As evening approached, the people sent out to investigate finally returned with news. Just as Luo Qingqing had suspected, there were indeed three particularly suspicious individuals.
The first was Cook Liu. Her husband had lost twenty taels at the gambling house and had delayed repayment for over a month. The gambling den’s thugs had even threatened to come to her home and chop off his hand. Yet somehow, she later managed to gather enough money to pay the debt.
The second was Cook Song. Her elderly mother was gravely ill, and the family had nearly exhausted their savings paying for treatment. But just a few days ago, she had gone to the apothecary and purchased mountain ginseng along with several expensive restorative medicines.
The last was Xiao Feng, a kitchen helper. She was fairly pretty, and an old landlord from the village had taken a liking to her. The betrothal gifts had already been delivered, and her entire family was pleased with the match, except for Xiao Feng herself. Later, it was said that her mother had thrown the landlord’s gifts out the door because the family had managed to latch onto someone even more powerful.
Now everything depended on what would happen after closing that night, though before then, Luo Qingqing still had a few preparations to make.
By the time the hour of Hai arrived, Drunken River Pavilion had sent off its last table of customers, and everything appeared perfectly ordinary.
Luo Qingqing gathered all the staff into the main hall. Gu Jing’an sat at the head seat, his handsome face cold and expressionless, looking every bit like a jade-faced demon who killed without blinking.
Luo Qingqing cleared her throat and spoke. “I’m sure everyone has already heard about what happened at Fortune Full Pavilion. Since you all came to Drunken River Pavilion, Manager Li and I have never treated anyone unfairly when it came to wages or benefits. Yet even after all that, someone still wasn’t satisfied. Since they’ve already chosen to betray their master, Drunken River Pavilion can no longer keep them.”
Employee A immediately said, “Boss Luo, just tell us what to do. We’ll all listen to you.”
Employee B nodded as well. “That’s right. We’re all on your side. We need to drag that thief out as soon as possible.”
Luo Qingqing pointed toward the accountant. “There are written statements prepared over there. Anyone with a clear conscience can step forward and sign with their fingerprint. As for anyone deliberately concealing the truth, the punishment is written clearly on it as well. You’ll compensate the restaurant two hundred taels, and I’ll send you to prison under the charge of theft.”
Gu Jing’an casually toyed with his teacup and said in an indifferent tone, “According to the laws of the Great Zhou, malicious commercial competition and stealing another person’s secret recipes are punishable by no less than three years in prison.”
The moment he set down the teacup, a shadow flashed past outside the door.
Everyone stepped forward to sign and leave their fingerprints. It seemed Fortune Full Pavilion had truly spent heavily this time, even two hundred taels failed to scare the culprit out. Fortunately, Luo Qingqing had prepared another method.
She stood and clapped her hands. “Bring the items over.”
A basin of tea water was carried in, along with a wooden bucket filled with tea as well.
The crowd stared at Luo Qingqing in confusion, everyone except Gu Jing’an and Manager Li.
“A few days ago, I happened to obtain a special medicine. After taking it and placing your hand into the basin, the color of the tea will reveal whether you’re lying. If you tell the truth, the water won’t change. If you lie, the water will immediately turn black.”
“I’ll try first,” Manager Li volunteered as he stepped forward, following the arrangement they had discussed beforehand.
He swallowed the medicine and placed his hand into the basin while everyone crowded around to watch.
“Manager Li, where do you live?”
“Tongzhi Alley, seventh house.”
It was the truth, and the water remained unchanged.
“Manager Li, do you have a daughter?”
“Yes.”
The water instantly turned black.
The crowd gasped in shock because everyone knew Manager Li only had one son. Somewhere among the group, someone’s face had already changed color.
Taking advantage of the moment, Luo Qingqing pressed on. “Alright, line up now. After taking the medicine, go into the inner room one by one for testing.”
At that moment, Xiao Feng suddenly stepped forward and pointed accusingly at Luo Qingqing. “I’m only here to help out at the restaurant. Who knows whether your medicine is dangerous or not? What if someone dies after taking it?”
Gu Jing’an’s exquisite brows immediately darkened with coldness. This thing that didn’t know life from death actually dared to raise her voice at his Qingqing.
The moment Xiao Feng spoke, everyone hesitated.
So she finally couldn’t hold back anymore?
Luo Qingqing smiled faintly. “The medicine won’t harm the body.” Then she picked up a pill and swallowed it herself.
Seeing that Luo Qingqing had taken it personally, the others relaxed and entered the inner room one after another.
Of course, one person refused to go.
Xiao Feng remained where she stood.
People in the crowd had already begun urging her on because nobody could leave until she finished the test as well.
Xiao Feng stubbornly refused. Luo Qingqing ordered someone to hold her down, forcibly stuffed the medicine into her mouth, and pressed her hand into the tea basin.
Manager Li asked coldly, “Did you leak the restaurant’s recipes to Fortune Full Pavilion?”
Xiao Feng bit her lips tightly and refused to answer.
By this point, Luo Qingqing’s patience had completely run out. She raised her hand and tapped an acupoint on Xiao Feng’s body.
At once, Xiao Feng began itching all over. She desperately wanted to scratch herself, but her hands were restrained. The unbearable itch felt as though thousands of ants were crawling through her heart.
Her eyes reddened with fury and unwillingness. Why should she only deserve to marry a half-dead old man past fifty? With her looks, she should naturally become the concubine of some wealthy young master. She had to fight for her own future. The second young master of the Fu family had already promised her that as long as she kept silent, she would become a concubine of the Fu household.
“You dare use torture to force a confession? Don’t even dream about it. If you’ve got the guts, then kill me!” Xiao Feng was convinced Luo Qingqing wouldn’t dare. After all, this involved a human life.
Luo Qingqing looked at her calmly. “First, there’s no need to force a confession from someone like you. If you didn’t leak the recipes, then simply saying so isn’t difficult, is it? Or are you afraid the water will turn black if you lie, so you don’t dare answer?”
“Second, even if I killed you tonight, no one would seek justice for you. I could either silence them with money or simply give them mute medicine. In any case, I have plenty of methods available, so would you like to test it?”
Xiao Feng froze completely.
Luo Qingqing’s tone was so casual it sounded as though she were merely asking what someone wanted for dinner.
At that moment, voices drifted in from outside the restaurant, loud enough for everyone inside to hear clearly.
“The second young master of the Fu family broke his leg! They say he probably won’t be able to function as a man ever again!”
All the strength instantly drained from Xiao Feng’s body, and she collapsed onto the floor.
“I’ll confess. I’ll confess everything.”
Xiao Feng explained that one night after finishing work, she encountered a drunken thug on her way home who tried to molest her. It was the Fu family’s second young master who had saved her. From then on, he personally escorted her home every night, saying that it wasn’t safe for a young woman to walk alone so late. Eventually, she fell for him and gave herself to him.
The second young master worried day and night over Fortune Full Pavilion’s business, and she couldn’t bear to watch the man she loved suffer. So whenever Chef Xu prepared dishes, she secretly observed him from the side and quietly learned the recipes herself. Over time, she managed to imitate most of them.
After she handed the recipes over to him, he promised that once everything succeeded, he would take her in as a concubine, grant her wealth and luxury, and shelter her from all storms.
Luo Qingqing now reasonably suspected that the drunken thug had been arranged by the Fu family’s second young master from the very beginning.
Men truly could be vicious beyond measure.
In the end, Manager Li escorted Xiao Feng to the county yamen. As for her final fate, the law would decide.