Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1153 - 588: Returning Home
The first watch, asking for pink votes.
***
Lian Manman went through the slips again, confirming once more that the two slips she had written were indeed missing. After pondering for a moment, Lian Manman questioned Shopkeeper Chiang.
"...Wasn’t it said that all were recovered, why do I see... a few missing?"
"Yes... two are indeed missing." Shopkeeper Chiang wiped his sweat, thinking that the owner’s daughter had indeed noticed. Because among them were notes written by the owner’s family and Mr. Loo. When putting up the riddles, Shopkeeper Chiang had instructed his workers to be careful not to damage the paper, and to ensure they were all well recovered later. However, two slips were still lost. "Despite utmost care, and searching every possible place... it seems that due to the large crowd and the chaos, well..."
Shopkeeper Chiang appeared very ashamed. The slips shouldn’t have been lost. In the business of general stores and departments, he and his workers had long mastered the skill of watching every direction and listening in all directions. Otherwise, during busy times, their monthly wages wouldn’t even cover the lost goods. Moreover, that night, he was constantly attentive, hardly ever relaxing. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
If there was a moment of distraction, it was only when dealing with the group from Prefecture City.
He knew the shop workers well, and no one would take these riddle slips.
The missing slips could only be explained by someone carelessly losing them at some point.
Shopkeeper Chiang felt uneasy. This matter could be big or small, depending on whether or not Lian Manman decides to pursue it.
Lian Manman listened to Shopkeeper Chiang’s explanation, observed his expression carefully, and then waved her hand to let him leave without further questioning.
After Shopkeeper Chiang left, Lian Manman instructed Xiao Xi to collect the riddle slips.
"Miss, everyone says Shopkeeper Chiang is meticulous, but he still has moments of oversight," Xiao Xi commented while working.
"Even tigers nod off, so how can he be any different? There were indeed many people and much confusion that day," Lian Manman smiled and said.
Shopkeeper Chiang performed well at Lian’s Department Store. Everyone makes mistakes, and Lian Manman didn’t want to fault him over this incident. Moreover, she believed that with Shopkeeper Chiang’s meticulousness, the slips wouldn’t have gone missing unless someone intentionally took them.
Who would have such intent? They were merely riddle slips, and her handwriting wasn’t considered remarkable. Besides, no one knew which riddle was written by her.
Yet, it was precisely the two slips she wrote that were missing.
There was another reason Lian Manman refrained from blaming Shopkeeper Chiang. She had a suspicion about the "thief" who took the slips. Considering Fatty Shen’s "misdeeds," winning from riddles yet hiding the success.
Hmph, Lian Manman unconsciously picked up a pen and drew a chubby little figure on a piece of rice paper, then added a fluffy big tail to the figure’s backside.
Looking at the drawing on the paper, which seemed to be both a person and a fox, Lian Manman couldn’t help but grin. After a short break, she wrote the words "Little Thief" beside the figure’s head. After sitting for a while, she struck out both the chubby person and the words with a big X.
Just then, she heard Wu Lang speaking outside the door. Lian Manman quickly put down her pen, crumpled the rice paper, and tossed it into the nearby charcoal brazier.
The crumpled rice paper fell into the charcoal brazier, igniting a little blue flame.
"What are you burning, Manman?" Wu Lang pulled the door curtain and walked in, seeing the paper ball burning in the brazier and asked.
"Nothing, just a piece of messed-up writing," Lian Manman replied, "Brother, when are we going home?"
"Father has already instructed people to prepare. We will head back after lunchtime," Wu Lang replied, sitting down across from Lian Manman. After watching the lantern festival, they stayed in the county for two more days to purchase the estate at Luo Family Village. Now that the estate had been purchased and all procedures completed, with everything in the estate settled, it was time for them to return to Thirty Mile Camp.
"Someone from home just came, saying that Zhao Xiue has returned to Qingyang Town," Wu Lang said to Lian Manman after taking a sip of tea.
Because they were focused on the estate matter, everyone had put Zhao Xiue’s issue in the back of their minds for the past two days. Upon Wu Lang’s mention, Lian Manman recalled this troublesome matter.
"Did she return by herself? When did she leave? Has there been any news from the old house?" Lian Manman asked.
