Chapter 64 Complaint

After the officials arrived, Song Yushu, worried that the farmhouse would be left unattended, only took Wei's mother and Xiong Erni with him to the yamen.

"Your Honor, please forgive me! I have a grievance to appeal! Manager Zhu of Taixing Restaurant once asked to buy my recipes, but I refused, and he has held a grudge ever since. First, he spread rumors to tarnish my reputation; then, he even allowed his servants to vandalize my shop, leaving me with no means of livelihood. I beg Your Honor to investigate this matter thoroughly, to do justice for me, and to restore my innocence and fairness!"

Song Yushu recounted all the despicable things that Manager Zhu had done in the hall.

When Manager Zhu was brought over, he almost didn't recognize his wife, who had been beaten black and blue. He had thought that by encouraging his shrewish wife to take action, he could definitely ruin Song Yushu's reputation, but he never expected her to be beaten like this. After hearing Song Yushu's account, his face turned ugly.

"My lord! That's all slander! I am the manager of Taixing Restaurant, the best restaurant in town. Why would I buy a recipe from her? With two renowned chefs from the prefectural city in the restaurant's kitchen, why would I need to buy a recipe from her!"

Gu Cheng never expected that the person who got into trouble today was Song Yushu, and he also knew the person behind Manager Zhu in the hall. A few days ago, the young master of the Xu family even made a special visit to his door.

Do you have any witnesses?

"Your Honor, Manager Zhu came over suddenly. There were still many customers in the restaurant. I couldn't reach an agreement with him in the backyard. Manager Zhu didn't look good when he left. Your Honor can summon witnesses..."

"The people in the backyard were all your men at the time, how can they testify!"

"Then how do you explain that you deliberately came to my restaurant during this time to mislead customers about our close relationship? You repeatedly said misleading things in front of customers and even sent your wife to make a scene. The customers of the restaurant can all testify to this!"

Manager Zhu really couldn't explain this. Back then, in order to ruin Song Yushu's reputation, he deliberately made a big fuss about what he did and said when there were many people around, and now he's left himself with a handle against him.

Gu Cheng could clearly see the expressions on the two men's faces and knew that Manager Zhu was hiding something, but he still sent someone to find a witness.

These guests were the ones who watched a good show at the restaurant today.

"Sir, I can vouch for the truth of what Boss Wei said..."

All the witnesses said the same thing, and Manager Zhu's face turned ashen.

"My lord! I am from the Xu family..."

"Outrageous! How dare you make such accusations in this courtroom! This magistrate bears the responsibility for the lives of the people; how can I tolerate your evil deeds! The Zhu Dafu couple have slandered the innocent and damaged property; the evidence is irrefutable! They shall be flogged forty times a day as a warning to others! Furthermore, they shall compensate the Wei family with three hundred taels of silver, to be paid in full within three days without fail! Court adjourned!"

Gu Cheng hated it most when others used their power to suppress him. Although he came from a poor family, he was a disciple of the current prime minister, Du Xun. He was only here to gain experience, and he would definitely return to the capital in the future. No matter what, the Xu family would not dare to offend him.

"My lord, spare my life!"

"We'll never do it again!"

Song Yushu watched the two of them weeping bitterly, but she was not moved at all. This Manager Zhu had repeatedly made underhanded moves behind her back because of her powerful connections. Now she was even capable of ruining her reputation. Even a clay figure should have some temper.

Zhu Dafu and his wife were stripped of their pants and executed on the spot. By the time it was over, they were already unconscious and were taken back by their maids and servants.

Having resolved their biggest worry, Song Yushu, Wei's mother, and the others felt very relaxed on their way back.

"The magistrate is indeed wise; this is exactly how they should be dealt with!" Ever since Xiong Erni came to Song Yushu's restaurant, she has never gone hungry, and no one looks at her strangely. She now considers the delicious restaurant her best home. Today, when Madam Zhu came and vandalized the restaurant, she was very angry.

“He has powerful backers! I just hope that Magistrate Gu can stay here a little longer, otherwise we’re afraid we’ll be retaliated against again.” Song Yushu now realized how rare a good official is. If they encountered someone with a weak spine, they would have no way to deal with Zhu Dafu.

"This official still has a year left in his term; he'll likely be promoted after that..."

What Song Yushu didn't expect was that people can't stand being nagged, and Zhu Dafu's compensation was actually sent by the young master of Taixing Restaurant.

"Consider this extra two hundred taels as an apology to Madam Wei for my lax discipline. I hope Madam Wei will accept it," Xu Qingyan said, having come under the guise of delivering compensation to see the boss, who had caused Manager Zhu to suffer a setback.

“Young Master Xu, you’re being too serious. Please take back the two hundred taels. The grudge between me and Manager Zhu has already been settled by the magistrate. I’m afraid your actions will cause controversy, and I don’t want to go to the county office again.”

Song Yushu acted as if he had been bitten by a snake once and was now afraid of ropes for ten years, which forced Xu Qingyan to have the extra two hundred taels taken back.

"Since Madam Wei refuses to accept the apology gift, then let me treat you as an ordinary guest. How about I book the best room for a month?"

“Young Master Xu is a guest, so please follow the proper procedures. The room has been prepared, and you are welcome to go and take a look. If you are not satisfied, you can come to us,” Song Yushu said, disliking dealing with such a smiling tiger and treating him as an ordinary guest.

After Xu Qingyan left, Wei's mother and the others breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't suddenly make a move. However, they were still worried about him staying here for a month. Wei's mother thought about it and decided to go to town to find a few more matchmakers to ask around and find a man to come in as soon as possible.

"Aunt Wei! We're here again!" Xia Yun shouted before she even arrived.

"Take whatever you want to eat. I've saved all the ingredients for you," Song Yushu said. He knew that this kid would bring a few classmates over every time there was a holiday, so he naturally had to take care of him.

"Master Xue is here too! There are private rooms upstairs, would you like to join Xia Yun and the others..."

“Let’s separate,” Master Xue said to Song Yushu.

"Aunt Wei! We heard that you won your lawsuit against Manager Zhu of Taixing Restaurant. Can you tell us about it?" Xia Yun asked with a gossipy look on his face.

"Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters. Go eat!" Song Yushu didn't want to talk to them too much, so he just brushed them off.

"Could Lady Wei possibly move?" Xue Huai'an was feeling somewhat uneasy. He wasn't sure how he felt when he heard Song Yushu was looking for a son-in-law yesterday; he was definitely not calm.

"What does Master Xue want to say?" Song Yushu didn't think much of it, assuming he just wanted to talk about Zhou Chengyu's situation.

"Is it because Manager Zhu of Taixing Restaurant ruined her reputation that Madam Wei is looking for a husband?"

"There is some truth to that. It's not easy for women to do business. If I don't find a husband, I'm afraid there will be many more cases like this in the future," Song Yushu said honestly, not expecting him to ask this question.

"What does Madam Wei think of me, Xue?"