He spent twenty taels of silver to bribe two jailers.
They were instructed to severely torture Zhou Laocai and his son.
The fighting was incredibly fierce.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the skin was torn open and the flesh was ripped apart.
Five days later, Zhou Laocai finally confessed everything. He admitted that he had bribed Zheng Yangliu to seduce the Yan family's daughter and even tried to steal the recipe from the Yan family's pastry shop. However, he was deceived by Zheng Yangliu and sold poisoned ice powder, causing more than a hundred people to suffer from poisoning for three days.
The doctor also recognized that poisonous fungi had been added to the toxic ice powder.
Fortunately, everyone recovered after three days and just needed some more careful recuperation.
Zhou Laocai was sentenced to return the thirty large slab houses to his cousin, his property was confiscated, and his family was expelled from the Zhou clan.
Zhou Yi, an accomplice, only received twenty strokes of the cane.
Zheng Yangliu was found guilty of using toxic ice powder of unknown origin and was sentenced to thirty strokes of the cane, five years of hard labor, and a fine of five taels of silver.
Don't underestimate the mere thirty strokes of the cane.
You should know that the board weighs a full twenty pounds, and some even weigh fifty pounds.
One slap and your buttocks will immediately swell up.
Ten strokes of the cane, and the skin was torn and the flesh was ripped open.
Twenty strokes would knock even a strong man unconscious.
Not to mention Zhou Laocai, that old bastard, he was half dead after taking thirty lashes.
When he woke up, his home was gone, his money was gone, and he had been expelled from the clan. He recovered from his injuries in a dilapidated temple and left Shuangqiao Town forever with his wife and children.
However, his beautiful daughter-in-law, Zhao Lifang, did not follow.
Because she had already divorced Zhou Yiliu when he was carried out of the county government office.
This incident caused a great stir, and almost everyone in the town knew about it.
Of course, Yan Xia's shop also became famous. Now, everyone knows about Yan's Pastry Shop.
"Oh, sir, are you buying pastries? Tell me, which one do you like and I'll give you a discount."
Jin Fu went to take a dump, and Yan Xia took over watching the shop for her son.
It's lunchtime now, and there's no one in the shop.
"Aunt Yan, just call me Zuo Li. I'm not wearing my police uniform right now."
To be honest, although this head constable looked frightening, he looked ten years younger when he took off his constable's clothes.
He looks like a young man.
Yan Xia always thought he was thirty, after all, he had a scruffy beard.
For some reason, Zuo Yachai shaved his beard clean today, making the scar on his right cheek appear much softer.
"Officer Zuo, are you looking to buy some pastries for your wife and children? How about some flower cakes? They're a favorite among women. And pink peach shortbread is also selling very well."
Yan Xia noticed that he didn't know what to buy.
She then hurriedly began promoting it to him.
"Then give me a bag of fresh flower cakes and a bag of peach shortbread, and two cups of ice jelly. I have no wife or children at home, and I'm not married yet. These pastries are for my mother."
"Oh ho, not married yet? How old is Zuo Yachai? He looks a bit older than my eldest son."
I'm twenty-one years old this year.
So you're only twenty-one.
What a shame! Yan Xia had thought he was about her age.
Men really can't be lazy; they have to shave regularly.
"Guihua, make two cups of ice jelly for Chief Clerk Zuo, and add plenty of rose jam—"
"Okay, Mom!"
Yan Xia howled through the curtain towards the backyard.
A moment later, Guihua came out with two cups of ice jelly.
"Mom, it's ready."
"Yes, take it to the Left Assistant."
Guihua obediently handed him the ice jelly she was holding.
I just accidentally touched his index finger.
Guihua flinched in fright, almost dropping the ice jelly. Luckily, Zuo Li caught it quickly, only spilling a little bit.
"Oh dear, it's spilled. Let's make another cup with Osmanthus."
"No need, Aunt Yan. It wasn't much. It was my fault for not catching it. How much silver is it in total?"
Zuo Li quickly apologized and then started taking out his money.
"Since you bought a lot, I'll give you a discount of one or two ounces."
Yan Xia got a 50% discount.
After all, Zuo Yachai had indirectly helped her.
Moreover, cultivating good relations with government officials will be of great use in the future.
"Alright, here's the money. I'll head back now."
Zuo Li didn't know the original price. He picked up the peach shortbread and flower cake, stuffed them into his chest, and then left with two cups of ice jelly.
It looked particularly comical.
"Pfft—"
After everyone had walked away, Guihua laughed out loud.
"Mother, this head constable isn't that old. I thought he was over thirty."
“It’s not just you who thinks so, I also thought he was over thirty. By the way, go outside the outhouse and call your brother to ask if he’s done yet. Mom’s going to buy food. I wonder what he wants to eat. Why did he poop in the latrine? He hasn’t come back for ages.”
"Mom~ Why are you cursing your son to fall into a cesspool in broad daylight?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Jin Fu lifted the curtain and came in.
His eyes held a hint of resentment, and his hands were still dripping with water, indicating that he had just washed them.
"Hehe, Mom didn't say what I want to eat for lunch."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed at being caught talking behind someone's back, Yan Xia tried to change the subject.
"Have something to eat. The weather's not so hot anymore. Mom, are you still going to sell this ice jelly?"
It has to be said that Jin Fu asked the right question; she was just planning to sell it until the end of October and then take it off the shelves.
They will be available again tomorrow, in early summer.
"Let's sell until the end of October, then we'll have a proper ending."
The weekly journal entry is now complete.
Another new piece of gossip has suddenly emerged in Baihua Village.
It turned out that Zhu Wenjuan had suddenly fainted while washing clothes by the river. She found out from the doctor in the next village that she was a month pregnant.
"My wife, why didn't you say you were pregnant? This morning was terrifying! If you had fallen into the river, wouldn't it have been a double tragedy?"
Liu Wangtao's unusual gentleness made Zhu Wenjuan feel flattered.
"I'm pregnant? I didn't even know. No wonder my change of clothes was late last month."
Zhu Wenjuan belatedly touched her lower abdomen.
"Mom said that the first three months after you get pregnant are the most important. The village doctor said you have had a miscarriage and need to rest for three days. You should stay in bed for these three days and not go anywhere. You should leave all the housework to me and Mom. You are the most precious person in the family now, you know? I'll ask Mom to make you some steamed egg custard with some scallions and lard. I guarantee it will make your mouth water."
Zhu Wenjuan had lost weight in the few days since she married into the family, and her face looked sallow.
Upon hearing the name "steamed egg custard," she was indeed very tempted.
"Thank you, my husband. The child is hungry too."
"Really? Then I have to go tell my mother right away, so my precious son doesn't go hungry."
Upon hearing that his son was hungry, Liu Wangtao immediately went outside.
Zhu Wenjuan's expression softened considerably.
She gently stroked her belly.
"My son, you must make a strong effort to be born safely, so that your mother's status can rise. If you were my first child, your grandmother would never make me do all the laundry and cooking work to the point of exhaustion again. Please, please don't be born a girl..."
At only one month old, there's hardly any fetal movement.
Zhu Wenjuan was just talking nonsense because she was extremely hungry.
She knew that what her husband cared about most was having children.
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