Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao's heart tightened. Forgetting everything else, she hurriedly spoke to Aunt Su Yun, who was busy inside.
"Auntie, I'm going to the dock. You stay here and watch the shop. Remember, if you go out, you must put out the stove."
Aunt Suyun was also very anxious after hearing what Zhao Cheng's wife said. She nodded repeatedly and replied, "Okay, I will definitely take good care of the shop. Zhao Zhao, you should go to the dock quickly."
Therefore, Meng Zhao didn't dare to delay for a moment and quickly followed Zhao Cheng's wife to the dock, taking long and hurried steps, asking questions as she ran.
"Sister-in-law, what happened?"
Zhao Cheng's wife said in a panic, "I don't know either. My husband and I were doing well with our stall when suddenly a few vendors came to the dock. They looked at each stall and asked questions. We didn't think much of it at first, but when we got to your stall, Zhao Cheng went up and overheard them. He came back and immediately sent me to tell you that the vendors said you're not allowed to set up a stall at the dock anymore."
Having heard the gist of what had happened, Meng Zhao racked his brains but still couldn't guess what had caused this situation, so he could only anxiously run to the dock.
When they arrived at the location, panting, they found that a commotion had already broken out. A crowd had gathered around their stall. Meng Zhao gritted her teeth, stretched out her arm, and squeezed through the crowd several times before finally managing to get into the throng.
Upon entering, they saw Madam Gu and Aunt Feng'e arguing with the shopkeepers. Madam Gu, her face flushed, shouted excitedly:
“We have already paid the rent, why can’t we set up a stall here? We are doing business honestly, what’s wrong with that?”
The constable had a face full of scars and a fierce look in his eyes. "I told you to get lost, so get lost. Why are you talking so much? If you don't get lost, I'll arrest you all and take you to the yamen."
Gu was timid by nature, and she was already forcing herself to speak. When she heard that she was to be arrested and taken to the yamen, her body trembled.
Meng Zhao quickly stepped forward and gently helped Gu Shi up. When Gu Shi and Aunt Feng'e saw her, they felt reassured and quickly whispered to her what had happened.
It turned out that the two of them had pushed their cart to the dock today. They had just set up their stall and hadn't even started selling when several other vendors quickly surrounded them, asking what they were selling and where they were from. At first, they thought they were people coming for a routine inspection, so they greeted them with smiles.
Before they could ask more than a few questions, the man yelled at them to leave immediately and said they were not allowed to come back. Naturally, they were not convinced and started arguing.
Meng Zhao took a deep breath to calm the tension from running all the way, then smiled and slowly stepped forward, saying, "Officers, I am the owner of this stall. May I ask which rule we have violated and why we are not allowed to set up a stall at the dock?"
The lead constable looked Meng Zhao up and down, his eyes full of suspicion. Then he pointed at Madam Gu and asked, "You're the stall owner, so who is she?"
"She is my mother-in-law, and I am her eldest daughter-in-law. If there is anything wrong with our business, I would appreciate it if this constable could enlighten us."
The constable sneered, "Hmph, someone privately reported that the food at your stall is unsanitary, causing diarrhea and almost killing someone. You heartless vendors must be driven away."
Although Meng Zhao was somewhat flustered, he remained calm and composed on the surface. "A stomachache? This is no small matter. But words are not enough. Where is the person who suffered the injury? Can you come forward and explain the reason?"
The constable's face darkened, and he raised his voice, "Since this is a private report, how can we allow you to meet? If you knew who it was, wouldn't you retaliate against them?"
Meng Zhao runs a food business, and with so many people watching, she naturally wouldn't admit to this fabricated charge. If any unsavory rumors were to spread, her business would be in serious trouble.
So he continued, “Even if it’s inconvenient for him to show up, he should still explain things clearly. What day did he come to buy food? What dishes did he order? When did he feel unwell? Did he go to the pharmacy to get medicine? Did he get a prescription? Did he eat anything else that day? If he doesn’t explain things clearly, how can you assume it’s our stall’s responsibility?”
Hearing Meng Zhao's series of questions, the constable's face became even uglier. "We have already investigated this matter and found that it was caused by your mess. We've already let you go by letting you leave. Don't be ungrateful."
Meng Zhao said firmly, "Officer, we've been setting up our stall here for several months now. Every dish is carefully prepared, and no customer has ever complained about the food being unclean. Many people have bought our boxed meals from our stall, and they can all vouch for us."
At this moment, the onlookers began to discuss among themselves. Some of them were vendors from the neighborhood, while others were regular customers who often ate at Meng Zhao's restaurant.
"Yes, I've been eating at this stall for a long time, almost every day. The food is always very clean, and I've never had an upset stomach."
“Boss Meng is a conscientious man. We are also a street vendor. We can tell at a glance that the vegetables at Boss Meng’s stall are all fresh. How could we possibly have a problem eating them?”
Seeing the crowd's reaction, the constable's face turned extremely ugly. Feeling his authority had been severely challenged, he immediately shouted a rebuke.
“When did it become your place to make a scene in the government office? If anyone has something to say, come with me to the government office and let’s see if you dare to be so insolent once we’re inside.”
Upon hearing the word "government office," everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Entering that place was like being skinned alive. So the crowd that had been watching slowly dispersed, leaving only Meng Zhao's family and a few constables.
The constable then glared fiercely at Meng Zhao, "Looks like you're going to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Brothers, since she's so ungrateful, let's overturn her stall and let her know that going against the government has no good end."
The constables following behind heard the commotion and rushed over to the cart. They kicked the cart several times, but the cart had been modified to stand very steadily, and with several pots of vegetables on it weighing it down, the man couldn't budge it no matter how many times he kicked it.
Aunt Feng'e was closest to them. When she saw them kicking the car, she rushed over without hesitation and shouted angrily, "Is there no justice in this world? We're doing business honestly, why are you bullying us like this!"
Meng Zhao could see that these constables were not reasonable people; they were acting recklessly because of their official status. He quickly tried to stop Aunt Feng'e.
But it was too late. One of the constables pulled Aunt Feng'e's arm off the carriage and then kicked her hard in the stomach. The kick was so powerful that Aunt Feng'e turned pale and sat heavily on the ground, unable to get up.
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