Two treasure maps

Guojiazhuang, hidden by the mountains, is like a quiet and solemn painting. Surrounded by mountains and lush greenery, the atmosphere of the manor is solemn and depressing. The architectural style here is simple and solemn, with blue tiles, white walls, and flying eaves and corners, showing the majesty and dignity of the Guo family. The manor is surrounded by silence and mystery, as if it is isolated from the world, and only this family enjoys the tranquility of the mountains and forests.

When Guo Lin and his family first arrived here, this place was still a paradise for immortal cultivators. Immortal cultivators were devoted to the pursuit of heavenly ways and did not value worldly things, so they often just built sheds between or under trees as a place to rest, and did not build fixed houses. After all, each family had its own cultivation resources and equipment, and they only stayed here for a short time to practice and explore, so they did not need to be too particular about living conditions.

Guo Lin's family followed the local customs and did not have too many requirements for a place to settle down. They lived on this land with the immortal cultivators, feeling the aura and mystery of this land. However, as time went by, the secret realm in the Red Dragon Pond gradually closed, and the aura began to dissipate. The immortal cultivators left this place one after another to explore new places for cultivation. This place gradually became deserted and no longer prosperous as before.

When Guo Lin and his family were building their house, they faced the problem of finding craftsmen. As they had just arrived and were unfamiliar with the local conditions, and they had limited money, it was difficult for them to directly hire enough craftsmen.

Madam Zhao Ying cleverly used her experience with the immortal cultivator to spread rumors that she had a silver doll given by the immortal cultivator, which was a divine object between heaven and earth. If one ear was cut off, a new ear would grow. Therefore, she had endless money. She also said that only those who were sincere and respectful of the immortals could see the silver doll, otherwise they would miss it even if it was placed in front of them.

The news spread quickly and aroused great interest among people. People from nearby came to see what was going on, wanting to see this magical silver doll with their own eyes.

These people originally came just out of curiosity, but after learning that Guo Lin's family needed to build a house, they saw an opportunity.

So, they all expressed their willingness to help Guo Lin's family build a house. They felt that it was a great honor to be able to participate in such a magical family.

With the concerted efforts of everyone, Guo Lin's house was quickly built, and the countryside was filled with an atmosphere of harmony and mutual assistance. Neighbors shared what they had, lived in harmony, and lived together on this land, enjoying peace and tranquility.

Until one day three years ago, all this peace was broken. Guo Yun came to this land with strong financial resources and an indomitable momentum. He spent a huge amount of money to build a solemn and majestic Guojiazhuang, whose grandeur and magnificence were breathtaking. With the rise of Guojiazhuang, magical powers gradually emerged. It turned out that Guo Yun had the help of a demon cultivator.

The existence of these demon cultivators rapidly expanded the influence of Guojiazhuang in the surrounding areas. People nearby were gradually enveloped by the power of Guojiazhuang, and many even became tenants of Guojiazhuang, working for the Guo family. As time went by, the once bustling countryside became deserted, with only Guojiazhuang left standing alone on this land.

The entire Guojiazhuang is like a small society with strict hierarchy, where everyone performs their duties conscientiously in their given positions and dares not make the slightest mistake. Here, every detail may hide unknown secrets, making the entire manor full of mystery and weirdness.

Guo Xiu stood outside the manor, looking at the majestic Guojiazhuang, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He never thought that after leaving the prosperous capital, the former Mu Enbo Guo Yun could still establish such a strict class power here. No wonder Chang Tianlong didn't find out who the girl of heaven punishment was for three years.

As a man, Chang Tianlong naturally couldn't go deep into a woman's backyard to investigate. Although the fox demon was in the backyard, it was restricted by the unwritten rule of the fox fairy - "no request, no response", and it couldn't interfere in human affairs at will. What's more, the fox demon was hiding in the yard of the eldest son Guo Yong, and knew nothing about the situation of the legitimate son Guo Lin.

Guo Xiu took a deep breath. He knew that if he wanted to solve this mystery, he had to be more cautious. He couldn't rely on the power of Chang Tianlong and the fox demon alone. He also needed to find more clues and helpers. Only in this way could he gradually get closer to the truth and uncover the secrets behind Guojiazhuang.

It was almost evening when Guo Lingli quietly slipped in through the back door of the manor. She was uneasy, but also had a sense of inexplicable urgency. The manor was completely silent, with only the rustling sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves, as if telling something.

Guo Lingli's two maids, Hongtao and Huangtao, had been waiting there anxiously. Hongtao was older, about ten years old. She was holding a small cape in her hand. When she saw Guo Lingli, she hurried over and put the cape on her shoulders, her eyes full of worry. Huangtao was only one year older than the young lady. She was about eight years old. Although she was young, she understood the seriousness of the matter. She followed Hongtao's steps and whispered, "Miss San, you are finally back. Something happened."

When Guo Lingli heard Huang Tao's words, her heart tightened and she asked hurriedly, "What happened?" Hong Tao answered as they walked, "The second young master somehow gave the family tree to the fifth young master. When the old master found out about this, he was furious and scolded the old master. The old master was so angry that he beat the second young master again and is now making him kneel in the ancestral hall."

Guo Lingli walked into the ancestral hall quickly, and saw that it was brightly lit. The elders and brothers and sisters in the family gathered here, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn. The maids stayed outside according to the rules and did not dare to enter. She saw her second brother Guo Feipeng kneeling on the ground at a glance. His posture was still straight. Facing the angry old man, he was not afraid at all, and his eyes were firm.

Guo Feipeng asked calmly, "We are both legitimate sons, so why can we worship him but Third Uncle's family can't? What's wrong with me passing the family tree to your youngest grandson? When we were kicked out of the family, why don't I remember there was any family tree at home? Since this family tree was written by my grandfather himself, what's wrong with it being passed down by my grandfather's favorite son, Third Uncle's son, Fifth Young Master Guo Feigu?"

Guo Lingli looked at her elder sister Guo Liuli and third brother Guo Feimo who were kneeling beside her, and saw that they were also in agreement with her second brother, and it was obvious that they had discussed it before. The elder sister and third brother were both injured, some lightly and some seriously, but their eyes were equally firm, and they did not flinch at all.

Guo Lingli did know something about the ins and outs of this matter. During the Chinese New Year in the past two years, the family tradition was to place the family tree in the ancestral hall and set up an offering table to express respect and remembrance for the ancestors. This was an important ceremony. For family members, it was not just a formality, but also a maintenance of family history and tradition.

Every time at this time, my father and mother would prepare offerings with my brothers and sisters. They carefully selected various foods and supplies, hoping to express their respect for the ancestors. However, every time they prepared a lot of offerings, they often exceeded the actual amount needed, which eventually led to food waste.

My parents are very frugal people. They know that every bit of food is hard-earned, so they don't want to see such waste. They have suggested many times that the excess offerings can be distributed to my eldest uncle's family and my third uncle's family, which can not only reduce waste, but also reflect the unity and affection of the family.

However, to their disappointment, the eldest uncle's family and the third uncle's family did not even come to burn incense. They seemed to care little about the family's rituals and traditions, and were even less willing to participate in them. This made Guo Lingli and her family very dissatisfied and confused.

Only in the first year did the grandfather bring Guo Feigu and Guo Fengli to burn incense and pay respect to the ancestors. But after that, they never stepped into the ancestral hall again. Despite this, they demanded that the family must prepare the offerings of the other two families. This unreasonable request made Guo Feipeng, the eldest son, feel that it was too much.

In his opinion, if the family traditions and rituals are very important, then everyone should bear them together. If they are not important, then just cancel them. It does not make sense for them to bear everything. On the surface, this is Guojiazhuang, and it is centered around his father Guo Lin. In fact, the person who really holds power has never been his father.

Since the eldest uncle's family and the third uncle's family are unwilling to participate in the ceremony, unwilling to accept offerings, and also require the family to prepare shares for them, then we should invite our ancestors to their homes and let them come to see whether their behavior is reasonable and fair.