Chapter 91

The three Lin brothers were retching nonstop outside, and by lunchtime, when they were supposed to eat, they found they could barely stomach the meat that was rarely seen, mainly because the neighboring crow‑droppings vine kept emitting its foul smell.

"Big brother…… retch…… what is this…… it's like feces."

"I don't know either!"

Lin Daqiang endured his nausea and took a few bites, then snapped angrily: "Why should we three be forced to stomach something so disgusting? It must be that little slut Lin Lin saying something in front of the Chi family; anyway, we're already working for the Chi family, so we might as well have Mother sell Lin Lin to the neighboring village for silver."

Lin San nodded: "Big brother's right, we'll tell Mother tonight."

At that moment, in Chi Nan Yi's room.

Yun Shan told Chi Nan Yi everything they had said, word for word.

"Miss, if you find the work dirty, I'm willing to do it for you."

Chi Nan Yi glanced at him, smiling: "Young man, don't be so impatient. By the way, did you tell the Prince I have medicine pills to deliver?"

"I did, and the Prince said he'll send someone to collect them later."

"Good."

The finished medicine pills were placed into porcelain bottles, all arranged on the table in the courtyard.

"The pills made today are extremely costly; handle them carefully, don't damage them."

Chi Nan Yi's voice was not low; the Lin brothers grinding herbs heard it clearly.

"Costly? I don't know how much silver they'll fetch." Lin Da rubbed his hands: "But for her to call them costly, they must be worth a lot."

"Big brother, our luck is really great! Stealing a few pills will surely net us a lot of silver."

"Truly, even heaven is helping us."

Lin San glanced toward the rear courtyard and said with a smile: "Big brother, it looks like no one's watching the back yard."

The three slipped sneakily toward the rear courtyard, looked around and indeed saw no one; seeing the table densely packed with porcelain bottles, their eyes lit up.

"Big brother, there look to be over a thousand here; taking a few won't be noticed."

After thinking, they dared not take many; each took two bottles.

Taking advantage of the emptiness, they hurriedly turned and left.

Unbeknownst to them, their every move was seen by Yun Shan and Chi Nan Yi.

"They dare to steal."

Chi Nan Yi smiled: "If they didn't steal, I'd be worried!" She glanced at Yun Shan with smiling eyes: "What they're stealing is the medicine meant for Prince Li."

For the Prince……

Yun Shan then understood.

Borrow a knife to kill!

If it were merely ordinary theft, returning the items and receiving a few dozen blows followed by a short confinement might see them released, but stealing the Prince's property makes the crime far graver.

At best, Liu Fang; at worst, loss of life.

Miss Chi's trick is truly…… brilliant!

The Lin family is as good as finished.

Just then, a carriage stopped outside the Chi residence.

"Here they come."

Seeing Yun Shui, Chi Nan Yi's smile widened: "He arrives just in time."

"Miss Chi." Yun Shui's attitude was far more respectful than before, not because he had probed Mo Junyan's thoughts, but because of those horses.

To obtain such fine warhorses, how could Miss Chi be an ordinary person?

Most importantly, the army currently lacks warhorses; earlier, border conflicts flared repeatedly, and they suffered many losses due to horse shortages, losing many brothers.

Now, with numerous excellent warhorses, the lord's cavalry can be unstoppable, no longer constrained by others, and casualties can be reduced.

Although Miss Chi accepted silver, she also helped the Prince.

He is naturally respectful.

"Elder Brother Yun."

"No no no, Miss Chi, just call me by my name." Yun Shui smiled: "I don't know if the Prince's medicine pills, Miss, are ready?"

"Ready; we just need to count the quantity before loading."

Just then, Aunt Li came running in a panic: "Master, the number of medicine pills is wrong!"

"Wrong?" Chi Nan Yi feigned surprise: "How could it be wrong? Weren't the pills bottled according to count? Just now the count was correct; how is it wrong now?"

"Yes! Today you specially warned us the pills are precious; we feared any mistake, so we counted them carefully, certain there'd be no problem, but now we're missing six bottles!"

"Did you search thoroughly around?"

"We searched, under and over the tables, really nothing."

"Then it's indeed wrong." Chi Nan Yi frowned slightly: "Today is no different from usual; why would the count be off?"

Aunt Li's eyes shifted, she whispered: "Master, could someone have stolen them?"

"Stolen?" Chi Nan Yi heard this and couldn't help wanting to laugh.

This Aunt Li really knows her way.

No need for you to prompt; you've already hit the crux.

"Master, to be frank, the three Lin sons have been sticky-fingered since childhood; their father is an honest man, a pity he died early; their mother, tsk, better not mention it; these three sons took after her, loving food, hating work, stealing chickens and dogs; the medicine pills were surely taken by them."

After Aunt Li finished, several other villagers who work at the Chi residence also gathered around.

Everyone knows the pills are costly; now six are missing, they all worry deeply, fearing Miss Chi will make them bear the loss; if they have to pay silver, their hard work these days would be for nothing.

"Master, this matter really has nothing to do with us!"

"That's right! We didn't take them, truly we didn't."

Chi Nan Yi's gaze swept over the faces; when it fell on Lin Lin, she stood there uneasy, eyes full of anxiety and worry.

"Earlier I already said, the pills are extremely expensive; we must be extremely careful. Now that they've been lost, we must find the source." Chi Nan Yi said lightly: "It's not that I suspect you, but we should still get to the bottom of things—after all, the pills won't grow wings and fly away; otherwise, the person who makes the pills, I definitely wouldn't dare to continue using them."

"Yes yes yes, that's what the landlord said." Aunt Li hurriedly said: "We didn't take it; we're not afraid of a search—if we're innocent, we have nothing to fear."

"That's right, I actually want to see who had the gall of a bear and leopard to dare steal something; they'll surely be caught by the authorities."

"Bring everyone in the courtyard over for a thorough investigation."

At that moment, the three people slacking off in the back courtyard still didn't know what they would soon face.

"Big brother, how do you think we can bring that pretty girl home as a wife?"

"Isn't that simple?" Lin Da gave a few chuckles: "I, your older brother, have my ways; once the raw rice becomes cooked rice, she won't be able to avoid marrying."

"Lin Lin is really a fool; for something so easy to steal, she wouldn't do it, and almost got beaten to death by her mother—if you ask me, with that brain of hers, she deserves to be beaten."