Wanjin Lady

Chapter 410 The Evil Servant
The docks were full of gossips, and every household had no privacy. As soon as Wen Wan left, Qiao Niang was immediately pestered by a nosy neighbor. "Hey, that young lady just now... you looked so noble... what's going on? Are you going to get rich?"

"Oh no, debt collectors! How can I possibly get rich in this life?" Qiao Niang bolted the door and naturally struck up a conversation with the old lady. "But, I do have a bargain to take advantage of today... Madam, do you know Chunri Tower in West City?"

"I know! I know!" The old lady nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. "It's milk tea. Someone died from drinking it a few days ago!"

"No way! I just used overnight milk and got diarrhea, just like eating cold fatty meat! Chunrilou took the responsibility for their actions and paid twenty taels of silver to each person!"

"Oh my god! Twenty taels for diarrhea?" The old lady shook her head in disbelief, feeling a surge of resentment. "I had diarrhea a couple of days ago too. I regret not going to Chunrilou to buy a cup of milk tea. Otherwise, I could have earned twenty taels in a day!"

"My brother just came back and said Chunrilou is having a half-off sale today! Milk tea that usually costs 20 cents can be bought for 10 cents today! He also said that if you sign up a new member, existing members can get all-you-can-drink for free!"

"Ten cents? Free?" The woman gasped. "Aren't the things in Chunri Tower said to be incredibly expensive?"

Qiao Niang smiled and said, "That's the Red House! The Red House is for ladies, but we can all go to Chunri House! Besides, Chunri House's business has been bad recently, and if they don't lower their prices, they'll be dead! Auntie, you're fine anyway, so come with me to Chunri House and we'll have free milk tea!"

"But the milk tea at Kasuga Building is not clean!"

Qiao Niang laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Even if you have diarrhea, you can still make twenty taels of silver!"

The old lady's eyes rolled when she heard that, a greedy look on her face. She happily put down the basket on her waist and said, "Wait for me, I'll call my grandchildren and some of my daughters-in-law to come with us! My daughters-in-law have been saying for a long time that they want to drink some milk tea. They couldn't afford it before, but can they afford ten cents of milk tea today?"

If they all have diarrhea, wouldn't we be able to make dozens of taels of silver?
If you can't poop? Then take some croton or something to poop. Then, block the entrance to Chunri Tower and you won't go back empty-handed!

My God, I’m really rich this time——

The old lady's steps became cheerful.

Qiao Niang slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, then I'll tell the sisters at the dock too!"

Wen Wan's carriage swayed to the gate of Wen's house. Mr. Tu looked at the commotion in the front yard and said to Wen Wan calmly in the carriage, "Miss, they are here."

The entrance to Wen's house was quite lively.

Ever since the Red Mansion opened, the Wen family has become the indispensable gossip center in this alley after dinner. As soon as the officers and soldiers arrived, the crowd of onlookers gathered around them.

Wen Wan was stopped early while she was still in the carriage. The kind-hearted lady next door lifted the curtain and revealed an anxious and joyful face. "Hurry up, your driver has been arrested by the soldiers! They are accused of stealing the master's property. Miss Wen, go quickly!"

When Wen Wan lifted the curtain of the car, she saw several soldiers in round-necked, narrow-sleeved robes dragging Chen Xiaochun out of the house.

When Chen Xiaochun saw Wen Wan's carriage, he felt like he had seen a savior. He broke free from the shackles of the soldiers and rushed towards Wen Wan. Master Tu immediately swung his sword, and his tall figure appeared in front of Wen Wan. The back of the sword hit Chen Xiaochun's hand hard. Chen Xiaochun felt pain and stopped half a foot in front of Wen Wan.

The soldiers swarmed forward, pinning Chen Xiaochun down on both shoulders and binding his hands behind his back, rendering him immobile. The leader turned to Wen Wan: "Lady Wen! This is the murderer who stole your account books and valuables!"

Chen Xiaochun cried out in injustice, "Boss, I'm innocent! I'm innocent! Explain to them quickly, you gave me these account books and jewelry to keep! There must be a misunderstanding!"

He twisted his body and shouted urgently to the officers and soldiers behind him, "This is my boss! She can prove that all this is a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding?!" The soldier took the account book from his waist, and the other held the wooden box. "The account book and the jewelry are here. You still want to deny it? Shopkeeper Wen, please take a look. Is this what you lost?"

Wen Wan leaned forward to take a look, her face changed slightly, and she covered her chest in disbelief and looked at Chen Xiaochun: "Brother Xiaochun, I treat you well, why did you steal my Red Mansion account book?"

Hongmei chimed in, "No wonder Chunri Tower's business is booming, while Honglou's is plummeting! It seems there's a traitor in the family! If you wanted to join Chunri Tower, you could just tell the girl. Why are you acting so despicable?"

"No!" Chen Xiaochun's eyes turned red with anxiety, and he placed all his hopes on Wen Wan. "Boss, why did you lie?! It was you who said you couldn't trust the people in the Red Mansion and asked me to help preserve it! Why are you turning around and accusing me now?"

The young woman's face was filled with just the right amount of grief. "We've been caught red-handed, and you're still trying to argue! You said I handed these things to you, but do you have any witnesses? These things are so important, why would I give them to a stranger like you for safekeeping?"

Of course... she has fallen in love with me and sees me as someone she can rely on!

but--

Chen Xiaochun's pupils shrank, and the girl's frail figure was reflected in the depths of his eyes. It was as if she had transformed into a slippery, soft, venomous snake that wrapped around his neck, making it impossible for him to breathe. "You...you...you...know everything?"

The young lady chuckled, "I don't understand what you're saying."

She covered her face with her handkerchief again and gestured for Hongmei to retrieve the account books and wooden box. "My Lords, this man stole valuables from our master's family and colluded with outsiders to bully the elderly, the weak, and the disabled. His crimes are unforgivable. The evidence is irrefutable. Please quickly punish this heartless individual so that I can rest assured."

As she spoke, Wen Wan skillfully slipped two ingots of silver and said, "Thank you officials for your hard work in catching the thieves. I'll invite you ladies to the Red Mansion for a short visit someday."

The officers and soldiers naturally knew Wen Wan's background. They respectfully took the silver with both hands and repeatedly patted their chests to promise, "Don't worry, Miss Wen! The evidence in this case is solid, and the verdict will be made today!"

After the soldiers had taken Chen Xiaochun away, Wen Wan turned to the neighbors and said, "It's hard to prevent a thief from roaming around you, even if you're on guard day and night. Now that the thief has been caught, let's all go."

When Wen Wan entered, she saw Old Man Wen and Liu Yiyi holding Zhao Zhao and Hun'er respectively. Even Aunt Chen and the wet nurse looked over.

Chen Xiaochun was arrested at the Wen family. The officers and soldiers were very polite to the Wen family. In addition, the Wen family was a big family with both old and young people, so when they encountered officers and soldiers arresting people, they could only hide behind.

They were waiting for Wen Wan to come back and rescue them, but they never expected... Wen Wan would confirm the matter.

Wen Wan explained, "The bandits who broke into our house the night the Japanese attacked the city were led in by Chen Xiaochun."