Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 6 The Lame Waiter

While everyone's attention was focused on the turmeric water and everyone was talking about it, the lame waiter took advantage of the chaos and sneaked out the back door, as if he was afraid of being discovered.

The young man, who had been paying attention to everyone's reactions, was quick to notice the waiter's unusual behavior. He frowned, exchanged a glance with the tall guard, and immediately understood each other's thoughts from their eyes.

Without any hesitation, the tall guard rushed forward like an arrow. His speed was so astonishing that he was behind the waiter in just a few steps.

The tall guard, quick-witted and swift-handed, leaped forward, stretched out his arm, and snatched the waiter back like a chicken. The waiter's feet were off the ground, and he struggled frantically, his voice mumbling incoherently. The guard ignored his resistance, lifted him directly in front of Manager Gao, and threw him to the ground with a dull thud.

"Why are you running?" the boy asked sternly.

"I...I'm going to the toilet." The lame waiter's eyes flickered and he didn't dare to look at everyone.

"Wait a minute, he..." Rong Wanyin closed her eyes and sniffed. She had a very sensitive nose since she was a child. "He smells like turmeric!... On his left leg!" Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on the waiter's left leg, which was his injured leg.

Without a word, the tall guard pulled up the waiter's trouser legs. Sure enough, they were coated with some medicine that smelled of turmeric. This smell was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish.

The lame waiter blushed, but still insisted, "My foot is injured, is it illegal to apply medicine? What right do you have to arrest me? I refuse to accept!"

"Can I check his belongings?" the young man asked Shopkeeper Gao, who nodded in agreement. The lame waiter turned pale and said nothing.

Soon, all of the waiter's things were turned out, including two quilts, some clothes, medicine for bruises and injuries, and a pillow.

The young man squatted down, picked up the pillow and shook it, examining it carefully. He found that the stitching on one side was particularly messy. He pulled out a dagger, cut open the seams, and several silver ingots rolled out.

Everyone exclaimed in surprise, their eyes widening with disbelief. How could this waiter have so much money?

"Where did you get this money?" Manager Gao glared at him.

"I remember now. You injured your foot, and the doctor prescribed a lot of turmeric!" Shopkeeper Gao continued. "Did you discover that turmeric water turns red when it comes into contact with alkali? So you took this opportunity to frame me?"

The lame waiter hung his head, silent, his body trembling slightly, but his heart was in turmoil. He knew full well that what he had done was shameful, and now that he had been caught, he was filled with panic, fearing the impending punishment and regretting his greed. However, when he thought of the lame waiter's despair and the embarrassment of his meager salary, he felt wronged and helpless.

"I was wondering why this waiter was acting like this today. He used to be so warm and attentive, leaving me with a deep impression. But why is he so indifferent today? It seems he's been paid and doesn't want to work anymore!" one diner couldn't help but complain. Everyone instantly understood why this lame waiter had such a bad attitude today, and why he had deliberately shouted loudly and exaggerated the situation when few people knew about the incident, even claiming it was human blood!

"You are a traitor!" Manager Gao cursed angrily and couldn't help but kick the waiter.

The lame waiter's inner grievances and resentment seemed to erupt like a volcano in an instant. He suddenly burst out with emotion and flushed face: "What's wrong with me taking some silver? I broke my leg, and the doctor said that if I don't have money to treat it, I will be lame for the rest of my life! I get up before dawn every day to work, and I only get so little money every month. Are you going to send away beggars? I made a mistake and you beat me! Why can you eat and drink well, but I can't!" It seems that he has suppressed the grievances in his heart for a long time. "Is the daily food and clothing not enough for you? Go out and ask around, which waiter pays 300 strings of cash a month? It's only 100 strings of cash at most! It's wrong to beat you, but who's apprentice doesn't get a few beatings? How can you learn real skills without being beaten?" Manager Gao was very disappointed, "The boss took pity on you and rescued you from the bandits' den, gave you food and drink, and taught you skills. Isn't the boss good enough to you?"

Everyone nodded as they listened, feeling that the waiter was indeed somewhat pitiful, but then they thought he was a bit ungrateful. The owner of Zhenbaozhai had truly done his utmost.

Speaking of the boss, the waiter's face showed a trace of guilt. He knew he was in the wrong and lowered his head.

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to report you to the police! With a few people waiting for you, I'm sure you'll confess!" Shopkeeper Gao pressed on. "Who ordered you to do that?"

"Boss, I know I was wrong. Can you please not report me to the police?" The lame waiter thought of the people he had seen being "served" before and looked up, his face filled with shame and fear. "I'm telling you, it was Boss Luo from Tianxiang Pavilion..."

Tianxiang Pavilion is a restaurant not far away. It used to be a prosperous business, but since Zhenbaozhai opened a year ago, it has gradually become deserted and few customers come.

"Then he is also in the same group with you?" Manager Gao pointed at the scarred man who was knocked down and asked the lame waiter.

The lame waiter's eyes were blank, and his answer was unexpected: "I don't know him!"

The tall guard pulled the scarred man lying on the ground to his feet. "Pa Pa," he slapped him left and right. The scarred man's face suddenly swelled up and he cried out in pain, "Stop slapping me, stop slapping me... I'm telling you, isn't that enough?... I don't know who it was, but last night at the alley entrance, a middle-aged man gave me a silver ingot and told me something was going to happen in Zhenbaozhai today. He told me to curse the female ghost and make the scene as loud as possible."

The scarred man quickly pulled out a large silver ingot from his arms and handed it to the boy: "Here, I really didn't lie..."

The young man took the silver ingot and compared it with the lame waiter's silver ingot. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the two silver ingots came from the same batch. It seemed that Tianxiang Pavilion was behind this.

"What does that person look like?" the young man said seriously.

"It was dark and I was drunk, so I don't remember clearly. I just remember that he was not very tall and he stuttered a bit..." The scarred man's cheeks were burning, and he didn't dare to hide it anymore.

"That shopkeeper Luo is just a bit of a stutterer!" someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

Rong Wanyin frowned slightly and asked, "Manager Gao, is there any grudge between Tianxiang Pavilion and Zhenbaozhai in the past?"

Shopkeeper Gao sighed and slowly said, "Young lady, you may not know this, but before I opened Zhenbaozhai, Tianxiang Pavilion was the most popular restaurant in Fengxian County. Everyone loved going there. But our boss managed the business diligently and gradually stole the limelight, causing their business to plummet."

The young man stroked his chin, thoughtfully: "So, it's because of business competition that you have evil intentions?"

(End of this chapter)