Each crate of large gold bars held several hundred pieces. She remembered that this era used a sixteen-tael scale. One large gold bar weighed ten taels, roughly three hundred and ten grams. She had struck it rich. The gold ornaments shaped like pixiu and toads were all heavy and solid.
In her previous life, Ye Cai’e would not even have dared to buy scrap copper this heavy.
It seemed that after hearing the rumors, Ye Wenbin had converted almost all of the family assets into gold. He might even have sold several properties, clearly with no intention of ever coming back.
The three crates of jewelry contained a wide variety of styles, mostly necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Jade, agate, and the like were all top-grade pieces.
Even without recognizing them, Ye Cai’e knew they were valuable.
She stored everything in the space, stacking them neatly in the corner. Next came the small boxes.
She casually opened one and was nearly blinded by the fire of the diamonds inside. So these small boxes were all premium-plus goods.
Opening another, she found stacks of U.S. dollars arranged neatly inside. At a glance, there were about thirty bundles. If there were U.S. dollars, then Hong Kong dollars would certainly not be lacking.
It was clear Ye Wenbin had made thorough preparations for moving the whole family to Hong Kong.
There were thirty-seven small boxes in total. Nearly half were filled with U.S. dollars and Hong Kong dollars. The rest contained either premium valuables or Ye Wenbin’s personal items like watches and cigarettes.
There were simply too many to examine carefully. She collected everything without hesitation.
Only after completely clearing out the hidden basement did she finally sit down on the floor to rest for a moment.
At that point, a crack in the wall caught her attention.
This was such an important place, a basement within a basement. If it collapsed, Ye Wenbin would be heartbroken. That meant this crack was definitely suspicious.
She carefully felt and knocked along the wall, just like in television dramas.
Suddenly, when she knocked back and forth between two adjacent spots, the sounds were completely different. Ye Cai’e knew this was it.
She did not bother looking for any switch. Instead, she went straight for brute force. Grabbing a sturdy stick, she struck the wall dozens of times until a hole the size of a face broke open.
Ye Cai’e leaned in, and a rush of cold air hit her.
It looked like a refrigerated storage area for preservation. The novel had never mentioned this. Had she found treasure within treasure?
From the outside, it looked no different from the boxes she had just taken.
She smashed the wall open completely and eagerly went in to see what other good things these capitalist scoundrels had hidden.
The space inside was not large, with only six big crates. When she opened them, she saw small boxes arranged neatly inside, each labeled with its contents.
Musk, cordyceps, ginseng, saffron, natural bezoar, agarwood, snow lotus, lingzhi, and some rarer items like asafoetida, dragon’s blood resin, rhinoceros horn, and tiger bone.
Rare medicinal ingredients alone filled four large crates. The remaining two were packed with finished life-saving medicines.
Angong Niuhuang Pills, Zixue Powder, Zhibao Pills, Suhexiang Pills, Niuhuang Qingxin Pills, marching powder, fast-acting heart relief pills, and more. Thoughtful labels even listed usage and indications.
She even spotted some poisons hidden among the life-saving medicines. None were instantly lethal, but they would make someone suffer badly.
No wonder this place was hidden so deeply. These items were nearly impossible to buy even with money. They required luck and timing, and the Ye family’s collection was all top quality.
No one knew how long it had taken to gather all this. Ye Cai’e showed no mercy and did not leave even an empty box behind.
After thoroughly sweeping clean both hidden areas, she finally turned her attention to the other rooms in the villa.
High-end red wine in the basement, taken.
The rosewood sofa in the living room, taken.
The antique tea set on the coffee table, taken.
The walls of tea leaves and cigars in the cabinets, taken.
She even took the large, soft bed from one of the rooms, just in case she had nowhere to sleep in the future.
By the time she walked out of the villa again, the sky was beginning to pale with dawn, though it was not as white as the inside of the villa.
The villa was now nothing but an empty shell. She wondered what Ye Wenbin’s expression would be when he saw it.
She let out a long breath, ate a big meat bun on the road, and returned to the inn satisfied to catch up on sleep.
She slept soundly, but Ye Yingyao did not sleep at all that night.
She could not understand it. There had been no mistake at all, so how had the bracelet vanished into thin air?
The thing she had wanted most in her previous life had been within easy reach in this one. Losing it again after obtaining it was even more unbearable. On top of that, she had lost too much blood and felt constantly dizzy.
“Yaoyao.” At breakfast time, Chen Yumei grew worried when her daughter still had not come downstairs and hurried up to knock on the door.
Ye Yingyao was extremely agitated. After being reborn, she had already planned to use the space to secretly take some of the Ye family’s assets back with her, securing her future at the very least. Now, there was nothing left.
What was she supposed to do next? Was she really going to return to that poor, remote mountain village and live out her life there?
She was unwilling. This life had clearly already changed. She did not have to go to the countryside anymore.
As if thinking of something, her eyes suddenly lit up. The gloom that had plagued her all night dissipated by more than half.
When she opened the door, her body swayed, and her pale face startled Chen Yumei.
“My dear, don’t scare Mom like that. Hurry and lie down on the bed.”
Ye Yingyao shook her head. “I was just worried about my older sister being out there alone, not knowing where she’s staying. I didn’t sleep well last night. Don’t worry, Mom.”
Chen Yumei truly felt for this daughter. She was far too sensible. Her dissatisfaction with Ye Cai’e deepened immediately.
Yaoyao had fulfilled her filial duty for nearly twenty years. Yet Ye Cai’e could not tolerate her at all. If possible, she would rather Ye Cai’e had died in the countryside.
At the table, Chen Yumei glanced repeatedly at Ye Yingyao’s wrist and finally could not help asking, “Yaoyao, where’s the bracelet Mom gave you yesterday?”
Ye Yingyao panicked for a moment before smiling. “I put it away safely. It’s a gift from you, Mom. Wearing it every day might bump or scratch it, and that would break my heart.”
“Oh right. In a while, I’m planning to go visit Yulin Village. They are… at least my parents,” she said with her head lowered, her face full of sorrow.
The previously pleasant atmosphere at the table vanished instantly. Even Ye Yingxiong grabbed her hand and begged her not to leave.
Ye Yingyao felt pleased inside. So what if there was no blood relation? As long as she wanted, everything in the Ye family would still be hers.
It was just that now the space was gone. These Ye family assets would likely be confiscated layer by layer, and who knew whose hands they would end up in.
As long as the green hills remained, there would be no worry about firewood.
After some thought, she still reminded them, “Dad, I heard from classmates that things have been pretty tense lately. Families like ours are in a dangerous situation. You, Mom, and Grandma really need to make preparations in advance.”