Chapter 79: Thank you for your hard work
Upon seeing this man radiating such hostility, Shen Zhiyi knew he was serious. Considering the possible orders from someone behind him, she knew that a direct confrontation would only result in injury. At this moment, she had no choice but to…
She tossed the latch aside and said gently, "This man knew it was this one at a glance, and he's very efficient."
As he spoke, he gave a thumbs-up and added, "Since you know why you've come here, I can help you. After all, some seedlings are very precious, like those potato seedlings. If you accidentally dig up the roots, transplanting them can kill the entire seedling!"
They dare to say this because they are all laymen.
"If you'd been this obedient from the start, would we have needed to break down the door?" the man said with a laugh, his sneer full of disdain. "So, where are the potato seedlings? How do we dig them up to make them grow? And how do we take care of them after we plant them?"
They practically have their intentions blatantly obvious.
Shen Zhiyi didn't expect to get the result so quickly from just one test. She subconsciously touched her belt and found some self-defense items hidden inside. She didn't expect them to come in handy at this moment.
“Since you asked, I will answer honestly. I planted the potato seedlings in the mountains. I’ll take you there to see them now.” Shen Zhiyi smiled innocently, as if she had no idea of the danger. She led the people to the field at the foot of the mountain, where the plants were clearly fennel, not potatoes.
Someone is already trying to sabotage the fennel by the field; their method will surely ruin the whole plant!
Shen Zhiyi ran over quickly, shouting as she ran, "Stop! Don't tear it!"
Her words had no effect; instead, the man behind her said, "Stop, let her handle it."
"You, go with her."
"You, go and write down what she said about how to take care of the potato seedlings."
After giving his orders, the man left nonchalantly, confident that a weak woman couldn't cause any trouble in his territory.
Shen Zhiyi was indeed leading the group to pack fennel sprouts while explaining the key points of caring for potato sprouts. This was a method she had already tested, so there was no need to make anything up on the spot. Therefore, she could handle those problems with ease.
After saying so much, Shen Zhiyi used thirst as an excuse and, although there were people following her, she still managed to find her way to the kitchen. Those people treated this place as their own territory, taking eggs, meat hanging from the well, and vegetables from the garden at will.
She scooped water from the ladle, pretending to drink, but actually observing her surroundings. Thanks to their underestimation, Shen Zhiyi was able to sneak here smoothly. She carefully took out the croton powder hidden in her belt, sprinkled it into the food, and then left as if nothing had happened.
Seeing the man in the lead approaching with a rope and a menacing look, Shen Zhiyi glanced at another field and casually remarked to the person recording beside her, "There are some newly discovered seeds planted over there. From what I've observed, they should be similar to chili peppers. Shall we go take a look?"
Shen Zhiyi caught a glimpse of the man putting away the hemp rope out of the corner of her eye.
Having received the hint, the man beside him quickly said, "Then let's go take a look."
Shen Zhiyi enthusiastically led the way, cleverly avoiding this crisis.
Dark clouds blocked out the sunlight. The horse-drawn carriage sped ahead, while Zhao Daya struggled to drive the oxcart behind. The donkey cart, which had been following behind, accelerated and eventually left her behind.
Such a group of people rushed in at breakneck speed, attracting everyone's attention along the way, crowding towards wherever there was excitement.
At first, I was worried that what happened in the courtyard would get back at me, but as I followed them, I learned where everyone was going and mingled in. I even shared what I had seen and heard at the time.
"Behind this, there must be those few lords."
Which ones?
"Hey, Lin and Zhao definitely can't escape..."
Listening to those nonsensical analyses, Zhao Daya felt even more confused. No matter how hard she whipped the horse, she couldn't catch up with the one in front.
Lu Jingbai whipped his horse, splashing mud with his hooves, and crouched low as he rode into the courtyard. The thugs who were near the gate saw this and attacked him with their clubs, but he quickly retaliated with his whip.
As the horse neighed, he was pulled off the horse. He then quickly swung his sword, snatched the stick from the attacker's hand, and with great force, threw the man forward, pinning down the person who was about to launch a sneak attack.
The people on both sides were cleared away. Lu Jingbai stomped the ground hard with the stick in his hand and said, "I am Lu Jingbai, the magistrate of Pixian County. Who are you? How dare you lay a hand on an official? Aren't you afraid of being flogged and imprisoned?"
The thugs looked at each other in bewilderment. They could have killed this person before by pretending not to know who he was, but now that he had been identified, would the master behind him be able to cover for them?
Just as they were struggling with this dilemma, hoping their elder brother would arrive soon, a clear female voice suddenly rang out: "Lord Lu, are you the only one here?"
Lu Jingbai looked over and saw that apart from her face and hands being a little dirty, Shen Zhiyi didn't seem to be injured anywhere. He couldn't help but say, "The constables will be here shortly. Don't worry, I will definitely seek justice for you!"
"That's great! I couldn't have tied them all up by myself." Shen Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for the fact that some people were running to the outhouse and she knew they couldn't escape for the time being, she wouldn't have had time to come and see what was happening.
Seeing that someone was trying to escape, before Shen Zhiyi could even warn him, Lu Jingbai raised his stick and struck the person, knocking them to the ground. He said coldly, "I advise you to surrender now to avoid even harsher punishment. Otherwise, even the people behind you can't save you!"
The two thugs who were still conscious knew better than to kneel down.
When Shen Zhiyi and Lu Jingbai were tying people up, she casually mentioned that she had given them croton oil, her eyes full of pride in having accomplished this.
Lu Jingbai was particularly worried, knowing that if anything went wrong, the person in front of him would have to pay the price. He said, "Thank you for your hard work. I will take care of the rest."
At this moment, the gentle whispers were more touching than any sweet words, and Shen Zhiyi felt very warm inside. She replied, "Okay."
They had barely exchanged a few words when they heard rustling sounds coming from outside the courtyard. They then looked at Xuan Yan and a group of yamen runners, with people dressed in various ways following behind them. They were peddlers carrying loads, villagers passing by, and hooligans who had come specifically to watch the excitement.
Today is arguably the liveliest day at Jigong Mountain!
How could Shen Zhiyi miss such an opportunity? In front of them, she said, "They wanted to steal my vegetable seeds, but they have already been apprehended by Lord Lu! As for me, I am Shen Zhiyi from Xiaba Village, the one who brought chili peppers, tofu, tomatoes, and potatoes to the county town. You can buy all these seeds at my shop! I am going to become the biggest and best vegetable merchant in the world! If any of you need seeds, feel free to come and have a look at my shop!"
It's not that Shen Zhiyi is boasting, but her reputation has already spread throughout all the villages, and countless people have their eyes on her.
However, she has always been low-key and a homebody, so much so that people only know her name but never see her in person.
"You're Shen Zhiyi?"
"Shen Zhiyi from Xiaba Village, the village that grows chili peppers?"
Faced with these words, Shen Zhiyi readily admitted it.
The constables pulled on the ropes, leading the bound thugs out one by one. Lu Jingbai had a reason to walk in front of the crowd, blocking those ill-intentioned gazes, and said in an official manner, "Miss Chen, please come with me to the yamen to explain what happened."
Shen Zhiyi looked up at Lu Jingbai. Even though they were talking about something perfectly normal, why could she feel a gentleness in him and a light in his eyes? She replied, "Yes, Lord Lu."
Shen Zhiyi didn't think that her shout at that moment would make her restaurant famous.
Adding to the news that the Lin family in the county town had been exiled to the frontier, and considering that it was because the other party had seized his shop, the news spread like wildfire, and the name "Zhiyi Vegetable Shop" became widely known.
The local tyrant who had been entrenched in the county town for generations had caused countless families to suffer in silence. However, collecting such evidence was not easy. Day after day, month after month, as long as someone did not give up, they could accumulate evidence little by little.
Even the smallest ant has the power to shake an elephant.
The most fatal of these was a few letters sent out by the Lin family a few years ago with ambiguous wording. Even though no names were mentioned, the person behind them didn't want the family to live, so a large amount of other complete evidence came to light.
According to the law, although it was not a capital offense, being exiled to the frontier was a foregone conclusion. As for whether the Lin family could safely reach the frontier, that was not something he, as the county magistrate, could concern himself with.
Lu Jingbai was aware of the corruption in officialdom, but he simply disdained to use it.
After eliminating the local tyrants in Pixian, their territories were redistributed, and new local bullies were formed. Fortunately, they were still within our control, so there was no intention to eradicate them completely.
This commotion has made those self-proclaimed clever gentlemen realize that Chicken Head Mountain is untouchable, and Shen Zhiyi is even more untouchable.
As a result, Zheng San, who was known as "Xiaba Village" and "Chen Zhiyi," had a smooth-sailing business, and even the chili peppers, which were most prone to problems, were developing in an orderly manner.
Then there was the sweet potato that Lord Lu promoted in the name of the county government, which spread from village to village, and everyone followed suit and planted this high-yield grain.
Shen Zhiyi used the money from the chili peppers and recycled seeds to continuously improve Jigong Mountain. She not only repaired the nearby roads, but also built a larger "greenhouse" between Jigong Mountain and the roadside, so that her seedlings would no longer be affected by sudden temperature changes.
Also due to her expertise in seedling cultivation, more and more customers are visiting her vegetable shop, including some out-of-town merchants, among whom are some dishonest outsiders.
Worried that it might turn into a situation where they broke down the door like before, Zhao Daya placed a polished wooden stick under the counter that Shen Zhiyi had specially made, so that she could take it out unexpectedly.
If you encounter someone with ill intentions, beat them up first.
If she really couldn't win, Zhao Daya wouldn't mind calling her brother Xuan for help.
"I wonder when Lord Lu will return," Zhao Daya said, sitting on a stool by the counter, her face full of worry.
"Weren't you supposed to be away for half a year? I received a letter from Lord Lu yesterday. They are already on their way back, so don't worry," Shen Zhiyi comforted her. For a moment, she was a little embarrassed to change her address, so she always called him "Lord Lu" in public.
"Why have you been away for so long this time? Didn't you say you'd be back after delivering the gifts?" Zhao Daya asked, puzzled.
“After all, it’s the day Lord Lu returns to the capital to report on his duties, so it will take some time,” Shen Zhiyi advised. She didn’t ask too many questions about Lu Jingbai’s report on his duties, because work is work and life is life, and she didn’t want to interfere in his work under the guise of concern.
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