I am a winner with Chinese poetry

"Could this be the cultural treasure? Such a precious thing, where did you get it?" Qin stared at the jade pendant that Gu Yunzhou handed to her in astonishment. She had spent half her life only hearing of this thing but had never seen its true appearance. Seeing it today, she couldn't help but marvel at it.

Gu Yunzhou briefly recounted the events and pushed the banknote toward Qin again. "Five thousand taels! Yun'er, I'm not dreaming!" Compared to her surprise at seeing the jade pendant, Qin was now more filled with joy and delight, a hint of disbelief on her face.

She counted the banknotes over and over again, until finally she sighed with tears in her eyes, "Alas, your father is such an unlucky man. If he could live to this day and see how successful you are, he would definitely be overjoyed!"

As an ordinary woman with no trace of literary grace, Qin Shi was clearly more reassured by the banknotes than by the literary treasures that so many scholars coveted. Her hand, tightly gripping the banknotes, trembled slightly, and Gu Yunzhou knew she must be thinking of the original owner's father.

The original owner's father was also an ordinary person, but he had studied for a few years. Although his parents died early, he was very hardworking and motivated. Later, he worked as an accountant in a store under the name of the Gu family. His life was pretty good, but unfortunately, the good times did not last long. He unfortunately passed away in an accident, leaving an orphan and a widow to depend on each other.

"Mom, when you feel better, let's go burn incense and worship Dad. I believe our family's life will get better and better in the future!" Gu Yunzhou softly comforted Qin.

Qin forced a smile and said nothing more, seemingly lost in memories of the past. For a moment, the entire courtyard fell silent, broken only by the occasional chirping of unknown birds.

The two sat facing each other in silence for a long time. Just as Gu Yunzhou was about to persuade Qin to go back to the house to rest, he suddenly smelled a strong smell of kerosene and heard two deliberately subdued voices:

"Hurry up! Pour it on!"

"Oh, I see……"

Gu Yunzhou's heart tightened, and he instantly became alert. The smell and sound made him feel that something was wrong, and his intuition told him that danger might be approaching.

The smell of kerosene gradually became stronger, which was very unusual. Qin obviously noticed it. She frowned slightly and was about to speak, but was stopped by Gu Yunzhou with a gesture. He shook his head at Qin and pointed at his mouth. Qin reacted, nodded, and covered her mouth with her hand.

Seeing this, Gu Yunzhou tiptoed to the corner, and the sound became clearer.

"Brother Laifu, do we really have to do this? Those are two lives!" The man spoke with obvious nervousness in his voice, and his voice was so tense that it trembled slightly.

"Humph, you really have good intentions! But let me tell you, if the Second Young Master finds out that we didn't do what he asked, we'll both be finished! Think about it carefully!"

The other voice sounded cold and heartless. Hearing this, Gu Yunzhou's heart sank. He realized this person was none other than Lai Fu, the servant who had accompanied Gu Tianhua that day. A surge of anger and an unprecedented chill welled up in his heart.

"But I dare not, Brother Lai Fu!" The initial voice was still hesitant, and the fear and struggle in the tone seemed to be about to overflow. Even through a wall, Gu Yunzhou could feel it clearly.

"If you don't dare, then fine. You can go in now and accompany the mother and son of the Gu family. I will burn more paper money for you this evening next year!" Lai Fu seemed a little impatient. His voice was slightly raised and he sounded very angry.

"No, no need, Brother Lai Fu, I'll do as you say!" Finally, the voice gave in. Lai Fu hummed with satisfaction and then asked, "Are the front and back yards ready? Is there anything left out?"

"Brother Laifu, don't worry. I've poured kerosene in the front and back yards, and also stuffed them with a lot of straw. This way, once the fire starts, it won't go out for a while!"

Lai Fu's voice was tinged with ruthlessness: "Be quick and decisive. Remember to get some kerosene torches and throw them into the yard. Oh, and remember to lock the gate from the outside. Make sure no one gets out!"

This statement chilled Gu Yunzhou's heart. It turned out that Gu Tianhua had actually intended to burn them, mother and son, to death in this small courtyard. If it weren't for all the coincidences today, he and Qin Shi wouldn't have rested yet. By the time they discovered the fire, they would have been left with nowhere to escape. Furthermore, the other party had clearly come prepared, having poured a large amount of kerosene to help fuel the flames, ensuring they couldn't escape.

At that moment, a blazing fire began to blaze outside, followed by a barrage of torches being thrown into the courtyard. Without time to think, Gu Yunzhou rushed over to help Qin up and quickly ran towards the gate. However, when they reached the door, they found that it was locked from the outside, just as Lai Fu had said. No matter how hard Gu Yunzhou shook it, he couldn't open it. The fire was growing larger and larger, and thick smoke was billowing. The situation was extremely critical.

"Go under the jujube tree. There's a ladder there. Yesterday I was planning to pick them while they were ripe!" At the critical moment, Qin broke free from Gu Yunzhou's support and rushed towards the tree. A fire had already been lit in the yard, fueled by kerosene, burning rapidly. A torch had landed next to the firewood pile, and the raging night wind blew, mixing with smoke and gradually spreading throughout the courtyard.

Gu Yunzhou covered his nose, squinted his eyes, endured the pungent smoke and flames, quickly moved the ladder from under the jujube tree, then looked at the right direction and set it on the courtyard wall in the corner of the kitchen. It was relatively remote and close to the backyard, so the fire had not yet spread there, but with such a big fire, it was only a matter of time before it spread.

"Ahem, Mom, hurry up and go up, I'll hold the ladder for you!" Gu Yunzhou felt the smoke and flames growing thicker and thicker around him, and hurriedly urged Qin to climb the ladder.

"Brother Yun, mother will hold the ladder, you go up first!" Qin shook her head and pushed Gu Yunzhou's back, signaling him to go up quickly.

"Mom, don't worry about it. Now is not the time to argue! I will find a way to get out. You go up first! The fire is about to burn over here." Gu Yunzhou moved Qin's hand that was holding the ladder away, and said loudly while coughing. He looked at Qin firmly, unmoved at all.

Qin looked at the approaching flames, feeling anxious and sad. She looked at Gu Yunzhou's determined eyes and knew that her son was afraid that something might happen to her. If they delayed any longer, neither of them would be able to leave. So she gritted her teeth and climbed up the ladder quickly.