The potential customers who had been about to buy date cakes hesitated. The cakes weren’t cheap, and if they were causing illness, the risk simply wasn’t worth it.
Bai Qianqian recognized the old woman selling vegetables. They had once been on good terms, but ever since she’d refused to give the woman a discount, the vegetable seller had treated her with a frosty disdain, as if Bai Qianqian owed her money.
“Granny, you’re being completely unreasonable,” Bai Qianqian retorted, standing her ground without a hint of intimidation. “I’ve been selling these cakes here for over two weeks now, and plenty of people have bought them. If there were a problem, someone would have complained long ago. Why is it that only your grandson is sick?”
She squared her shoulders. “If my cakes really caused this, bring your grandson here. I’ll pay for a doctor to examine him and prove whether the cakes are actually to blame.”
A customer who had already bought some stepped forward. “She’s right. I’ve had these cakes before, and they were perfectly fine. Old Mrs. Wang, don’t you go spreading baseless rumors. This young lady is just trying to earn a living.” Instead of doubting Bai Qianqian, the previous customer was willing to speak up for her.
A flicker of guilt crossed Old Mrs. Wang’s face, but she couldn’t stand seeing others side with Bai Qianqian.
“My grandson ate your date cakes and got diarrhea!” she snapped, doubling down. “How should I know about anyone else?”
“The lady already offered to pay for a doctor,” another woman shouted. “What are you waiting for? You won’t have to pay a cent!”
The other vegetable sellers, who had all tried the cakes and enjoyed them, knew Old Mrs. Wang’s reputation for taking advantage of people. It was obvious what she was trying to do.
Old Mrs. Wang paused, her mind racing.
“He had the diarrhea yesterday,” she said, her tone shifting. “He’s already better, so there’s no need for a doctor. But you still owe me compensation!”
Bai Qianqian seized the opening. “I haven’t sold any cakes for the last few days. How could your grandson have eaten them yesterday? Did you keep them too long and let them spoil before feeding them to him?”
“So what?” Old Mrs. Wang retorted, completely unrepentant. “These cakes are expensive. Who’d eat them all at once? Don’t try to cheat me out of the money you owe!”
“I warned you to eat the cakes within three days or they’d spoil,” Bai Qianqian said, exasperated. “You insisted on keeping them. How is it my fault they went bad?”
“How is it not your fault?” Old Mrs. Wang shrieked. “You heartless woman! You gave my grandson diarrhea, and now you’re trying to deny it?”
As a crowd gathered, Old Mrs. Wang doubled down on her demand for payment.
“Fine,” Bai Qianqian snapped. “You kept the cakes until they spoiled, and now you’re trying to blame me. Let’s go to the county office and have the magistrate settle this. We’ll see how your nonsense holds up before him.”
She seized the old woman’s arm and hauled her toward the government offices.
“Let go! Help! Someone help me!” Old Mrs. Wang wailed, unable to break free. “Look at me, an old woman being bullied! Is there no justice left in the world?” She struggled for a moment before the terror of her destination finally registered.
*
“Go see who’s causing a disturbance,” a man ordered, his brow furrowing as he watched the scene unfold outside his window.
“It’s just a commoner’s squabble,” his companion remarked. “Why apply the same strictness you use on your students at the academy here, Master Qin?”
The jokester glanced at his friend, noting how Qin Heng, who had yet to even reach the age of thirty, possessed the temperament of an old man.
His perpetual sternness and refusal to smile made dining with him feel like a self-inflicted punishment.
The waiter returned from investigating. “My Lords, a woman and an old lady are arguing outside. The old woman claims her grandson fell ill after eating the woman’s date cakes and is demanding compensation. The woman refused, and now they’re heading to report the matter to the authorities.”
Seeing Qin Heng rise to his feet, Xiao Yu could only sigh in resignation and follow.
*
“You’re the one who claimed my cakes were the problem,” Bai Qianqian pressed the old woman, who now seemed utterly bewildered. “But you refused to bring your grandson to a doctor, and you resisted going to the magistrate. What exactly was your plan?”
“I… I just wanted a few coins!” Old Mrs. Wang stammered. Recognizing that Bai Qianqian was not to be trifled with, she abandoned her usual theatrics, her mind racing with regret.
“If the cakes themselves were faulty, I would have paid you,” Bai Qianqian’s voice was firm, leaving no room for ambiguity. “But you kept them until they spoiled, then fed them to your grandson. I won’t pay you a single copper coin for your own negligence. If you keep harassing me, I’ll drag you straight to the magistrate’s office.”
She made her stand clear, determined to prevent any other opportunists from seeing her as an easy mark for extortion.
“Fine, keep your money! I… I still have cakes to sell! Let me go!” Old Mrs. Wang’s face was burning with shame. Seeing the judgment in the crowd’s eyes, she didn’t dare cause another scene.
Having achieved her goal, Bai Qianqian released her. She didn’t want to seem overly aggressive; after all, she still had to maintain her reputation in town to keep her business going.
“My lords, would you like to buy some date cakes?” Bai Qianqian found herself staring blankly at their exceptionally handsome faces.
“Were you the one arguing with that old woman?” Qin Heng asked, his displeasure growing as she continued to stare impolitely.
“Yes, but she slandered me first,” Bai Qianqian explained, feeling a bit bewildered. “She insisted my cakes were the problem, and I couldn’t just let her drag my name through the mud.”
“This area is crowded,” Qin Heng said, his voice firm. “You shouldn’t cause a disturbance here. It could easily lead to a stampede. Besides, that woman is old; what if something happened to her during your dispute? You should act with more caution in the future.”
Though the argument was over, he couldn’t resist offering her a few more words of advice.
“You’re a strange one,” Bai Qianqian said, her admiration for his looks completely gone. “What was I supposed to do—just stand there and let her slander me? How am I supposed to run a business like that?” She decided he was an idiot who had wasted a perfectly good face.
“Ah, my apologies, miss,” Xiao Yu interjected, a headache already forming as he tried to clean up Qin Heng’s mess. “My friend has been a teacher for too long; he’s in the habit of lecturing. Please don’t take it to heart. How much for the rest of your date cakes? We’ll buy them all as an apology.”
“Fine. There are fifteen pieces left. That will be one hundred twenty wen,” Bai Qianqian replied without hesitation.
She was happy to sell the rest and head home early, so she let the matter drop.
“Here, two taels of silver for the trouble. Keep the change,” Xiao Yu said, shoving the coins into her hand. He never carried copper coins.
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Qin Heng and pulled him away.
“Safe travels, gentlemen!” Bai Qianqian called out, clutching the silver.
She regarded the two young lords as gods of wealth, her frustration vanishing instantly. After all, she would have to sell date cakes for days to earn that much.