Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2605 - 2541: An Iron Box

He was well aware of the conditions and arrived fully prepared. With a hammer in hand, he bashed the lock apart, letting loose a stale, musty odor that permeated everywhere; cobwebs truly blanketed the inside.

Several pieces of furniture carried a heavy coating of dust too.

Yet, to his shock, a little dressing table sat in that tiny home, topped by a mirror dusted just as thickly.

He carefully slid open the drawer, revealing yet another box tucked away.

A small lock dangled from the iron box.

Guan Tiezhu first thought to leave the iron box behind, but then considered how he'd tidied the place and swapped the lock. What if passersby noticed it wasn't abandoned anymore, realized someone might live there, and broke in to rob it?

No one would dwell there from now on, anyway.

Even without knowing the iron box's contents, he figured it'd be tough to justify to Chiang Xiao if thieves took it.

With that realization, he stuffed the iron box into his bag and brought it along.

Upon reaching Capital City, grimy and bone-tired, Chiang Xiao had already gone to school for two days like normal.

On top of that, the Youqingwei workshop had started operations.

She checked out the workshop that day, quite pleased with the staff Cheng Qiulian hired.

Meng Xinian hadn't contacted anyone outside since training began, not even her.

He trained and lived alongside the Eight Elites, and though he owned the Thousand Mile Talisman Diagram, using it was no longer an option.

Plus, a heartfelt goodbye followed by seeing Chiang Xiaoxiao again would only make parting even harder.

Like his comrades, he stayed totally severed from the outer world.

Though Chiang Xiao longed for him intensely, she understood her powerlessness and had to adapt to this routine for around two months.

All she could do was hope for his safe return after that time.

Guan Tiezhu came back and passed the iron box to her, leaving Chiang Xiao mildly astonished.

The iron box looked like a woman's trinket, akin to a candy tin decorated with bright floral prints.

A figure like the Sixth Young Master—refined yet fiercely resolute inside—surely wouldn't stash things in such a delicate candy tin, right?

What’s more, this candy tin bore a lock. It had to be some exotic import from overseas in those days.

He never had much taste for candies anyhow.

Chiang Xiao toyed with the tiny lock and questioned Guan Tiezhu, "Have you already cleaned that house?"

"Yes, I just wiped off the dust, cleared the cobwebs, and replaced the lock—nothing more."

"How’s the environment around that place?"

"It’s right by the seaside, only one or two similar little houses in the distance. Walking to the pier takes about eighteen or nineteen minutes. You might run into folks nearer the pier, but around the house, I saw no one while I was there."

Chiang Xiao saw it as the ideal spot she'd been seeking.

"Thank you, take today off and get some good rest."

Guan Tiezhu nodded and departed.

Chiang Xiao headed to the study, eyes fixed on the iron box—now spotless after Guan Tiezhu's thorough cleaning—deep in contemplation.

She played with the small lock, torn between prying it open for a quick look or waiting to consult her dad first.

Had her dad simply forgotten this thing was there?

Or maybe it wasn't significant to start with?

But why lock something unimportant?

Shaking the box produced rattling noises from inside. It felt light, as if holding paper items.