Free Web NovelChapter 384: Chapter 151: Holy Decree and Reward
The roars of laughter and jeers from the crowd stabbed at Mrs. Meng’s ears like needles. Her head, which already ached, now throbbed as if it were about to split open.
Her vision darkened, and she desperately wished she could just faint and leave it all behind.
But Mrs. Meng was proud and obstinate. She could fight someone to the bitter end, but to make her back down and act cowardly? That was a fate worse than death.
The rims of Mrs. Meng’s eyes reddened, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to ask, "Chen Wanqing, is this your ginseng?"
Chen Wanqing nodded. "It is. The price the apothecary offered didn’t meet my expectations, so I was planning to process it and take it home for later. I never imagined that you, Mrs. Meng, would be so kind and wealthy, willing to spend a fortune to do a good deed for someone else. Mrs. Meng, you really are a good person."
Chen Wanqing’s sarcastic praise sent the surrounding crowd into another fit of laughter and successfully drove Mrs. Meng mad with rage.
"You little vixen, how dare you! Have you no shame? How could you be so vile!"
With bloodshot eyes and a face contorted in fury, Mrs. Meng raised her hand to strike Chen Wanqing, but Meng Jinchun quickly stopped her.
"Mother, Mother, let’s talk this over calmly. Mother, please don’t be angry. If you get sick from all this anger, your son will be worried to death."
Meng Jinchun hugged his mother tightly, whispering anxiously in her ear.
"Mother, calm down, you must calm down. Chen Song is the county magistrate now; he has a say in all matters in the county. If you dare to hit his daughter, we won’t have to wait until tomorrow. This very afternoon, men from the government office could come to audit our taxes. They could even forcibly requisition our silks."
How easy would it be for the government office to make trouble for a small merchant family?
They hold official power, allowing them to force purchases at low prices and enforce laws with excessive harshness. If merchants sue, the costs are not only exorbitant, but they also risk completely antagonizing the constables. Thus, they usually just pay to keep the peace.
As the old saying goes, the common folk don’t fight the officials. To do so is to court death.
Meng Jinchun’s words registered with Mrs. Meng, but they did nothing to soothe her anger. In fact, they only made her more furious.
’It was precisely because Chen Song had made something of himself that they were now constrained at every turn. Otherwise, Chen Wanqing wouldn’t have dared to scheme against her, not even in her wildest dreams.’
’Before, when I had someone try to kill her with a brick, the Chen family just reported it to the officials, and the matter was dropped. But now, *I’m* the one who has to be wary of *her*? Where is the justice in this world!’
Mrs. Meng spat viciously. "You little—"
Before she could finish, a man suddenly rushed in from outside. It was none other than Chen Song.
Chen Song was dressed in his official uniform, a saber hanging at his waist. Tall and imposing, he exuded a menacing aura.
The moment Chen Song appeared, a buzz went through the surrounding crowd.
"Who spread the word? Mr. Chen got here fast."
"Of course he’s fast. That’s his own daughter!"
"The Meng family really hit a wall this time."
Everyone assumed Chen Song was there to back up his daughter, including Mrs. Meng and Meng Jinchun.
A moment ago, Mrs. Meng had been shouting aggressively, her arrogance so overwhelming it seemed she could kill a person with it. But the instant Chen Song appeared, all her forced confidence evaporated, like air from a punctured balloon.
Terrified by Chen Song’s authority and his piercingly fierce gaze, the anger in Mrs. Meng’s heart deflated. Her knees went weak, and she nearly collapsed onto the floor.
Fortunately, Meng Jinchun was right next to his mother. Noticing her body start to slide downward, he quickly caught her.
"Mother! Mother, are you feeling unwell? Oh dear, is your old ailment flaring up? Mother, just hang on, I’ll carry you home right now."
As Meng Jinchun was about to carry his mother on his back and flee, a mischievous voice from the crowd called out, "Go home? Why? There’s a doctor right here. If your mother has fainted, just let the doctor give her a couple of needle pricks. She’ll be fine."
"Mr. Sun is a brilliant physician. You won’t find a better doctor in all of Qingshui County."
"Mr. Meng, please be careful! Don’t trip and end up hurting your mother..."
Meng Jinchun paid them no mind, treating their words as hot air. He hoisted his mother onto his back and bolted out of the apothecary in a few quick strides. Seeing him run as if a ghost were chasing him, the crowd burst into another round of laughter.
After the laughter died down, the onlookers didn’t leave. Instead, they watched Chen Song, Chen Wanqing, and Zhao Jing inside the apothecary with rapt attention.
Chen Wanqing walked quickly to her father. "I could have handled this. Who sent word and troubled you to come? You were worried I’d be at a disadvantage, weren’t you? I’ve learned my lesson from the last time. I’m not going to be caught off guard when I know they’re up to no good. Don’t worry, Jing is here. I won’t get hurt."
