Chapter 129 Something Happened
Business is still good during the Dragon Boat Festival.
As Gu's braised food has gained great reputation in the city, many people come here to buy it during festivals. People who come to buy braised food line up from the beginning to the end of Yuanbao Street, and there is even a trend of increasing the number of people.
The extra pot of braised food that was left over due to the breach of contract with Chunfenglou sold out faster than usual. By mid-morning, all three pots of braised food in the shop were sold out.
Not only that, many people almost caused a commotion on the spot because they couldn't buy it.
There was a real commotion over at Chunfeng Tower.
Liu Xiaoru and the Gu family were watching the Dragon Boat Race together when Captain Chen suddenly came over.
"Manager Liu, many people went to the government office to file complaints, saying that they got diarrhea after eating your braised food. Now they all look pale, and the situation is not optimistic." Captain Chen was worried.
Liu Xiaoru raised her eyebrows when she heard this and said, "Impossible, all the stewed food in my house is made and sold right on the spot, and the ingredients are all clean, there is no way there could be any problem."
After such a big incident, Zhang Yuniang no longer had any interest in watching the dragon boat race.
She was also worried about leaving Old Lady Gu alone with three children and the sick and confused Old Father Gu, so she had no choice but to take everyone to the yamen.
Captain Chen then asked Zhang Yuniang, "Manager Zhang, since this is such a big deal, why not call Brother Gu over as well?"
Zhang Yunniang shook her head: "My husband is studying hard at home now, so we shouldn't disturb him easily. Let's go to the government office first. If we can't handle it, we can work together as a family to find a solution."
On the way, Liu Xiaoru looked calm and said, "There can't be anything wrong with our stewed food. Maybe someone just doesn't like it and is framing us!"
Old Lady Gu also echoed, "Yes, the meat was processed. I have lived for so many years, it is impossible for me not to be able to tell the difference between good and bad! Don't be afraid, Yunniang. The county magistrate also has to be reasonable. I will talk to him properly!"
When Zhang Yunniang heard this, she couldn't help but think of Cheng He. He was a despicable man. Just after she cut off business ties with his family, something went wrong. Moreover, this man had a criminal record, which naturally aroused suspicion.
Niuniu asked from the side: "How did you frame him?"
Liu Xiaoru explained: "These people who got sick from eating may have been instructed by others. They were either pretending to be sick, or they ate something else beforehand and pretended that they got sick from eating our food. These people may not have bought any of our braised food at all!"
Niuniu barely understood and quickly comforted her: "It's okay, I have a good memory, I remember most of the people who have been here!"
Zhang Yunniang thought about it carefully and seemed to have heard her husband say it once. Niuniu seemed to have a really good memory.
She suddenly encountered such a thing, and her heart was originally a mess. Now, hearing what Niuniu said, the panic in her heart was slightly relieved.
Gu Zhao also added: "I should be able to remember what my sister doesn't remember!"
Zhang Yunniang sneered when she heard this and asked, "What did you eat last night?"
Gu Zhao immediately began to hesitate.
"Every time there is something, I tell you three or four times but you may not remember it clearly. And you still have the nerve to come here and brag!" Zhang Yunniang said.
Gu Zhao didn't expect that they would bring up old issues while talking, so he quickly hid behind Gu Yan.
As soon as they entered the yamen, they saw a group of people sitting there with their hands on their stomachs and pale faces.
Mrs. Gu, who had said she wanted to reason with the county magistrate, began to have trembling legs before she even met the real culprit. She huddled in the corner like a quail, completely lacking her previous energy and spirit.
Zhang Yunniang was not surprised by her mother-in-law's behavior. She said softly, "It seems like these people really have stomach problems."
Liu Xiaoru said viciously: "There is no way there is anything wrong with our stewed food. I don't know who would go to such great lengths to frame us."
The victims were also very excited to see Liu Xiaoru.
One of them was a regular customer of Gu’s shop, and Liu Xiaoru also had an impression of him.
"Shopkeeper Liu, you've caused me so much trouble. Not only does your stew taste different this time, but it also gave me an upset stomach!" a regular customer accused angrily.
Liu Xiaoru looked at this man but felt confused. She remembered not seeing this man come to the shop to buy braised food in the morning.
Before she could figure it out, Niuniu said crisply, "Uncle, you didn't come to my shop to buy stewed food today, how can you blame my family?"
A regular customer said, "I didn't buy it in the store, I ate it in the restaurant! I ate the most braised food out of the whole table, and I feel the worst now! Ouch, ouch!"
The regular customer even started to growl as he spoke, holding his stomach.
Other victims also began to complain.
"My youngest son doesn't like braised food, and he's the only one in the family who's fine."
"My parents didn't eat braised food, and they're fine now. Do you still dare to say it's not the braised food's fault?"
Liu Xiaoru listened to these words and took the initiative to ask: "Which restaurant are you eating at?"
"Where else could it be? Of course it's Chunfenglou. They provide free braised food with meals. There are too many people at Deshenglou. We can't even get in line." said a regular customer.
Liu Xiaoru's worries were swept away, and she asked others: "Is everyone eating at Chunfeng Tower?"
Everyone nodded.
Liu Xiaoru explained, "The day before yesterday, Shopkeeper Cheng from Chunfenglou came to my shop and beat someone up. I was so angry that I cut off my business relationship with him. Since yesterday, I have stopped sending braised food to Chunfenglou. This matter of yours has nothing to do with me."
Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and couldn't help asking, "Chunfenglou said today that they would give away Gu's braised food, how come it has nothing to do with you?"
"Yes, I went to Chunfenglou for dinner just for your braised food!"
"If it wasn't your stewed food, where did Chunfenglou get the bad stewed food?"
When Liu Xiaoru heard this, she felt very annoyed and said, "How would I know where Chunfenglou got the braised food from? You should go and settle the score with Chunfenglou."
Captain Chen was on good terms with the Gu family, so he hurriedly called Liu Xiaoru over after only hearing the beginning of the conversation. Now that he saw that it had nothing to do with the Gu family, he immediately came out to smooth things over.
"Don't worry, I will go to Chunfeng Tower to get the person now, and I will make sure Chunfeng Tower gives you an explanation!" Captain Chen promised.
Just as Liu Xiaoru was about to leave, Niuniu suddenly asked, "Aunt Liu, has our family been framed?"
Liu Xiaoru was about to say no when suddenly an idea flashed through her mind.
She rushed to the side of Captain Chen and shouted, "I want to sue the officials. I want to sue Chunfenglou for framing me. They put up the Gu's stewed food sign and sold spoiled stewed food, which ruined my family's reputation!"
Captain Chen was stunned when he heard this, but he quickly realized that there seemed to be nothing wrong with reporting the case to the authorities.
Liu Xiaoru didn't even watch the dragon boat race. She stood in the yamen waiting for Cheng He to come. It wasn't that she intended to take revenge, but she felt very uncomfortable when she thought about the past with a man of such despicable character like Cheng He.
Cheng He arrived quickly. When he saw Liu Xiaoru standing among the group of victims, he was stunned for a moment.
This happened on the Dragon Boat Festival. Because there were too many people involved in the case, County Magistrate Wu, who was originally watching the dragon boat race from a high building by the river, could only come back with a sour face to judge the case.
The case is clear and everyone's testimony is highly consistent.
Cheng He wanted to talk to some acquaintances in the government office to try to get a lighter punishment, but Magistrate Wu was so upset about having to work overtime during the Dragon Boat Festival that he had no intention of delaying the case and decided it on the spot.
According to the ruling of County Magistrate Wu, Cheng He had to pay five taels of silver to each of the victims for medical expenses, apologize to Liu Xiaoru, and pay an additional one hundred taels of silver to Liu Xiaoru as compensation for damaging the reputation of the Gu family shop.
Five taels of silver per person may not seem like a lot, but his business was particularly good today. A careful count of the victims showed that there were two hundred of them, including many unqualified people who mixed in to get the money even though they were not sick.
Unfortunately, the lawsuit in the government office has already been settled, and if Cheng He doesn't want to be beaten, he has to bite the bullet and pay the money.
He calculated carefully, and didn't know how much profit Chunfenglou had made today, but he paid more than a thousand taels of compensation first! Almost all the cash he could take out was paid out!
First update
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