Qi Zhenzhen leaned against the counter, leisurely watching Wen Cen interrogate people. She inwardly scoffed at how little 福满楼 (Fu Man Lou) seemed to take them seriously. If they truly wanted their noodle recipe, they should at least be more diligent. They should have bribed the right people, used the "bitter flesh" ploy more convincingly, and at the very least, found some individuals with tougher resolve who could hold out longer.
"This 'commoner,' do you have anything else to say?" Wen Cen deliberately emphasized the words 'commoner.' "Didn't you say this matter had nothing to do with you? Then why did all five of them claim you instigated it? Could it be they're framing you? Do you have a grudge against them? It's quite strange, isn't it, that five people would simultaneously hold a grudge against you?"
The man being held by the yamen runners had a livid face, but his lips were sealed shut, refusing to utter a word.
"Not speaking, are we? I hope your mouth stays just as tight once you're in the prison. Take all these people away," Wen Cen instructed the four yamen runners. "Also, send someone to find the two people who initially reported the noodle shop for poisoning. Bring them to the yamen. I suspect they're in league with each other."
"Yes, sir." The four yamen runners led away six people.
"Constable Wen, this woman is the mother of one of the four men just now. What do you think?" Qi Zhenzhen pointed to the still dazed woman.
The woman quickly waved her hands. "No, I don't know them. Just now, the official officer who took them away asked me to come over and cry for a bit, saying he'd give me twenty copper coins if I cried a few times. Who am I supposed to ask for the money?"
"You still want money?" Wen Cen's face was stern. "These people were colluding to extort someone. Are you perhaps their accomplice?"
The woman's face turned pale, her lips trembling. "Officer, please see clearly. I don't know anything. Please don't arrest me. If my husband finds out I've been arrested by the yamen, he'll definitely divorce me. I'm this old; if I'm divorced, it's a dead end. The money, I don't want the money anymore!"
With that, she turned and ran towards the exit, afraid of being apprehended and taken to the yamen.
"Everyone, do you see clearly now? This was a premeditated attack! When the shopkeeper was making the noodles earlier, I was in the kitchen and watched the entire process. I even asked the shopkeeper to make an extra bowl, which I've already eaten. Look, do I have any problems now?" Wen Cen said loudly. "As for the purpose of those individuals, the yamen will provide everyone with an explanation."
"Officer, what about that young woman from before? Was she part of it too?" someone asked, mustering up courage. "Does the officer mean that there's no problem with the noodle shop?"
Qi Zhenzhen stepped forward. "I believe many of you present have eaten our noodles before. You should all know in your hearts whether there's a problem or not. Constable Wen also ate our noodles just now and inspected our kitchen. If there were a problem, would Constable Wen shield us? How about this: all the noodles at our noodle shop this noon will be free of charge! Everyone can verify for themselves whether our noodles have any issues."
Indeed, many of the people present had eaten noodles at 面对面 (Mian Dui Mian). The noodles were delicious, the portions generous, and the prices fair, and they had never experienced any discomfort after eating them. Witnessing the yamen arresting people earlier, and with the county yamen's constable confirming that the noodles he ate were fine, they were already convinced that the noodle shop had no issues. Now, with the opportunity to eat for free, they naturally wouldn't miss it.
People began entering the noodle shop one after another. Qi Zhenzhen asked Yingzi to watch the counter and went into the kitchen herself. With so many people, Lin Ruixue alone couldn't handle it.
The two of them rolled and cut the noodles. Aunt Lu watched the fire under the stove as the noodles boiled. After they were cooked, Qi Zhenzhen served the noodles with broth and placed slices of braised meat on top.
These bowls of braised meat noodles were placed before everyone.
Wen Cen found an empty seat and sat down. "Give me a bowl too. I'll eat with everyone. Let's witness together whether there's any problem."
After saying that, he picked up a large mouthful of noodles and put them into his mouth.
With Wen Cen leading the way, what were these people afraid of?
The noodles were firm and smooth, the broth was flavorful, and the braised meat was rich. Everyone ate with gusto. Especially those eating for the first time, they all wondered how noodles could be so delicious.
A bowl of noodles wasn't much, and soon, the noodle bowls in front of everyone were empty.
"Everyone, don't rush to leave. I'll serve you tea, and we can chat?" Qi Zhenzhen asked with a smile.
The crowd exchanged glances. Having just eaten the noodles, it wasn't appropriate to leave immediately. Moreover, they could understand that the shopkeeper was scared. If they stayed for a while and there were no problems, then if anything happened after leaving the noodle shop, it would have nothing to do with the noodle shop.
Furthermore, with Wen Cen present, even if some were unwilling, they would obediently stay.
After exactly half an hour, not a single person showed any discomfort. Qi Zhenzhen smiled and saw everyone out. For those with children, she even gave them cloth rabbit dolls, which delighted the children.
Once everyone had left, Qi Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully thanked Wen Cen. "Constable Wen, it's all thanks to you coming over today. Otherwise..."
Wen Cen waved his hand, a friendly smile on his face. "Don't be so formal. I've already stayed here for quite some time. I'll be going now. I still need to interrogate the six people we took back."
After saying that, he hurried away.
Tang Duo stared at Qi Zhenzhen with a half-smile. "You anticipated this, so you asked someone to invite Wen Cen? When those people were causing trouble, you deliberately acted scared?"
Qi Zhenzhen crossed her arms, neither admitting nor denying. "Does anyone know better than you, Uncle, whether our noodles are good or not?"
Tang Duo laughed. "Little girl, I really couldn't tell! You have methods and brains!"
If the noodles weren't good, Tang Duo wouldn't come every day. If the noodles were good, naturally, there wouldn't be any problems.
"Uncle, thank you for speaking up for us just now," Qi Zhenzhen said sincerely.
"Just because the noodles are good," Tang Duo said, leaving this sentence behind, and strolled out of the noodle shop.
Qi Zhenzhen began to collect the noodle bowls. Many people had eaten noodles just now, so there were many bowls to collect.
"Is that it? What about my second brother?" Zhang Xiaoniu asked, following behind Qi Zhenzhen.
"At least the slander from those people this noon didn't succeed. As for your second brother, didn't Constable Wen just say that he would have the Li Shan couple brought to the yamen? We'll likely be summoned shortly," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Work faster. Let's finish tidying all this up before they arrive."
Zhang Xiaoniu cleared the bowls, and Qi Zhenzhen wiped the tables. Just as they finished, as Qi Zhenzhen had predicted, someone came to summon them. The person who came was an acquaintance, yamen runner Li Jiang.
"Miss Qi, the boss asked me to deliver a message, asking you to go over. The couple has already arrived at the yamen, and our county magistrate has already convened court," Li Jiang said respectfully.