I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

After Uncle Chen said "Don't touch A17", the room was quiet for a long time.

Gu Wantang stared at the old pocket watch, lost in thought.

Lin Ye stood to the side, even his breathing was very careful.

He is now very certain of one thing.

A17 is not a regular serial number.

An ordinary identification number wouldn't prompt an elderly person to give specific instructions before they pass away.

And it would certainly not allow Old Master Gu to mention it in such a low voice at the grave.

Uncle Chen looked at Gu Wantang, his voice low and hoarse.

"The old man said that if you just want to get back what's rightfully yours, check the pocket watch. If someone tries to lead you to check further with A17, stop."

Gu Wantang looked up.

Why?

Uncle Chen shook his head.

"The old man didn't say."

"Do you know what A17 is?"

Uncle Chen remained silent for a few seconds.

"have no idea."

He spoke very slowly.

It doesn't seem like a lie.

It's more like they genuinely didn't know, but they knew it wasn't a good thing.

"The old man only said, 'You're still young, that's not something you should touch right now.'"

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

This doesn't sound like something a cemetery security guard would be involved in.

He originally only wanted to help Gu Wantang find the pocket watch.

The pocket watch has now been found.

Logically speaking, he could have retired gracefully after achieving his goal.

But who could have imagined that one wave would subside only for another to rise?

The pocket watch lay quietly on the old handkerchief, its case wiped clean, yet it seemed like a troublesome object with a lid on.

Gu Wantang reached out and picked up the pocket watch.

When her fingertips touched the watch case, her movements were noticeably lighter.

Uncle Chen said in a low voice, "The watch still works. The old man told me to wind it once a month so it doesn't stop."

Gu Wantang's hand paused.

"Have you been working on this all these years?"

Uncle Chen nodded.

"I'm afraid it will stop."

This sentence is very soft.

Gu Wantang lowered her head and remained silent.

Lin Ye stood to the side, suddenly feeling a little uneasy.

For Gu Wantang, the pocket watch was more than just a clue.

This was a backup plan her grandfather had prepared for her when everyone else was plotting against her.

After a long while, Gu Wantang finally turned the pocket watch over.

There is indeed a string of numbers engraved on the inside of the watch case.

Not a complete date.

Only the month and the day.

Gu Wantang stared at the string of numbers for a few seconds, then suddenly looked up at him.

Lin Ye immediately stood up straight.

He now has a conditioned reflex to Gu Wantang's gaze.

The moment she looked at him, he felt he should explain something.

Gu Wantang asked, "What else do you know?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

That's all for now.

Gu Wantang clearly didn't believe it.

Lin Ye added a sentence.

"I really don't know what's inside the pocket watch."

This is the truth.

Grandpa Gu only said that there was a clue in the pocket watch.

They didn't say whether it contained paper, a key, or something else.

Gu Wantang looked at the edge of the pocket watch, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Does it have a hidden layer?"

Uncle Chen said, "The old man said there is. But I've never driven it."

"Why isn't it open?"

"The old man instructed that no one is allowed to open the door before Miss arrives."

After Chen Bo finished speaking, he glanced at Lin Ye.

"I don't know anything about this, and I'm afraid I'll break it."

Lin Ye immediately waved his hand.

"I don't understand either."

This point must be made clear.

He has already gotten into too much trouble because he "knows things that others don't."

Now, faced with a pocket watch that might be related to a wealthy family's will, he'd rather appear a little uncultured.

Lack of education ensures safety.

Gu Wantang held the pocket watch and remained silent for a few seconds.

Do you know anyone who understands this?

This question was directed at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye's first thought was Lu Zhixia.

snuff bottle.

Jadeite bracelet.

Mr. Liang's paintings.

Whenever he was unsure, Lu Zhixia would always be the one to bail him out.

It's just different this time.

This is no ordinary antique.

This is a clue to the Gu family's will.

Lin Ye hesitated for a moment.

"I know an auction house appraiser named Lu Zhixia. She's very reliable and cautious when it comes to appraising items."

Gu Wantang looked at him.

"You trust her a lot?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"At least so far, she hasn't cheated me."

Gu Wantang said indifferently, "This evaluation is not high."

Lin Ye was silent for a moment.

"But it's very practical."

Gu Wantang did not agree immediately.

She took out her phone and asked someone to check Lu Zhixia's identity.

A few minutes later, her person replied.

Appraiser at Jiahe Auction House.

A clean resume.

I have handled the appraisal of many antiques and paintings.

Gu Wantang then handed the phone to Lin Ye.

"Contact her."

Lin Ye dialed Lu Zhixia's number.

When the call connected, Lu Zhixia's voice was very calm.

"Lin Ye?"

"Teacher Lu."

"Your surroundings are nice; there are even birds chirping."

Lin Ye glanced at Gu Wantang, then at Uncle Chen.

"I'm in Nanxi."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Why are you in Nanxi?

Lin Ye whispered, "This matter is a bit complicated."

Lu Zhixia said, "Every time you say something is complicated, it's basically because you've caused trouble again."

Lin Ye was unable to refute.

"This time it wasn't entirely my fault."

Lu Zhixia did not accept his excuse.

Get to the point.

Lin Ye looked at the old pocket watch on the table.

"Mr. Gu left behind a pocket watch, which may have a hidden compartment containing clues to a will. Miss Gu doesn't want to open it."

There was a two-second silence on Lu Zhixia's end.

Send me the photos.

Gu Wantang took the phone and took pictures of the front and back of the pocket watch, the engraving on the inside of the cover, the watch axis, and the edge details. She also took pictures of the iron box and the handkerchief.

After watching the video, Lu Zhixia immediately called back.

On the screen, she was still wearing a white shirt, her hair was tied up, and the background looked like an office.

She glanced at it only once, and her brow twitched slightly.

"Don't pry it open."

Gu Wantang asked, "Can it be opened?"

Lu Zhixia said, "There should be a hidden coin, but it's hard to tell from the video. Where are you now?"

"Nanxi Xiahe Village".

"wait for me."

Gu Wantang glanced at the time.

"It takes more than an hour to get here."

Lu Zhixia's tone remained unchanged.

"Then we'll wait for over an hour. If there's paper in the interlayer, forcing it open will damage what's inside."

The video call ended.

The room fell silent again.

Lin Ye looked at the pocket watch on the table and suddenly felt that his stomach reminded him of a real problem.

He hasn't eaten much since this morning.

Uncle Chen noticed they hadn't eaten, so he went to the kitchen and made noodles.

Gu Wantang said it was no trouble.

Uncle Chen insisted.

"Once you come to my place, how can you leave without having a hot meal?"

Before long, three bowls of vegetarian noodles were served.

Noodles are very simple.

Green vegetables, poached egg, and a little chopped green onion.

Lin Ye sat at the table, intending to be polite.

But the moment they smelled the heat, their politeness was swallowed down along with their saliva.

He lowered his head and took a bite.

Only after eating the hot noodles did he feel like he had returned to the human world.

Gu Wantang ate very slowly.

She didn't seem to have much of an appetite, but she still ate the fried egg.

Uncle Chen sat to the side, looking at her as if she were a child who hadn't been home for many years.

"When you came to the old house as a child, your favorite food was fried eggs."

Gu Wantang paused for a moment.

"I don't remember."

Uncle Chen smiled, but his eyes were a little sore.

"You were so small back then. Your grandfather held you and sat you in the yard. You insisted on using chopsticks by yourself, but you couldn't pick up the egg, and your eyes welled up with tears."

Gu Wantang lowered her head and drank her soup.

Uncle Chen.

"Um?"

"Why haven't you contacted me all these years?"

The smile on Uncle Chen's face faded.

"Unable to contact."

Gu Wantang looked up.

Uncle Chen said in a low voice, "The people at the old house have changed. I called several times, and they said they would pass on the message. But then I couldn't get through. I went to Qingcheng once, but I couldn't get into the Gu family's house."

Gu Wantang's expression gradually turned cold.

Lin Ye sat beside him, silently eating noodles without ever interrupting, like a heartless rice-eating machine.

Uncle Chen didn't say anything more.

He simply pushed the metal box next to the pocket watch slightly towards Gu Wantang.

"The old man said, don't blame him for leaving things until now. It's not that he doesn't care about you, it's that he was afraid that if he gave it to you while he was still alive, the things wouldn't reach you."

Gu Wantang lowered her eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Lin Ye wisely lowered his head and ate his noodles.

Not looking up at this time is basic politeness.

More than an hour later, Lu Zhixia arrived.

She was carrying a small toolbox when she entered the yard.

The moment Lin Ye saw her, he suddenly felt a strange sense of relief.

Lu Zhixia seems to be able to judge everything.

Snuff bottles can be used to identify them.

A jade bracelet can be used to determine its authenticity.

The paintings by Mr. Liang can be judged.

It seems even pocket watches from wealthy families can be used to determine wealth now.

After entering the house, Lu Zhixia nodded to Gu Wantang first, and then looked at Uncle Chen.

"Sir, I need to check the pocket watch. I won't force it open; I'll stop if there's any risk."

Uncle Chen looked at Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang nodded.

Uncle Chen then pushed the pocket watch over.

Lu Zhixia did not act immediately.

She first had Gu Wantang record a video on her phone, and then had Uncle Chen confirm that he had been keeping the tin box, handkerchief, and pocket watch all along, and that they had not been handed over to anyone else.

Uncle Chen answered them one by one.

Gu Wantang recorded the entire process.

Lin Ye stood to the side, feeling a chill run down his spine.

profession.

That's incredibly professional.

Lu Zhixia put on gloves and placed the pocket watch on the soft cloth.

She observed very carefully.

First, check the wear on the watch case, then the hinge, then the engraving on the inside of the case back, and finally use a magnifying glass to look at an inconspicuous small gap near the pivot.

Lin Ye stood to the side, not daring to breathe.

He really wanted to ask.

But he knew that it was best not to disturb Lu Zhixia when she was looking at something.

"There is a hidden layer."

Gu Wantang tightened her grip.

Uncle Chen sat up straight as well.

Lin Ye felt a tightness in his chest.

Lu Zhixia continued, "It was done very cleverly, not in the conventional way. It must have been added later when the watch was being repaired."

Gu Wantang asked, "Can it be opened?"

Lu Zhixia looked at the edge of the pocket watch.

"Yes, but slowly."

She took out very fine tools from the toolbox.

The room was so quiet that only the sound of leaves falling outside the window could be heard.

Lin Ye stared at Lu Zhixia's hands and suddenly realized that he was even more nervous than on the day he sold the painting.

A faint metallic sound rang out.

Lu Zhixia paused, her fingers moving slightly.

A small crack was gently popped open along the edge of the pocket watch's inner cover.

Uncle Chen took a breath.

Gu Wantang did not move.

Lu Zhixia did not open it immediately.

She glanced at Gu Wantang first.

"You're here?"

Gu Wantang remained silent for a moment, then shook her head.

"You drive."

Lu Zhixia nodded and slowly lifted the cover.

There was indeed something inside.

It is not a complete will.

It was a thin piece of paper folded very small.

The paper has yellowed, but it is well preserved.

Lu Zhixia used tweezers to pick it out and slowly unfolded it on a soft cloth.

It was a miniature document.

The text is very small.

But you can make out the heading and some numbers.

Gu Wantang leaned over to look, her breathing noticeably lighter.

Uncle Chen's eyes also reddened.

Lin Ye couldn't quite understand it; he only saw a dense mass of words on it.

The only thing he could understand was a clear notary number.

Gu Wantang took out her phone and photographed the serial number.

Her hands were very steady.

He was as steady as if he were delivering a court verdict.

Lu Zhixia looked at it for a while and said, "This is not a complete will. It's more like an index document, pointing to a notarized copy."

Gu Wantang's voice was very low.

"In other words, you can use this to find the real document."

Lu Zhixia nodded.

"As long as the notary office still has the records, you can check."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Gu Wantang stared at the reduced-size document for a long time without saying a word.

Lin Ye felt a little relieved.

The clues are real.

The pocket watch is real.

The interlayer is real too.

Just then, Lu Zhixia suddenly frowned.

She looked at the bottom of the reduced-size document.

Besides the notary number, there was also a line of very faint handwritten text.

The ink stain is very light.

It looks like it was added later.

Gu Wantang saw it too.

She picked up her phone and zoomed in to take a picture.

Lin Ye stood behind her and finally saw the characters clearly.

A17.

It has reappeared.

This time, it didn't come from the mouth of a dead man.

It wasn't relayed from Uncle Chen.

Instead, it was actually written on paper.

Gu Wantang's expression gradually turned cold.

Lin Ye looked at the three characters, and his heart, which had just relaxed, slowly rose again.