264 Reversal

The first thing Shang saw when he entered the room was Zhao Zhan, who had his hands tied behind his back.

His heart was filled with joy, but his expression relaxed for a moment. He forced himself not to show too much joy on his face, straightened his back, and walked to Zheng Zhixian with an innocent face.

“Did I come at the wrong time?”

“Do you know him?” Zheng Zhixian pointed at Zhao Zhan and said, “Didn’t you say that this person was the one who hung you up last night?”

“Sir,” Shang said urgently, “I see that. Can I have a few words with him in private?”

“Okay,” Zheng Zhixian pretended to be angry. “I think that he’s tight-lipped and doesn’t want to say anything. When you find out, I’ll get someone to take him down.”

Shang watched as Zheng Zhixian left, then walked up to Zhao Zhan. The pride on his face was completely undisguisable as he whispered.

“Zhao Zhan, as long as you hand over the secret recipe for making tofu, I can spare you from prison.

“If you and I work together, I’ll also build a tofu workshop in town that trades with the western regions. That place is too far away from you, so it won’t affect your business.

“We can’t be sure when Zheng Zhixian will come in. You don’t have much time to think about it.”

Zhao Zhan didn’t say anything. He didn’t even spare him a glance.

“You’re so stubborn.”

Shang was a head shorter than Zhao Zhan, and he had to raise his head to look at him when he spoke. His imposing manner had been suppressed because of his height, and he could only try to make up for it with his tone.

“Think about it carefully. If you don’t tell me the secret recipe, you will be imprisoned.

“Who knows what will happen to your lover when you’re in prison? Besides, you won’t be there to protect her anymore.

“Your bones are tough and you can hold on, but can she?

“She’s just a woman, what can she do to survive? Without a man, she might be devoured until not even her bones are left.”

Seeing that Zhao Zhan had finally turned to look at him after being provoked by his words, Shang’s face glowed and his words became even more wanton.

“What? Are you angry? I didn’t say anything wrong, your lover is just weak and so easy to bully, who doesn’t want a piece of that pie after looking at her big-”

He fell heavily to the ground with a bang.

Zheng Zhixian pushed the door open and entered under the protection of two officers. He looked at Shang, who was lying on the ground, with surprise.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“H-he actually dared to kick me!”

Shang’s face was twisted with anger.

After returning home from the county office today, he did not even dare to go out. After soaking in the bathtub for more than an hour, he finally washed off all the traces of embarrassment on his body!

However, the moment he thought of how the entire Huai County gossiped about the embarrassing matter today, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn’t stand this issue!

It was like he had been kicked in the face again!

“Zhao Zhan?”

“Zheng Zhixian, I can’t kick him like that since I’m tied up like this. Shang just asked me to hand over the secret recipe. It might have been because I didn’t agree with it, so he deliberately did something like this instead of offering the help he said.”

“Help?”

“Yes, Shang said that as long as I say the word, he will definitely not lock me up.”

“Nonsense!” Even if Shang despised Zheng Zhixian, he still had to be respectful to the official. “I’m just a businessman, how can I manage the affairs of the county government?! County Magistrate, don’t listen to him distort the truth. The other party is very good with words and is extremely treacherous!”

“Sir,” Zhao Zhan added, “Look at Shang, he doesn’t even call himself a commoner! You really want to offend your superior?”

“Enough!” Zheng Zhixian flicked his sleeves and looked at Shang with a pained expression.

“The man last night was not Zhao Zhan. He left Huai County early last night and had no time to commit the crime.”

“Shang, you’ve wasted the great opportunity I’ve given you.” Zheng Zhixian then called his men. “Guards! Send Shang back! I will need to continue investigating this case.”

“But-!”

Shang wanted to struggle, but Zheng Zhixian waved his hand and turned his back to him, not wanting to look his way anymore.

After he was sent away by the officer, Zhao Zhan shook off the rope on his body and bowed respectfully to Zheng Zhixian. “Thank you, sir.”

“I still have some questions for you.”

Zhao Zhan’s heart trembled, and he quickly reacted.

“Sir, about the secret recipe…”

Halfway through his words, Zheng Zhixian raised his hand to signal the other party to stop talking.

“I have no intention of knowing your secret recipe. In fact, I want to help you.” Zheng Zhixian’s face was half-bright and half-dark under the shadows.

“Your tofu business has not been open for a long time. I think it’s because soybeans have not been popularized.

“Our taxes are not heavy. I visited Huai County before I took over the office. The people are having a hard time.”

Zheng Zhixian sighed and looked sad.

“I’m an official that wants to benefit the people.

“I’ve asked Shang. The soybeans can be planted after the winter wheat is harvested and when the fields are tidied up. Although it will be busier in the two seasons of the year, it will give the people a surplus of money.

“I can help you promote soybean cultivation in the area under your rule. Can you promise me that you won’t force the price to be lowered and make things difficult for the people?

“To be honest, if this matter goes smoothly, then the changes in the lives of the people in Huai County will be my best achievement!”

Zheng Zhixian was willing to trust Zhao Zhan.

In addition to the officer who had escorted him back to Willow Village, he had also followed two other people to inquire about news. Zheng Zhixian received the news from outside the gate, and his original plan to observe Zhao Zhan had changed.

“Huai County can’t just have Shang. I need someone to stand up and fight him as an equal!”

With Zheng Zhixian’s clear determination, it would be a little rude of Zhao Zhan if he didn’t speak up. “Sir, it is the good fortune of our people to have a County Magistrate like you in Huai County.”

His words meant that he agreed.

Zheng Zhixian laughed out loud, which was rare. “Last night, your wife was taken away by Shang. I know that, but now is not the time to do anything to him. Do you understand?”

Zhao Zhan’s skin tightened as he subconsciously looked up at Zheng Zhixian.

From the looks of it, the County Magistrate had known everything from the start. Everything that happened after that was nothing more than a deliberate test.

It seemed that Zheng Zhixian had already sent people to watch Shang’s every move.

Cooperating with him was like asking a tiger for its share of kill, but his proposal was too tempting, and Zhao Zhan couldn’t possibly disagree.

“There are still more than four months before the busy farming season. Listen, whether or not the soybean planting can be successful depends on whether you can become a person that Shang will have to consider attacking or not.”

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