Having settled matters with the Clan Leader, Qin Yao proceeded to the old residence of Liu Dafu’s family.

Yin Le had just returned from the cafeteria where she finished the day’s work early. She had some time to spare and took out a thick piece of cowhide traded for wolf skin, intending to craft a belt that could hold throwing darts.

To avoid wasting the fine leather, Yin Le first decided on the design, cutting it out using coarse paper made from tree sap.

When getting hands-on, she compared the paper model against the cowhide, ensuring it wouldn’t get cut incorrectly. She could save some material to make two cowhide money bags for her master and Little Fourth Sister.

Engrossed in her task, Yin Le didn’t notice Qin Yao’s arrival until he coughed twice, catching her by surprise. She looked up in astonishment, "Master, what brings you here?"

Qin Yao stepped into the room, "Your alertness is still too low."

Yin Le lowered her gaze in shame, feeling regretful for having kept her master waiting. She quickly put down her work and prepared to get him some water.

Qin Yao waved his hand, "No need to fuss. Just sit down."

"I am leaving for the Prefecture early tomorrow and might be gone for ten days. During this time, the household will be in your hands. Can you handle it?"

The news came suddenly, flustering Yin Le a bit, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded firmly, "I can."

Qin Yao smiled approvingly, sensing he hadn’t misjudged, and explained the household situation to Yin Le one by one.

The first matter concerned the children’s school commute.

Since this clashed with the morning cafeteria schedule, Qin Yao would speak with Song Yu about coordinating it.

The next was the flooring installation at home; Old Liu had already ordered the materials, so this didn’t need Yin Le’s concern.

Just that with many people around, it’s crucial to keep an eye on household items, especially her bedroom. Qin Yao advised Yin Le to stay in his bedroom for these ten days.

Yin Le felt a bit embarrassed, quickly saying, "I’ll take my bedding over and sleep on the floor."

Qin Yao nodded agreeably, as he’s not used to having others’ scents lingering on his bed.

"Finally, regarding the keys to the home warehouse, I will leave one with you and the other with Mrs. Li. The everyday items are in the outer room; since Mrs. Li has a key, she won’t need to ask you for them. However, should anything come up at home, you can discuss it with Song Yu and his wife, and access the inner room to use silver for emergencies."

The household doesn’t have much silver, only two crates of copper coins and scattered silver taels amounting to one hundred, with the rest deposited at the Money Shop.

Regarding the silver note’s hiding place, only Qin Yao knows, and if it’s ever stolen, he’ll have to accept the loss.

Given that even if Ah Wang were present, he might not be able to stop a thief capable of taking the silver note he hid.

Qin Yao handed the key to Yin Le and quietly added, "With only you and Song Yu’s family of three left at home, though their deed of sale is in my hands, I ultimately trust you more because of the longer acquaintance."

Upon hearing this, Yin Le gripped the small copper key tightly in her hand, enthusiastically assuring, "Master, rest assured, while you’re away, I promise to keep the household in order!"

"Training will not be neglected; I will complete it strictly according to your standards!"

Seeing the disciple brimming with energy as if fueled by adrenaline, Qin Yao felt very satisfied and patted the young person’s shoulder heavily, "Keep it up, I have high hopes for you~"

Yin Le braced herself to avoid being knocked to the ground by her master’s heavy pat, gritting her teeth and muffling her response with an "Mm".

Qin Yao picked up the unfinished money bag of his disciple, surveyed it, and pointed at the flap seam saying, "Add a wooden button."

Setting it down, he clapped his hands, placed them behind his back, and strode out.

The watchful eyes behind him followed closely until they were blocked by a wall and disappeared.

Qin Yao exhaled lightly; having such an enthusiastic disciple meant being a master came with significant pressure.

That night at dinner, Qin Yao told the children about his departure, and Senior Sister Le would be responsible for their pickup and drop-off.

Additionally, Da Lang could practice martial arts during his rest days by sparring with Senior Sister Le.

Although Senior Sister Le might not be able to defeat him, companionship was the key.

Da Lang glanced at Yin Le opposite him, who was busy eating, and sighed helplessly, accepting reluctantly.

Second Lang was always self-disciplined, Qin Yao never worried about him.

Now the Dragon and Phoenix Twins were fond of Yin Le, showing no concern over the brief separation from their Mother.

Before sleeping at night, Qin Yao looked at the quiet children’s room, contemplating how the children wouldn’t cry or fuss at home during his departure, which left him somewhat melancholic, "They’ve all grown up..."

He closed the door, snuffed out the candle, and was about to lie in bed when he caught sight of the heavy large wooden box inside the room; the curiosity suppressed during the day suddenly surged again.

Qin Yao approached the wooden box, knocked twice, tapped a few times, and listened to the echo. The box was clearly not full.

Being unfilled yet so heavy indicated it held stones or high-density metal.

Of course, there’s also the possibility of bamboo scripts or jade items.

Qin Yao stared at the palm-sized tiger head lock atop the wooden box, pondering for a full half-minute, ultimately discarding the large knife he had unknowingly picked up, abandoning the idea of breaking the lock.

After all, having accepted someone’s money, maintaining professional ethics was crucial for a long-standing business.

He sighed, "Ah~", split the large knife into two parts and stored them in a wooden box custom-made by Liu the carpenter, finally collapsing onto bed and falling asleep.

In the dim dawn the next day, Qin Yao rose.

He ate mushroom meat buns prepared by Mrs. Li, packed a box of fresh wheat cakes as dried provisions, and filled a bamboo tube with cooled boiled water.

With his luggage packed, Qin Yao harnessed the wagon, loaded Wang Jin’s large wooden box and the two latest Lady’s Boxes intended for the Prefecture.

Donning a sun-shading rain-repelling hat, he informed the family before urging the horse towards the county town.

The heavy cargo took more than an hour to reach the outskirts of Kaiyang County.

Wang Jin, alone with horse and two empty crates, was waiting below the city.

Upon spotting Qin Yao driving the wagon from afar, Wang Jin finally relaxed his tense mind.

According to Wang Jin’s plan, Qin Yao led the way while he followed to ensure the evidence safely reached Zijing Mansion.

Unexpectedly, before they reunited beneath the city gate, Qin Yao drove straight onto the official road leading to Zijing Mansion.

While signaling him from a distance with a "You go ahead" gesture, never looking back.

They were like strangers, yet both aimed for Zijing Mansion. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Wang Jin felt a pang of realization and quickly understood; he was to go ahead and attract danger, paving the way for her!

Who was the employer and who was the guard between them?

Qin Yao wielded the whip, expressing that it didn’t matter as long as the evidence reached safely.

Watching the wagon move farther with no intention of stopping, Wang Jin finally accepted reality, quickly chasing on horseback.

As they crossed paths, Wang Jin cursed, "Qin Yao, you better ensure I won’t be killed by random blades!"

Qin Yao scanned him up and down, teased, "Aren’t you a master? Now that your acclimatization issues are cured, can’t you even defend yourself?"

Wang Jin fell silent, the provocation was crude but effective.