Chapter 90: The Constables Arrive

Early the next morning, Lin Dong arrived at the hall early and, for the first time ever, sat behind the counter.
With the sign “Open for Business” raised, the staff lowered the door panels and stood neatly at the entrance.
Soon after, several guests staying at the inn came to the back room. With a bowl of plain porridge and a few side dishes, two tables were quickly set up.
As the sun just rose above the horizon, more guests arrived one after another. Some regulars were surprised to see Ma Chun not sitting behind the counter, but no one asked questions.
In less than half an hour since opening, the first floor of the hall was already filled with guests, and out of the five private rooms on the second floor, five were already occupied.
At the end of the street, Liu Chuanxiang was extremely excited, peeking toward the inn from time to time. Behind him, Qiao Tianhao was nervous, nervously clutching the back of Liu Chuanxiang’s blue robe, unable to muster the courage to stick his head out from behind him.
After waiting for a while, Qiao Tianhao, unable to bear his pounding heart, whispered, “Owner Liu, my head hurts terribly. How about I go back to the restaurant to rest first?”
“Lord Qiao, wait a little longer. The constables should be here soon.”
Liu Chuanxiang quickly grabbed Qiao Tianhao. Today, he had brought Qiao Tianhao here to overcome his lingering fears—he certainly wouldn’t let him leave like this.
To be honest, Liu Chuanxiang actually hoped that Qiao Tianhao’s fears would persist. Ever since Qiao Tianhao had developed a prejudice against the owner of Lin’s Inn, although he still acted arrogantly in front of the restaurant’s staff, his attitude toward Liu Chuanxiang had become much more polite, even with a hint of respect.
The fact that Qiao Tianhao showed respect made Liu Chuanxiang feel quite accomplished, even if it was partly because of Lin’s Inn’s owner.
But the problem was—Qiao Tianhao wasn’t willing to be the chef!
In a restaurant, the chef is always the most important. The county-level Fenglin Restaurant only had one head chef, while the head chef of the Xilan City Fenglin Restaurant was Qiao Tianhao.
If Qiao Tianhao were to cook, the food quality of the Xilan City Fenglin Restaurant would definitely be higher than that of the prefecture-level Fenglin Restaurant. Even if Lin’s Inn had turtle stewed with maple leaves, it would still be enough to attract wealthy patrons because of his cooking skills.
But if Qiao Tianhao refused to cook, even with the skills of the other four chefs in the restaurant—who might be top-notch in Xilan City—they still weren’t good enough to attract wealthy customers.
If Qiao Tianhao continued to stay depressed like this, even if Lin’s Inn collapsed, the Fenglin Restaurant wouldn’t be able to stay full every day. Either they had to bring in a new head chef from the main restaurant or find a way to help Qiao Tianhao overcome his fears.

Liu Chuanxiang chose the latter. If he could use this opportunity to help Qiao Wenshen overcome his troubles and gain his loyalty, combined with the fact that he was a disciple of Jiang Yichu and a notorious troublemaker at Fenglin Restaurant, his prestige among the restaurant’s managers would undoubtedly reach an unparalleled level.
“Master Qiao, rest assured. Just wait and watch the show! Within half a month, Linji Inn will surely collapse.”
“You always say Linji Inn will surely collapse…” Qiao Tianhao muttered.
“This time is different. The people won’t fight against the officials,” Liu Chuanxiang said confidently. “Although the manager of Linji Inn is skilled, he’s not a warrior and has no special privileges. If he dares to attack the yamen officials, they can immediately order his shop to be closed and him arrested. Then we can find a way to help the yamen catch him and keep him in prison for life.”
“Really?” Despite hearing Liu Chuanxiang nag him multiple times that night, Qiao Tianhao was still excited upon hearing this.
“Truer than gold!” Liu Chuanxiang declared firmly.
Although Qiao Tianhao still didn’t dare to peek out, feeling a bit reassured, he stopped complaining about his headache and wanting to leave.
In the inn’s lobby, Lin Dong idly flipped through the account books. Soon, six or seven yamen officials in gray uniforms walked in. The one at the front was Zhao Kuang, one of the most well-known figures in Xilan City!
“Head Zhao, it’s been a long time since you last came. Please come in!” Ma Chun greeted him with a smile.
Zhao Kuang didn’t glance around. Two yamen officials behind him stepped forward and blocked Ma Chun from approaching.
“Manager Ma, I received a secret report today saying that your Linji Inn is putting sedatives in the food and drinks.”
“How is that possible?” Ma Chun exclaimed. “Our Linji Inn has always been honest with everyone, young or old. Why would we put sedatives in anything? Our business is doing so well—why would we do that? It would only ruin our reputation!”
“Why? Of course to get money. They drug people and steal their silver. Otherwise, why are your food and drinks so cheap?” Zhao Kuang sneered.
“Head Zhao, this is a misunderstanding, absolutely a misunderstanding. Most of the people here are regular customers. If you don’t believe me, ask them—how could our Linji Inn do such a thing?” Ma Chun raised his voice slightly. “I heard that half a year ago, our Linji Inn was also falsely accused of harboring bandits, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. This time too, it must be some other restaurant or inn that can’t stand our success and is trying to sabotage us.”
“Yes! I’ve eaten at Linji Inn over ten times, and I’ve never encountered such a thing once.”
“It’s definitely a misunderstanding. I’ve eaten there twenty or thirty times too.”

The food and drinks at Lin’s Inn were inexpensive yet of high quality, and the staff were warm and hospitable. Hearing this, the customers in the hall began to speak highly of the inn.
“You might not have encountered it, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We need to check. Someone, go!”
Zhao Bantou glanced at Lin Dong, who stood firm behind the counter like a mountain, and felt annoyed. Though he had orders to carry out the task, he had thought he could be a bit gentler if he could collect some money. Since the man refused to appreciate it, he could only blame himself for not knowing the rules!
The bailiffs behind him stepped forward, each holding a staff, looking fierce.
Glancing again at Lin Dong, who was focused on sorting through the accounts, Zhao Bantou waved his hand and said firmly, “Check each table!”
The six bailiffs rushed in like tigers descending the mountain. They pushed aside the customers at the nearest table, scattering dishes and utensils across the floor. One bailiff pretended to inspect things carefully before standing up and saying, “Next table.”
In no time, the six of them swept through like locusts, with the sound of clattering incessant. The customers, though angry, dared not speak out and got up one after another. Although none wanted to provoke the bailiffs, no one tried to avoid paying for their meals either; they all went to the counter to settle the bill with Lin Dong.
“It’s on the inn’s account. This meal is on the inn’s account. I’m sorry, everyone,” Lin Dong said, standing up with a smile, refusing to accept any payment.
The customers, unable to argue and fearing trouble for themselves, apologized and left the hall to wait outside for news. Soon, out of the twenty tables in the hall, only one customer wearing a hat remained inside.
At the end of the street, watching Lin’s Inn as more and more customers came out, Liu Chuanxiang beamed with joy. He straightened up and said to Qiao Tianhao behind him, “Master Qiao, let’s go take a look too.”
Qiao Tianhao was startled and waved his hands frantically, joking that if Manager Lin saw them, he would skin them alive.
“It’s fine, fine. With so many people outside, Manager Lin and his staff must be extremely anxious inside, busy begging the bailiffs for mercy. They won’t even notice us.”
Liu Chuanxiang grabbed Qiao Tianhao’s arm and pulled him outside.
Qiao Tianhao resisted desperately. No matter how convincingly Liu Chuanxiang spoke, he refused to approach Lin’s Inn.
With no choice, and unwilling to miss the spectacle, Liu Chuanxiang muttered “coward” under his breath before letting go of Qiao Tianhao and running alone to the opposite side of Lin’s Inn to watch.