flamboyant

Chapter 68

Upon hearing this, Long Er sneered, "Dream on." Long Da also sneered, "If you're so capable, take it yourself." Long San sighed, "Madam Feng, since you know that it is our Long family heirloom, don't you think it's excessive to make such a request?"

Qiao Li ignored them and said to Feng Ning, "Look at them, the Long family is really easy to talk to."

Feng Ning frowned, suppressing her irritation. She didn't answer, but Long Er smiled slightly and said, "Madam Feng, our Long family is indeed easy to negotiate with. How about this: you hand over your seals, and our Long family will take a loss, providing manpower, money, and effort to search for this treasure. Once we find out the truth, we'll inform you. You don't need to do anything; just sit back and wait for our news. What do you say?"

"Not good at all," Qiao Li said. "Second Master Long is quite shrewd. Once we give you the item, we'll have no leverage left. After you find the treasure and destroy the evidence, where will we go to seek justice?"

Long Er sneered, "Madam Feng, you're so scheming. You worry about this and that, and everyone else comes to you with ill intentions. According to you, can't I also deduce that you're not here for revenge or to find the truth, but simply to seize the treasure? As for us, don't you think about it? If we were interested in this so-called treasure, why haven't we even started looking for it yet? This is a treasure that Grandpa left to our Long family descendants. He said it was the most precious thing he had in his life..."

“My father also said that it was the most precious thing in his life.” Feng Zhuojun interjected excitedly. He was filled with resentment. His father’s most precious thing was taken away by his best friend’s greed. His father resigned from his post and lost his life. The family has been struggling ever since. All of this was because of the Long family.

Qiao Li also said, "This should belong to both families. If your Long family doesn't care about this treasure, why did Old Man Long poison our Feng family back then? If you don't care about this treasure, why can't you hand it over and let us go treasure hunting?"

Long San, who had been watching Feng Ning without speaking, suddenly said, "I won't talk about treasures or anything like that. I'll just say one thing: my grandfather is a man of unwavering loyalty and integrity, and he would never do anything to betray his trust."

"Hmph, you can say whatever you want without any basis. But the fact remains that my father was murdered because of this, and our whole family had to flee." Feng Zhuojun spoke with an unusually stern tone.

Long Er said solemnly, "Back then, when Lord Zhao reported Old Master Feng, it was my grandfather who risked his life to protect you, giving your family the opportunity to flee. My grandfather held a grudge about this matter, and later, when he found a pretext to accuse Lord Zhao, he had him executed, which can be considered as getting justice for your Feng family. My grandfather instructed that this treasure should be passed down from generation to generation and must never be damaged or lost. He never had any thought of taking the treasure until his death, so how could he be suspected of being greedy?"

"This whole thing was just a scapegoat. Old Master Long was just a hypocrite, pretending to be a good guy, and then he killed someone to cover it up. What kind of hero is that? Did he never even consider taking the treasure, or was it because the other seal is in our Feng family, so even if he had the idea, it would be useless?" Qiao Li retorted eloquently.

"Since the seal was carved by the two of you together, how could you not know its contents? Besides, if you really wanted the treasure, you could have driven you away. What difficulty would it have been for you to get a seal?"

“Whether it’s difficult or not isn’t up to you to decide. My father-in-law isn’t stupid. What’s so difficult about protecting a seal?” Qiao Li and Long Er argued back and forth.

For a moment, the two families went back and forth, digging up old grievances and settling them down in detail. Feng Ning, listening from the side, raised her eyebrows in anger and finally couldn't help but shout, "Shut up, all of you!"

Her shout, delivered with such force, resounded throughout the entire room, nearly lifting the roof off. Naturally, it stunned everyone, and they all turned to look at her, falling silent.

Feng Ning turned to Qiao Li and said, "Mother, do you mean to have the Long family hand over the map and seal so you can go treasure hunting, find out what it is, and find out the truth?"

Qiao Li nodded: "Of course, the Long family must hand over the items."

Feng Ning then asked Feng Zhuojun, "Father also thinks this is the right way, isn't he?"

Feng Zhuojun nodded: "Your mother's meaning is my meaning."

After hearing this, Feng Ning turned to Long Er: "Second Uncle, so you mean you want my parents to hand over their seals so you can go treasure hunting, right?"

“Of course,” Long Er replied matter-of-factly.

Feng Ning asked, "Why is that?"

"Is that even a question?" Long Er said sarcastically, glancing at the Feng couple.

Feng Ning waved her hand, scolding Long Er: "Second Uncle, it's come to this point, why can't you be more straightforward? What do you mean 'does this even need asking'? Dragging it out is so unmanly. I just want to confirm, are you afraid my parents will scheme to steal the treasure, or not?"

Long Er's face darkened at her words. How dare she call him unmanly? If it weren't for the sake of his third brother, and given how this woman had repeatedly annoyed him, he would definitely have taught her a lesson. Feng Ning frowned, and seeing that Long Er hadn't given her a reply for a long time, she impatiently waved her hand again: "Alright, alright, I understand what you mean. Uncle and husband think the same way, right?"

Long Da and Long San, giving Long Er face, didn't answer directly, but their meaning was clear. So Feng Ning turned to Feng Zhuojun and Qiao Li: "Father and Mother are the same way, worried that if the seal is handed over, someone else will benefit from it, right?"

The two nodded. Qiao Li glared at the three Long brothers, and Feng Ning said loudly, "Then that's settled. Since you don't trust each other at all, why don't you go together?"

Both sides were taken aback, but Long Er quickly said, "Even if we go together, there will always be a time when we need them to hand over their seals. I have no objection, but I wonder if they can hand over their seals?"

Qiao Li said loudly, "Second Master Long, you're dreaming. I think that even if we go together to find that treasure, it will be you who have to hand over the map and seal."

This conversation has come full circle, and Feng Ning is furious. She shouted, "Stop, stop! Don't submit the seals anymore!"

All eyes turned to her again. Long Er glanced at her sideways, as if to say, "Let's see what you can do about it." Feng Ning bit her lip, lost in thought. Long Da silently took another sip of tea. Long San, feeling sorry for his wife, walked to her side, took her hand, and softly called her, "Feng'er..."

Feng Ning looked at him, her mind suddenly clearing up. She said, "Here's what we'll do. Give me the map, Long San will take the Long family seal, and my father will take the Feng family seal. We'll go together and see what this damn treasure is all about."

Long Er and Qiao Li were taken aback for a moment, then said at the same time, "That won't do."

"Why not?" Feng Ning asked, feeling that her idea was the best: "Father can go treasure hunting, while Mother can stay here and keep an eye on the Long family's movements. We won't be afraid of them causing trouble. And since Long San is outside, Second Uncle, you can also keep an eye on my mother. We won't be afraid that she has any ulterior motives. This way, we can balance and restrain each other, and with me acting as guarantor in the middle, it's the fairest and most appropriate solution. Why wouldn't this work?"

Qiao Li said, "You're completely biased towards the Long family." Long Er also said, "You keep saying you're a daughter of the Feng family. What if you think you should listen to your parents? And the third brother is the most soft-hearted towards you. This is unreliable."

Ultimately, it's because no one is sure which way Feng Ning's arm will turn.

Feng Ning stamped her foot, exasperated: "Can't you think of anything good? Where do you get so many crooked ideas? This won't work, that won't work, no wonder you've been wasting years on this little thing. Why don't you just cut off the seal and swallow it, then you can't find out the truth at all."

“Feng’er…” Long San put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her, “Don’t rush, speak properly.”

Feng Ning looked at this one, then at that one, and with a determined heart, pointed at Long Er and Qiao Li and said, "I'll give Bao'er to you as collateral, is that alright? Bao'er is my precious lifeline. This treasure hunt is too dangerous, and I can't take her with me anyway, so let her stay here and wait for me to come back. If I handle this matter unfairly, or if I play any tricks outside, you won't have to worry about it with Bao'er in your hands."

When Long Er heard that Bao'er was to be handed over to him, he was shocked. That little nemesis was no good as a hostage. If she were really handed over to him, wouldn't he treat her like a little princess? What if something happened to her? Wouldn't Feng Ning and the third brother blame him to death?

He was about to refuse when he saw Qiao Li's delighted expression and Feng Ning glaring at him fiercely. Long Er couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted to say. Feng Ning waved her hand at them and said, "It's settled then. Uncle has an official position, so go about your business. Second Uncle is free, so help me take care of Bao'er. Mother will stay here and wait for us to come back. Father represents the Feng family, Long San represents the Long family, and I will act as the mediator. Together, we will find this mysterious so-called treasure. If anyone dares to object, they should come up with a better solution, or I will really lose my temper."

Long Er rubbed his temples and fell silent. This crazy woman was troublesome even before she turned on him; he wondered if his third brother could control her once she did. He had little confidence in his younger brother's ability to handle the situation. Besides, Feng Ning's suggestion seemed to be the best solution at the moment.

Qiao Li and Feng Zhuojun didn't say anything. In fact, they understood that it would be too difficult to get anything out of the stingy Long family. Now that Feng Ning's method had made the Long family soften their stance, it might not be a bad thing.

So no one objected, and the matter was settled. But Feng Ning still had something to say: "In two days, it will be Bao'er's birthday. No matter what, we must celebrate Bao'er's birthday properly before we set off." Everyone agreed on this point. Anyway, there was no rush in these two days, and besides, Bao'er had also been involved in this matter, so we couldn't neglect her.

The next day, Feng Ning took Bao'er to the street to buy some toys for her. Qiao Li and An Ruochen accompanied her, and Long Qingsheng insisted on being his mother's bodyguard and came along too. The women and the little soldier had a great time for most of the day.

Qiao Li thoughtfully refrained from saying anything unpleasant and kept Bao'er happy the whole way. She led Bao'er to pick out bells at a bell stall, while Feng Ning and An Ruochen chatted about everyday things on the side.

An Ruochen told Feng Ning about what had happened yesterday. Feng Ning blushed a little when she thought about her own fierceness. Her sister-in-law was always gentle and virtuous. Compared to her, she was far inferior. Unexpectedly, An Ruochen said, "I told my husband that my third brother has really found a good wife." Upon hearing this, Feng Ning blushed even more.

An Ruochen smiled and said, "Now that only Second Master Long is left in our Long family, I, as his sister-in-law, should really do my part to help him make arrangements."

Feng Ning replied, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about Second Uncle."

"What? Does he already have some plans?"