freenovelworld Chapter 1839 Grandpa, tell me what the account book is!
Chapter 1839 Grandpa, tell me what the account book is!
The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the occasional chirping of birds outside the window and the faint crackling of charcoal in the stove hole.
Mu Huanrong!
This name represents a long-forgotten past of the Mu family, and it also represents the younger sister of Mu Huanying, Li Dequan's wife!
now.
Li Dequan frowned, his deep eyes swirling with complex emotions—shock, reminiscence, and a hint of barely perceptible worry.
He remained silent, but his fingers unconsciously tapped his crossed knees, clearly trying to process the news and ponder the deeper meaning behind Mu Huanrong's sudden appearance in Yanjing.
In the end, it was Song Qiankun who broke the suffocating silence first.
Although he was short, his voice was incredibly loud and clear, carrying a sharp insight into the ways of the world.
"Huanrong's arrival... is probably not a coincidence, is it? Old Li, could it be related to the bombing at the Mu family's house? Or to that unidentified male corpse?"
His gaze swept over Li Xiangnan and Li Dequan, then looked at his son, grandson, and granddaughter, his eyes flickering.
"That piece of land on Nanchizi Street has been abandoned for many years! All these years have passed peacefully, but now trouble has broken out, and an unidentified person has appeared, whose identity we still can't find out! I think someone is getting restless and wants to use this method to lure out all the Mu family members hiding in the shadows, or rather, all the people connected to the Mu family back then!"
“Father, you’re right!” Song Cijiu nodded immediately. He sat at the tea table, holding a teacup, his expression serious. “The ruins of the Mu family are a signpost. After decades of peace, the sudden upheaval means that some forces are definitely starting to make trouble! I think they might be trying to use the bombing to muddy the waters and see if they can catch any big fish!”
Li Xiangnan nodded, took the cigarette offered, lit it, and pondered, "I think so too, considering all the clues I have so far..."
He looked at his grandfather, Li Dequan, and his tone became extremely serious.
“Grandpa, Grandpa Song, I suspect that whether it was the mysterious fire forty years ago or the bombing now, the core purpose may only revolve around one thing: the Mu family's account books!”
Everyone's eyes narrowed and they all looked at him, including Li Dequan.
“I have my doubts!” Li Xiangnan paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts, and slowly stated his reasoning: “Judging from the case files, the fire that year was fierce and suspicious, and the entire Mu family disappeared after the fire. They did not hesitate to use this as a way to escape… Now it seems that this was very likely a forced action taken by the Mu family in order to deal with the coercion the night before.”
“Someone must be trying to take something extremely important from the Mu family, and according to the clues we have, it’s that ledger! Now, the Mu family has been bombed, and an unidentified male corpse has been found, whose identity remains unknown. Does this mean that the people from back then, or their successors, didn’t actually get what they wanted at all?”
Looking at the burning gazes in the room, Li Xiangnan continued, "So now they can't hold back anymore and are making another move, deliberately creating trouble, in order to attract the Mu family's attention again, and even lure out those who knew about it back then, so as to find the whereabouts of that ledger from back then!"
His analysis was clear and logical, went straight to the point, and was supported by case files.
Song Qiankun nodded repeatedly as he listened, and Song Cijiu, Song Yi, and Song Zimo also suddenly understood.
However, Li Dequan listened with his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, remaining silent as if lost in deeper memories and thoughts.
"grandfather!"
Seeing his reaction, Li Xiangnan couldn't help but press him, finally asking the crucial question that had been swirling in his mind for so long: "Can you tell me, that ledger... what exactly is it? What shady things does it record? Or what value does it represent that would make someone kill and commit arson for it, and remember it for decades?"
This is the ultimate mystery that has troubled Li Xiangnan for countless days and nights!
If Grandpa knew, then the whole truth would be revealed!
At this moment, Li Xiangnan was more nervous than ever before, never before had he been so eager to hear the answer from his grandfather.
Inside the room, everyone's attention was once again focused on Li De's entire body.
After a long, almost suffocating silence, Li Dequan finally raised his head, his eyes filled with weariness and bewilderment that seemed to have pierced through the smoke of time.
He looked around at everyone, and finally his gaze fell on his grandson's inquisitive face. His voice was deep and steady as he said something that surprised everyone.
“The ledgers… your grandmother, Mu Huanying, she… never revealed a single word to me!”
"what?"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!
Song Qiankun stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
Mu Huanrong and Li Dequan were a loving couple who had gone through war and hardship together. Yet, she never mentioned such an important matter to her husband.
Li Xiangnan was deeply shocked.
Grandpa didn't know about this?
Grandma didn't say anything?
Was it to protect himself or to protect his grandfather and the Li family?
Why didn't she tell her grandfather?
Li Xiangnan couldn't understand it, and he knew that his grandfather himself was even more confused.
After catching his breath for a long time, he stubbed out his cigarette, forced himself to calm down, and thought of another point in time. He asked, "Grandpa, back then... did Grandma return to Yanjing very soon after giving birth to Third Uncle?"
He also wanted to indirectly verify his grandmother's timeline from back then.
Li Dequan nodded, his gaze drifting out the window, as if he had returned to that era of war and turmoil.
“At that time, the War of Resistance against Japan broke out, and the situation was critical. I went out of the village with the villagers to defend the country! As a result, your grandmother secretly followed us. That silly girl... Later, the war intensified and even spread to southern Anhui! I was really worried about your grandmother. It would be even more difficult for her to return to the village alone, so I sent her back to Beijing after a long journey! It was relatively safer there!”
"I told her that if I... didn't come back, she should take the children and her family to live in Yanjing!"
Li Dequan's voice was hoarse, carrying the weight of that era.
"And then..." He suddenly changed the subject, a look of confusion in his eyes, "In 40, this girl returned to the army and found me, saying that we should die together, that she should fight alongside me, and that she should serve her country! As for the Mu family... as for what happened after that fire, she didn't mention a word, as if... she had deliberately sealed that memory away!"
This information is extremely important!
Grandma returned to the army after the Mu family's fire, but she remained tight-lipped about the earth-shattering changes in the family, which was unusual in itself!
The whereabouts of that ledger and the secrets within the Mu family seemed to have been swept away into the mists of history along with Grandma's silence!
The study fell into deep thought once again. Everyone could sense that the truth was veiled by a thin layer of gauze; the outline was visible, but the details remained unclear.
Just then, Li Dequan suddenly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bleak autumn scenery in the courtyard, and with his back to everyone, said in an unusually calm yet undeniably authoritative tone:
"Xiang Nan, you just said... an unidentified male corpse was found in the ruins of the Mu family?"
Li Xiangnan nodded, "Yes, Grandpa!"
Li Dequan slowly turned around, his gaze sharp as a hawk, sweeping over everyone present, and made a request that sent chills down everyone's spines.
"Make arrangements to take me to see that body!"
"what?"
“Dequan, you…” Song Qiankun stood up in shock.
Li Dequan's voice remained steady, carrying a power that transcends time.
"I'm going to go and see if it's someone I knew back then!"
The audience was shocked!
This sudden turn of events left everyone's hearts pounding, filled with an indescribable mix of shock and anticipation...