Everything in My Room Is Gone

Steward Qin sighed and said, "We've been out of money for a long time, and now even our daily expenses are a problem."

Zheng Linglong frowned and asked, "What do you want with me?"

Steward Qin said helplessly, "These matters were previously managed by Madam. Now that Madam is no longer here, it is natural for you to take over."

Zheng Linglong frowned and asked, "Don't we also have a farm and shops? What about the profits from those?"

Steward Qin said with a wry smile, "All of this was used to pay off debts. The people in the county government aren't pushovers either; they used all of my family's assets to pay off debts."

Zheng Linglong was dumbfounded. "So what do we have now?"

Steward Qin shook his head and said, "I have nothing, but I have a debt of 100,000 taels of gold, and some other odds and ends totaling tens of thousands of taels of silver."

Zheng Linglong was completely dumbfounded. "How is this possible? The Qin Clan was the richest family in Xin'an County before! They just got married, right?"

Steward Qin looked at her and said:

"Yes! Your wedding banquet cost all of your family's savings."

The servants said they would quit if they didn't get paid tomorrow.

Zheng Linglong smashed the teacup. Steward Qin, looking pained, said, "Madam, this is the only valuable tea set we have. Please be careful."

Zheng Linglong's lips twitched as she said, "Tell them to get out, the farther the better. My Qin Clan doesn't need servants like this, a bunch of snobs."

Steward Qin said helplessly, "Even if we fire them, we still have to pay them their wages!"

"They don't have a single penny. Get them out of here."

Left with no other option, Steward Qin could only relay his words to the servants in his household.

The servants scoffed, "This new lady is incredibly arrogant. Who does she think she is? How dare she treat us like this!"

"Not planning to pay wages? This is the first time I've ever seen something like this. Fine, don't pay then! The Qin Clan has plenty of valuable things anyway."

"Okay, let's start moving! We can just take anything out and sell it, that'll be enough to cover our wages."

Steward Qin looked at them and said, "The Qin Clan has treated you well; you can't do this!"

One of the servants said:

"Before, it was because of Madam's presence that she never mistreated us."

But now that the lady has been driven away, what is there left for us to cherish?

"We plan to seek refuge with Madam, Steward Qin. You'd better make your plans soon!"

Steward Qin didn't stop him, and just sat there blankly in the main hall.

The servant next to him said, "Uncle Qin, you should go too!"

Steward Qin sighed and said, "Leave? Where can I go? If only our lady were here."

The servant sneered, "Uncle Qin, you're skilled in martial arts; you can go anywhere. If all else fails, go find Madam."

Steward Qin sighed and said, "Why would Madam employ me? I am, after all, the steward of the Qin Clan."

Zhou Wanwan asked, "What do you think of this Steward Qin?"

A tree nearby remarked, "He's a nice person, and treats his servants well, but he's a bit too honest."

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "What we need most is an honest person, right? I remember we also need someone to be in charge, so let's have him!"

The other tree nodded and said, "He's quite good at managing things, and he has no children of his own, plus he was personally trained by Jiang Yunyao."

Zhou Wanwan stood not far away watching; these servants were no pushovers either.

Who wouldn't want to get more?

Some servants carried the porcelain out, some carried a chair, and others carried calligraphy and paintings.

The guards of the Qin residence didn't stop them at all, nor did they want to, because they hadn't been paid.

Most importantly, these guards also disliked Zheng Linglong.

Zheng Linglong took a nap, and when she woke up, she found that her room was a little different.

She opened her eyes and asked, "Honghua, why aren't you lighting the kerosene lamp?"

No one responded.

"Lüye, where have you all gone?"

Still no response.

Zheng Linglong clumsily lit the kerosene lamp, only to find that everything in the room had been taken away.

The Qin household did not have any servants with life-long contracts, because those who had signed such contracts had long since left.

They are all Jiang Yunyao's people.

When Jiang Yunyao left that house, those people's indentures were returned to them.

Therefore, all the remaining members of the Qin Clan are without indenture; these people don't care who you are.

They'll just leave if you don't pay them.

Zheng Linglong rushed out and saw Qin Zixuan, Qin Zimo, and Qin Ziyu also walking over.

Qin Zimo said, "Mother, what happened? Everything in my room is gone."

Qin Zixuan wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Even my books are gone. Without books, how am I supposed to read?"

Qin Ziyu also cried and said, "All my jewelry and clothes are gone! They took them all! What am I going to do?"

Zheng Linglong had a terrible headache. "How should I know what to do? Hurry up and find your father!"

Finally, they found Qin Yuan in a brothel. Qin Yuan had just gotten up, his clothes disheveled, and looked at Qin Zimo, saying, "What are you doing here?"

Qin Zimo looked at Qin Yuan and said, "Father, our house has been completely emptied out, and you still have the leisure to indulge in debauchery here."

Qin Yuan frowned and said, "What do you mean by that? What do you mean the house was emptied out? Is it Zhou Wanwan's doing again?"

Qin Zimo said helplessly:

"What Zhou Wanwan? What does Zhou Wanwan have to do with this?"

Our house was completely emptied by the servants; there's nothing left. You'd better go back right now!

Qin Yuan rushed home, and as soon as he arrived, he saw Old Madam Qin at the door, acting as if she were about to die.

"Oh dear! My life is so miserable! Qin Yuan, we have nothing left! Even the servants have run away. How am I supposed to live?" Old Madam Qin cried and wailed.

Zheng Linglong touched her belly and said, "General, we have nothing left in our family, not even breakfast. What am I supposed to do?"

Qin Yuan said with a helpless expression, "Shouldn't you be the one to figure out these things? What was the point of me marrying you?"

Zheng Linglong wiped away her tears and said, "You want me to think of a solution? What can a woman like me do?"

Qin Yuan sneered and said, "I never needed to worry about things in the backyard before; Jiang Yunyao handled everything. If she can do it, why can't you?"

Zheng Linglong looked at Qin Yuan and said:

"Does the general mean that I should contribute my dowry?"

When I came here, I had no dowry.

Qin Yuan looked at her and said, "I don't care whether you have a dowry or not, but if you can't even manage a household, that's your dereliction of duty."

Zheng Linglong gritted her teeth and said:

My family is burdened with debt; what can I do?

"If you're so capable, why don't you let Jiang Yunyao come back and take over the reins!"

Qin Yuan snorted coldly and said:

She's definitely much more reliable than you.

Back then, while I was fighting on the front lines, she managed the household perfectly, and I never had to worry about anything.

"She's more reliable than me, then go find her!" Zheng Linglong protested.

Qin Yuan snorted coldly and said, "If it weren't for marrying you, would our family be in this state now?"

Zheng Linglong snorted coldly and said:

"Qin Yuan, is this reasonable? You're blaming me for everything, aren't you?"

You said Jiang Yunyao's mouth was full of copper coins, vulgar and boring, unlike my noble character.

Is it really meaningful to blame everything on me now?

Old Madam Qin's legs were in terrible pain.

"Qin Yuan, hurry up and find Jiang Yunyao."

My leg hurts terribly, but her ointment works really well. Go and find her quickly.

Qin Yuan remained silent, but Old Madam Qin grew anxious. "Hurry up! It hurts, it hurts so much!"

Qin Yuan looked at Qin Zimo and said, "Go and call your mother back. Tell her that if she doesn't come back now, she'll never come back."

Qin Zimo hesitated for a moment before going with Qin Zixuan to find Jiang Yunyao.

Zhou Wanwan and Jiang Yunyao were having breakfast.

The nearby trees kept reporting on the Qin Clan's situation, "The battle was fierce yesterday, and today the Qin Clan has nothing left."

"Last night, Qin Yuan stayed at a brothel and had a passionate encounter with the most beautiful courtesan there."

"Qin Zimo and Qin Zixuan's faces turned green, and Qin Ziyu is now crying and sobbing at home."

Zhou Wanwan chuckled. Jiang Yunyao looked at Zhou Wanwan and asked, "Master, what are you laughing at all?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at her and said:

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of some funny things."

Qin Zimo and Qin Zixuan will be here soon, so be prepared.

Jiang Yunyao, standing beside her, said, "Whether they come or not is none of my business."

Jiang Yunyao truly didn't care anymore.