CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: THIS BITCH ACTUALLY USED A SOWING DISCORD SCHEME

Tang Qingrou looked at Pei Shu’er smugly, her eyes filled with a subtle provocation.

"But, my dear sister-in-law, if you can’t find it, how will you compensate us?"

The people of the third branch were all infuriated by Tang Qingrou, feeling that she was utterly shameless to demand compensation after stealing from their branch.

Tang Peiyi shouted angrily, "Tang Qingrou, you really have some nerve."

Aunt Lin argued, "Pei Shu’er brought so many officials to our Yuhua Valley, ruining Qingrou’s reputation, so of course, there must be compensation."

Pei Shu’er chuckled softly, "Whether it’s found or not, the charge of theft against you is undeniable. We, the third branch, are the ones who suffered losses and have no reason to compensate you."

How could she possibly fall for Tang Qingrou’s trick? If she followed Tang Qingrou’s words, she’d be walking right into her trap.

Tang Qingrou sneered, "Dear sister-in-law, if you’re going to frame me, at least find someone else. These are clearly people of the Deserted Mountain."

Pei Shu’er smiled and looked at Ma Dagou.

"Look at you, serving others, only to be discarded like a pawn."

"If we can’t find it in Yuhua Valley, then you’ll have to bear the entire blame for stealing so many carrots."

Ma Dagou felt a chill in his heart at this, as if Pei Shu’er would hand him over to the government officer if he didn’t say something useful.

Moreover, Pei Shu’er made sense; Qing Rou was denying it, and the third branch did lose many carrots, with only him being caught. If he took all the blame...

Thinking of this, Ma Dagou shivered and kneeled down, begging Tang Qingrou for mercy.

"Miss Tang, have mercy on me, I have the elderly and children to care for. Just hand over those carrots. We already carried them to that mountain cave. Where did you move them now?"

Tang Qingrou looked angrily at the fool.

Pei Shu’er was truly despicable; since she couldn’t get anything from her, she turned to her associates.

She was gnashing her teeth, wishing she could feed this person to the dogs.

But now, everyone was watching, and she couldn’t do that.

Tang Qingrou smiled softly.

"Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You should know where you hid the stolen goods since they’re yours. Why ask me?"

Ma Dagou saw that Tang Qingrou was determined to pin all the blame on him alone, and he was also furious. He hurriedly kneeled in front of Tang Qingrou, clinging to her skirt, sobbing.

"Miss Tang, you can’t just use and discard me like this. If you hand over the carrots now, we might still have a way out."

Tang Qingrou was in a sorry state, nearly having her skirt pulled off by Ma Dagou.

She was tugging at her skirt and denying the accusation with all her might, yet the people of Yuhua Valley were just standing there watching without offering any help.

She was extremely annoyed.

Involuntarily, she glanced toward Pei Shu’er.

She saw that vile woman standing aside, her face adorned with a leisurely and graceful smile, in stark contrast to her own disheveled state.

She gritted her teeth, enraged by this woman’s divisive tactics.

Tang Qingrou hurriedly whispered a reminder to Ma Dagou.

"You’ve been tricked by Pei Shu’er. Without finding the carrots, they can’t convict us. It’s just her speculation."

"You fool, how could you confess without being prompted?"

Ma Dagou’s face turned pale, and he quickly looked at Pei Shu’er.

Pei Shu’er curled her lips as if she knew what Tang Qingrou had said.

"Too late. What you said earlier has already completely sold both you and Tang Qingrou out. Now, if you find out where the carrots are hidden, there’s still hope."

Ma Dagou had no choice but to brace himself and continue bickering with Tang Qingrou.

Tang Qingrou was furious, but she had to pretend to be innocent.

She hadn’t directly involved herself, so she refused to believe Pei Shu’er had anything on her.

Just then, Lin Yu and Lin Hong came over, escorting a group of people who had been driven out from the Deserted Mountain earlier.

These people were visibly panicked but tried to remain calm when they saw Pei Shu’er and the officials.

Pei Shu’er smiled at them, saying, "Ma Dagou has confessed. If you tell us where the carrots are now, you might still have a chance to live; otherwise, you’ll become slaves in the army."

Their faces changed dramatically, all looking towards Ma Dagou. Ma Dagou hung his head, unwilling to speak.

Tang Qingrou quickly shouted, "Don’t be deceived by Pei Shu’er. She’s bluffing."

Aunt Lin also said, "Yes, don’t trust Pei Shu’er. You didn’t steal the carrots; it was all Ma Dagou’s doing."

As soon as these words were spoken, Ma Dagou jumped in outrage, feeling completely wronged by Aunt Lin.

"The carrots were stolen by all of us. None of you will pin this on me alone."

Then Ma Dagou began to babble about the details of the carrot theft, including how Tang Qingrou had incited them, with detailed information and even pointed to people from the Ma Family as witnesses.

Even if the Ma Family thought Ma Dagou was foolish, they had no choice but to confess everything at this crucial moment.

The government officer barked sternly, "What else do you have to argue about?"

Their mental fortitude wasn’t strong, or they wouldn’t have been swayed by Tang Qingrou.

The others looked similarly discouraged.

Pei Shu’er chuckled, "If you wish to live, then reveal the whereabouts of the carrots."

Seeing that some of them were about to speak nervously, Tang Qingrou interrupted sharply.

"There’s nothing to confess. We didn’t steal the carrots, and if you can’t find evidence, don’t falsely accuse us. Is there no justice?"

With Tang Qingrou’s reminder, they immediately shut their mouths; yes, as long as the carrots weren’t found, they couldn’t be charged.

Pei Shu’er smiled, "Alright, if you won’t cry until you see the coffin, then we’ll find the evidence ourselves."

As soon as she said this, Tang Qingrou sneered coldly, thinking they’d never find it, not even next year.

At this precise moment, Yinxing, Granny Zhang, and a few others like Li Zhuang and Liu Di returned.

They reported, "We searched all the caves in the valley and found nothing."

Tang Qingrou’s eyes sparkled with pride; she’d hidden them so well, how could they possibly find them?

If she could weather this storm, Pei Shu’er would face the consequences.

By then, just by acting pitiful, or perhaps sleeping with these officials, wouldn’t both officials be at her beck and call?

These officials rarely saw any women and couldn’t possibly resist her charm, she thought.

Tang Qingrou’s smile grew broader with this in mind.

"Lord, I think Pei Shu’er is just amusing herself with you. Maybe she just doesn’t want to pay taxes?"

Pei Shu’er looked at Tang Qingrou calmly, chuckling, "Do you really think I can’t find them?"

Tang Qingrou shook her head innocently.

"They were never there to begin with."