Xie Xinlian blinked in surprise. "When did you do this? How did we not know?"
Yan Aohan looked at Zhu Yanyi, his eyes full of tenderness. "Ani and I are destined by heaven." He held out his left wrist. Zhu Yanyi smiled, understanding, and placed her right hand on him. A purple-gold red string appeared between their wrists, glowing with a light that felt awe-inspiring.
"What is that on your wrists?" Zhu Shunyo asked curiously. He had seen nothing on their wrists before. "A safety cord?"
"No," Zhu Yanyi answered with a smile. "It is the Purple-Gold Red String, also called the Marriage String. It is the only one of its kind in the world. It shows that my marriage to Aohan is destined by heaven."
"What does it do? Does it tie people together?" Since seeing his daughter become the Medical Buddha, Zhu Shunyo believed in such magical things.
"The Marriage String is a husband-and-wife string," Yan Aohan said lightly. "Usually, the Red Phoenix Venerable, or Yue Lao, ties red strings. But the Purple-Gold Red String is tied by heaven and earth. There is only one in the world. Once tied, you are husband and wife for all eternity."
Zhu Shunyo and the others looked shocked. Zhu Shunyo’s mouth dropped open. "So, you are not just my daughter’s husband in this life, but in every life to come?"
"Shunyo, what are you saying?" Xie Xinlian looked at her husband helplessly. "You should say they are husband and wife in this life, and in every life to come."
"My daughter is good. He belongs to my daughter. I didn’t say anything wrong." The father who loved his daughter always favored her.
Yan Aohan was not angry. "Exactly. Uncle is right. Not just in this life, but in every life, I belong to Ani."
Zhu Shunyo nodded, satisfied. "Actually, you didn’t need to show us the string. Why did you show it to us?"
Yan Aohan said, "Since I knew Ani was my partner for all eternity, the only thing I could do was protect everything Ani loves."
She looked serious. "From the moment I chose Ani, I knew she cared most about her family. So, the only way I could help her was to ensure no one threatened her family. To be honest, Uncle, before I met Ani, I disliked useless work. But since knowing her, I do everything willingly."
If Yan Aohan had said he wanted to be filial to Zhu Shunyo, Zhu Shunyo might not have believed him. But hearing this, he did. Only by loving someone’s house and their crow could one value everything about them.
"The treasure of Censor Xie is useless to Ani and me. But for the Xie family now, it is a very important wealth. Even if the Xie family’s life has improved, having the ancestors’ legacy might help them restore their former glory."
Yan Aohan spoke softly. "I checked some records. I know the Xie family was once very prosperous. Their current state is half due to history, and half because the descendants were not capable. Fortunately, in this generation, although many are mediocre, the main line is only your grandfather’s branch. So, giving it to your grandfather is normal."
"As long as your grandfather wants this treasure, I can ensure no one discovers that the Xie family has it."
"Who said the main line is only your grandfather?" Xie Xinlian glanced at Yan Aohan. "Your grandfather has a younger brother in Shanghai. For some reasons, they no longer interact. If the Censor Xie’s treasure appears, the Xie family might face a storm."
Yan Aohan smiled lightly. "Auntie, do not worry. With me and Great Uncle Yuanxiang, no one dares to touch your grandfather’s family."
Tai Shu Yuanxiang also laughed. "Yes, Mother, do not worry. With me and Yan Aohan, there will be no problem."
"Fine. I will not interfere in this matter. Little Yan, continue." Xie Xinlian thought she could not control it anyway, so she might as well listen to the story.
Yan Aohan did not hide anything and continued. "The temporary base destroyed externally was set up by Japanese spies. But only a few of us know the real mastermind was Madman. I had people investigate here specifically. By chance, we found the map of Censor Xie’s treasure on a cliff wall."
"I had people copy it. The cliff wall was destroyed, so besides me, no one knows the true location of the treasure."
"I mentioned this to the authorities. They said nothing. Because I said the wealth belonged to the Xie descendants, even if someone in the authorities was tempted, they would not dare to search openly. Now, the Zhu family in Zhu City has received news. They have contacted someone in the capital."
Yan Aohan was not fooled by these twists. He had ignored it because it did not affect him. But now, it seemed those people were idle. Because they were idle, they wanted to interfere in local noble families.
"The Zhu family in Zhu City is an old noble family. They usually kept a low profile. But now, they have produced an Ani." A faint cold smile appeared on Yan Aohan’s lips.
"The Zhu family in Ganxie Village was originally a branch. Producing an Ani might turn them into the main line. This is absolutely unacceptable to the Zhu family in Zhu City. So, they need to prove their status as the main line from elsewhere."
"Wait, wait. What do you mean a branch becomes the main line? What is going on that I do not know?" Zhu Shunyo asked hurriedly.
"Uncle, you may not know. The Zhu family has an unwritten rule. If a branch produces a person who can influence the country, that branch becomes the main line. The Zhu family in Zhu City is the same. This rule was set by the nephew of Zhuge Kongming, who moved to Zhu City first."
"Of course, his original intention was good. He hoped the Zhu descendants would work hard. So, the first representative of the main line was Zhuge Kongming."
Yan Aohan smiled lightly. "Actually, your branch once produced a famous person. He was Zhu Xie. Although he was famous, he was not as great as Kongming. Therefore, your branch could never become the main line."
Yan Aohan rolled the last dough ball into a skin, put down the rolling pin, and joined everyone in making shaomai.