Qi Qingyao looked at him with a smile, not answering.
“You got so much money all of a sudden yet you can’t say where it’s from. I can’t proceed with a deal under these circumstances. I believe anyone who took your money before this would not dare spend it thoughtlessly.”
Speaking up till this point, Zhang Tieyuan threw a glance at the few neighborhood representatives who were present and also the village head Ma Sanye. Deliberately, he said, “Ma Sanye, what if this was stolen money? When the time comes, everyone who has taken the money will all end up in jail.”
Ma Sanye felt his heart thump. “Stolen money?”
Zhang Tieyuan pushed further, “If she didn’t steal it then where did she get so much money from?”
All of a sudden, a few of the neighborhood representatives felt a chill down their backs and they all gave the village head a look. Ma Sanye looked embarrassed and sheepishly said, “Eleventh Daughter, why don’t you tell everyone where the money came from? It’d give them some assurance.”
Qi Qingyao. “…”
The three children sensed the harsh atmosphere and dared not speak. Carefully, they sat beside Qi Qingyao’s legs and grabbed onto their mother’s pant legs wordlessly.
Jiang Yeqian kept his eyes on the woman calmly amidst the growing tension.
‘Woman, what will you do next?
‘Will you reveal the truth about your knowledge of medical skills?
‘Nobody would believe it, however.’
There was dead silence in the hall.
After a beat, Ma Sanye carefully asked, “Is there something you cannot tell us?”
Qi Qingyao shrugged. “It’s not that I cannot say it.”
Ma Sanye urged, “Then say it.”
‘Say it.’
How was she supposed to say it?
Qi QIngyao was hesitating.
None of these commoners would believe her if she said that she got the money from treating Heir Pei because her original host had been stupid and was a fool. Even if a fool was now smart, it was impossible for them to be able to treat illnesses. This was something that was out of one’s scope of knowledge.
Jiang Yeqian noticed the befuddlement in her eyes.
Panic was also rising in his heart.
Jiang Yeqian took a deep breath when he noticed his emotions. Why was he nervous?
Several of the neighborhood representatives looked at each other the moment she lowered her gaze. They all thought of the words Madam Wu of the old Qi family spouted before and they began to speak with forced calmness.
“She must have become someone’s concubine.”
“That’s impossible, even if she became some concubine, what wealthy individual would simply give her a few hundred taels? Were they some child of wealth?”
“Then, clearly, she stole it.”
“That’s right. I also think she stole it. If she did get it normally then why can’t she say it?”
Everyone was openly and boldly discussing the topic right in front of Qi Qingyao. Naturally, she could tell that this group of people was trying to wheedle the truth out of her.
Seeing that she was still keeping silent, Ma Sanye felt even more tension growing in his heart. Could she really have stolen it? His nervous lips began trembling.
“Eleventh Daughter, are you not allowed to tell us?”
“The Lord Heir gave it to me,” Qi Qingyao said helplessly as she rubbed her brows.
Ma Sanye was stunned.
Instead, it was Zhang Tieyuan who quickly responded, “Huh? Lord Heir, which Lord Heir?”
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
She actually said it.
Was she really planning on revealing that she treated Heir Pei?
However, would this not clash with the fact that she was a fool before? This woman could not possibly be so stupid.
He frowned and waited for her next move.
Qi Qingyao spat syllables out lightly, “Pei Fengtang.”
Pei Fengtang’s name.
Everyone knew that the lord of the Dingbei Residence was named Pei Fengtang.
“I heard Heir Pei was recuperating in the Bieyuan Garden of Baishui Town,” said Ma Sanye.
Zhang Tieyuan found this to be too ineffable, “Why would Heir Pei give you money? You had better not joke around.”