Chapter 732 - 085 Is the burglar an acquaintance?_1
The shop opened for business on the tenth day of the lunar month, so on the ninth everyone returned to Zhuma Town to prepare. As soon as Lin Yuan’s carriage arrived at the shop entrance, she saw a crowd gathered in front of Mo Sanniang’s fabric shop across the street, which upon closer inspection turned out to be the owners of the other businesses on the same street.
"Sister Mo, what happened? What’s going on?" Concerned that someone might be causing trouble in Mo Sanniang’s shop again, Lin Yuan hurried over to ask.
Mo Sanniang was standing in front of her own shop with a grim face, staring at the mess inside. She was completely silent no matter what anyone said or asked, leading everyone to believe she had been shocked and were promptly consoling her in soft voices.
It was only when Lin Yuan spoke up that Mo Sanniang snapped out of her daze, turning to her with a forced smile, although that smile looked worse than a cry.
Without her saying a word, Lin Yuan could already tell from the scene that the shop was in disarray, with fabrics and a few finished clothes scattered on the ground, and the counter was a complete mess. The ledgers and such were thrown about, and the cash box, which contained silver pieces, had been turned upside down—the few scattered silver pieces and some copper coins that were once inside had vanished without a trace.
A thief had visited.
Lin Yuan’s face darkened, instantly thinking it had to be that Li Chang causing trouble again. Hadn’t he learned his lesson from last time? To think he couldn’t even keep Zhuma Town safe during the New Year.
"Did any of your shops get stolen from too?"
Lin Yuan looked at the other shop owners, who all shook their heads, which eased her mind somewhat. But that relief was just momentary—it quickly turned into concern. There were thirty to forty businesses on West Street, some doing better than Mo Sanniang’s, some worse, and there were not a few run by a woman just like her. So why then had the thief specifically targeted her?
"Sister Mo, could it be that the door wasn’t locked properly?"
Mo Sanniang shook her head and glanced at Lin Yuan, her eyes turbulent.