Just as the awkwardness reached its peak, the woman spoke.
"Madam, I can vouch for him. I was with him from the moment we arrived outside until now. He never left my side. My friend truly did not steal your item. I can swear on it."
With an oath sworn to the heavens, it seemed improper for her to press the matter further. The woman's aggressive stance subsided by two or three parts.
"If not them, then who? I chased the thief all the way here and then they vanished. But the clothes they wore were the same color as his. Village Chief, what should we do about this?"
Now, she threw the problem back to Wang Yuanzhi.
The village chief looked from one person to another, his mind a jumbled mess. Annoyed, he finally spoke, "Madam, please rest assured. I will certainly catch that thief and provide you with a satisfactory answer. Furthermore, I guarantee that today's incident will not reach your husband's ears. Would that be acceptable?"
Acceptable? What a load of nonsense!
Zhao Jiaqi snorted coldly, glanced at the man, and then turned to leave. She walked out with a swagger.
As she departed, the village chief's face darkened. He inquired, "What exactly happened?"
The woman frowned. "Just as I said. We went to the back to see who it was, and we saw the basin lying on the ground. The person carrying it ran off. Then, we heard someone shouting from the front. As soon as we came over, this woman accused Old Liu of stealing her things."
Whether Liu had stolen or not was not Wang Yuanzhi's primary concern. What he cared about was, "Did this woman enter this room?"
The man and woman exchanged glances. Finally, Liu Quan spoke, "She shouldn't have."
Wang Yuanzhi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean she shouldn't have?"
Seeing the village chief genuinely angered, the woman quickly stepped in as a peacemaker. "No, the time was too short. How could she have entered the room? Besides, this madam, she looks no different from a village woman. What could she possibly know?"
"You didn't see how shrewish she was just now. More like a village bumpkin than a village bumpkin."
Listening to Xiao Qian speak like this, the village chief took a long, slow breath and exhaled. "We who do this line of work must be careful. If my daughter hadn't found me just now, I would have been guarding the entrance. Next time, I shouldn't open the gate for you in advance. It's too unsafe."
Neither of them said a word.
Normally, by the time they arrived, the servants in this courtyard would have been sent away. Who knew such a situation would arise today!
The three of them entered the house and remained there for nearly half an hour.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jiaqi, back in her own room, took two pieces of undergarment from her skirt and cut them with scissors, then hid them. After finishing, her heart was still pounding erratically, almost leaping out of her throat.
She sat on a stool, recalling the contents of that room, a sense of lingering fear washing over her. No wonder Wang Hui said her father had no sense. With so many items in a single room, who but someone with meticulous attention to detail could possibly account for them all?
"The richest man in town?" Zhao Jiaqi made a mental note of this individual.
As for the other woman, she looked like someone from the entertainment district, likely working in one of the town's brothels.
She looked out the window. This morning alone had been an ordeal for her. What would happen next?
She touched her belly. It wasn't just her own safety that mattered, but also the life within her. Lost in her thoughts, the Chief of Staff returned.
"Madam, everyone is assembled."
Zhao Jiaqi smiled. "This is truly good news. Have those people been arranged?"
"Yes, some have gone into the mountains, and some are hidden nearby, awaiting your command."
Now, she finally had backing, and her heart gradually settled. Thinking of the scene just now, she began assigning tasks to the Chief of Staff. "You've been too visible recently. To avoid arousing the village chief's suspicion, you should stay put for now."
"The master gave the same instruction." The Chief of Staff sighed, marveling at how the couple's thoughts were so aligned.
Zhao Jiaqi nodded. "There are a man and a woman in the backyard. The man is around fifty, and the woman is around thirty. Send people to follow them both and see who they are in contact with. Also, thoroughly investigate their backgrounds, especially regarding the goods they took. See who they handed them over to. Follow the clues. Remember, do not alert them. Even if the mission fails, do not let them suspect anything."
This was a unique task for the Chief of Staff. He immediately knew it would be a difficult undertaking. "I'll go now."
He left, and Zhao Jiaqi was once again alone. She gazed at the potted plant beside her, lost in thought.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Zhao Jiaqi heard the sound of knocking and turned her head. Standing at the door was the village chief, with a somewhat sly expression.
"Oh, it's the Village Chief. Please come in."
Wang Yuanzhi walked in, looking left and right, and asked with a smile, "Where is your guard? I don't see him."
Zhao Jiaqi blurted out, "He went to catch the thief. I suffered such humiliation. As a guard, he must surely seek revenge for me, and it is his duty."
These words almost choked Wang Yuanzhi, and his face showed a hint of embarrassment. "This thief might be an outsider. My household staff are all well-behaved. I'm just not sure if your guard can catch him."
Was this an indirect accusation that an outsider was responsible?
Or was he deliberately directing the blame toward those two individuals?
Perhaps the village chief had an ulterior motive, intending to have her guard investigate? Was he digging a trap for her?
When it came to digging traps, she was the one who usually dug them for others. So, she scoffed and replied, "Village Chief, since you know it was an outsider who did this dirty deed, you must have a suspect in mind. My guard is unfamiliar with the area and a bit out of sorts. If I send him? He might even get lost. This matter, please handle it."
"Remember, when you catch them, let me deal with them. Otherwise, I won't be able to calm my temper."
Zhao Jiaqi silently shifted the burden back to him. All she needed to do now was feign anger and refuse to give them a pleasant look throughout.
The village chief listened, then smiled faintly and stood up to leave. "I do have a few people who seem suspicious. However, should we investigate them further? I'll go ask now. Please, you are pregnant, do not get too angry. Be careful, it's not good for the child."
Zhao Jiaqi glanced at him and nodded silently, a gesture of compliance.
The village chief, who had just stepped out, turned back halfway. "The young master has gone on business. Before he left, he entrusted you to me. So, I will take the liberty of being an elder. You must continue to drink the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine I have brewed for you daily. When your husband returns, I can finally shed this burden from my shoulders."
Zhao Jiaqi said calmly, "I am drinking it. Thank you."
The village chief's smile widened upon hearing this. He walked away with his hands behind his back, humming a tune. However, his words made Zhao Jiaqi suspicious.
Even medicine had its poisons; she understood this. The doctor also knew this. She was merely suffering from morning sickness, not showing any signs of miscarriage. Why the need for medicine?