Chapter 94 Eliminate the Weeds at the Root
The villagers discussed it, and the more they talked, the more they realized that this was indeed the case.
They spontaneously gathered around, not to investigate, but with an almost reverent attitude, looking at the intact interior of the shop.
"Yes, Sister Jiang is a good person!" Xiao Ran also puffed out her chest and said loudly, as if she were proud of it.
Grandpa Zhao seemed to accept this explanation: "Miss Jiang, it's good that you're alright! What a relief!"
Lu Qian had completely calmed down by now.
He and Li Hong exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes, but also a sense of relief.
Jiang Ling stopped speaking. Although this explanation was far-fetched, it was much more convincing to the villagers than any reasonable explanation.
She changed the subject, saying, "Fellow villagers, thanks to everyone's help tonight, we were able to prevent a major disaster by discovering the fire in time and putting it out with great effort. Jiang Ling will remember this kindness. The arsonist has not yet been captured, so everyone must be extra careful."
The villagers nodded in agreement.
"Someone must be jealous of Miss Jiang's successful business!"
"That's outrageous! If this fire starts, all the houses in this area will be destroyed!"
"Investigate! We must find that damned bastard!"
Lu Qian said at the right moment, "Thank you all for coming to put out the fire. Everyone was frightened today. The shop is fine, so please go back and rest. As for the arson... Miss Jiang and I will definitely investigate it thoroughly."
Grandpa Zhao stepped forward and said, "Everyone should be more vigilant tonight. It's harvest time, and every household is stockpiling grain. Don't let any disturbance go unnoticed, lest it lead to a major disaster!"
After exchanging a few more words of concern with Jiang Ling, the villagers dispersed in twos and threes, discussing the matter.
Soon, only Jiang Ling, Xiao Ran, Lu Qian, Li Hong, and two guards remained at the door.
A night breeze blew by, carrying a hint of coolness.
The grocery store stood quietly in the night, the wooden door that had just witnessed the magical scene half-open, as if nothing had happened.
————
In the stillness of the night, in Ping'an County.
In a small courtyard.
Lu Qian sat firmly in the main seat.
"Bring the person up." His tone was colder than ever before.
Li Hong immediately waved to the outside.
In fact, besides Li Hong, there were four other guards hidden in the shadows.
Even before the dark figure was spotted at the grocery store and everyone was busy putting out the fire, the other two guards, who were hidden in the shadows, had already given chase.
They possessed tracking skills honed in the military, making it easy for them to deal with a desperate thief.
Before the fire was completely extinguished, the person had already been quietly brought here.
Two guards dragged a man with his hands tied behind his back and a rag stuffed in his mouth into the courtyard, like dragging a sack of potatoes, and slammed him to the ground in front of Lu Qian.
Lu Qian's gaze swept over, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
"It's you. Wan Furong's henchman."
Li Hong stepped forward and ripped the rag out of the man's mouth.
Er Yi immediately kowtowed repeatedly, crying out in a hoarse voice, "Spare me! Young master, spare me! I was bewitched! I'll never dare to do it again! Please, young master, spare my dog's life!"
"Who ordered you to do this?" Lu Qian's voice was devoid of emotion, yet it carried an immense sense of oppression.
“I remember Wan Furong was beaten to death with clubs. As his henchman, you should be thanking your lucky stars that you survived, yet you still dare to commit violence?”
Er Yi trembled with fear, his face covered in snot and tears.
"No, no one instructed me... It was my own fault... I couldn't stand it! Manager Wan was beaten to death... Xiangbaoge is closed down too, I've lost my backer, my livelihood, and I'm even struggling to find food..."
"It's all that grocery store's fault! If it hadn't stolen our business, Manager Wan wouldn't have gone bankrupt, and I wouldn't be in this mess... I was so angry that I... that's why I thought of setting the fire to vent my anger... I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"
Enraged, Li Hong stepped forward and kicked him: "You don't know you're wrong, you've just been caught and have nowhere else to go!"
Er Yi was kicked to the ground, curled up, and cried out in pain.
He never expected to be caught.
After setting the fire, he ran away, thinking he had already escaped far away. Unexpectedly, two people suddenly appeared in the darkness and easily captured him.
Lu Qian was standing outside the shop. He had seen him before setting the fire, but he thought he was just a small business owner who ran a restaurant, so he didn't pay much attention to him.
I never imagined that so many people were protecting him in the shadows!
The moment he was caught, he vaguely felt that he had messed with the wrong people, because these people's skills clearly showed that they had received formal training!
Only then did he become truly frightened, and he immediately begged for mercy.
Lu Qian's face was calm as water, but his eyes were filled with cold anger.
I thought this matter would be over after Wan Furong's death.
He didn't want to make a big fuss and attract attention, which would implicate Jiang Ling, so he didn't go after his remaining followers.
But I never expected there would be such a fool who doesn't know his own death!
The thought of the towering flames nearly engulfing the grocery store, the potential danger Jiang Ling might face, and the near loss of those precious life-saving medicines made it difficult for him to suppress his anger.
Lu Qian's voice was as cold as iron, devoid of any emotion, "Keeping these stupid, vicious ants around will only bring trouble."
"Drag him away and beat him to death with sticks." The tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
"Yes!" Li Hong replied without hesitation, signaling to the guards.
Upon hearing this, Er Yi was so frightened that he screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
"Spare me! Young master, spare me! I won't do it again! I'll never dare to do it again—uh!"
Before he could finish speaking, the guards stuffed his mouth with a rag again, leaving him only to whimper in despair. He was dragged like a dead dog into the deeper darkness outside the village.
Lu Qian sat upright in the main seat, his face expressionless.
It seemed like they were just dealing with something perfectly ordinary.
He turned to Li Hong and ordered in a deep voice, "Send an additional team of reliable men to guard the grocery store in shifts day and night. We must not let tonight's incident repeat itself. If any suspicious persons approach, arrest them without asking for permission."
"Understood!" Li Hong replied solemnly.
The night breeze was cool, and a faint whistling sound could be heard, but within these high walls and courtyards, it was swallowed up before it could travel out.
Then everything returned to calm.
Li Hong remained silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, why didn't you tell Miss Jiang about this?"
In fact, the criminals had already been apprehended and could have been interrogated and dealt with outside the shop.
Letting Miss Jiang know that the criminal has been caught will put her mind at ease.
Interrogation outside the shop can also deter those with ill intentions.
Lu Qian's expression darkened. "Miss Jiang is merciful and will certainly not take his life. If we don't nip it in the bud, there will inevitably be endless troubles in the future."
These words seemed to be an explanation to Li Hong, but also more like a warning to himself.
If you don't nip the problem in the bud, it will lead to endless troubles...
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