Chapter 13: The Bailiff Comes to the Door

Qin Lang was still waiting in the Qin residence for the official to arrive, but instead, He Jiaojiao showed up first.

He couldn’t afford to worry about Tong’s people binding others anymore. With a forced smile, he went to meet He Jiaojiao, despite the pain from his injuries.

Thankfully, when he went out to meet her, he had borrowed a set of clothes from his servants to wear.

Although the clothes didn’t fit perfectly, it was better than nothing.

He Jiaojiao didn’t pay him any attention and went straight to the room where the dowry was kept.

She opened each of the dowry chests one by one, and upon finding them empty, she angrily asked, “Where is my dowry? Qin Lang, are you going to explain this?”

She raised her eyes to look at Qin Lang, but upon seeing his disheveled appearance, she was startled. “What happened to you?”

Qin Lang was known for his handsome features—his face was like carved jade, with brows and eyes that seemed to be painted by the finest brush. His peach blossom eyes always held a hint of a smile, soft yet captivating.

His nose was high, his lips thin and pale. When he smiled, his lips would curve slightly upward, giving him a carefree, charming air.

However, despite his gentle gaze, upon closer inspection, his eyes lacked the resolute determination of a scholar. Instead, there was a calculating cleverness.

But for a sheltered young lady like He Jiaojiao, she wouldn’t be able to discern these subtleties.

In the past, He Jiaojiao had been enamored by Qin Lang’s appearance.

Seeing him in such a state now, as if a precious jade had been chipped, made her feel a pang of regret.

Though there was a hint of disdain in her eyes, there was even more sympathy.

Especially considering his current attire, it looked so unkempt.

Looking more closely, it seemed that Qin Lang had lost his hair, and though he had tried to cover it up, it was still visible.

Qin Lang, noticing the sympathy in He Jiaojiao’s gaze, sighed, “This morning, when I woke up, I discovered that the residence had been robbed. Not only your dowry, but almost everything in the house was taken. The thief even beat me up.”

“He Jiaojiao, my elder brother has already gone to report it to the authorities, but don’t worry. I will make sure to explain everything to you.”

Seeing Qin Lang’s genuine distress, He Jiaojiao, who had initially suspected him, began to soften.

But seeing him like this, it seemed unlikely that the wedding could happen today.

“In that case, I’ll return to the He family and wait there. I believe Qin Lang will explain this to my family,” she said, not wanting to pressure him too much since he was the man she liked.

He Jiaojiao decided to leave the Qin residence and discuss the matter with her father and his concubine when she got home.

As she hurriedly walked out, Qin Lang’s gaze darkened with frustration.

If it had been Lin Zhiyi, she would have come over, comforting him and speaking sweet words to ease his pain. She would have assured him that it wasn’t his fault and would have helped him find the thief.

But He Jiaojiao, upon seeing his injuries, didn’t even offer a word of concern. Instead, she walked away in such a hurry, and Qin Lang even sensed a hint of disdain in her eyes.

His fists clenched in anger.

As He Jiaojiao reached the door, she suddenly noticed that Tong was binding the Qin family servants. She asked, “What is Manager Tong doing?”

He Jiaojiao recognized Tong, having previously bought servants from Chen Ji Servants.

Tong bowed and said, “Miss He, these servants and this residence were sold to us by Madam Lin. I’ve come to take them away, but these servants have been disobedient, so I had no choice but to tie them up.”

The Qin residence had seventeen servants, including Chai Ya.

Tong had bound fifteen of them, while two were still missing, and he had already sent people to search for them.

He Jiaojiao furrowed her brow slightly. “Are you saying this house has been sold to you as well?”

Tong’s face darkened. “Yes.”

Did he look like he was lying to her?

“Alright, I understand the situation. Thank you for informing me, Manager Tong.”

He Jiaojiao said this and left the Qin residence.

Once outside, she asked her maid, “Apart from my dowry, what else has been stolen from the Qin residence?”

The maid responded, “Miss, aside from your dowry, it seems they also mentioned that Lin Zhiyi’s dowry and some valuable items from the house are missing.”

He Jiaojiao let out a long sigh of relief, then slowly said, “Alright, let’s head back to the He family.”

At this moment, all she could think about was going back to discuss the matter with her father, He Shilang.

If Lin Zhiyi’s dowry was truly gone, the Qin family would be left to rely on her for support.

She wasn’t a fool like Lin Zhiyi!

Her father would certainly find a way to get the dowry back.

Just as He Jiaojiao left, someone from Chen Ji Servants came to summon Qin Lang, as Tong, the manager, had something to discuss with him.

Qin Lang had no choice but to put his thoughts aside and go meet Manager Tong.

“Master Qin, Chen Ji Servants has purchased seventeen servants, but we can only see fifteen. The remaining two, we ask for your help in finding them.”

Qin Lang looked down at the ground.

The servants were all tied up, their mouths gagged, piled on the ground like animals.

Among them were those who served his mother, the maid who served his elder brother and sister-in-law, the servants from his younger siblings’ rooms, and the servants from his own household.

All of them looked at him with pleading eyes, and Qin Lang turned his head away.

He had enough trouble keeping himself safe, let alone dealing with these servants.

“Manager Tong, two of the servants went out to search for the others, but they’ll return shortly. However, you can’t take these servants yet. Once I find Lin Zhiyi, that daughter of a traitor, I will have her refund you the money.”

Tong sneered, “What a joke! If I want to buy back the things I purchased from Chen Ji, the price will be very different.”

Chen Ji Servants was a business built on buying and selling, and after going through so much effort, he wasn’t about to let go of the goods just because of a refund.

Qin Lang felt his temper flare, but he knew he couldn’t do anything to Tong, who was not someone he could afford to offend.

“Master, we’ve found Lin Zhiyi. She’s at the government office. Would you like to go there?”

The two servants sent out earlier had just returned to the Qin residence and quickly reported to Qin Lang.

“The government office? Which one?” Qin Lang’s heart leapt with joy. He hadn’t expected the officials to act so quickly. His elder brother had just gone to report the matter, and now the government had already captured Lin Zhiyi.

“At the Jingzhao government office. I’ll prepare a carriage to take you there, Master.”

There were two carriages at the Qin residence, the only items not stolen.

“Master Qin, you can go. You two stay behind. Take them and tie them up.”

The two servants, who had been so focused on reporting to Qin Lang, only now noticed something was amiss.

“Who are you? Why are you tying us up?”

Seeing that it was Manager Tong, they immediately understood, “Master, did we do something wrong? Why are you selling us?”

Qin Lang, though enraged, felt more helpless. “I didn’t sell you; it was Lin Zhiyi. She sold you.”

The two servants froze for a moment, then realized their slave contracts had always been with Madam Lin.

And when they betrayed their master and treated her poorly, she must have despised them.

Panic spread across their faces. It was over—everything was over!

“Please, Master, save us! Please, Master…”

Before they could continue, their mouths were gagged.

Qin Lang could no longer care about the servants. With no one left to attend to him, he had to go prepare the carriage himself.

Just as he stepped outside, he saw a group of bailiffs from the Jingzhao government office entering.

He quickly composed himself, flashing a smile, and hurried to greet them with quick steps. He cupped his hands in a bow and said, “Honorable officials, I was just about to head to the Jingzhao government office myself. You’ve all made the trip here on my behalf.”