Chapter 202

Xiao Roubao puffed his cheeks, his big eyes glaring at Gu Zhanwang with great dissatisfaction. “I heard it all, Uncle Four-Eyes. I didn’t even eat your rice, so why are you complaining that I eat too much?”

Gu Zhanwang: “…..”

Oh well, Han Cheng’s kid was someone they couldn’t afford to mess with. Gu Zhanwang indeed had things to attend to in the afternoon, so he left Han Cheng an address and departed. There’s always tomorrow. After all, he came for meals every day. They could gather whenever there’s no rush.

After Gu Zhanwang left, Su Xiaoxiao’s family couldn’t wait to go home and open the “treasure chest.”.

Initially, when they couldn’t find the key, they didn’t feel this nervous. But now, with the key in hand, the whole family gathered around the box, feeling tense.

Han Cheng moved all three suitcases onto the table, took out six small boxes from inside, and arranged them in a row. He then asked Fantuan to double-check if the doors outside were securely closed.

Fantuan thought for a moment and decided to hang the “Closed for the Day” sign he had prepared earlier with “Sold Out” outside the main door. He then made sure every door from the courtyard to the inner room was securely locked before coming back.

Xiao Doubao had also finished checking the windows and returned. The whole family nervously gathered around the table again. Even the usually clueless twins seemed tense.

Unable to contain her excitement, Su Xiaoxiao urged Han Cheng, “Han Cheng, just open it already.”

Han Cheng sighed and opened the “souvenirs” left by his mother. There were six small boxes, but only three keys.

“Why are there only three keys when there are six boxes?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Han Cheng explained, “These aren’t ordinary locks. They’re custom-made, and the keys should be universal. Do you see that each box has three locks? However, the keyholes of these three locks are different.”

After hearing Han Cheng’s explanation, Su Xiaoxiao and the kids examined the boxes. Just as Han Cheng said, each box had the same number of locks and keys, but each key was different.

Han Cheng continued, “If I’m not mistaken, the ancestors of the Han family who hid these boxes under the bridge pillar were three brothers. They had these boxes custom-made. The material is unknown, but they’re very sturdy. Even when the drill accidentally hit them before, there was no damage. Each person should have been entrusted with a key. After locking them, it requires agreement from all three to open them again.”

Su Xiaoxiao sighed again, “Our Han family ancestors were indeed wise.” Su Xiaoxiao compared the keys, “These boxes are also artworks; even the keyholes are carved with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum; it’s easy to distinguish.”

Han Cheng looked at the delicate key in his hand and nodded. “Indeed, plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.”

Handing the key to Su Xiaoxiao, he said, “You open it.”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t hesitate. She took the key, held the plum-shaped one herself, and gave the other two to Fantuan and Xiao Doubao. “Come on, let’s open them together.”

The three inserted their keys into the corresponding keyholes. Su Xiaoxiao counted, “One, two, three.” With a click, the locks opened, and they all removed their locks simultaneously.

Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, counted again, “One, two, three,” and lifted the lid.

Inside the box were shiny golden bars, gleaming with a bright yellow hue. No wonder Chinese people liked gold so much. The Pixiu, representing wealth, liked gold. The joy of a good harvest was also golden. Even Buddha statues liked to be made of gold. The sight of gold evoked indescribable beauty in people’s hearts. ^[1]Pixiu is a Chinese mythical hybrid creature. Pixiu are considered powerful protectors of the souls of the dead, xian, and feng shui practitioners, and resemble strong, winged lions

Xiao Roubao instinctively picked up a gold bar and bit it. “Ouch!” he exclaimed, looking at it, revealing a complete tooth mark.

Su Xiaoxiao said speechlessly, “Xiao Roubao, gold is not edible. Look at this toothmark; it’s real gold and of good quality. Even with good teeth like yours, you couldn’t bite it if it wasn’t real gold.”

Xiao Roubao replied, “Mom, I know gold can’t be eaten. I just wanted to taste what it’s like.”

Fantuan pinched his face and said, “Hey, don’t stuff everything in your mouth. Eating something can cause poisoning and stomachaches.”

Xiao Roubao pouted, “If it tastes good, even a stomachache is worth it.”

The whole family had no choice but to put up with this foodie.

“Han Cheng, with this box of gold, can we buy two big courtyards?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Han Cheng nodded and said, “That’s enough; we can even buy something of the same size as the Han Mansion.”

Now even Han Cheng refers to the old house as the Han Mansion.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, “Then let’s use this box of gold to exchange for two big courtyards first and see how much we have left.”

If all six boxes were filled with gold, wouldn’t they be able to buy four quadrangle courtyards? In the future, having one quadrangle courtyard would already be a sign of wealth. If they had twelve, how many people would envy them?

The most ideal situation for Su Xiaoxiao is to buy three more quadrangle courtyards, one for each of the four cubs in the family. It is best to buy them all near the Han Mansion. In the future, Fantuan will inherit the Han Mansion, and the other cubs will have one for each cub. Han Cheng didn’t want to live in the Han Mansion anymore, so he could pick from four mansions and live in whichever one he pleased.

In fact, Su Xiaoxiao preferred living in a modern high-rise duplex or a large villa with underfloor heating and air conditioning. The infrastructure of the courtyard was inadequate, and even if renovated, it was never as convenient as modern houses.

However, investing solely in real estate wasn’t the best strategy. In an era ripe with opportunities, any industry—be it food, clothing, shelter, or transportation—could yield profits comparable to the appreciation of the courtyard. Moreover, leading a group of relatives and friends to strive together and prosper collectively would not only enrich themselves but also benefit society. That’s when the increase in wealth becomes meaningful.

In Su Xiaoxiao’s mind, the first thing that came to her was her kingdom of food and drink. If one of her kids learned architectural design, they could potentially establish a real estate company in the future. They could also invest in a clothing factory run by Li Yufeng in the Sujia family. If the meat processing plant where his brother worked allowed personal investment, they could invest to expand it. Or, if they had the experience, they could start something new. Even Su Zhenhua’s successful pig farming could be expanded into a breeding farm. All these were excellent choices.

Xiaoxiao’s thoughts wandered as she unpacked and casually constructed a business blueprint that she had not yet fully grasped. She was so happy that she almost burst into laughter.

It wasn’t until her kids exclaimed with awe that she snapped back to reality.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the phoenix crown in the fourth box, her mouth forming an ‘O’ shape.

Han Cheng wasn’t surprised; he had speculated earlier that the lighter boxes from the other bridge pillar wouldn’t contain gold.

The three boxes from one of the bridge pillars should contain this valuable jewelry and such. The gold should only be in these three boxes,” Han Cheng said.

Su Xiaoxiao carefully picked up the exquisitely crafted phoenix crown and examined it. The standard accessories, such as golden phoenixes, rubies, sapphires, and pearls, were naturally exquisite. The key is that each process is exquisitely made and carved. With a gentle movement, the phoenix seemed ready to take flight.

“Han Cheng, this phoenix crown is invaluable, even more precious than a box full of gold,” Su Xiaoxiao remarked.

“Then let’s keep it as part of Xiao Tangyuan’s dowry,” Han Cheng suggested.

Xiao Tangyuan’s expression was one of disdain. “Dad, I don’t want it. This hat looks very heavy.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to wear it. These are our old Han family’s heirlooms. They will be passed down from generation to generation,” Su Xiaoxiao reassured.

Xiao Tangyuan naturally doesn’t understand what “heirloom ”means yet; she simply nodded along and listened to her mother’s words.

Unable to contain her excitement, Su Xiaoxiao eagerly opened the next “treasure chest.”

As predicted by Han Cheng, the last two boxes contained sets of priceless treasures. Although Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t knowledgeable about jewelry, it was evident that these treasures were priceless. Any set could fetch a sky-high price at auction in the future.

The last box contained many antique jades, including bracelets, pendants, and ornaments without inscriptions. Similar to the jade pendant Xiao Tangyuan wore around her neck, these jades were of excellent quality. It highlighted the wealth gap; the old Su family treasured every piece, while the Han family seemed to have countless such items.

Su Xiaoxiao selected three smaller, well-colored, and high-quality jade pendants and gave one to each of her sons.

“Later, we’ll find red strings to tie around your necks. These are precious items that ensure safety and happiness. Just like the one Xiao Tangyuan wears, you mustn’t lose them,” she instructed.

The boys, uninterested in such “girly” things, wrinkled their noses. But since it was from their mother, they reluctantly agreed to wear them.

Xiao Roubao wrinkled his nose and said, “Mom, I think gold suits me better. Maybe I should just wear a gold one.” After all, he couldn’t eat the jade, and he preferred the shiny, flashy gold over the seemingly ordinary little rock.

Seeing their disappointed expressions, Su Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly. “Kids move too much. Gold isn’t suitable for children; you’ll wear this.”

Su Xiaoxiao then picked two slightly larger jade pendants and handed the largest one to Han Cheng. “Dad and Mom will each wear one too. With these, our whole family will be safe and sound.”

Han Cheng’s first thought was also resistance, but when he saw his wife’s hopeful eyes burning him, he swallowed back the words and said, “Yes, we’ll wear them. The whole family will do this.”

The children couldn’t be bothered to mock their dad for being as obedient to their mom as they were.

The treasure chests were opened, confirming their expectations. Though perhaps not as exaggerated as becoming wealthy enough to rival a country, if they were to sell these items, it would indeed be a considerable fortune—something most people could never earn in their lifetimes, even with relentless effort.

The Han family, with such deep roots, likely possessed some antique porcelain vases and other artifacts. However, over generations, it’s uncertain where these items ended up. Finding so many treasures already satisfied them, and they decided to let fate determine whether they’d find more.

The life of Su Xiaoxiao’s family will not change due to the arrival of this additional wealth. Su Xiaoxiao reminded the cubs to keep quiet about the family’s secrets and not reveal any of their secrets to strangers.”

The children were sensible in this regard. Even though they didn’t understand why if their mom said not to talk about something, and even if someone would beat them up to know their secret, they wouldn’t say it.

With so many treasures suddenly added to their household, knowing how to keep them safe is a big problem. Su Xiaoxiao suggested keeping only one box of gold at home and storing the rest in a bank-safe deposit box. 

Han Cheng thought for a moment and said, “Isn’t it said that the most dangerous place is the safest place? Opening a safe deposit box now might attract attention. It’s not entirely safe either. Tomorrow, I’ll gather materials and build a large flowerbed at home, disguising the boxes as a fence in the middle. We’ll wait until the environment is safer before reconsidering.”

In this day and age, people weren’t as reliant on banks as Su Xiaoxiao was in the early 21st century, so Han Cheng’s perspective was understandable.

Su Xiaoxiao thought this method was also feasible, but she still believed converting the gold into fixed assets as soon as possible was safer. However, there was no rush.

Han Cheng is an action-oriented person who will do things with haste. The next day, he brought back a lot of cement, sand, stones, and bricks to prepare for the construction of a large flower bed. A few cubs volunteered to serve as small laborers to help, and they worked tirelessly.

Meanwhile, Su Xiaoxiao tasked Xiao Wu with keeping an eye out for courtyard houses.

“It’s best to look in the alleys near our Han family’s old mansion. If not there, a bit further away is fine, but preferably in that area. Just keep an eye out. Once someone lists a property, let me know so I can inspect it. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small; what matters is the location. The price is negotiable,” Su Xiaoxiao instructed. She believed that the most crucial aspect of buying a house was the location, and investing in core assets in prime locations was always a wise decision.

Xiao Wu gasped at the thought of Su Xiaoxiao wanting to buy two or three more courtyard houses in the best locations. He knew about the depth of the Zhang and Han families’ backgrounds, but he hadn’t realized it was to this extent.

“Rest assured, I’ll keep an eye out. But it might be challenging to find so many properties at once,” Xiao Wu remarked.

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. “I’m not planning to buy them all at once. You can do it slowly, one at a time.”

Xiao Wu took a deep breath. “Alright, understood.”

Su Xiaoxiao added, “By the way, if any houses nearby are for sale, please let me know.”

Xiao Wu couldn’t help but ask, “You want to buy more houses? What do you need so many for?”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t hide her intentions. “I plan to give each of my four children a courtyard house when they grow up. The houses are for fear that my relatives from my maternal family won’t have a place to stay in the capital. Xiao Wu, if you have spare money, buy a few more courtyard houses. Trust me, in a few years, you’ll understand the benefits.”

Su Xiaoxiao stopped there.

Xiao Wu, being in the business, understood the value of real estate and realized that Su Xiaoxiao’s words were for his benefit. He nodded and said, “Alright, I understand. I’ll get started on it.”

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Lucia: I unlocked 6 Chapters today~ You can now read Chapter 202-207! Have fun reading!

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