Reborn as a Happy Wife in a Rural Family
Chapter 96: It’s Over, It’s Over

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: It’s Over, It’s Over

When Ms. Jiang saw them return, she immediately asked Ms. Yang to cook some noodles.

After dinner, Gu Qingli let Yun No. 20 and Wuqing rest, saying they could discuss any issues the next day. She then went to the main house.

This was her first time entering Ms. Jiang’s room; it was very clean and simple.

"Mother, are you all well at home?" Gu Qingli asked as she sat down.

Ms. Jiang glanced at her. "We’re doing well at home, and the crops in the field are thriving too. But seeing you all return like this, did something happen?"

"No, just some minor troubles on the road." In the end, Gu Qingli did not tell Ms. Jiang about the incident at the Lin residence.

Ms. Jiang nodded, sighing in relief. "That’s good. Have you heard any news from your father and your brother?"

"Yes, Mother, they’re both fine. Yunjing said he’ll be back after some time, but we’ll only know the arrangements once he returns."

"Alright, you should go back and rest now." Seeing Gu Qingli speak so calmly and show no sign of anything amiss, Ms. Jiang believed her.

Her husband and son had been gone for a month, and her heart was constantly uneasy; she wouldn’t be at peace until she knew they were safe.

She had grown accustomed to this simple farming life. Although it was somewhat impoverished, at least they didn’t live in constant fear, dreading the day bad news might arrive.

But their identities, as members of the Xiao Family... one could hide for a while, but not forever. Sooner or later, they would have to face what was coming.

Ms. Jiang sighed and waved Gu Qingli away.

Gu Qingli knew her mother was worried, so she calmly deceived her.

Gu Qingli returned to her room, closed the door, and slipped into the Space. She soaked away her exhaustion before emerging to sleep.

Smelling Xiao Yunjing’s lingering scent, she hugged her quilt and quickly fell asleep.

Indeed, with their departure, Qiyang County was thrown into chaos.

Every morning, people delivered firewood and vegetables to the Lin residence. When these people entered and saw that the Lin residence had become completely empty overnight, it truly terrified them.

Once they regained their senses, they scrambled to the county government office in a panic to report the incident.

When Zhao Shijin received the report, he was in the middle of a meal, and a mouthful of food caught in his throat.

His servants quickly patted him on the back.

Zhao Shijin’s eyes rolled a few times before he managed to swallow. Without even taking the time to change into his official uniform, he summoned all available personnel from the county office and rushed to the Lin residence.

After inspecting the Lin residence, he found that apart from the servants who were still unconscious, all the masters were gone.

"We’re finished, finished."

Zhao Shijin sank to the ground, muttering to himself.

The thing he feared had happened after all. He had no idea what outrageous deed Dean Lin had committed to provoke those malevolent figures.

Now they were truly done for.

Lord Fu observed Zhao Shijin’s expression, like that of a man facing imminent catastrophe. Unflustered, he walked over and signaled two constables to help Zhao Shijin up and find him a place to sit.

Lord Fu was over forty years old, a Presented Scholar by background. In the year he passed the highest imperial examination, he was appointed as a minor county magistrate. However, due to his upright and unyielding character, he was not promoted at the end of his three-year term, despite his outstanding achievements. Furthermore, he remained in that position for a full fifteen years, transforming from a young man into a middle-aged one. He eventually lost his position as county magistrate for offending influential people. It was only three years ago that he came to Zhao Shijin’s side and became his Registrar.

He changed his previous official demeanor, learned to swallow his pride and endure slights, and only then did he gain Zhao Shijin’s trust and significant responsibilities. Although he swallowed his pride, he still adhered to the fundamental principles of officialdom. He refrained from illegal or disorderly acts and certainly wouldn’t assist Zhao Shijin in his nefarious, justice-twisting schemes.

Lord Fu was aware of many of Zhao Shijin’s illicit dealings. In fact, providing information about them served as his pledge of loyalty. Xiao Yunjing had obtained a great deal of evidence against Zhao Shijin, all supplied by Lord Fu.

When Xiao Yunjing and his group appeared, Xiao’s men discovered Lord Fu’s talent and recruited him, making him one of Xiao Yunjing’s loyal followers. Once Zhao Shijin was overthrown, Lord Fu was assured of a promotion, allowing him to realize his ambitions and bring prosperity to the people of the region.

"Lord Fu, tell me, what should I do?" After sitting down, Zhao Shijin’s mind was a complete mess; he had lost all sense of judgment and no longer knew how to proceed.

He could only listen to Lord Fu; usually, when he was unsure about decisions, he would consult him.

Lord Fu’s eyes flickered. In truth, he wasn’t sure if Xiao Yunjing and his group were behind this, nor did he know what to do.However, since Zhao Shijin had asked, he had to devise a way to push responsibility for the matter upwards, so that even if blame was assigned, it wouldn’t fall on him.He had long ago mastered the art of self-preservation.

This matter was too significant. Currently, it was completely unknown whether Dean Lin and his family were alive or dead.

He said, "Sir, we mustn’t lose our composure. If this isn’t handled properly, we’ll all lose our heads."

Zhao Shijin was evidently terrified by Lord Fu’s words; his greatest fear was losing his head.

"Quick, quick, tell me what you think."

"Alright." Lord Fu signaled the two constables to inspect every room.

The constables understood and left at once to carry out the order.

Only then did Lord Fu continue, "Sir, I fear Dean Lin has offended some formidable figures from the martial arts world. Your subordinate advises you to quickly write a memorial to the higher-ups reporting this incident. It cannot be delayed."

"Are you suggesting we frame this as a martial arts vendetta?" Zhao Shijin asked in surprise.

Lord Fu nodded and added, "Sir, haven’t you seen? This place has been plundered so thoroughly, it’s as if it’s been scrubbed clean. Could any commoner accomplish such a feat? Besides, isn’t that figure on Tiger Head Mountain already a major headache for you, Sir?"

And they had indeed found a secret tunnel leading outside the city—that was proof enough!But this idiot was only concerned with saving his own skin.

Zhao Shijin slapped his thigh. Calming down, he patted Lord Fu’s shoulder and said, "Zi’an, this official wasn’t wrong about you. At critical moments, you’re still the one who can help me. Rest assured, if we navigate this danger successfully, I will definitely not treat you poorly."

Lord Fu smiled and cupped his hands. "I, Zi’an, thank you, Sir. Sir, let us wait a moment. Lord-Lieutenant Hu and Captain Li are still questioning the Lin residence servants."

"Good. We’ll see what information they gather from the questioning. Then I can write the memorial to report upwards."

Zhao Shijin finally let out a breath, his heart not quite so frantic anymore.

At this time, the Lin residence was surrounded by a crowd of people, all craning their necks to look inside, whispering from time to time.

In an instant, the entire County City was in an uproar. The Lin residence had been plundered again! It was truly a case of one disaster barely ending before another struck.

Everyone marveled, wondering which powerful entity Dean Lin had offended to incur such relentless misfortune.

Huaishan Academy also learned of the incident. Vice Dean Sun, upon hearing the news, rushed to the Lin residence, met with Zhao Shijin, and briefly acquainted himself with the situation.

Hearing the details, Vice Dean Sun sighed incessantly.

He knew Dean Lin all too well. Outwardly, Lin always appeared gentle, scholarly, and erudite, a man of cultivation and substance. In reality, he was hypocritical and ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve his ends. The wealth he had amassed, while perhaps not enough to rival a nation’s treasury, was certainly enough to make anyone covet it intensely. It was perfectly normal for him to be targeted by figures from the martial arts world or common bandits.