Ch 22: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

NEW NOVEL: The World’s Number One Resort

The Shop on Banqiao Street

As the officers continued their questioning, Qin Xia listened closely and managed to piece together the entire story.

It turned out that Liu San’er, who had harbored a grudge ever since being beaten up after harassing Yu Jiuque, had been repeatedly passing by Liubao Street, growing increasingly envious of the Qin family’s thriving business. His jealousy boiled over, leading him to plot against Qin Xia.

The old man spilled everything, revealing that Liu San’er had hired him to buy a sausage and sprinkle croton seed powder on it before feeding it to the child. He also admitted that Liu San’er had promised him a tael of silver as a reward once the deed was done.

The official’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Do you realize how dangerous croton seeds are? Even an adult could be seriously harmed, let alone a child. How could you be so cruel to a child?”

The old man awkwardly replied, “Sir, this child isn’t actually my grandson. He was a beggar that Liu San’er, I mean, Master Liu, found on the street.”

Hu Lao Si, who was standing close to the child, asked, “Kid, where are you from?”

The beggar boy clutched his stomach and shook his head, leaving the old man to nervously explain, “Sir, this child is mute and cannot speak.”

“You really are doing heartless things!”

Had it not been for the presence of the higher official, Hu Lao Si might have kicked the old scoundrel right then and there.

The official in charge, equally enraged, slammed his hand down on the table and immediately ordered Hu Lao Si and the others to go arrest Liu San’er.

Liu San’er was already a frequent guest of the Street Patrol Office, having been involved in numerous street brawls, so no one could even keep track of how many times he had been brought in.

Ordinarily, a common street thug like Liu San’er wouldn’t even need to be brought before the county court; the Street Patrol Office had the authority to deal with him. However, this time, his crimes were more severe—framing the Qin family for selling unclean food, forcing a mute beggar to consume croton seeds, and bribing a physician to falsify testimony and deceive the authorities.

With multiple charges against him, Liu San’er was immediately sent to the county court for trial.

According to the laws of the Dayong Dynasty, Liu San’er, being the main culprit, was sentenced to thirty lashes in court and six months in prison. The two accomplices couldn’t escape punishment either, each receiving twenty solid strokes, which would likely leave them bedridden for at least a month. The physician, Sun Lin, who was originally a resident doctor at the Changji Clinic in the city, was also expelled from the clinic following this incident.

As for the confiscated tools from the food stall, they were all returned to Qin Xia. To retrieve them, however, he first had to sign some documents.

While waiting at the Street Patrol Office, Qin Xia asked a familiar officer, Hu Lao Si, about the fate of the young beggar. Both he and Yu Jiuque had felt a deep sense of compassion for the child, who was so small and unable to express his suffering.

Hu Lao Si replied without hesitation, “You don’t need to worry about that. Old Doctor Xu from Chengyi Hall has decided to take the beggar back to the hall for treatment. Once he recovers, he will be sent to the Ciji Orphanage.”

The Ciji Orphanage, run by the Dayong government, was specifically established to care for homeless infants and young children.

Relieved by this outcome, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque pushed their cart and left after a short while.

…

The next day, the familiar food stall reappeared in its usual spot after a half-day absence.

Xing Yiming arrived early that day and ordered one of everything. “I came looking for you yesterday to discuss something, but then I heard you’d been taken to the Street Patrol Office. It gave me quite a scare! I wondered who could have been so blind, and it turned out to be that rascal from last time!”

When Xing Yiming learned of the incident, he immediately contacted someone he knew at the yamen to gather information. He intended to help out if anyone tried to harm Qin Xia. However, once he heard that the yamen had already uncovered the truth and cleared the Qin family’s name, he decided there was no need for further action.

As Qin Xia flipped the grilled noodles on the iron plate, he said, “Such a petty person is naturally vindictive. It’s partly our fault for not being cautious enough and falling into his trap.”

Xing Yiming, holding a steaming sausage, took a bite and swallowed it before saying, “That’s not quite right. You can’t always guard against thieves. Besides, when you sell food, you’re bound to run into people with ill intentions. When I was a child, someone once bought pastries from our shop, put rat droppings in them, and then tried to extort money by claiming the food was unclean.”

After finishing the sausage, Xing Yiming tossed the bamboo skewer into the holder on the stall and glanced at the empty space next to them. “Strange, it’s already this late, and the pickle seller next to you still hasn’t set up his stall?”

Qin Xia smiled but didn’t speak, so Yu Jiuque explained, “That man’s pickles grew moldy, and the Street Patrol Office took him away. We’re not sure what happened afterward, but he probably had his license revoked and was fined.”

Xing Yiming smirked and shook his head, saying, “No wonder. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some connection with that rascal Liu San’er. He got what he deserved.”

Qin Xia had similar thoughts. However, there was no need to delve further into the matter. It was just a minor character, and they might not even recognize him if they saw him again on the street.

After finishing the last grilled noodles, along with the jianbing guozi and a pot of burgers, Qin Xia asked Xing Yiming, “You mentioned you wanted to discuss something yesterday. What was it?”

Xing Yiming slapped his forehead. “Look at me, I almost forgot.”

He took the heavy oil-paper boxes and packages and said, “Didn’t you mention before that you wanted to rent a shop to open a restaurant? Well, I have a brother who owns a few shops in the city, and one of them has just become available. The rent is ten taels a month, and it’s on Banqiao Street. If you’re interested, you can go take a look anytime.”

Qin Xia was surprised, not expecting Xing Yiming to take his casual remark seriously. “Ten taels a month on Banqiao Street—that’s not expensive.”

Because he was interested in renting a shop, Qin Xia had already inquired about the prices of street-facing shops in Qinan County. Banqiao Street was the county’s top “commercial street.” The shops there that could house restaurants generally rented for at least 500 taels, with the highest going up to 800 taels.

For an ordinary family, that was an astronomical figure.

The monthly rent was similarly not cheap. Generally, it cost at least a dozen taels of silver per month. Renting for a few years would almost be enough to buy the property outright. However, even though everyone knew that “buying is better than renting,” those who couldn’t afford to buy still couldn’t manage it. The only ones truly happy were those landlords who had the foresight to buy property early on and now rented it out, making money effortlessly.

Xing Yiming laughed and said, “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have bothered bringing it up with you. The shop is currently a tea house, but they’ll be moving out by the end of the month. There are a few tables and chairs inside, though they’re a bit small—I’m not sure if they’ll be sufficient.”

Knowing that anything Xing Yiming recommended would be of decent quality, Qin Xia said, “Thank you, Shopkeeper Xing, but I don’t have enough money right now.”

Xing Yiming waved his empty hand dismissively. “No worries. The current tenants won’t leave until a month from now, and even after they do, it’s not like the shop will be rented out immediately. If necessary, you can pay part of the rent upfront, and I can help you negotiate the rest.”

Xing Yiming was genuinely eager for Qin Xia to open a restaurant soon. Although he could still enjoy the food now, the stall’s limited offerings and occasional absences due to various reasons frustrated him. He felt like a donkey going in circles at home, eagerly waiting.

After a quick calculation, Qin Xia was somewhat tempted. He quickly agreed with Xing Yiming that after closing the stall today and returning the equipment home, he and Yu Jiuque would visit the shop.

As they watched Xing Yiming leave, Qin Xia felt invigorated. He casually scraped the leftover crumbs off the iron plate and said to Yu Jiuque, “Let’s close the stall early today. Banqiao Street is lively, and there’s a night market after dark. We’ll have dinner outside and then take a stroll.”

They had never experienced something like this before, so Yu Jiuque was delighted and smiled as he nodded.

Around the time of You (late afternoon to early evening), Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were led by Xing Yiming to Banqiao Street, where they met the shop’s owner, Master Zhao.

The tea house primarily did business during the day, so it was quiet around dinnertime, making it the perfect time for a viewing. The shop had a front room and a backyard setup. The front room wasn’t large, with just enough space to fit two eight-immortal tables on each side, accommodating about twenty people if they squeezed in. With the counter included, there wasn’t much space left.

The second floor was even smaller, with just two rooms, though they were tastefully decorated. The backyard had a kitchen, a woodshed, and three back rooms. The kitchen had two stoves, and the back rooms were currently occupied by the shop’s staff—two people, each with their own room, and one room was empty. When Qin Xia opened the door to the empty room, he found it filled with tea leaves and other goods, used as a storage space.

Though the overall size wasn’t impressive, it was more than adequate for a “small but beautiful” restaurant.

Since the tea house hadn’t officially closed for the night, they didn’t stay long. After leaving, they stood in a nearby alley for a moment.

The first inspection didn’t lead to any decisions; both sides remained noncommittal. After parting ways with Master Zhao, Xing Yiming asked for Qin Xia’s thoughts.

Qin Xia pondered for a moment and said, “The shop is small, but it’s sufficient, and it’s in a prime location on Banqiao Street—there’s really nothing to criticize. If it weren’t for my limited funds and shallow pockets, I’d sign the lease right now.”

Xing Yiming laughed, “Don’t worry about the money. Old Zhao and I have been friends for years. He’ll definitely give you some leeway on my account.”

Qin Xia felt a bit embarrassed. “I can’t just keep troubling you, Shopkeeper Xing.”

Xing Yiming didn’t mind and waved it off, saying, “These are just minor details, nothing to worry about. Like I said, once things are settled, if you want to thank me, just make me some new and interesting dishes!”

Xing Yiming wasn’t the type to exchange too many pleasantries, so after a few casual remarks, he left, still hurrying home for dinner.

This left Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque standing there. Noticing that Qin Xia’s collar was a bit askew, Yu Jiuque reached out to straighten it for him.

A smile briefly flickered on Qin Xia’s lips, then quickly faded, becoming subtle and almost imperceptible.

Yu Jiuque tucked his hands back into his sleeves and glanced at the high-hanging banner of the tea house. The thought that they might one day have the chance to open their own food shop here, with “Qin’s Eatery” written on the banner, made him feel that all the hard work would be worthwhile. However, he also expressed his concerns.

“The rent for this shop is ten taels, and the renovations will easily cost another dozen or so. We only have four or five taels right now, and we still need to set aside money for buying ingredients and daily expenses.”

Looking ahead to the next month, it wouldn’t be difficult to earn ten taels from the stall if all went well, but aiming for over twenty taels seemed a bit ambitious.

Qin Xia didn’t respond immediately but instead looked at Banqiao Street, now illuminated by evening lights. Even the winter chill couldn’t dampen the excitement of the city’s residents, eager to go out and enjoy the festivities as the New Year approached.

He exhaled a breath of white mist, turned to Yu Jiuque, and said, his expression relaxed, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s not worry about those troublesome matters for now. Come on, tonight, let’s take a break and enjoy ourselves.”