Xu Nanxi nodded and put the will back down.
He believed in Old Mr. Feng.
His grandfather had said before his death that anyone else might covet his belongings, but Old Feng wouldn't; he simply wouldn't be interested.
After seeing them off, Old Mrs. Lin finally folded the will and handed it to Cheng You.
Cheng You blinked in surprise, "What's this for?"
"I don't trust anyone else. Please keep it safe and bring it to the hospital tomorrow."
Since the Xu family had reunited, Cheng You deserved credit.
There was no reason for her, their benefactor, to be excluded.
Cheng You nodded and glanced at the will.
It looked very similar to the calligraphy she had bought by the roadside last time.
"Grandma Lin, do you think we should get the handwriting authenticated?"
The old lady asked curiously, "How would you do that?"
"I know someone who might be able to tell if it's real or fake."
That person could imitate the old gentleman's handwriting so well that it was indistinguishable from the original, so they should be able to tell.
Old Mr. Feng nodded, "If you can, take it for authentication. It's for peace of mind. Anyway, whether this will is real or not, the belongings must be returned to the Xu family."
From the very beginning, he had no intention of keeping them.
After leaving the Feng family, Xu Nanxi could no longer contain the malevolence emanating from within him.
Suddenly, three people appeared to share the inheritance with him, and no one could be happy about that.
Feng Xue glanced at him and, seeing the gloom in his eyes, felt a chill.
Xu Nanxi was no easy person to deal with.
"Are we just going to let this go?"
Their family had known for a long time that Old Mr. Xu had left some things at the Feng family's place, and they had become covetous.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have had Feng Xue go to such lengths to get close to Xu Nanxi and send him back to the Xu family.
Thinking back now, Zhu Yan's dislike for Xu Nanxi intensified.
Now that all the Xu family members were back, would they still have a share of those things?
"Let it go? What can we do? Knowing your grandparents' nature, most of those things will end up in the hands of that old geezer," Zhu Yan said with a venomous expression. kuAiδugg
Xu Nanxi gritted his teeth, "You should worry about the will first! What if my grandmother discovers the will is fake?"
Feng Yaojun waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about that. The person I found is reliable; they definitely won't be able to tell it's fake."
However, given the current situation, even if the will were real, the belongings would not end up with Xu Nanxi.
The group, each with their own thoughts, left the military compound. Xu Nanxi returned to school, while Feng Xue went home with her parents.
Once they were home, she said, "Dad, Mom, there's something I want to tell you."
Zhu Yan said impatiently, "If you have something to say, then say it."
Feng Xue continued, "It's about my deceased aunt."
Everyone knew that during the war, the elderly couple had been forced to leave behind their infant daughter.
They had never found her again, and it was presumed she had met a tragic end.
Feng Yaojun exclaimed excitedly, "Tell us quickly!"
Feng Xue took out a photograph from her person. It was a black-and-white photo, somewhat blurred.
However, the jade pendant worn by the child was faintly discernible.
"I've seen this jade pendant."
She had compared it meticulously; the jade pendant worn by Cheng Tao was exactly the same as this one.
As far as she knew, when the old gentleman was leading troops in battle, food was scarce. Later, he rescued a wealthy merchant.
The merchant offered a considerable sum, donating half his fortune to the army as military pay.
Among these, the merchant had given many personal items to the old gentleman.
One of them was a large piece of imperial green jade of excellent quality.
His daughter, born amidst the flames of war, filled the old gentleman with guilt, so he took a piece of jade, had a pendant and a bracelet made, so that she could wear them when she grew up.
Apart from the pendant and bracelet, the other items in the old gentleman's possession had never been revealed.
But they knew for sure that the old gentleman must still possess a great deal of wealth.
Feng Yaojun was even more excited than Zhu Yan, not for his sister who had been missing for decades, but for the hope of extracting the old gentleman's possessions.
"Feng Xue, are you sure?"
Feng Xue nodded vigorously, "I'm sure. That person is a visiting student at our school. Everyone has seen the jade pendant she wears."
Zhu Yan speculated, "Could it have been left to her by her mother?"
Feng Xue shook her head, "She said her man bought it for her."
Feng Yaojun and Zhu Yan were somewhat disappointed.
They had thought they might find someone.
Feng Xue smiled, "But Dad and Mom, aren't we the ones who decide where the jade pendant came from?"
People die for wealth. Obtaining the old gentleman's possessions would mean a considerable fortune.
She had even gone to inquire about the price of such a piece of jade. If sold abroad, it could fetch an even higher price, and in foreign currency at that!
This matter was too significant, so Feng Yaojun did not dare to agree directly, saying he needed to consider it carefully.
...
The next day, Cheng You took the will to the hospital.
As she passed the place where she had been before, there was still a stall selling calligraphy and paintings.
The middle-aged man from last time had shaved his beard and looked several years younger.
"Hello," Cheng You said with a smile.
The man clearly remembered her and quickly stood up.
"Comrade, would you like to buy some calligraphy?"
Cheng You nodded, "Did you write all of this yourself?"
"Yes."
Cheng You picked up a piece of calligraphy and examined it.
"You're imitating Old Mr. Xu's handwriting."
The man looked surprised, "You recognize it?"
In this era of generally low education levels, very few people could recognize it.
Cheng You explained with a smile, "I don't actually recognize it. I took it home last time, and my in-laws recognized it."
The man nodded slightly, his gaze distant.
"Old Mr. Xu was my esteemed teacher. Ever since I started this profession, I've been imitating his handwriting."
Cheng You realized it was indeed a coincidence.
She took out the will from her pocket, "I came here today not only to buy calligraphy but also to ask for your help with something. You've been imitating Old Mr. Xu's handwriting for so many years, you should be able to tell if this letter was written by Old Mr. Xu."
The man's expression suddenly stiffened. After a moment of hesitation, he took the envelope.
As he opened it, he accidentally tore a corner of the will.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit surprised to see this is a will. Whose will is this?"
Cheng You paused for a moment, "It's your teacher, Old Mr. Xu's. His grandson, Xu Nanxi, produced this will. You should know him. I suspect the will is fake, so I came to you to have it examined."
The man looked at her in surprise, "Why do you think he would forge it?"
Cheng You hesitated on how to explain, as if she were gossiping about him.
"His character is not good, and the old gentleman still has his wife and children alive, as well as another younger grandson. How could he leave everything to Xu Nanxi?"
Upon hearing this, the man's hand trembled, almost tearing the will in his hand.
"What did you say? Teacher's wife is still alive! Young comrade, can you tell me where they are? I want to go and see..."
He hadn't been able to find them for so many years, he felt he had failed his teacher!
"They are at People's Hospital, Ward 302. You can visit her if you have time. However, it's not convenient today; I need to deal with the will. By the way, did you look closely? Is this will forged?"
The man folded the will and handed it back to her, saying in a low voice, "It's not fake. You should go ahead."
"Okay, thank you," Cheng You felt a little disappointed.