Chapter 244: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
### Chapter 244: Moldy Grain Buries Hidden Dangers, Nightmares Serve as Warnings (3)
"Evidence? I checked the rice carefully, it's moldy. And you, a swindler, still won't admit it?" The man was infuriated, unwilling to let it go.
"So what if it's moldy? Who can prove that the rice at your house came from my shop? Maybe you deliberately let the rice get moldy and then pretended to eat it to extort money from me." The rice shop owner firmly denied the accusation, and his words left no room for rebuttal.
"You're full of crap!" The man, enraged, couldn't help but swear. "I don't need your damn money. Why would I risk my child's life to extort you? You really have some nerve!"
"You—you're full of crap!" The elderly rice shop owner, also infuriated by the insult, retorted, "Get out, all of you. If you want to file a complaint, go ahead. Zhang's Rice Shop has been honest and upright for years. Let's see if you can win this case."
Hearing this, the man realized that even if he continued to make a scene, the rice shop wouldn't give him a satisfactory response. Unwilling to back down, he left a harsh warning: "Just you wait. I don't believe your Zhang's Rice Shop isn't afraid of the authorities. I'm going to file a complaint right now."
With that, he waved his hand and led his relatives and friends to the magistrate's office to file a complaint.
The rice shop owner watched the departing figures, unconcerned. Seeing that the onlookers hadn't dispersed, he impatiently waved them away, "What are you looking at? Move along, don't delay my business."
"Hey, Zhang Fugui, aren't you afraid they're going to file a complaint?" Someone asked gleefully, seemingly enjoying the shop owner's predicament. "I heard you bought old rice at a low price from a big household recently. Could it be that this old rice turned moldy, and you sold it as fresh rice to that man?"
Others might not know, but as Zhang's neighbor, he was well aware. Zhang's Rice Shop often sold old rice as new. People in their area knew this, so they preferred to buy rice from farther away rather than from Zhang's shop.
Zhang Fugui's face darkened, his expression menacing. "Stop spreading lies. This is this year's new rice, which I bought at a high price. If you continue to slander me, don't blame me for being rude."
The man sneered and walked away, unconcerned. He didn't buy rice from Zhang's shop anyway, so it didn't matter to him if Zhang sold moldy rice.
Several people overheard the conversation and decided to avoid buying rice from Zhang's shop in the future.
Mo Yan watched the drama unfold, but unfortunately, she couldn't see the conclusion.
Xin'er, excited, asked, "Sister, do you think Zhang's Rice Shop sold moldy rice, or was that man really trying to extort money?"
Mo Yan patted her head. "I don't know, Xin'er. What do you think the truth is?"
"Of course, the rice shop sold moldy rice. What kind of father would let his child eat moldy rice, almost die, and then go to the rice shop to extort money?" Xin'er confidently shared her opinion.
Mo Yan smiled but said nothing.
There were indeed parents who exploited their children for profit. She had encountered cases of people swapping children to eat during times of famine. But Xin'er hadn't seen such things and assumed all fathers were as loving as theirs, never sacrificing their children for gain.
However, Mo Yan's view aligned with Xin'er's. If the rice shop owner had no issues, the onlooker wouldn't have made such a remark. And if the man intended to extort money, he wouldn't really go to the authorities.
The excitement delayed them a bit, and when they returned to Hui Xian Residence, Li Zhong was worried and about to go look for them.
Xin'er ran up and recounted what happened at the rice shop. Upon hearing the name Zhang's Rice Shop, Li Zhong's expression changed slightly, "The Zhang's Rice Shop you're talking about, is it on the street by the river?"
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