"You are overthinking things. Since you knocked over my cloth, shouldn't you pick it up and wipe clean the dirty spots? Otherwise, you are not leaving this door." Wu Caiwei looked at them expressionlessly. Sudanshuwang
"Hahaha, brothers, what did I hear? She actually asked me to pick up the cloth." After speaking, the steward laughed loudly again. It was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Several of his subordinates also laughed along, thinking Wu Caiwei must be crazy.
After they had laughed for a while, Wu Caiwei smiled and looked at them, "Have you had enough laughter? If so, pick up the cloth."
The steward looked at her in surprise. He couldn't believe this woman actually expected him to pick up the cloth. How was that possible? Wouldn't he lose face?
He directly led them to rush out. He didn't believe that if he, a grown man, walked next to a woman, she could do anything to him. Besides, if there was any physical contact, the woman would be at a disadvantage.
The commotion they were making at this time was quite significant, attracting quite a crowd of onlookers outside. People were whispering and pointing fingers amongst themselves but dared not speak loudly.
Wu Caiwei didn't expect them to speak up for her. After all, everyone had a family to support, and what would happen to those left behind if something happened?
Just as the steward's body was about to make contact with Wu Caiwei, she kicked him directly. "How dare you act like a hooligan towards me? Don't you know who I am?"
"Who would fancy an old hag like you? If I were to find someone, I'd look for someone young and beautiful." The steward clutched his stomach, looking at her in shock. Her kick just now had not held back at all. He stumbled back several steps, crashing into his men, and they all fell in a heap.
"Then what's the meaning of you barging towards me? I'll just treat you as a hooligan." Wu Caiwei was about to say something more when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head, she saw a group of constables rushing over.
"Your arrival is timely, officers! These people came to cause trouble here and even ordered us to close our shop." Upon seeing them, Wu Caiwei quickly complained.
Seeing the steward's face, the leading constable recognized them as people from the Wang family. Frankly speaking, having lived in the prefectural city for so many years, they knew well who could be offended and who couldn't. They knew that the steward before them was not to be touched. However, with so many citizens watching outside, they had to provide an explanation to avoid tarnishing the reputation of their superiors.
They quickly asked the shopkeeper to recount the entire incident. After a moment of thought, they prepared to act as a mediator. "These are all minor matters. We all live in the prefectural city and see each other frequently. I will make the decision today to resolve this with minimal fuss and maintain harmony."
"Then how do you propose we resolve it?" In fact, the steward felt a pang of guilt the moment he saw the constables. After all, his young lady had specifically instructed him not to act recklessly in the prefectural city by leveraging the power of the Zhang family. He had expected it to be like with other merchants, where a scare would make them voluntarily back down. He never expected this woman to be so bold as to involve the yamen.
"You are indeed in the wrong here. She asked you to pick up the cloth, and there are five of you. You can pick it up and wipe it clean. It's not a difficult task," the constable said, believing Wu Caiwei's request was not unreasonable, as she was conducting her business properly and they were there to cause trouble.
"That's impossible! If I lose face, the Wang family also loses face. Will anyone dare to step on us in the future?" The steward immediately jumped up upon hearing this suggestion.
Seeing the escalating tension between the two sides, the constable felt a headache. But who could they blame when the Wang family had such a good son-in-law, whom even the prefect treated with deference?
After some thought, he decided it would be best to leave these matters to the magistrate. He respectfully said, "If you disagree, then we can only formally escort you to the county yamen. You can have a proper discussion with the magistrate."
"How can I go to the county yamen? Our son-in-law is a second-rank general. If you dare to lay a hand on me, my master will not let you off. I must leave directly today." In the steward's mind, these minor officials were no match for their son-in-law.
The constable realized they were on completely different wavelengths and directly ordered his men to take him away.
"Don't touch me, don't touch me..." The steward, seeing that they were serious, became somewhat frightened. After all, he came from a humble background and had never been to court before. The thought of the county magistrate made his legs weak.
This time, they gave him no room to speak and directly brought him to the main hall. To be honest, facing such a situation, the county magistrate was also somewhat troubled. He could only send someone to invite Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang was inherently a timid merchant. The arrival of the constables made him somewhat alarmed. After considering his recent actions, he felt a little more at ease.
Before the constables arrived, they had received instructions from the magistrate to be polite. They respectfully paid their respects to Mr. Wang and explained the situation.
Mr. Wang secretly cursed his steward for his incompetence. Such a minor matter had actually alarmed the yamen. He politely said, "Since the county magistrate has invited me, I, Wang, will go with you."
Upon meeting the county magistrate, Mr. Wang first exchanged pleasantries and then recounted his difficulties. "Brother Wang, you know how difficult it is for me to be a county magistrate. Many people were watching at the time, and it would be unacceptable not to handle it. I hope you can understand my predicament."
"I blame my subordinates for their incompetence and for causing you trouble. Recently, Ouyang Xue has snatched a lot of business from my Wang family, which is why I sent my steward to warn her. I didn't expect her to report it to the officials. I hope you can handle this well. When my daughter and son-in-law return, I will speak highly of you to them." Mr. Wang, having worked in the business world for many years, understood the principle that a strong dragon couldn't overpower a local snake. Although he looked down on them somewhat, he didn't easily offend them.
"That would be excellent. We are straightforward people. Since Ouyang Xue wants the Wang family to apologize, then we will do so openly and honorably for everyone to see. If you trust me, it will also benefit the Wang family's reputation. As for her stealing your business, we can conduct that behind closed doors to avoid giving others a handle," the county magistrate thought. To him, finding a powerful backer and sacrificing a small merchant was an easy choice.
The two reached a tacit understanding, shook hands, and left on good terms. That day, Mr. Wang brought the steward to Wu Caiwei's shop. In front of the passersby, he made the steward sincerely apologize to her.
Looking at the calm Mr. Wang and the reluctant steward, Wu Caiwei raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had thought that like master, like servant. She hadn't expected this man to be so skilled.
Judging by his methods of dealing with the An family, he was not someone who could be easily tolerated. He must be harboring ambitions for greater things. She immediately became ten times more alert.