Jiang Ling nodded. She placed the borrowed salt into separate bowls, dissolved it in water, and then added phenolphthalein powder. The salt in the bowls did not change at all.

Jiang Ling then took the de-icing agent and repeated the previous action. When the phenolphthalein powder was put into the bowl of de-icing agent, the originally transparent water immediately turned purplish-red.

Everyone present was stunned, even the learned Magistrate Duan was astonished.

He opened his mouth wide and stammered for a long time before asking, "What... what's going on?"

Jiang Ling had already learned this simple chemistry in her textbooks back in junior high, but she couldn't explain it that way. She could only continue to lie, saying, "This is a family heirloom powder that my grandmother gave me! I explained it to you before, sir. My grandmother was worried that we might accidentally ingest the de-icing agent, so she specially made this powder!"

Magistrate Duan was stunned for a while before nodding and saying, seemingly understanding, "Hmm, this is truly amazing! It seems your grandmother was indeed prescient!"

Jiang Ling grinned but said nothing. Seeing this, Xie Changsan immediately knelt before Magistrate Duan and said, "Your Honor! Your Honor, I am truly innocent!"

Magistrate Duan waved his hand impatiently, signaling Zhao Liu to help Xie Changshan up, and then said, "Alright, I understand!"

The water in the bowl is irrefutable evidence, and recently only the people of Lujia Village have used this so-called snow-melting agent, so Xie Changsan did not intentionally poison it.

"Xie Changsan, although you didn't poison the salt, you bought contraband salt for cheap prices. If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll never remember it!"

Before Magistrate Duan could finish speaking, Xie Changsan was already in tears.

"For each person who gets food poisoning at your restaurant, you shall compensate them with twenty taels of silver, and be fined one hundred taels. All the snow-melting agent shall be confiscated! Considering this is your first offense, you will be spared physical punishment!"

Hearing this, Xie Changsan breathed a sigh of relief. Over the years, he had made some money running his restaurant, so he considered it money spent to avoid trouble.

"Thank you... Thank you for your forgiveness, sir!" Xie Changsan tried to kneel down and kowtow again, but Zhao Liu held him tightly and prevented him from doing so.

The village chief, who had just heard what Magistrate Duan had said, was already terrified and could only lower his head and look around nervously.

"Village chief, where does that old woman Lu live?" Magistrate Duan asked, his gaze falling on the village chief.

The magistrate had lost his previous amiable expression; he looked at the village chief with a dark face and furrowed brows.

The village chief felt as if his legs suddenly weighed a ton. He immediately knelt down and trembled as he said, "M-Sir..."

“This is none of your business. Just tell me where her home is!” Magistrate Duan said, glancing at the village chief kneeling on the ground.

The village chief buried his head even deeper. He shakily stretched out his hand, pointed to a place behind him, and said nothing more.

The magistrate ignored the village chief and led his group toward the Lu family's residence.

Old Mrs. Lu's house.

Widow Wang had just put her sleeping child on the bed and was about to get out of bed to wash clothes when there was a knock on the door.

Although she was reluctant, the knocking wasn't too loud and didn't wake her child, so she quickly tiptoed toward the door.

She froze as soon as she opened the door.

Outside the door.

The people standing there, except for Jiang Ling, all looked unfamiliar.

"You?" Widow Wang asked, her brows furrowed with suspicion.

“This is our Pingxi County Magistrate!” Jiang Ling pointed at Magistrate Duan and said.

“County…County magistrate?” Widow Wang pondered these two words, which seemed to carry immense weight.

Her face was pale, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead, and her legs were even trembling slightly.

"Is your mother-in-law home?" Jiang Ling asked coldly, ignoring the widow's current state.

“Yes… no… not here…” Widow Wang nodded first, then quickly shook her head in reply.

Jiang Ling frowned at the strange-looking widow Wang and asked again, "Is your mother-in-law, Old Lady Lu, here?"

The question made Widow Wang feel a little uneasy, and she looked around nervously. Seeing this, Jiang Ling whispered to Magistrate Duan, "Sir, she should be inside the house!"

Magistrate Duan nodded and turned to Zhao Liu, instructing, "Liu Zi, go inside and take a look!"

Before Widow Wang could react, Zhao Liu had already dashed into her house like a gust of wind.

Widow Wang tried to stop her, but Jiang Ling said calmly, "Your mother-in-law is selling snow-melting agent without permission. People in Pingxi County have already been poisoned by it. If this has nothing to do with you, I advise you not to get involved!"

Jiang Ling's words dispelled all of Widow Wang's previous thoughts. Widow Wang subconsciously turned her body slightly to the side and kept glancing in the direction of Old Lady Lu.

A moment later, Zhao Liu ran out from inside. He frowned and said seriously to Magistrate Duan, "Sir, that old shrew doesn't seem to be home!"

"What?" Magistrate Duan was very surprised to hear Zhao Liu's answer.

Zhao Liu nodded and pointed to Old Lady Lu's room, saying, "When I went in, I found no one inside, but the window was open. I suspect that old hag has already escaped through the window!"

Jiang Ling glanced at the towering mountains behind her and said to Magistrate Duan, "Sir, I suspect that Granny Lu has already run off to the back of the mountain!"

"This back mountain is too big. I don't think it's necessary to send people to patrol it. Anyway, Old Lady Lu left in a hurry and didn't take any food with her. I estimate that she will naturally sneak back when it gets dark, and it will be much easier to catch her then!"

Magistrate Duan nodded repeatedly after hearing Jiang Ling's suggestion.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!