Chapter 350 - 307: Jade Lock
Chapter 350: Chapter 307: Jade Lock
Seeing him again after more than two months, Tang Qingyun looked much healthier and was in high spirits. He called out "Dad! Mom!" the moment he walked in the door. He reached out to pat Xiao Man on the head and said with a chuckle, "Our girl is so smart and accomplished! You skipped several grades and even got into university! So, have you had enough fun at home? It’s time to get ready for school in Beijing. Dad... uh, Second Uncle is here to see you off!"
It seemed he had somehow come to terms with it, as he no longer seemed to mind being called "Second Uncle."
Xiao Man dodged his hand and grumbled inwardly, ’Even Dad Tang doesn’t call Grandpa and Grandma like that. He just started, but anyone who didn’t know better would think he was their real son.’
Grandpa brought a basin of water for him to wash his face while Grandma brewed tea and got him snacks. They doted on Tang Qingyun even more than they did on Tang Qingshan. This was simply force of habit; Tang Qingshan would usually take the initiative to do things himself, whereas Tang Qingyun didn’t like to lift a finger.
Tang Qingyun drank a cup of tea and pulled Grandpa and Grandma over to sit down. Xiao Man saw the excited and slightly agitated look on his face and had a feeling he was about to say something important. Sure enough, after a few token questions about the elderly couple’s health and whether the farm work was busy, Tang Qingyun suddenly changed the subject, stunning everyone in the room. "Dad, Mom, you once had a son who was taken by someone when he was a month old. My parents told me about it and asked me to keep an eye out. I want to ask you two now: that child had a token on him, right? What was it like?"
Grandpa and Grandma were stunned for a long moment before they remembered to answer. Grandpa said, "Yes, there was a token. A piece of jade on a silver chain, attached to his baby clothes. I personally carved two characters on the jade: Jiabao!"
Grandma added, "It was a jadeite lock. The attached silver chain had a spot where three characters were cast: Su Ping’an. That jade lock originally belonged to my younger brother..."
As she spoke, Grandma covered her face and began to sob. Grandpa sighed twice, his eyes turning red as well.
Tang Qingyun reached into his pocket. Catching sight of Xiao Man staring at him with wide eyes, he paused before pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Xiao Man pouted and turned her face away—’I clearly felt a trace of Spiritual Energy on him. Since he was talking about the jade lock, he most likely had it on him, which is why he seemed a little nervous. Who knew he was just messing with me.’
In truth, Tang Qingyun had no intention of teasing Xiao Man; his mind was entirely focused on pleasing his daughter. He had genuinely been reaching for a cigarette—Grandma was still crying her eyes out, and he needed to wait for her to calm down before saying anything more. He just hadn’t expected Xiao Man to be in such a hurry.
’It must be the special bond between father and daughter,’ he thought. ’She knew I was hiding something with just one look.’
Tang Qingyun was in an excellent mood and no longer felt like smoking. After offering a few words of comfort to Grandma, he reached up, flipped open the pocket of his tunic jacket, and this time, he truly pulled out what Xiao Man had been waiting for.
He handed the jade lock directly to Xiao Man, smiling at her. "You take a look, then tell Grandpa and Grandma what you find."
Xiao Man quickly took the half-palm-sized jade lock. It was a piece of high-quality jadeite, a brilliant, shimmering green, like a patch of pure, frozen lake water.
Turning it over, she saw the two characters for "Jiabao" carved on the back. Xiao Man was familiar with Grandpa’s calligraphy and confirmed it was his handiwork.
On the small plate at the clasp of the silver chain were engraved tiny characters. An ordinary person would need a magnifying glass to identify them, but Xiao Man could see them with perfect clarity. They were indeed the three characters Grandma had mentioned: "Su Ping’an."
Overall, the jade ornament was very well-preserved, without a single scratch. The two characters for "Jiabao" carved on the back looked as if they had just been engraved yesterday.
Xiao Man placed the jade lock in Grandpa’s hands. He cupped his palms together, trembling, as if he were holding the most precious treasure in the world. He stared at it for a moment, then quickly held it out to Grandma. "Ayue, look... is it real? Is it the one?"
Grandma took the jade lock, her mouth agape, her face a mixture of sorrow and joy. Tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken string. Xiao Man quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe them away, wanting her to see more clearly, but Grandma grabbed Tang Qingyun’s arm, her eyes filled with urgency. "Child, tell me, this jade... this person... where is he?"
Tang Qingyun supported the nearly collapsing Grandma, comforting her gently. He gestured for Xiao Man to pour a cup of hot water. Xiao Man snapped back to her senses and hurried to pour two cups, giving one to Grandpa and one to Grandma.
Once they were settled, Tang Qingyun finally explained the whole story.
The last time he went to Ping County Town to visit Xiao Man, he had discovered her rented room was filled with all sorts of cleaned bottles and jars set out to dry. Tang Qingyun was no fool; a brief glance told him they were old items with some history. He heard from Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui that Xiao Man had led them on hunts to scrounge up these things. Although he didn’t approve, he was secretly pleased. He thought his daughter had inherited this hobby from him, as he had also been very fond of appraising antiques in his youth, only giving it up later due to the pressures of life and his circumstances.
Knowing Xiao Man wouldn’t listen to him, he still offered a few words of advice as an elder. Afterward, he thought to himself, ’Times are different now. Since my daughter enjoys it, I should just let her be. I’ll even keep an eye out myself. If I can find something good for her, it’ll make her happy, and I’ll feel good too.’
Tang Qingyun didn’t have time to run around treasure hunting himself. He simply made a few phone calls to some relevant contacts, asking them to keep an eye out for him. In the process, he remembered Grandpa and Grandma’s story and specifically asked them to be on the lookout for jade ornaments.
He never expected that they would actually find the "Jiabao" jade lock. It was a complete stroke of luck, but it was also a truly rare and wonderful twist of fate.
When Tang Qingyun’s term ended and he was transferred from Wancheng, Comrade Feng, who had worked under him, remained in the Wancheng area. It was Xiao Feng who encountered the person with the jade lock near the train station.
This is how it happened: a man covered in blood was lying on the side of the road. Next to him knelt a woman and two children under the age of ten. The mother and her children were crying pitifully, begging the onlookers for help. Many sympathetic aunties gave them some food and drinks, and a few people tossed down some small-denomination bills, but no one was able to take them to a doctor. Xiao Feng was driving the company car back from dropping his girlfriend off at the train station. When he saw the crowd was still there, he got out to ask what was going on. He was planning to find a phone to call an ambulance and then hand the matter over to the police. But when the woman saw that Xiao Feng had a car and that his speech and manner were different from the rest of the crowd, she immediately grabbed onto him and refused to let go. She pulled a cloth bundle from the man on the ground, opened it to reveal the jade lock, and told Xiao Feng that if he saved her husband’s life, the lock was his.
The moment Xiao Feng saw the jade lock, he suddenly remembered what Mr. Tang had asked of him. He first got the family to the hospital and immediately called Mr. Tang. As it happened, Tang Qingyun had just finished up some business and was about to head to Gongdao Village to see Xiao Man off to school. He rushed to Wancheng Hospital to see the man, but he wasn’t entirely sure. He felt it was best to show the jade lock to Grandpa and Grandma first.