Chapter 158 (Part 2): The Culinary Tycoon

The two of them swam forward for a while, but the river here was very deep, and the banks were steep slopes covered with bushes and thorns, making it inconvenient to climb ashore.

Just at that moment, they heard the voices of Yu Qingze and Jiabao speaking, knowing that things were under control and Baobao had been rescued. But before they could shout and tell Yu Qingze not to jump, they heard a splash, and Yu Qingze jumped down to find Chang Le.

“Boss Yu, the water is cold here. Let’s find a way to get out first. Chang Le shouldn’t stay in the water for too long,” Da Song suggested. He really didn’t want to disturb the intimate moment between the two, but in this freezing weather, with the biting northern wind, he was shivering uncontrollably. This was not an ideal place for sentimental moments and heartfelt confessions.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze quickly released Chang Le and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Then he shouted loudly, “Right, let’s go up first! Xiao Cong!”

Xiao Cong had already brought two men over. They took off their coats and formed a makeshift rope. Upon hearing the call, they immediately responded, “Boss, come to this spot. There are no thorns here. We’ll pull you up!”

The three of them swam upstream for another twenty to thirty feet and reached a slightly gentler slope without thorns. The men pulled them up onto the bank one by one.

Once they were on the bank, the three men immediately handed their jackets to Yu Qingze and the others to put on.

Da Song waved his hand and said, “My clothes are over there in the bushes. Help me fetch them. Give these clothes to Brother Le; his clothes are all wet.” Saying that, he went to retrieve his hidden clothes.

Yu Qingze’s clothes were also on the shore, and the men had brought them over. He took his own clothes and then told the men, “Turn around, Brother Le needs to change his clothes.”

Once the men turned around, Yu Qingze wrapped his jacket around Chang Le and said, “Wear mine and take off the wet clothes.”

At that moment, Chang Le noticed the four or five scars on Yu Qingze’s left wrist. They were deep and still bleeding profusely. He immediately grabbed Yu Qingze’s hand, examined the wounds, and gestured, asking if it hurt.

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “It’s fine, just minor cuts. They’ll heal in a few days. Hurry up and change your clothes.”

However, Chang Le took Xiao Cong’s jacket and put it on Yu Qingze, gesturing for him to wear it first.

Yu Qingze was still shirtless, so he quickly slipped his hands into the sleeves and said, “Hurry, change your clothes.”

Chang Le took off all his clothes and put on Yu Qingze’s shirt and pants. Then, Yu Qingze managed to put on Xiao Cong’s and another worker’s jackets. As for the pants, there was no other option but to wear the soaked ones for now. Chang Le wrung out the water and helped Yu Qingze put them back on.

Just as they finished changing clothes, Brother Chang and the others arrived, holding the baby.

“Brother Le!” Brother Chang called out.

Chang Le looked up and immediately rushed over to Brother Chang, taking the baby from his arms and pressing the baby tightly against his chest. He held the baby tightly and said, “Baobao…”

At this moment, the baby was still crying, but he had calmed down quite a bit after Brother Chang had comforted him earlier. He was now quietly whimpering. When the baby smelled the familiar scent and felt the gentle rocking from Chang Le, he cried a few more times in a pitiful manner before finally quieting down and falling asleep with a pouting mouth.

Brother Chang, on the other hand, looked at Chang Le in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. He glanced at Xue Baizhu beside him and muttered, “Did you hear that?”

Xue Baizhu was also surprised and nodded, saying, “I heard it.”

At this moment, Yu Qingze approached. He had already been informed by Jiabao about the situation with the baby. Seeing that the baby was safe and sound, he felt relieved. He said to Xue Baizhu, “Thank goodness you arrived in time. Thank you.”

Xue Baizhu shook his head and said, “It’s good that the baby is fine, but after experiencing so many frights today, there’s a possibility of developing a fever tonight. Let’s all stay at your place tonight.”

Upon hearing that the baby might develop a fever, Chang Le became anxious and quickly nodded, using one hand to express his gratitude.

“It’s alright. You all got wet. When we get back, we’ll make some ginger soup to warm up and expel the cold. And that worker too. I’ll bring some medicinal herbs later in preparation. Now, let’s hurry back.”

Chang Le and Yu Qingze nodded in agreement.

With the assurance of the baby’s safety, Chang Le, while soothing the baby, pulled on the sleeve of Xue Baizhu’s robe and also showed Yu Qingze his left wrist.

Xue Baizhu frowned as he looked at the injuries on Yu Qingze’s wrist. He tore a piece of cloth from his inner garment and immediately bandaged it for Yu Qingze. As he did so, he said, “Brother Yu, this wound is quite deep, and it got wet with the river water. Let’s go to the pharmacy later so I can re-treat it.”

“Stop! What are you trying to do?”

At that moment, something seemed to have happened on the side of the culprit, and the county magistrate shouted loudly.

“Don’t come any closer! Stay away! If you come any closer, I’ll kill myself in front of you!”

The group looked over and saw that, for some unknown reason, Shi Sheng had broken free from the grip of two yamen runners and was holding a pair of scissors against his own neck, confronting the county magistrate and the yamen runners.

They walked over and stood about ten feet away, watching the situation.

Translated ho lo lo novels dot com.

After the county magistrate and the yamen runners arrived, the workers handed over the two prisoners to them. Lin Liang had his head down, obediently tied up, but when the yamen runners tried to restrain Shi Sheng, he broke free and quickly picked up the nearby scissors, threatening to take his own life.

“You should just die! Hurry up and die! Achoo!” Da Song cursed angrily. He wrapped himself in his clothes, wearing an additional coat provided by Da Zhi, but he still sneezed.

“That’s right! Hurry up and die! No one is stopping you!”

“Hurry up, Yama, the King of Hell, is waiting for you!”

The workers also joined in the cursing. This scum of society deserved to die!

Upon hearing this, Shi Sheng, in his state of reckless abandon, looked around and saw Chang Le holding the baby. It triggered him once again, and he cursed loudly, “Chang Le! Why aren’t you dead yet! You’ve ruined me like this, and you will face retribution! I curse you! I curse you to be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le didn’t respond, but simply held the baby tightly, giving him a cold look.

Yu Qingze reached out and embraced Chang Le’s shoulder.

Unable to bear it any longer, Brother Chang couldn’t hold back and cursed, “You mad dog! You caused trouble for yourself and harmed others deeply, yet you blame others! When have we ever harmed you? It was you who repeatedly came to harm Brother Le and the others! You deserve it! People like you should die in prison!”

“If it wasn’t for you, how could I have been forced to marry into the Zeng family, and how could I have suffered humiliation and abuse from the Zeng family’s waste! It’s all because of you! You pushed me into the abyss! It’s all your fault!” Shi Sheng shouted in agitation.

“Cut the bullshit!” Brother Chang was infuriated and directly cursed, “Your own family wanted to marry you off, and you blame us! You wanted to break up Brother Le and Boss Yu, and you blame us! You brought this upon yourself with your reckless and narrow-minded behavior, and yet you blame us! Are we your parents or your siblings? Do we have to take responsibility for your foolish actions? I’m telling you, Shi Sheng, your current situation is entirely self-inflicted! Don’t blame anyone else!”

After Brother Chang finished his scolding, he turned to the county magistrate and said, “Sir, this kind of person has shown no remorse. He has repeatedly framed Brother Le’s family in the past. Now, he has just received a pardon from the emperor, but he doesn’t show any gratitude and continues to commit such heinous acts. Quickly arrest him and take him back! This kind of person should not be pardoned; he should be sentenced to death! So he won’t keep harming others!”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“A person with such a malicious heart, not even sparing a newborn baby, is truly devoid of conscience!”

“Execute him!”

“…”

The county magistrate shook his head as he watched the scene and waved to the constables, saying, “Capture him and bring him back, hand him over to the county governor for trial!”

“No, no, I don’t want to go back to prison! I don’t want to experience those dark and hopeless days again!” Shi Sheng saw the constables approaching and shook his head frantically, muttering to himself.

Thinking of his life in prison over the past two years, the dim and cold prison cell, the only view of walls and wooden bars, the agonizing cries of other prisoners being tortured, the endless toil every day, the stale and cold meals, and his own appearance now, dirty and aged…

Whenever Shi Sheng thought about all of that, he felt like going insane! He had only managed to survive until now because of his goal of seeking revenge. But now that his revenge had failed, he knew he had no way out. However, he absolutely refused to return to that hellish place called prison!

“Even if it means death!”

He then screamed madly, “Chang Le, Yu Qingze, you’ve killed me! I curse all your children to die young! May you have a wretched fate!”

With that, he waved his hand and thrust the scissors into his own neck.

Blood gushed out as Shi Sheng collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring fixedly in Chang Le’s direction. His body convulsed, and he intermittently uttered, “Won’t… have… a… good…”

Chang Le was startled, instinctively holding the baby tightly and turning his head away.

Yu Qingze embraced him, gently stroking his back.

Everyone was shocked by this scene and remained silent for a while.

The county magistrate glanced at Xue Baizhu.

Xue Baizhu shook his head and said, “Sir, there’s no saving him. Even if there was a chance, I wouldn’t save him. Though I am a physician, I am also a father. This kind of person doesn’t deserve pity in death.”

After a while, the county magistrate sent a bailiff to examine the situation.

The bailiff checked Shi Sheng’s breath and pulse, then said, “Sir, the prisoner has no breath or pulse. It’s confirmed that he’s dead.”

The county magistrate nodded and said, “The prisoner Shi Sheng committed suicide out of fear. Take the body back! Lin Liang, who is suspected of kidnapping Yu Qingze and Chang Le’s child, will be brought back for interrogation by the county magistrate.”

“Yes!” The bailiffs quickly took action. Four of them approached, grabbing Shi Sheng’s limbs and lifting him up, waiting for the county magistrate’s command to return to the yamen.

The county magistrate turned around and said to Yu Qingze and Chang Le, “Boss Yu, Madam Yu, Lin Liang’s mother and wife have also been taken to the county yamen. When the time comes, please find a moment to attend the interrogation at the county yamen.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Alright, thank you, sir.”

“Let’s go back to the yamen!” The county magistrate waved his hand, and the bailiffs escorted the prisoners while carrying the corpse, following behind the county magistrate as they walked back.

“We should also head back,” Xue Baizhu said.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Let’s go, back to the yamen!”

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