Chapter 31 The turmoil was truly well-planned.
The carriage entered Dongqing County at dusk.
As the driver turned into the street, he looked at the scene before him with some difficulty and said to the people inside, "Madam, is this the place? It's packed with people, I can't go in."
Yu Man was thinking about new dishes when she heard this and lifted the curtain to take a look.
Instead of customers, a large crowd had gathered in front of Manxin Food Shop, their faces contorted with rage, hurling insults and profanities. Worst of all, her meticulously designed shop sign was smeared with filth, the words "Manxin Food Shop" barely legible. The door was tightly shut, covered in a splatter of yellow and black excrement, the stench overwhelming and nauseating.
"You heartless bastard! You're killing people!"
"That's a rip-off! Get out of our county!"
"Smash this harmful shop! Make them pay with their money and their lives!"
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Yu Man suppressed her surprise and forced herself to remain calm. Instead of immediately getting out of the car to check the situation, she listened intently, discerning key phrases like "murder," "causing illness," and "reporting to the authorities" from the chaotic shouts. A sense of foreboding washed over her.
“Turn around,” she thought for a moment and said to the driver, “Go to Yulin Lane, quickly.”
The driver responded, and the carriage silently turned around. Yulin Lane was where her family rented a small courtyard; the location was relatively secluded. Upon reaching the alley entrance, Yu Man paid the fare, dismissed the driver, and then carefully observed the activity in her own courtyard. Sure enough, several unfamiliar men, seemingly idle, were loitering near the gate, their eyes constantly scanning the entrance with sharp intensity.
She couldn't go in through the front gate. Yu Man steadied herself, went around to the back of the courtyard, looked around to make sure no one was watching, then deftly lifted her skirt, tied a knot, and used the uneven corner of the wall and the drooping branches to climb up the wall using both hands and feet. Fortunately, although her movements weren't as agile as a trained martial artist, she managed to get into her own backyard, only getting a little dust on the hem of her skirt.
The courtyard was deathly silent, dusk had fallen, and no one dared to light a lamp inside. Touching the cold door, she gently pushed it open a crack, lowered her voice, and tentatively called out:
"Dad? Aunt? Are you there?"
After a brief silence, Deng San Niang's voice came hurriedly, hoarsely, and with a hint of bewilderment: "Is...is it Aman? Is it really you who's back?" A rustling sound rang out in the darkness, followed by a soft "poof" as a dim yellow light appeared in the room. The faint glow of the tinderbox barely dispelled a small patch of darkness and illuminated the haggard face on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Using the flickering light, Yu Man could see the scene inside the room and couldn't help but gasp, her heart sinking. Deng San Niang's hair was disheveled, and her usually sharp and decisive face was now deathly pale, as white as a sheet. Her eyes, which were usually wide and fierce, were now swollen and red like ripe peaches, with tear stains still clinging to the corners, clearly from crying more than once. Inside the room, only Yu Chengfu and Xiu Xiu were nowhere to be seen.
"Auntie!" Yu Man rushed to the kang (a heated brick bed), grabbing Deng San Niang's cold, trembling hands. Her voice was strained with extreme urgency and fear, and her speech quickened involuntarily. "What on earth happened? Where's my father? Why isn't he home? Those people at the food shop... those foul words, and the splattered excrement... what on earth happened?!"
Upon seeing her, Deng Sanniang felt as if she had grasped a piece of driftwood; her carefully maintained composure crumbled instantly. She gripped Yu Man's hand tightly, her lips trembling violently, and even her fiery temper was tinged with tears.
"Aman...your, your father...he...he's been arrested by the government!"
"What?! He's been arrested?!" Yu Man was shocked. She managed to calm herself down and reassured Deng San Niang before slowly asking, "My father has always been honest and simple, rarely even arguing with anyone. How could he have gotten into trouble with the authorities? And been arrested?"
Deng San Niang gradually calmed down, suppressing the sobs in her throat, and recounted the events of the past few days in fits and starts:
“After you left… your father and I have been looking after the shop. At first… at first everything was fine, and business was stable. But… about seven or eight days ago,” she tried to recall the exact time, “your second aunt and uncle came over early this morning, carrying Xing’er. They said Xing’er had contracted some strange illness, her body was covered in red rashes, she was vomiting and had diarrhea, and her little face was ashen. They had seen several doctors, given her a lot of medicine, and spent money like water, but she just wasn’t getting better… the doctors all shook their heads in the end, saying that it was probably… probably difficult to treat, and told them to prepare for the worst… They begged us, saying they really had no other choice, and asked us to lend them some money, out of consideration for our past relationship, to save the child…”
Upon hearing this, Yu Man frowned deeply, keenly grasping the key point: "Second Aunt's family? Xing'er is sick? Is it serious?" A trace of doubt flashed through her mind. Last time when the family split up, Second Aunt's family also came. She saw that although Xing'er was thin, her complexion was not bad. But why was she suddenly so sick?
Deng San Niang said, "Yes! She described it so vividly. Holding the child, the child did look listless and listless. At that time... at that time, the shop had just paid a large sum of money to several farmers who supplied mushrooms and flour. There wasn't much cash on hand to begin with, and we still had to keep some for daily expenses such as buying meat and vegetables and paying wages."
"They...they just knelt down right in front of our shop! It attracted a lot of neighbors who came to watch the spectacle. You know your father, he's thin-skinned and soft-hearted, especially when it comes to children suffering...he was also thinking about the vegetables your second aunt gave him back then...he...didn't touch the money in the accounts, but gave them all the dozen or so taels of silver he had secretly saved to add to your dowry!" Deng San Niang's tone was clearly filled with heartache and resentment as she finished speaking.
Yu Man's heart sank. She knew her father's soft heart and his emphasis on family ties. Under normal circumstances, she would have given him the money, but judging from Aunt Xiang's expression, it seemed that things weren't so simple.
Sure enough, Deng Sanniang continued, "We thought that once we gave the money, the matter would be over, after all, it was a human life. Who would have thought... the very next day after we lent the money! Early in the morning, as soon as the shop's doors were taken down, a group of burly men rushed in, carrying a stretcher with a pale-faced man lying on it, completely still. They kept saying that this man had eaten a bowl of wontons at our shop yesterday at noon, and when he got home he vomited and had diarrhea, and couldn't get out of bed. He died the next day! They demanded that we pay them money, or they would take us to the authorities!"
“Your father was an honest and upright man his whole life. How could he bear to be wronged like this? Of course, he argued with them, saying that our ingredients were all bought fresh that day, and the cooking methods were clean. The neighbors all saw it, and there was absolutely no way there could be a problem with the food! But those people were a bunch of scoundrels. They wouldn’t listen to reason at all. They just shouted and rushed in, barging straight into the kitchen! We couldn’t stop them!” As Deng San Niang said this, her body trembled slightly uncontrollably.
"They...they seemed to know the place. They dug up several rotten cabbages with yellowed leaves and rotting, watery edges right there in the corner of the kitchen where clutter was piled up! And...and next to the rice bin against the wall, there were a few dead rats thrown in there at some point!" Deng San Niang's voice was filled with anger. "But our kitchen is spotless. We clean it up neatly every day after work. How could there be such filth! This is clearly someone planting it in advance to frame us!"
Upon hearing this, what else did Yu Man not understand? It was a blatant frame-up, and it was likely orchestrated by a large number of people.
“There were still quite a few regular customers having breakfast in the shop at the time,” Deng San Niang choked up, tears welling up again. “When they saw this situation, they all exploded! People who had praised our food and high-quality ingredients before immediately changed their tune, pointing their fingers at us and cursing us for being heartless and making money through dishonest means! Some people even vomited up what they had just eaten… The shop’s reputation was ruined overnight! Those people even grabbed your father by the collar, shoving and pushing him, determined to take him to the authorities. I… I panicked, grabbed the cleaver from the chopping board and stood in front of them, glaring at them and telling them that if anyone dared to fight back, I would fight them to the death! They… they saw how I looked and didn’t dare to attack immediately.”
Deng Sanniang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down: "I can see that they came prepared. Their purpose is not to reason with us, but to extort money! I led them to the backyard, away from the onlookers, and asked them directly what they wanted and what they wanted!"
"They're quite straightforward, asking for a hundred taels of silver right off the bat! They said that once they got the money, the debt would be settled and they would never pursue the matter again," Deng Sanniang said with a bitter smile.
Even if the food shop is profitable, one hundred taels of silver would only leave forty taels of usable cash.
“One hundred taels… At that time, the shop had just gone through the ordeal of your second aunt borrowing money, and then this incident happened. The business was on the verge of collapse. Where would we come from to come up with one hundred taels? I told them that the amount was too large and that we needed time to raise it, and asked them to go back and wait for news.”
“They left, but the rumors spread throughout the entire county overnight! They said our shop was consuming dead people. The next day, there wasn't a soul in sight at the shop's entrance. The helpers we had hired, fearing trouble, ran away without even collecting their wages. Your father and I locked ourselves in the shop and talked all night. This shop is your life's work, the foundation of your livelihood, and we can't let it be ruined like this… We thought we'd just have to pay to avoid further trouble, grit our teeth and scrape together the money to get through this first.”
"But where would we get so much cash? Your father had no choice but to swallow his pride and go to Manager Wang, his former employer at the docks with whom he had a fairly good relationship, and borrowed sixty taels of silver. With all the family's savings, including the money I had saved to make new clothes for Xiuxiu, we finally managed to scrape together one hundred taels. That's how we settled the matter. They kept their word after taking the money and never bothered us again."
Hearing this, Yu Man interjected, "Auntie, who is the leader of that group? What does he look like? What are his distinguishing features? Also, how did they know about our kitchen? Think about it carefully."
Deng San Niang tried hard to recall: "The leader... was a burly man with a scar on his face, a broken left eyebrow, and a slightly out-of-town accent. The others... I was too angry and anxious at the time to remember them clearly. As for the kitchen..." She shook her head, "I don't know how they knew the place so well, it was like... like they had come to check it out beforehand."
Yu Man memorized these features: the broken eyebrow, the scar, and the out-of-town accent. She pressed on, "And then what happened? They gave you the money, and they never showed up again, but the shop's reputation was ruined. And then what?"
"But... our reputation is already ruined!" Deng Sanniang was furious when she mentioned this. "The neighbors treat us like we're plague carriers, avoiding us at all costs. Even those who used to be on good terms with us don't dare to come near us now, afraid of getting bad luck. To make matters worse, the landlord of the shop sent someone over, saying we either have to pay the full six months' rent in advance, a total of twenty taels, or we have to move out the next day, and he won't even refund our deposit! This is clearly taking advantage of our misfortune! But we just lost a hundred taels, and our family is almost broke. Where are we going to get the money to pay the rent?"
"Your father was so anxious that he developed blisters on his lips and couldn't sleep for nights on end. He had no choice but to... he grit his teeth and go to Manager Wang again. Manager Wang was kind enough to see how pitiful we were, and he gritted his teeth and lent us forty taels of silver, which barely covered the rent shortfall. We were thinking that when you came back, even if we started from scratch with a stall, we could slowly rebuild the business and eventually pay off the debt we owed Manager Wang..."
Deng Sanniang's voice grew softer and softer: "But...but...just the day before yesterday afternoon, several fierce-looking men dressed in black short jackets suddenly appeared, with short sticks tucked into their waistbands. They said they were from a money exchange in the city, and they had...they had a promissory note on it, which clearly stated in black and white that your father had borrowed one hundred taels of silver, with interest compounded at a rate of 'sheep's wool.' And just a few days later, they were demanding repayment of one hundred and fifty taels, including the principal and interest! The promissory note...even had your father's red fingerprint on it!"
"Those people don't look like money lenders at all; they're clearly loan sharks!"
“It absolutely wasn’t him!” Deng Sanniang gestured excitedly. “He explained that he had never borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates! He didn’t even know which way the money shop’s door faced! As for that handprint… he didn’t know when or where that handprint was forcibly pressed on, or if some evil method was used to put it on! But those people wouldn’t listen. They pushed and shoved your father, calling him a scoundrel who wanted to renege on his debts! Then… they shouted and called the officials! And those officials… when they arrived, they didn’t ask any questions. They just listened to the group’s side of the story and said that your father owed money and wouldn’t pay. On the spot… they chained your father’s neck with an iron chain and… dragged him away from the house!”
By the end, Deng San Niang was sobbing uncontrollably.
Yu Man stood there, feeling a chilling coldness rush from the soles of her feet up her spine to the top of her head, making her limbs and bones stiffen.
She naturally believed that her father would not do something like lending money at exorbitant interest rates.
It's just about borrowing money, framing people, extortion, forcing rent payments, forging loan agreements, and colluding with government officials...
This is a vicious scheme, each step building upon the last, each move deadly! It's designed to utterly destroy them and leave them with no chance of recovery!
Yu Man hardly needed to think to know that it was the Chen family's doing. The previous things were one thing, but just from the officials, it was clear that no one in the county could command officials more than the Chen family.
She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Auntie, have you been hiding in this courtyard all these days? There are guards outside, how have you been coming and going? Is Xiuxiu alright?"
Deng San Niang said in a hoarse voice, "My family... my brother heard about this a couple of days ago and sent someone to pick me up, wanting me to take Xiu Xiu back to my family home to avoid trouble. But I was worried that you would be anxious if you came back and couldn't find us, and I also thought that this shop and this courtyard shouldn't be ruined, so I didn't leave. I just let him take Xiu Xiu back first, because the child is young and I was afraid it would frighten her." She paused, "Going out... I would sneak out late at night, climb over the wall, and buy the cheapest rice and grain from familiar people. I didn't dare to buy too much, for fear of attracting attention."
Yu Man felt a pang of sadness. She gripped Deng San Niang's cold hand tightly and comforted her firmly, "Auntie, don't panic. Now that I'm back, we can't just let this go. We'll deal with it one step at a time; there's always a way." She glanced at the dark night outside the window, then stood up and said, "You probably haven't eaten properly either. I'll get you something to eat first, then I have to go out."
Upon hearing that she was about to go out, Deng Sanniang immediately grabbed her arm anxiously: "Aman! You can't go alone! Those loan sharks are no good, they have sticks and are very fierce! I'll go with you!"
Yu Man patted the back of her hand, revealing a reassuring smile, though the smile didn't fully reach her eyes: "No need, Auntie, don't worry, I'm not alone."
Deng San Niang was stunned for a moment: "Is...is Pei Ji back? Where is he? Why didn't I see him come in?" She subconsciously looked towards the door.
Yu Man shook her head: "It's not him. He... has some things to take care of. Anyway, don't worry, just stay home and wait. Lock the door, and don't open it for anyone unless I come back." She didn't say it explicitly, but the certainty in her tone reassured Deng San Niang a little.
After settling Aunt Xiang in and watching her barely manage to eat some of the simple porridge she had reheated, Yu Man straightened her slightly wrinkled dress, took a deep breath, and pushed open the courtyard gate to go outside.
Night had fallen, and the alley was quiet and deserted. The strange men who had been loitering earlier were indeed nowhere to be seen.
[Huh? Host, where are those people?] the system asked in confusion.
Yu Man's gaze swept across the empty alleyway, her tone calm: "Perhaps they went home for dinner." But she knew in her heart that this was no coincidence.
In the shadows of a nearby alley corner, Gu Qiu, expressionless, dragged the last unconscious man to a pile of garbage and hastily covered him with debris. He looked up and saw Yu Man walking steadily toward Zuixianlou, then silently fell behind.
The busiest time for dinner at Zuixianlou had passed, and only a few tables of customers were still drinking and chatting in the main hall. A waiter, dozing against the counter, heard footsteps, lazily looked up, and upon seeing who it was, his face immediately showed surprise: "You...you're not Yu from Manxin Food Shop..."
Yu Man interrupted him before he could finish speaking, his voice clear and calm: "I want to see your master, Master He."
The waiter was clearly in a dilemma and was about to make an excuse when a gentle voice came from the second floor: "Please invite Madam Yu up for a chat."
Yu Man looked up and saw He Ming standing by the second-floor railing, a familiar friendly smile on his face, nodding slightly at her. She felt a sense of relief; it seemed she had made the right first step.
Ascending the stairs, they arrived at a secluded private room on the second floor. Master He was already seated at the table, the tea on it steaming gently. He gestured for Yu Man to sit down, personally poured her a cup of hot tea, and pushed it towards her, his tone casual as if in conversation: "Miss Yu, what brings you here so late at night?"
Yu Man did not touch the teacup. Instead, he stood up and bowed respectfully to Master He, saying, "I have come to thank Master He for his help."
Master He's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and asked with just the right amount of doubt, "Oh? What is there to thank me for? I don't think I've helped Madam Yu in any way lately."
Yu Man sat down again, looking at him with clear eyes, and bluntly stated: "Those who collect exorbitant interest are wolves who won't let go until they see meat. My father was arrested, and only women and children are left at home. Logically, they should have smashed up the shop and occupied the courtyard long ago, forcing me to show myself. But so far, although the shop is filthy, it hasn't been smashed, and the courtyard hasn't been forcibly broken into. If someone hadn't secretly intervened and temporarily restrained them, I really can't think of anyone else with that ability. And in this county, the only one who has the ability and might be willing to lend a hand at this moment is you, Master He."
Listening to her clear and logical analysis, and seeing her unusually calm expression despite her slightly pale face, He Ming's admiration for her grew even stronger. He put down his teacup, neither confirming nor denying, but simply chuckled, tacitly acknowledging her guess, and then asked, "Madam Yu is a smart woman. So, how do you plan to play this game next? Now that your family members are imprisoned and your shop's reputation is ruined, you're dealt a terrible hand."
Yu Man met his scrutinizing gaze without flinching. She picked up the lukewarm teacup in front of her, took a small sip to moisten her throat, which was dry from nervousness, and then put down the teacup. Her voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute determination: "Although the game is dangerous, there may still be a chance to turn things around. If Master He is willing to truly make a move, instead of just remaining inactive, perhaps... I can make this game a little more beautiful. At least, I won't let the person behind the scenes win too easily."
She was demonstrating her usefulness and testing the limits of Mr. He's bottom line.
Upon hearing this, He Ming's eyes flashed with interest, and he leaned forward slightly, revealing a look of interest: "Oh? Tell me, how beautiful is it?"
The two talked for about an hour before Yu Man emerged from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. A night breeze blew, and she realized her back was soaked with cold sweat. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves relaxing slightly. Actually, before entering the building, she wasn't entirely confident she could persuade Master He. After all, she currently had almost nothing. It was Master He's willingness to personally meet with her and patiently listen to her for so long that convinced her she still possessed some value he could use—that was the bargaining chip.
Shortly after Yu Man left, the head manager of Zuixianlou quietly entered the private room.
"Master, are you really planning to help her?" The head manager asked with a hint of confusion and caution. "This Madam Yu is a big problem right now. Getting involved could backfire. The Chen family is really going all out this time."
He Ming stood by the window, watching Yu Man's figure disappear around the street corner. He tapped the window frame lightly with his fingers. His usual amiable smile had vanished, replaced by the shrewdness and calculation of a businessman.
“Help her? Not really.” He Ming said slowly, his voice low. “It’s just a mutually beneficial arrangement. Do you know that His Highness Prince Ding has already arrived in the prefecture?”
The head manager was startled: "That distinguished guest? You mean..."
“Indeed.” He Ming turned around, his eyes gleaming with scheming. “The Prince’s arrival is related to the selection of imperial merchants, and it is also an opportunity for our restaurant to rise to the top. Why is the Chen family so eager to get rid of Yu Man? It’s simply because they are afraid that she will catch the eye of a noble person and ruin their plans.”
"Don't underestimate this Miss Yu. Although she is young, she is shrewd and resourceful. What's more, she has a knack for food and a bit of luck. Her misfortune this time might just be an opportunity for us."
"Timing?" The head manager still had some doubts.
He Ming nodded. "If she can truly, as she says, struggle out of this seemingly hopeless situation and even turn the tables and take a piece of the Chen family's flesh, then it proves that she is indeed exceptional and deserves our help. If she can truly gain the prince's favor, we, as allies, will naturally rise in status as well. This favor is more valuable than offering ten or eight famous dishes."
He put down his teacup, his tone becoming indifferent: "Of course, if she can't make it through this hurdle and dies halfway through, it won't matter much to us. After all, we have other people we can use besides her. In that case, this deal is worth the gamble no matter how you look at it."
The head manager suddenly realized and bowed, saying, "Master, you have a profound vision. I understand now."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com