Chapter 135 - 38 Secret_2
Lin Nianqiang’s voice grew even lower, "When Short Legs worked as a Surveyor on Chu Mountain, he secretly stashed a sum of gold. Later, he lost a leg. Combined with the compensations from the landslides at that time, which brought many people down the mountain, he was provided enough to live on for a lifetime. He was afraid of attracting attention, so he never retrieved that gold."
"Did he tell uncle about where he hid the gold?" Zhou Fengqin’s voice trembled a bit, yet she remembered to keep it low.
Lin Nianqiang nodded, "That year, my younger brother was planning to take us to retrieve the gold, but we learned it was easy to take out, but impossible to carry away. We had no choice but to put it back, planning to find another opportunity to retrieve it."
"Why haven’t you taken it since then?" Zhou Fengqin was confused.
"A few years ago after the Cultural Revolution ended, we wanted to go, but my younger brother was already physically unfit. Despite keeping it from Wanwan and without my eldest brother around as well, I just couldn’t remember the location. My brother told me countless times, and I still forget." Lin Nianqiang wore a troubled expression and couldn’t help complaining, "Short Legs was too slick at hiding things. Even though my brother drew me a map, I still felt dizzy. I remember we drilled over thirty holes at the time, and the structure of Chu Mountain kept changing; how could I find it?"
"That explains it, but how would Lin Xiaoniao know? Short Legs was temperamental but clear about gratitude and grudges, and he intended the gold as a way to repay the life-saving favor to uncle. I don’t believe he would share this secret he told my brother with her." Lin Xiao’an was puzzled.
"It must be Sister Fang who told her," Lin Xiaoxi suddenly spoke up: "I remember back then Sister Fang kept saying she would send Lin Xiaoniao to elementary school when she turned twelve. Though she said she was gathering school fees, she never seemed anxious about it, buying what needed to be bought. Thinking about it now, uncle must have told Sister Fang the location of the gold. With her smart mind, she definitely remembered."
What he didn’t mention was that there were definitely no small amounts of gold, and sending Lin Xiaoniao to school would hardly use much; the rest, she would surely allocate for her nephews, nieces, and even for him and Xiao Ping. She had always been like this, possessing one yuan, she would at least share eighty cents with those around her, never knowing how to hide things for herself.