Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 29

When Madam Qiao arrived in Sihe Town with Lu Shuqing, it was just dawn, and there wasn’t even a single clerk at the Qiao Family Inn.

The inn was empty, with its door wide open.

Standing at the entrance, looking at Chunxi Inn opposite, Madam Qiao’s face was dark with anger.

The people at Chunxi Inn had clearly received the news, and people kept peeking outside.

Lu Shuqing took the fifty firecrackers prepared in advance from a servant and lit them, throwing them in front of Chunxi Inn.

Qiao Fu then set off a row of firecrackers along the road!

The noise instantly startled the entire Sihe Town.

The people inside Chunxi Inn were even more shocked, chickens and dogs scattering, and a clerk from Chunxi Inn immediately came out cursing.

“Where did these bastards come from to cause trouble in front of us? Are you retaliating against Chunxi Inn because your Qiao Family Inn’s business is bad? Is there no justice…”

Madam Qiao didn’t even glance at him and coldly ordered, “Shuqing, take action!”

Lu Shuqing, along with Yuan Bao and several skilled servants from the mansion, rushed toward Chunxi Inn.

By this time, the commotion had already attracted nearby residents, and many onlookers were rushing over. In no time, the road between Chunxi Inn and Qiao Family Inn was packed with people.

The crowd, unaware of the situation, began to discuss among themselves.

“What’s happening?”

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, what else could it be? The people from Qiao Family Inn are jealous of Chunxi Inn’s good business and are bullying them. They’re even going into the inn to smash and loot!”

“Bah! I’ve long heard that the owner of Qiao Family Inn is no good. Look at the prices they set, and the food they provide. Isn’t it a black shop ripping people off!”

“We can’t let them bully Chunxi Inn. Chunxi Inn is run by our Sihe Town people. If the Qiao family wants to cause trouble, they have to ask us first!”

“That’s right!”

“Owner of Chunxi Inn, we all support you. Don’t worry, go report this to the authorities!”

The voices of the discussions were lively, and Qiao Fu brought a chair for Madam Qiao, who sat in the street expressionlessly.

Soon, bedding started to be thrown out of Chunxi Inn’s windows.

“Too much!”

“This woman from the Qiao family is too arrogant! She’s acting as if there’s no law!”

“This woman has a heart of a viper! What is she trying to do?”

Lu Shuqing jumped out of the window, picked up a quilt from the ground, and cut it open in front of everyone. “Open your eyes and see! Why is Chunxi Inn using bedding from our Qiao Family Inn?”

Lu Shuqing turned the quilt cover inside out, revealing the character “Qiao” embroidered in silver thread, then threw the quilt into the crowd!

Next, she dismantled four or five more quilts and threw them out!

Meanwhile, Yuan Bao dragged a sack from the kitchen. The sack was filled with rice. Yuan Bao cut it open with a knife, spilling the rice all over the ground. He shook the sack, turning it inside out, and threw it into the crowd like Lu Shuqing.

A tall man in the crowd caught the sack.

“This is from Qiao Family Inn!”

The rice sack had the character “Qiao” on it as well.

Many elders in Sihe Town knew that the Qiao Family Inn always left a “Qiao” mark on their items, a testament to their quality.

The crowd was in an uproar!

“Heavens! What’s going on? Why are Chunxi Inn’s things all from Qiao Family Inn!”

The servants Madam Qiao brought continued to move items out—cups, bowls, and even a bed.

The legs of the bed were engraved with the character “Qiao.”

The crowd’s discussion became even more intense.

At that moment, Lu Shuqing returned to Chunxi Inn and dragged out the innkeeper and head chef as if they were chickens.

She threw them to the ground and patted her hands, placing a foot on the chef’s back.

“Wang Dashun! You were hired as the head chef at Qiao Family Inn, receiving a monthly salary of five taels of silver. Now you are working at Chunxi Inn. Explain this!”

If the items they found shocked the crowd, this revelation about the head chef left them speechless.

He took money from one employer but worked for another!

Someone in the crowd recognized Wang Dashun and cursed, “Wang Dashun, you disgrace Sihe Town! How could we have someone like you, eating from one’s pot while smashing it! And your son wants to study? Shameless! Did you get the tuition money from the Qiao family?”

Wang Dashun, pinned under Lu Shuqing’s foot, said nothing but wasn’t afraid.

The innkeeper had assured him that Madam Qiao was powerless, and that Lu Deren was the real authority.

Qiao Fu grabbed the innkeeper of Chunxi Inn. “Explain yourself, what’s going on?”

At that moment, the innkeeper of Qiao Family Inn finally arrived, having been woken up. He rushed over, slightly disheveled.

“Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, Madam, it’s a misunderstanding, let me explain!”

The innkeeper shouted loudly as he approached Madam Qiao.

Bowing and smiling apologetically, he said, “Madam, here’s what happened. A few days ago, Chunxi Inn had a guest with a skin disease.

The innkeeper and owner of Chunxi Inn didn’t know at first, only discovering it when the guest checked out.

Fearing the disease would spread to other guests, they burned all the bedding in a hurry.

But they had many guests and no new supplies. I thought we didn’t have many guests, so I gave them some of our bedding to use.

It’s a misunderstanding, really.

As for the rice and flour, I lent them those too.”

His explanation not only exonerated himself and Chunxi Inn but also praised Chunxi Inn.

The crowd immediately began praising Chunxi Inn and cursing the Qiao family for being unreasonable.

Madam Qiao knew these people would collude, and after her initial anger, she was now calm.

She stood up slowly, even smiling a little. “Is that so? It’s a misunderstanding? Was the chef borrowed too?”

The innkeeper quickly replied, “Yes, it’s a misunderstanding! I’ll personally go to Chunxi Inn to apologize later.”

With the innkeeper’s explanation, the crowd’s anger toward the Qiao family grew.

Lu Shuqing pulled out a gong from somewhere and, amid the crowd’s anger, struck it with a loud bang, silencing everyone for a moment.

Seizing the moment, Lu Shuqing raised her voice and said, “Since it’s a misunderstanding, let’s ask the owner of Chunxi Inn to come out and explain why his daughter, Lu Yuexi, is having an affair with my fiancé!”

Boom!