Hearing this, Zhen Wanwan felt more confident and became more assertive in front of Tian Zhiping.
She first curtsied to Chen Yong and apologized, saying, "So you are your brother-in-law, sir. I was unaware of this and hope you will forgive me..."
Upon hearing Zhen Wanwan's apology, Tian Zhiping's previously dejected face immediately brightened up again.
He gave a haughty snort, rolled his eyes at Zhen Wanwan again, and said, "You're smart! If you lie down on the ground and bark like a dog a few times, I'll let you off the hook, otherwise..."
"Ah!!!! My hand!!!"
Before Tian Zhiping could finish his harsh words, a pig squeal rang out, and Zhen Wanwan frowned and covered her ears.
The world only quieted down after someone covered his mouth with a tissue.
Looking over, Zhen Wanwan saw that Tian Zhiping's right hand was twisted into an abnormal shape, making him a disabled person.
If she wasn't mistaken, it was the people brought by Zhu Yuan who did the attack!
Zhen Wanwan stiffened, and her gaze toward Zhu Yuan held a different kind of emotion.
This man, who had always been aloof, indifferent, or taciturn in front of her, was showing his ruthless side for the first time.
Seeing the fear in her eyes, Zhu Yuan hurriedly helped her sit down and asked worriedly, "Were you frightened?"
As he spoke, he glanced discreetly at his subordinates' positions.
Having already seen the dead body, Zhen Wanwan recovered and quickly shook her head, saying, "It's nothing! He just had a really loud voice..."
While Zhen Wanwan and Zhu Yuan were enjoying a tender moment, Tian Zhiping was in so much pain that he almost fainted, and Wang Basan was trembling with fear.
Only Chen Yong stood silently to the side, as if the injured person was not his brother-in-law, but a complete stranger.
"My lord, Tian Zhiping has offended Madam. What do you think should be done with him?"
Chen Yong had Tian Zhiping tied up to prevent him from tearing off the gag and showing off his loud voice.
"Naturally, it's up to you, Madam, to decide!" Zhu Yuan looked at Zhen Wanwan gently, letting her make up her mind.
With someone backing her up, Zhen Wanwan didn't hesitate and naturally agreed to Tian Zhiping's decision.
This person looks petty. If we let him off easily, he might retaliate in the future. It's better to be ruthless from the start.
"Well... since that's the case, I've decided to formally dismiss Tian Zhiping, and... I need him to compensate the restaurant for its losses. Also, I'd like to ask you, sir, to help me calculate the accounts from these past few years and see if there are any problems!"
If there is any theft or omission of accounts, it will be dealt with according to the law... Oh, right! I remember Brother Qu said that if a servant steals from his master, he will be imprisoned for minor offenses, and his hands and feet will be cut off before he is imprisoned!
And they branded the word "stealer" on his forehead as a warning!
Chen Yong was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "That's exactly right!"
Tian Zhiping, who was already in unbearable pain, fainted upon hearing that Zhen Wanwan was going to check the accounts. No matter how the soldiers tried to wake him up, he couldn't.
Helpless, Chen Yong ordered his men to drag him back to the yamen dungeon, where he would interrogate him later.
Zhen Wanwan clearly sensed Chen Yong's emotional change and realized that he might be considering his status as his brother-in-law.
He softened his tone and said, "Considering that Tian Zhiping has worked here for so long, we'll let it go if he has to have his hands or feet cut off. As long as he can pay off his debts, his sentence can be reduced."
"I understand." Chen Yong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Zhen Wanwan's words.
Seeing that the matter was almost resolved, Zhu Yuan coldly said, "Lord Chen, please take your men back first! Remember to deal with the bill as soon as possible."
Chen Yong shuddered, realizing he had displeased his master, and wisely withdrew.
"Your Excellency understands, and I will deliver the accounts to you and your wife tomorrow."
After saying this, Chen Yong led his soldiers away. Just as he was about to take Xiao Er with him, Zhen Wanwan spoke up to stop him, saying, "Leave him here!"
This young man helped her quite a few times earlier, and he's pretty clever too. Keeping him around will be very useful.
Wang Basan knelt before Zhen Wanwan with gratitude and kowtowed: "Thank you for saving me, Madam."
Zhen Wanwan quickly helped him up, saying helplessly, "You don't need to thank me. This is just an undeserved misfortune for you."
To her surprise, Wang Basan firmly shook his head and said, "I work under Manager Tian. I made a mistake because I didn't stop him from doing something wrong in time."
As he spoke, Wang Ba San wiped away his tears, cautiously looking at Zhen Wan Wan's expression, hesitant to speak.
Instead of asking him, Zhen Wanwan changed the subject, asking, "Are you called Wang...Ba San?"
Wang Ba San nodded, unaware of Zhen Wan Wan's barely suppressed smile, and listened as she continued.
How old are you this year? Do you have family members?
"I have grandparents, parents, and five younger siblings. I...I'm ten...eleven years old this year." Wang Basan hesitated for a long time before honestly stating his real age.
He glanced at Zhen Wanwan cautiously, not missing her surprised expression, and then Wang Basan knelt down and begged for mercy.
"Madam! Don't let my young age fool you, I'm very capable! I can remember menu items quickly... and I can even mop the floor..."
To demonstrate his abilities, Wang Basan rattled off a long list of his strengths.
Zhen Wanwan knew the child was young, but she didn't expect him to be this young.
She hesitated, realizing that hiring him at such a young age would be child abuse.
Thinking of this, she hesitated and said, "Why don't you go home? I'll definitely want you when you're older!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Ba San's tears streamed down his face, and his hope was instantly shattered.
He regretted not being a few years older so he could work at the restaurant and earn money for his family!
When Zhen Wanwan saw this scene, she was also at a loss. Could it be that this child's family was in dire straits?
Thinking of his family's situation, Wang Basan, unwilling to give up, kowtowed to Zhen Wanwan again, pleading, "Madam, please let me stay! I'll do anything!"
"Oh! Could you please tell me why you want to stay so much?"
Seeing that Zhen Wanwan's attitude had softened, Wang Basan stopped hiding his true intentions and revealed his bottom line in one go.
"Our family is really struggling. My grandparents are sixty years old and still working in the fields, but the taxes levied by the landlord Zhang are too high, and all we have left at home are a few pounds of rice."
Besides working in the fields, my father also had to do odd jobs at night to earn a few coins to buy medicine for my mother. My mother became paralyzed after giving birth to my little sister and needed help with everything.
"My father doesn't earn enough money to buy medicine, so I lied about my age and became a waiter in this restaurant!"
As Wang Basan spoke, Zhen Wanwan looked at him with heartache. He was only two years older than Xiao Huzi, yet he was as mature as an adult.
"Okay! I promise you I'll stay. If you do well in the future, I'll give you a raise every year!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com