At this moment, Wang Guan smiled affably, “As for how you distribute them, that’s for you to discuss and decide. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll visit again when I have time…”

After bidding farewell, Wang Guan immediately slipped into the vehicle and instructed the security guard to drive off.

The Elder Village Chief froze for a moment before finally reacting. He then looked towards Elder Duan and hesitantly asked, “Master Duan, how should we handle this matter?”

“Just treat it casually,” Elder Duan dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “He said it’s a gift for you. As long as you don’t make a big fuss and quickly sell the items, can you really force yourselves to spit out what you’ve already eaten?”

“Mmm.”

The Elder Village Chief’s cloudy eyes lit up, and he immediately made a decision. He called the young and strong men from the mountain back. Some were tasked with packing and moving the copper coins from the cellar, while the others continued excavating the residences.

Seeing this, Elder Duan and Elder Yan exchanged a knowing smile. Without saying goodbye, they quietly departed. Whether the villagers found anything else during their digging was no longer their concern. Indeed, when they returned next time, they were not surprised to find signs that many of the old houses in the village had been torn up and dug into.

Of course, there were some repercussions. For instance, Kong Chao, after squandering tens of thousands, sheepishly returned to the village only to discover in astonishment that the ancestral home he had sold was now unrecognizable. When he inquired among the villagers, everyone avoided the question, offering vague responses and telling him nothing of the truth.

It took Kong Chao a long time to pry the truth out of a child. Upon learning it, he immediately pounded his chest and wailed dramatically. But still, no one paid him any mind. Some even argued righteously that he was the one who had squandered his wealth by selling the ancestral home first. Whatever treasure was found in the house was someone else’s luck, having nothing to do with him.

Kong Chao naturally refused to accept this and clamored for the villagers to return his money, but no one was willing to engage him. This caused him no end of trouble until some villagers finally lost their patience. They found evidence of his petty theft and immediately reported him to the police station, resulting in a period of detention that finally brought him to heel…

However, that is beside the point. At this very moment, the two were trailing Wang Guan and, after several hours, returned to the provincial capital’s hotel. Upon entering the room, they saw Wang Guan carefully examining a box.

“The box dug out from the wall?”

Elder Duan’s eyes were sharp, and judging by the item’s size, he correctly guessed its origin.

“That’s right, this one,” Wang Guan chuckled. “The craftsmanship is quite decent. It’s likely a jewelry box where the female dependents of the household kept their ornaments.”

“If it’s a jewelry box, why hide it away secretly?” Elder Duan felt this was peculiar.

“Heh, how could a concubine’s jewelry box be casually revealed to the main wife?” Wang Guan laughed. As he spoke, he skillfully picked the lock on the box and then gently flipped open the lid.

Sure enough, several golden, silver, jade hairpins, along with earrings and bracelets, were displayed before them. Taking a look, Elder Duan couldn't help but sigh, “Well, just these things alone are enough for you to recoup your costs.”

This was the truth. The jewelry pieces were exquisitely crafted and made from precious materials like gold, silver, jade, and pearls; their value was certainly substantial. Not only would it cover the initial expenses, but it would easily earn two or three times the amount.

Of course, the jewelry box was merely an appetizer. The real main course lay in the several jars and that large chest.

At Elder Duan’s urging, Wang Guan smiled and set the jewelry box aside. He then squatted down to examine the jars. They were quite large and surprisingly heavy.

Wang Guan casually lifted one, finding it heavier than he had anticipated, almost failing to lift it. After a brief test of its weight, he set it down, then carefully pried off the sealed lid.

“Pop!”

With a soft muffled sound, the jar lid opened smoothly, revealing a dark, mellow sheen.

“It really is gold.”

This was not unexpected. Everyone nodded slightly, clearly having already guessed that the jars might contain hidden gold. Seeing it now was merely confirmation of their speculation, eliciting only mild admiration, no genuine surprise.

“It’s not just gold, there’s silver too,” Wang Guan opened the jars one by one, finding gold and silver ingots concealed within each. This amount of wealth, regardless of the era, was no small sum. It was enough to turn an ordinary person into a wealthy magnate, living a life of ease, without any worry about food or clothing.

“Quickly look in the chest, I wonder what’s inside there,” Elder Duan expressed more interest in the contents of the chest than in the gold and silver.

“Let’s see then.”

At that moment, Wang Guan smiled, showing no intention of using his sophisticated lock-picking skills. He opted for a brute-force method, smashing the chest’s lock and then gently opening the lid. Everyone leaned forward to look. They saw that the surface inside the chest was meticulously lined with a layer of soft silk brocade.

“Is it lined with silk, or is the chest filled with silk?” Elder Duan grew slightly more suspicious. In ancient times, silk was a form of hard currency that could be used directly for trade or barter. Thus, any historical study would reveal that from emperors and generals to common folk, silk fabrics were highly cherished and carefully preserved.

The most obvious examples were the properties confiscated from corrupt officials; among the gold, silver treasures, grand residences, and farmlands seized, the most abundant items were various brocades and silks.

This meant that silk was a valuable commodity, and its burial was not strange.

“My luck can’t be that bad, can it?” Wang Guan laughed, then reached out and pulled away the covering silk. At this moment, everyone saw clearly: the chest was immediately emitting bursts of pearlescent and jewel-toned light.

Wang Guan was right; the chest did not contain silk, but rather many gold and silver bars, along with pearl and gem jewelry. The dazzling radiance was indeed far more splendid than pure gold and silver.

“Wang Guan, you won the gamble.”

Elder Duan took a deep breath, finally shaking off the temptation of the gold and jewels, and said with emotion, “Several jars of gold and silver, plus a chest of treasures—it must be that during the chaotic times, the Kong family buried portions of their wealth in various family properties to share the risk and not keep all their eggs in one basket.”

“That makes sense.”

Wang Guan nodded, deeply agreeing, then smiled, “If that’s the case, if we find the stewards’ estates that once belonged to the Kong Mansion, maybe we can dig up other treasures?”

“That’s not impossible,” Elder Duan smiled. “However, the Kong family had many estates, most of which are long gone now. Some have directly become high-rise buildings or residential compounds. Even if you found one, they might not let you dig.”

“That’s true,” Wang Guan said regretfully. “Housing and land prices are so exorbitant now. Even if I bought the residences and buildings, the gold and silver found would barely cover my losses. If I found nothing, I’d lose everything.”

“It’s good that you realize that. You should be satisfied with what you have.”

“I’m not dissatisfied, just musing out loud,” Wang Guan replied.

At that moment, Wang Guan sorted through the treasures in the chest and found the items rather disorganized. They included not only gold, silver, pearls, and jewelry but also carefully sealed ginseng roots. One root, shaped exactly like a human infant's arm, immediately released a rich medicinal fragrance when its sealed container was slightly opened.

“Wow, what a treasure! That’s at least a century-old Ginseng King,” Elder Duan exclaimed in amazement after one look.

A century-old Ginseng King is something capable of saving a life, and they are increasingly rare, something that cannot be found by merely looking. In Elder Duan’s view, this box of ginseng was likely the most valuable item in the chest.

“If Elder Duan likes it, I’ll give you half,” Wang Guan said readily. He had more of such items anyway. Back in Songyuan, the Liu family hadn't just given Yu Feibai one box of century-old Changbai Ginseng King; Wang Guan had received one too. However, he had already had that Ginseng King steeped in wine, which his parents drank daily in small cups with remarkable effects.

Having enough was sufficient. Wang Guan didn't mind sharing any surplus.

However, the item was too precious, so Elder Duan naturally wanted to decline. But he couldn't resist Wang Guan’s enthusiasm and reluctantly accepted the offer, taking only one-third. Elder Yan also received a share, taking one-third.

Compared to the ginseng, Elder Yan was more concerned about something else. Seeing Wang Guan had nearly finished organizing the contents of the chest, he quickly asked, “Wang Guan, what about the fluorescent resin you mentioned?”

“It’s in the room, just a moment.” Wang Guan didn't keep him waiting. He returned to the room, retrieved the fluorescent resin from his luggage bag, and then walked out to hand it to Elder Yan for verification.

The verification was merely a formality; Elder Yan was already convinced. Looking at the fluorescent resin, his expression was one of sheer excitement, his palms even trembling slightly, revealing his deep inner turmoil, which rose and fell like ceaseless waves.

“Old friend, congratulations on achieving your wish,” Elder Duan also expressed great pleasure, gently comforting him. “Paint well, strive to finish it in one go, and achieve success.”

As he spoke, Elder Duan also smiled, “When are you planning to start? Will you let me watch? I’d like to witness firsthand how a painting destined to be passed down through ages is created.”

“No rush, not that soon.”

At this moment, Elder Yan had also composed himself. He gripped the fluorescent resin tightly, his face beaming with a smile. “First, I need to calm my mind and reach a state of complete tranquility. I must find the feeling, and only then can I start painting. It cannot be forced, nor can it be unintentional; between intention and randomness, I must grasp the balance point…”

Wang Guan seemed to understand, yet also not quite grasp it, but it didn’t matter. He wasn't in a hurry. He had already given the item to Elder Yan, and given the importance Elder Yan placed on it, he would certainly be more anxious than Wang Guan. Therefore, Wang Guan didn't intend to hover. He would wait for the final result and simply enjoy the fruits of his efforts.

“Elder Yan, take your time painting; start whenever you feel ready. Just notify me when it’s done,” Wang Guan said with a smile. Having resolved all matters, he naturally should depart, returning home with a full harvest…

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