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Chapter 1103: Chapter 1109: Come Prepared
"Then summon the person who delivered the account books and silver and ask them for a clear explanation. After all, Manager Yue has worked hard and tirelessly; we can’t wrong you," Qiao Duo’er said seriously.
Otherwise, who would dare to be wholeheartedly loyal to the Tan Family in the future?
"Master, Madam, the person who delivered the account books and silver is called Zhou Keqing. He suddenly disappeared a while ago, most likely fearing that his misdeeds would be exposed and slipped away."
The young servant on the side quickly spoke up.
He needed to protect Yue Ming; only then could he continue to enjoy the good life.
Zhou Keqing was unfortunate enough to die young; he was trampled to death by a horse the last time he went out to purchase goods, making him the perfect scapegoat.
Yue Ming, like clutching at straws, suddenly knelt down with a thud, "Master, Madam, please forgive me, Zhou Keqing was my adopted son. I trusted him for his attentiveness and advancement and let him take care of all the major and minor matters of the estate, not expecting to have let a wolf into the house."
In this way, he would only bear the blame for lax oversight.
"What is your name?" Qiao Duo’er glanced at the speaking young servant.
Overjoyed to be noticed, the young servant replied, "Chang Qingzhu, Madam, you can just call me Bamboo."
"Look back and see where hard labor is needed and send him over."
Qiao Duo’er glanced at Tan Zhenghong, not daring to employ a servant who does not even know who their master is in the Tan Family.
Tan Zhenghong nodded indulgently; as long as his wife was appeased, that was all that mattered.
Chang Qingzhu was dumbfounded; why wasn’t he being promoted but instead being sent for hard labor?
In the past few years, he had only been responsible for collecting rents; how could he possibly do hard labor?
"Madam, have I done something wrong? Just tell me, and I will surely change!" Chang Qingzhu pleaded on his knees.
Qiao Duo was too lazy to bother with him but turned to Big Lei, "You tell me what you found out at the bank."
"Manager Yue stored five thousand taels of silver at the bank in his son’s name, and his son is a well-known local hoodlum with no ancestors who had silver. So, certainly, that silver belongs to Manager Yue," Big Lei reported truthfully.
Five thousand taels was already a considerable sum, but it was only part of it.
Looking at Yue Ming again, he could no longer contain the tremors in his body.
Damn it, he knew the Tan Family came prepared, but he never imagined they had investigated everything thoroughly.
"Go inform Guang House to help us investigate all assets belonging to Yue Ming’s family," Qiao Duo instructed.
Defiant, Yue Ming protested, "I did this alone, why investigate my whole family?"
"You were only fifteen years old when you sold yourself into servitude, and the children born after you bought your freedom are of a base status. Moreover, when Grandpa Zhang handed over the servitude contract to me, he said it was for your whole family. Is there a problem for me to investigate your entire family?" Qiao Duo retorted.
Investigating just Yue Ming, how much could he be forced to cough up?
It was clear enough from the way he placed the bank money under his son’s name.
Pushed into a corner, Yue Ming abruptly stood up.
"You better realize, I have been managing these two estates, and it’s been ten years now. The permanent workers and tenant farmers recognize only me. Do you think you can take over?"
If these people had to push him, he didn’t mind going down with them.
After all, without the silver, life was meaningless.
"If the Saint has rewarded these two estates to the Tan Family, then there’s no need for you to worry," said Qiao Duo slowly.
With the hearts of the tenant farmers won over, what difficulty could there be in managing them?
A look of despair spread across Yue Ming’s face; after all these years, this was the first time he encountered such a ruthless woman. Once she was set on something, she would see it through.
So, no matter what he said, he couldn’t escape the fate that awaited him.
At that moment, he finally believed in the saying, "Evil deeds will inevitably lead to self-destruction."
