My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 52 Financial Loss (Please continue reading!)
Back in the underground parking garage of the residential complex, Lu Yuan pondered for a long time before opening the photo album again.

The album documents the mother, Chen Lan, from infancy to adulthood, and includes many photos of her with her maternal grandfather, Chen Shu.

Even though the old man in the photo is over sixty years old, he is still upright and handsome. No wonder he could make my grandmother, who was only in her early twenties at the time, fall in love with him and cause a sensational May-December romance.

Lu Yuan then opened the envelope and pulled out two thin sheets of paper, which were written in beautiful regular script with a slightly faded ink.

【Xiao Lan, it's like seeing you in person after reading this letter.】

My dad just turned 102 last month, and his health is not as good as before.

I eat very little, half a bowl of porridge is enough to fill me up, and I don't sleep well either, waking up three or four times a night, lying awake waiting for dawn. The doctor said I'm old and worn out, there's no cure, and we can't force it.

Lately, I've felt increasingly lacking in energy, so I've simply handed over all my business dealings and social obligations to a few young people to handle, allowing myself to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. I really can't handle all that.

Sigh, the past... Dad was mostly wrong, and thinking about it now makes me feel uneasy.

If you're not too busy, please take some time to come back and visit, or even just give me a call. If there's anything going on at home, my daughter and I can discuss and resolve it together.

I saw the photos you posted on WeChat Moments the other day, and Xiao Yuan has grown so fast! He's gotten so tall, and his features have matured; he has a very dashing air about him. Thinking back, the last time I saw him was eight years ago; time flies.

I heard he's doing well in his studies and is going to university, which is great! If he encounters any difficulties, just tell Dad. This old man might be able to help out.

Xiao Lan, Dad feels... that my days may be numbered. There are some things I need to say, and if I don't say them soon, it might be too late.

In my whole life, you are the person I've never been able to let go of, and you are the person I've wronged the most.

I want to have a good talk with you about the past, to untangle the knots in our hearts, so that I can leave this world in peace.

Also, Dad has an old item that might be useful in the future. I've been thinking about it, but I don't feel comfortable putting it anywhere else. I'll only feel at ease if I entrust it to you for safekeeping.

It's getting cold, please take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself.

The date on the document was a week before the parents' car accident, and the plain words conveyed the weariness and loneliness of a centenarian.

After reading it, Lu Yuan felt a tightness in his chest and a sour feeling in his heart.

He folded the letter and was about to put it back in the envelope when he suddenly noticed something at the bottom of the envelope.

He poured it out and saw two old brass keys clinking into his palm.

key?

Where is the key?
Lu Yuan looked completely bewildered...

Without explaining his background, is this old man playing the riddle-solver?
Lu Yuan was lost in thought, clutching his keys, when suddenly there was a knock on the car window.

Turning my head, I saw Chen Xiaomiao peering out of the car window, looking inside with a curious expression.

Lu Yuan packed his things and locked the car.

Chen Xiaomiao opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, bringing in a cool evening breeze.

Lu Yuan reached out to touch her forehead: "Why did you go out? Has your fever gone down?"

"I just got back after giving Sister Song Jia a ride on my electric scooter."

Chen Xiaomiao pressed her forehead against Lu Yuan's palm to reassure him: "Your fever has subsided a long time ago, and you have energy now. But where have you been?"

"To meet a friend."

"What kind of friend? Male or female?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan grinned and moved closer to her.

"What, are you checking up on me? From now on, do I have to report to you first?"

He was very close, his warm breath brushing against Chen Xiaomiao's face.

"Come here, smell it, see if there's any other woman's scent."

"Hey~ How can you do that? Get out of the way!"

Chen Xiaomiao gently pushed Lu Yuan away, hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car as if fleeing.

Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head, then followed with the photo album and envelope.

The elevator was cramped.

Chen Xiaomiao's gaze unconsciously drifted to the object in Lu Yuan's hand. Perhaps she was delirious from the fever and it was just her imagination, but the words "For Chen Lan" on the envelope seemed increasingly familiar the more she looked at them.

It seems like... Little Tree Brother's handwriting...

As soon as Lu Yuan opened the door upstairs, he smelled a strange, indescribable odor. The living room light was on, and the dining table was a mess.

Three or four takeout boxes were open, next to which was a plate of dark, sticky "vegetables" whose ingredients were completely unrecognizable, and a bowl of murky tomato and egg soup.

Lu Yuan hadn't eaten anything properly all day, and his stomach was already growling.

He casually placed the photo album and envelope in his hand on the entryway cabinet, and went straight to the dining table to sit down.

Perhaps driven by curiosity, he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.

The next second, Lu Yuan's expression froze.

The meat was as tough as chewing an oil-soaked rubber band, with a salty and bitter taste that exploded violently on the tip of the tongue, along with an indescribable spiciness of ginger.

"Cough...cough!"

Lu Yuan choked and his face turned red. He quickly picked up the water glass next to him and took two big gulps before he could catch his breath and asked, "Xiao Miao, did you make this dish?"

Chen Xiaomiao shook her head innocently: "You're accusing me! I didn't do it."

"You didn't do it?" Lu Yuan was taken aback, then realized: "Song Jia?"

"Hmm..." Chen Xiaomiao muttered softly, "Sister Song Jia said she made a special meal for me as a patient."

"A patient's meal? I think it's more like a death trap meal!"

Lu Yuan was both amused and exasperated. He used his chopsticks to push the dish away with disdain, keeping it far away.

"Is she bored out of her mind? She's someone who's never even known how to pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle since she was a child, and now she's come to our kitchen to practice her cooking skills?"

"That's right!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomiao immediately perked up and came over to complain, "My goodness, Sister Song Jia... she's such a waste!"

Lu Yuan picked up a bite of the stir-fried shrimp from his takeout order and asked vaguely, "What do you mean?"

"Look at her! She just made a mess of things and ordered all those restaurant dishes!"

Chen Xiaomiao pointed at the several takeout boxes, her face full of heartache: "How can the two of us possibly eat this much! I advised her not to order anymore, but she said it was okay, she'd order something good to nourish me... Tell me, isn't this money just being wasted?"

"She's got money to burn, so why should you care?"

Lu Yuan suppressed a laugh and moved the takeout box closer to Chen Xiaomiao: "If you really feel bad about it, eat some more with me."

"I'm not hungry. I just ate a bowl of rice with the soup that Sister Song Jia ordered."

Despite saying that, Chen Xiaomiao still picked up a small piece of tofu with her chopsticks and ate it in small bites with the remaining white rice in her bowl.

Watching so much food go to waste is even more painful than forcing her to copy the Tao Te Ching...

"You're saying that Song Jia spends money like that, it's no different from throwing money into the water... Besides, she doesn't look quite right in the face today."

"Hmm?" Lu Yuan was eating his rice when he heard this and looked up: "What's wrong with your appearance?"

"A face that looks like it's going to lose money."

"you sure?"

"It's hard to say, and you told me before not to talk nonsense about these things outside."

Lu Yuan's smile slowly faded. After hesitating for a long time, he finally decided to make a phone call to Song Jia.

The phone rang seven or eight times before being answered, with the sounds of keys clinking and doors opening in the background.

"Hello? Lu Yuan, I just got home, is there something you need...?"

Before Lu Yuan could even open his mouth to speak, Song Jia's voice abruptly stopped on the other end of the phone.

Immediately following was a distorted, terrified scream.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?!"

(End of this chapter)