After some discussion, a plan was reached: Shen Ci would stay behind to take care of Shen Ying, while Shi Shumei would take Shen Ying and Jiang Yu to the oil shop to investigate the situation.
This meant he couldn't ride the motorcycle. And with evening approaching, there were no direct buses. Shen Ying borrowed his older brother's phone and dialed a number.
The beeping sound came through the line, and the man on the other end was panting heavily, sounding somewhat impatient. He had just finished running five kilometers and was on his way home, planning to take a shower and then take Liu Cui to night school.
Hearing it was Shen Ying's voice, and then learning that the man had a family emergency, she quickly took a shower, grabbed her coat, and headed out. She found Chief Zhang, asked for instructions, and then left with her car keys.
Seeing that Shen Suisui was about to get out of school, Shen Ying rode his motorcycle directly from the school to take the child home, and then headed to the shop in town.
Although he didn't know exactly what the situation was over there, he felt reassured knowing that Bai Chen was going with him.
Bai Chen drove at breakneck speed, following Shi Shumei's directions, and arrived at the destination in the shortest possible time. Compared to the shops in the city, this place seemed a bit old. Most of the buildings were two-story self-built houses, standing like elderly people in the wind on both sides of the narrow road.
Since there was no room to park inside, they had to stop a little further out in the market and walk.
From a distance, one shop stood out conspicuously among the scattered stalls. Its entrance and even both sides of the street were crowded with people. These people didn't smile; instead, they all looked like they were seeking revenge, and they were whispering amongst themselves.
"What exactly happened at your family's oil shop? After eating there, I had diarrhea, and the elderly in my family kept going to the toilet. They became dehydrated and are now lying in bed, unable to move."
"This has never happened before in all these years. What, your boss's child is sick and hospitalized, so you're trying to save money by using cheap ingredients? These are all long-time customers of ten or eight years. Aren't you afraid the shop will go out of business if you do this?"
Those nearby began to voice their protests. They had felt sorry for Shi Shumei and her husband because of their child's illness, but they never expected that the couple would target them so suddenly. It was something they really had to be wary of.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please listen to me. There is absolutely no problem with our oil, and every step is strictly controlled. Please rest assured."
The farmhand, Xiao Wang, stepped forward to help the shopkeeper hired by the boss out of the predicament. The child was still young and had never seen or experienced such a scene before. He was standing in front of the counter without saying a word, silently praying that Shen Ci would return soon.
"That sounds nice, but what about all of us in the family who vomited and had diarrhea after eating oil? It's understandable if children are greedy and eat some odds and ends, but adults eat grains and vegetables they grow themselves. You can't possibly say that there's something wrong with the grains we all eat and then come here crying wolf, can you?"
The nearby villagers almost all rely on their oil for their livelihood. If it weren't for this serious incident, they wouldn't have wanted to come and cause trouble. After all, a falling out would be bad for everyone.
"Please be patient, everyone. Once our boss returns, he will investigate the problem and give you all an explanation."
Xiao Wang indicated that they should give them some time to wait and see, as they didn't have the authority to make such a serious decision.
"Hey, the boss lady is here, the boss lady is here."
Someone recognized Shi Shumei walking this way, accompanied by a handsome man and a beautiful woman, who stood out in the crowd.
"Sister Shi, please give us an explanation and let us know what's going on. We're not here to make things difficult for you, but things have come to this point, and nothing we say will help. The only thing we can do is let our actions speak for themselves."
The group surrounding Shi Shumei intended to cause a scene, but considering how hard-working the couple had always been and how polite they were to their neighbors, they felt powerless to vent their anger.
"Don't worry, everyone. If this is indeed a problem with our oil shop, I will definitely give you an explanation. But right now, the most important thing is to give me some time to investigate where the problem occurred."
Once the truth is revealed, feel free to come to me with your medical bills and claims for damages. You will receive all the compensation due.
With Shi Shumei's guarantee, everyone's earlier impatience subsided. She was right; if they were to truly investigate this matter, they would indeed need to give it time. Of course, they weren't worried that the other party would run away. They knew where they lived.
After reaching an agreement with the customers, a timeframe was set. If the problem couldn't be found within two days, the only option would be to call the police. Shi Shumei expressed her understanding and went into the shop after everyone had left.
After entering, she first inquired about the recent situation, and after receiving the answer that she had not found anything amiss, she turned and went to the back room.
Inside were all the tools needed to make oil, large containers, glass bottles, water, and rags; I checked them all carefully.
No abnormalities were found during the ongoing production process.
Jiang Yu and Bai Chen sat in the front room, looking the shop up and down, including the two employees inside. The shop was just an ordinary store, nothing wrong with it.
As for the farmhand, Xiao Wang, whether it was what he just said to the customer or how he diligently brought a stool and poured water, he was impeccable. From what Shi Shumei said, he had been working diligently at the oil shop since he started working there.
He was devoted to his work and also incredibly loyal to Shen Ci and his wife, so almost no one doubted him.
Then there's the shopkeeper we recently hired. He's been so nervous from the start that he's sweating profusely, and he's still standing in the corner, clutching his clothes, looking extremely anxious.
If he really wanted to do something, or put something in the oil, it would be a very simple thing, and no one would know.
But he probably had no motive for the crime, because the child also had another identity: the child of the great-aunt's older sister who was taking care of Shi Yangyang.
Therefore, Jiang Yu guessed that his unusual behavior was probably due to his young age and lack of experience with such things, which frightened him. Or perhaps he knew something but was afraid to say it.
That was all Jiang Yu could think of. In order to confirm her thoughts, she decided to test the waters.
"Have either of you seen anyone suspicious recently? Or have any new faces come to buy oil in the last couple of days?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Wang quickly denied it.
"They are all regular customers who come here often; there are no new customers. But if we're talking about suspicious people, it's mainly because the shop is so busy every day that we don't notice anyone wandering around."
He spent most of his time in the back room refining and bottling oil, rarely having time to shift his attention elsewhere.
"And what about you? You work at the front desk, so you should have a broader perspective."
After Jiang Yu shifted the conversation to the boy, he shook his head almost as if he were about to cry.
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