Chapter 10, Take Action

Luo Mei's expression darkened slightly, her gaze grew increasingly cold, yet she still did not respond to her words

Her appearance was so terrifying that it drew the attention of the surrounding diners, as if they had encountered a monster

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure suddenly rushed towards her in a hurry. With a loud "thud," a large ladle used for scooping soup struck her forehead. The young woman didn't even have time to scream; her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground.

Numerous diners rose to their feet, gazing at Luo Mei

Her voice was very loud, even those eating in the corner turned to look at her.

Luo Huaixiu rushed over, one hand on her hip and the other wielding a large spoon, pointing directly at the fierce-looking old woman. She raised her voice and shouted, "You two disgusting creatures, it's one thing to come to my restaurant to cause trouble, but you also dare to slander the reputation of my daughter and me with filthy words. If I don't show my authority, do you really think I'm an easy target? Don't think that just because I'm saying I will beat you today, that I won't do it. To bully us, a widow and her child, I will make sure to take you down even if it costs me my life!"

The old woman continued, deliberately raising her voice, "Not only are you a 'dog fetus', but you are also the result of Luo Huai's illicit affair with someone!"

Luo Mei stepped forward, suddenly grabbing her collar, her gaze icy as she glared at her, "If you have the guts, say it again!"

Ah—"The wife jumped up

Soon, the waiter brought the items they ordered to the table

The shopkeeper's expression was not just unpleasant; his face had turned black.

Upon seeing this, Luo Mei walked over with a serious expression

Luo Mei narrowed her eyes at her, but did not respond. She resembled her mother, and anyone who knew her mother would not mistake her for someone else.

As she watched the man walking out of the crowd, the formerly fierce-looking old woman suddenly changed her expression, her old eyes wide with shock, as if she had seen a ghost, "Wei... Wei Qing Wang..."

Today, Luo Mei did not go to the kitchen to help, but instead stayed at the counter, assisting with collecting payments while also keeping an eye on the dining situation of the guests in the hall

The old woman stood up from the stool, looking both surprised and frightened, "Are you the 'dog offspring' that Luo Huaixiu is怀的? You, you have actually grown this big?"

The attendant did not approach immediately; instead, he hurried to the counter and nervously said to Luo Mei, "Miss, the people who have been causing trouble for the past two days have come again"

Two women, one old and one young, entered without any formality and directly took a vacant table to sit down

The murder case from yesterday was quickly resolved by the yamen. The mother and daughter did not go to the yamen; they only heard the account of the incident from Da Gu. It was reported that the man was publicly beaten, after which the county magistrate, Lord Wang, ordered that the body be taken away.

Luo Mei raised her eyes and immediately squinted. Indeed, it was two of the individuals who had come the day before yesterday! She remembered that the arrogant old woman referred to this woman, who was of a similar age, as 'Jing Feng'.

Watching her leave like that, Nangong Zihen clenched his hand on the table tightly, his handsome face tense and dark, his gaze deep and obscure as if infused with a thousand years of icy coldness

The young woman was suddenly rendered speechless, feeling embarrassed and her complexion fluctuated between pale and flushed.

Luo Mei held onto her collar with one hand and suddenly tipped the bowl of cold shrimp from the table over her head

Regarding their arrival, Luo Mei certainly felt disgusted, but due to the current business dealings, she could only endure it for the time being. Thus, she nodded slightly to the waiter and said, "It's fine, you go ahead and be busy, I will keep an eye on things here."

At that moment, a deep voice suddenly emerged from the crowd, "They are merely two cunning slaves; killing them is sufficient, why must one pay with their life?"

Luo Mei raised her chin slightly, signaling him to stand aside. Standing by the table, facing the gaze of the entire room, she looked at the young woman with a blank expression and said, "If you want to eat real shrimp, I’m sorry, but our Unique Flavor Restaurant does not have it. Moreover, a bowl of cold shrimp costs only five copper coins; do you think you can buy real shrimp with that?"

The attitude of the two individuals has noticeably improved compared to the day before, and like other guests, each ordered a bowl of cold shrimp

The young woman walked around the table, tidying up her disheveled appearance while angrily addressing Luo Mei, "What is it? Is it a crime to speak a few truths? Is this how you bully people? Do you intend to silence me for good?"

One person is indifferent, while the other is aloof; the atmosphere is not particularly bad, but it can certainly not be described as warm and harmonious

The young woman fainted, and the old woman was both shocked and angry, "You, you all..."

The young woman suddenly exclaimed, "Hey!" in a particularly loud voice, "Waiter, what have you served us? Isn't this supposed to be cold shrimp? Where are the shrimp?"

The young woman fell silent, but the old woman across from her suddenly pointed at her in astonishment, "You, you are Luo Huaixiu's daughter?"

Luo Meiyuan looked from a distance; although she did not chase them away, her gaze was cold and heavy, and she did not believe for a moment that they had come to eat.

Although this case was concluded simply, the mother and daughter did not say much. The incident that occurred in their restaurant was clearly premeditated by the other party, and the bowl of poisoned noodles serves as evidence. However, the evidence was 'destroyed' by Luo Mei, and by publicly consuming the leftover noodles, it also eliminated any suspicion against their restaurant

As for why the other party would poison and kill in their restaurant while also attempting to frame them, they believe there must be a mastermind behind it. Sooner or later, this mastermind will have to show themselves, and there is no need to rush. What they can do now is to be more cautious and to take more precautions.

Luo Mei turned around expressionlessly and said, "Please feel free."

The young woman pointed at him, increasingly assertive as she admonished, "Go, call your manager! I want to ask her in person what it means to run such a large restaurant yet serve customers with such fake items"

The scene before them came suddenly, leaving the diners completely unprepared, all of them stunned and gasping in shock

The shop assistant's expression instantly turned unpleasant, but he still patiently explained, "Dear guest, our cold shrimp is made from rice noodles, not real shrimp."

"Yes, miss." The waiter then hurried over to attend to the two of them

Suddenly, an elderly woman and a young lady walked into the tavern

The old woman seized her wrist and struggled, growling with anger, "What I say is all true! Your mother was pregnant with you from a 'dog's litter'! Later, when it was discovered that you were the illegitimate child of her adultery, your mother was abandoned by her husband. If you don't believe me, call your mother out, and I can confront her face to face!"

This matter was handled hastily, but the mother and daughter felt somewhat fortunate; indeed, it is better not to delve too deeply, as further investigation would only bring more trouble to their restaurant

Suddenly, the old woman pushed Luo Mei away, frantically wiping the water stains off her face while shaking her head to get rid of the "shrimp strips" stuck in her hair, and shouted angrily, "Everyone, look quickly, the people from the Unique Flavor Restaurant have harmed someone!"

The young woman suddenly turned cold, even pointing at him and sternly admonishing, "You are clearly deceiving customers! This is supposed to be a signature dish, yet you are using such fake ingredients to fool people. You really do not take your customers seriously at all!"

Upon hearing this, nearly all the diners paused their eating, and some even began to converse quietly, their gazes towards Luo Mei filled with a peculiar intensity

The reason why the restaurant is called 'Unique Flavor' is that the food here is indeed different from that of other restaurants. They do not sell alcohol; all the dishes are made from rice noodles and flour, boasting a unique taste and reasonable prices. This is why there are many diners here, as they can enjoy a meal with distinctive flavors without spending much, which is also a pleasure for those who are away from home.

She does not harbor any aversion towards men; she simply does not feel any affection for them. It is akin to her acceptance of the presence of her senior brother and the waiters in the tavern, as her relationship with them is the most straightforward one.

The guests around began to chuckle, clearly amused by Luo Mei's remarks

Ah—" the young woman on the opposite side also exclaimed

The young woman widened her eyes and angrily said, "You are being unreasonable! If it is not real shrimp, why give it such a name? This is clearly deceiving customers!"

The shopkeeper, seeing her arrive, hurriedly called out, "Miss, please take a look..."

As noon approached, the patrons in the restaurant increased in number. Although a murder had occurred yesterday, the business of the restaurant seemed to be unaffected in the slightest.

He could not clearly articulate the source of his anger; perhaps it stemmed from the fact that the mother and daughter were too oblivious to their surroundings, or maybe it was due to his goodwill being overlooked by them

Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished and turned their gazes in unison towards the source.

Luo Mei sneered, "According to what you said, the tavern next door also sells 'Tiger Skin Peanuts'."