Chapter 689: You stole the hairpin!

After five days of hard work, Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang had prepared the 500 jin of dried sweet potatoes that Fan Jia had requested.

In addition, they had also prepared another 50 jin for Yang Ye, these were the latest research results, they had to make sure he knew about them lest he think they were shirking him off.

After sending off the 500 and 50 jin of dried sweet potatoes, both Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang breathed a sigh of relief and started preparing for their trip to Prefecture City.

The Imperial Examination results would be posted up after half a month, so once they went, they had to stay until the Imperial List was released before they could return.

So all in all, they would be gone for at least one whole month.

They needed to sort out work for this upcoming month – the progress of the manor’s construction, the arrangements for the autumn harvest, not to mention tidying up her newly built courtyard for Qiao Changsun, Zhuang Luhe, and Qiao Dami to move in.

As for Qiao Zhaodi and Qiao Yindi, the sisters were still living in the Tong Family’s new residence, but now that there was a place for them on the manor, they too had to move.

That evening, Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang took a ox-cart back to Anping Village, preparing to move the household items that had piled up at home to the manor.

They also brought back 20 jins of dried sweet potatoes, which were prepared for Tong Tiehu.

“You load it onto the cart first, I’ll be back shortly.”

With a basket in one hand, Tong Sanlang used his lightfoot skill and ran off.

Qiao Xiaomai began to load items onto the cart.

For the next month, no one would be at home, so they had to move everything there, it were all items worth ten thousand taels.

Using his lightfoot skill, Tong Sanlang arrived at the Tong family’s new residence in no time.

From afar, he heard shouts and cries, prompted him to frown, what was happening?

Once he entered the yard, he sweeped his gaze across and saw Qiao Zhaodi and Qiao Yindi standing at the door of their room, crying, while the matriarch of the Zhang Family stood in front of them, left hand on hip, right hand wagging a silver hairpin at the sisters, cursing loudly.

“Our Tong family kindly allowed you two servants to stay, but how do you repay us? You dared to steal my silver hairpin! You’re still not clean-handed even after becoming servants, let’s go see the magistrate!” she said, reaching out with her left hand to grab Qiao Zhaodi.

Qiao Zhaodi quickly dodged backward and tearfully denied it, “I didn’t, I really didn’t.”

“If you didn’t steal this hairpin then how did it end up in your room? You even won’t admit it after being caught stealing. Let’s go see the magistrate! You’re just like your degenerate father, a despicable creature that can’t see sunlight!” Zhang shouted, stepping into the room and once again reaching out to grab Qiao Zhaodi.

“Stop!”

Tong Sanlang’s brows knitted together, setting his basket down on a table and striding towards Zhang, “Mother, what’s going on?”

Upon hearing him, Zhang faltered. She turned around, her face red with anger, raising the hairpin she held in her hand, “You remember this hairpin, don’t you? Your father bought it for me when we got married. I wanted to wear it a few days ago but couldn’t find it anywhere, even after turning my entire room upside down.”

“And today I found it in the rooms of these two servants. Tell me, if they didn’t steal it, did it grow legs and walk there by itself?!”

As soon as Zhang finished speaking, Zhu Hongyun, who had been enjoying the spectacle from the side, took a step forward and said, “Sanlang, you’ve been accepted as a scholar, right? A few days ago mother went to our grandmother’s house to share the good news and wanted to wear this hairpin, but we couldn’t find it anywhere. Who’d have thought that we’d find it by accident in Zhaodi and Yindi’s room today.”

Li Rou sat to the side, one hand holding onto Tong Xiaoyue. Tong Xiaoxing was standing beside her.

Spotting the dried sweet potatoes that Tong Sanlang had brought, she grabbed a handful and divided it between Tong Xiaoxing and Tong Xiaoyue, then grabbed another handful for herself. She munched on them while watching, appearing to be quite entertained by the drama.

The others were nowhere to be found.