Chapter Seven: Watching the Drama Unfold

Seeing the crowd gathering, the man on the ground grew even more frenzied. Like an eel, he writhed back and forth, sending dust swirling across the whole stall.

"It hurts! It hurts so much! This preserved egg and lean pork porridge is absolutely poisonous!"

Witnessing this spectacle, the aroma of the porridge in everyone’s bowls suddenly lost its appeal, and some even felt their stomachs churn.

"Good heavens! Could this stuff really be poisonous?"

"Honestly, last time I ate it, I felt a little sick when I got home!"

...

Hearing these murmurs, Lin Qingxuan’s expression turned grim. In business, reputation is everything. If word of this incident spreads, it could ruin the sales of his porridge—no, it might even tarnish his own name!

"Brother Jiang..."

He looked instinctively toward Jiang Chen, his face pale. Yet Jiang Chen remained composed, as if untouched by the affair.

"Heh..."

Jiang Chen let out a cold laugh, a hint of disdain curling his lips as he spoke.

"The county magistrate eats my porridge every day and has never fallen ill. How is it that only you end up with a bad stomach?"

With that, he glanced at Tang Yong, the official standing nearby in his uniform.

"Tang, am I not right?"

Lin Qingxuan felt a weight lift from his heart at Jiang Chen’s calm response. Tang Yong, the magistrate’s personal guard, had been buying porridge here lately. Hoping to curry favor with the magistrate, Lin Qingxuan and Jiang Chen had offered Tang Yong many benefits.

Tang Yong, a straightforward man, saw trouble brewing and stepped forward without hesitation.

"That’s right! This porridge is a daily delicacy for the county magistrate! Are you daring enough to claim it’s poisonous?"

"What do you mean? Are you implying the magistrate is Jiang’s accomplice, or are you deliberately slandering him?"

"Hmph! Let me tell you, according to our laws, slander can be punished by exile three thousand miles!"

With these words, Tang Yong reached out to grab the man on the ground. Seeing this, the man’s face twisted in fear.

"Wait! Wait! Don’t arrest me yet!"

Tang Yong glanced back at Jiang Chen, who waved his hand in silent approval.

The man grew frantic.

"Don’t arrest me! It was Master Zhao who sent me!"

Jiang Chen felt a twinge of foreboding, and the diners were frozen in place, hands halted.

"Master Zhao? You mean Zhao He, the wealthy patron in town?"

"Yes... yes!"

"This time, Master Zhao and the two young masters of the Lin family are joining forces to deal with Jiang Chen! Young Master Jiang, take care!"

As the words faded, Lin Qingxuan’s steward rushed over, speaking softly in his ear.

"Young master! Trouble! The main house has suddenly cut off our supply of ingredients, saying they’ll sell the porridge themselves!"

"What?!"

Lin Qingxuan was stunned, grabbing the steward’s sleeve.

"What about our previous suppliers? Where are they?"

The steward hung his head, voice barely above a whisper.

"They... they’ve severed contact with us."

A dull thud; Lin Qingxuan’s arms dropped helplessly, his whole bearing suddenly defeated, like a kite whose string had snapped.

Most of the diners were wealthy landowners from nearby villages, all well aware of Master Zhao’s far-reaching influence. At this, they rose almost as one, eager to distance themselves from the trouble.

Tang Yong’s expression shifted as well.

"Manager Lin, since your establishment is facing difficulties, we’ll take our leave."

In the next moment, the crowd dispersed like startled birds. The man who’d been beaten on the ground climbed to his feet, casting a resentful glance at the troubled Lin Qingxuan and the impassive Jiang Chen.

"Gentlemen, this is only the beginning!"

With those words, he vanished into the depths of the alley.

"Brother Jiang... what should we do?"

Lin Qingxuan, regaining his senses, looked to Jiang Chen like a helpless child, his voice trembling.

"It must be my two brothers conspiring with Zhao He to destroy us! What will we do now? Have we offended them somehow? Should we go to town together and apologize?"

"Lin!"

Jiang Chen cut him off, fixing him with a deep gaze.

"Between shame and struggle, you chose shame, yet in the end you cannot escape the struggle."

"You simply don’t understand!"

Lin Qingxuan turned, eyes bloodshot and hair disheveled, like a lion driven mad.

"You don’t understand how many resources my brothers control, nor how deep Zhao He’s connections run!"

"And what of it?"

Jiang Chen’s eyes were sharp, like a tiger descending the mountain, as he spoke each word with force.

"Hmph! Lin, do you still wish to be your brothers’ pawn? Besides, even if you compromise this time, will you still have a chance to be their pawn?"

Lin Qingxuan’s cracked lips parted as if to speak, but Jiang Chen was already turning to leave. Before departing, he patted Lin Qingxuan’s shoulder and left him with a phrase heavy with meaning.

"Lin, better to be broken jade than intact tile. Life is fleeting as a dying lamp—why cling to mere survival?"

Lin Qingxuan made no response, but behind Jiang Chen, Gu Jun suddenly trembled as if struck by revelation, raising his eyes to Jiang Chen, the departing figure growing indistinct in his vision.