Chapter 285 Crown Prince Qin Zhao's Visit
She looked at the couple, her tone still calm, "Since you're convinced there's something wrong with our canned goods, then we'll report it to the authorities. We'll have the coroner and doctor come and examine it. If it truly is our fault, we'll pay whatever compensation is due. But if someone is deliberately framing us..."
Her sharp gaze fell upon the group of burly men with shifty eyes. "I'm sure you all understand the consequences of false accusations. Moreover, I will investigate thoroughly to see who is behind this, deliberately tarnishing my workshop's reputation."
Upon hearing this, the couple's faces turned pale.
The man tugged at the woman's sleeve and whispered, "Maybe...maybe we should just forget about it..."
"What's there to calculate!" the woman tried to maintain her composure, but her confidence was clearly waning.
She had finally come all this way, how could she possibly give up?
If I don't get the money back, how will I buy medicine?
At this moment, a villager from Xianshui Village squeezed through the crowd and pointed at the couple, shouting:
"I know them! They're from Baishigou! This man got food poisoning a couple of days ago from eating offal, and my dad was the one who treated him!"
Another woman from Baiyang Village chimed in, "That's right! I saw it too! And they're close to Liu Er Bazi from town. That Liu Er Bazi also sells groceries at the market, and he's been eyeing Jiang's canned goods business for a long time!"
The onlookers immediately understood the truth of the matter.
Grandpa Zhao spat at them: "What are you! How dare you cause trouble in our village! Villagers, grab your weapons!"
When the woman and the burly men realized their scheme had been exposed, and seeing the fierce-looking villagers of Jishui Village, they, who were already unsure of themselves, panicked even more. Gone was their initial arrogance; they scattered and fled in all directions.
Grandpa Zhao turned to Jiang Ling and said, "Miss Jiang, don't worry, I'll talk to the village chiefs of the surrounding villages later and tell them about what happened today. Let's see who dares to have any crooked ideas!"
With the crisis resolved, the tense atmosphere in front of the workshop eased.
The women breathed a sigh of relief and gathered around to comfort Jiang Ling.
"Miss Jiang, don't take it to heart; they're just jealous little people!"
"We have nothing to fear if we are upright!"
"Our workshop's products are the cleanest. Anyone who dares to say otherwise, I'll tear their mouth apart!"
Jiang Ling felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she looked at the villagers who were protecting her.
She smiled and said loudly, "Thank you everyone! The workshop can only keep going thanks to the support of all the villagers. I'm sorry to have kept you all busy today, but I'll treat you all to dinner tonight, and I'll add some extra dishes!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd, dispelling the previous gloom. Everyone went back to their work.
Xiao Qiu walked to Jiang Ling's side, still shaken: "Miss, thank goodness you were calm and immediately realized they were trying to scam you."
Jiang Ling stared at the direction where the people had disappeared, her eyes narrowing slightly. "The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. This kind of thing will probably happen again. Xiao Qiu, the workshop's rules need to be even stricter. Every step of the process, especially hygiene, must be flawless. Samples of every batch of canned goods shipped must be kept sealed for a few days, just in case."
"I understand." Xiao Qiu nodded solemnly.
Just as the extortion incident subsided, the sound of horses' hooves echoed again at the village entrance.
This time, it wasn't the caravan's baggage train, but a few lightly armed riders.
A finely crafted and imposing carriage was escorted by a group of people heading towards the general store.
The attendants following the carriage, though dressed as ordinary guards, had sharp eyes and lean physiques; anyone with a discerning eye could tell they were well-trained and skilled.
One of the attendants closest to the carriage spotted Jiang Ling standing at the entrance of the general store from afar, nodded slightly, and greeted her with a smile.
This group of people did not make a fuss, but they still attracted the attention of the villagers working in the fields.
Jiang Ling looked in the direction of the sound and immediately guessed who the visitor was.
Seeing that they were dressed in casual clothes, Jiang Ling knew that he did not want others to discover his identity, so she arranged for Xiao Qiu to go about her business and received them by herself.
The carriage quickly stopped in front of the general store.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a young man dressed in a moon-white robe and wearing a jade crown stepped down slowly.
This face was both familiar and unfamiliar to Jiang Ling at this moment. After not seeing it for more than half a year, it had changed quite a bit.
His face had lost some of its childishness and become somewhat rugged.
As you've grown older, his face has become more similar to Cheng Fang's. Yet, he appears even more refined and elegant, with a noble air about him, a dignified air that comes from long-held superiority.
Qin Zhao's gaze also fell on Jiang Ling, as if he was carefully examining this "old friend" he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Miss Jiang, how have you been?" Qin Zhao spoke first, breaking the silence.
"Thanks to Your Highness, everything is well." Jiang Ling stood to the side, her expression calm.
Jiang Yi, standing beside him, also bowed slightly and said, "Miss Jiang."
Jiang Ling nodded in return.
Qin Zhao smiled slightly, his voice gentle: "It's been a long time. I hope my visit has been uninvited and I haven't disturbed you."
"Your Highness is too kind. The shop is simple, please don't find it offensive." Jiang Ling stepped aside and invited him into the shop, where it was relatively quieter.
Only Qin Zhao and Jiang Yi went into the shop; the rest of the people stayed outside.
Xiao Qiu cleverly served tea, then quietly retreated outside to look after the workshop.
Qin Zhao sat down, accepted the tea offered by Xiao Qiu, and took a sip of the rustic tea without showing any disdain. His posture was elegant.
"I had heard that Miss Jiang had moved to a new house long ago, but unfortunately I have been too busy with other things to visit her in person."
"Your Highness is too kind. I already received your housewarming gift. It's such a small matter, how could I dare to trouble Your Highness?"
"It's been a long time since I last saw Jishui Village. I heard that your cannery is thriving, and even my father tasted it and praised it highly."
Qin Zhao walked to the shelf, picked up a can of fruit, and carefully examined the crystal-clear glass jar and the plump fruit inside.
His tone remained gentle, but he got straight to the point, no longer beating around the bush:
"This young lady always manages to surprise people. From the initial fever-reducing medicine to the later grains and cloth, and now this out-of-season fresh fruit... each one is extraordinary. How fortunate the Great Yu Dynasty is to have someone like Miss Jiang."
He raised his eyes, his gaze clear as he looked at Jiang Ling, his eyes seeming to penetrate the surface and reach the core.
Jiang Ling felt uneasy under his gaze. Qin Zhao was clearly smiling, but Jiang Ling always felt that there was an unfathomable scheme hidden beneath that smile.
Having been in the Great Yu Dynasty for a year, she had encountered many bad people, but the one she couldn't understand the most and who frightened her the most was actually the thirteen-year-old Crown Prince in front of her.
Jiang Ling's heart tightened, but her face remained calm.
She knew that in front of this crown prince, too much pretense would only seem ridiculous.
She lowered her eyes slightly: "Your Highness is too kind. I am just an ordinary merchant who occasionally has some special sourcing channels."
“Special sourcing channels…” Qin Zhao repeated softly, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
Even now, she still refuses to be honest with herself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com