Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Shen Chengzong was imprisoned for several days, looking dejected and suffering a lot of torment.

His wife, Zhao, bribed officials and pulled strings to get him out of jail.

"What's going on with that wretched girl Shen Qing? How did she get involved with those yamen runners? We're really unlucky this time!" Zhao was extremely unwilling.

Not only did I spend a lot of money, but I also got nothing and inexplicably ended up in jail. Anyone would be upset in that situation.

Lying on his own bed, Shen Chengzong felt incredibly safe and comfortable; he never wanted to go back to that prison again.

So, with a slight lingering fear, he said, "The prison is simply not a place for humans. Why don't we stop causing trouble for Shen Qing? With the family property we inherited and the restaurant, we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives. Why should we compete with Shen Qing for that little bit of recipe?"

He was genuinely afraid. As the saying goes, the common people can't fight with officials. Although the yamen runners weren't proper officials, they were still people that ordinary citizens like him couldn't afford to offend.

"Look at you, you coward. Now that Shen Qing has stopped selling crispy fried chicken, we're halfway there. All we need to do is find a way to pressure Shen Qing and her daughter a little more, and the recipe will be a piece of cake, right?"

"Those constables arrested you before on the pretext of bribery, so what pretext could they have now? They wouldn't dare arrest people arbitrarily without a reason!"

Zhao rolled her eyes and launched into a tirade.

Having come this far, she must have gained something, right? Otherwise, wouldn't she have suffered a huge loss?

"What's your idea?" Shen Chengzong's greed was stirred up again. After thinking it over, he felt that Zhao's words made some sense.

Even the yamen runners can't just arrest people arbitrarily; there's the county magistrate above them.

"It's simple. We can just ask someone from the clan. The recipe should be inherited by us; we're in the right."

"But we drove Shen Qing and her daughter to that dilapidated little house..."

We promised to provide for Shen Qing and her daughter's basic needs, but if the clan finds out...

Zhao tapped Shen Chengzong's head: "You're so stubborn. Let's pretend to reconcile with Shen Qing and her daughter first, then rent a courtyard for them to live in. That way, the clan won't have anything to say, right?"

"Once we get the formula, we won't pay rent!"

Shen Chengzong's eyes lit up: "You're right. Quick, prepare some cheap gifts, and let's go find Shen Qing and her mother to reconcile."

"It's done! It's done! It's done!"

Zhao said "okay" three times, turned around to prepare some rice, flour, steamed buns and the like, and then pulled Shen Chengzong out the door.

As soon as they stepped out and turned into a small alley, before the two could even react, everything suddenly went black.

Immediately afterwards, countless fists and smelly feet rained down on him, as dense as raindrops.

"I told you not to cause trouble for Madam Shen!"

"It's all your fault! Otherwise, I would have been eating crystal soup dumplings long ago!"

"You little devil! First you ruined the crispy fried chicken, and now you've ruined the crystal soup dumplings!"

"Shameless bastard, I'll beat you up every time I see you from now on."

"..."

Shen Chengzong was unable to speak at all. He could only feel someone putting a sack over his head, and his whole body was in excruciating pain. His brain had no chance to think.

Zhao was also confused; she didn't even know who she had offended.

After a long while, those people finally stopped.

As the sound of footsteps receding faded away, Shen Chengzong and Zhao Shi both pulled the burlap sacks off their heads.

They looked at each other; their hair was a mess, their faces were covered in bruises, and blood was flowing from their noses.

The rice, noodles, and steamed buns that were meant to be delivered were spilled all over the floor, creating a mess.

"What's going on? Who is it? How could they be so despicable!" Zhao burst into tears.

This was the first time she had ever been blindfolded and beaten; she had never been so disheveled before.

Shen Chengzong squinted as he recalled the events, feeling that the voices of those people sounded somewhat familiar.

After a long pause, his eyes widened, and he shouted as if he had seen a ghost, "It's those yamen runners!"

"What? How is that possible?"

"It must be those constables. I heard their voices a lot when I was in jail, it's definitely them!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao burst into tears: "How could this be? Why are those yamen runners supporting Shen Qing for no reason? It's so unfair! Why should they?"

"It seems to be for crispy fried chicken and some kind of steamed buns..."

"Is it that delicious? This is outrageous! How dare they hit someone?" Zhao was furious; she wished she could tear Shen Qingsheng apart right now.

Shen Chengzong was still somewhat rational: "We still need to reconcile with Shen Qing and her daughter, otherwise those yamen runners won't let us off the hook. We were in such a sorry state today. Let's wait until these injuries have healed before we go."

Those yamen runners have now become the protectors of Shen Qing and her mother. They can't fight against them, so they can only try to curry favor with Shen Qing first.

As for asking members of the clan to come out of seclusion, that will have to be discussed later.

The two scrambled to their feet and stumbled back home.

......

Shen Qing's braised pork ribs were almost ready; they were warm but incredibly flavorful.

As soon as the pot lid was lifted, the rich aroma of meat instantly filled the entire kitchen. This aroma was complex, containing not only the richness of the fat and the tension of the fibers, but also a hint of sweetness.

The aroma of soy sauce, meat, and bones blend together perfectly, making it a truly delightful experience with every sniff.

"Sister Shen, sell me one first, I can't wait any longer!" Zhao Wan called out from the pot.

Zhao Wan was naturally lively, innocent and cute, and in no time she became familiar with Shen Qing and called her "Sister Shen".

Shen Qing smiled and said, "I'll let you try one; it's free."

She was aloof by nature, but she found Zhao Wan to be very bright and cheerful, and just looking at her made her feel good.

"Thank you, Sister Shen Qing!"

Zhao Wan couldn't control her drooling anymore; she couldn't think of anything else but wanting to quickly gnaw on a big bone.

A large bone, about seven inches long, was scooped out of the pot. It was a deep, dark reddish-brown color that was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Meat was attached to the bone, not much meat, but it was already soaked in sauce, with the edges slightly curled up and the texture clearly visible.

The bone marrow was exposed at the bone ends, and the white, jade-like marrow trembled slightly from the steam, making one want to take a breath.

The entire bone was covered in a thick sauce, its dark brown color tinged with amber.

Zhao Wan took a bite, and the first thing that reached the tip of her tongue was the rich aroma of soy sauce, a blend of bean, salt, and fermentation flavors that filled her entire mouth.

Then comes an overwhelming aroma of meat. The meat clinging to the bone is incredibly elastic, with distinct fibers that don't get stuck in your teeth. As you swallow, a faint sweetness rises from deep in your throat—the sweetness of rock sugar.

Zhao Wan didn't bother to say anything, and sucked out the marrow in one gulp. The marrow melted in her mouth, and the aroma of soy sauce, oil, and bone was all concentrated in that one mouthful of marrow.

"It smells so good, oh my god, how can it smell so good..."

"Sister Shen, you're my goddess!"

"Give me a few more, I want to take them home!!"

......