As a woman, Wu Caiwei not only looked at a corpse without any ripple but also calmly observed the distressed family members, making them feel she was too cold and devoid of empathy.
The middle-aged woman was startled. The young lady opposite her had eyes that were too sharp, as if she could see through people's hearts, which made her heart leap. Then she dismissed it as her own delusion. Now that she was in the right, and the deceased was her husband, why should she be afraid of her?
So, she mustered her courage and said loudly, "What are you looking at? My husband was killed by your wine. Just now, your people pushed me. Is there no law in this world? I'm going to report it to the authorities."
Wu Caiwei was not affected by her at all. She looked at her with a playful gaze, "Madam, you are mistaken. You brought your husband here, which essentially disturbed his peaceful rest. I believe my wine is fine. I mainly wanted to see the deceased. Madam, you ran over here in a frenzy, your speed was astonishing, and you claimed my wine killed your husband. But I haven't even met him, how would I know if he bought wine?"
"What? You killed someone and won't admit it? You want to push the blame onto us? I am truly unfortunate. My husband was my pillar of support. How will we live after he's gone? Why don't our whole family die in front of your shop?" Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman immediately sat on the ground, beating it while crying hysterically. The onlookers were filled with sympathy.
Just then, the yamen runners arrived. They thought this family had reported the matter. After all, their family member had died, and it seemed difficult to deal with the shop owner Li. It would be more reliable to let the county magistrate resolve it. The county magistrate was known for his fairness and justice, and people trusted him.
The despairing middle-aged woman didn't notice this situation at all. It was the man standing behind her who stiffened all over, then nervously tugged at her clothes. The middle-aged woman impatiently slapped his hand away. The panic in the man's eyes flashed, and he continued to tug at her clothes. Only then did the middle-aged woman realize something was wrong.
She quickly turned her head. The man gestured with his mouth. The middle-aged woman followed his direction and saw the officials. Her heart panicked, and she almost fell to the ground. If it weren't for the people behind her supporting her, she would have made a fool of herself in front of everyone. Her crying paused for a moment, then intensified.
Although their movements were very small, they were still noticed by Wu Caiwei, who had been paying close attention to them. Her heart settled immediately. There must be a hidden story behind the man's death.
The onlookers involuntarily stepped back a few feet, thinking that shop owner Li was finished this time. They were quite regretful that they wouldn't be able to drink her wine in the future. The next moment, the yamen runners stepped forward, politely greeted her, and asked about the situation. At this point, everyone realized that shop owner Li had ordered someone to report the matter to the authorities. They couldn't help but look up in surprise. This meant shop owner Li was innocent. Daring to report it to the authorities showed she had a clear conscience. But this family crying so sadly didn't seem like they were lying. What was going on? They wanted to follow the county yamen's people to see the subsequent developments.
"Elders, where are you taking my husband?" the middle-aged woman asked the yamen runners with some surprise. Seeing them carry her husband away, she quickly went to the constable, flustered.
"Oh, this is the normal procedure of our county yamen. If someone reports a case, the body must be brought to the yamen for an autopsy. And all of you must also come with us. Don't worry, our magistrate is extremely fair. He will definitely find the murderer for you and give you justice." Most common people had no dealings with the county yamen, so the constable patiently explained to her.
The middle-aged woman's expression immediately became flustered. She tried her best to act indifferent and looked back at the people behind her. They all frowned, clearly surprised by the turn of events.
Unknowingly, they had fallen behind. Unfortunately, at this moment, they couldn't leave just because they wanted to. The constable looked back at them and urged, "Hurry up. The county magistrate is waiting."
"Oh... oh..." The few people who dawdled sped up with forced courage.
Upon arriving at the county yamen, they immediately knelt down, heads bowed, not daring to look at the county magistrate. In their minds, the county magistrate was akin to heaven, holding their life and death in his hands. They even regretted causing trouble at Li Shiqin's shop and getting involved with the authorities.
The county magistrate raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was the first time he had seen someone kneel before him so calmly, as if the case had nothing to do with her, and she was merely a passerby. He believed he had a good eye for people, and this woman might truly not be the murderer. So, who was it? Further investigation was needed.
After he clarified the whole story, he immediately ordered the coroner to lift the cloth covering the man and examine the body. The middle-aged woman instinctively reached out, wanting to stop him, but her mouth opened for a long time, and she couldn't utter a word. She understood that the county magistrate was someone she couldn't afford to offend. The crowd showed no surprise, knowing this was a necessary procedure for an investigation. She could only weakly lower her hand, looking at Wu Caiwei with hateful eyes.
Wu Caiwei could feel the other party's hatred, but all her attention was focused on the corpse. She saw the symptoms of the deceased. Judging from his appearance, he had died very peacefully. The coroner's technique was also professional. Starting the examination from the deceased's head, without missing a single detail, Wu Caiwei watched intently, and unknowingly approached the coroner.
Soon, the coroner finished his examination and reported to the magistrate, "Reporting to Your Honor, the deceased was full of the smell of alcohol. He likely drank too much. There are no external injuries on his body. Homicide can basically be ruled out."
As soon as the coroner finished speaking, the middle-aged woman immediately looked at Wu Caiwei triumphantly. The county magistrate saw the situation clearly and slowly nodded.
"Shop owner Li, do you have anything to say in your defense?" The county magistrate looked at her thoughtfully. Her action of going to the coroner and staring intently at the corpse had greatly surprised him. If he were to say she knew nothing about it, the county magistrate would never believe it. After all, a young woman, looking at a corpse of someone who died unexpectedly, not only felt no fear but was interested in examining it. This in itself was unusual.
"Reporting to Your Honor, I do have some discoveries. I need to invite a physician here." Wu Caiwei knew this was a crucial moment and could no longer hide things. She immediately stated her request.