Chapter 209 What was in that box was...!

A young soldier, dressed in a crisp military uniform and standing tall like a pine tree, followed by two fully armed soldiers, strode through the crowd.

This imposing manner stunned everyone around. Even the young man who had been cursing earlier shrank back in fear and tried to slip away with his bike.

Zhao Wenchang's bodyguard, holding a black and white photograph, immediately spotted the old woman with a cane in the crowd.

He strode forward and snapped a crisp military salute to the three men.

"Hello, Comrade Ma! Commander Zhao sent me to pick you up! He specifically instructed me to make sure you and your family get home safely! The car is waiting outside, thank you for your trouble!"

After that shout, the surrounding area fell silent instantly.

Those who had just been rolling their eyes and looking at the family with disdain were now staring wide-eyed, their gazes changing instantly to one of awe and envy.

Ma Jinhua raised her chin slightly and nodded lightly: "Okay, let's go."

The two young soldiers didn't think much of it and, upon receiving the order, stepped forward to lift the two camphor wood chests.

The soldier leading the way was a trained fighter, capable of handling training equipment weighing over a hundred pounds without a problem. He grabbed the box by the handle with one hand and gave it a sudden burst of strength—

"Um?"

The box almost slipped from my hands and fell to the ground; it was so heavy it felt like it was filled with molten lead.

The soldier was startled and almost strained his back. He quickly switched to using both hands, took a deep breath, and then steadily lifted the box onto the trunk of the jeep.

The two exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves: This family looks shabby, but the "local specialties" they brought are quite substantial.

The jeep, puffing out a plume of white smoke, carried the family towards the military compound.

The car passed through the checkpoint and came to a stop in front of a small Western-style building with red bricks and white walls.

The door opened, and Jiang Wanqiu, wearing a thick beige cashmere coat and a maternity hat, walked down the door, her face still a little pale but her eyes bright.

As soon as Ma Jinhua got out of the car, she looked up and saw this scene. She casually tossed her cane to Zhao Shan behind her and took a few steps to greet him.

"Oh my goodness! What are you doing!" Ma Jinhua grabbed Jiang Wanqiu's arm, her wrinkled face showing both heartache and anxiety. "She's still in her postpartum period, her sutures haven't closed yet, how can she go out in the wind? Go inside! Go inside! If she develops a chronic illness, it'll be a lifelong problem!"

Jiang Wanqiu smiled at Ma Jinhua: "I'm fine. Besides, there's no reason for a junior to sit at home waiting for his elders to come."

"You can't joke around with your health!" Ma Jinhua scolded with a stern face, but carefully helped Jiang Wanqiu into the house.

Upon entering the house, Zhao Shan and Zhao Xiaohua were somewhat surprised by the interior decoration.

Is this the Western-style building in Beijing?

The floor was covered with gleaming wooden flooring, a crystal chandelier hung overhead, the walls were as white as snow, and there was a large, soft sofa.

Zhao Shan looked down at his mud-covered canvas shoes, then at the spotless floor. He rubbed his hands on his trouser legs, but still dared not step inside.

"Dad, Mom, this is our own home, there's no need for so much formality." Jiang Wanqiu smiled and walked over, pulling her towards the sofa. "Sit down and rest, have some hot tea."

Zhao Xiaohua, who is usually carefree, is now a little reserved, muttering, "Oh dear, this chair is as soft as a cotton ball, I'm afraid it will collapse if I sit down."

Just then, a noise came from the stairwell.

Zhao Wenchang, dressed in casual clothes, carefully carried a swaddled baby as he came down.

"Grandma, Dad, Mom, come see Little Stone, he just woke up." Zhao Wenchang's voice was filled with the tenderness of a new father.

The whole family swarmed around them at once.

The baby in the swaddling clothes had just woken up. Its big, dark eyes, like black grapes, darted around. It didn't cry or fuss, and its skin was as white and tender as a freshly peeled egg.

"Oh my, this chubby little boy is so handsome!" Ma Jinhua smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared. She reached out and gently touched the child's cheek with her finger, then quickly pulled it back, afraid that the calluses on her hands would scratch the child.

As if remembering something, the old woman shakily pulled a red cloth bundle wrapped in several layers from her inner pocket. Unwrapping each layer, she revealed a gleaming golden longevity lock inside.

The lock plate was very thick, with a pattern of a qilin delivering a child engraved on it. The workmanship was so exquisite that even the qilin's whiskers were clearly visible.

"Here, let Great-Grandma put this on you." Ma Jinhua hung the gold lock around Xiao Shitou's neck.

Jiang Wanqiu knew her stuff. She touched it and felt that it was heavy and had a good weight to it. Moreover, the gold was a bright yellow color, and it was definitely pure gold, not the kind of gold mixed with copper that you find in rural silver shops.

"Grandma, this thing..." Jiang Wanqiu was somewhat surprised.

Ma Jinhua waved her hand and said lightly, "These are old items left over from before. They're not worth much, but they're good for the child to wear for good luck." She then offered no further explanation.

The family played with the child for a while. Ma Jinhua looked around and frowned slightly: "Where is Ping An? Now that we have a younger brother, we can't neglect the eldest."

Jiang Wanqiu quickly explained, "Grandma, Ping An wasn't neglected. A while ago, the country came to select talents, and Ping An, being smart, was chosen to enter the gifted youth program, where he'll be learning advanced skills. The teacher said that this child will be building large airplanes and cannons for the country in the future, and he's currently undergoing closed training."

Ma Jinhua was stunned for a moment before she reacted, and then she was so excited that she pounded her cane on the ground with a loud thud: "Good! Good! Good!"

She exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row: "Building cannons? That's a major event for protecting our country! Our Zhao family is incredibly lucky! This is even more glorious than passing the imperial examination!"

A huge table was set out for dinner.

The nanny we hired is quite skilled; she makes braised pork, steamed fish, and chicken soup with mountain produce that Zhao Shan brought.

Zhao Wenchang took out a bottle of Moutai and filled Zhao Shan's glass. Zhao Shan stared at the white porcelain bottle, his hands trembling slightly: "This...this is the national liquor? How much does a sip cost?"

"Dad, drink up. Your son can afford it now." Zhao Wenchang smiled and put a piece of meat on his father's plate.

During the meal, Jiang Wanqiu looked at the two large trunks still covered with tarpaulins and several bulging woven bags in the corner and felt guilty: "Dad, Mom, it's such a long way, carrying so many mountain goods is too heavy. You can buy anything here in the capital. Don't tire yourselves out like this next time."

Zhao Shan chuckled憨厚ly and drank his wine in silence. Ma Jinhua, on the other hand, glanced meaningfully at the corner, paused with her chopsticks, and then casually picked up a piece of braised pork.

It's late at night.

Little Stone fell asleep after drinking his milk, and the nanny went back to her room after cleaning up the kitchen.

The living room fell silent, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

Ma Jinhua sat in the main seat on the sofa, her expression turning serious.

She beckoned to Zhao Wenchang: "Wenchang, go and make sure all the doors and windows are tightly closed, and draw the curtains, don't leave any gaps."

Although Zhao Wenchang was somewhat puzzled, seeing his grandmother's solemn expression, he did as she said and checked twice before returning.

"Shanzi, drag those two boxes over and put them in the middle," Ma Jinhua pointed to the corner.

Zhao Shan put down his teacup, and without saying a word, he bent down and, holding his breath, dragged the two heavy camphor wood chests to the side of the coffee table.

Ma Jinhua reached into her bosom and rummaged around in the lining of her underwear for a while before pulling out a simple, antique-looking brass key that had been polished to a shine.

"Wenchang, open it." She handed the key to her grandson.

Zhao Wenchang took the key, feeling that it still carried the old man's warmth. He knelt down and inserted the key into the somewhat rusty lock.

With a crisp click, the lock opened.

Although the overhead light was very bright, Jiang Wanqiu still subconsciously squinted her eyes the moment the box was opened.

Jiang Wanqiu and Zhao Wenchang stared intently inside, and both gasped in shock, speechless for a long time.

Inside the box, two layers of gold bars, each about the thickness of a finger, commonly known as "big yellow croakers," were neatly stacked, gleaming with an alluring yet heavy light under the lamp.

Beneath the gold bars were rolls of "Yuan Shikai" silver dollars wrapped in oiled paper.

On the top layer of the box were several carved mahogany boxes, one of which had its lid half open, revealing a jade bracelet with a vibrant green hue and a translucent jade thumb ring.

“This…” Zhao Wenchang suddenly stood up and looked at his grandmother, “Grandma, where did all these things come from? Grandpa used to…”

He had only vaguely heard his grandfather mention that his ancestors had been wealthy and held high-ranking positions, but he thought they had at most a few acres of land, a few silver dollars, and a few pieces of gold jewelry. He never imagined they were so incredibly rich.

Ma Jinhua sat upright on the sofa, her hands folded as she leaned on her cane.

“Your grandfather didn’t lie to you. Our Zhao family was indeed a wealthy family in this area.” Ma Jinhua sighed as she said this. “Back then, during the war and chaos, the richer you were, the more likely you were to die. In order to save the lives of my family, we gave away all our apparent wealth and had to pretend to be poor for decades. We only kept this core family fortune, buried deep in the mountains and forests, and dared not touch a single penny of it for decades.”

At this point, Ma Jinhua looked at the box of treasures, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "We didn't dare to take it out before because we didn't have the ability to protect it. As the ancients said, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' If we had revealed it back then, not only would we not have been able to keep the treasure, but we would have also brought disaster upon our whole family, and it might have even been a tragedy of annihilation."

She paused, then turned to look at the composed Zhao Wenchang, a hint of relief and pride on her face: "But things are different now. The sun has risen, and the world is better. Wenchang, you've made something of yourself now. You're a regimental commander, backed by a powerful family like the Cui family, and with the country supporting you. You've become more assertive, able to manage this wealth, and no longer afraid of those petty scoundrels eyeing you."

After saying that, Ma Jinhua tapped the box with her cane.

"Granddaughter-in-law, you are now in charge of this household."

Jiang Wanqiu was still in shock when she heard this and quickly waved her hand, "Grandma, this is too precious, I..."

"Take it!" Ma Jinhua frowned. "Wenchang is risking his life outside, protecting the country and risking his life. You have to manage things at home, run the business, and deal with those envious people. How can you manage without money? Although our Zhao family comes from the countryside, we can't let people look down on us, and we can't let you suffer because of money."

The old man pointed to the gold bars: "Some of these are for you to use to buy property. If you want to buy a house, buy a house; if you want to open a shop, open a shop."