The Blessed Farm Girl Has a Spatial Storage
Chapter 58: Analyzing the Case

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Analyzing the Case

Qiao Muchen thought for a moment and asked, "That Old Lady Wu is a habitual offender. She often embezzles the food Country Gentry Wei sends to the school, right?"

Zhao Zhitong nodded. "Yes, yes. When the young servant who found the stolen goods came back, he said there was a big jar under the table."

Wei Shulan also nodded in agreement.

Qiao Muchen wondered, "Since Old Lady Wu had been embezzling the food Country Gentry Wei sent to the school all along without getting caught, why did she suddenly decide to frame Auntie today?"

The three little ones looked at each other, their brows furrowed in thought.

After a while, Wei Shulan spoke up, "Could it be because there was less mutton this time and my uncle found out, so Old Lady Wu wanted to find a scapegoat?"

Qiao Muchen shook his head. "That is indeed a possibility. However, from Country Gentry Wei’s demeanor when he arrived, it’s apparent that he didn’t notice the mutton was missing. So, we can rule out this hypothesis."

Zhao Zhitong rested her small hand on her little head, her mouth pursed in serious thought.

Grandpa Bai in the space didn’t speak to remind them, just watched the little radishes thinking hard.

Suddenly, Zhao Zhitong’s eyes brightened. "I got it! Old Lady Wu did it on purpose. She deliberately wanted to frame Mother."

Then she added doubtfully, "But she and Mother aren’t acquainted, and Mother has never offended her. Why would she want to hurt Mother?"

Qiao Muchen had just thought of this as well and nodded. "That’s right. She targeted Auntie on purpose. Auntie has always been kind and doesn’t work in the same place as her, so there’s no competition. There’s no reason for them to have a grudge. Thus, there’s only one possibility left."

Zhao Zhitong quickly answered, "I know, I know! She was bribed by someone!"

Qiao Muchen agreed. "That’s right. Now, we need to find out who has been close to Old Lady Wu lately and also bears a grudge against Auntie or your family members."

The three nodded, agreeing to investigate as soon as class was over.

At this moment, Wei Shulan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "I remember now! Old Lady Wu is a relative of my stepmother. I think there’s some distant family connection, like a great-uncle or something. But Stepmother definitely has no grudge against Auntie. However..."

As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Zhitong.

The three instantly realized that earlier, at the Wei residence, they had fought with Mrs. Wu’s daughter, leading to Mrs. Wu and her daughter being punished. Naturally, Mrs. Wu would hold a grudge against them.

Wei Shulan was now being cared for by Old Lady Wei, who had grown increasingly fond of her granddaughter over time.

Thus, Mrs. Wu no longer dared to bully Wei Shulan. Qiao Muchen was the sole heir of the Qiao Clan and was under Country Gentry Wei’s protection. Mrs. Wu certainly didn’t have the audacity to cause trouble for the Qiao family.

Among the three children involved in the fight, Zhao Zhitong, having no background or power, was the easiest target.

Upon discovering the real ’culprit,’ the three rejoiced as if they had discovered a new continent.

"Wow, being a judge is so interesting!" Zhao Zhitong exclaimed excitedly. "Catching bad guys is so much fun!"

Qiao Muchen and Wei Shulan both nodded in agreement.

So, the three excitedly ran to the Teacher to tell him what they had discovered.

Naturally, Zhao Zhitong was responsible for the explanation, with Qiao Muchen adding details where needed.

Scholar Meng stroked his beard, smiling at the three little children before him. Diligent thinking is a good thing.

After they finished speaking, Scholar Meng first praised them for their meticulousness and ability to think.

He then said he would pass on their findings to Country Gentry Wei and told the three children to hurry to the school to review their lessons, as class was about to start.

The three felt as if they had accomplished something truly significant. After thanking the Teacher, they joyfully headed to the school.

Suddenly remembering they had a day off tomorrow, Qiao Muchen invited, "Tomorrow is a rest day. Do you want to come to my house to read together?"

Zhao Zhitong was about to agree but suddenly remembered she had other plans. "I can’t go," she said. "Tomorrow, Grandfather is taking me to the mountains to gather medicinal herbs."

Qiao Muchen looked a little disappointed. "Alright then. Let’s read together next rest day."

Zhao Zhitong happily agreed, "Okay, okay!"

Then the three of them, having happily made their plans, walked hand in hand into the school.

This scene was witnessed by Zhao Yue, who was peeking in from a window. He scoffed with a ’TCH’ sound and then slumped onto his desk.

「 」

It was early summer. The sun shone brightly outside, while inside the classroom, the Teacher was lecturing on "Essential Enlightenment Teachings". His unhurried, gentle voice, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas from the trees outside the window, made one feel drowsy.

Naturally, the drowsy one was Zhao Yue.

Just as his eyelids were about to close, a ruler slammed down on his desk. Startled, he saw Scholar Meng standing before him with a stern face. "Pay more attention to the lesson," Scholar Meng said.

Zhao Yue immediately shook his head, complaining, "Teacher, it’s the sound of the cicadas in the trees. Their chirping is too sleep-inducing!"

"In that case, you may stand to listen to the lecture," Scholar Meng said.

Grumbling under his breath, Zhao Yue stood up. He saw Zhao Zhitong laughing at him and immediately bared his teeth, making a face at her.

The Teacher continued the lesson.

Zhao Zhitong, however, was captivated by the chirping of the cicadas in the trees. So, during the break, she asked her two friends, "Have you ever caught cicadas?"

Qiao Muchen shook his head. "No. I don’t like them. They’re scary."

Wei Shulan echoed Qiao Muchen’s sentiment. "I also think cicadas are terrifying."

"Huh?" Zhao Zhitong looked surprised. "Cicadas are scary? I’ve eaten cicadas before! They’re delicious!"

Seeing the disbelief on their faces, Zhao Zhitong emphasized, "It’s true! The kind that have just crawled out of the ground, before they’ve shed their shells. You fry them in oil, and they’re so fragrant!"

She eats bugs... How scary. Qiao Muchen thought.

Ah, Tongtong likes to eat bugs. Should I try to like them too? Wei Shulan wondered.

Zhao Zhitong completely missed the expressions on their faces and continued excitedly telling them how tasty cicadas were. "They’re even medicinal! They can treat heat-related illnesses. Oh, right! After school today, let’s go catch cicadas!"

Zhao Zhitong made this suggestion very excitedly, but Qiao Muchen and Wei Shulan hesitated. "Didn’t you say we were going to investigate Old Lady Wu after school today?"

Zhao Zhitong replied, "We’ve already told the Teacher, right? And he’ll tell Country Gentry Wei. So, let’s go catch cicadas first!"

Seeing them still hesitating, Zhao Zhitong said, "Grandpa Bai said we should bravely face our fears. You’re scared of cicadas because you haven’t been around them much. If we catch a lot of them, you won’t be scared anymore!"

Qiao Muchen was still reluctant.

So Zhao Zhitong said, "If you don’t dare to go, you’re a coward!"

Qiao Muchen immediately bristled, defiantly jutting out his chin. "Who says I don’t dare? I dare to catch cicadas! Do you dare to feed cicadas to my family’s big rooster?"

The moment she heard "big rooster," Zhao Zhitong’s little heart trembled, and she felt a phantom ache in her bottom.

Seeing this, Qiao Muchen immediately jeered, "HAHA, you’re a coward too!"

Zhao Zhitong blushed and said stubbornly, "I’m not a coward! I dare to face my fears! Today, I’ll go to your house and feed the big rooster! So, do you dare to catch cicadas?"

Qiao Muchen’s small face turned a little pale, but he refused to back down. "Catch them, then! Who’s afraid of whom? HMPH!"