Back to the 60s: The Struggle Career of a Charmed Wife
Chapter 1513: Prosperous Growth 2

Chapter 1513: Chapter 1513: Prosperous Growth 2

Wang Cuilan asked, "What’s the good news?" Cheng Baoguo chuckled and said, "Didn’t Second Brother and his grandchildren come back last month? The day before yesterday, Second Brother and Zhengguo took Xibao to pay respects to Master Shan. Guess what happened?"

"What happened? Stop rambling, just get to the point." Isn’t it supposed to be good news?

Cheng Baoguo laughed, "The mountains near Master Shan’s place experienced a landslide last year due to heavy rain. On the way, Xibao got tired, so he rested midway with Second Brother and Zhengguo. While they were resting, Xibao took out his little trowel and started digging some dandelions nearby, saying they’re good for clearing heat and detoxifying, and can even be used in medicine. The soil was loosened by the recent rainfall, and when he dug a little deeper, he unearthed a big chunk of dirt. Guess what happened next?"

"Just say it already, don’t make me guess!" Wang Cuilan was eager to find out what had happened, her tone filled with impatience.

Cheng Baoguo didn’t beat around the bush any longer and said, "According to Zhengguo, there was a loud ’clang’ as the trowel hit something solid, producing a metallic sound—a noise you’d typically hear when iron strikes iron. At first, they thought it was some discarded iron cannon scrap or similar junk buried beneath, which could be sold to the recycling station. So they let Xibao keep digging, and eventually, he unearthed an iron box."

Wang Cuilan froze for a moment and asked, "What was inside the box?"

As everyone knew, Xibao’s fortunes tended to lead to remarkable finds, so whatever was inside the box was likely extraordinary.

"A box full of gold!" Cheng Baoguo replied.

"What? Gold?"

"Yes."

Wang Cuilan immediately opened her mouth wide in astonishment. A whole box of gold? What did that even mean? Even a small container of gold would be worth a fortune—after all, gold is compact yet incredibly dense. A mere ounce of gold is about the size of the tip of a finger, and a ten-ounce gold bar is roughly the length and width of an index finger.

Cheng Baoguo didn’t even need to guess that his wife must be utterly shocked at this moment. He chuckled and said, "It’s indeed gold, and of excellent quality too. They’re gold ingots. According to Second Brother, these were most likely officially minted during the late Qing Dynasty. Zhengguo and Second Brother discussed it briefly and decided to bring Xibao and the box of gold over to me to turn it over to the state."

"Aren’t you supposed to get some kind of reward?" Wang Cuilan asked. There was historical precedent for this—in past years, when farmers stumbled upon gold nuggets or similar items and handed them over to the state, they were always rewarded.

Compared to those gold nuggets, the value of an entire box of gold was far greater.

"Of course, there’s a reward!" Cheng Baoguo immediately started looking out for his family’s interests. He held a meeting with the local government officials. Since the box contained a whopping 108 pounds of gold, at the current bank gold buyback rate—even conservatively at eight yuan per gram—this stash would be worth over 400,000 yuan. The historical significance? At this moment, it had no value to speak of and wasn’t worth mentioning.

Faced with such a staggering value, who could remain calm? The municipal officials were visibly excited, and a few senior cadres nearly struggled to catch their breath.

The gold was discovered by Xibao, and with Lu Father as the direct grandfather and Wang Zhenguo as the direct uncle, neither had any intention of claiming credit. Thus, Cheng Baoguo represented them and asked Xibao if there was anything he wanted. They would provide a reward on behalf of the state.

"Could we get a tractor for our brigade?" Xibao had responded at the time.

Whether at home with his parents or staying with his elders, Xibao wasn’t the type to stay cooped up. He often accompanied his family members out and about to broaden his horizons. It was during one of these trips to a commune in the outskirts of Beijing that he had seen a tractor. The vehicle had been loaded with people and goods, rumbling along noisily. One person could operate the tractor with ease—it wasn’t a laborious task.

Xibao had then added, "My dad and mom said agricultural development will gradually become mechanized. I think having a tractor could ease the burden on Grandpa, Grandma, Uncles, and Aunts. It’d be so convenient for farming and transportation!"