After the Republic of China

Chapter 11 The Broken Lock

When girls go out, even if they are at home, they are afraid of the wind, rain, and the sun.

Xiaodong walked out of the house, and complained: "If you lose money, just walk around at home. If you want to go out to watch a movie, you will have to be late."

"Walk well, don't get in the way." Xi Mei rolled her eyes at her.

After leaving the door of the main room, walk to the left for a while, and there is a corridor under the corridor. When you arrive here, you will be in a flower garden.

Seeing the two pinching again, Shao Yunshi shook her head, pointing at the herbs while walking, commenting on their growth.

Xi Mei held back her laughter, "Miss, please don't tell us these things, Bai Erniang needs to listen to these things."

Xiaodong didn't like Bai Erniang, "Let's go to the plum garden. There are a few red plums over there, and the flower buds are very beautiful."

"Pretty?" Shao Yunshi laughed, "What kind of metaphor is this?"

Ximei also wanted to go shopping, "OK, let's go to the garden next door."

The plum garden of the Shao family is located between Huaiyuan and the main courtyard, no matter which courtyard people go to, it is very convenient.

Shao Yunshi didn't care where she was going, so she took Ximei's hand and started walking.

Xiaodong couldn't bear to walk slowly, skipping a few steps towards the next door.

The three of them walked and stopped all the way, and the atmosphere was pretty good.

Unfortunately, when they turned to the small gate between the two courtyards, they were all stunned.

Xiaodong looked at Ximei, "Have you brought the keys?"

Xi Mei shook her head, "When I went out, I didn't expect to go to the next door."

Now everyone is stupid.

Xiaodong didn't want to go back to do needlework, so he said, "I'll go back and get it, you guys wait here."

"Xiaodong..." Shao Yunshi called to Xiaodong who turned around, frowning and staring at the lock, "Look at this lock."

Xiaodong hurriedly moved closer, "Hey, the lock is not locked securely."

Seeing her pull the lock off, Xi Mei was tongue-tied, "I locked this lock, and I only have one key."

This is the inner courtyard, and this small door directly connects to the plum garden next door.Therefore, only Shao Yunshi and the others are in charge of this small gate.

Xiaodong became serious, "This matter needs to be investigated carefully."

"Check, how to check?" Xi Mei was terrified after thinking carefully.

Shao Yunshi was about to say something when a human voice came from across the wall.

Xiaodong covered Ximei's mouth and whispered, "There is a man's voice."

Ximei broke away Xiaodong's hand and lowered her voice, "Grandma? Probably Bai's nephew surnamed Huang."

Shao Yunshi has the best hearing, frowning and nodding, "That's him."

She had encountered it at her grandmother's side, and it was this voice.

Outside the plum garden path.

"Cousin, the environment here is good, but it's too simple." Nephew Huang, Huang Chunsheng said.

Shao Xiuxue, the yellow cousin, has an average family background, and her father and Shao's father are colleagues.

At the beginning, Uncle Huang introduced Bai and Shao's father.

Huang Chunsheng is a top student at Peking University. Although his family background is average, his grandfather's family has gradually grown up in recent years, and he often subsidizes his daughter and grandson.

Therefore, Huang Chunsheng was not badly dressed, and his hands were a bit generous, looking like a rich man.

There are many girls chasing him, and there are also some who are optimistic about him as a son-in-law.

Shao Xiuxue was proud to have such a cousin.

"This plum garden was played by grandpa, he has old-fashioned eyes." Shao Xiuxue immediately agreed when she saw that her cousin couldn't speak well.

The conversation between the two is getting closer.

Xiaodong and Ximei rolled their eyes when they heard their brazen words, and sneered at those two for pretending to be elegant.

Inside and outside the walls of Huaiyuan and Meiyuan, there are two atmospheres and different moods.

Shao Yunshi was afraid that the two girls would get angry and show traces, so she quickly winked at them.

Xiaodong and Ximei also knew the seriousness, and hurriedly covered their mouths, expressing that they would not speak.

the other side of the wall.

"Cousin, don't break the branch." Shao Xiuxue hurriedly shouted seeing her cousin's hand resting on the branch.

Huang Chunsheng was puzzled, "This branch looks good, I fold it so I can put it in a bottle for my aunt, does my cousin think it's not good?"

Shao Xiuxue shook her head, "That's not it. Grandpa said that the plum blossoms in the plum garden cannot be folded casually without his consent."

"Why? The garden is full of plum blossoms. What's the point of breaking off one or two branches?" Huang Chunsheng broke the plum branches with force.

"Ah!" Shao Xiuxue opened her eyes wide, worried, "What should I do?"

"What are you worried about? Didn't someone break the branch in front of you?" Huang Chunsheng didn't care at all. "When we go back, we should carry someone behind our backs and don't let your grandpa know. It will be fine."

Shao Xiuxue followed Huang Chunsheng's fingers and looked over. There was indeed a broken branch, "Grandpa may have agreed to this."

"Hey, this branch doesn't look like someone broke it, but it looks like it was accidentally broken." Huang Chunsheng approached and observed carefully.

After hearing this, Shao Xiuxue looked around curiously, "There are also some messy footsteps on the ground, probably someone is here to steal the plum branches."

"Okay, isn't there some outsider here to steal it? We only got one, and it's fine." Huang Chunsheng didn't think too much about it, "Let's go, go back and sweeten the house for my aunt."

After hearing this, Shao Xiuxue felt reasonable, "That's right, let's go, let's send the flowers back quickly."

Shao Yunshi and the others who were separated by a wall looked at each other solemnly when they heard the sound of footsteps walking away and the babbling words.

Xi Mei whispered, "Could it be that someone really came to steal plum branches?"

It happened before that passers-by stole plum branches.

Xiaodong shook his head, "It shouldn't be. In the past, what people stole was sticking out of the wall, but here it is near the inner courtyard. Who can jump in and steal."

Shao Yunshi frowned deeply, and went to push the small door, "Let's go and have a look."

"Miss, let Xiaodong go and have a look first." Ximei grabbed him.

Xiaodong also nodded, "You guys stay here, I'll go take a look."

Shao Yunshi thought about the lock that was left open for no reason, and nodded, "Alright, go and come back quickly."

Xiaodong pushed open a crack in the door, stepped across the small door, and immediately turned around to close the door.

Ximei boasted, "Xiaodong is more considerate."

Shao Yunshi was not in the mood to chat with her, so she pinched the lock and took a closer look, "This lock is not broken."

"Does anyone have the key?" Xi Mei was startled.

This small door can only be seen in the inner courtyard of the Huai Garden, and it cannot be seen on the other side of the Meiyuan Garden. It is a single invisible door.

Otherwise, Shao Xiuxue and the others would have found out just now.

The two of them didn't say a word, the door opened again with a 'creak' sound.

"Senior Sister, this door probably opened from our side." Xiaodong roared anxiously.

Shao Yunshi glanced at Ximei, "Where do you usually put the keys?"

Xi Mei hurriedly said: "I put them all in a fixed box, that is, the small box that requires two locks to open."

"In the past few days, you have never carried the key with you once?" Shao Yunshi frowned.

Ximei shook her head, "I did. A few days ago, the plum blossoms were blooming well. I went there to cut the branches, but I didn't put the key back immediately."

After hearing this, Xiaodong said, "Is it possible that when you carried it on your body, you didn't know it, but someone touched it?"

(End of this chapter)