"Shopkeeper Wu wouldn't think I'm just an ordinary merchant, would he? Although I'm not omnipotent in the prefecture, I do know a few people. Believe it or not, without me, your business won't be able to continue," Shopkeeper Sun said meaningfully, looking at her.
"I know. That's why I chose to cooperate with Shopkeeper Zhou. Do you think I'd team up with just anyone? As far as I know, although Shopkeeper Zhou keeps a low profile in the prefecture, he has relatives in the capital who are officials. That's why you usually avoid him." If she were truly a simple woman from the countryside, she might have been intimidated by Shopkeeper Sun. But who was Wu Caiwei? Having been in business for so many years, she understood the ways of commerce. She had investigated potential partners in advance before choosing them.
"Well, so you had this in mind all along. To think I believed you were loyal to me. Fine, we'll see who comes out on top," Shopkeeper Sun said, glaring at her with malicious eyes. Daring to oppose him, he would not forget this grudge.
Having transmigrated through various worlds for so many years, Wu Caiwei was no stranger to such glares. She knew she would definitely clash with him in the prefecture from now on. Wu Caiwei was not afraid. Those who had constantly tried to trip her up in the past had all met grim fates, and she believed he would be no different.
Since they had already fallen out, Wu Caiwei quickly packed her things and left. She rented a small courtyard in the prefecture and settled down, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to her business.
Shopkeeper Zhou trusted her implicitly. Although they met each time, their discussions revolved around other businesses. The entire shop was entrusted to her management.
One day, as Wu Caiwei left the shop and entered her courtyard, she sensed something was amiss. She thoroughly searched the courtyard but found nothing. As she approached the bedroom door, she paused for a moment, then entered as if nothing was wrong.
Closing the door, she quickly searched the room. After a long while, she found nothing missing or added. Accidentally looking up, she noticed a sliver of black fabric peeking out from the ceiling beam.
With a swift leap, she retrieved the box and found a jade pendant lying inside. After a moment of thought, she quietly climbed over the back wall of the courtyard. When she returned, she heard urgent knocking at the door. She quickly changed her shoes and soaked them in water.
"Coming, coming, stop knocking! If you keep knocking, the door will fall down," Wu Caiwei shouted loudly as she hurried forward.
The moment the door opened, the person on the other side roughly pushed her aside. If Wu Caiwei hadn't had a stable stance, she would have been knocked to the ground.
Seeing them head straight for her bedroom, she understood. Someone was clearly out to get her, and she didn't need to think twice to know it was Shopkeeper Sun. She had felt a little guilty about leaving him, but now she realized he was no good either. He had merely helped her at a coincidental moment.
"Officers, you've barged into my house and ignored me. You haven't even told me what this is all about," Wu Caiwei quickly walked up to the head constable, asking indignantly.
"We are acting under orders. What? Do you have a problem? Many people saw the thief run into your house just now, so we came to search. You're being evasive, do you know something?" the officer looked at her with ill intent. This brat, thinking too highly of herself, dared to oppose Shopkeeper Sun at such a young age. Soon, she'd be crying and begging him on her knees.
"But I just got home, and I didn't see any thief. Besides, what kind of thief would appear in broad daylight? Shouldn't stealing happen in the dead of night?" Wu Caiwei completely disregarded his threat and asked with a look of confusion.
"Perhaps they decided to do the opposite. In any case, someone saw him enter your house, so there's no harm in us searching," the leader didn't want to talk to her anymore, his tone impatient. If he hadn't been worried about what others might think, he wouldn't have needed to explain so much to her.
To his surprise, his subordinates soon stood before him, looking disheveled and dejected. His heart sank. This shouldn't be happening. He thought for a moment and then ordered, "Search every inch of the yard, inside and out. Dig three feet deep if you have to, but find the item." Su Dan Novel Network.
"Yes," the constables immediately sprang into action. This time, their search was much more thorough, not even sparing her clothing.
"Brother constable, why are you so sure that person was in my house? Perhaps they just jumped into my yard, saw that I was too poor and had nothing, and then left. Wouldn't you all be working in vain?"
"What do you mean by that? Are you implying we're targeting you? Do we need your permission to investigate a case?"
Unfortunately, reality differed from her expectations. She was fanning the flames, and with a whoosh, she ignited the anger in the constables' hearts.
"I'm just a bit curious. The county magistrate is the people's official, working for the public. I merely raised a question, and you're saying all this. Do you have something to hide?" Wu Caiwei simply couldn't stand them, thinking they were bullies who acted with impunity, relying on their status as public officials.
"How dare you question us?" the man in charge immediately drew his saber, trying to intimidate her.
"Oh no, the constables are going to kill me! The constables are going to kill me…" Wu Caiwei shouted while running away. The man in charge quickly rushed to pursue her, afraid that if she ran out, it would damage his reputation.
But as they rushed out of the courtyard, the gathering crowd of onlookers saw a constable wielding a large saber, chasing after a man. Everyone who saw this kept their distance, fearing that the sharp weapon might injure them.
As she ran, Wu Caiwei suddenly spotted a sedan chair. Recalling recent rumors, her eyes lit up. She quickly led the pursuing tail, intentionally and unintentionally circling the sedan chair.
The head constable had heard the surrounding murmurs and was almost driven to the brink of madness by this person. He wanted to catch her quickly and explain in public to clear his name. Otherwise, people would accuse him of assault in the street.
As for when the sedan chair stopped and when someone emerged, he truly didn't notice. His mind was solely focused on the excitement of being so close to Wu Caiwei and about to catch her.
When he was apprehended, he was still cursing, "Who is touching this young master? Don't you see I'm conducting an official investigation? Be careful, I'll report you to the magistrate later."
Wu Caiwei quickly knelt and said breathlessly, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."
The middle-aged man carefully observed both of them. Wu Caiwei had a peaceful countenance and did not seem like a wicked person. Instead, the constable chasing her, with his flustered expression, made one frown involuntarily. "What is going on?"
Wu Caiwei quickly stepped forward and recounted what had happened in her courtyard. The constable, who had recovered from his shock, forced down his panic and stepped forward to defend himself, "We were just trying to search thoroughly, for fear of letting the thief escape."