Chapter 36: Falsely Accused of Theft

How many people had he asked for help while she was gone? How many favors had he owed in return? Since her return, he had not mentioned a single word of it, telling her instead not to overthink things. He had said he would repay the favors later, but he never told her he would repay them like this. That shop was his father’s life’s work. Her hundred-tael banknote was sitting right there in the cabinet; had they not tried to find her during the days she was missing? Qin Hanxiao felt a bitter ache in her heart. She waited until Jiang Sheng and the other man had left before adjusting her composure to emerge.

The banquet lasted until mid-afternoon. Qin Hanxiao toasted every table and, once it concluded, personally saw the guests off to the village entrance. On her way back, she ran into Madame Qian, whose nose was still swollen; the woman rolled her eyes at her and turned away. Qin Hanxiao ignored her; dogs that don't bite usually bark the loudest, and that was exactly the type Madame Qian was.

No sooner had she returned home than Pei Yuansheng stormed out of the village in a rage. The occupants of the old Pei family house had finally quieted down after two days of diarrhea; Mother Jiang was completely exhausted. The entire house reeked, as the latrines and buckets were insufficient, and the children had relieved themselves in the courtyard, leaving no one with the energy to clean it up. Unable to bear it any longer, Pei Yuansheng took money from Mother Jiang, claiming he needed to return to the city to study. He and his wife rented a small courtyard in town, ostensibly to facilitate his studies, though in truth, he simply despised the cramped conditions and the manual labor at home. Furthermore, in his eyes, the countryside was no longer worthy of him. Even the people of the Pei family only brought him shame. He regretted coming back at all. He conveniently forgot that he had returned only because his mother was dying. While she was now able to move and speak, she remained frail—weaker than anyone else in the Pei household.

Qin Hanxiao knew nothing of this, nor did she care, so long as the people from the old house didn't cause trouble. After pondering for half a day, she decided against revealing the banknote. She had claimed from the start that the Huang family hadn't paid her; to bring it out now would be to admit she had lied to Pei Yuantang. She would wait until the next hundred taels were paid before revealing it, keeping the first hundred as an emergency fund. That night, she waited for Pei Yuantang to bring up the matter himself, but he only handed her money and said nothing about the shop.

"Keep this money," he said.

Qin Hanxiao took it; there were thirty taels. "Where did this come from?" His payday was still half a month away; she wanted to see how he would explain it.

Pei Yuantang didn't blink or lose his composure. "I've been with my employer for many years, and he values my service, so he gave me a share of the profits. When things are going well, I get a bonus four times a year; in the off-season, it’s twice a year."

Qin Hanxiao watched his calm expression, seeing no sign of a lie. Had she not known the truth beforehand, she would have been completely deceived.

That night, the ferret that had been stealing water returned. Just like the night before, it scampered off as soon as Pei Yuanxing got up to check, and the chicken coop remained undisturbed. Everyone was curious why the ferret was stealing water, but only Qin Hanxiao knew it must have sensed something special in the water.

The next day, as she left, Qin Hanxiao told the others, "I don't know when I'll be back today. I am going to treat the old mistress of the Magistrate's family. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The young attendant who came to pick her up added, "I will personally ensure the Madam is delivered back to her doorstep."

After performing acupuncture on Old Mistress Huang, they proceeded to the Magistrate’s manor. Qin Hanxiao felt like a bumpkin visiting a grand estate, marveling at everything she saw, though she kept her wonder to herself. She had thought the Huang residence was magnificent, but it paled in comparison to the Magistrate’s manor.

Old Mistress Zhang’s condition was not as urgent as Old Mistress Huang’s; it was a chronic ailment, but it required a longer course of treatment, involving medication and incense in addition to acupuncture. When she explained this, Old Mistress Zhang kindly told her to arrange whatever was necessary and to call upon anyone to prepare it. The old lady was gentle and amiable, with none of the airs one would expect of a high official's wife. As she performed the acupuncture, the two old mistresses chatted and laughed, a sight that made her envious.

Crucially, once Old Mistress Zhang was satisfied with her medical skills, she gave her a generous fee. Beyond the two hundred taels in banknotes, she also received two bolts of satin and an inkstone—clearly, they knew there was a scholar in her household. Furthermore, she was invited to stay for lunch, during which the ladies kindly asked her about life in the countryside.

After saying her goodbyes, she was escorted out by the old nanny who served Old Mistress Zhang. Upon reaching the front courtyard, she unexpectedly ran into Magistrate Zhang, accompanied by someone she never expected to see: Vice Prefect Ruan, the brother of Madame Qin, a man she had once called "Uncle."

Vice Prefect Ruan spotted her, his eyes widening and his brow furrowing. "What are you doing here instead of staying home where you belong?" He had meant to intervene on behalf of his sister just two days ago but hadn't yet found the time; he never expected to run into her at the Magistrate's manor. What was her status? By what right was she here? What was her purpose?

Qin Hanxiao followed Old Mistress Huang in bowing. "This humble woman, Qin, pays her respects to the Magistrate and the Vice Prefect."

Before she could stand straight, Vice Prefect Ruan pointed at her and scolded, "Audacious! Knowing the Magistrate is present, why do you not kneel?"

It wasn't that she couldn't kneel; she simply didn't want to kneel to him. Magistrate Zhang’s expression darkened visibly, leaving her no choice but to kneel. Then, the Magistrate turned to Ruan and asked, "How is this? Do you know her?"

Ruan’s gaze darted between the Magistrate and Qin Hanxiao as he calculated his next move. "Reporting to the Magistrate, this woman was once my sister’s daughter, showered with affection by her parents for over a decade. Only later did we discover she was not their biological child; her true parents had swapped her at birth out of greed for the Qin family’s wealth. My sister, out of pity, simply reclaimed her own daughter and did not report it to the authorities. I never expected that upon leaving the Qin family, she would steal many of their belongings, including my sister’s dowry items."

He then turned to Qin Hanxiao, feigning a compassionate tone. "I speak to you only out of the kindness of those dozen years we shared. Since you are now married, you should be content to stay at home, serve your in-laws and husband, and stop flaunting yourself in public. Furthermore, do not go to the Qin house again; spare your mother the grief. Even if she is not your birth mother, she raised you for over a decade and loved you dearly. If you have even a shred of conscience, you should know what to do."

Qin Hanxiao’s mind raced. For a moment, she longed to reveal the truth and beg the Magistrate to deliver justice.