As soon as Butcher Lai entered the crowd, he glared angrily and charged at Tian Xiuniang with his butcher knife in hand.
"You woman, you've come to my door in person!"
"Ah... what are you going to do?" Tian Xiuniang didn't expect Lai the butcher to appear at this time. Seeing the pig-slaughtering knife in her hand, she backed away in fright. "Don't come any closer..."
When Butcher Lai arrived, the crowd became restless and suddenly erupted into chaos.
Lai the butcher wanted to seek justice for his wife. Secondly, Tian Xiuniang had offended Master Zhang by causing them to suffer, and he was determined to make this woman know the consequences of deceiving them.
He pointed the knife at Tian Xiuniang, whose body went limp. Just as Lai the butcher's knife was about to stab her, she desperately dodged.
However, it would have been better if I hadn't dodged. Instead, with a soft "thud," the knife struck my vitals.
Immediately following was a cry of pain.
Then came the panicked screams of the crowd:
"Murder... Butcher Lai has killed someone..."
"..."
The pedestrians were terrified and scattered like birds and beasts.
Lai the butcher's expression remained unchanged at first, but when he bent down and touched Tian Xiuniang's breath, his face suddenly turned deathly pale.
Upon hearing the word "murder," Tian Xiu's body went limp, and she had already run forward.
After the crowd dispersed, Qiu Yan and the others finally saw the horrific scene before them.
A pig-slaughtering knife was sticking out of Tian Xiuniang's chest, and a pool of blood was flowing on the ground.
This lazy butcher is practically courting death.
Qiu Yan said to Gao Yuan:
"Gao Yuan, go to the county government immediately and report that a murder has occurred here."
Gao Yuan nodded and turned to find the official.
Lady Guan was terrified. She screamed and pointed at her husband, "You..."
She stammered for a long time, her lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence.
This idiot, is he trying to kill them?
"I didn't intend to kill her, I just wanted to teach her a lesson." Lai the butcher said casually, but looking at the woman on the ground, fear had already taken hold of him.
He had killed people before, but at that time, there were no onlookers around.
That matter was settled for him with the help of his cousin, Master Zhang.
He panicked... He had to find a way to save himself.
Killing a servant doesn't incur a death penalty, but Tian Xiuniang wasn't one of their servants.
Tian Xiu quickly ran to the front and looked at her mother on the ground. She half-squatted down and touched her mother's nose with her index finger.
Her mother's body was still warm, but she had already stopped breathing.
"mother……"
Tian Xiu's body grew weaker and weaker. Looking at the blood on the ground, she felt a churning in her stomach and covered her mouth to vomit.
Because she was too flustered, Lady Guan hurriedly pulled Butcher Lai into the shop.
"Master...Quick, run away! Go far away and never come back."
At this moment, Lady Guan didn't want to see her husband at all.
Lai the butcher, panting heavily, turned and ran.
Unexpectedly, someone was faster than him.
He had just run out of the backyard when Zhang Ming caught him red-handed.
"Butcher Lai, you must pay with your life! You killed someone, and you think you can just run away?"
"Get out of the way, or I'll kill you too!" Lai the butcher, feeling guilty and afraid, brandished his butcher knife, ready to attack.
"I, Zhang Ming, am not easily intimidated."
Zhang Ming dodged to the side, and the two began to fight...
Lady Guan wanted to step forward to help, but she was so frightened that her legs went weak and she hurriedly ran away.
When Gao Yuan and the county magistrate found them, Zhang Ming had been slashed twice, and the wounds were bleeding.
Lai the butcher wasn't in much better shape; his face was bruised and swollen, having been badly beaten by Zhang Ming.
When Lai the butcher saw the officials approaching, he staggered a step. "Sir, please listen to me! I was just trying to protect myself. That woman started it all..."
"Take him away!" County Lieutenant Zheng ignored Lai the butcher's sophistry. With a command, the two officers beside him dragged the man away.
County Magistrate Zheng nodded slightly to Zhang Ming and Gao Yuan, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you!"
The two returned the greeting, saying, "You're welcome."
County Magistrate Zheng first had several constables escort Lai the butcher to the county government office, while he himself led a few others to the scene of the crime.
In front of Guan Niangzi's shop, Tian Xiu was still half-squatting in front of her mother.
Looking at her mother's dead face, Tian Xiu didn't shed a single tear, except for calling out "Mother" a few times at the beginning.
"Miss Tian Xiu, are you alright?"
Gao Yuan's voice broke her thoughts.
Tian Xiu turned around and saw Gao Yuan and Zhang Ming appear behind her.
Also appearing at the same time were the county constable and a group of officials.
Two of the officers were holding Guan Niangzi, who hadn't yet run far, under their custody.
She was to be taken away by the officials for questioning.
The disaster struck so quickly that Lady Guan is still in shock.
However, she felt that this matter had nothing to do with her.
"I'm fine." Tian Xiu stood up, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. "Brother Gao Yuan, Brother Zhang Ming, thank you."
The two shook their heads; they were simply following orders.
County Commandant Zheng said to Tian Xiu, "Young lady, we need to take your mother's body back for an autopsy."
Tian Xiu took a step back and rubbed her uncomfortable stomach. "Okay."
She didn't know how she felt. She said goodbye to Gao Yuan and Zhang Ming, waved to Qiu Yan and the others in the distance, and headed home.
The next day, Qiu Yan packed her younger brother a water pouch, writing brush, ink, paper, and other items, and prepared to head to Lu Ming Academy in a carriage.
Qiu Yumei stood outside the shop door, praying to heaven that Qiu Xu would be able to enroll in school smoothly this time.
When Qiu Yan and her carriage arrived in front of Xingyue Tower, Zhou Zifang had been waiting for a long time.
Lin Shu, standing beside him, carried a bundle and looked dejected.
He was genuinely worried that his son would get last place and the academy wouldn't accept him.
Just then, Chef Chen rushed over from the kitchen and asked Qiu Yan, "Madam Manager, where did you buy those fresh ingredients?"
Qiu Yan turned her head to look at Zhou Zifang, only to see him laughing heartily, "Aren't you already the manager's wife of our Xingyue Tower? I'm going to study now, so you're in charge of Xingyue Tower."
Qiu Xu was shocked. His sister had changed a lot since she was provoked by Yang Shi, and now she had even gained the favor of Xingyue Tower.
Qiu Yan said to Chef Chen, "Don't worry, I will supply the fresh ingredients in the required amount later."
Chef Chen received an affirmative answer and went to the kitchen. Qiu Yan is now the manager of Xingyuelou Restaurant; if she says she will supply, she will.
Qiu Dayu had just come from his sister's house. He saw the carriage in the distance and hurried after it, but he only had time to catch a glimpse of its back.
At the entrance of Luming Academy, everyone disembarked from the carriage. Lin Shu waited where she was, while Qiu Yan led Qiu Xu and Zhou Zifang to prepare to enter the academy.
The guard at the door glanced at the three of them with a detached look. "What are your names?"
"Qiu Xu!"
"Zhou Zifang!"
The guard said as he registered the information:
"Zhou Zifang, you can go in now."
Zhou Zifang nodded and entered the academy, waiting for Qiu Xu in front.
Then the guard pointed at Qiu Xu and said, "You can't go in!"
Qiu Yan's expression immediately changed. "Why?"
Qiu Xu and Zhou Zifang were both filled with doubt.
The guard turned his head away. "I said no, and that means no. Get out of here and don't get in the way of other people getting admitted." He acted as if he were the guard and that he was in charge.
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