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The middle-aged woman retracted her arm. She didn’t want to give the notes to Chu Xujin, but if she didn’t, she would definitely get into trouble. In the end, she gave the notes to Chu Xujin. “Sir, is there a problem?”

Chu Xujin looked at the banknotes carefully. Good lord, they were all counterfeit banknotes. “Do you know that this banknote is counterfeit?”

Cold sweat immediately flowed down the middle-aged woman’s forehead, but she didn’t believe him. “Sir, don’t spout nonsense. My husband gave me this banknote a few days ago. How can it be counterfeit?”

Could it be that these constables wanted to take her banknotes?

Chu Xujin did not say anything else to her. “Let’s go to the government office.”

The middle-aged woman was definitely unwilling, and she was even more convinced that Chu Xujin and the others wanted to steal her banknotes. She was shrewish, and this thought provoked her. She immediately went from humility to arrogance.

“Sir, you have no evidence. What right do you have to say that 1 have counterfeit banknotes?”

“It’s not without evidence. This banknote is counterfeit.” Chu Xujin took out a real banknote. “Compare it yourself.”

The middle-aged woman immediately checked.

The onlookers also craned their necks to see, thinking to themselves that if these were indeed counterfeit banknotes, the middle-aged woman, who had produced so many at once, was likely to be involved in the counterfeit banknote case

The issue of counterfeit banknotes had already caused a stir in several counties. Now, everyone in business insisted on silver taels instead of banknotes.

The shop assistant wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved that the officials had arrived in time. Otherwise, if the shop’s goods had been bought with counterfeit banknotes, he couldn’t bear the consequences.

After comparing, the woman saw the difference between the two types of banknotes, but she refused to admit hers were fake. “Yours are the fake ones, mine are real.”

Chu Xujin didn’t want to argue further. “Take her away for questioning at the government office.”

Despite her reluctance, the woman was eventually taken away and immediately interrogated.

Under questioning, she confessed that the banknotes had been brought home by her husband the day before, and he had left again early this morning.

Crucially, the woman’s husband was a blacksmith, whose family had run a forge for generations, leading a relatively comfortable life.

A few months earlier, a stranger had come asking her husband to create something based on a blueprint.

The item was mysterious, and the woman hadn’t seen it, only knowing such an event had occurred.

Chu Xujin, listening to the woman’s story, thought to himself that this confirmed his fifth sister’s suspicions: the blacksmith shop was involved and had been paid handsomely, but all in counterfeit banknotes.

“Besides you, who else knows about this?”

“No one else,” she replied. “My husband warned me to keep it a secret, or it would bring trouble.”

“Do you know where your husband went?”

“I don’t know. Ever since that person came to look for him last time, he became very mysterious. He didn’t tell me anything. He even scolded me for being nosy.”

Ge Lihua asked, “Does your husband return home regularly, or whenever he pleases?”

Knowing her husband was in trouble, the woman didn’t dare to conceal anything. “There’s no regular pattern. Sometimes he comes back in the middle of the night, sometimes during the day. Sometimes three days, sometimes ten.”

Chu Xujin glanced at Ge Lihua, then said to the woman, “You go back first. Don’t mention this to anyone, or your husband could be in danger.”

The woman promised not to speak of it and went home.

Chu Xujin secretly sent someone to follow her, ready to capture the blacksmith as soon as he appeared.

Chu Xujin said, “Lihua, Zhang Qing’s second uncle is involved with the Zhao’s Paper Mill. I plan to take a look.”

Ge Lihua, concerned for Chu Xujin’s safety, insisted, “I’ll go with you.”

In the Chu Village.

Delicious dishes were served one after another, emitting mouth-watering aromas.

Many of the Chu family were not home at noon, so the dining table was spacious. Li Qingyu came out of the kitchen and called everyone to the table.

“Yuru, Shiyu, please take a seat.”

“Auntie Chu, please sit too.” Fan Yuru and Rong Shiyu obediently sat down. This was the first time they sat at such a long table. It was very novel.

Li Qingyu, looking at the two lively young ladies, was filled with joy and said with a smile, “You sit first, I have one more dish to bring out.”

“Okay.”

Chu Rong went to the second-floor hall where Wang Ximing was still teaching Chu Qingyan. “Master Wang, it’s time for dinner.”

Wang Ximing politely replied, “Okay.”

He hadn’t planned on eating, but Chu Rong insisted, arguing that the teacher, coming to their house daily for lessons, deserved a meal. Wang Ximing, unable to decline, agreed.

Chu Qingyan tidied up her things and paper, putting them in her room, then descended the stairs with Wang Ximing.

Chu Qingyan pulled out a chair. “Master, please sit.”

The young girl showed great respect for her master, and Wang Ximing, in turn, taught with dedication and effort, making their master-disciple relationship very harmonious.

“Okay,” Wang Ximing said with a smile as he sat down.

Grandpa Chu brought out a jar of fine wine gifted by Tang Jinghong, planning to enjoy it at the table.

The Tang family had stored a lot of fine wine and gifted quite a bit to Grandpa Chu, who, pleased as could be, couldn’t stop grinning and boasting about it in the village. It seemed Chu Eighth’s love for showing off was inherited from him.

The meals for the Master Abbot and the young monk were still arranged on the second floor. Chu Qingzhi made several vegetarian dishes for them, taking care of all aspects.

Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong were the last to sit down.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Yuru, Shiyu, welcome to our home. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality.”

“What are you talking about? There’s no need to be so formal between us.”

“Then let’s eat.”

“Okay.”

Chu Qingyan, sitting next to Fan Yuru, turned to them and said, “My fifth sister’s cooking is the best. Once you try it, you’ll never forget it.”

Fan Yuru smiled. “Then I must eat to my heart’s content today.”

Rong Shiyu also smiled, “I never thought I’d get to eat dishes personally cooked by Qingzhi. I’ll eat more today.”

“You’re in for a treat.”

Yuan Hongjun brought over the wine jar to pour for everyone. After everyone had a cup, they drank together and began to eat, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Chu Qingzhi had prepared a feast today: braised meatballs, steamed pork with preserved vegetables, boiled pork slices, crispy meat, steamed pork with rice powder, braised chestnut and roe deer meat, Chinese yam and rabbit soup, braised chicken with water chestnuts, cold mixed lotus root slices, winter melon fish balls, and various side dishes. Each dish was a perfect blend of color, aroma, and taste, looking incredibly appetizing.

Fan Yuru and Rong Shiyu couldn’t stop praising the meal.

Upstairs.

The young monk, swallowing his food, said, “Master, isn’t the vegetarian food made by Benefactor Chu even tastier than what the head chef makes?”

The Master nodded in agreement, “Much tastier than what the head chef makes.”

The young monk smiled happily, but soon became melancholic.. “Master, do we have to leave this afternoon?”