Chapter 396: Running Away

"Lao Guan, have we struck it rich?"

Mother Guan looked at the pile of bottles, jars, and calligraphy paintings on the bed, her heart having longed for this for a long time; she obsessively held a small tripod to examine it, for in her eyes, these were all money.

"It's a pity only this little bit is left; back then, my family had over a dozen large trunks, but now only this little bit remains."

"Having something is enough. Let's leave as early as possible tomorrow; I'm worried that if they come back and discover it, we won't be able to leave even if we want to."

"Fine, but we can only take the water route this time. Before we leave tomorrow, let's go see Xiaoguan. We've owed her too much over these years; let's pick two items to leave for her as compensation."

"No, at most leave her two Yellow Fish; we are taking everything else."

"……"

"Fine then."

They truly had no feelings for this daughter; they had only given birth to her back then because Guan Daye wanted to leave behind an heir.

The next day, Guan Cunxiao went out to buy two suitcases, sorted all the antiques into categories, put two Yellow Fish in his pocket, and only then went to Zhang Ping'an's house.

Mother Guan was uneasy about leaving the two suitcases of antiques here, so she volunteered to stay behind to guard them, and Guan Cunxiao did not force her.

Guan Cunxiao took a car directly from the hotel, but caught sight of Zhang Ping'an there at a glance.

"Brother, I haven't properly thanked you for what happened last time. My name is Guan Cunxiao; how should I address you, brother?"

"It's nothing, just a small favor. Zhang Ping'an."

"Does Brother Ping'an also live nearby? Do you also know Guan Tai?"

"Yes, I know him. I have a good relationship with Guan Daye, but when I went over yesterday, there was no one home and the door was locked. I saw you had a conflict that day, and you also have the surname Guan, so I wonder, are you?"

"Oh, he is my second uncle. Yes, my second uncle. We argued over some family matters, but it has already been resolved now."

"Oh~ that's good. Guan Daye is actually quite a decent person, it's just a pity his son died. But fortunately, he has found his grandson now, and with his granddaughter, he won't have to worry about being alone in his old age."

"By the way, Brother Guan, I forgot to tell you, it seems Guan Daye's house was robbed; the neighbor saw footprints on the wall."

Zhang Ping'an was deliberately trying to scare him. After their conflict erupted, Zhang Ping'an had kept an eye on Guan Cunxiao's residence. He hadn't expected it to be at his own hotel, so Zhang Ping'an naturally had the staff keep watch.

Last night, it was discovered that the two of them had snuck out and then returned carrying a large sack.

After learning this, Zhang Ping'an went to Guan Daye's courtyard early in the morning to take a look and saw the footprints on the wall.

He returned to the hotel, found out where the two were staying, and scanned the room from the outside. He discovered they had indeed committed theft, but the quality of the antiques was hard to describe.

Most were from the Republic of China era, and the occasional two pieces from the late Qing Dynasty were also common goods. However, the two suitcases combined were not insignificant; they were worth about ten thousand yuan, and perhaps even more if sold abroad.

Zhang Ping'an didn't make a move; he truly didn't think much of these items, so he just treated it as the two's future retirement money.

"What?"

Guan Cunxiao was shocked and subconsciously wanted to flee, but seeing Zhang Ping'an's suspicious gaze, he forcibly suppressed the impulse.

"Cough, cough, well, brother, I'm worried about the situation at my second uncle's house. I'll go over and take a look."

"Understood, understood. Go ahead."

Guan Cunxiao didn't dare to go at all; he hailed a driver and returned to the hotel, then grabbed his wife and hurriedly fled Sijiucheng.

"We might have been exposed. Hurry and go to Jinmen to buy tickets; we're leaving by the water route."

"What? How could that be?" Mother Guan was also startled; she hadn't noticed anyone outside yesterday.

"I left footprints on the wall and might have been discovered by Lao Liu. He reported it to Public Security. Fortunately, I ran into that brother who broke up the fight that day, otherwise we might have really been done for."

"What a good person. If there's a chance to return in the future, we must thank him in person."

The two didn't dare to linger; they only let out a long sigh of relief once they boarded the ship that night. What lay ahead was the vast sea and sky.

Zhang Ping'an waited for five days, then went to Guan Daye's residence again to guide Lao Liu to discover the marks on the wall.

Sure enough, after Lao Liu discovered them, he didn't dare delay and reported it directly to Public Security, while simultaneously praying that nothing had been lost, otherwise this hundred yuan would be too hot to handle.

Public Security arrived quickly and contacted Guan Tai.

"A Tai, it might have been Guan the Second who snuck in at night. I didn't hear any movement. I won't take this hundred yuan."

"It's fine, Liu Yeye. I'll go home with Public Security to take a look first."

But as soon as they entered the main hall, Guan Tai discovered that all the items on the shelves were gone, including those in the study.

"Were any items lost?"

"Yes, many. The empty spaces on these shelves originally had items, and the same for the study; now they are all gone."

Following Guan Tai's account, Public Security also took it seriously; this was a major case.

"I estimate it's worth at least ten thousand yuan."

"This..."

The eyes of the two Public Security officers brightened even more; the merit was right before their eyes, and they felt as if they could see themselves getting closer and closer to a promotion.

Then they immediately locked onto Guan Cunxiao. After confirming the address, they prepared to make an arrest, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

According to the hotel front desk, they had dragged two suitcases away six days ago. Public Security tracked them all the way to Jinmen, only to learn they had already fled by boat. Their mental state collapsed instantly; by now, they must have already reached international waters.

"Damn it, we were just a step away."

They were already certain that these two were the ones who had taken the items, otherwise they wouldn't have left in such a hurry.

Guan Daye also returned to the residence, and upon learning everything, he felt only sorrow in his heart.

"This is fine too. No one will bother us in the future; let's live our lives well."

"Grandfather, how about after Chun Yan gives birth, we leave this place of sorrow? Let's go to Jinghai; it's like spring all year round there."

"So be it."

Guan Xiaoguan had been at home these past few days, and Zhang Weidong had also told her the latest news.

"Xiaoguan, don't think about it anymore; we are the ones who are family."

"Mm, Weidong-ge, I know. Let's go back and see Grandfather; he must be even sadder than I am."

Compared to her, Guan Daye had invested more feelings into this son, so he must be having a hard time right now.

"Mm, good." Seeing his wife let go of her worries and step out of the gloom, Zhang Weidong was naturally happy.

The car stopped at the entrance of Guan Daye's house; Guan Xiaoguan pushed the door open and entered, only to see that Guan Daye looked as if he had aged ten years.

"Grandpa."

"Xiaoguan..." Guan Daye opened his mouth, but the words that reached his lips simply wouldn't come out.

"Grandpa, I don't blame you. I've thought it through these past few days; without you, I might not have even survived. It's for the best that they left, it saves them from disturbing our lives again."

"Xiaoguan, you're right. Second Uncle really went too far. After your sister-in-law gives birth, I plan to take Grandpa to live in Jinghai for a while; the winters there aren't cold either."

"Good, going there to recuperate for a while is also fine."

She didn't want Grandpa to keep feeling sad; his current state of spirit was enough to make anyone's heart ache.

"Xiaoguan, what happened to Master?"

Han Chunming popped out from behind; these past few days, he had either been collecting scraps or flirting with Su Meng, busy and exhausted on both fronts, and he would just collapse and sleep as soon as he got home.

Today, hearing from his mother that Guan Daye's house had been robbed, he hurried over to take a look. This look was no small matter; Guan Daye looked as if he had aged ten years, which gave him quite a shock.

"Master, please don't scare me. It's only been a few days since we last met, how have you aged so much?"

"So Chunming has come; Master is fine."