Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 425 - 422: Qingyu Is Missing

Lin Wanwan put away the medical kit and said softly to Lin Mengbo beside her, "There was a safety accident in the workshop. Take ten coins from the account as compensation for the child’s parents."

Lin Mengbo initially felt sympathy for the grieving family, but upon hearing that Lin Wanwan intended to pay them ten coins from the account, he immediately lost any compassion and said, "Why? It’s their own responsibility for not watching the child properly. What does it have to do with our workshop? Why should our workshop pay money?"

Lin Mengbo truly did not understand Lin Wanwan’s logic. In his view, if it weren’t for the fact that it was an innocent child who died, the Lin Family Manor would have demanded compensation from others instead!

The newly opened workshop had been operating for less than a month when someone died here, bringing bad luck!

Lin Wanwan frowned and said, "This incident is indeed due to a safety oversight on our part. I should have reminded you earlier that children should never be allowed to play here while collecting cotton; it’s too dangerous. Compensating them is justified; they are not wronged. We are merely paying money, but the child has lost a life because of it."

"This—" Lin Mengbo was at a loss for words but didn’t continue to refute, "Alright, I’ll take care of it."

In the workshop, Lin Wanwan is the major shareholder; in the family, Lin Wanwan is the Village Lady of Le’an. Her words here are as revered as a sacred rule and must be obeyed.

Even if she calls him elder brother, he can’t really be high-handed, he has to be aware.

Looking at the grief-stricken family before her, Lin Wanwan sighed inwardly with some guilt.

What does a six or seven-year-old child understand? What do these native farmers in Mao County of the Great Tang, who have never seen cotton before, understand?

This is all because Lin Wanwan failed to inform adequately, something she should have thought of earlier.

A six or seven-year-old child, if sold into slavery, would only be worth two or three coins in the hands of a broker, unless they could directly sell to the nobles, which could fetch four or five coins.

Now, the people at the Lin Family workshop offered to give the child’s parents ten coins as assistance, slightly easing the family’s pain from losing their child.

Money can’t bring back the child’s life, but it can soothe the family’s wounds somewhat.

Lin Wanwan didn’t manage the subsequent matters; Lin Mengbo took full responsibility.

Right now, she just wanted to hurry home and retrieve little Qingyu, not let her play in the workshop anymore. This little one was gradually becoming naughty; she dared not let her play around recklessly.

But when she started looking for little Qingyu, she discovered an even bigger misfortune—little Qingyu was missing! Along with her, her close maid Rongrong was also gone!

The cotton procurement was immediately halted, and everyone from the Lin Family Manor and Lin Wanwan’s residence were deployed for a comprehensive search throughout the Lin Family Manor and Lin Family workshop.

Lin Wanwan couldn’t help but feel her heart stop as she thought about the possibility that little Qingyu might be suffocating, buried deeply in some cotton pile.

During the more than a year since meeting little Qingyu, she had been through sleepless nights caring for the little one when sick and also experienced the embarrassing incident of waking up soaked by the little one’s urine in the morning, but mostly, the little one would cling to her, acting cutely and playfully.

Little Qingyu is not just an adopted daughter Lin Wanwan picked up, not just a simple matter of her having a child without giving birth.

She is the family Lin Wanwan chose for herself, her emotional support, the only one who loved her wholeheartedly after her grandparents left, her biggest bond in this world. Lin Wanwan dreaded imagining what might happen if little Qingyu encountered an accident.

Regarding the Lin Family workshop’s sudden halt in cotton procurement, those who were waiting in line were wailing but helpless.

No one knew the real reason; they thought it was due to a child’s accidental death, and some rituals were needed to ease the soul.

After all, where there’s a wrongful death, it’s indeed reasonable to invite a Daoist to drive away evil spirits.

Just as people were reluctantly planning to disperse home, the Lin Family Manor people suddenly came back and conducted a rough search on their carts.

Regardless of whether they sold cotton or not, everyone dared not complain aloud.

The sea folk of the Lin Family Manor cannot be offended, and the noble Village Lady of Le’an, even more so!

However, after the rough search, there was no gain; little Qingyu vanished without a trace, along with Xiao Yixun.

Xiao Yixun’s disappearance also led Lin Wanwan to make unfavorable associations. Despite Xiao Yixun’s pristine white appearance and fragile look, she was not simple.

Whether Xiao Yixun has martial arts skills is uncertain to Lin Wanwan, but she is definitely skilled in using poison and sedatives; it’s common to see a mute collector gather colorful mushrooms for Xiao Yixun on the mountain.

With her disappearance too, could there be some conspiracy?

But her two servants are present and are anxiously looking for her, and given the pride of a noble lady of the Great Tang, it’s impossible for her to travel without a personal maid.

Could it be that she didn’t disappear willingly? Was she abducted? Could she be together with little Qingyu?

Digging three feet deep didn’t reveal little Qingyu’s lifeless body among the cotton storerooms, allowing Lin Wanwan to console herself that no news was good news.

At least little Qingyu was definitely not "eaten" by the cotton. As long as someone took her, there’s a considerable chance she is safe.

The family’s wealth was known throughout Mao County, so if someone took a daring risk to kidnap little Qingyu for money, it was plausible.

In modern times, there are cases of kidnapping and extortion, and in the Great Tang without cameras or high-tech tracking methods, why wouldn’t such a thing occur?

She had been too careless; even going to Xiao Xi Town, she ensured Yun Shang was always nearby to watch little Qingyu, but in the Lin Family Manor, she relaxed her vigilance because they were all kinsfolk.

Recently, as cotton was being collected, it was mostly farmers from Mao County’s poorest areas who came, making it difficult to manage due to the large and disorderly populace.

As the saying goes, a poor mountain and wicked water produce trouble-makers; who knows if among them lurks someone with ill intentions?

Little Qingyu at the Lin Family Manor was as relaxed as being at home, so it’s not surprising if something happened.

But among her entourage of animals, there were still a few with considerable combat skills, such as the rural triad’s big white goose, the king in the sky Hai Dongqing, and the hunting expert in the mountains, the lynx. If someone tried to harm little Qingyu, how could these "guards" not respond?

The more Lin Wanwan thought about it, the more her head ached, the more chaotic her mind became, feeling that the logic didn’t add up.

"Let A’jing call down Hai Dongqing; it hasn’t found any trace after searching for so long, it must not be useful anymore," Lin Wanwan instructed while rubbing her head.

"Understood."

Lin Wanwan quickly walked back to the study and took out a note, sending a distress signal to Xiao Chong.

At times like this, the strength of the government must be utilized. She always heard Xiao Chong was divine at solving cases; hopefully, this time he truly is "divine."