"Why should I tell you? Who are you? Have your boss come speak to me," the young man retorted, not taking the bait.
"What do you want to say to me?" Wu Caiwei walked out from the crowd, looking at them with a half-smile.
"We want to ask when you plan to close shop?" The young man, seeing the owner was a woman, immediately looked down on her and said smugly.
"Don't get your hopes up. You claim there are cockroaches and flies in our food, so there are? We haven't been in business for just a day or two. I'd say you brought the cockroaches and flies in yourself to frame us," Wu Caiwei faced them fearlessly.
"Everyone, listen to her attitude. What kind of business is this? This is irresponsible for the health of us customers. Everyone, don't eat here anymore," the young man quickly said to the onlookers outside.
A buzz of discussion immediately erupted from the crowd outside.
"Even if I don't know if it's true, I definitely won't dare to eat here for a while. After all, health is important."
"Yeah, yeah. Even though it looks like those two men framed them, we still have to be cautious."
"We need to observe for a while longer."
...
No matter what anyone said, their business was definitely not going to be good for a while. The young man was particularly pleased with the effect he had created and looked provocatively at Wu Caiwei.
"I've only just arrived and haven't even entered the shop, nor have I had time to prepare. I invite everyone to take a look at our kitchen. Decide for yourselves whether it's hygienic or not. We can't just believe what others say, can we? After all, we're in business, and competitors are enemies," Wu Caiwei said directly to the curious crowd outside.
With nothing better to do, everyone was very curious about the restaurant's kitchen and readily agreed. By the time the two men tried to stop them, it was too late.
The kitchen chefs were busy. Seeing Wu Caiwei arrive, they immediately asked, "Why has the owner come?"
"I'm bringing them for a tour. You carry on with your work," Wu Caiwei replied as she led the crowd inside.
Although there were only a few people busy inside, everything was in order. The floor was clean, and the stove was spotless. Upon seeing such a scene, the crowd instantly felt at ease. After all, they felt their own homes weren't as clean as this.
"Everyone, look quickly! Those two men have secretly run away, realizing their scheme to frame us has been exposed. Don't worry, everyone who eats at our establishment today and tomorrow will receive a fifty percent discount," Wu Caiwei announced directly to the outside.
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers, jumping and shouting with excitement. This restaurant was known throughout the prefecture for having the best taste, although it was a bit expensive. Now, at half price, it was a "freebie" for most people's thinking. Of course, there were those who were just there to watch the commotion and wouldn't come even if it were cheaper.
Wu Caiwei didn't mind. Her original intention was to salvage some of their reputation, and as long as that was achieved, she was content.
The two men had indeed been hired by the Wang family to disrupt Ouyang Xue's business. The Wang family's restaurant had been suffering recently. They had initially thought that even if Ouyang Xue reported them to the authorities, it wouldn't matter, as they had an unusual relationship with the county magistrate. However, they hadn't expected her to play it by ear and bring people to tour the kitchen. What kind of place was the kitchen? No restaurant had ever publicly allowed outsiders to tour it.
They stood at the entrance and took a peek inside. They knew their objective for the day would not be achieved, as their kitchen was simply too clean.
The two men exchanged a glance and slipped away. Wu Caiwei, with her sharp ears and eyes, knew when they fled. But it didn't matter. One day, she would get even with the county magistrate and the Wang family.
When Old Master Wang heard about the incident, he flew into a furious rage and even shattered his favorite antique vase.
The county magistrate had initially arranged to meet with Old Master Wang the next day to discuss a strategy against Ouyang Xue.
However, while he was having breakfast, he was urgently summoned to the prefect's mansion.
Upon seeing the prefect's stern expression and the extremely oppressive atmosphere, the county magistrate's heart sank. He tried to recall his actions during this period and found nothing particularly egregious.
"May I ask, Your Excellency, what is the reason for summoning me?" he asked cautiously, testing the waters.
"Do you recognize this?" As soon as he finished speaking, the butler presented a plate to him.
On the plate lay two gold ingots. The county magistrate felt his heart pound and his palms sweat profusely. He stammered, "Your... Your Excellency, please let me explain..."
"There's no need for an explanation. I will report this directly to the Emperor. You can explain yourself to His Majesty. The imperial treasury's silver was merely temporarily stored at the county yamen, and it managed to find its way to my desk so stealthily. You should reflect on why this happened." The prefect was filled with indignation. He had been fine the night before, but in the morning, he found two gold ingots on his desk, with his room's windows and door securely shut. He wondered what kind of expert had visited his room, and the thought sent a shiver down his spine.
"Please, Your Excellency, spare me this once. I promise to repent and never make such a mistake again," the county magistrate immediately knelt and kowtowed to him.
"We've known each other for several years, and you've always been steady in your work. How could you stumble over this? It's not that I don't want to help you, but I'm afraid there are other gold ingots missing besides these. They truly want to cause you trouble, and you have indeed been negligent. If I help you and the news leaks, the Emperor will not let me off. For the safety of my family, I am destined to be unable to help you," the prefect said to him earnestly.
Both of them came from humble backgrounds and knew how difficult it was to attain the positions of county magistrate and prefect. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't want to report it. However, this matter was of great importance and could not be overlooked.
"There are only two gold ingots missing outside. Can I compensate for them?" The county magistrate's eyes welled up with tears. If he had known the matter was so serious, he would never have resorted to such a measure.
"What will you use to compensate? The imperial treasury's silver has special serial numbers and markings. Once submitted, people will recognize it at a glance. Unless you know where the remaining gold ingots are, there is no solution," the prefect said, contemplating the feasibility of the matter.
The county yamen's treasury was a place of impenetrable security. Three keys were needed simultaneously to open the vault, and these three keys were held by three different people. Without the county magistrate's permission, he couldn't believe the silver could disappear. It was clear there was an inside job.
"I have a rough idea of where they might be. Please grant me some time, Your Excellency, and I will do my best to find them," the county magistrate said, as if grasping a lifeline, making repeated assurances.
The prefect looked at him, silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said helplessly, "Three days. I will give you three days. At this time three days from now, if I have not received the gold ingots, I will send a memorial to the capital via urgent dispatch."