Yan Huaian nodded.
"You must know better than me what happened to my benefactor after we got married, so I won't say more."
"What I want to tell you is that when my benefactor fled to the south, he still had something very important with him."
"That thing was passed down from generation to generation by the clan chiefs of the tribe. It is a symbol of status."
"It's like the imperial seal passed down by the Daqi royal family..."
Yan Huaian explained.
Yang Ruoqing nodded, she understood this.
The same goes for the beggars' dog-beating sticks.
A gang leader without a dog-beating stick will not be recognized by the gang members.
Yan Huaian continued: "After my benefactor saved me, he gave me a token. With that token, I can get some of the benefactor's wealth."
"My benefactor also entrusted me. If one day, I hope that I can help her bring the thing that represents the identity of the tribe leader back to the north and give it to the descendants of her tribe to revive the tribe!"
"Then why didn't you take it back, Uncle Yan?" Yang Ruoqing asked.
Yan Huaian shook his head: "At that time, the tribe where my benefactor belonged had just experienced a major change, and it was rumored that the entire tribe was wiped out."
"Besides, I was a child and couldn't find it, so my benefactor only told me where the thing was hidden. I didn't go to fetch it or take it away," he said.
Yang Ruoqing nodded: "What happened next?"
Yan Huaian said: "Later, I found a person and gained a fortune based on my benefactor's token."
"With that wealth, the business grew bigger and bigger."
"Over the years, I have been secretly inquiring about the tribe that was exterminated back then."
"Finally, in recent years, based on some clues I found, I found the descendants of the tribe where my benefactor lived."
"It turns out that their tribe was not completely wiped out in that killing. There was still one tribe left."
"That branch was later absorbed by the Tuoba clan of Daliao and grew stronger, becoming a new force under the Tuoba clan."
"After many twists and turns, I finally contacted the descendants of that tribe and told them about my benefactor."
"It turns out that after so many years of recuperation, they have gradually grown stronger."
"Now, the tribe is leaderless and urgently needs to find the token left by the previous patriarch that represents the identity of the tribe leader."
"And that token was brought to the south by the benefactor and hidden in Mianniu Mountain behind this village." Yan Huaian said.
After hearing all this, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang exchanged glances, and both of them were stunned.
"Uncle Yan, you came here to tell me this today because you wanted me to help you find that thing, right?" she asked.
Yan Huaian nodded: "Miss Yang is really smart and knows everything. I have thought about it in vain, so I plan to entrust you with this important task."
Yang Ruoqing smiled modestly: "I'm just a little girl, I don't have much ability, and Uncle Yan is looking down on me."
"Uncle Yan, where is that thing hidden? When do you want it?" she asked again.
Yan Huaian thought for a moment: "The sooner, the better."
"I plan to leave back to the north after celebrating the sixth day of the first lunar month."
"So urgent? Why don't you stay a few more days? We are watching the lanterns during the Lantern Festival!" Yang Ruoqing asked.
Yan Huaian said: "I have to go back before the heavy snow closes the mountain. Otherwise, the mountain road to the north will be blocked. If I wait, it will not be until the end of February."
Yang Ruoqing nodded and glanced at Luo Fengtang.
"How about we go into the mountains to look for it tomorrow?" she asked.
Luo Fengtang said: "You have the final say, and I can do it."
Yang Ruoqing nodded and returned her gaze to Yan Huai'an: "Mianniu Mountain is so big. If you want to find something, you will definitely be looking for a needle in a haystack. Where is that thing hidden? Do you have any clues?"
Yan Huai comforted his beard and made a gesture of recalling.
"My benefactor told me that she hid that thing in a mountain like a mirror..."
A mountain like a mirror?
Yang Ruoqing looked at Luo Fengtang again.
Luo Fengtang frowned slightly, a flash of thought flashed across his eyes.
After a moment, he said: "I am familiar with the terrain in this mountain. I know there is a place where the terrain is dangerous and the cliffs are really like a mirror!"
Yang Ruoqing's eyes lit up, "Okay, Tang Yazi, we'll leave early tomorrow morning."
Luo Fengtang nodded.
Yan Huaian felt grateful and apologetic at the same time, and said to the two of them: "Tomorrow is the New Year's Eve, and we have to let you go into the mountain..."
"Old man Yan, you must not say that." Yang Ruoqing said.
"You came here and brought us such a big leader of the Yang family."
"We should help you find things."
"What's more, this thing also involves my great-grandmother..." she said.
Yan Huaian nodded and looked at Yang Ruoqing, feeling a little more pleased with her appreciation.
In the past few days, he had observed all the descendants of the Yang family, both openly and secretly.
He found that only Miss Yang in front of him could accept his entrustment.
She looks young but has a calm mood.
When I told her about her ancestors just now, she didn't show much shock or panic.
He is calm and composed, and he looks like he has seen wind and waves.
"Old man, I happen to be confused about something here, and I want to ask you for advice."
Yang Ruoqing's voice brought Yan Huaian back from his thoughts.
"What's the matter? Miss Yang, please tell me," he said.
Yang Ruoqing asked: "Why do you tell me only about my great-grandmother's family tribe?"
"My grandfather and uncle are all descendants of my great-grandmother, and they are all men."
"Isn't it good for us to go into the mountains to find that important thing without telling them..." she asked.
Yan Huaian smiled when he heard this.
He raised his hand to stop Yang Ruoqing from asking, and said in deep thought: "This matter is of great importance because it involves the revitalization of your ancestral tribe."
"There are many people talking, and I'm worried that if they find out, it won't be appropriate if the news gets out."
Yan Huaian analyzed.
"Besides, this is a matter for the foreign tribes in the north after all."
"Decades ago, your great-grandmother came to this area of Mianniu Mountain and has lived and multiplied here."
"If the Da Qi court finds out that your Yang family is involved with the foreign tribes in the north, it will inevitably cause unnecessary trouble for you."
"It's best not to tell you about this right now. I'll leave everything to you."
"When the time is right, you can consider telling them later, okay?" Yan Huaian asked.
Yang Ruoqing thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense.
"Well, I understand. Don't worry, old man Yan, I know what to do," she said.
"That's good!" Yan Huaian breathed a long sigh of relief.
…
Early the next morning, Luo Fengtang came to Yang Ruoqing's house to wait for her.
The next night, Yang Ruoqing told Yang Huazhong and Sun Shina that they were going to the mountain today, but they just used a different cover.
When she saw Luo Fengtang coming over in the morning, Mrs. Sun couldn't help but tell them: "Go early and come back early. You must be in time for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
