Gourmet Girl: Becoming a Royal Merchant Started from Selling Buns

Lin Yong's brows furrowed, his gaze sharpening. "Lao Yu is your son. Ever since he returned to Fuyou County, he's been causing your entire village to riot. How dare you, as my father and the head of the village, claim you knew nothing about this?"

The old village chief's eyelids drooped, and he said nothing but shook his head, looking as if he was ready to be dealt with.

Lin Yong's face looked a little ugly. At this time, Su An stepped forward slightly and looked directly at the old village chief.

"You know, your son instigated riots, attacked officials and innocent refugees, and even instigated Xiaoyu to lurk outside my house to commit crimes. Each of these offenses is punishable by imprisonment."

"He can hide for a while, but not forever. If you can tell me where he's hiding now, maybe you can stop him before he causes a disaster. Otherwise, he'll only make more mistakes, and end up with his head on the line."

Unexpectedly, the old village chief remained unmoved after hearing this.

He said with a smile: "Miss Su, you have taken the blame. It is true that my son attacked the refugees, but we can reconcile with him by paying him some money. I believe the refugees are in great need of gold, silver and food, so they won't refuse."

"As for the accusations of assaulting officials and attempting to commit misconduct, where did this come from? Does Miss Su have any evidence? It's just fabricated accusations."

Su An's mouth twitched when he heard this. This old man was saying openly and secretly that the government could not punish them. He was so shameless and stubborn!

No wonder he was so calm and fearless!

Suddenly, Fu Zhun spoke in a cold voice, "The craftsman in the workshop that your son beat was Lu Ming, a royal craftsman from the capital. His exquisite craftsmanship has made great contributions to the Great Chu, and even the current emperor treats him with respect."

"Your son injured him in public, which is tantamount to defying the emperor's authority. He is a traitor."

"You'd better think it over carefully. Anyone who harbors someone will bring disaster to their entire clan."

Fu Zhun's cold voice carried a residual force, like a thunderclap exploding in the old village chief's head, causing him to lose his grip on the cane and drop it.

"What, what... the royal craftsman..."

The old village chief was trembling, his face pale with horror.

Su An and Lin Yong were both shocked. They didn't expect Lu Ming to have such a powerful background.

"You are such a dishonest God of Wealth that you didn't tell me such an incredible thing." Su An secretly poked Fu Zhun.

I actually commanded the royal craftsmen to do their work before. Come to think of it, I am really...capable!

Fu Zhun grasped her slender white fingertips with a half-smile and said, "I'm going to find the best for you."

Su An's ears turned red, and he quickly retracted his claws, but a throbbing sensation filled his heart.

He did so much for me without saying anything...

"My lords, my son didn't know that he was a royal craftsman. It was an unintentional mistake. I beg you to be kind and spare my son!"

The old village chief was no longer as calm as before. He looked terrified and knelt down in front of several people miserably.

"My son was just impulsive and confused in the moment, but he is not a traitor, not a traitor! I, an old man, am willing to bear all the blame for that unfilial son!"

The elderly man burst into tears, his face full of sadness, and the scene was heartbreaking.

Lin Yong struck while the iron was hot and shouted, "If you want to beg for mercy, then confess everything truthfully, including the hiding places of Lao Yu and the others. Confess and I will give you leniency!"

The old village trembled violently, not daring to hide it anymore, and told the truth in a bitter voice.

It turns out that Yujia Village started out as a fishmongering village, so it is also called Yujia Village. When Lao Yu was young, he accidentally became an apprentice to a craftsman and learned the craft. After completing his studies, he led the villagers to switch to construction and formed a group to make money in the surrounding villages. He became very prestigious and his life gradually improved.

But these good days came to an end after the refugees arrived.

"Those refugees only work for a meal or a few copper coins, leaving us, young and old, without jobs. We wanted to come and build the road, but the work was handed over to the refugees again!"

"My Lords, we have no other choice. We have no choice but to do this. We just want to find a way to survive. Otherwise, the elderly and children in the village will starve to death... Although my unfilial son's actions may be a bit extreme, they are all for the sake of our villagers. He has absolutely nothing to do with traitors!"

"Please, sirs, have mercy on me. If you want to punish someone, punish me, an old man!"

"So that's how it is." Lin Yong listened to the crying and begging, frowning and falling into deep thought.

There are reasons for this, it's not an unprovoked evil, this is really not easy to deal with...

He subconsciously looked at Su An and Fu Zhun.

Su An's eyes were complicated and he felt a little uncomfortable.

She thought she was doing a good thing by hiring refugees, but she didn't expect that it would indirectly harm the livelihood of Yujia Village.

My conscience suddenly started to feel a little uncomfortable.

When Fu Zhun saw the confusion on her face, he knew what she was thinking. After a moment of silence, he set his gaze on the old village chief.

"If the truth is as you say, it's not a serious crime."

Hearing this, the old village chief immediately raised his head with great joy.

Fu Zhun narrowed his eyes and said, "Although you have your own difficulties, you did not report them to the county magistrate, and instead took the initiative to gather together and injure others. This is disobedience to discipline, and you will not escape punishment."

"The punishment is that everyone in Yujia Village, except the elderly and children, must join in the road construction as hard labor. Their merits will atone for their crimes. During this time, they will not receive any wages, but only food and clothing."

After saying that, he raised his eyebrows and looked at Su An, "Do you think this punishment is good?"

Su An breathed a sigh of relief silently, then nodded vigorously.

Fortunately, the small punishment and stern warning not only deterred other people with bad intentions, but also ensured that the people in Yujia Village had food to eat, thus resolving their urgent problem.

She gave the old village chief a gentle look and said, "Since you've joined the road construction, you're now one of us. You can bring your family with you, young and old, and we'll definitely provide you with enough food!"

The old village chief shuddered in disbelief, then burst into tears of gratitude: "Thank you so much, everyone, for your mercy! Thank you, Miss Su, for your kindness!"

After kneeling down, he walked out quickly with trembling feet to announce this great event to the villagers.

On the way back, Su An couldn't help but sigh and talk to Fu Zhun.

"This country is simply too poor. The people can't even afford to eat and wear clothes. If something unexpected happens, it could easily have a ripple effect on the entire country."

In a small Fuyou County like this, just building a simple road has caused so many troubles.

This sigh touched Fu Zhun's heart, and his eyes grew serious. "Food is indeed a top priority, and with the severe drought in the north right now, the grain supply will be reduced."

"Su An, the secret guards have found ten Persian merchants. They are trading goods from various countries. They will arrive in a few days. When they arrive, please see if there are any seeds you need. This matter cannot be delayed."

Su An nodded worriedly, "Of course."

She sent Fu Zhun back to the clinic. Coincidentally, Xie Qingfeng came out and said, "You're finally back. Lu Ming just woke up and started clamoring to settle the score. I could hardly stop him!"