activa-t Chapter 173 Not the Way Back to the Qiao Family Home
Chapter 173 Not the Way Back to the Qiao Family Home
Qiao Qingshu slowly sat up and said...
"What's the rush? Even if the sky falls, there will always be tall people to hold it up."
Seeing that her young lady didn't care at all, Wanqiu was so anxious that her nose almost crooked, and she shook Qiao Qingshu's arm.
"Young lady, let's report this to the authorities as soon as possible. Perhaps the thief hasn't gone far, and we can still get the goods back."
Qiao Qingshu waved her hand and said,
"No need, I know who did it."
The maids were all stunned and looked at Qiao Qingshu in surprise.
Qiao Qingshu waved her hand and said,
“My grandmother thought she might have embezzled my dowry, but she never imagined what price she would pay for it.”
Fushou Hall
Old Madam Qiao had barely slept a wink all night, and now she tugged at Li Mama's sleeve, saying...
"So? Did you find out? What was that girl's reaction? Did she report it to the authorities or what?"
Li's mother said with a frown,
"I heard that the young lady wasn't surprised at all when she found out about the theft from the warehouse. I wonder what she's planning."
This was not a normal reaction, and Old Madam Qiao's brows furrowed tightly.
Could it be that Qiao Qingshu found out that she did it?
She couldn't help but feel a little guilty and scared, and a layer of sweat broke out on her back.
He asked anxiously,
"Are those servants trustworthy? Is the room where we keep the things safe?"
After thinking for a while, Mrs. Li frowned and said...
“It should be safe. Those servants are all servants born into the family, and the room where the chests were stored was a property that you bought before, Madam. In principle, it should have been done without anyone noticing last night. I even followed your instructions and asked a few people to monitor the eldest daughter's courtyard. In principle, it shouldn't have been discovered.”
Old Madam Qiao still felt a chill run down her spine; she had experienced Qiao Qingshu's methods far too often during this period.
I simply cannot be 100% certain that what I did last night was flawless.
She hurriedly instructed Li Mama.
"Go, quickly take two people to check on them, lest something goes wrong!"
Upon receiving the message, Li's mother immediately sent two trusted confidants away in a hurry.
As soon as Li's mother stepped out of the Qiao family's gate, Wanqiu, who had been squatting behind the stone pillar at the gate, immediately waved and called a few people to follow them.
After Li's mother and her entourage checked the house and found that everything was still there, she finally patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Wanqiu led several strong servants in.
Mrs. Li was so frightened that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She said in a panic,
"Wan...Wanqiu, what are you doing here?"
Late Autumn laughed loudly,
"Our young lady really guessed it! It really was the old lady who took the betrothal money. You guys are incredibly audacious!"
Having said that, Wanqiu frowned and angrily rebuked him.
"Caught red-handed! Guards! Arrest them and take them directly to the authorities!"
Mother Li was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. The other two servants were also terrified at the sight of this scene, and allowed Wanqiu's men to take them to the government office.
Old Madam Qiao of Fushou Hall waited and waited, but Li Mama never returned.
He was extremely anxious, sitting on the edge of the bed, wringing his hands anxiously.
"Squeak!"
Suddenly the door opened, and Old Madam Qiao excitedly looked towards the doorway and called out.
"Why are you only getting back now! I was so worried!"
When she finally saw that the person who came was Qiao Qingshu, Old Madam Qiao choked back the rest of her words.
She said somewhat guiltily,
"You... how did you get here?"
Qiao Qingshu walked in carrying a bowl of something, her face beaming with smiles.
"Grandmother, I've come to see you. I specially asked the kitchen to stew some bird's nest for you to nourish your body."
Old Mrs. Qiao was flustered and her hands were trembling; she could barely speak.
"No, no, I don't want to drink."
But Qiao Qingshu had already walked up to her and sat down beside Old Madam Qiao's bed, a smile always on her face.
"Grandmother, are you afraid I'll poison your soup? Are you that afraid of me?"
Old Madam Qiao's face twitched violently, her expression filled with fear.
"What nonsense are you talking about... How could I be afraid of you!"
Qiao Qingshu lowered her head, smiled slightly, and brought a spoonful of soup to the old lady's lips.
Madam Qiao immediately became a little nervous, but then she thought, how could Qiao Qingshu dare to plot against her so blatantly?
Knowing that she would not poison the soup, he opened his mouth slightly and swallowed the sip.
Qiao Qingshu smiled with satisfaction and said,
"Grandmother, why were you so agitated just now? Who were you waiting for?"
Old Madam Qiao turned her head slightly away.
"Nobody..."
Qiao Qingshu had a calm and composed smile on her face.
"Grandmother, Mother Li is not coming back."
Upon hearing this, a cold sweat broke out on Old Madam Qiao's back. She frowned and said in fear,
"What! What did you do?!"
Qiao Qingshu slowly stood up and casually walked around the room. She reached out and casually fiddled with the tassels by the bed, her smile still as warm as a spring breeze.
"Grandmother, what you thought was a secret has now reached the authorities. I think you, the mastermind behind it all, won't escape punishment. I was planning to let you live a few more days, but you insisted on provoking me..."
Old Madam Qiao's body was trembling uncontrollably, and her lips were also trembling.
"No, no, no, it can't be, it can't be..."
Qiao Qingshu stopped, her gaze once again fixed intently on Old Madam Qiao.
"Grandmother, you can't escape."
After saying that, he waved to Madam Qiao, turned around and left without looking back.
Within half an hour, the soldiers stormed into the Qiao family home to interrogate Old Madam Qiao.
Old Madam Qiao was carried away from Fushou Hall by several soldiers, but unfortunately, Qiao Jizhou was not at home today.
When Qiao Jizhou returned home half-drunk late at night, Old Madam Qiao had already been taken away for a day.
The matter concerning Old Madam Qiao did not affect Qiao Qingshu's wedding preparations.
The next morning, she went out again to buy things needed for the wedding.
After visiting several stores, she was a little tired and, accompanied by Wanqiu and Lindong, prepared to go home.
The three of them, master and servants, were quite tired from their walk and all fell asleep inside the carriage.
Late Autumn was awakened by the jolting of the carriage. She rubbed her eyes, lifted the curtain, and looked outside, only to find that it was already dark.
The carriage wasn't traveling on the way back to the Qiao family at all; it was traveling on a mountain road.
No wonder it was so bumpy!
Late Autumn was so frightened that she covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.
She realized that the driver was definitely not her family's driver, but had been replaced by someone else!
She retreated without making a sound, and saw that Qiao Qingshu and Lin Dong were still sleeping soundly together.
She didn't dare to call out, but instead pinched the backs of their hands to call them.
Qiao Qingshu felt a pain in her hand and woke up from her slumber. She wanted to cry out because of the pain.
But someone covered her mouth. When she looked up, she saw Wanqiu gesturing to her to be quiet.
Qiao Qingshu hesitated for two seconds, and clearly realized that something was wrong. This was not the way back to the Qiao family!
Late autumn awakened winter in the same way.
The three of them, master and servant, were terrified as they swayed in the carriage.
Qiao Qingshu was more composed and quietly lifted the curtain to observe the surroundings.
This is on a mountain, and it's an uphill road. The driver is taking them up the mountain.