Chapter 291: Can’t Swallow This Breath

Translator: 549690339 I

Ten taels for a clue.

A hundred taels for the arsonist.

The burnt wheat was worth thirty taels. So doing the math, he would definitively be at a loss.

But the fact that somebody burned a thousand catties of his wheat for no good reason, Qiao Xiaomai just couldn’t swallow his anger.

Even if it cost him a hundred taels of silver, the arsonist had to be caught.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ye immediately offered, “His Majesty will add on five hundred taels. Whoever finds the arsonist will be rewarded with five hundred taels!”

Five hundred taels, that’s an astronomical sum in the countryside.

Previously, Qiao Changshun had received fifty taels that had rocked everyone, now it was five hundred taels. Peasant families are self-sufficient. For those thrifty ones, this could last a lifetime.

When the Sun Family heard this figure, their facial muscles twitched violently, their eyes revealing a glint of greed.

Why didn’t they just stake out at Qiao Xiaomai’s place last night?!

Not only could they have enjoyed Qiao Xiaomai’s misfortune, but they might have earned five hundred taels of silver. Alas, they had missed out on five hundred taels for nothing, which pained them.

Qiao Xiaomai looked at Yang Ye and graciously declined, “Your Flighness, a hundred taels is enough, no need to unnecessarily spend more.”

Yang Ye’s long eyebrows knitted into a knot, Qiao Xiaomai’s politeness made him unhappy, “Consider it as Flis Majesty paying for lunch.”

Really now.

Wasn’t it only just five hundred taels?

Refusing to discuss this small amount of silver was demeaning!

Observing Yang Ye’s real annoyance, Qiao Xiaomai blinked her eyes, “Okay.” Yang Ye snorted, his face sour, and opened his folding fan with a whoosh. “Sun Family, are you sure you didn’t start the fire?” Tong Tiehu asked again at this moment.

The Sun Family was regrettably pained as if completely depleted of strength and fell to the ground exclaiming, “I don’t even know where Changshun’s fields are!”

“Let’s go back.” Yang Ye shook his head, turned around, and boarded the carriage.

The group split into two, Tong Sanlang went to Dazhou Village. The bounty information also needed to be announced in Dazhou Village.

The rest returned to Anping Village, Tong Tiehu immediately rang the bell at the threshing floor, gathering the entire village to announce the bounty.

For a verified clue, ten taels of silver.

If the arsonist was found, then six hundred taels.

Upon this announcement, the entire village was in an uproar.

Ten taels!

Six hundred taels!

Either amount was enough to tempt anyone.

Everyone rushed to spread the news, and their gaze toward others grew suspicious.

Qiao Xiaomai now surpassed the Tong Family, becoming the wealthiest in Anping Village. Not just anyone would dare to provoke her.

But what if someone was jealous of her?

She went from being the poorest to the richest overnight. With such a stark contrast, it was easy to incite jealousy in others. Driven by these emotions, they might do something underhanded, which would be understandable.

With the announcement made, everyone returned to their own houses, and Yang Ye followed Qiao Xiaomai back to the Qiao Family house.

Qiao Xiaomai sent Qiao Changshun with a donkey cart to the town to buy groceries. Considering Yang Ye had given them five hundred taels for meals, she could not just serve him farm crops.

Yang Ye beamed as he watched Qiao Changshun and Qiao Dami leave. Fie then turned to Qiao Xiaomai and cheerfully ordered, “Prepare the same dish you made last time, the one with freshwater snails, loach, and fried little fish.” “For that dish, I need to go to the creek.”

“Go.” Yang Ye waved his hand enthusiastically. “Freshly caught ones are the best. His Majesty loves that.”

Qiao Xiaomai was silent.

For catching little fishes, she had to cheat using the space container.

Otherwise, with her skill alone, she couldn’t do it, let alone catching loaches in the river.

Moreover, she disliked catching loaches because she found these slippery creatures frightening.

But of course, she had no fear when it came to cooking them.

Yang Ye did not notice her hesitation at all and asked impatiently, “How do you catch fish? With a fishing net?”

Fishing net?

A light lit up in Qiao Xiaomai’s eyes. Tong Sanlang had a fishing net!

She promptly responded, “Your Highness, please wait. The Tong Family has a fishing net; I will borrow it.”

She’d be better off bringing Tong Sanlang back with her. Catching fish in the river was a job made for him..