The Lost Tomb Vol. 7

Chapter 19: Living Together

Huo Xiuxiu was right. Without Granny Huo's umbrella, we would be in a very difficult situation for some time to come.

I didn't have any time to think about how to deal with the mess we left behind. I was the only one out of the three of us with a prominent industry background, which meant I might be the only one able to help calm the situation down. In my worldview, I believed that in a legal society where we really had no money, there were ways to come to a compromise. But once I reflected on it, I realized I was a hypocrite. I had never experienced such a thing before, and maybe it was more serious than I had expected.

I sometimes felt that the three of us were like those ignorant children who gambled in the movies, relying on their own skills to go to the adult world to make trouble. In the end, their parents had to cut off their fingers to make amends, and it was only then that they realized that their troubles were beyond their own worldview. At that time, it was useless to say "How could this happen? I don't want to." I was faintly worried that this disaster had gone beyond what I could imagine.

As a result, I was immediately moved by what Huo Xiuxiu said.

On the other hand, I thought Granny Huo's attitude was very coy. We had now entered a very chaotic and unmanageable situation. Originally, I just wanted to ask about the Yangshi Lei, but I ended up dredging up some old woman's past. The things that followed seemed to be complicated and connected together, and I felt like Granny Huo was playing hard to get. It was possible that she had some things she couldn't comprehend right now, so if she wanted to understand them, she would follow up with us.

Keeping us safe was a detour for her and a delaying tactic for us. It was definitely good for both sides. She could reflect clearly on her own thoughts, and we also had time to react and find out how much trouble we had run into.

Fatty and I had almost the same idea. He was the most realistic and knew that he couldn't go back to his shop anyways, so he agreed first. We'd at least have a place to discuss what to do next, so I agreed right after.

I thought she would find a house for us in the compound, but she brought in a different driver and replaced the Hongqi with a humble Passat. We left the compound with our heads down and didn't dare look out at the street. Remembering that Huo Xiuxiu had hinted at it before, I asked her what she knew about Poker-face, but she wouldn't answer. All she would say was that it was loaded information and I had to give her something in exchange. She told me not to worry, and that we would catch up this evening.

We drove around from Gongzhufen to Dongsi, before coming to a very inconspicuous place in an alley, where a very magnificent old house appeared.

"Fuck, which Qing emperor lived here?" When we got out of the car, Fatty looked at the white jade wall outside the old house and exclaimed, "There are pillars outside this wall and it's not even an outer wall. Which mansion is this part of?"

"I don't know, I was still in Changsha when my grandmother bought it." Huo Xiuxiu invited us in and I found that it was completely deserted. The yard was very large, and the main structure was a typical courtyard house, but it was much bigger than normal ones and had a lot of rooms.

There were so many weeds in the garden that I really didn't believe that I was still in Beijing.

"It used to be an office building," Huo Xiuxiu said as she pointed to a room on the second floor. "You'll live there. It's cleaner."

Fortunately, the floor by the door had been renovated, and although the renovation had clearly been done a while ago, the firmness wasn't a problem. The walls were full of ivy, which had been left untouched for a long time. They were already covering the doors and windows, so Fatty cut them down with his knife, and then we entered. The dust inside was very thick and there wasn't any furniture.