Chapter 228: Giving out Rice and Porridge

The appearance of the waiter meant that the matter at Shuntian Restaurant was nearing its end. Cheng Weiyao shook her sleeves lightly, and after confirming that the sachet was in place, she immediately changed her words.

She feigned surprise and cried out, "Oh, why can't I find it anywhere? It seems my skirt has covered it! Your Excellency, I want to withdraw the lawsuit!"

Zhang Daming had been frowning for half an hour, but when he saw that both parties were about to withdraw the lawsuit, he immediately closed the case with a smile on his face.

Wang Yuan had already sensed something strange, but when he returned to the room, Wen Chengyun was already in the room, waiting for his arrival with a gentle look on his face.

He had researched Wang Yuan's profile and found that even though he'd taken the wrong path for love, he was actually a kind and loyal person. Therefore, he planned to have a good chat with Wang Yuan...

After Cheng Weiyao left the government office, he immediately began to work on food supply. With the capital as the center, the granaries of prefectures and counties along the way that had heard the news began to run out of emergency supplies.

The reason was that officials and gentry hoarded grain on a large scale, while ordinary people could not afford the high-priced rice, and their homes did not have enough rice, so famine began to occur one after another.

The Shuntian Restaurant's rice promotion quickly took effect, forcing rice prices in nearby Qingshi Town to stabilize. This, in turn, struck a chord with Wang Yuanbao, who had numerous granaries under his control and had intended to capitalize on this trend.

But I didn’t expect that Shuntian Restaurant would appear as an obstacle!

The storytellers in restaurants and teahouses also kept up with current affairs, and the content of their stories was discerningly changed to praise Cheng Weiyao, Wen Chengyun and Shuntian Restaurant.

"The immortal couples help the world, and the Bodhisattvas come to the mortal world. Don't miss it if you pass by. Today is the day of the Lesser Heat in Jiangshan. If you are passing by and want to listen to the old man's storytelling, come in and have a sip of tea..."

At this time, Wang Yuanbao was in the private room upstairs. With his window open, he could see the people from the Qingping Palace opening the warehouse to store grain next to the Shuntian Restaurant.

"It's Shuntian Restaurant again, Wu Qi! Cheng Weiyao! Damn nemesis! I knew when these two got together, it would be no good!"

Wang Yuanbao pounded his fist on the table, thinking about the rice shop's prices. The whole mess with the escorts had already left him feeling humiliated, and now, barely settled in, he discovered that things were still going on at the Prince of Qingping's mansion.

"Master, don't be angry. At the rate they spend their money, I'm afraid they won't be able to hold on for long if too many people come to claim it." The servant fanned Wang Yuanbao attentively and made sarcastic remarks.

Wang Yuanbao's anger subsided a little, but he was unwilling to sit and wait for death. He didn't know how much food the Shuntian Restaurant had in stock. Even if they finally released it all, the reputation had already been spread.

He would never allow anyone's reputation to override his own. Looking at the bags of rice being carried out, a vicious light flashed in Wang Yuanbao's eyes.

It would be difficult for Shuntian Restaurant alone to radiate to other prefecture and county governments. After discussion, Cheng Weiyao and Wen Chengyun decided to cooperate with the local county government.

Firstly, their influence was limited, and the government had to step in to coordinate rice prices with the major rice shops. Secondly, the Prince Qingping's Mansion had been in Qingshi Town for a long time, and it was almost time to leave.

Taking advantage of this grain distribution operation, we will gradually move towards the capital and catch the enemy off guard!

"Okay, okay, okay! Please rest assured, Your Highness and Princess. I will contact my colleagues in other places right away. With the two nobles generously offering their assistance, I believe that the price of rice in the prefectures and counties will soon stabilize!"

Zhang Daming was naturally overjoyed. He didn't have to pay for anything, and he could still achieve good results. Why not? Right now, people across the country were in turmoil, and thanks to this family of living Bodhisattvas, the people of Qingshi Town had their livelihoods guaranteed. He could already imagine that by the end of the year, his achievements would be far ahead!

After Wen Chengyun and Cheng Weiyao left, the joy in Zhang Daming's eyes faded a bit. He realized that in his excitement, he had called the wrong name. But Wen Chengyun and Cheng Weiyao didn't react at all. What did this mean? He had bet on the right horse and stood on the right side!

The next day, the people came to Shuntian Restaurant as usual to collect relief rice, but it didn't take long before strange noises were heard from the crowd.

"Wait... isn't this sand? Has Shuntian Restaurant run out of rice? They don't need to fool us with sand, do they?"

"What! We're out of food? How could I be so unlucky! I've come all the way here with my whole family. If we don't have enough food, we'll starve to death! Don't take on a job you don't have the skills to do!"

Although Shuntian Restaurant was doing a favor by releasing grain, the people didn't care about their duties or kindness under the special circumstances. They only knew that their last hope was shattered, and they began to blame and cry one by one.

Considering that Cheng Weiyao was still resting upstairs, Wu Qi tried to calm everyone down. Unexpectedly, this attempt only made the noises louder, and he felt a particularly severe headache.

Cheng Weiyao spent her days tending crops and nights frantically sowing and harvesting on QQ Farm. She was exhausted both physically and mentally. She simply stayed in the owner's room at Shuntian Restaurant, but she was surprised to hear a commotion early in the morning.

From the noise of the people, she had learned that there was a problem with the rice that was distributed. The rice bags contained yellow sand instead of rice, which was obviously a substitution of one thing for another.

After Cheng Weiyao simply washed and dressed up, she went to the warehouse of Shuntian Restaurant as soon as possible.

A warehouse overflowed with rice ready to be handed over to the county government, and the delivery location would gradually shift from the Shuntian Restaurant to the county government. After all, for the rulers, a civil organization with too much influence would often become a thorn in their side.

Even though the greatest ruler is Wen Chengyun's biological father, she always has a scale in her heart to grasp the degree and scale.

After all, Wen Chengyun's status was special. Although he was a prince, he was still an adult prince. If he was accused of maliciously concentrating power and plotting to seize the throne, he would be unable to defend himself.

Therefore, cooperating with the government was actually an attempt to gradually transfer the credit to the benevolent rule of the ruler, that is, the current emperor, and also to do good to his father-in-law whom he had never met.

Cheng Weiyao thought so, raised her hand and patted the rice bag. As a chef, she had been dealing with ingredients for years and could sense that the rice felt wrong. It was too soft and shapeless. It was obviously not the food she had taken from QQ Farm.

Cheng Weiyao's eyebrows were twitching. She had just discussed with Zhang Daming yesterday about cooperating on grain distribution, and today there was a problem with the grain storage warehouse of Shuntian Restaurant.

Zhang Daming was a smart man, and he wouldn't shoot himself in the foot. This wasn't a simple matter. He was afraid that the colleagues who had been notified were colluding with the merchants.