Yeah, I mind-read everyone after I reach level 3 or 4. (I don't before that, simply because I usually, when starting a new character, go out and do some hunting around broken valley to get a level or two quickly, then do 2 or 3 quests in town which don't require mind-reads, and viola, I'm level 3 or 4 already. Then I talk to everyone and mind-read them.
Anyhow, yes, I opened both chests and looted them. That room wasn't a particularly hard puzzle. You just have to look around you to see where else you can get to. I just thought that I might have missed an additional easter egg by not figuring out the riddle. I guess the riddle just means that at some point, you have to 'backtrack' in the jumping puzzle area, which IIRC, you do need to do (after lowering the ladders).