Chapter 130: Either a Thief or a Rogue

  Mr. Lin's intention is simple, an apology and a greeting.

  She thought Qin Dai Xin was taken away for no reason, and she had an inescapable responsibility. If it wasn't for the sake of signing the document, perhaps Qin Dai Xin would still be with her. With many people around, who would dare to kidnap someone? Since Qin Dai Xin's kidnapping was more or less related to herself, she should naturally come to ask about it at the first opportunity.

  "Sister, don't worry about it. This is something that no one could have anticipated, and it's not like you harmed me on purpose. Don't take it to heart. Disaster struck out of the blue, and it has nothing to do with anyone else." Qin Dai had long since seen through everything - in her two lifetimes, she had never had a peaceful life, so she couldn't blame others for anything.

  "However, I am still implicated in this matter." Lin sighed, "When you disappeared that day, I was really anxious to death. I sent people to search inside and out, but there was no clue at all. If it weren't for the golden melon seed on the brick seam, I wouldn't have dared to conclude that you were kidnapped."

  How did you bring this up?

  Qin Dai Xin took a sip of tea: "What did sister-in-law say about the golden melon seeds?" Her eyes were full of confusion, completely puzzled.

  "Isn't this the warning left by Sanmei?" Did I think too much of her? Lin Shi thought to herself, and then looked up and down at Qin Dai's heart. Seeing that she had a serious expression, with slightly furrowed eyebrows, without any sign of knowing, she continued: "That golden hairpin is exactly the same style as the one made in our estate, I thought..."

  Qin Dai Xin smiled, "At that time, I had given Ruyi a silver coin to buy some snacks with Chun Li. Perhaps it was dropped unintentionally at that time!" The golden melon seed was originally left as a warning by her, but she didn't expect the person who found it to be Lin Shi. Qin Dai Xin intentionally hid her cleverness and changed her mind not to mention this matter. People always need to have some hidden cards up their sleeve, so they can surprise others at critical moments, or turn things around, or save their lives - it's always useful.

  Lin smiled and said, "Maybe so!" and surprisingly didn't plan on discussing it further.

  "Third sister, rest well, I won't disturb you anymore. Another day when I'm free, we'll chat again." After saying that, she got up and wanted to leave, seemingly not even willing to stay for a moment.

  Qin Dai Xin hastily got up, guessing that she might not have rested well and was anxious about her own affairs, so she couldn't help but feel a bit tired. She hurriedly asked Ruyi to send Lin Shi back to her own courtyard, fearing that if she fainted on the way, no one would know.

  Lin also did not decline and let Ruyi lift the curtain and leave the house. She then walked along the corridor back to her own courtyard.

  Lin's footsteps faded away until they could no longer be heard, and only then did Qin Daijin look at the few people in the house with a normal expression. Except for Ruyi, Yanshi was also not there, and the only ones left in the house were Chunli, Ailian, and Xueqing.

  Qin Dai Xin left Xue Qing in the house and let Chun Li and Ai Lian go to the small kitchen to prepare some snacks.

  "What did Auntie say?" Qin Dai asked straightforwardly, opening her mouth and asking the question that concerned her most.

  "Last night, my mother went herself and only said that the young lady was kept in the house by the madam for questioning. She came back late at night and didn't come over. Originally, it was a peaceful night, but unexpectedly, the second and fourth young ladies returned and felt that something was suspicious, so they inquired everywhere. Although the master and madam had given orders, it's inevitable that rumors would leak out. The aunt was restless all day today and called my mother to ask questions, saying there were rumors about the third young lady in the mansion. You didn't go over yesterday evening, which is still understandable, but you also didn't go this morning, so the aunt can't help but be suspicious."

  "What did your mother say."

  Xue Qing said: "The slaves discussed it last night, if the young lady still doesn't return, they will tell Auntie that the young lady went to the villa, I think my mother must have returned to Auntie according to the result of last night's discussion."

  She went to the Zhuangzi, which doesn't count as cheating. Remembering the black-clad person's unexpected gaze in the broken temple, she asked: "Did you go find someone to save me?"

  Xue Qing wasn't surprised at all when she heard this, and the image of the four corpses in the broken temple floated before her eyes again. "It was when I brought people to find the broken temple that we couldn't see any trace of Miss anymore, only saw four... corpses." The corpses had been stripped of their clothes, but she didn't dare say that out loud. "The sky was dark and rainy, there were no clues at all, I ordered people to search on the mountain for a whole night, but nothing was found, so we returned empty-handed." Sometimes having no clue is good news, it means the person is still alive.

  "Have you fought with others?" That man in black clothes was accompanied by seven or eight people, and they didn't come back, presumably Snow Qing and his men had finished them off.

  "Yes." Although he only replied with one word, the respect in his tone was even more than before.

  "Is there any progress?" She asked about the origin of these people.

  Xue Qing said: "This matter, I don't know anything about it, someone has already taken over, Miss, you can rest assured."

  Qin Dai Xin got up and walked to the desk, cut a small note with a letter opener, wrote two words, rolled it up and handed it to Xue Qing: "The pigeon you raised is not bad, I don't know if it can't deliver the message, will it be eaten by fire?"

  Xue Qing took over the note, lowered her head and didn't speak. The young lady was indeed sharp-eyed, she had seen through her long ago.

  Qin Dai Xin didn't mind her either and asked if she had returned safely.

  Xue Qing let out a sigh of relief, the young lady had not made an issue out of this matter after all. She hurriedly went outside to take a look, only to find that Ruyi was walking in, and the two almost bumped into each other, chest to chest, neither knowing who was more absent-minded, and thus a laughable situation arose.

  "Can the young lady go back now?"

  "She had already returned, and the slave girl sent someone to the yard and left. She was thinking of Qin Dai's heart, wanting to ask but didn't know how to start, inquiring about the master's affairs wasn't something a good maid should do."

  "Let Chunli help me comb my hair, and also ask Ailian to go back to the house. There are too many people here, it's noisy, you all help me choose some clothes to wear when I go to Aunt's house."

  Ru Yi heard and naturally felt happy, Miss has a mood to dress up, it means everything is fine.

  Before long, the two girls entered the house and paid their respects to Qin Dai Xin. Several people were bustling around, discussing Qin Dai Xin's clothes. Only Xue Qing was not good at this and stood aside without speaking. She didn't mind this either, just watching from the side.

  Qin Dai Xin changed into a new set of clothes, re-combed her hair, applied a thin layer of pear blossom powder on her face, dotted some lip balm, and brought Ruyi to the Lan Garden of the Su family. Usually, she would bring Ruyi to the Su's house, but if she were to replace Ruyi with Xue Qing this time, the clever Mrs. Su might discover something.

  Ruyi has been following her for so long and is very good at observing people's words and expressions. She speaks appropriately, which makes her feel at ease.

  As soon as Qin Dai Xin entered the courtyard, a little maid with sharp eyes looked at her and hurriedly went to inform Su Shi. Fang Qiao received the order and personally came over to roll up the curtain for Qin Dai Xin.

  "Third Miss has finally shown up. If you hadn't come, Auntie would have probably sent someone to fetch her from the manor."

  Qin Dai'er entered the house and saw Su Shi leaning against the warm pavilion's window, lying on a large heated kang with a pillow. She was only wearing a moon-white satin undergarment, covered with a quilt embroidered with lotus flowers and morning dew in green. Su Shi's undergarments were almost all moon-white, which she favored, and this color also complemented her, making them a perfect match. On the kang table, there were four colorful ceramic flower bird high-footed open-mouth plates, each containing red dates, walnuts, crystal sugar plums, and sesame seed cakes.

  The wet nurse was not there, but Yan Shi was sitting beside Su Shi and chatting with her. When she saw Qin Dai Xin arrive, she quickly stood up.

  Qin Dai Xin waved her hand, "Aunt isn't an outsider, no need for formalities here."

  Yan's family respectfully saluted Qin Dai and said: "I dare not, this matter cannot be taken lightly."

  Qin Dai'er didn't mind, took off her shoes and got on the kang, picked up a piece of sesame seed cake and stuffed it into her mouth, saying: "Auntie, don't mind my eating manners, I just came back from Xiao Qianzhuang and haven't had dinner yet, I'm starving!"

  Su saw that she was intact and didn't look like anything had happened, so he put down his worries and said: "You haven't come for days, I thought the rumors were true."

  Qin Daiyun swallowed the sesame seed cake in her mouth, took over the tea handed by Fang Jiao, and hastily drank a big mouthful before saying: "Auntie, what did you hear?"

  Su said: "Can't anyone in your garden hear?" Meaning that Qin Dai's people around her were not well-informed.

  "What's the point of believing those nonsense?" Qin Dai Xin wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and continued, "It's just someone who can't bear that I got the Zhuangzi, so they casually said a few words to vent their grievances. Don't believe it. I only went to Zhuangzi to handle some matters, left early and returned early, but it was still a bit tiring, as soon as I came back, the maids told me about this, afraid that you'd worry, so I changed my clothes and came over." This statement was half true and half false, making it hard for Su Shi not to believe.

  "It's all good then." As a mother, who wouldn't wish for their children's safety?

  Qin Dai Xin stretched out her hand to touch Su Shi's belly, only to feel a kick, and a throbbing sensation in the palm of her hand. She exclaimed with surprise and delight: "Little brother is kicking me!" Her expression was just like that of a 14 or 15 year old girl.

  Su said with a smile: "It's still unknown whether it's a boy or a girl! How can we just listen to the doctor's casual talk, it only counts when the baby is born."

  Qin Dai Xin only felt that life was truly wonderful. In more than three months, a new life would be born and start its own life. In her previous life, she had only lived to be twenty years old and had never had the chance to experience this matter. Now that she had been reborn as a human being, she could watch with her own eyes as a small life grew up. How could she not feel surprised?

  Just then, a faint conversation was heard outside the door. Before long, a little maid came in and whispered to Fang Qiu. After listening, she hurriedly went into the warm pavilion to respond, "The lady's courtyard has sent someone to invite Third Miss to go to the front yard!"

  Su furrowed his brow, with a hint of imperceptible displeasure, and asked: "What is it that you can say now?"

  Fang Qiao shook her head, "He didn't say anything, just told Third Miss to hurry up and go, urging her a bit hastily."

  Qin Dai Xin had a number in her mind, fearing that Qi Bao Zhu had arrived. She immediately said: "Auntie, rest assured, I'll go to the lady's courtyard right away." As she spoke, she got up and put on her shoes. Fang Qiao watched from the side and quickly came forward to help Qin Dai Xin put on her shoes.

  "If Auntie has nothing else to do, go rest early."

  Mrs. Su felt that something was wrong and her heart was racing, so she quickly reached out to hold Qin Daihe's hand. Qin Daihe knew she was worried about him, so he slightly tightened his grip on her hand, "Don't worry, Aunt!"

  Su then put down a few thoughts, relaxed her hand and said: "Let Yan's mother follow us back! My house is not short of people anyway."

  "Good." But I don't know where the wet nurse went, and she's actually not in the house taking care of Madam Su at this late hour, which is unlike her.

  Qin Dai Xin took You Yi to Fang Wan Ru's courtyard, while Yan Shi returned to Chang Xiao Garden by herself.

  Qin Dai's heart had just entered the courtyard when she saw Zheng Mama looking out from the main hall, presumably Qi Baozhu was arranged in the main hall, really a noble guest!

  Mrs. Zheng also saw her and hurriedly walked a few steps forward, "Good miss, you've finally arrived."

  Qin Dai's eyebrows jumped, and she thought to herself: No good deed goes unpunished!

  P.S: As a newcomer, I don't have high hopes, just hoping that someone will truly like this book, even if it still has many shortcomings, but as long as you like it, I will work hard, and hope to have the opportunity to write a second, third...