Chapter 580: Uncle, come over

The cook heard this and shouted sharply: "I'm giving you all the silver I've saved my whole life!"

The fat partner followed up, shouting: "I have some! I also have some!"

Abdu's eyes burned with fervor: "You came here only because of me; this treasure map should belong to me!"

The crowd fell into chaos, some shouting, some kneeling, some grabbing.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi, with guards holding swords, protected Tuan Tuan in the center.

Faced with the gleaming swords, the crowd, though frenzied, dared not step forward any further.

The shopkeeper's face turned pale: "I have money! All the goods I've swindled from caravans over the years, I can give you!"

The tall, thin soldier kicked him aside: "Without us two brothers, you couldn't swindle a thing!"

The short soldier shouted: "I'll bring over the steward's private treasury for you!"

Tuan Tuan, looking reluctant, said: "Fine, you all claim to have money—then bring it out. Whoever has the most, I'll sell the map to."

No sooner had she spoken than the crowd scattered in a rush, vanishing in an instant.

The courtyard stood empty, only Tuan Tuan and her companions remaining.

Xiao Ningyuan smacked his lips: "Are they going back to get silver?"

Xiao Ningxun kissed the sister in her arms: "Good Tuan Tuan, you're really impressive."

Tuan Tuan blinked: "If they want it, I'll sell it to them."

Xue Tong stepped closer: "Good disciple, where did you get that treasure map?"

Tuan Tuan tilted her head: "I don't know either."

Xue Tong: "……"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi tried not to laugh, their shoulders shaking.

After a moment, the cook was the first to run back.

She clutched a bundle, ran breathless into the courtyard, and with a 'whoosh' dumped the bundle on the ground.

Several silver ingots rolled out, along with a pair of silver bracelets and a gold hairpin.

"Miss, this is the savings of decades I've gathered; I've brought it all for you—nothing left!"

No sooner had she spoken than the fat partner also returned, shouldering a bulging sack and tossing it to the ground.

The sack's mouth burst open, revealing a jumble of odds and ends: some broken silver, several bolts of cloth, two silver pots—"All my worldly goods are here!"

Immediately after, more people rushed into the courtyard.

Some carried boxes, some held bundles, and someone even brought a chicken coop, inside which three plump hens clucked noisily.

Last to enter was a scrawny helper, leading a sheep by hand.

As soon as the sheep entered the courtyard, it bleated once and lowered its head to search for grass.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at the heap of junk on the ground, then at the sheep bleating 'baa,' and couldn't help but press his forehead.

Xiao Ningxun also froze, unable to speak for a long while.

Seeing that the shopkeeper had brought the most silver, everyone refused to continue.

The cook fired first, pointing at the shopkeeper's nose and cursing: "Shopkeeper, all these years I've served as your witness time and again—your money includes my share!"

The shopkeeper's face darkened: "Without my ideas, what witness are you? Your meager talents only suit you for stoking the kitchen fire."

The fat partner also flared: "Shopkeeper, your heart can't be this black! Every time you make me hit a wall, how much blood have I shed? Look at the scar on my head!"

"The old wound hasn't healed, and you make me hit again!"

The shopkeeper gave a cold snort: "You're this fat—what's that little bit of blood worth?"

As they argued, heavy footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate.

Two soldiers carried in a large wooden box, panting.

"Move aside!" the short soldier kicked the blocking chicken coop away, and together they set the wooden box on the ground with a muffled 'thud.'

The tall, thin soldier lifted the lid—inside lay neat stacks of gold and silver ingots.

The short soldier, hands on hips, gloated: "See? Their scrap copper and iron, even added together, don't even amount to our small change!"

The tall, thin soldier shouted back: "Exactly! Miss, for your sake we've emptied the steward's private treasury—the treasure map ought to be ours!"

The cook was stunned, the fat partner gaped speechless, and the shopkeeper's face turned green.

Abdu stared at the chest of silver, his eyes reddening.

Tuan Tuan lowered her gaze, her eyes landing on the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper uncle."

The shopkeeper startled, quickly put on a smile: "Yes, yes, yes! Miss, what are your orders?"

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips: "You clearly still have silver on you—why not bring it out? Don't you want the treasure map anymore?"

The shopkeeper gave an embarrassed grin, fumbled in his bosom, and hesitantly produced a small cloth bundle, placing it trembling on the ground.

From the bundle rolled out twenty taels of silver, and he muttered: "I'm not trying to keep some pocket money, am I?"

Tuan Tuan huffed: "If I gave you the treasure map, would you still need to hold onto these bits of silver?"

The shopkeeper flinched, then without hesitation slapped himself and nodded repeatedly: "Exactly, exactly! You're absolutely right, miss—I was muddle-headed!"

Before he could finish, the others erupted.

"Well done, shopkeeper! You've got hidden stashes!"

"You actually hid twenty taels—how much have you embezzled over the years!"

"He's the greediest! Every time we split money, he takes the biggest share!"

Tuan Tuan's gaze then fell on the fat partner.

The fat partner shuddered under her stare.

Tuan Tuan blinked: "You've got some in your pant leg too."

The fat partner's face stiffened, and he fumbled to pull out a tael of broken silver from his pant leg.

"I, I forgot, I really forgot! I didn't hide it on purpose!"

Seeing this, others frantically searched their own bodies.

The cook produced a tael of silver from her sleeve, the skinny man produced five wen coins from his shoe sole, and the sheep herder hesitated, then produced three copper coins from his belt.

Soon, a small pile of broken silver appeared on the ground again.

Xue Tong rubbed his hands together, and Kang An widened his eyes.

Xiao Ningxun and his older brother exchanged a glance, both pressing their lips tightly.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi lowered their heads, stifling laughter: "Miss, you've squeezed the swindlers dry!"

The two soldiers grew impatient.

The short soldier stepped forward: "Enough, enough! Stop dawdling!"

"Little miss, we two brothers have the most, the Treasure Map should belong to us!"

The tall thin soldier nodded: "Right! Whoever has more silver gets to buy it, you said that yourself!"

Everyone watched them, none daring to speak, only able to stare helplessly.

Give it to you? Dream on! You're the worst!

Tuan Tuan turned her face, looking at the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper uncle treats me the best!"

"Prepare a clean room for me, and also treat me to something delicious."

The shopkeeper was stunned, then overjoyed, almost kneeling: "Exactly! Little miss, I treat you like my own daughter! This Treasure Map should go to me!"

The two soldiers' faces changed drastically: "What?"

The cook screamed: "On what grounds!"

The fat assistant anxiously jumped: "The shopkeeper is the biggest liar! He's just pretending to be good! You mustn't be fooled!"

Tuan Tuan ignored them, her gaze falling on Abdu's face.

It's this bastard, in order to deceive us, he actually cut himself.

Do you like being cut so much?

Her eyes shifted, she smiled sweetly: "Uncle, come over."