I Became a Sugar Mama to an Ancient General during a Famine! - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Five hundred million! I’ll Take It

Ye Mumu moved to the resort villa for a specific reason.

Beside the villa, a small underground stream flowed from the mountain peak to its base. The water was pristine and pure, suitable for both drinking and daily use.

In earlier times, village children would bathe and fish at the mountain’s foot, while villagers used the water for laundry and cooking. However, now that every household had running water installed, the stream had fallen into disuse.

She wanted to experiment by placing a vase in the stream to test if water could be transferred through it. Without delay, she sent a note to Zhan Chengyin.

After receiving it, he replied, 「Very well, I’ve prepared a well for the goddess.」

To facilitate water access for the military camp, Zhan Chengyin had ordered his soldiers to clean out an old dry well. Once filled, it would provide convenient drinking water for the troops.

The stream lay merely ten meters from the villa, making water transfer feasible. She secured the vase between two trees using iron chains, locking its mouth to prevent it from being swept away. Then, she constructed a small pond using stones to hold the vase in place before submerging it in the stream.

A vortex formed at the vase’s mouth, with water continuously flowing in without any backflow. Success! She wouldn’t need a pump anymore—the vase in the stream could handle the water transfer. When she later checked from the villa’s upper window, water was still steadily flowing into the vase!

Perfect—at this rate, Zhan Chengyin’s well would fill quickly overnight.

After washing up, her phone rang with a call from Aunt Liu.

“Miss, that scoundrel from the Ye family tried sneaking into the villa but got shocked by the electric fence. Now he’s lying there wailing, refusing to leave, and demanding compensation while shouting your name.”

She knew the Ye family wouldn’t give up so easily—like persistent ghosts. In mere hours, they’d attempted scaling the walls. If she hadn’t installed the electric fence earlier, they would likely have breached the villa by now.

“Where were the security guards? How did they get in?”

“The guards tried removing them, but they’re playing dead—crying out if anyone touches them. They’re even claiming you had someone beat them last night. Oh right, they mentioned your third uncle…”

Third Uncle—even more troublesome than the eldest branch. Just yesterday, he’d pointed at his own forehead, challenging Ye Mumu to bump against it. These impossible relatives were utterly exhausting!

The property manager called next, his tone apologetic. “Miss Ye, I apologize. We thought yesterday’s lesson would deter them, but these people are relentless.”

“Who let them in?” Ye Mumu demanded.

“They disguised themselves as utility workers. It was our oversight. I’ll handle it immediately, no charge. Though, about the electric fence—you should have notified us first. We need to inform other residents about such installations to prevent accidents. The sudden installation puts us in a difficult position.”

Ye Mumu frowned and transferred him a substantial red envelope. “Thank you for handling this, Manager.”

He accepted immediately. “It’s an internal matter—no trouble at all. I’ll post the safety notice right away.”

After hanging up, Aunt Liu confirmed the property staff had removed her third uncle. Ye Mumu called her lawyer, pressing for faster proceedings to keep the Ye family at bay. The lawyer promised to expedite matters. If that proved insufficient, she was prepared to sell the debt at half price to professional collectors—people who wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary to recover funds.

The next morning, Elder Mu arrived early at the mountain’s base. Ye Mumu arranged for security to let them up, and their car wound its way to the middle of the mountain. Four people emerged: Elder Mu, Deputy Curator Zhang, and two scholarly elderly gentlemen.

Old Mu gazed at the classical villa nestled in the mountain mist. Before it stretched fields of fruit trees and vegetables; behind flowed the stream, adorned with elegant pavilions and a waterside gazebo.

“This place is truly paradise—perfect for nurturing the spirit!” he exclaimed.

Ye Mumu smiled. “If you’re fond of it, you’re welcome to stay. Xianyuan Villa has vacant rooms—shall I have some reserved for you?”

“Ah, if only! I still need to go back and mind the shop!”

She led them into the living room, where over ten exquisite porcelain pieces—bowls, plates, and vases—graced the coffee table. A golden wine jug commanded attention from another table.

The two scholarly elders rushed to examine the porcelain, hands trembling as they studied each piece. One donned reading glasses and produced a magnifying glass for closer inspection.

Deputy Curator Zhang, however, fixated on the wine jug. His face flushed as he examined its base, body, and the intricate golden dragon filigree. “Remarkable! It’s part of the set—matches those two wine cups perfectly! This set could be any museum’s crown jewel—absolutely priceless!”

The scholarly pair nodded in agreement. “Old Mu spoke true—these are genuine Great Qi Dynasty relics.”

“Such perfect preservation—unmatched anywhere, and over ten pieces! Extraordinary!”

“To think we’d see artifacts from a dynasty known only in unofficial histories, predating the Qin by centuries! Every glance is a privilege!”

Elder Mu cradled a porcelain bowl, reluctant to set it down. “Look at you two—acting like novices! Each of these ten bowls could fetch over a billion. The preservation is immaculate.” He indicated the base, “See here? Even then, they used family crests to distinguish nobility from commoners.”

Ye Mumu presented him with a gold ingot. “What do you think its value is?”

Elder Mu studied the government mint marks and dedication to a general, holding it to the light. His eyes gleamed. “Fascinating! So emperors not only received such ingots as tribute but bestowed them on generals! This piece is historically significant. If we could analyze its gold content…”

Eagerly, he declared, “Miss Ye, I must have it. Name your price!”

“I leave that to you.”

“Two hundred million?”

The other elders abandoned their porcelain inspection to examine the ingot—roughly 200 grams, bearing the inscription “Minted by the Great Qi State” on front and “Bestowed upon General Wu”

on back.

The bespectacled old man said: “I want this gold ingot. Young lady, 230 million.”

The other old man: “I offer 300 million!”

Seeing them raise the price, Old Mu was furious. “Four hundred million! This was meant for me—have you no shame?”

“Five hundred million! I’ll take it!” the bespectacled old man pressed.

Deputy Curator Zhang walked over and examined the gold ingot closely. Upon seeing its inscriptions, his eyes lit up as he immediately raised his bid: “Six hundred and fifty million! If you keep raising your bids beyond this point, I will accuse you both of malicious speculation!”