“Father!” Mrs. Zhu had never seen something this valuable before. She was so frightened that she quickly looked at Old Man Zhao.
Old Man Zhao barely managed to steady himself. The bright golden shine almost blinded him. “Why are you shouting? Keep your voice down!” After saying that, he took the handkerchief from his daughter-in-law, weighed it in his hand, even bit it with his teeth, and examined it from every angle. This was real gold!
The solid gold gourd felt the heaviest. The gold leaves were thin, with delicate and beautiful patterns. The gold nuggets looked the smallest. His fingers were thick, so he could barely feel them when he held them.
But no matter how small, it was still gold. Gold!
They were… rich now.
Old Man Zhao’s face flushed red with excitement. The most valuable thing he had ever touched in his life was silver—and even then, just broken pieces of silver. What he used most in daily life were copper coins, and he often wished he could split one coin into two to spend it. How could he have ever seen gold? And so much of it! No matter the size, it was all gold!
“Father, there’s more here!” Zhao Dashan shouted.
Old Man Zhao’s heart pounded wildly, both nervous and excited. He was grinning so hard his gums showed. Hearing his eldest son shouting again, he turned and slapped him. “Keep your voice down!” Then his burning gaze shifted over.
Zhao Dashan took out another oil-paper package from the jar. This time he handed it directly to his wife. After that, he reached in again to search, but this time he found nothing. He searched over and over, even smashed the jar into pieces, but there was nothing else.
Mrs. Zhu had already opened the handkerchief. When she saw what was inside, her breathing grew heavier. There was a gold hairpin, a bracelet, and two gold rings, all with very delicate designs.
There was also a long-life lock inlaid with gemstones, and it seemed to have a name carved on it.
They said “seemed” because the Zhao family couldn’t read. They didn’t know whether those crooked markings were actually words—they could only guess.
This was clearly much more valuable than the gold gourd and leaves from the first handkerchief.
“Father… husband…” Mrs. Zhu’s hands were trembling, and even her whole body was shaking slightly. How was this any different from being hit by a pie falling from the sky? No—it was even more valuable than that!
Old Man Zhao immediately looked around. Aside from the rustling of leaves, there was only the heavy sound of their family’s breathing.
He took a deep breath, quickly wrapped the handkerchief and stuffed it into his clothes, then said to Mrs. Zhu, “Hurry and hide the things. Let’s leave here first.”
“Okay.” Mrs. Zhu didn’t dare keep such valuable items on herself. She was afraid of losing them. She wrapped the handkerchief tightly, tied a firm knot, and stuffed it into her husband’s clothes. Then she picked up Zhao Xiaobao, who was squatting nearby picking up fragments, and left.
Zhao Feng quickly followed.
Zhao Dashan used his hoe to bury everything—dirt and broken pieces—back into the ground. With his large feet, he stomped the ground flat. Except for the freshly turned soil, nothing looked unusual. After carefully checking several times and finding no problems, he picked up the basket and followed them out of the forest.
…
No matter how much his hands trembled or how excited his heart felt, Old Man Zhao forced himself to stay calm. Pretending nothing had happened, he told his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, “Remember, nothing happened. We just dug a hole to bury Xiaobao’s waste. Now we’re going to town to sell eels.”
Zhao Dashan’s family of three nodded quickly. “Got it, Father/Grandfather. We only buried waste. Nothing else happened.”
“Mm.” Old Man Zhao nodded, then couldn’t help looking at Zhao Xiaobao lying in Mrs. Zhu’s arms. His old face broke into a wide smile. This child was truly the lucky star of the Zhao family!
With a wave of his hand, he promised his daughter, who was looking at him eagerly, “After I sell the eels, I’ll buy meat, candy, pastries, and candied hawthorn sticks! I’ll buy everything—all for my little one!”
When Zhao Xiaobao heard “candied hawthorn,” her mouth instantly watered. She sweetly coaxed him, “Father is the best! Xiaobao loves Father the most!”
Old Man Zhao laughed happily but didn’t expose her. Everyone in the family had been her “favorite” before. He rubbed her little head with his rough hand and gently said, “Father loves Xiaobao the most too. Xiaobao, listen to Father—don’t tell anyone about what happened just now. Don’t tell anyone at all. Not even your best friend Chunya, understand?”
“Mm!” Zhao Xiaobao nodded obediently. “Father, I won’t tell anyone. Not even Mother.”
“Haha, good.” Old Man Zhao laughed and rubbed her head again.
While talking, the family quietly returned to the main road and gradually blended into the crowd heading into town.
People carrying loads, baskets, or driving ox carts passed by them. No one seemed to pay attention to them. Zhao Dashan and Mrs. Zhu finally relaxed, no longer looking around nervously, and followed the crowd into town.
Tongjiang Town was a large town, one of the most notable in Guangping County. It was famous because a high-ranking official had once come from here.
Times had changed, and no one knew whether that official was still alive. But even if he was gone, his reputation and influence lived on through the stories of the locals. As his hometown, Tongjiang Town benefited from this legacy. Over the years, its construction, transportation, and overall development were more convenient and prosperous than nearby towns. With more people, it naturally became lively.
However, none of this had much to do with Wanxia Village. It was like a short person standing on tiptoe beneath a tree full of peaches—still unable to reach them.
Even if they could reach, the peaches would already have been picked by others.
Still, it wasn’t entirely without benefits. Old Man Zhao knew that if you had something rare, you could try your luck in the eastern part of town. That area was full of wealthy and powerful families. If they liked what you had, they would pay generously.
Selling eels only required one person. Wealthy households disliked noise, and if too many people went, they would be driven away before even reaching the gate.
Worried about ruining the business, Old Man Zhao took out about a dozen copper coins and gave them to Mrs. Zhu. “Eldest daughter-in-law, take Xiaobao and the third child to eat noodles. Xiaobao hasn’t had breakfast—she must be hungry. Eldest son, go check the docks and see what the situation is like. See if it’s the same as before or if anything has changed.”
He didn’t worry about not being able to sell the eels. Even at his age, he had never seen such thick, large eels—they were as big as snakes. Very rare.
If one household didn’t buy, he could just try another. Someone would recognize their value.
“Grandfather, I want to go with you.” Zhao Feng looked at him eagerly. He had insisted on coming to town just to go along and sell the eels. He didn’t want to eat noodles.
“Alright, the third child can come with me.” Old Man Zhao thought about it. Bringing one child wouldn’t matter. It would be good for his grandson to see the world.
They had already lost a lot of time on the road, so Old Man Zhao didn’t waste more. He took his grandson and headed toward the eastern part of town.
“Wife, watch your little sister carefully. Don’t take your eyes off her, and don’t let go. I’ll go check the docks and be back soon,” Zhao Dashan repeatedly told Mrs. Zhu to keep an eye on Zhao Xiaobao. He wasn’t worried about his wife being incapable—she had often followed her mother to town to sell vegetables, eggs, and livestock before marriage. She was very familiar with the town. He was just used to reminding her.
“Don’t worry, go. I’ll keep holding her and won’t let go,” Mrs. Zhu urged him to leave quickly.
After everyone left, she found a lively noodle stall and took Zhao Xiaobao to eat breakfast.
This was Zhao Xiaobao’s first time in town. From the moment they entered the city gate, her big eyes kept looking around curiously. Everything was new to her.
Mrs. Zhu found a seat in the corner, with her back against the wall but still able to see the busy street. She originally wanted to order a bowl of plain noodles, but thinking about the unexpected fortune they had gained today, she steeled herself and said, “Boss, one bowl of shredded pork noodles!”
“Alright! Please wait a moment, I’ll cook it right away,” the stall owner replied loudly, flicking his towel.
Zhao Xiaobao stared at the candied hawthorn seller across the street for a while, then turned to look at the fried pastry stall next door. Smelling all the different aromas in the air, her nose kept twitching.
“Sweet soup for sale! Sweet and fragrant sweet soup, children’s favorite!”
“Meat buns for sale! Big and fragrant meat buns!”
“Fried pastries! Crispy outside, soft inside—delicious and fragrant!”
“Candied hawthorn! Big and sweet candied hawthorn!”
Voices called out from everywhere. Zhao Xiaobao kept turning her head back and forth, almost overwhelmed.
The town was so lively. So many people, so many people selling so much food. Everything looked delicious. She wanted to eat all of it.
She couldn’t help reaching into her pocket. Before leaving home, her mother had put five copper coins there for her to buy snacks in town.
She wanted to buy candied hawthorn—three sticks—to share with her nephews at home.
One stick cost two coins. She was one coin short.
Zhao Xiaobao lay on the table, looking around. The smell from the fried pastry stall next door made her dizzy with hunger. She secretly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, covered her nose with her hands, and forced herself to look away.
Just then, the owner brought over the noodles. She immediately sat up straight, looking eagerly.
The noodles were thin, cooked in a rich broth that had simmered for a long time, with a few drops of oil floating on top. There were some greens, visible strips of meat, and chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Steam rose from the bowl—it looked extremely appetizing.
Mrs. Zhu took a pair of chopsticks from a bamboo holder. Seeing the little girl’s greedy expression, she couldn’t help but smile. “Hungry, right? Come, eat.”
“Mm!” Zhao Xiaobao reached for the chopsticks like she did. “Sister-in-law, you eat too. Eat with Xiaobao.”
“Good girl. I already ate some flatbread. I’m not hungry. You eat,” Mrs. Zhu said, handing her the chopsticks and gently patting her head. It was no wonder everyone in the family spoiled her. She never guarded her food. Whenever she had something tasty, she always thought of them and shared snacks and fruits with her nephews.
Mrs. Zhu liked Zhao Xiaobao simply because she was kind, generous, and thoughtful. Her background mattered much less.