After finishing their meal, everyone returned to their rooms.
Zheng Xiuyu and Shen Tang were pleased, proud that Shen Qingran had agreed to the marriage.
Shen Yulian covered her cheeks and went back to her room.
Shen Ci and Shen Wei returned to their bedrooms, each lost in their own thoughts.
At eight o’clock, the big old clock on the first floor chimed punctually.
Shen Qingran opened the door and stepped out.
The entire house was unusually quiet.
“Zhang Ma!”
“I’m here, Miss!”
Zhang Ma appeared on her own.
“Miss, don’t worry. I put that medicine into the porridge! Tonight, they won’t wake up!”
Shen Qingran nodded.
Earlier, she had instructed Zhang Ma to slip a sedative into the family’s meal. Tonight was the night to act.
“Mm, listen, no matter what happens tonight, don’t come out!”
Zhang Ma nodded, looking a bit uneasy.
“Don’t worry, go quickly!”
After reminding her, Shen Qingran watched Zhang Ma enter the room and then headed toward the basement.
The basement was dark.
Shen Qingran retrieved a flashlight from her spatial pocket.
This basement had originally been built by her grandfather for her mother.
Her grandfather had been farsighted, aware of the turbulent times and the unreliability of people.
Shen Tang and Zheng Xiuyu had recently been frequenting this place, surely storing their valuable possessions here.
Shen Tang believed the place was secure; he thought that even with a changed code, Shen Qingran wouldn’t be able to enter.
The black iron door was fitted with a complex locking mechanism.
But only Shen Qingran knew the universal code—her grandfather had left it for her to access the family wealth.
Shen Qingran’s expression grew serious as she flipped the switch.
Click!
The arched black stone door made a sound.
A small crack appeared, and the heavy door slowly began to swing open.
Shen Qingran held the flashlight in one hand and surveyed the room.
Inside, there were three thick doors.
Opening the first, her eyes were momentarily dazzled.
Three large separated shelves filled the room.
All were stacked with gold bars.
Each bar was pure gold, weighing at least two taels.
Shen Qingran picked one up and weighed it—it was very heavy, at least 300 grams each.
There were hundreds of bars!
It seemed Shen Tang had been secretly saving a private stash for years.
This was obviously collected in preparation for fleeing, gathering his previous wealth in one place.
Beneath the shelves were many boxes containing her mother’s jewelry, items her mother had said were meant for Shen Qingran’s dowry.
Dragon-and-phoenix bracelets, gold earrings, necklaces, countless jade rings, bracelets, and necklaces.
Shen Qingran estimated there were dozens of pieces!
She had always known her mother’s family was wealthy but had never imagined this level of riches.
Thinking of Shen Tang’s misdeeds, Shen Qingran felt a pang of injustice for her mother.
It wasn’t just this.
Opening several boxes, she found men’s items: Rolex watches, gold-edged pocket watches, and expensive cigars—some clearly very costly, kept in glass cases.
Also, various jade pieces, some raw and some polished—genuine treasures.
Shen Qingran placed everything into her spatial pocket.
Hmph!
Shen Tang, you thief—you took it all then, now you’ll see how it feels to have it taken back!
She left the first room and entered the second.
Inside were boxes filled with money—six or seven boxes in total, containing British pounds and US dollars.
These funds weren’t legally obtained; Shen Tang must have spent a lot of money in secret dealings.
There were also many unique Shen family medicinal formulas, preserved from her mother’s lifetime.
Shen Tang had never engaged in this business, so he hadn’t touched them.
Shen Qingran immediately recognized some life-saving pills, like the famous Angong Wan, crucial in emergencies.
The ingredients differed from modern herbs, and the effects were irreplaceable—these medicines couldn’t be measured in money.
The last room was filled with tobacco, alcohol, and tea.
Shen Qingran collected it all—Chunghwa cigarettes, Da Qianmen, and many unknown liquors, both domestic and foreign.
She emptied the entire basement into her spatial pocket and then turned to go upstairs.
Her first stop was naturally Shen Tang and her stepmother’s bedroom.
Entering, she saw the two sprawled crookedly on the bed.
Having become a ghost, she was no longer shocked by the affairs of men and women in life.
Behind the dressing table was her mother’s secret chamber.
Shen Qingran opened it with ease, familiar with the layout.
As a child, her mother often held her here while identifying herbs—ginseng, saffron, and many famous medicinal herbs.
Inside were countless medical books, many of which were out of print.
If she didn’t secure these now, they might be lost forever.
She noticed a painting on the wall. Lifting it revealed a small box filled with valuable items.
She knew this box had been left to her by her mother during childhood. Without examining, she placed it into her spatial pocket.
Exiting the chamber, Shen Qingran cleared all valuables from the room—cash, savings books, everything.
Ding!
System alert!
Shen Qingran glanced at the panel but didn’t have time to open it, deciding to finish first.
Next, she went to Shen Yulian’s room.
The sister was fast asleep.
Opening the wardrobe, Shen Qingran found a jade qilin she had loved as a child.
No wonder she hadn’t seen it before—the stepmother had claimed it lost. Shen Tang had also said he couldn’t find it.
Clearly, the couple had intended to deceive her completely.
Shen Qingran angrily grabbed the jade qilin.
She noticed the stepmother had spent lavishly on Shen Yulian—her sister’s jewelry far surpassed hers.
She then ransacked her brothers’ rooms, emptying them as well.
However, when in Shen Wei’s room, she left him a “special gift.”
Having secured all the valuables, Shen Qingran headed to the household storage.
Grains, flour, and cooking oil were all kept here, including eggs, canned goods, preserved meats, and even seafood like abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw—everything collected.
After finishing, she checked the time—it was nearing dawn.
Tonight, everyone would likely sleep soundly.
A smile curled on Shen Qingran’s lips. She was tired too and needed proper rest.
The next morning…
“Ah!”