Chapter 282 - Chapter 269: Something Happened (1/2)

Chapter 269: Something Happened

Translator: 549690339

Some cat litter was also prepared, placed in a simple coarse porcelain basin, serving as a makeshift cat toilet.

As for cat food, which is easily overlooked and whose quality is uncertain, Zhuang Qingning preferred to make delicious meals for the cat herself. Seeing the enthusiasm of Zhuang Qingsui, it seemed that she wouldn’t even have a chance to cook for the cat.

Zhuang Qingning glanced at the courtyard, where one person and one cat were excitedly playing amidst the stretched shadows cast by the setting sun. She smiled in satisfaction.

When Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong arrived in town, the sun had already fully set.

Being concerned about traveling after dark, the two of them let Zhuang Sifu rush back as soon as they reached the town, telling him not to accompany them back home.

Zhuang Sifu tried to persuade them twice, but failed, so he could only follow Zhang Yongchang’s instruction, cracking the whip and hastening his return.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong walked back towards their house along the road.

Perhaps it was because of his good mood that day, Zhang Yongchang strolled back home with his hands on his back, humming a tune along the way. When he met acquaintances, he would stop and greet them warmly.

“Chef Zhang.” After Doctor Wei of the pharmacy greeted him and saw his beaming smile, he couldn’t help but laugh, “You have good reason to be happy, Chef Zhang.”

“Oh?” Zhang Yongchang immediately turned his head, his face full of surprise.

“Isn’t Chef Zhang’s happiness due to the misfortunes of Fushun Tower and Manager Feng?” Doctor Wei said, “Anyone would be happy with these news, right? Are you worried about people finding out?”

“Oh, as for what happened between you and Manager Feng, we all thought it was Manager Feng who was in the wrong. Now with what’s happening at Fushun Tower, we all think Manager Feng got what he deserved.”

“Hold on, what happened to Fushun Tower?” Zhang Yongchang asked with a furrowed brow.

“You don’t know?”

Now it was Doctor Wei’s turn to be surprised.

However, seeing the bewildered look on Zhang Yongchang’s face, Doctor Wei realized his previous comments were quite awkward. He cleared his throat and said, “Since you don’t know, let me explain…”

“It’s not a major issue really. After Fushun Tower let you… um, after you left Fushun Tower, Manager Feng hired a cook named Qi Changfu along with his apprentice, a boy named Tong Fei. These two withheld the daily payments that were supposed to go to the meat shop and the vegetable market, saying they would all be paid in a lump sum in half a month.”

“Seeing as it was the head chef of Fushun Tower speaking and Fushun Tower wasn’t going anywhere, no one made a fuss and everyone just waited for the payments due in half a month. But when the shop owners came to claim their money, the apprentice and teacher duo were nowhere to be found. As a result, the shop owners went to Manager Feng for their money.”

“But Manager Feng insisted that he had paid his dues every day, and he paid with real silver, so it wasn’t fair to say he hadn’t paid. He claimed he should not have to pay twice because Qi Changfu had run off.”

“The creditors, naturally, didn’t accept this. They claimed that Manager Feng was playing a game of ‘decoy’, blaming Qi Changfu for everything in order to save some money. The argument got heated, and eventually, it was brought to the Pavilion Chief.”

“The pavilion chief inevitably had to look into it to see what was going on. Upon investigation, they found that nearly all the shops in town had accounts pending with Qi Changfu, whether it was a wine shop, tea shop, cloth shop, or grain shop, all varying amounts, all in the name of Fushun Tower. In total, it added up to several dozen taels of silver.”

“Those who were originally unaware of Qi Changfu and Tong Fei’s disappearance and who did not know to demand their money, upon hearing the news, all went to Manager Feng to claim their dues. It created quite a stir in the town today, it was chaos.”

Such a thing had actually happened.

Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong exchanged a look, their feelings as complex as their expressions.