Military husband hasn't returned home for two years? He reads his daughter's heartfelt wor

Chapter 160 Luban Lock

When Li Wanqing saw Cheng Baichuan walk out of the courtyard looking dejected, she immediately hurried to meet him.

"How did it go? Did he say anything?" Her eyes were full of concern and expectation.

Cheng Chi and the others also gathered around, their eyes fixed on Cheng Baichuan, waiting for his answer.

Cheng Baichuan shook his head, his expression somber, and slowly took out an antique-looking box from his pocket.

The box's surface gleamed with the patina of time, every inch revealing the weight of history and the marks of years gone by.

"They didn't say anything useful, but they gave me this." His voice was slightly hoarse, as if a boulder was stuck in his throat, making it difficult to express his inner feelings.

After calming himself down, Cheng Baichuan handed the cube to Cheng Chi, saying, "He said Xiao Qiu gave it to him."

Cheng Chi took the box, and when he saw the cube inside, his fingers trembled slightly. "This...this is your mother's stuff."

He stroked the intricate patterns on the square, as if every inch of it was imprinted with the image of his beloved.

"After more than 20 years, I never thought I would see it again." His voice was low and hoarse, as if every word carried heavy emotions.

His eyes held both surprise and sadness, as if at this moment he had returned to the beautiful time he spent with his lover.

Li Wanqing and Cheng Baichuan both looked puzzled. "What is this?"

Cao Xuefeng stepped forward, his eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia and emotion. "This is a Luban lock."

He explained, "Shuzhen has loved these strange and unusual things since she was a child, and she has a habit of hiding important things in them."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Cheng Chi's eyes. "Shuzhen must have hidden something inside."

He gripped the box tightly, as if afraid it would suddenly disappear.

Li Wanqing and Cheng Baichuan were even more puzzled. They couldn't understand why this seemingly ordinary Luban lock would excite Cheng Chi so much.

"Can you untie it?" Cheng Baichuan asked.

Cheng Chi and Cao Xuefeng both shook their heads, their faces showing helplessness.

"No."

Cheng Chi sighed, "Shuzhen has always liked to study these things, but neither Lao Cao nor I can figure it out."

So whenever Shuzhen got angry, she liked to punish us with these things.

Seeing us scratching our heads in frustration, even the biggest anger would dissipate.

At this point, Cheng Chi gave a wry smile.

He seemed to see the lively, lovely, and mischievous Shuzhen standing in front of him, holding a Luban lock in her hand, smiling so brightly and happily.

However, all of this has become the past, leaving only endless longing and regret.

The atmosphere suddenly became unusually heavy, and even the occasional breeze seemed to carry a hint of sorrow.

Sadness, like an invisible mist, silently lingers in everyone's heart, refusing to dissipate.

“Your mother must be angry with me,” Cheng Chi’s voice was choked with barely concealed sobs.

His eyes were empty and lost, as if he were trapped in deep self-blame. "I failed to protect you and your child. This Luban lock is the only clue she left us, but I am powerless to unlock it."

Li Wanqing looked at the Luban lock in Cheng Chi's hand with curiosity. She hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but speak up.

"How about I try?"

As soon as she said that, everyone's eyes turned to her.

Li Wanqing clenched her fists nervously, then chuckled, trying to ease the tension.

"I'm just trying it out; I don't know if it will open."

She played with these things a lot when she was a child, but she hasn't touched them since she grew up.

She wasn't sure if it could still be opened.

Cheng Baichuan and the others had doubts, but Meng Renjie seemed particularly pleased. "Let her give it a try. Her mother comes from a family of mechanics, and this is what she is most proficient in."

He turned to look at Cheng Chi, his eyes filled with pride, "Although Wanqing hasn't studied it, she has inherited some talent in this area."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chi seemed to see a glimmer of hope and quickly handed the iron block to Li Wanqing, saying, "Try it first. Don't feel pressured if you can't succeed."

Li Wanqing looked up at everyone and felt an invisible pressure rising in her heart.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

It's open, everyone's happy.

If I can't open it, I feel like I'm letting them down.

Cheng Baichuan gave her an encouraging look, "Give it a try."

His voice was gentle yet firm, as if infusing Li Wanqing with an invisible strength.

Li Wanqing took the cube, examined it carefully, and then tried to find the key position.

However, this iron block appears to be a single, seamless piece.

It is evident that the person who made this item possessed extremely exquisite craftsmanship.

"Commander, Auntie..." Li Wanqing was about to ask who made this thing, but before she could open her mouth, Meng Renjie gently tapped her on the head.

"We're all family, why are you calling me 'Commander' and 'Auntie' all the time?"

Meng Renjie looked at Cheng Chi with a smile, his tone slightly teasing, "Old Cheng, in-law, wouldn't you agree?"

Li Wanqing was somewhat amused and exasperated by this sudden action, and muttered to herself:

This uncle's ability to claim kinship is truly remarkable!

Cheng Chi was naturally overjoyed, his face beaming with undisguised happiness, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, my uncle is right."

He had been waiting for a long time to have Cheng Baichuan call him "Dad".

Unfortunately, that guy is incredibly stubborn; it seems we'll have to wait a while before he calls us "Dad."

But it doesn't matter that his son is stubborn, he still has a good daughter-in-law.

He was just as happy when his daughter-in-law called him "Dad".

Meng Renjie had already paved the way, so Li Wanqing naturally followed suit and immediately changed her address.

Cheng Chi was overjoyed when he heard him call out "Dad," and he almost burst into tears.

This drew a disdainful look from Cao Xuefeng, who said, "Look at your pathetic self!"

"Dad, where did Mom get this Luban lock from?" Li Wanqing continued to ask.

Cheng Chi thought for a moment and said, "I'm not too sure about the specifics. Shuzhen said it was a gift from a friend."

At this point, a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, "But I don't think I've ever met that friend, and that friend has never come to my door."

Cao Xuefeng nodded in agreement, "That was when they had just started dating. Old Cheng thought it was a gift from some man who admired Shuzhen, and he was jealous for a long time."

Being publicly criticized by a friend, especially in front of a younger person, made Cheng Chi somewhat embarrassed.

He coughed twice, trying to hide his discomfort. "And you're talking about me? You're the same way!"

As the two old friends were playfully undermining each other, a "click" was heard, and the Luban lock in Li Wanqing's hand opened.