"....."

The street was bitterly cold. After shouting several times, a gust of cold wind blew into Chen Shouzhu's throat, causing her to cough violently.

Turning my head again, I saw my two nephews standing there like an old man.

Without uttering a sound.

An inexplicable anger was rising within me.

"You're all just standing there shouting at me, aren't you? So, this shop belongs to me alone? Do you still want to run it? If not, let's just close the shop down and nobody can make any money!"

Jinbao and Yinbao were also spoiled by their families.

Jinbao, in particular, was the eldest grandson and also gave birth to the Chen family's only great-grandson.

She's usually so arrogant at home, she's never been treated like this before.

He knew his aunt's temper well, and he knew she would talk back to him.

It seems this lucrative business is truly going to disappear.

Fine, I'll just have to bear with it.

Jinbao and Yinbao joined in the hawking.

The sound just kept fluctuating in pitch.

Weak and listless.

Chen Shouzhu was even more furious.

But she didn't get angry again, which pushed her two nephews too far, and they started arguing again.

Why.

If only she hadn't agreed to let her older brother bring his two nephews, she would have blamed herself for being so eager to make money. She should have just sold the secret recipe, made some money, and moved far away, or simply kept it a secret from her family and conspired with Jin Shou. But instead, they found out.

This is what led to the current situation.

"You guys keep shouting, I'm going inside to rest."

Out of sight, out of mind.

Chen Shouzhu entered the shop.

He left his two nephews outside to solicit customers.

However, as soon as she sat down, it became noisy outside the door.

Chen Shouzhu thought that many guests had arrived, so she quickly stood up and went out to greet them.

To everyone's surprise, they saw a large group of government officials.

They had official knives hanging from their waists and looked very fierce.

Do you sell fresh flower cakes?

The leading officer inquired.

"Yes, yes, sir, our shop only sells flower cakes. We just opened and haven't done anything yet. Why don't you come in and I'll give you two bags to try?"

The county government of Jiashu County was located in Shuangqiao Town, so the officials there were mostly guarding the city gates.

As a result, the city was a bit chaotic. In the early years when they were selling baked cakes, some thugs would even try to charge them a stall fee.

They call it a stall fee, but it's really just a disguised way of asking them for money.

If you don't give it to me, I'll smash up your stall.

Chen Shouzhu thought these officials were deliberately trying to cause trouble.

I was thinking of bribing them with flower cakes.

But she didn't expect that her words would reveal all her secrets.

"That's right, take them all! Leave none behind!"

As soon as Zuo Li gave the order, the three women, aunt and niece, outside the door were instantly captured.

Chen Shouzhu was terrified.

"Help! Husband, come out quickly! The officials are arresting me! Heavens, I didn't do anything! I'm just an ordinary citizen, why are they arresting me? Is there no law anymore?"

He heard his wife's cries for help.

Zhao Daniu came out with a rolling pin.

His children and Chen Shoujia followed behind him.

Everything is complete.

"What are you doing? What did my wife do wrong that you want to embarrass her in the street? If you want money or something, just say so. Speak properly."

Although he disliked Chen Shouzhu for being an old hag, as long as they didn't divorce, she was still his wife. If his wife lost face, it would be like stepping on his dignity.

It's no different from slapping him in the face.

"What, you want to hit me with this broken rolling pin? You know perfectly well where your shop's flower cake recipe came from. Come with me to the yamen, or I'll send you to meet the King of Hell right here and now!"

Zuo Li drew his official knife.

They were so frightened that they wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy on the spot.

I wanted to offer a few more words of explanation.

Suddenly, a group of people emerged in front of the shop.

“Your Honor, you must do us justice! My son ate their flower cakes yesterday, and he’s been suffering from diarrhea since noon. He’s been lying in bed all day, hasn’t had a drop of water, and has gone to the toilet more than a dozen times.”

"What? Your son has diarrhea too? My whole family has been running around for ages, oh my, my butt is practically raw from diarrhea."

"That damned bastard! He sold fake pastries to cheat people yesterday, and today he's giving people diarrhea. Did he poison the flower cakes?!"

The words "poisoning" sharpened Zuo Li's eyes to the point of sharpening them like an eagle's.

It seems that this is the person who stole Manager Yan's secret recipe and then poisoned her.

"Arrest him! Take him back to the yamen and torture him severely!"

Surrounded by a crowd.

Chen Shouzhu and his family were taken away.

They were immediately imprisoned.

They were each given several lashes before they finally confessed.

"Officer, please spare me! It has nothing to do with me. It was all done by Yan's youngest son, Chen Jinshou. He stole the secret recipe and he was the one who poisoned it. It has nothing to do with us. You've arrested the wrong person."

Zhao Daniu wailed in pain. He had been hit the most, a full 10 times, and his buttocks were practically bruised.

"Yes, it has nothing to do with us. It was all Chen Jinshou's doing. He resented Yan Shi for not acknowledging him, so he poisoned her."

Chen Shouzhu echoed her husband's words.

But Zuo Li wasn't stupid; he wouldn't be fooled by their few words.

He imprisoned Chen Shouzhu and his family.

First, they questioned Manager Yan, then went to Baihua Village and arrested the entire Chen family.

Three days later.

Yan Xia took them to court.

"Since you say that my son stole the secret recipe and that he was the one who poisoned the poison, then please tell me, where did he get the money to buy the poison? If that's the case, then by finding out who sold the poison in the county, we can find out who bought it!"

Chen Shouzhu was so frightened that she trembled.

She was arrested without any warning, and naturally hadn't informed the vendor beforehand.

Soon, an hour later, Zuo Li brought the merchant to the county government office.

“My shop sells rat poison and arsenic, and I do business honestly and never do anything bad. It was this kneeling woman who came to my shop to buy the deadly powder. She said that the rats in her house were possessed and that simple rat poison wouldn't kill them, so I brought out this deadly powder. I got this powder from the north, and it's even more poisonous than arsenic. Who would have thought that she wasn't poisoning rats, but people? Your Honor, please see the truth! It has nothing to do with me.”

The vendor was terrified.

He honestly sold rat poison, but somehow got involved in a murder case for money.

He kowtowed so hard that blood flowed freely.

It seemed he was telling the truth, so the magistrate had someone help him up.

"You audacious shrew! How dare you try to argue in court! Guards, bring the needle torture! I'll see she won't shed a tear until she sees the coffin!"

Murder is a major case, and it's fortunate that no one was injured or killed. If it had resulted in a large number of deaths and his enemies had impeached him, his career as an official would have been over.

Chen Shouzhu was held down tightly by two officers.

A needle longer than her middle finger was inserted into her index finger, and blood gushed out from the gap between the flesh and the needle. Chen Shouzhu screamed in pain.

"ah--"

But the officers did not spare her; soon, the second and third needles were inserted.