Chapter 66 Arriving in Hangzhou

  The next morning, I started packing my luggage. Cao Kerui came over while brushing her teeth and asked me 'How, are we going somewhere else?'

  "No, I'll go myself, you all stay here"

  Cao Ke Rui swallowed a mouthful of toothpaste and I felt a chill run down my spine.

  Where are you going?

  I lowered my head and continued packing 'to Hangzhou'

  She pouted and muttered, "When are you coming back?"

  I'm also unsure, I guess it'll take about an hour or so

  Cao Kerui plopped down beside me on the bed, "Ahh, I'm so exhausted." Her appearance made me laugh, and just as I was about to reach out and touch her hair, I hesitated and pulled my hand back.

  "Hold on for two more days"

  My luggage is almost packed, I told Lao Da and Lu Huan that I'm about to leave. Lao Da then said a sentence to me.

  Be careful in all things

  After asking the village head about the route, I only knew that a bus had passed through the village, but to get on it, we had to go to the village entrance. There was only one trip per day, and if you missed it, there wouldn't be another one. Cao Ke Rui insisted on sending me to the village entrance to take the bus, I couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she followed me.

  Her excuse was that she was afraid I had too much luggage and couldn't carry it, but now her backpack is hanging on my shoulders.

  "Alright, I'm here," I said, turning around to face her.

  "Just wait a bit, the bus hasn't arrived yet." Cao Ke Rui's words had just fallen when a passenger car with big and small packages tied on top came swaying over.

  The bus is coming

  Cao Kerui furrowed his brow and kicked a stone on the ground. "Ahh, this is so frustrating!"

  "Alright, you can go back now. If anything happens on this side, give me a call."

  Cao Ke Rui's reluctant 'Mm, I'll wait for your return'

  After the car door closed, Cao Kerui was still standing in place waving at me. I made a gesture for her to go back, but she seemed not to have seen it. It wasn't until the car started moving that I couldn't see her figure anymore.

  I put the suitcase between my legs, took off my coat. A middle-aged woman sat next to me, holding big and small bags in her arms, smiling and asking me.

  "Hey kid, go get a job?"

  I didn't want to explain, so I just nodded and said "uh-huh".

  The old lady smiled strangely and said, 'Such a beautiful daughter-in-law, are you sure you're leaving her here?'

  This aunt is quite gossipy.

  "Hey auntie, this isn't my wife."

  The aunt stretched her neck over 'Not married yet?'

  "Ah, no, it feels even stranger."

  The unmarried run more happily, said the middle-aged woman with a smirk.

  What a mess. I was already feeling a bit carsick, now my head is even bigger. I casually mumbled a few words and pulled the clothes over my head to prepare for sleep.

  I originally planned not to go home and directly transfer to Hangzhou to save a lot of trouble. Later, I thought about it again and decided that I still have to go back once.

  After arriving home, I wrapped the two silver turtles in three layers inside and out. Took a bath, grabbed some clothes, didn't even rest, and went straight to the airport.

  The moment the plane took off, I was a bit at a loss, what am I doing now?

  Because of a note, I quit my job and came to Hangzhou. Because of something that should have ended, it's still entangled until now. I thought about the purpose of this trip, half is to get a result, and half is for Marx Zhe.

  After leaving Mao Er Shan, Ma Si Zhe and I have been out of contact. For so many days, there was only one three-word short message. This made me suspect that Ma Si Zhe's current situation is not good. Moreover, the clue on the painting pointed to Ma Si Zhe again. Now the top priority is not to go to Cang Lin Nan Road, but to Meng Xi Tang.

  I'm quite familiar with Ma Si Zhe Jia, even though I haven't been there for years, the impression is still very deep. His house is easy to find and close to the city center. For an antique shop, it's probably a legendary hidden gem in the city.

  Ma Si Zhe's uncle is a very impressive person, a big name in the antique world. Of course I hadn't heard of him, it was all Ma Si Zhe himself who told me.

  His uncle's name is Ma Siye, which I only knew after arriving at Maoer Mountain. Before that, I had always called him Uncle together with Ma Sicheng. Ma Siye is a man in his fifties, slender and lean. In his youth, he traveled extensively throughout the country, also engaging in some speculative businesses. With exceptional vision, he reaped considerable gains each time.

  Slowly, there were many more apprentices and followers. As the team behind him grew stronger, Ma Siyuan turned his part-time job into a full-time one. Ma Siyuan's father, who was also Ma Sicheng's grandfather, strongly opposed this matter. But Ma Siyuan just said one sentence: "You can do it, why can't I?" The old man almost got heart disease from anger.

  In the following decade, Ma Siwei's business grew bigger and bigger, from underground to above ground. Unless there was a particularly lucrative fight, he wouldn't personally attend the funeral.

  Business is getting bigger and bigger, people are getting crazier and crazier. Because of some trivial things, he offended many people who used to be with him through thick and thin. I think that's when Huo Ying left.

  You're no longer the same as before, I want a peaceful heart, but can only avoid seeing you.

  Fortunately, business has not been affected by these things, and it has been booming all the way to today.

  Ma Si Zhe almost grew up with his uncle since he was a child, and Ma Si Ye also treated this nephew well. Because there were no children under the knee, the family business would eventually be given to Ma Si Zhe anyway.

  I carried my luggage and called Ma Si Zhe as soon as I came out of the airport, but still couldn't get through. I wasn't in a hurry, anyway, I wouldn't be stuck for much longer, and soon there would be a result.

  It's been a few years since I came to 'Mengxi Hall', and there is still no change at all. The door of Mengxi Hall was open, I knocked twice but nobody answered, so I went in by myself.

  Walking hastily, I didn't notice the threshold under my feet and almost tripped. It seemed to hear a sound, and someone came from behind, wearing a green jacket and blue shirt. Isn't this the former child laborer? How can he still look like 12 or 13 years old after so many years? It seems that he has got some kind of dwarfism, otherwise he wouldn't have remained so short for so many years.

  He seemed to recognize me too 'Are you Mr. Sun?'

  "Ah, yes." I didn't think he'd still remember me after all these years.

  He took my luggage and led me into the house. The fierce tiger sniffing a rose that was hanging in the main hall hadn't been replaced, it was still there. The big hall hadn't changed much, but the chair wasn't the same one as before.

  I walked through the main hall and sat down at the back, and that person poured me a cup of tea after a while.

  "Where is your master?" I asked as I took over the tea.

  They all call Marx Zhe here, I used to sneer at this name in those years, now I admire it extremely. The two words Dong Jia, whether old or young, are both very good.

  "Didn't the young master tell you?"

  I shook my head 'what's wrong?'

  "I'd rather not say more, you sit here first and wait for Master Dong to come back tonight and let him tell you."

  "Alright, you go ahead and get busy then."

  Such a young face, yet speaking such mature words, it really makes me feel a bit out of place.

  But judging from his words, Ma Si Zhe should be back at the store every day. It seems that nothing is going on with him, so something must have happened at home. Could it be his uncle? No way, what could possibly happen to his uncle?

  I was lost in thought when I heard a voice from the outer room, and upon listening carefully, it turned out to be Ma Si Zhe. This kid never answers his phone unless something's up, causing me to worry for nothing.

  I suddenly had a playful heart and decided to tease him a bit.

  Holding the box, I tiptoed and hid. Squatting in the corner, I had just hidden when I heard Marx walking into the room. Holding my breath, I thought about what pose to jump out with.

  Ma Si Zhe was just about to enter the house when I heard that little kid say 'Mr. Sun is waiting for you inside'

  My plan failed before it even started, and just as I was gloomily preparing to get up, Marx Zhe happened to come in.

  He stared at me with a puzzled expression and asked 'what are you doing'

  I quickly scrambled to my feet, and also picked up the trunk. Ma Si-zhe handed the trunk over to someone behind him, saying "Take it to the guest room", then turned around and asked me "How did you come here?"

  I took a sip of the tea you just brewed for me 'it's just something anyway'

  Ma Si Zhe immediately retorted, "Hey, what's going on? What are you still hiding from me?"

  I took a sip and put down the teacup. "It's not that I'm hiding it from you, but it's hard to explain in just a few words. How about you? What's going on here? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

  Me? I lost my phone.

  "Huh? When did I lose it?"

  Lost it on the way back from the hospital

  Ma Si Zhe's phone was lost, who sent me a text message? Why didn't you turn it off immediately, but after I made countless calls, you replied with a text message and then turned it off. This is clearly intentional to make me suspicious.

  I feel more and more like someone is setting me up.

  "Are you saying someone used my phone to send you a message?" I roughly told the whole thing to Ma Si Zhe. Ma Si Zhe listened and expressed great surprise.

  "It's nothing, I'm fine"

  "You deliberately stole my phone, didn't answer the call, and then sent me a vague message, which obviously means you want to make me worry."

  "I've been thinking wildly and it seems I ended up looking for you, what else can I do? He didn't even call to extort me or swindle money."

  "You haven't been cheated out of your money, just your person." Ma Si Zhe slapped the table.

  I didn't lose my virginity

  Ma Si Zhe looked at me with disdain and said, "You've finally arrived in Hangzhou, huh?"

  I recall the note that Guai Zi gave me, it seems that person was quite clear. With just a note, I wouldn't have come. After Ma Si Zhe went missing, it's almost certain that I would fall into their trap.

  And Ma Si Zhe's disappearance was at such a strange time, I couldn't help but think more about it.

  "Has anyone from your family been to Hunan?" If that mysterious person wasn't a member of his family, then this matter was terrifying. The person who designed me not only targeted me but also had Marx in his plans. He knew the name of Marx's antique shop and its address.

  "Yes," said Marx with a calm and gentle tone.

  "What time!" I felt a chill behind my back.

  "Last year, my second aunt and my mom took my second aunt's..." Ma Si Zhe counted on his fingers.

  I rolled my eyes, but the hanging heart couldn't be put down. It seems it's not Marx's family member. Then who could it be?