After transmigrating, he supported his family by working at a garbage dump.

There are only two keys. Whose masterpiece is this? The answer is obvious.

There was one thing that Hu Da couldn't understand at all.

For Constable Chen, catching the robbers would be a great achievement; even if he failed, his well-organized arrangements would still earn him a reward.

As for Zhang Xiaolin's matter, if what Xu Wenjie said is true, then no matter how Constable Chen handles it, it will be a meritorious deed for him, and there is no need to cover for Zhang Xiaolin.

Constable Chen was always greedy for credit, so he gave up the credit that was already in his hands and chose to keep the matter a secret. Besides, if he didn't want to record it, why write it down and leave a trace, and then hastily tear those pages out?

Unless, this wasn't torn by Constable Chen.

He put down the manual and searched the room again, but found no evidence of the so-called forbidden flowers.

Thinking back, when Zhang Xiaolin tried to frame the Xu family, Officer Chen seemed to have arrived rather quickly...

Perhaps these people have been colluding all along?

As for how they colluded, that remains to be seen.

Hu Da guessed that he and his men had been busy investigating cases since they returned these past few days, and he hadn't paid attention to the flowers in the backyard of the yamen for a long time. Perhaps some clues could be found in them.

So he thought he should go to the backyard to take a look right away.

Just then, a constable rushed over from outside, panting, and said, "Officer Hu, the registrar is looking for you. He says there's been a new discovery in the case and wants you to come over right away."

Upon hearing this, Hu Da felt a pang of anxiety.

He glanced at the book in his hand, then looked at the yamen runner standing at the door. After hesitating for a moment, he said to the yamen runner, "Go and report to the registrar, I will be there soon."

The constable nodded and turned to leave.

Afterwards, Hu Da walked quickly back to the outside of the yamen and saw Xu Wenjie and the others waiting anxiously. He hurriedly went up to explain.

"...There is indeed no record of Zhang Xiaolin in the yamen, but I suspect there is something fishy about this. The registrar is looking for me urgently. You should go home and tell your sister-in-law first. I will go and investigate further. I will come home later and we will talk then."

Hu Sanniang stepped forward, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Li Quanfu.

"Big brother, you go first, we'll go back and wait for you."

Hu the constable nodded, his gaze lingering on Hu San Niang's worried face for a moment before he turned and hurriedly left.

Watching Hu Da's departing figure, Hu San Niang felt a tightness in her chest and an indescribable sadness.

She said to Li Quanfu and Xu Wenjie with great concern, "I have a feeling something's not right about this. Zhang Xiaolin couldn't just disappear into thin air. My brother... could he be in danger?"

Li Quanfu patted her shoulder gently and said softly, "Don't worry, your brother is a worldly and capable man. Besides, he's handling affairs in the government office, what could possibly happen to him? Don't overthink it. Let's go back to your brother's house and wait for his news."

Xu Wenjie nodded and said, "Officer Hu is no ordinary person, and with the Registrar in charge of the yamen now, he certainly won't be allowed to get into trouble. I trust Officer Hu, and I believe he will definitely find out the truth. Sister-in-law, let's go back first and not cause any more trouble here."

He spoke with emotion and reason, and then brought up Sister-in-law Hu.

"We were in such a hurry just now, and Sister-in-law Hu may have noticed something amiss. She might be worried right now. Let's send a message back first to put her mind at ease."

Although Hu San Niang was still worried, when she heard that her sister-in-law was still waiting, she was afraid that her sister-in-law would be anxious, so she agreed to go back first.

Later, when Xu Wenjie, Li Quanfu, and Hu Sanniang returned to Hu's house, Hu's sister-in-law came out to greet them with a warm smile, as if she had expected them to return, and had prepared a large table of dishes.

Li Quanfu and Xu Wenjie both smiled and said they were too kind, while Sister-in-law Hu smiled broadly and said nonchalantly, "They're just home-cooked dishes, nothing special."

She appeared calm and composed, with her eyebrows curved in a smile. Her face showed no sign of worry, and even Xu Wenjie couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. He admired her greatly.

Hu San Niang, on the other hand, was someone who couldn't keep things to herself; her thoughts were always written on her face.

Sister-in-law Hu glanced at her, said nothing, and instead asked with a smile why Hu Da hadn't returned yet.

"My elder brother has urgent business to attend to, and the registrar is keeping him here!"

Hu San Niang forced a smile and answered, afraid that her sister-in-law would worry.

I don't know when it started, but she was clutching a handkerchief tightly in her hand, her brows furrowed, her eyes glancing at the door every now and then, and she seemed distracted when she spoke.

Sister-in-law Hu asked a question in the east, and she answered in the west, resulting in completely nonsensical responses that she herself hadn't even realized.

Li Quanfu and Xu Wenjie, who were sitting to the side, noticed what was going on and came over to change the subject, chatting casually.

As time passed, the sun climbed higher in the west, and the tea on the stove boiled three times, but Hu Da was still nowhere to be seen.

Why isn't my older brother back yet?

Hu San Niang finally couldn't help but mutter something under her breath.

"Perhaps something is holding him back."

Sister-in-law Hu took a sip of tea and sat calmly, appearing even more composed than Third Sister Hu.

Now it was Hu Da Sao's turn to comfort Hu San Niang. Xu Wenjie observed her without making a sound. Hu Da Sao looked young, but he didn't expect her to be so composed.

Li Quanfu also looked at the sky and realized that it was indeed past noon and lunchtime, but Hu Da had not returned yet.

He stood up, walked to the door and looked around, then turned back and said his guess: "Brother is probably really tied up with the case. I heard that there are a lot of things to do at the yamen lately, and it is common for him to be unable to get away for a while."

Xu Wenjie wasn't in a hurry, but he still chimed in, "Yes, Constable Hu is always steady and reliable, he'll be fine."

"How about we grab something to eat first and talk about it when Brother Hu gets back?"

After thinking for a moment, Sister-in-law Hu made a suggestion.

"If we don't eat now, all the food on this table will get cold."

There was also a hint of regret in his tone for the dish.

Hu San Niang was somewhat dissatisfied. Her sister-in-law didn't seem to care about her brother at all. She shook her head, her tone a little anxious: "I can't eat. If you're hungry, sister-in-law, you should eat first. I'll wait a bit longer."

Sister-in-law Hu's smile froze a little, but she didn't say anything.

Li Quanfu quickly and secretly gave Sister-in-law Hu an apologetic look, but she smiled and didn't seem to mind.

Just then, she heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Hu San Niang, unable to wait any longer, stood up abruptly and walked quickly to the door, where she saw Hu Da Zheng rushing into the courtyard.

"Big brother!" Hu Sanniang rushed forward, her voice filled with urgency and worry, "Why are you only coming back now? Did something happen?"

Hu Da's expression was somewhat strange, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed a hint of confusion and seriousness.

"What can happen?"

He glanced at Hu Sanniang, then at the woman sitting in the main room, and at Li Quanfu and Xu Wenjie beside her.

"Let's talk after we get inside."

Hu San Niang's heart tightened, and she quickly followed Hu Da into the main room.

Once the courtyard gate was closed, the house immediately fell silent.

Sister-in-law Hu looked up, smiled, and said, "You're back," before handing Hu Da a cup of tea.

Hu Da took the tea his wife handed him and drank it all in one gulp, finally relaxing his tightly furrowed brows.

Hu Sanniang couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what did the registrar want with you? Why are you back so late? You don't need to go anywhere tomorrow, do you?"

Hu Da looked helpless. Hu San Niang had asked him directly. Luckily, his wife knew he was leaving from the beginning, otherwise how could he explain it?

Hu Da nodded, his voice low: "The registrar has urgent business with me. It's official business, so let's not talk about it. However... there is a personal matter. This matter is not my concern, but it is related to Mr. Xu."

Xu Wenjie pursed his lips, and judging from Hu Da's expression, it didn't seem like good news.