"Stop!"
Chen the county magistrate waved his hand, signaling the constables to retreat.
After a cold laugh, he questioned Liu the buddy again, "Are you still claiming you were sleepwalking? Why don't you confess the truth!"
"I am, I'm telling everything."
After his mental defenses collapsed, Liu the buddy spilled the details like a stream of beans.
"Last night, I took advantage of the darkness and climbed over the wall into the backyard of Qi's Noodle Shop. First, I went to the west wing and blew some smoke bombs, then circled back to the east kitchen, planning to start a fire with the kindling there to make it look like an accident."
"Who would have thought there were people living in their kitchen? Ten of them!"
"One of the kids shouted, and the whole group pounced on me—some throwing punches, others biting with their mouths. In the end, when I tried to run, they tripped me."
"After I fell, they sat on me, pulling my hair and bending my fingers back with all sorts of moves. I was too busy screaming in pain to react before they had me tied up..."
After adding a few more pitiful pleas, Liu the buddy scrunched up his sour-pickle face and looked miserably at Qi Huan.
He begged, "Miss Qi, you see, I was punished for my actions last night, and you didn't suffer any losses. Please have mercy and let this go?"
"Dream on," Qi Huan flatly rejected him without a thought.
If it weren't for Little Stone and the others, her kitchen could have been reduced to rubble, and Peach Pastry and Warm Winter might have lost their lives. So this time, she absolutely would not let him off easy.
Seeing Liu the buddy trying to downplay the situation, she immediately pointed out the core issue.
"You gave a clear account of what happened, but did you forget to explain why you did it?"
Liu the buddy's pupils suddenly constricted—why bring up that deadly question again? He fell silent.
"If you won't say, let me tell you. Was it Shopkeeper Chen who instigated you?"
Qi Huan had guessed this answer long ago. But she wanted to force Liu the buddy to name Chen himself so that Chen would face the consequences.
Seeing Liu the buddy remain tight-lipped, she threatened, "Don't try to play dumb. The county magistrate's caning bench is right there waiting!"
"But you better think carefully before answering. If this was solely your idea, then you'll bear the full punishment alone."
"If there was a mastermind, then you're just a small fry, and your sentence will be much lighter. So, your only way out is to confess everything!"
Intimidated like this, Liu the buddy immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
He had already endured so many canings that his injuries were quite severe. If he was judged the mastermind, he would likely suffer even more, possibly to the point of losing his life.
So he quickly made his choice.
"Miss Qi, you're right, I'll confess!"
"This was all instigated by Shopkeeper Chen. He resented you for exposing Mr. Qin's lie, which caused him to lose face and pay compensation. He was also envious of your booming business. With old and new grudges, he ordered me to burn down Qi's Noodle Shop kitchen and make it look like an accidental fire..."
As soon as he finished, drama queen Qi Huan immediately feigned heartbreak:
"I can't believe it's Shopkeeper Chen again...My noodle shop and his tavern are in the same industry, but we sell different foods. Why must he always pick fights with me? At first, he had someone slander me, and now he even tried to commit arson..."
"Don't slander me!" Shopkeeper Chen had just arrived and, hearing her from afar, immediately refuted while panting heavily.
Shopkeeper Chen pushed through the crowd, trying to squeeze in and argue with Qi Huan. But as he walked, he was tripped by some scoundrel and fell flat on his face, eating dirt.
The surrounding crowd immediately burst into laughter.
Shopkeeper Chen felt he had never been so humiliated in his life. He quickly got up, dusted himself off, and knelt down with a thud.
"Please, County Magistrate, investigate this fairly. Everything was done solely by Liu Zhi, and I have nothing to do with it!"
Chen the county magistrate stared wide-eyed, unaware he had such a nephew.
He struck the shaming rod again and scolded, "What nonsense are you claiming about relatives? I'm the only descendent in my family line—where did this nephew come from?"
"In response to you, sir, we're actually distant relatives from four generations back. Your great-great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were close brothers. So if you count it, you're like an uncle to me."
After saying this, Shopkeeper Chen winked and took out a small book from his pocket, holding it in his palm as he added, "Little nephew has the family genealogy here for your review, uncle."
Curiosity ultimately got the better of Chen the county magistrate, and he ordered Shopkeeper Chen to present it.
One look, and Chen the county magistrate instantly felt his blood pressure rising.
This was no family genealogy!
This was clearly his son's ledger for recording bribes.
Seeing his expression change, Shopkeeper Chen's mouth curved into a slight, challenging smile as he turned to Qi Huan.
As he expected, Chen the county magistrate set the ledger aside and questioned Liu Zhi instead, "Liu Zhi, you claim everything was instigated by Shopkeeper Chen, but do you have proof?"
Chen the county magistrate asked while thinking to himself, Surely Shopkeeper Chen wouldn't be foolish enough to leave evidence?
Soon, he realized he was mistaken.
Liu Zhi, seeing the blame about to fall entirely on himself, suddenly became flustered.
He quickly took out a written note from his pocket and shouted, "I have proof!"
The debt he owed the gambling house was no small sum. He was afraid Shopkeeper Chen would back out, so he secretly wrote this note and slipped it among the purchase receipts to trick Chen into signing it.
The note was presented, and after a handwriting expert verified it was indeed Shopkeeper Chen's writing, no amount of denial could convince anyone present.
Public opinion swelled again.
"County Magistrate, sir, the evidence is now conclusive. You can't let your relation to Shopkeeper Chen sway your judgment!"
"We urge the County Magistrate to severely punish Shopkeeper Chen."
"We urge the County Magistrate to severely punish Shopkeeper Chen!"
One voice after another, the citizens made their pleas.
Public opinion combined with hard evidence weighed like two mountains on Chen the county magistrate's shoulders.
Finally, with another strike of the shaming rod, Chen the county magistrate made his ruling.
"In the case of Shopkeeper Chen instigating Liu Zhi to commit arson, with undeniable testimony and evidence, and the severe impact of this crime, I sentence the primary offender Shopkeeper Chen to one year in prison, and the secondary offender Liu Zhi to twenty strokes of the cane, to be carried out immediately."
Upon hearing he would be caned again, Liu the buddy immediately protested, "County Magistrate, sir, why don't you just sentence me to prison too? Any more caning and you'll split my backside wide open!"
Before he could finish, a constable stuffed a rag in his mouth, and the caning resumed.
Liu the buddy's pants gradually shredded, and blood slowly seeped onto the cane, staining the end a dark crimson.
The heart-wrenching sight terrified Shopkeeper Chen, filling him with dread.
The county magistrate's son had clearly said that after paying the protection fee, he could walk tall in Mo County. So why was the county magistrate disregarding their deal?
Thinking the county magistrate might have missed it, Shopkeeper Chen reminded him, "Uncle County Magistrate, please take another careful look at the 'genealogy' I gave you. If you can't read it clearly, you can call your son over to ask..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen the county magistrate's expression darkened as he looked to the constables on his right and instructed, "Gag him and take him away immediately."
The constables searched the east office but couldn't find another rag, so one ran over to Liu the buddy, snatched the rag from his mouth, and stuffed it into Shopkeeper Chen's.
The mixture of blood and foul breath assaulted his nostrils, and Shopkeeper Chen immediately tried to pull the rag out, but the constables held his arms and shoved him away.
With that, the matter was perfectly resolved, and thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. Amid the praise, Chen the county magistrate felt elated.
Even later, when his son pestered him relentlessly to release Shopkeeper Chen early, he refused.
Qi Huan was very satisfied with this outcome.
Although Chen the county magistrate was not a good magistrate, he did judge this matter fairly.
As she stepped out of the county office gates, she glanced at the sun, which had just passed the hour of si (around 9-11 AM). It was getting late, so she hurried towards Qi's Noodle Shop.
Today was the first day of their official delivery service launch, and they could not afford any mistakes.
