Chapter 31: Compensation of One Tael of Silver

The two children from yesterday had not returned. He had assumed they had gone to the neighboring town, but it appeared that was not the case.

Lin Zhixiang felt a surge of anxiety, but as the Prefect, he had to handle the investigation according to established order, even when his own children were involved.

"Do you remember what time they left yesterday?" Lin Zhixiang asked, frowning.

"Around the hour of the Monkey."

"Did anyone see Lin Chuyi and Lin Qiyue after the hour of the Monkey?" Lin Zhixiang inquired.

"No."

"I didn't see them."

The gathered villagers all expressed that they had seen nothing. The atmosphere grew tense; in a peaceful town like theirs, a disappearance was truly alarming.

"Were there any signs of a struggle at home?"

Auntie Qi thought carefully for a moment before shaking her head. Aside from a missing chicken and a bowl, everything in the house was exactly as it had been when they left.

Lin Zhixiang pondered, "Since there are no signs of a struggle, it means they were not abducted. No one could kidnap two living people without making a sound. If I am not mistaken, the chicken and the bowl were taken by the two of them."

The crowd was perplexed, though they grasped the gist of it—the shift in the narrative had been sudden. One moment it was a missing persons case, and the next, it turned into an accusation of theft.

"Father, we didn't steal anything!"

Just as the villagers were whispering among themselves, a pleasant but anxious voice cut through the air.

Hearing that voice, the tension in Lin Zhixiang’s frame eased slightly. "Order in the court! No shouting allowed."

Once he heard Lin Chuyi’s voice with his own ears, he reverted to the image of the impartial Prefect.

Lin Chuyi pushed through the crowd. "Um, Your Honor, we didn't steal anything."

"Taking something without asking is stealing," Lin Zhixiang huffed.

In truth, if one scrutinized his earlier words, he had used the word "taken," not "stolen."

Lin Chuyi pouted. "I was just in such a rush. I had intended to pay for that chicken." She reached into her cloth bag and produced a piece of silver. "Auntie Qi, I’m sorry for worrying you. Please, take this."

"Child, I cannot take this money. I reported this to the authorities only because I was afraid something had happened to you two. Knowing you are both safe is enough for me."

Lin Chuyi offered a sweet smile. "It’s alright, Auntie Qi, please take it."

Lin Chuyi insisted, but Auntie Qi refused to accept. The two went back and forth, reaching a stalemate.

Helpless, Lin Chuyi looked to Lin Zhixiang for aid.

"Silence. This case is now resolved. It is confirmed that the chicken and bowl were taken by Lin Chuyi and Lin Qiyue. Therefore, they are ordered to compensate Auntie Qi with one tael of silver."

*Heh, Father is still the best.*

Lin Chuyi blinked slyly, her small canine teeth showing. "Auntie Qi, the Prefect has spoken. Please, take it."

"Auntie Qi, please take it."

Lin Qiyue walked in with a smile. He had just arrived with Mo Yu and had settled him somewhere he could lean before coming forward. As one of the parties involved, it was better for him to be present in court.

Auntie Qi no longer dared to refuse. Her eyes reddened as she accepted the silver. "Good children."

Not just Auntie Qi, but the villagers present felt a sting in their noses—moved by the children’s honesty and kindness, and by the Prefect’s impartiality.

Watching Lin Chuyi, who was looking down and chuckling softly, Mo Yu’s eyes were thoughtful. This girl seemed quite different from what he had imagined.