Back to the 60s: The Struggle Career of a Charmed Wife
Chapter 814 - 0814: Receiving Letters and Storing Books 1

Chapter 814: Chapter 0814: Receiving Letters and Storing Books 1

As soon as she’d sent off her items, Feng Qingxue immediately received a letter and parcels from others.

It was from Lou Shaonong and Lin Yufen, sending over some local specialty goods from their hometown and the Capital, the rest were all books—mostly literary classics, with a small portion of primer texts, all thread-bound. Some were engraved editions; others, hand-copied, and they all had been around for years.

While none were sole copies, some could certainly be called treasures, especially after what a cultural catastrophe had wrought.

Feng Qingxue treasured them like jewels and, taking advantage of her son’s deep sleep, stored the books in her space, leaving only two or three primers like the Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames in the outer room.

Counting the time, there was less than a year left until that cultural calamity lasting ten years would commence. Feng Qingxue specifically hinted at Lou Shaonong and Lin Yufen in the letter sent by Cui Shaoyuan to hide their valuables as a precaution.

After all, Feng Qingxue remembered clearly, in the records about Lou Shaonong and Lin Yufen, one entry was all the books and paintings—their priceless cultural treasures—that they had collected, were burnt to ashes right before their eyes, in their own courtyard. They truly went up in flames, with no one taking advantage in chaos, including many unique genuine works.

The letter was addressed to Lin Yufen; being both women, it was easier for them to communicate. Writing to Lou Shaonong would have seemed improper.

After thanking Cui Shaoyuan for delivering the letter, Lin Yufen opened it and, after reading, handed it to Lou Shaonong, "Old Lou, while it’s not obvious, I’ve deciphered Qingxue’s intention, what do you think?"

Feng Qingxue had written in a very cryptic way, merely asking if the books stored in the house were safe considering the dense rainstorms of summer. The next sentence was, "One commonly hears that the sixth day of the sixth month is the Festival for Air-Drying Books; what if a storm hits during that time?"

How keen and intelligent was Lin Yufen; she sharply sensed the implicit meaning.

Lou Shaonong read the letter word by word and after pondering, said, "This Comrade Cui is a high-ranking official we can’t normally get in touch with, his delivering Qingxue’s letter suggests her connections are not to be underestimated. We only interacted with Qingxue and her family for a few days, but she’s not one to offer suggestions without cause. So I think Qingxue might have caught wind of something, warning us in advance. The atmosphere in the Capital has been strange lately, yet I can’t quite put my finger on it."

"Are you suggesting we heed Qingxue’s advice?" Lin Yufen asked.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Lou Shaonong decided with some conviction. "We’ve spent the better part of our lives collecting so many books and paintings, each is a priceless treasure. Just a little damage causes me distress for half a day; if a severe storm were to really soak them through, wouldn’t that be the death of me?"

Lin Yufen nodded, "You’re right. We’re renowned collectors far and wide; the house is vibrant with erudite conversation and we don’t associate with the uncultured, all drawn by our collection of books and paintings. It’s not surprising to be targeted."

The couple thought they were being watched by someone who was relentless in taking their collection for themselves.

"But where could we possibly hide it?" Lin Yufen asked.

Lou Shaonong scratched his head, "Our books and paintings fill up two or three rooms. Hiding them all will definitely raise suspicions, and there’s nowhere to hide them. How about we select the particularly valuable books and paintings, pack them into chests and bury them underground?"

"Aren’t you afraid of dampness and termites?" Lin Yufen gave him a look.

The two of them were meticulous about the care of their books and paintings. Humidity and termites were their biggest threats, and buried underground away from sunlight, they would quickly turn into a pile of worthless paper.

"Then what should we do?"