Cheng Duo smashed open the wall and found a dark downward corridor inside, emitting a damp and putrid smell. He didn't go this way because he knew that some ancient burial passages were used to sacrifice livestock, and dead pigs and cows were left to rot together, producing miasma.
He chose another spot and broke through the ground. This time it was much better. Using a rope to lower a torch, he saw that the vault of this tomb chamber was about three to four meters high, and the areas not reached by the torch were dark and vague, resembling lurking giant beasts ready to pounce and carry people away.
However, this couldn't scare Cheng Duo. He had fought zombies and bizarre creatures; a slightly indistinct dark figure was nothing to him, and even if real zombies jumped out, he wouldn't be afraid.
"Below should be the tomb chamber. Do you want to come down with me?" Cheng Duo glanced at Yong Ge.
Yong Ge nodded, agreeing to go together. How could he give up halfway?
"I'm not afraid."
Even if Yong Ge wasn't afraid, Cheng Duo didn't immediately go down. He widened the hole a bit more and ate steamed buns with Yong Ge to fill their stomachs. Then, they descended using the rope.
They landed in a majestic hall, with an exquisitely carved bronze throne at the top. Thick red felt was draped under the throne, which seemed valuable in the past, but now it had decayed and weathered.
Beneath the hall were two rows of water channels, and behind each channel were places where guests sat. From near to far, they could accommodate hundreds of guests, showing the grand scale.
In total, there were eighteen stone pillars in the hall, and fist-sized night luminous stones absorbed the torch's light, emitting a faint glow.
Yong Ge was startled at first, mistaking them for the eyes of some wild beast. However, after hearing Cheng Duo say they were night luminous stones, he couldn't wait to pry them off.
Cheng Duo stopped him, "Don't rush. Let's go inside first."
Since his space was limited, if there were too many valuable treasures inside, he would have to abandon some. Let's keep these night luminous stones for illumination.
To make the hall brighter, Cheng Duo lit the candlesticks in the hall using a torch. Anyway, he had broken through the tomb chamber, so he wasn't afraid of running out of oxygen inside.
The two of them followed the stone steps behind the throne and went down all the way. It was then that they witnessed the luxury of the tomb owner. Apparently, he had many wives and concubines, and the coffins of each concubine were adorned with gold and jade. The side chambers were also extravagantly decorated, as if they were meant for the living, with jade curtains, emerald dressing boxes, and gold and silver articles everywhere.
Yong Ge was dumbfounded. With his impoverished mind, he couldn't fathom how someone could possess so much wealth and take it into the coffin.
His hand trembled, "Could the owner here be a noble or royalty?"
Cheng Duo reassured him, "Don't worry, even if they were nobles or royalty, they ended up just as dead as anyone else."
"… "
Cheng Duo led Yong Ge to the main tomb chamber at the end, where true treasures dazzled their eyes. Besides these, there were boxes of jewels and jade, ancient books and paintings, silk and satin fabrics… in short, nothing they hadn't seen could be found here.
Cheng Duo unexpectedly discovered the life story of the tomb's owner on one wall. To his surprise, the tomb's owner was not a noble or royalty as they had thought, but a skilled and wealthy merchant.
This merchant, surnamed Hu and known as Hu Gong, came from a family of traders for three generations. He was even more capable than his ancestors. He sent a trade caravan to the Western Regions, bringing back spices, precious stones, horses, and cattle in abundance, earning a fortune.
However, his extravagant wealth attracted various coveters, and despite having many wives and concubines, he had few children. The early ones died young or succumbed to illnesses.
When Hu Gong was in his fifties, his last surviving son was killed by enemies. Out of frustration, he decided to bury his treasures along with his vast wealth since he had no heir to pass it on to. To mislead his enemies and make them fight amongst themselves, he even sent out many seemingly authentic treasure maps…
However, Hu Gong left a back door, saying that if someone with destiny found the treasures, they were free to take them. He only hoped that the person wouldn't disturb his wives' and children's coffins and let them rest in peace.
Cheng Duo: "…"
How cunning a businessman could be! Hu Gong had both treasure maps and underground caves, and he set up numerous deadly traps above the tomb chamber. If it weren't for them accidentally breaking in, other teams would have faced countless obstacles, and who knows how many people would have died. And now he's talking about someone with destiny… If someone else came, they might just destroy the entire tomb chamber.
Fortunately, Cheng Duo didn't hold such grudges, and he had no interest in touching things soaked in corpse oil. After some thought, he said, "Yong Ge, there are too many valuable things here. Let's take some with us now and come back for the rest later?"
Yong Ge hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Alright."
"What's wrong?" Cheng Duo keenly noticed that Yong Ge's eyebrows furrowed slightly, seeming a bit unhappy.
Yong Ge pursed his lips, "Cheng Duo… Now that we have money, do you want to live elsewhere?"
In fact, ever since they carried out the box of gold and silver on their wedding night, Yong Ge had been worried about this, but he had been holding it in. Now that they had found so many treasures, his anxiety became too much to bear.
Cheng Duo lifted his face, making Yong Ge look into his eyes, "Do you want to leave?"
Yong Ge shook his head, "No."
"Then we won't leave. Yang Village is nice enough." Cheng Duo understood that Yong Ge's lack of confidence was not in him but in himself. So he worked hard to learn things and investigate his world, wanting to keep up with him…
"Whether we have a lot of money or not, it only improves our lives and makes us better off, but our relationship won't change… Unless you want to leave me?" Cheng Duo's gaze suddenly dimmed as he said, "My life is yours; these treasures are nothing compared to you. I'll give them all to you."
"I don't want them!" Yong Ge grew anxious and hurriedly threw himself into Cheng Duo's arms, afraid that he might misunderstand if he was a step too slow.
Cheng Duo smiled; he knew Yong Ge wouldn't disappoint him. He teased him intentionally, "Really don't want them? Am I more important than these treasures?"
"Um." Yong Ge nodded firmly, feeling a bit embarrassed but still lifted his head, looking at Cheng Duo with bright eyes, and earnestly told him, "You are important."
Cheng Duo kissed Yong Ge's eyes and spoke in a tender and unbelievable tone, "I also think that my Yong Ge is more important."
Having lived for two lifetimes, he had witnessed how wealth and fame could vanish in an instant and had seen the ugliest side of human nature. But every time, Yong Ge could touch the softest part of his heart. Compared to treasures, all he wanted was this partner who filled his heart and eyes.
The two cuddled for a while, and Cheng Duo finally remembered the main task, "Yong Ge, let's take the things and leave quickly."
Confiding in each other in someone else's tomb chamber felt somewhat strange…
"Okay." This time, Yong Ge sounded much happier. His family's husband said he was more important than the treasures, and he promised not to go anywhere else… Yong Ge knew that Cheng Duo wouldn't lie to him, and most of his worries instantly disappeared.
The two picked and selected together, stuffing eight large boxes into the space. These gold, silver, and gems were inedible and undrinkable. Considering Cheng Duo's cautious personality, he also needed to leave some space for food and essentials. Thus, he stopped when he saw a good opportunity.
To be cautious, when Cheng Duo left, he not only sealed the hole he broke with a stone slab but also securely blocked the passage above with dry branches and leaves. The disguise was nearly perfect; even others wouldn't notice it.
Satisfied, Cheng Duo turned around and clapped his hands, "All right, let's go home."
As soon as he finished speaking, a warm body leaned against him, and Cheng Duo quickly reached out to hold it, planting a kiss on the smooth forehead, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just miss our home." Yong Ge nuzzled in his embrace, then suddenly remembered something and spoke in a softer tone, "I also miss my father…"
Cheng Duo paused, feeling that he might have gone too far. What if… he adjusted the plan and first took Yong Ge to the border to find his father?
With this weather, Yong Ge would surely suffer at the border…
Cheng Duo hesitated, but then, as soon as they returned, they received a message from Li San Ye saying that Yong Ge's father had sent a message.
Since Li Changrong's leg needed more time to heal, Cheng Duo decided to abandon the idea of taking Yong Ge to the border. However, he planned to have someone deliver some money and supplies to them. After all, on the one hand, he married their son, and on the other hand, Li Changrong's leg injury was partly his responsibility.
However, going to the border was no joke; encountering robbers along the way could be fatal. That was why Cheng Duo had considered hiring villagers to find people before but eventually didn't act on it.
But now, with a rough location, things became much easier. He could ask Xie Yuan to find merchants and escorts to deliver the goods.
As they talked about Xie Yuan, he appeared right on cue, riding a tall horse and accompanied by five or six servants and two cooks.
Seeing the group sweating profusely, panting for breath, Cheng Duo supported his forehead and said, "You really never rest for a day…"
Xie Yuan was a bit better on horseback, except for his slightly red face from the sun, "That's right, as businessmen, we must always keep our promises. Can't be careless with our reputation… Huff, it's so hot!"
"How about it? I've prepared everything you wanted. Let's have the… hotpot for lunch?" Xie Yuan asked.
"… Maybe not. How about you all have some bitter melon soup for lunch to cool down," Cheng Duo was afraid that if they ate hotpot under this scorching weather, their house would explode!