Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Seeing Jia Can walk out, preparing to inform Jia Zhen, the maids and servants who came to search the place panicked, their faces changing drastically as if struck by lightning.

They all knew Jia Zhen's temperament: capricious, violent, and cruel. He would even scold you, let alone the fact that Jia Can had caught him red-handed.

Stealing from one's master is no small crime; at best, it results in caning, and at worst, expulsion from the manor. Banmei's fate is still vividly clear before our eyes.

Immediately, someone couldn't help but mutter:

"Who is it? You dare to do it but not admit it? If you took it, give it back right now! Are you determined to drag everyone down with you?"

"Yes, hurry up and return it to Second Master Can! Don't drag everyone down with us. I don't want to be the scapegoat for that reckless person!"

Some even began to suspect and blame each other, and the voices grew louder and sharper:

"Granny Zhou, I've noticed you've been silent and your face looks off. Did you take it? If so, hand it over right now! If the master finds out, we'll all be dead, do you understand?"

The unjustly accused Granny Zhou jumped up, spitting as she pointed at the other woman's nose and cursed:

"Pah! Granny Li, don't slander me! I'm not as greedy as you, trying to take even Master Can's hand warmer. What, are you so poor that you don't even have one?"

"I haven't even told you about you sneaking snacks in the kitchen last time, and you're already trying to implicate me!"

Not to be outdone, Granny Li put her hands on her hips and retorted:

"You're talking nonsense! You stole the silk flowers from Grandma Rong's room last year, thinking nobody knew? I saw it all!"

"..."

In an instant, the courtyard erupted into chaos. Everyone was talking at once, exposing each other's shortcomings and attacking each other, hurling all sorts of vulgar and low-class insults, and letting all the grudges they had accumulated explode at this moment.

All those old grudges and trivial disputes were brought up, and the evil of human nature was fully exposed at this moment.

However, Jia Can ignored them, not even turning his head, and continued walking slowly down the corridor.

Seeing this, the maids and servants argued even more fiercely, their voices growing louder and louder, almost lifting the roof off.

Lai Sheng's wife also panicked, her face flushed red, veins bulging on her forehead, and she was extremely flustered.

After all, Jia Zhen had sent her to lead the search party for Jia Can's courtyard, yet such a huge oversight has occurred.

Jia Can was, after all, the master. How dare the servants steal things and money right in front of him? If this got back to Jia Zhen, he would surely punish them severely.

Even if she didn't steal it, the associated culpability will still be considerable, and the consequences will be severe.

Thinking of Jia Zhen's violent temper, and how he would surely take his anger out on her, the leader, Lai Sheng's wife couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart, and her legs even felt a little weak.

Watching Jia Can's composed figure walk towards the courtyard gate, I gritted my teeth, finally made up my mind, and quickly caught up with him, calling out loudly:

"Second Master, please wait!"

Jia Can's lips curled up slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, and he stopped in his tracks.

He was just pretending to leave; he didn't actually want to face that old beast Jia Zhen.

Perhaps due to the psychological trauma left by his predecessor, or perhaps out of instinctive disgust, Jia Can felt nauseous and resistant whenever he thought of Jia Zhen's face, and avoided seeing him whenever possible.

When Lai Sheng's wife saw Jia Can stop, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly walked up to him, disregarding all decorum, and knelt down without hesitation.

"Please forgive us, Second Master. It is our fault for failing to discipline and manage these unruly children properly, which has led them to commit such despicable acts."

"Please, Second Master, have mercy on us this time. We will teach them a lesson when we get back and never let it happen again. We will remember your great kindness and never forget it."

In order to avoid punishment, Lai Shengjia lowered his usually arrogant head and became respectful to Jia Can.

Upon seeing this, the maids and servants who were suspecting and blaming each other immediately fell silent.

Seeing that even the leader, Lai Sheng's family, had knelt down, how could they dare to stand? They all turned around and knelt down in front of Jia Can, forming a dark mass of kneeling people, heads bowed, not daring to breathe.

Looking down at Lai Sheng's wife kneeling before him, Jia Can couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

In the memories of the original owner, every time this Lai Sheng's wife saw him, she always looked down on him, with her nostrils pointing to the sky and speaking in a sarcastic tone, as if he, the second master, was not as respectable as her, a steward's wife.

But now, Lai Sheng's family is willing to kneel before him and kowtow to beg for mercy.

Then he glanced at the maids and servants kneeling all over the courtyard, a dark mass, each with their heads bowed, silent as a cicada in winter, and let out a cold snort:

"I've said it before, I can't control whether you're here to search on the master's orders, but I won't stand for it if you dare to steal my things."

"You haven't returned the silver I put in the cabinet yet, how can I let you off the hook?"

"That's all the savings I've painstakingly accumulated over the years. You took it all from me. How am I supposed to live?"

This statement is reasonable, reflecting both the victim's grievances and an undeniable sense of oppression.

Lai Sheng's wife lowered her head, not daring to look at him, and hurriedly replied:

"Second Master, please calm down. Please give me some time, at most half an hour. I will make them hand over the stolen silver, not a single coin less."

Jia Can glanced at her and said indifferently:

"I'm only giving you fifteen minutes. If I don't see the full weight of silver after fifteen minutes, don't blame me for being ruthless."

After saying that, he turned around and calmly walked towards the upper room, giving Lai Sheng's family no room for negotiation.

Lai Shengjia knelt on the spot, feeling a deep sense of frustration and unease.

After all, she didn't take Jia Can's things or money, but as the head steward's wife, she couldn't escape responsibility for how things had turned out this way.

If Jia Zhen were to punish someone, the first person he would look for would be her. He would blame her for how she managed the maids and servants, who dared to steal things in front of their master.

After Jia Can returned to the main room and disappeared through the door, Lai Sheng's wife finally got up from the ground, her knees aching from kneeling.

With a gloomy face, he returned to the group of maids and servants, staring at them with a cold glint in his eyes, and said through gritted teeth:

"Did you all hear that? Second Master Can only gave us fifteen minutes. Who stole it? Step forward now, or we'll all be implicated!"

However, everyone remained silent, and no one responded.

Since no one had ever stolen any silver from Jia Can's cabinet, naturally no one would step forward.

However, everyone harbored resentment towards the person who "stole the silver," and some even felt hatred towards them.

Many people secretly thought that if that person hadn't been greedy, why would they be kneeling here begging for mercy, why would they be manipulated by Master Can like this, and why would they feel so aggrieved?

They completely forgot that it was their own greed and disregard for Jia Can that led to this predicament.