[Yay, I'm safe now, hahaha.]
It's unbelievable that someone would take the blame! And it's Zheng Heyi! That little bitch who ruined his and his sister's business.
[Lin Shoucai: Holy crap! Heaven is helping me!]
[The perfect scapegoat has appeared!]
Lin Shoucai was already terrified and weak-kneed, but now he was overjoyed to see the constables take He Yi and the other two away. At this moment, Lin Shoucai just collapsed on the porch of that family's house.
For a moment, they were crying and laughing, as if possessed. Only after Ya led He Yi and the others away did the crowd of onlookers disperse, and the surroundings returned to their previous deathly silence.
Lin Shoucai understood that he had to leave this place of trouble. He no longer needed to be afraid; he just needed to walk out openly and honestly.
Thinking of this, Lin Shoucai stepped out from behind the tattered sack and, with legs that felt like they were filled with lead, shuffled towards Zhengtianxiangfang.
Business at Zhengtianxiangfang has been slow lately. Then Heyi's Zhiweitang appeared, and this is another battle between the genuine and the pirated.
Most importantly, Ruyi also resigned today. Although she wrote down the recipes and such to the Lin family, Ruyi's pastry business wasn't doing well back then, let alone this kind of thing.
At this moment, a cloud of sorrow and despair hung over Lin's brow.
Inside the store, the shelves were dusty, and there hadn't been any new items for a long time. As for the pastries that had been sitting there, they had gradually lost their bright luster because no one had been interested in them.
Many of the colorful pastries had dried out and become hard, and some had even gone moldy. Now, the Lin family was too lazy to bother with them; after all, they needed to come up with better ideas to revive the shop.
At this moment, a sense of decay permeates Zhengtianxiangfang. Most importantly, several employees have resigned today, and after everyone left, Madam Lin was even more furious.
Right now, Mrs. Lin was sitting behind the counter, sighing and looking at the empty shop. Her face was darker than the bottom of a pot, and she looked completely gloomy.
While Lin was still racking her brains, trying to figure out if there was any way to change the current situation, the shop door creaked open from the outside.
Disturbed and confused, Lin looked towards the door and saw Lin Shoucai standing there, looking lost and dejected. His eyes darted around, and he had a feeling that the officials were nearby.
This group of people are always around, and they could arrest you at any moment.
Don't reach out, or you'll get caught!
This is called a guilty conscience.
[Tsk tsk, with that kind of mental fortitude, how could they kill someone?]
Lin turned around angrily, "The shop is in such a state now, all the staff have left, and you're only just coming back?" Lin gave Lin Shoucai a reproachful sideways glance as he walked in.
Lin Shoucai was covered in dirt, and Lin Shi felt disgusted just looking at him. "Get in here!" she said. Only then did Lin Shoucai stumble in.
This made Lin feel strange. He staggered and almost tripped over the threshold.
Lin had never liked her lazy and good-for-nothing younger brother. If she hadn't secretly smuggled out the money, what kind of manager would Lin Shoucai be now?
Lin Shouchai had finally opened Zhengtianxiangfang, but he spent his days eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, completely ignoring the business here.
Seeing Lin Shoucai return from his slumber, Madam Lin suddenly stood up, pointed at him, and said, "Where have you been? Why are you only coming back in the middle of the night? Look at you!" With that, Madam Lin pinched her nose in disgust and pointed at Lin Shoucai, "Who are you trying to impress with this grotesque look? It's outrageous!"
Lin was already furious, and seeing her brother's state only fueled her anger. Lin Shoucai had unwittingly walked into a trap.
This wasn't the first time his sister had scolded him. Besides, now that Lin was doing business with him, she would find a new way to scold him almost every day, so he had gotten used to it.
At this moment, Lin Shouchai's face was deathly pale. He dared not look at Lin Shi or anyone else. He felt terrified, as if the constables from the yamen were right at the door.
He looked at Lin, his voice trembling and stammering.
"Sister, I'm not feeling well. Today... my chest hurts terribly, so I went out to see a doctor and that's why I just came back... Right now, I feel cold all over... like... like I've been possessed..."
That rascal is really good at making things up.
[Why not let my sister know this secret too, and drag the Lin family into this mess?]
In that case, the Lin family will definitely send Lin Shoucai to the yamen (government office). Let's wait and see.
[Lin Shoucai: If a turtle is weaving a sieve, then I'll weave it as much as I can.]
Lin looked at Lin Shoucai with suspicion and uncertainty. She stepped forward and checked Lin Shoucai's forehead temperature. What nonsense is this damned guy spouting now?
"Bewitched?! I think you got drunk and couldn't find your dougong when you got home, so you fell into a stinky ditch, right?" Madam Lin had already checked, and Lin Shoucai's body temperature was normal. Now, she pinched her nostrils again in disgust and pointed at Lin Shoucai.
"You stink! What kind of state have you become from drinking every day? Now I have to run this shop all by myself, it's exhausting! You're like a bolt from the blue, go wash up in the back!" Madam Lin vented all her anger and resentment on Lin Shoucai.
At this moment, Lin Shoucai was both panicked and conflicted. If he told his sister about it, he was worried that she would betray him and send him to the yamen. If he didn't tell his sister, he was worried that he would be taken away sooner or later.
"Get out!" For a moment, Lin Shoucai really wanted to tell his sister everything, but at this moment, Lin glared at him, her eyes like the muzzle of a gun spitting fire.
Lin Shoucai naturally didn't dare to continue speaking. "Sister, I'm really not feeling well, so I'll go rest first." Lin Shoucai looked at his sister. After experiencing murder and escape, he was really terrified. Su Ri'an was now absolutely safe, but his hand holding the door frame was still trembling.
The trembling had even spread throughout his body; he genuinely felt unwell, and his calves began to tremble as well.
She glanced at Lin Shoucai and softened her voice a little, "If you're not feeling well, go see a doctor tomorrow."
[After all, she's the older sister. Even though she doesn't particularly like him, she still hopes her naughty little brother is doing well.]
Lin Shoucai nodded, let out a loud "Oh!", and continued, "I'm afraid I won't be able to come to the shop to work for the next few days. I need to... I need to rest properly... and recuperate..."
What's the point of talking about recuperating from illness?
Now, what Lin Shoucai wants most is to leave this place. After all, he's been too busy in the shop every day, so he wants to find a safe place to hide.
If possible, he planned to take some money and leave the capital for the outskirts, the farther the better. Now, Lin Shoucai was more worried that the Lin family would curse him because of this, and once that matter was exposed, the Lin family would probably be arrested as well.
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