Soon, the entire school gathered here. Tang Shirong felt sweat on his forehead, but he suppressed it and told the story again.
The steward frowned and asked him: "How many taels of silver are there in the silk bag?"
Tang Junchen replied: "Twelve."
The steward glanced at him: "Why do you know?"
Tang Junchen had no choice but to tell him again what Tang Shiyue asked him to pass on. The steward snorted: "Seriously? Have you opened the silk bag and read it?"
Tang Junchen finally heard that something was wrong. The steward clearly didn't believe that this happened. He thought that Tang Shirong was just trying to get rid of Shu Xiu!
Tang Junchen's anger surged for a moment, he clenched his fist and said: "Although I haven't opened the silk bag to see it, I can still pinch it. And now the cabinet has been pried open, and even the silk bag is gone. The money Ah Rong saved before It’s gone too, so shouldn’t we look for Thief now?”
The steward frowned. He said, "Why don't you keep your valuables with you?"
Tang Shirong's face turned red and he lowered his head without answering. The steward was even more suspicious: "If I don't keep ten taels of silver, I really can't believe it. Can you explain it to me?"
Tang Shirong could not be forced and whispered: "My sleeve pocket is torn, so I never put anything valuable on me." He gritted his teeth and opened his sleeve pocket to show him, his handsome face turned red with embarrassment.
The steward glanced at it and then believed it. He clicked his tongue in disgust, then turned around and said, "Sir, has anyone come out during class?"
Of course, there were people going to the toilet throughout the morning, but the dormitory was a little far away from the lecture hall, and it only took a stick of incense to go back and forth. Everyone argued about it, but they still thought that no one had this. time.
The steward held his chin and thought for a while, then suddenly thought of something: "Wait a minute! Does anyone know if you put your money in the cabinet?"
Tang Shirong and Tang Junchen were both stunned. Everyone was also stunned.
The steward didn't expect that his words could have such a good effect. He suddenly became proud and raised his voice: "Who knows that your family is poor. Even if there is a thief sneaking in, he will not steal from you. Others will reply. Shecha Check, is there anything missing?"
After hearing this, everyone went back to the dormitory to have a look, and then came back one after another and said there was no such thing.
The steward even sneered again and again: "This kind of thing has never happened to Tang's sect before, so why did it happen to you today? Before Xiu Mu, you said that you had no money to pay for the repair, and you asked me to give you a few days of grace, but you can return After returning home, your sister gave you money, but you didn't want it. She entrusted Tang Junchen to give it to you. Then, by coincidence, the money was lost again. When she came back, no one saw it. You were the only one who came back and forth. The two of them know it!" He glared and yelled: "Why do you, the Qiao Zong'er in this world, ask you to catch up by yourself? Tell me!"
When he said this, everyone felt it was very strange and started talking about it.
Tang Shirong's face turned red and he said in a steady voice: "Steward, my family is having a hard time. I have already saved more than nine hundred articles. After copying this book, I will have enough for tomorrow, so I didn't pick up my sister. Only Ah Chen and I knew about this matter. I don’t know why it was stolen by others, but I read the books of sages and will never lie or deceive others, let alone act in a show to default on my debt. I ask Manager Tang to be clear about it."
Tang Junchen also said: "Manager Tang, I did hand over the money to Ah Rong with my own hands. I guarantee it with my life."
The steward was dubious, looked at the two of them up and down, and then said with a snort: "But no one has returned to the dormitory on the way. Is it possible that there will be a thief who comes and goes, jumps over the wall, and steals your ten taels of silver?"
"
Tang Junchen said: "Can you report it to the official?"
After the crowd, Tang Shijin rolled his eyes and felt a little flustered.
"Absolutely not!" The steward refused without hesitation: "Reporting this kind of thing to the official will ruin the reputation of our Tang School!"
Tang Shirong said: "Ten taels of silver is not a trivial matter. Could you please ask the steward to take a look at my classmate's luggage? I think that person may not have had time to give it away."
"Yes!" Tang Junchen's eyes lit up: "Maybe even the silk bag is still there! The silk bag is apricot yellow, only the edges are hooked, not embroidered, you can recognize it at a glance!"
This is possible. Although it is insulting to be polite, it is obvious that he is under the melon field at this time, so it is not a bad idea to search him. The steward glanced at everyone and hesitated.
At this moment, Tang Shijin took a few steps forward, frowned and said: "Ah Rong, don't make too much trouble! If you do this, don't you think that your classmates are thieves!"
Tang Shirong glanced at him: "Brother, I naturally don't believe that there are thieves among my classmates, but my money was stolen, so I have to believe it."
"Exactly," Tang Junchen said: "There is a thief hiding among the classmates. If he is found out as soon as possible, everyone will feel more at ease! Otherwise, who knows whether the thief will strike again!"
Everyone couldn't help but fall silent.
That's right. In fact, more than half of the people who attend classes in ancestral schools are poor children. Real young masters from rich families will never come to such a low-class private school. Ten taels of silver is indeed not a small amount for them.
Tang Shijin scolded: "You are still fooling around! Others don't know about your family's situation. Don't I know about it? Where can you find ten taels of silver?" He paused, softened his voice, and said quickly: "Forget it.
, Manager Tang, I will hand over Ah Rong's repair work on his behalf this month."
For the steward, of course, it is better to do less than to do more. When the steward heard this, he immediately smiled: "Ah Jin is so refreshing! He is generous and generous! That's it, let's go, I will take you to pay! We have classes in the afternoon, everyone.
Let’s break up!”
Tang Shirong was stunned for a moment, then became anxious: "Wait a minute! Steward, this matter shouldn't be handled like this! It involves everyone's reputation, how can it be handled in such a confused way?"
"Ah Rong already has money!" Tang Junchen also said: "Twelve taels of silver can be worth a few months of hard work! It's nothing to let it go!"
Tang Shijin frowned and said: "I don't have much money on hand, so I can barely give you this month's repair. Do you still want me to give you ten taels of silver?"
Someone next to me also said: "A Jin is willing to help you because he is loyal. Why do you still rely on him?"
"Still thinking about the unnecessary ten taels of silver!"
"It's really greedy!"
"These two people are obviously working together..."
Tang Shirong chased after him for a few steps, but seeing that the situation was irreversible, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and stop, feeling extremely aggrieved.
Tang Junchen was actually quite popular, but he couldn't stand Tang Shijin's group, and he didn't have a good relationship with them. He had a good relationship with them, but he didn't dare to offend them, so he could only wait for them to leave and say a few words of comfort.
Tang Shirong gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. He thought about what Tang Shiyue said when he returned home. He thought about her as a little kid who rushed into the fire to save people and got twenty taels of silver. This was hers.
The money for selling one's life... actually disappeared in such an inexplicable way.
Tang Junchen sent those people away, turned around and paced back and forth, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered: "Rong, I have a... despicable guess."
Tang Shirong understood what he meant almost instantly.
He suddenly remembered that in the morning, Tang Shijin entered the lecture hall very late, at least half a stick of incense later than them. As soon as he sat down, the teacher came in.
However, he has no evidence.
Moreover, Tang Shijin helped him. If he guessed wrong, that would be despicable indeed.
Tang Junchen whispered: "Ah Rong, what should we do now?" (To be continued)