They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 171 Lower Limit
These two, thinking they had a handle on Granny Ji, became quite rude. The taller one sneered, "Granny, don't talk nonsense. We are the most law-abiding people. How could we possibly bully others? As for Madam Xu, even if a deal falls through, we can still be friendly. We can discuss the price slowly. We'll reach an agreement eventually, won't we? Why bother Granny Ji? Why make things difficult for her? You're just causing her trouble, haha."

"Madam Xu, why don't we discuss this again?"

What a shrewd person Granny Ji was!
The two men ignored her and didn't take her seriously at all, which shows that they didn't believe that Madam Xu had really given the ice jelly recipe to the Madam. They were convinced that they had conspired with Madam Xu to deceive them behind the Madam's back.

Most of them were still convinced that they had taken money from Madam Xu.

I never imagined that such a small county as Qingshan would have such a cunning and shameless person. He is truly depraved.

Fortunately, Madam Xu recognized her own family and knew to seek help from them. If it were someone who had nowhere to turn for help, who knows what would have happened to them.

Granny Ji sneered and slowly said, "What you said makes some sense. Since that's the case, why don't we discuss it?"

The two men in blue were overjoyed and relieved. The taller one looked down on them with arrogance, his smugness on full display. "Hahaha, there's nothing wrong with discussing this here. Madam Xu, fifty taels of silver, that's the most we can offer. We're being very sincere. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've heard many people are interested in Madam Xu's recipe, but others may not be as honest and straightforward as us brothers."

"hehe!"

Granny Ji sneered.

A flurry of footsteps came from inside the mansion, and Master Shao led six or seven yamen runners out with an imposing air. "Granny Ji, where are the troublemakers?"

The two men in blue were a little dazed. When they came to their senses and realized something was wrong, they tried to escape, but the constables shouted and rushed forward to capture them.

"Injustice! Injustice!"

"Madam Xu, even if the deal falls through, we should still be on good terms. If you don't want to sell, just say so. What do you mean by this?"

They didn't recognize Granny Ji, but they had seen Master Shao's face from afar. They inwardly groaned, fearing that neither Madam Xu nor the nanny were lying; the nanny truly was someone close to Madam Ji, and Madam Xu had indeed presented the ice jelly recipe to Madam Ji. They were doomed.
Xu Zhichun said, "Granny, Master Shao, I suspect that these two people are acting under someone's orders to threaten and intimidate you in an attempt to force a sale. Please investigate carefully, Granny and Master Shao."

Granny Ji snorted, "The secrets of Qingshan County are quite filthy. Master Shao, please take care of this matter."

Granny Ji then invited Master Shao to speak with her and briefly explained the matter to him.

Master Shao frowned and gave the two men a cold glance: They really deserve to die.

"Don't worry, Granny Ji, don't worry, Madam Xu, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give Madam Xu an explanation."

"Thank you very much, Master Shao."

Granny Ji smiled and said, "It's alright, Madam Xu. You can go back now. If there's anything else, just come find me. I want to see how many lawless people there are in Qingshan County."

Xu Zhichun, Zeng Xiaoyan, and Liang Mingliang bid farewell and left.

Liang Mingliang rubbed his hands excitedly, "That's Master Shao? He seems so capable. And that old nanny, just standing there intimidates me. Is she really the nanny who serves the magistrate's wife? No wonder she's so formidable."

Xu Zhichun smiled and said, "That really is Madam Lu's maid, Granny Ji. She is very kind and righteous."

Zeng Xiaoyan also laughed: "Just by looking at Granny Ji, you can tell what kind of person Madam Lu is. She's truly incomparable to others. Now, can we rest assured?" "Yes, rest assured."

Anyway, Xu Zhichun wasn't worried at all.

Master Shao didn't have much trouble getting information out of the two men that the person behind it was Manager Fang of Sifang Restaurant.

“They bully others by taking advantage of their power and commit all sorts of evil deeds. I didn’t know that Qingshan County had become a place where such people can run rampant. They are really arrogant and lawless. They should be arrested.”

While reporting to Magistrate Lu, Master Shao sent men to arrest Manager Fang.

Manager Fang was smug; he hadn't just sent this one group to cause trouble, several groups were waiting.

If the first round of negotiations fails, the second round will immediately follow, and if the second round fails, there will be a third round.
Xu Zhichun is just a peasant woman, can she afford to waste time? She'll work herself to death.

If she angers herself, even if she changes her mind and wants the hundred taels, she won't get them.

So, not long after Xu Zhichun and her group returned to their stall, two more people, their eyes clearly saying "I'm here to cause trouble," came and immediately demanded to buy her ice jelly recipe.

The two became even more arrogant, saying, "We're taking this ice jelly recipe. Madam Xu, hurry up and sign a contract with us and hand over the recipe. We also want the recipes for gray tofu and gray bean shreds. Hey, did you hear me? Stop selling it! Stop selling it! You're not allowed to sell it again!"

The two men were even more greedy. They secretly discussed the matter and quickly reached an agreement. They decided to take advantage of their master's power and leverage his influence to seize the business of gray tofu and gray bean shreds. They would then operate the business privately, which would be an even better way to make money.
Whether you want one thing or two, you'll still get them, so what's the difference?
Someone who was about to buy it saw the two people and their expression changed slightly in fright. They quickly lowered their heads and walked away.

Zeng Xiaoyan couldn't believe it: When did the Zeng family's behavior become so appalling?
Xu Zhichun went straight to the clerk in charge of the market, brought out Master Shao, and asked him to send someone to tell Master Shao to make a decision.

The clerk was skeptical, but still sent someone over.

He didn't believe Xu Zhichun would dare to joke about Master Shao.

Her stall is right in the market; there's no escaping it. Anyone who dares to joke about it can't afford the consequences.

Master Shao sighed on behalf of the master.

Dong Weng governed Qingshan County with great care, and it is no exaggeration to say that the people lived in peace and prosperity. While petty theft and thievery cannot be completely prohibited, they are within a tolerable range. Such blatant bullying by the Zeng family is unprecedented in recent years.

Master Shao sent men over, who detained the two men without explanation.

The two had no idea why. One thought they had stolen a chicken from their neighbor's house two days ago, and the other thought they had stolen peaches from a tree in someone's yard at the alley entrance three days ago. They kept apologizing and promising not to do it again.
They were filled with even more shock and doubt: When did the government start sending officers to arrest people for stealing a chicken (or a few peaches)? This is too terrifying.

Just moments before, Master Shao sent men straight to Sifang Restaurant and took Manager Fang away without a word.

It was not yet lunchtime, and the restaurant had not yet opened for business. Even so, the waiters in the restaurant, as well as the neighbors and passersby, all saw this scene clearly.

(End of this chapter)