Tao Su grasped the chicken wing and brought the chicken back. Qi Huan asked her to place it by the water basin.
The chicken wouldn't obey and tried to run away, but Tao Su firmly held it down. She forcefully pushed the chicken's head down, making it drink water.
After a long standoff between the two, the chicken finally took a few pecks of water.
Two quarters of an hour later, the chicken was still lively and kicking, occasionally trying to peck at Tao Su. However, it failed and instead got its wing caught and was given a good beating.
Constable Yan observed the feather-covered Tao Su with a complex gaze and walked over, asking her a few detailed questions.
He finally concluded, "The culprit was about five feet tall, carried a dagger, had an indistinct face, could pick locks, and had poison. The target was clear—either bearing a grudge against Miss Qi or a rival of the restaurant. Zhang Shan and Li Si, you two investigate that angle."
"Additionally, Wang Er, look into whether there are any black medicine peddlers lurking in the city, what drugs they've sold, and to whom."
Just as Constable Yan finished speaking, a waiter from the restaurant came to report, "Miss Qi, word has spread that our restaurant's water is poisoned. Anyone who eats or drinks here will die. Quite a few people are gathered outside discussing it."
Qi Huan frowned deeply. Someone was trying to ruin the restaurant's reputation.
After a moment of thought, she strode through the front hall to the outside. "Please, everyone, be assured that Qi's Restaurant would never serve any contaminated food. Since our opening, we've never had a single food safety issue, and we never will."
"That's right! I believe in Qi's Restaurant. I've eaten here for so long without any problems!" Da Hu spoke up in support.
Others soon chimed in, "Of course Miss Qi isn't foolish. She's running a business. Why would she use poisoned water to cook? If we got sick, how could she escape the consequences?"
"We all know Miss Qi's character. She's always doing good deeds, making donations at the start of each month and donating silver to build schools. I believe in her and in Qi's Restaurant!"
As they calmed down and thought rationally, the rumor dissipated on its own.
Seeing this, an old beggar with graying hair gnashed his teeth in anger. He had originally planned to ruin Qi's Restaurant first, then kill Qi Huan for revenge. He never expected his poisoning attempt to be discovered and for Qi Huan to call in officials to investigate.
In a panic, he could only hastily spread the rumor that Qi's Restaurant's water was poisoned to defame its reputation. But just as the rumor started to spread, it was quickly quelled. How infuriating!
He hadn't yet planned his next move, but he couldn't wait any longer. If Constable Yan traced it back to him, he'd lose his chance...
While Qi Huan was speaking with others, the old beggar hunched over with a chipped clay bowl, slowly approached her from the left side, inching closer step by step.
Qi Huan noticed him and turned to face him. "Old sir, our restaurant is closed for the day and has no hot dishes. Perhaps you could go to the Qi's Noodle Shop across the street and wait a bit. The noodle shop gives out a free coupon for every thirty bowls sold. If you need it, you can get one and redeem it for a bowl of noodles."
The old beggar quickly lowered his head, using his unkempt hair to partially cover his face. He clenched his fist, covering his mouth as coughs kept escaping.
Seeing his pitiful state, the lingering crowd also chimed in, "Miss Qi is right. The noodle shop has free coupons. Go get one."
"Ah, this poor old man looks so pitiful. Come on, let's go to Qi's Noodle Shop and eat. The sooner we get to thirty bowls, the sooner he can redeem a coupon."
"I'll go too!"
The crowd began streaming toward the noodle shop once more. Qi Huan smiled wryly, glancing at the still-coughing old beggar with concern. "You should head to the noodle shop entrance and wait. Have a sip of the noodle broth to soothe your throat later."
Seeing no chance to get any closer, the old beggar eventually gritted his teeth and nodded slowly.
After that, Qi Huan said no more and turned to head back to the courtyard, with Yan Qing bouncing along in the lead and Tao Su trailing a step or two behind.
Suddenly, rapid footsteps sounded from behind. Qi Huan instinctively turned, and Tao Su turned as well, only to see the previously hunched and coughing old beggar now standing upright, dagger drawn from his sleeve as he charged toward them.
In the critical moment, Tao Su shouted, "Miss Qi, run!" She grabbed a long bench and swung it at the old beggar.
The old beggar couldn't avoid it in time and let out a grunt after taking the bench blow, but he remained determined and pressed forward.
Not wanting to reveal her hidden weapons in public, Qi Huan shouted, "Yan Qing!"
Yan Qing kicked the dagger out of the old beggar's hand and knocked him to the ground, pinning him down with a foot on his chest.
Qi Huan approached and realized this was an old acquaintance upon closer inspection.
No wonder he kept his head lowered—he was afraid she would recognize him. But he worried for nothing; his current haggard appearance made him seem much older than his actual middle age. Qi Huan wouldn't have recognized him without a close look.
"Shopkeeper Chen, long time no see. You've been released from prison?"
Just last year, she had put Shopkeeper Chen behind bars for a year. But as soon as his sentence was up, he was stirring up trouble for her again.
Truly incorrigible.
She gazed at Shopkeeper Chen with a wry smile and asked Tao Su to summon Constable Yan.
After learning what had transpired, Constable Yan immediately identified Shopkeeper Chen as the prime suspect in the poisoning case and demanded forcefully, "Was it you who poisoned the restaurant last night?"
Shopkeeper Chen lay disheveled on the ground, glaring resentfully at Qi Huan.
"So what if it was me? She deserves to die! She was the one who put me in prison for a year. In that year, my son Shu ruined the Ruyi Restaurant and then mysteriously died. My wife cried until she went blind and passed away from grief. I lost all my assets, my son, my wife, my home—I became a wretched beggar. All of this was because of that vile woman! I want her to lose everything—her reputation, her life! I want her dead!"
He grew more and more agitated as he spoke, his eyes burning with hatred.
Qi Huan wasn't intimidated and stared back at him calmly. "Although your plight sounds pitiful, everything that happened was your own fault. How can you blame me?"
"Let me remind you. You went to prison because you tried to burn down my noodle shop and harm my staff. The Ruyi Restaurant's downfall was because your son Chen Shu wasted money gambling and used spoiled ingredients to cut corners, making people sick, so the restaurant had to be sold off."
As for Chen Shu's death, that was because he tried to defile Qi Huan and was killed in retaliation by Li Shuchen. Chen Shu's death was justified, but of course Qi Huan could only think these words to herself.
At last she sighed, "The only innocent one was you, Madam. But ultimately, she died because of you and Chen Shu."
"You're talking nonsense!" Shopkeeper Chen struggled and protested, "I did nothing wrong, how could I be wrong? You're the one who's wrong, you bitch!"
Upon hearing him insult Qi Huan, Yan Qing got angry and slapped him, knocking out two of his front teeth.
"I won't allow you to insult Sister Qi!" she said.
"Bitch!" Shopkeeper Chen continued to curse, his speech slightly garbled.
Yan Qing raised her hand again, but Constable Yan grabbed her wrist.
"Leave him some breath, I still need to question him," he said, fixing his piercing gaze on Shopkeeper Chen. "Confess how you committed the crime."
"Unless you kill this bitch for me, I won't say a word even if I die," Shopkeeper Chen spat.
Constable Yan laughed bitterly. Now he finally understood why Chen the county magistrate was so fond of beating people with wooden boards. Some people won't shed a tear until they see the coffin.
He released Yan Qing's hand. "Beat him!"
Yan Qing clenched her fist and struck Shopkeeper Chen in the chest. "You had the guts to stab someone with a knife, but no guts to admit what you did. I look down on you!"
Shopkeeper Chen writhed in pain but still refused to confess.
Having witnessed Yan Qing's innate prowess, Constable Yan dared not let her continue disciplining Shopkeeper Chen. He could only order his men to take Shopkeeper Chen back to the County Office for now.
Just as they were about to leave, Li Shuchen arrived.
