Chapter 125: The Innate Trouble Magnet

Chapter 125: The Innate Trouble Magnet

"Well, I’ll be damned," the officer muttered.

The lead officer lightly patted the hilt of his sword at his waist, glanced around, and asked with a strong voice, "Who reported this to the authorities?"

As he spoke, his thick beard trembled.

Lu Mingchao rose from the only carved wooden chair in the grain shop, calmly stepped over the threshold, and said in a steady and clear voice, "It was me. I sent someone to report it."

"Are you the victim?" The bearded officer’s gaze fell on the wreckage of the grain shop.

"Officer, officer, I’m the one who’s been wronged!"

The old man scrambled on his hands and knees to cling to the officer’s boots, sobbing uncontrollably, snot and tears streaming down his face. "Officer, I’m Wang Lao’er. My wife ate rice bought from Chaofu and was poisoned. She’s on the verge of death. This deceitful woman is the one making false accusations!"

"A life for a life, officer. You must uphold justice for me."

The old man’s wailing was as mournful as a cuckoo’s cry and a monkey’s lament. It was truly grating and unbearable to listen to!

Lu Mingchao chuckled lightly, unflinching, "Officer, I am Xie Lu Shi."

"The old man claims to be the victim, and I also claim to be the victim. I ask that you conduct a fair trial and make a ruling to determine who the real victim is."

"I request, first, that you clear Chaofu Grain Shop’s name, and second, that once the case is clear, you assess the damages. This father and son must compensate Chaofu for all losses."

The bearded officer furrowed his brow in confusion.

This young woman’s calm demeanor in front of the authorities seemed somewhat familiar.

Xie Lu Shi! Xie Lu Shi!

The bearded officer’s hand, which had been stroking his beard, suddenly stopped. His pupils first contracted slightly, then quickly dilated. In his large hand, a few broken beard hairs appeared.

It was the same Xie Lu Shi who had personally thrown the second young master of the Sun family into jail!

Does this Xie Lu Shi have some innate trouble magnet constitution?

Lu Mingchao stood her ground, unflinching. "May I ask, old man, on what day and at what time did your wife buy grain from Chaofu?"

"Just the day before yesterday!" the old man growled, glaring fiercely at Lu Mingchao. "Black can never be turned into white. You’re a murderous merchant."

Lu Mingchao’s expression relaxed, showing no trace of panic. "Officer, please wait a moment. Good people, please stay a moment."

"A Yan." Lu Mingchao turned slightly and whispered a few words into his ear.

Xie Yan nodded, motioned for the shopkeeper to follow, and headed toward the small courtyard behind the grain shop.

Soon, he returned with a towering wooden cabinet, standing seven to eight feet tall, its body carved with two rows of neatly aligned drawers.

Lu Mingchao patiently opened one drawer after another, revealing small clay jars, each clearly marked with a date and a name. "Our regulars know Chaofu opens at 9 AM and closes anytime between 3 PM and 5:45 PM."

"However, what is little known is that every day before 9 AM, Chaofu invites Dr. Xu from the north’s Huichun Hall, Dr. Zhang from the south’s Nanshan Hall, Dr. Hua from the east’s Ninghe Hall, and Dr. Ge from the west’s Shunkang Pharmacy to check the grain we’ll sell that day. They make sure it’s safe and free from spoilage or decay."

"After the grains pass the inspection, the four doctors will personally seal the sampled grains into medicine jars, engraving the inspection date and their signatures on the jars."

"This routine has never been skipped, not even once."

"Though I am a woman, I would never engage in dishonest acts that betray my conscience. Food is the cornerstone of the people's well-being, so how dare I sell toxic grains to others?"

"Officer, here’s the grain inspected the day before yesterday."

Lu Mingchao picked up a pottery jar and handed it to the bearded officer, "Officer, please take a look."

"Doctors Xu, Zhang, Hua, and Ge are all highly respected physicians in Changhe County who have saved countless lives. Their expertise is unquestionable."

The bearded officer took the pottery jar, running his fingers over the markings on the jar, his eyes clear, and he immediately understood.

Lu Mingchao continued in a calm voice, "If you doubt my word, you can summon the four doctors to verify."

The bearded officer gave a glance to the young constable beside him.

The young constable caught the hint and rushed off.

Within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the four doctors arrived one after another to confirm Lu Mingchao's statement. Even the gray-haired Dr. Zhang from Nanshan Hall, over fifty, vouched for Chaofu Grain Shop’s grains, staking his reputation on it.

The crowd was stunned and started murmuring.

"Who’s to say the grains Chaofu sold to my wife were inspected?" the old man shouted hoarsely.

A young man quickly chimed in, "Exactly, Chaofu sells so much grain every day. What if the inspected grains ran out, and my mother ended up with the toxic batch?"

"My mother is dying from eating the grains from Chaofu Grain Shop. We demand answers, or else I’ll..."

"Ram the grievance drum outside the county office?" Lu Mingchao's eyes were dark and obscure. "Or head straight to the capital to accuse Chaofu Grain Shop of selling lethal grains to the emperor?"

"Under Daqian law, anyone who beats the drum to petition the emperor must submit a formal complaint, endure thirty cane strikes, and roll on a nail board before being granted an audience."

"If the accusation is false, the accuser’s property will be seized, and they’ll be exiled three thousand miles."

"Choose your words carefully."

"If you dare to take this to the emperor, Chaofu will see it through to the end."

"An honest person has nothing to fear from baseless accusations. No one can tarnish Chaofu’s reputation."

The young man's face changed drastically, turning green and white, stammering for a long time before finally saying, "Officer, this woman’s arrogance knows no bounds. She’s threatening me right in front of you, Officer."

The bearded officer remained expressionless, "She’s simply stating the truth."

"Xie Lu Shi, how do you respond to their claim that they bought uninspected, toxic grains?"

Lu Mingchao smiled, "Of course, I will explain."

"I’ve already said that all regular customers of Chaofu Grain Shop know that Chaofu opens for business at the beginning of Si hour every day, and the closing time varies because Chaofu sells a set amount of grain daily, but the number of customers fluctuates."

"If there are many customers, the shop assistants, accountants, and the shopkeeper can finish work at Shen hour. If there are few customers, even if the grain is not sold out, the shop will close at You hour and three quarters."

"As for the remaining grain of the day, I have already agreed with the Jici Institution that the shopkeeper will personally deliver it after work, as a gesture of goodwill."

"The day before yesterday was windy, and the ledger shows over a dou of grain remained from the daily supply."

"Officer, to prove that I am not lying, I humbly request that you summon the supervisor of the Jici House for questioning."

"That’s all I have to say in my defense."

"My Chaofu Grain Shop is fully transparent and open to scrutiny."

The bearded officer’s eyes showed a flicker of admiration.

"She stood her ground, unshakable."