer Zhou looked at the police officer.

There are law enforcement body cameras recording the scene, and there are village representatives acting as witnesses. It can be opened.

The police officer nodded.

Open it.

The eldest uncle and third uncle rushed forward almost simultaneously. Qin Huai Thanh instructed the young officer to pull up the warning tape.

Everyone stay behind the line.

The villagers flooded over to watch the excitement, packing the small courtyard tightly. Some brought stools, while others even carried their rice bowls. Lawyer Zhou took photographs of the seal beside the pig trough for the record. After the police confirmed the seal was intact, he peeled it off with his own hands. Shen Yan brought over a crowbar and glanced at me.

Li Li, you do it.

My scalded hand was still wrapped in gauze. When I gripped the crowbar, pain shot deep into the bones of my palm. The pig trough was built from bluestone, with a very thick layer of cement plastered underneath. The first strike failed to pry it loose. The second strike only knocked loose a flurry of dust. Qin Man Man scoffed contemptuously.

Putting on quite a show, aren't we.

When the third blow of the crowbar landed, a hollow sound suddenly echoed from beneath the bottom of the pig trough. The crowd of onlookers fell instantly silent. The cement cracked, splitting a narrow fissure. Through the gap, a corner of black oilcloth was revealed. The moment the oilcloth came into view, the eldest uncle's breathing grew heavy. He lunged forward, but was blocked by the police officer raising a hand.

Step back.

The eldest uncle's voice was strained.

I am her son, I have the right to look.

Lawyer Zhou said coldly.

You can still see from right there.

Shen Yan used the crowbar to chip away the layer of cement bit by bit. Beneath the bluestone lay a hollow cavity. Tucked inside was a long wooden chest. The outside of the chest was wrapped in three layers of oilcloth, the edges of the fabric stiffened with age. When they carried it out, both village officials had to exert all their strength. Qin Man Man's eyes widened.

So heavy...

The third uncle licked his lips.

It has got to be gold.

The wooden chest was placed in the middle of the courtyard. Lawyer Zhou asked the police to inspect the seal. An old brass padlock hung upon the lid of the chest. I picked up the key I had retrieved earlier. The key slid smoothly into the lock and turned completely.

Click.