Third Uncle's concerns were not lost on Jiang Si. In fact, ever since she had transmigrated into this world two days ago, she had been pondering the same question: what would she do after retrieving the treasures they had taken?
Staying in Hu City was out of the question.
Though Jiang Si had never lived through this era, she had at least watched period dramas like Parents' Love and Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
A young and beautiful capitalist's daughter like her, carrying a fortune in valuables, would face a grim fate whether she stayed in the city or went to the countryside.
So, she had only two options. The first was to follow in her scoundrel father's footsteps and find a way to sneak into Hong Kong.
During this time, the main routes to Hong Kong were by land or sea.
In the novel, her scoundrel father's family had bribed a snakehead, spending a fortune to buy a cargo ship, then sailing from Yancheng into Hong Kong waters.
But even after paying generously, the snakehead had turned treacherous mid-journey.
Had it not been for the thugs her father brought along, the entire family might have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish.
And life in Hong Kong wasn’t as rosy as imagined.
Back then, Hong Kong was ruled by triads—chaotic, lawless, and fiercely xenophobic, especially toward mainlanders.
The female protagonist, of course, had plot armor and the protection of a wealthy young master, so she had nothing to fear.
But Jiang Si? She neither spoke Cantonese nor knew any self-defense.
In Hong Kong, she’d either have to live quietly in a rented room or cling to a powerful patron.
Otherwise, once targeted, she wouldn’t even know how she died.
In her past life, she had merely been wealthy—hardly someone who could shake up Hong Kong. She knew her limits.
By comparison, Jiang Si leaned toward the second option: after collecting the treasures, she would take a ship from Yancheng directly south to Qiongzhou Island.
Yes—she was going to find her fiancé and fulfill their marriage arrangement!
Aside from the fact that this engagement had been arranged by Jiang's mother, Qiongzhou Island was far from the political center. Even if someone came after her, Jiang Si believed he would protect her unconditionally.
In the original novel, when her fiancé learned that the original Jiang Si had been sent to the countryside, he immediately rushed from Qiongzhou Island to Heilongjiang.
But back then, the original host was still deluded by the sweet lies spun by her scoundrel father’s family, believing she would soon return to Hu City.
So, she had harshly rejected him, throwing the betrothal token in his face.
"Give up! I’ll never go with you, and I’ll never marry you! Take this worthless thing back, and don’t ever come looking for me again! Our engagement is over!"
"And remember your place!"
Speaking of status, her fiancé’s family background was anything but humble.
His father was the commander of the Capital City Military District, his mother the deputy head of the General Political Department’s cultural troupe, and he himself was the captain of the 101st Regiment of the Naval Aviation Force.
The reason the original host had thrown his status in his face traced back over twenty years.
In the 1940s, the world was still in chaos.
Her fiancé had been picked up from the streets by Jiang's mother, half-dead, his body covered in wounds.
Taking pity, Jiang's mother had brought him home and given him a chance to live.
After the original host was born, he became her shadow—carrying her shopping bags, shielding her from harm.
Then, when she was eleven, he saw a missing person notice in the newspaper and finally reunited with his birth parents.
The two families were well-matched, and the mothers hit it off instantly, sealing the engagement.
But the original host could never bring herself to like this cold, aloof man eight years her senior.
When her friends teased him as her "childhood groom," she grew furious.
From then on, she ignored his calls, refused his letters, and wanted nothing to do with him.
Yet this same icy, rejected man, upon learning that the original host had been forced into a ghost marriage, stormed into Heilongjiang once more.
He dug up the family’s ancestral grave, retrieved her remains, and, knowing she would never be his wife, buried her in the Jiang family plot.
The book never mentioned his fate again, except for one passing remark from the female protagonist in her old age:
"Who would’ve thought someone as sharp-tongued as Jiang Si could inspire such devotion…"
Remembering this, Jiang Si voiced her decision.
"Third Uncle, don’t worry about me. After this is settled, I’m going to Qiongzhou Island."
Third Uncle was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Of course, he knew Young Master Huo was stationed there—but Jiang Si had always refused to even hear his name. Why the sudden change?
Jiang Si smiled, offering an explanation for herself and the original host.
"Before, I was blinded—couldn’t tell good from bad. They say experience is the best teacher."
"If I still don’t learn my lesson, wouldn’t that make all your guidance a waste?"
"Third Uncle, I promise I won’t be so foolish again."
Seeing her sincerity, Third Uncle spoke from the heart.
"Jiang Si, I may not know much, but in my long life, I’ve learned to judge character."
"Young Master Huo is a good man!"
"He might seem stern and quiet, but that’s nothing to fret over."
"Go, build a good life together—that’s what matters."
"Just remember one thing: never tolerate injustice. You have the means to stand your ground."
With that, he got up, shifted a few loose bricks beneath his bed, and pulled out a leather suitcase.
The key had never left his person all these years.
"Before Old Master passed, he entrusted me with some things."
"He said to hand them over only when you were mature enough to make sound judgments."
At his nod, Jiang Si opened the case.
Inside were several land deeds—including the Jiang family ancestral home her scoundrel father had coveted.
There were also deeds to Western-style houses and a plot of land in the suburbs.
Beneath them were records of Old Master’s charitable donations over the years.
But the most striking item was a framed photograph.
A group portrait.
Jiang Si was stunned to see faces she had only ever glimpsed in newspapers—especially Old Master, standing just two places away from that figure.
"Keep these safe."
"Also, Old Master left a dowry for you—buried under that suburban plot, marked by a grave mound."
When Third Uncle had first received these items, he’d nearly gone gray with worry.
Such a fortune, and nowhere truly secure to hide it.
In the end, this had been his solution.
And truth be told, for years, no one had so much as glanced at that spot—let alone dug it up.
However safe it might be, they couldn’t just leave things there forever. Third Uncle reminded her, "Once you find a proper place to store them, remember to take them away."
"Alright, I understand."
Jiang Si nodded. There was no place safer than her own space.
Once she finished handling her current tasks, she planned to go and collect everything!
