Chapter 272: Chapter 264: Officials Protect Each Other

The village chief’s face darkened. "What do you mean by that? Are you questioning Lord Meng’s sense of justice? Fine. In that case, let’s go directly to the County Magistrate."

Liu retorted, "It’s common knowledge that officials protect their own. What good would it do to see the County Magistrate? With just one word from Lord Meng, why would the County Magistrate care whether ordinary people like us live or die?"

The village chief stared at Liu. "So, you not only question the justice of Lord Meng, but you question the County Magistrate as well. How about this? I’ll write up a formal complaint for you, and you can take it directly to the Capital City and petition the emperor. Our little Qingyuan Town is clearly not equipped to handle a case of this magnitude."

The village chief’s tone suddenly shifted. "But let me give you a piece of advice. No matter where you go to file your complaint, you should get your story straight. You can’t have two supposed victims describing completely different ordeals. I’m almost under the impression that you two, a mother and daughter-in-law, each ran into a separate band of ruffians who beat you senseless."

Liu was confused. "Village chief, what do you mean by that?"

The village chief snorted. "What do I mean? I mean that if you’re going to extort someone, you should at least have a well-rehearsed story. Don’t just improvise on the spot—it’s too easy to see through. For example, you’ve painted such a pitiful picture of your mother-in-law’s injuries. That means we’ll have to have a doctor examine her. If he doesn’t find the wounds you described, that constitutes a false accusation. Do you have any idea how long you’d be in jail for that?"

It finally dawned on Liu. She slowly turned to look at Old Mrs. Bai, who was giving her a look that could have devoured her whole.

Just moments ago, she had been so proud of her own quick thinking. ’Now I realize what a foolish mistake I’ve made...’

Old Mrs. Bai knew that extorting Zhao Lan today was impossible. That woman, Liu Guihua, had ruined everything. She had been lying on the ground all this time for nothing, and the small stones were digging painfully into her back.

Old Mrs. Bai scrambled to her feet, shot Liu a venomous glare, and snapped, "What are you standing there in a daze for? Let’s go!"

The pair scurried away in disgrace as roars of laughter erupted behind them. They trembled with rage, but there was nothing they could do.

————

「Diner Inn」

After thanking Boss Chen, Bai Zhi went to the back kitchen herself to share a few tips for preparing the gourd dish with the chefs.

Every chef has their own specialty, a secret they typically guard from outsiders. They had never met someone like Bai Zhi, who shared her culinary arts so selflessly. Their initial condescension and suspicion slowly transformed into respect and admiration.

They carefully noted everything Bai Zhi said. Following her methods, they created one delicious dish after another. Soon, the servers were constantly returning to the kitchen with tips from appreciative diners, which they shared with the chefs.

The chefs were ecstatic. How long had it been since they’d received tips from the diners?

Diners only gave tips for dishes they found exceptionally satisfying—that was the custom in high-end establishments like this.

The chefs surrounded Bai Zhi, pooling all the tips they had received that day. They stuffed the entire sum into her hands. "Miss Bai, if you hadn’t taught us so selflessly, we never would have earned these. They rightfully belong to you."

Bai Zhi pushed the money back. "No, you’re the ones who earned this. I only taught you because of my promise to Boss Chen. It’s your solid skills, your ability to learn quickly, and your diligent work that made these dishes taste so good. The diners enjoyed the food *you* cooked, so these tips are for *you*. I can’t accept them."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.