Chapter 119 - 111: The Case Isn’t Solved Yet

Chapter 119: Chapter 111: The Case Isn’t Solved Yet

The villagers outside the courtyard erupted. 200 taels of silver! That was a fortune! Most of them had never seen so much money in their lives. And Hu Feng had found 200 taels of silver just by digging around?

Meng Nan nodded and turned to the villagers outside. "Is Doctor Lu present?"

"Here, I’m here! Make way, quickly!" Doctor Lu had arrived late and was stuck in the outer circle of villagers. He couldn’t see what was happening in the courtyard and had only been catching snippets of the conversation. Hearing the official inside call his name, he hurriedly pushed his way forward.

Doctor Lu squeezed into the courtyard and bowed toward Meng Nan with his hands clasped. "Your Lordship, this commoner is Lu Changchun. Greetings, Your Lordship."

Meng Nan waved his hand. "No need for such formalities. I have a question for you. Hu Changlin claims that Hu Feng found a ginseng root in the mountains and you helped them sell it. Is this true?"

Doctor Lu quickly replied, "Every word is true."

Meng Nan asked again, "How much did it sell for in total?"

Doctor Lu replied, "It sold for a total of 200 taels of silver to Bai Cao Tang. Your Lordship may send someone to investigate. This commoner would not dare to utter a single falsehood."

By now, the expressions on the Bai family’s faces had turned exceedingly ugly. They had assumed that even if Hu Changlin really had money, he would be just like them—utterly unable to explain the money’s source in any detail.

But after hearing Doctor Lu’s testimony, they realized what a terrible mistake they had made.

Meng Nan continued his questioning. "The silver you brought back—was it in silver notes or silver ingots?"

Doctor Lu replied, "Your Lordship, the silver I brought back was all in silver ingots, each bearing the mark of Tai Feng Bank on the bottom."

Hu Changlin immediately took out the silver ingots tucked inside his robes and presented them to Meng Nan. "Your Lordship, please take a look. This is my family’s silver."

Meng Nan took the silver from Hu Changlin. Each was a ten-tael ingot, and indeed, they bore the mark of Tai Feng Bank on the bottom.

Meng Nan handed the silver back to Hu Changlin and turned to Old Mrs. Bai and the others. "Do you have anything else to say?"

Old Mrs. Bai’s face was deathly pale. She knew they were in serious trouble this time. ’Who could have possibly guessed that Hu Changlin would suddenly come into a fortune?’

Liu, who had been holding her tongue, saw that things were turning against them and quickly spoke up. "Fine, let’s just call it a misunderstanding! The Bai Family really did lose some silver, and since they happened to be buying land right after, we naturally grew suspicious. Now that it’s been cleared up as a misunderstanding, we won’t pursue it any further." Liu tugged on Old Mrs. Bai, preparing to leave.

But Meng Nan raised a hand. "Hold on." His cool gaze swept slowly across the faces of the Bai family members. "Since you did, in fact, lose silver, then this case is not yet solved. As I am already here today, it is my duty to help you find the real thief."

Liu gave a hollow laugh and waved her hands frantically. "No, no, that’s not necessary! We wouldn’t dare trouble Your Lordship. It’s just a small family matter. We can handle it on our own."

"A small matter?" Meng Nan stared at Liu, a faint, mocking smile on his lips. "This is the silver the Bai Family spent half a lifetime saving. It’s the silver you were planning to use to arrange a marriage for your eldest son. How is that a ’small matter’? Now, lead the way. Take me to the scene of the crime."

The Bai family was now filled with a misery they couldn’t voice. They felt like dying, but what could they possibly do?

And so, the drama shifted from the Hu Family’s home to the Bai Family’s. How could Bai Zhi and Zhao Lan miss such a good show? They naturally followed along.

Hu Feng and Hu Changlin weren’t the type to enjoy a spectacle, but today, they uncharacteristically tagged along as well. They were curious to see just how the Bai Family planned to escape Lord Meng’s clutches.

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