Cheng Shanshan was about to speak.
Huo Mingchen replied coldly before she could speak: "It's none of your business."
"Oh dear, Prefect Huo, tell me why you're so hostile towards me?" As she spoke, Madam Jiang lightly wiped the corner of her lips with her handkerchief, her alluring eyes shifting slightly. "Actually, I just like to joke around with Shan Shan. You don't really think I like women, do you?"
Huo Mingchen didn't even glance at her: "Alright, let's go back."
"No, please."
Jiang Niangzi stepped forward and took Cheng Shanshan's hand: "I've specially prepared wine and dishes today. Come on, let's go and have a taste together."
"She's busy."
Huo Mingchen forcefully pulled Cheng Shanshan back into his arms: "Wife, come home with me."
"……good."
Cheng Shanshan returned Jiang Niangzi's apologetic smile.
But she didn't notice that the smile on Jiang Niangzi's face vanished the moment she turned around...
On the way back, Cheng Shanshan couldn't help but ask, "Do you suspect Sister Jiang?"
“Not bad, she’s still smart.” Huo Mingchen looked ahead, his face cold. “At first, I didn’t notice anything wrong with her. After all, she was able to take out food to save people at a time like this. Although her personality isn’t the best, she can be considered a good person overall.”
These words made Cheng Shanshan chuckle softly: "Your assessment is quite accurate." In fact, not only Huo Mingchen, but she also thought the same thing.
First, the newly built greenhouse was destroyed, and then the granary of Manager Li's house was burned down. The events before and after seemed to be coincidences, but upon closer examination, the biggest beneficiary of this whole affair was Jiang Niangzi.
Thinking of this, she quickly grabbed Huo Mingchen: "By the way, I think what was burned in that warehouse wasn't grain."
Huo Mingchen stopped and looked at Cheng Shanshan with a puzzled expression: "You suspect that the grain has been switched?" He paused before continuing, "But a warehouse full of things, with tens of thousands of dan of rice, is not an easy thing to move without anyone noticing."
"That's something I don't understand either."
Cheng Shanshan couldn't understand how the other person had managed to do it.
Huo Mingchen considered for a moment and said, "I will have someone keep an eye on Madam Jiang these next few days. You should also be careful not to have any contact with her. After all, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others."
He wanted to say what if something happened to her.
He would completely go insane...
...
The next day.
Dawn was just breaking.
Cheng Shanshan had just gotten up when a commotion broke out outside.
Immediately afterward, Bai rushed in: "Shanshan, something's happened!"
"Mother, don't be anxious, tell me slowly what happened."
“Your father… is gone.” As Bai said this, her eyes immediately reddened: “And all the food we had stored in the house is gone too.”
"What?"
Cheng Shanshan immediately went to the room next door.
The room, which was once fully furnished, is now completely empty.
When Aunt Dong learned of this, she couldn't help but curse, "That Cheng Sijin is absolutely despicable! It's one thing for her to leave on her own, but she even took all our food with her!"
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Cheng Shisi lowered his head, his face filled with deep self-reproach.
"This is none of your business."
She had originally filled this place with all sorts of things for easy access.
There are radishes, cabbages, grains, and all sorts of other things, all of which are easy to store.
How could the weight that filled dozens of sacks have vanished into thin air, even with guards and traps around it?
She thought for a moment before asking, "Was anyone here yesterday?"
"Jiang Niangzi".
Aunt Dong blurted out.
Cheng Shanshan frowned slightly: "Has she been here before?"
"Of course not. You told us to be careful before, and we've been very cautious."
Bai's eyes were red, and she was filled with self-blame: "It's all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on keeping your father here, this wouldn't have happened."
Cheng Shanshan originally wanted to say that this might not have been done by Cheng Sijin.
After all, he didn't have that much ability, but after thinking about it, he decided to let it go.
Through this incident, Bai realized that getting rid of Cheng Sijin, that troublesome woman, might not be a bad thing. However, for some reason, she still felt a vague unease in her heart.
Aunt Dong sighed, a little worried: "Shanshan, all of this is gone, what are we going to do now?"
Is there any food left at home?
"There is some food in the kitchen, but it can only last for seven or eight days," Aunt Dong said, glancing at the rice ball beside her. "Of course, that's on the condition that this little guy's appetite doesn't increase."
"Awoo."
The rice ball felt a little wronged.
Cheng Shanshan ruffled its fur: "Don't worry, you won't go hungry. I'll think of something." Although she had a lot of things in her space, she didn't want to take them out for the time being.
So she went into the woods, hoping to find some wild vegetables to tide her over.
But she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people she saw as soon as she arrived. There were so many people that they outnumbered the wild vegetables. When it came to Cheng Shanshan, she was even more displeased: "Madam Prefect, we, the bunch of 'Kuhaha,' only have wild vegetables left. Are you going to try and take them from us?"
"We're not some high-class family like yours, can't you have a little kindness?"
"Don't say that. What if they get upset and go back to tell Magistrate Huo, and then they abandon us?" The other person said, rolling their eyes at Cheng Shanshan.
Seeing that everyone disliked her, Cheng Shanshan didn't bother with them and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, someone behind her snorted and muttered, "Her father has already run off with someone else, and she still has time to come here and steal food."
Cheng Shanshan stopped and turned around: "How did you know he ran away?"
"Who doesn't know that?"
"That's right, your lowly father, when he sees Lady Jiang, he's like a fly seeing an egg, his saliva practically dripping onto the ground."
"He really has no self-awareness. After all, Lady Jiang has such high standards, how could she possibly be interested in someone like him who can't do anything right!"
"That's called lacking self-awareness; like father, like daughter!"
It's Jiang Niangzi again.
Cheng Shanshan decided to go and investigate.
Of course, since she had come all this way, she couldn't leave empty-handed. She kicked one of the people who was cursing her, sending him sprawling face-first into the mud before leaving triumphantly.
Soon, she arrived at the entrance of Jiang's Rice Shop.
The door remained closed, and the atmosphere was somewhat calm.
As she approached, the door suddenly opened, and the big fish stepped out: "My master has been waiting for you for a long time."
"good."
This time we went inside.
She felt completely different from before; the surroundings made her unconsciously feel cold.
Madam Jiang was leisurely sipping her tea, waving her fan in her hand: "My dear Shanshan, I've been waiting for you for so long, why did it take you so long?"
Cheng Shanshan asked, "How did you know I was coming, sister?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
