Chapter 142: Found a Clue

Chu Xuan suddenly recalled some things from her previous life. “Actually, I just want him to help bring those valuables to me so I can take a look at them, and then quietly put them back. I think I can guess where they've been moved to.”

At this point, it seemed pointless to report Feng Chunhua again. She might as well investigate on her own.

Mu Chenze agreed readily. “I support you! Can you tell me where you think they've been moved?”

In her previous life, besides taking Chu Xuan to that courtyard in town, Feng Chunhua had also brought her to see a courtyard in the county seat.

She’d encouraged Chu Xuan to keep saving money, hoping to help the Chu family buy that courtyard in the county.

It was near the department store, not the place Mu Chenze had previously investigated.

If her guess was right, Feng Chunhua had at least two courtyards in the county.

But she couldn’t reveal the truth, so she casually made up a reason. “I once accidentally saw Feng Chunhua go into a courtyard near the department store. So I suspect that’s one of her properties too.”

Mu Chenze gave her a thumbs up. “Impressive! Is there anything I can help with?”

“Not for now. You should rest a bit more. After dark, I’ll go find Dan Ningquan.”

“Then call the village office so Xiao Feng and the others don’t worry.”

“Good point. I’ll do that right away.”

Soon after, Chu Xuan finished the call and returned to the hospital room, continuing to knit.

Mu Chenze watched her hands.

He blurted out, “I didn’t expect such chubby hands to be so nimble.”

Chu Xuan blushed. “If you’ve got nothing to do, close your eyes and rest. Why are you staring at my hands? Men and women should keep their distance! Watch yourself!”

Mu Chenze’s face turned red at her words. Realizing he’d lost his composure, he scolded himself inwardly—why was he looking at her hands anyway? What’s so interesting about chubby hands?

He closed his eyes and stayed quiet.

A little after five in the afternoon, Mu Qinlao and Mu Chenfu came home after selling their fish.

When they heard Mu Chenze was injured and hospitalized, they wanted to go to the county hospital to stay with him, but Qin Mahua stopped them.

Knowing Chu Xuan, as long as the family didn’t go, she’d never leave Xiao Ze alone in the hospital.

Qin Mahua decided to be a little shameless.

Let Chu Xuan take care of Xiao Ze a bit longer!

It was the perfect chance for the two to build their relationship.

“There’s plenty to do at home. You two help out for now. Around ten tonight, we’ll arrange for the village tractor to go to the county hospital.”

Mu Qinlao and Mu Chenfu were both confused and asked almost in unison, “Why? We have bicycles at home.”

No need for a tractor.

Fu Qing explained with a smile, “Because we need to bring Chu Xuan back.”

Mu Chenfu looked his wife up and down. “You and Mom are both staying home, leaving Chu Xuan to take care of the second son? Isn’t that a bit much…”

Qin Mahua slapped him on the back. “Don’t you know Xiao Ze likes Chu Xuan?”

She didn’t intend to keep hiding it for Mu Chenze.

She even told them about how Chu Xuan helped get compensation today.

The whole family supported Mu Chenze’s feelings for Chu Xuan.

No one thought Chu Xuan wasn’t good enough for him just because Mu Chenze was handsome and charming.

On the contrary, they believed whether Mu Chenze could marry Chu Xuan depended on Chu Xuan’s own wishes.

A woman being chubby wasn’t a big deal—it was a sign of good fortune.

They all agreed: before Chu Xuan made her feelings clear, no one would say anything to make her uncomfortable.

At around 8:30 that evening, after having dinner with Mu Chenze and washing the lunchboxes and chopsticks, Chu Xuan left the hospital on her bicycle.

A few minutes later, she knocked on the Dan family’s courtyard gate.

Dan Anquan saw it was Chu Xuan and quickly invited her in.

“Ning is reading in the main room. Just go find him. But I’ll be listening in on your conversation.”

He really couldn’t relax.

He was afraid Chu Xuan would use Xiao Ning’s pickpocketing skills.

Chu Xuan nodded in agreement.

She entered the main room and saw Dan Ningquan absorbed in his book.

Chu Xuan bent down to glance at the cover—it was a technical book on mechanical drawing.

“Dan Ningquan, you can read that later.”

Dan Ningquan reluctantly looked up. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you came in.”

Chu Xuan smiled. “It’s fine. I just got here. I’ve got a ten-yuan job for you—interested?”

Dan Ningquan was about to say yes.

But Dan Anquan cut in first. “What kind of job, exactly?”

Chu Xuan lowered her voice. “Help me find some valuables in a certain courtyard, bring them out for me to look at, and then put them back where they were.”

Dan Anquan refused flatly. “No way. If anyone sees him, my brother could get arrested, and you’d be implicated too. I don’t want either of you doing this.”

It was risky, otherwise Chu Xuan wouldn’t have considered Dan Ningquan.

“I trust your brother’s skills—he won’t get caught.”

Dan Ningquan said confidently, “Bro, trust me! I won’t get caught. Even if I am, I can get away.”

Ever since their mother died, he’d trained hard at escaping. “Scaling walls and rooftops” wasn’t an exaggeration.

That was exactly what Chu Xuan valued—his ability to get away.

“Brother Dan, I’ve seen your brother’s escape skills—they’re top-notch. He can wear a mask when the time comes.”

Dan Anquan still wanted to refuse. “I still don’t feel comfortable…”

Chu Xuan had no choice but to threaten, “If you won’t help, I’ll report him to the security team for slashing my pocket with a knife. There were definitely people on the street who saw it. If they testify…”

That shut Dan Anquan up for good.

What he feared most was Xiao Ning getting mixed up with the security team. If they heard he was back to his old ways, they might reopen his old cases.

Chu Xuan looked at Dan Ningquan, as if asking, “Do you dare?”

Dan Ningquan nodded—he dared.

He grabbed a flashlight, mask, gloves, and homemade shoe covers, and followed Chu Xuan out.

Chu Xuan thought to herself, Pretty well-prepared.

She took him on her bike toward the department store.

Dan Anquan didn’t follow.

He ran into a room with a long table, where his mother’s portrait, incense burner, and offerings were placed.

He lit three sticks of incense and bowed.

He murmured, “Mom, please keep Xiao Ning safe…”

About ten minutes later, Chu Xuan and Dan Ningquan arrived at the back wall of a courtyard.

They’d already checked—the gate was locked.

The neighbors had all closed up for the night.

During the day, this street was busy, but at night it was deserted.

That worked in their favor.

After Chu Xuan quietly gave a few instructions, Dan Ningquan put on his mask, gloves, and shoe covers, and nimbly scaled the wall into the courtyard.

He headed straight for the locked bedroom.

Picking the lock was no problem for him.

And the locks he picked could still be used afterward.

By flashlight, he carefully checked the spots Chu Xuan had mentioned.

He finally found three gold necklaces and a jade pendant hidden in the bed leg near the wall.

He held them in his hand and climbed back out over the wall.

He handed them to Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan had already put on gloves. By flashlight, she carefully examined the gold necklaces and jade pendant.

The necklaces were all from old, established shops in Beijing.

As for the jade pendant, she’d seen a similar one in her previous life—twice as big as this one.

Back then, a man had handed Feng Chunhua a jade pendant, told her a few things about caring for it, and left in a hurry.

Chu Xuan happened to see and hear it.

Feng Chunhua told her she’d just bought it from that man.

But Chu Xuan hadn’t seen her pay.

Maybe the man had given it to her.

He was a delicate-looking man in his forties, with a Beijing accent.

Chu Xuan didn’t have time to think more. She handed the items back to Dan Ningquan. “Thanks, put them back where you found them.”

Dan Ningquan did as told, returned everything to its place, and wiped away all traces of their visit…"