From an abandoned girl to a wealthy lady

Chapter 133 The Path of Inheritance: First Discovery of Family Secrets

Warm fingers gently stroked the thick cover of the family tree. The ancient leather bore traces of time, and a heavy sense of history oppressed her.

The library was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The towering bookshelves seemed like invisible walls, imprisoning her in this ocean of knowledge.

She took a deep breath, trying to dispel the uneasiness in her heart, but found that Uncle Mo was standing at the door at some point. He had his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and cold, as if he was examining a stranger who had entered a forbidden area.

Wen Nuan felt suffocated. She knew that her position in this family was far more unstable than she had imagined.

"Family inheritance is no joke." Uncle Mo's voice was low and majestic, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting the warm heart.

"If you marry Mo Han, you will have to shoulder the responsibilities of the Mo family. This is not just about taking care of your husband and children." His sharp eyes swept across Wen Nuan's face, with a hint of undisguised suspicion.

"I hope you won't let us down."

Just when Wen Nuan was almost overwhelmed by this powerful aura, a gentle voice came from behind the bookshelf: "Uncle, don't scare the young lady." An old scholar with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses came out. He looked at Wen Nuan kindly, his eyes full of encouragement.

"I'm Scholar Sun, specializing in the Mo family culture. I'm happy to explain it to you."

Scholar Sun led Wen Nuan to an antique desk, on which lay a yellowed thread-bound book.

"The Mo family's heritage lies in 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness'. These five words have run through hundreds of years of our family's history..." He spoke slowly, explaining the complex family culture to Wen Nuan in simple and easy-to-understand language.

Wen Nuan listened attentively, and she was surprised to find that behind these seemingly boring words, there was profound wisdom and background.

She was like a dry sponge, greedily absorbing the sweet rain of knowledge.

Time passed by unknowingly, Wen Nuan gradually grasped some key concepts, and her eyes gradually brightened, filled with confidence.

"The young lady is really smart and quick-witted. She understands things very quickly." Scholar Sun looked at Wen Nuan with admiration. "It seems that the future of the Mo family is full of hope." He closed the book and looked at Uncle Mo meaningfully.

Uncle Mo's expression remained serious. He slowly walked to the desk, picked up a thick family tree, turned to a page, pointed to the complicated diagram on it, and said, "Since you have already understood the basic knowledge, then..." He paused, a barely perceptible sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Let me explain the meaning of this record." Wen Nuan looked at the record that Uncle Mo was pointing to. The complicated diagram and obscure text made her scalp tingle.

She tried hard to recall what Scholar Sun had just explained, but found that these knowledge points were like scattered pearls that could not be strung into a complete necklace.

Uncle Mo's mouth curled up into an imperceptible sneer, with a hint of contempt in his eyes, as if he had foreseen Wen Nuan's embarrassment.

"This record tells the story of the Mo family's ancestor who turned the tide during a business crisis." Wen Nuan's voice trembled slightly, but she tried to remain calm. "The ancestor applied the 'faith' of 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness' to ultimately win the trust of his partners and resolve the crisis."

"Is it just the word 'faith'?" Uncle Mo raised his eyebrows, with a hint of doubt in his tone, "Are you sure there is no other deeper meaning?" His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he wanted to see through the warm heart.

Fine beads of sweat oozed from her warm forehead, and she felt her breathing become rapid.

She racked her brains, trying to find a more reasonable explanation, but found that her understanding of history was too superficial.

Just when she was about to give up, a familiar, refreshing fragrance wafted into her nose.

She turned her head and saw Mo Han leaning against the door of the library, holding her favorite matcha cake in her hand.

"Take a rest." Mo Han gently handed the cake to Wen Nuan, his eyes full of encouragement and support.

Wen Nuan took the cake and a warm feeling surged in her heart. Mo Han's appearance gave her great courage.

"Uncle, you should try it too. The matcha cake here is the best in the city." Mo Han said to Uncle Mo with a smile. His tone was relaxed and casual, but it cleverly dissolved the tense atmosphere.

Uncle Mo snorted coldly and didn't respond, but the hostility in his eyes had obviously weakened a bit.

Wen Nuan took a deep breath and looked at the record again. Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and noticed a detail that she had previously overlooked.

"In addition to 'faith', this record also hides the embodiment of 'wisdom'..." She pointed to an inconspicuous symbol on the map and said slowly, "This symbol represents..."

"Wait," Scholar Sun suddenly spoke, with a strange light flashing in his eyes, "Madam, you are right, but..." He took out a silk-wrapped manuscript from the depths of the bookshelf and slowly unfolded it, "Perhaps this manuscript can help you understand this history more deeply..." Scholar Sun carefully unfolded the silk, revealing a yellowed manuscript with mottled ink, but faintly exuding a solemn atmosphere.

This is not ordinary paper. It has a strange and warm touch, like the leather of some animal, delicate and flexible.

It is densely covered with ancient characters and symbols, like a heavenly book, which is difficult to understand.

"What is this...?" Wen Nuan looked at Scholar Sun in confusion.

"This is the secret key to the Mo family's inheritance." Scholar Sun's voice was tinged with excitement, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. "It records the key to the family's rise and fall. Only those who truly understand it can inherit the Mo family's legacy."

Her warm gaze fell on the manuscript again, and she began to carefully observe every symbol and every word.

She discovered that these symbols were not random, but were arranged in a specific order, as if they contained some kind of hidden code.

Time passed by minute by minute, and the library was silent, with only the rustling sound of warm pages turning.

Mo Han stood quietly by, his eyes full of encouragement and expectation.

Uncle Mo stood with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, as if he didn't have much hope that Wen Nuan could solve the mystery.

Suddenly, a light flashed in Wen Nuan's eyes. She pointed to an inconspicuous symbol on the manuscript and said firmly, "I know! This symbol doesn't represent 'business', but 'human heart'!"

Scholar Sun suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise and admiration. "Young Madam is truly brilliant! This symbol truly represents the human heart. It symbolizes the Mo family ancestor's ability to see into people's hearts. This is the key to his ability to turn the tide!"

A confident smile appeared on Wen Nuan's face. She continued, "And the arrangement and combination of this symbol with other symbols hints at a deeper secret..." Her fingers moved along the trajectory of the symbols, finally stopping at the center of the manuscript. "Here is the real key!"

She took a deep breath and slowly pronounced a word: "Seal of inheritance!"

Scholar Sun stood up excitedly, his voice trembling slightly, "That's right! It's the Seal of Inheritance! Only with it can I truly control everything in the Mo family!"

He looked at Wen Nuan with eyes full of admiration, as if he saw hope for the Mo family's future.

Uncle Mo stared at Wen Nuan closely, a complicated light flashing in his eyes...

He spoke slowly, "So, do you know where this 'Seal of Inheritance' is?"

Uncle Mo's expression was still serious, like ice that had not melted for a thousand years, but the corners of his tense mouth relaxed slightly, and the edge of suspicion in his hawk-like eyes also subsided a little.

He looked at Wen Nuan with a complicated expression, as if he was re-evaluating the young woman in front of him.

"You're right," he said in a deep voice, his tone less sharp than before. "The Seal of Inheritance is indeed the most important secret of the Mo family." He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present before finally returning to Wen Nuan. "But simply knowing of its existence is far from enough."

Her warm heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and she knew that this was just the beginning.

Uncle Mo’s recognition is not the end, but the beginning of a more difficult test.

She took a deep breath and met Uncle Mo's gaze with determination, without any retreat.

Scholar Sun's excitement gradually subsided. He looked at Wen Nuan with his eyes full of expectation and encouragement.

"Madam, you have taken the first step. Next, there are more important tasks waiting for you." He took out a sheepskin map from the manuscript. There were complicated patterns and symbols drawn on it, like a maze.

“This is the roadmap to the Seal of Heritage, but it is not smooth sailing and is full of challenges and tests.”

Wen Nuan took the map and looked at it carefully. She could feel the ancient breath coming from the sheepskin, as if it transcended time and space and connected to the long history of the Mo family.

The route on the map was complicated and full of unknown dangers, but she did not feel afraid. Instead, she felt full of challenge (excitement).

Just then, Secretary Li hurried in, holding a document in his hand and looking serious.

"Master, Eldest Master, Young Madam, the family elders have decided to initiate the inheritance ceremony." His gaze fell on Wen Nuan, and his tone was solemn, "Young Madam, you need to complete all the tests within three days to be recognized as the Seal of Inheritance."

three days?

Wen Nuan's heart tightened. She knew that this was an almost impossible task.

The test of the inheritance ceremony is extremely rigorous. Even the direct descendants of the Mo family need years of preparation to pass it successfully.

And for her, an outsider who had just stepped into the Mo family, how could it be easy to complete all the tests in such a short time?

Mo Han walked to Wen Nuan, gently held her hand, and gave her silent support.

His eyes were firm and gentle, as if telling her: no matter what happened, he would be by her side.

Wen Nuan took a deep breath, held the map tightly in her hands, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.

She knew it was a tough battle, but she would never back down.

"I'm ready." She said in a firm and resounding tone.

Secretary Li nodded slightly, then turned and walked into the depths of the library, pushing open a heavy wooden door, revealing a passage leading to darkness.

"Please follow me." His voice was low and mysterious, as if leading to another world.

Wen Nuan glanced at Mo Han, then followed resolutely...

What is hidden at the end of the passage?

"Wait," Uncle Mo suddenly spoke, his voice low and majestic, "Before we start, there is one more thing..." He took out an ancient jade pendant from his arms and handed it to Wen Nuan, "Take this."

Wen Nuan took the jade pendant. It was cool to the touch, but the jade was warm and smooth. There was a complex symbol engraved on it, which was exactly the same as a symbol on the map.

"This is……"

"This is the key to unlocking the door to inheritance." Uncle Mo's eyes were deep and unfathomable. "Without it, you wouldn't even be able to find the entrance." He paused, his tone profound, "Remember, the path to inheritance is fraught with danger. The slightest misstep could lead to eternal damnation..."