Jinhoo followed behind the chest and came in, eagerly opening the chest himself.

Not to mention Wang Yongzhu, even Old Granny Zhang, who now had quite a bit of life experience in the Capital City and had seen many good things, was momentarily dazzled by the opened chest.

Jinhoo first opened one chest, which wasn’t very big, and as soon as it was opened, the entire room brightened up.

The chest was filled with large gemstones, some red, blue, and green, along with various gold ornaments, all exuding a rich Western Region flair, extremely extravagant and exquisite.

Even Wang Yongzhu had never directly faced such large, uncarved gemstones; just by looking, she could recognize Pigeon’s Blood Rubies, Sapphires, and Emeralds in there, and even spotted a few colored Diamonds.

The quality of these items was evidently excellent, even in the Western Region they would be rare and not inexpensive.

Ordinary official families would find it hard to own even one piece from this chest.

As for the nobility, to have such good things, they would carefully treasure them, not pile them together chaotically like this.

Jinhoo noticed Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu just watching without speaking, and eagerly grabbed a handful of gemstones from the chest and stuffed them into Old Granny Zhang’s hand: "Granny, these are my gifts for you and aunt. See if there’s anything you like? And these gold ornaments, I picked them especially, they weigh a lot, pure gold! Look at this bracelet; it weighs almost half a pound and makes an unbeatable statement when worn."

He said this as he lifted a palm-width bracelet, encrusted with various gemstones, visibly heavy, and started putting it on Old Granny Zhang’s hand.

Old Granny Zhang beamed at the massive gold bracelet, which was so weighty that it burdened her wrist, yet she was reluctant to take it off.

Looking at Jinhoo, she found him more pleasing: "These are indeed treasures! This gold bracelet should be this big and heavy to show its value, right? If anything goes wrong, this bracelet alone is worth a lot..."

She spoke while examining it thoroughly.

Wang Yongzhu watched the grandmother and grandson critiquing the gold bracelet without agreement to their taste.

Just then, Jinhoo turned around, saw them, and rummaged through the chest again, fishing out a large gold chain as thick as two thumbs, with a sizable gold lock pendant hanging below it. Judging by its weight, it was nearly half a pound, and with the gold chain, weighed at least two pounds.

He handed it to Wang Yongzhu: "Aunt, take a look at this! Isn’t it beautiful?" he said, flaunting the gemstones encrusted on the lock pendant.

"Aunt, put it on quickly!" he insisted.

Old Granny Zhang chimed in: "Girl, I think this gold chain is fitting, only my daughter deserves such a good thing."

Wang Yongzhu resisted, thinking that if she put on that gold necklace, she’d need a new neck.

She immediately took the gold necklace and the bracelet from Old Granny Zhang’s hand, put them back in the chest, and signaled the two maids, Gu Yu and Li Xia, to go stand guard at the door.

Turning, she said, "Jinhoo, your thoughtful gesture is appreciated by both your granny and me. We’re not in a rush regarding these gifts. Your granny and I are right here, we’re not going anywhere, are we? Such treasures are not easily acquired. You’ve endured much hardship over the years, haven’t you?"

"These items, earned through your hard work and toil, should be kept well. Later, you can sell them to expand your business or save them for your future wife and children. They are valuable and can be passed down or used in times of need. Keep them safe; your granny and I don’t need these things!"

With that, she was about to close the chest.

Jinhoo couldn’t help but feel his eyes well up with tears; over the years, he had toiled far and wide, enduring countless hardships and disdain.

In the toughest times, due to his pride and complacency, he fell into someone’s trap, losing all the Silver Wang Yongzhu had given him, along with previous earnings.

He was left with nothing but a pile of unwanted goods.

At that time, he endured so much that he considered giving up and returning to Qilidun or Chicheng County to stay with Wang Yongzhu, where he’d at least find work and never want for food and clothing.

In the end, he held on.

He didn’t want to disappoint his aunt, didn’t want to be looked down upon, and didn’t want to go back to Qilidun to lead a monotonous life!

He sold those goods cheaply, at least to have some travel expenses, and then, following an old trade caravan route, he dared not be at all complacent. With a tiny stash from his previous apprenticeship, he began moving goods slowly, from place A to B, gradually amassing more Silver Coin.

Later, by chance, he overheard some news.

Inside this news was a deal, a real opportunity for a turnaround if the news was accurate.

But if the news was false, the hard-won recovery he’d managed would crumble, leaving no opportunity left.

Jinhoo pondered for a few days, finally deciding to stake everything he had.

He thought it through—if it all goes to waste, he’d give up entirely, too ashamed to seek out his aunt, resolved to earn money as a shop assistant or apprentice until he repaid his aunt, earning the face to meet his family.

Unbelievably, he won the gamble.

This time, he profited richly, even more than before his downfall.

Silver Coin became his confidence, and perhaps the heavens pitied him, for from then on, everything went smoothly.

Deals that others couldn’t strike, he accomplished.

Goods others lost money on, he could flip and sell, turning a loss into a sought-after treasure.

Suddenly, within Western Region merchants, he gained quite some fame, known for his good fortune.

Merchants inherently believe in fortune, and since he had substantial assets and a growing business.

Everyone wanted a bit of his luck and was willing to collaborate with him.

The joint ventures hardly ever lost; some yielded big profits, others small.

Suddenly, his reputation spread quickly in the business circle, attracting more people.

These past two years, he earned a lot, and he heard merchants discussing that Chicheng County’s County Magistrate seemed to be negotiating with the grassland side about opening trade routes.

Some commented, saying if the Western Region routes could also open, it would be wonderful.

The speaker hadn’t meant it seriously, but the listener took it to heart; Jinhoo had matured over the years, gaining foresight.

He naturally understood the benefits of opening Western Region trade routes and was instantly intrigued, wanting to come back and inquire.

Moreover, having been away from home for so many years, even when struggling, he made sure to send Silver and letters to Qilidun through messengers, and sent messages of safety to Wang Yongzhu.

But having not seen family for so long, he didn’t usually feel it in the busy days; yet when the topic was raised, his longing for home became overwhelming.

Hurriedly, he wrapped up his businesses and, with several trusted Shop Assistants he’d gathered over the years, headed straight for Chicheng County.

This journey took several months, and before reaching the borders of Great Chu, he heard that the trade agreement between Great Chu and the grasslands had been signed, with countless merchants flocking to Chicheng County hoping to seize the first opportunity.

Jinhoo expedited his pace, pushing hard, and finally made it before the New Year.

Now, as Wang Yongzhu questioned him, memories of past grievances and disgrace, long buried, welled up in his heart and his eyes turned red again.

Jinhoo understood well that only from his aunt could he receive such care, making it all the more precious because it was so rare!