Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1223 - 1225: Lost the Wife and the Soldiers

Chapter 1223: Chapter 1225: Lost the Wife and the Soldiers

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help laughing after hearing that, "You open your doors to do business, yet you’re afraid of customers coming in? I do often visit other restaurants to sit for a while. Getting tired of your own home-cooked meals happens, and it’s only right to learn from your competitors. You can go ahead and ask, have I not also occasionally visited the Xingfu Building and Jiangnan Little Restaurant and the like?"

As she spoke, she paused for a moment, "Of course, I believe in fair competition. Naturally, I wouldn’t stoop so low as to break the second floor’s railing intended to welcome guests like someone did. Oh, right, Mrs. Yang just mentioned it was your doing? That’s not true, is it?"

Mrs. Yang, seeing Bai Ruozhu laughing with an innocent face, was so angry she almost clenched her Silver Teeth to breaking. Nevertheless, in front of Fan Li, she still had to put on an act.

"You’re reversing the charge. What evidence do you have that the accident at the welcoming pavilion has anything to do with me?" Mrs. Yang asked.

"And what evidence do you have to prove the presence of mice in your establishment is related to me?" Bai Ruozhu countered.

Mrs. Yang found herself at a loss for words. Seeing this, a slightly clever waiter rushed to speak very perceptively, "I saw it, I saw you throw something on the ground that attracted the mice."

Fan Li was taken aback and quickly looked at Bai Ruozhu, wondering if it really was her doing.

But Bai Ruozhu calmly looked at the waiter and asked, "What did you see me throw? Since you saw it, why didn’t you say something sooner? If I had really thrown something to attract mice, as an employee of this establishment, why didn’t you hurry to throw it out and prevent any loss to the restaurant?"

"I couldn’t find it," the waiter said stiffly, "It must have been some drug powder you sprinkled; how could I see it that clearly?"

Bai Ruozhu laughed, "If you didn’t see it clearly, how can you say I did it? Bearing false witness can lead you to jail. Besides, since you say I threw something, why don’t you just find it? There has to be physical evidence, right?"

Mrs. Yang, upon hearing this, immediately pressured Fan Li, saying, "Officer Fan, Bai Ruozhu is skilled in medical arts, she could definitely concoct such a rodent-attracting drug. Since the waiter in our establishment saw it, I ask you to carry out your duties impartially."

Fan Li showed a troubled expression, "This, this might not be sufficient evidence; the waiter is from your restaurant."

"What do you mean? Are you accusing me of directing someone to bear false witness against her? Officer Fan, this is the first time I’ve realized how biased you are in your duties," Mrs. Yang shouted, her tone and demeanor becoming quite aggressive, which put Fan Li in an extremely awkward position.

"Ahem, perhaps we should consult a senior doctor to investigate. If Bai Family really tampered with something, it’s not as if we couldn’t find out," Fan Li coughed twice and then glanced at Bai Ruozhu inquiringly, seeking her opinion.

Bai Ruozhu nodded at him and said, "Officer Fan, I have no objections, but since we’re investigating, I also have to mention the incident Mrs. Yang was speaking about in public just now. She said it wasn’t because she had someone damage the welcoming pavilion’s railing that I came to retaliate, right? I think Mrs. Yang ought to give me an explanation for that too. By the way, I also have witnesses."

Muyu and Jianqi chorused from the side, "I heard it."

"They are your guards; how can they testify?" Mrs. Yang said disdainfully.

"If Mrs. Yang’s waiter can testify, does it mean the law is written by the Yang Family, and you get to set the rules?" Bai Ruozhu rebutted without any politeness.

"You’re being utterly unreasonable!" Mrs. Yang shouted in anger.

Fan Li urgently advised, "Let’s not argue, perhaps this is all a misunderstanding."

He knew that Mrs. Yang would certainly not let the Government Office investigate her, and, naturally, Bai Ruozhu wouldn’t be willing to let the doctor come to examine either. He felt a headache coming on – how had he gotten himself tangled up in this situation?

But to Fan Li’s surprise, Bai Ruozhu spoke up, "Officer Fan, please have the doctor take a look to prevent anyone from making mountains out of molehills. One committing shameful acts has the gall to implicate others."

Fan Li let out a sigh of relief. It was easier to handle the matter when dealing with someone reasonable.

Soon, he summoned an old doctor from Fushou Hall to look into the rat issue. The doctor’s face turned grim as he said discontentedly, "I’m a doctor, not a veterinarian, how would I know?"

However, the doctor still needed to give face to the Imperial Inspector and examined the situation. Then he went to Bai Ruozhu to check her. Bai Ruozhu generously extended her hand for the examination.

She had used her Space to carry out the poisoning, her hands never touching the substance; moreover, she always had a porcelain bottle for containment, confidently unafraid of detection. And could her drug be easily detected by any ordinary doctor?

As expected, after the examination, the old doctor said, "This lady has no drug powder on her, and the appearance of this rat is indeed strange. I haven’t found any signs of poison use by anyone."

Mrs. Yang, upon hearing this, was not pleased. She said, "You must not have checked carefully. What use is it only to look at her hands? Shouldn’t you at least search her body?"

Upon these words, without waiting for Bai Ruozhu to reply, Fan Li hurriedly said, "Madam Yang, that’s inappropriate. Madam Jiang is a fourth-rank lady granted by the Imperial Court. How could she be subjected to an unwarranted body search?"

The old doctor glanced at Mrs. Yang, expressing great displeasure, "I’ve been practicing medicine for many years. I would know if there were any drugs used, without the need for a body search. If you don’t trust my diagnosis, feel free to seek someone else." With that, the doctor flung his sleeves and left.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but smile wryly to herself. Was she bullying this old doctor?

Seeing that the situation had come to this, Fan Li quickly said, "It seems this has been a misunderstanding. Let’s give the officer some face and put this matter to rest."

Bai Ruozhu had not expected such a trivial matter to reveal Mrs. Yang’s dark deeds. She merely wanted to stir trouble at Leisure Lodge and give the Yang Family a hard time. Naturally, she didn’t want to continue the senseless struggle.

However, Mrs. Yang was not someone easy to dismiss. She kept arguing with Fan Li, who remained apologetic throughout, though a hint of displeasure had already flashed in his eyes. While Fan Li was a peacemaker, always treating people with a cheerful demeanor, it didn’t mean he was completely without temper. Clearly, he had taken note of Mrs. Yang’s behavior.

"Alright, since Mrs. Yang does not trust my investigation, she is free to pursue the matter further. This case has been clarified; it was just a misunderstanding," Fan Li finally lost his patience. Shifting from "this officer" to "I," he flung his sleeves and left.

Mrs. Yang glared in fury but turned to see Bai Ruozhu’s eyes filled with mirth, hissing through her teeth, "Bai Ruozhu, I won’t forget today’s incident. My Yang Family will stand against you!"

"Even without this incident, your Yang Family already sees me as a thorn in your side, doesn’t it? I’d advise you to take it easy, lest you find yourself worse off," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile and also turned to stride out.

Mrs. Yang wanted to order someone to stop her, but when Jianqi and Muyu glared fiercely, who would dare to intervene? Mrs. Yang truly regretted having brought only maids and servants, without any guards.