Chapter 224: Gone Mad
Shang Wan figured that Chu Zhao’s letter must have said something, but since the child refused to say, she didn’t press him.
“You go up front to find Doctor Yuan and ask him for me what that package of medicine I gave him yesterday was.”
“Okay.” Chu Xu agreed, seemingly feeling embarrassed about being found out that he had cried, and quickly ran off kicking his legs.
Shang Wan beckoned to Yuan Yuan.
Yuan Yuan hopped over like a little rabbit and looked up at her mother.
Shang Wan pinched her cheek, her voice gentle, “Good child, if Brother Anian cries again in a bit, you come tell me.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Shang Wan smiled, “Go play with Xiao Hei.”
After sending her daughter away, Shang Wan turned back to continue the interrogation.
After those two in front confessed, the remaining three also confessed one after another.
The youth was also assigned by Shopkeeper Qi to cause trouble at the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion. His job was to shout about being poisoned after the medicinal powder took effect, inciting the shop’s customers to attack the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion en masse.
“Poisoned?” Shang Wan stared at the youth, “Do you know what effect that medicinal powder has when smeared on someone?”
The youth said: “That package of medicine is itchy powder. Once it touches the skin, it itches unbearably in no time, and scratching causes red rashes.”
Shang Wan imagined that if they hadn’t caught the woman and let her smear the medicinal powder on customers, the shop would have been a chaotic mess?
She shook her head; good thing she had acted fast.
She kicked the youth, telling him to stay with the other two.
Shang Wan looked at the remaining two men; these two probably weren’t sent by Shopkeeper Qi too, right?
No.
The two men were pickpockets. Although they were together, they had no relation to Shopkeeper Qi; their purpose in sneaking in was to steal money.
The reason they hadn’t confessed yesterday was because they feared Shang Wan would report them to the authorities. They had just been released from prison a couple of days ago and didn’t want to go back.
But Shang Wan hit too hard, even more ruthless than the prison warden at the county yamen; they would rather go back to prison.
Shang Wan naturally obliged them and had Shi Tou send the two to the county yamen to hand over to Dan Dajun.
“Aunt Shang, Doctor Yuan said that package of medicinal powder contained oleander. When it touches the skin, it itches unbearably, and in severe cases, it causes rashes in large patches.” Chu Xu returned after asking, his cat-like eyes no longer red, looking like his usual self.
Shang Wan nodded; this matched what the youth had said.
Rat poison, itchy powder—Shopkeeper Qi sure had ideas.
“Aunt Shang, don’t smile like that.” Chu Xu fearfully hugged his arm, “It’s creepy.”
Shang Wan smoothed her lips; Shopkeeper Qi had sent her such a big gift, how could she not return the courtesy?
·
“Hey, did you hear?”
“About Ji Min Apothecary? Sigh, the whole city knows.”
“What what, what did I miss?”
“Ji Min Apothecary’s Shopkeeper Qi has gone mad!”
“Gone mad? Impossible! Yesterday evening when I was strolling, I saw him in the shop scolding the shop assistant, and he looked perfectly normal.”
“He went mad last night; who knows if it’s because his wife ran off with someone.”
“Or maybe he found out the son isn’t his.”
“How exactly did he go mad? Someone tell us.”
“Last night, Old Man Zhang who was on night watch saw Shopkeeper Qi streaking naked down the street, without a stitch on. Not only did he run while scratching, he also jumped and shouted, cried and laughed, scaring Old Man Zhang half to death. With his disheveled hair, it was like seeing a ghost. Tell me, would a normal person do that? He’s clearly gone mad.”
“Shopkeeper Qi is so fat, his belly bigger than a five-month pregnant woman, and he went streaking—good thing it was midnight, or it’d be an eyesore.”
“Did Ji Min Apothecary open today?”
“No, haven’t you seen everyone waiting?”
“You all just love a spectacle and stir up trouble; a madman could do anything, I don’t want to deal with one.”
“With a mad shopkeeper, I won’t buy medicine from Ji Min Apothecary anymore.”
“Let’s go, if we want medicine, we still have to go to Spiritual Medicine Pavilion; they have lots of new things.”
“That all-purpose ointment really works; I need to buy two more boxes.”
“Even if you go, it’s sold out; it was gone yesterday afternoon. The shop assistants said it’d be three days before more stock, so just wait.”
……
Meanwhile, at the Qi residence.
Shopkeeper Qi, who had recovered after taking the antidote, was so angry that he smashed everything in the bedroom.
The servant boy responsible for gathering news ran back and saw the room in chaos, hesitating to cross the threshold.
Shopkeeper Qi bellowed: “Come in!”
The servant boy hurriedly ran in and bowed respectfully.
Shopkeeper Qi sat in the armchair, panting a couple of rough breaths before asking: “What are they saying outside?”
The servant boy carefully glanced up at him, choosing words that weren’t too harsh.
Even so, it still infuriated the man in the chair.
“Master, what people outside say is all nonsense; whether you’re mad or not, we insiders know, right?”
The servant boy smiled obsequiously to comfort him, “Master, you rest well, and once you’re recovered, we’ll reopen. Let those outside see that the bad things said about you are all rumors—you’re fine.”
These words eased Shopkeeper Qi’s anger somewhat.
Last night he had been hit with itchy powder, stronger than what he had, itching so badly he completely lost control.
He had accidentally run out and been chased by a big dog; those teeth were sharp, scaring him half to death.
Though he didn’t know how he had been dosed, Shopkeeper Qi was certain this was connected to the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion.
He had just sent people with itchy powder to cause trouble at Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, and right after, he himself was hit with itchy powder—how could there be such a coincidence in the world?
Besides, none of those three good-for-nothings had come back to report; they had probably fallen into that Shang woman’s hands.
Hmph! He had underestimated that woman.
Shopkeeper Qi beckoned to the servant boy, “Come here.”
The servant boy feared a kick but had no choice but to steel himself and approach.
Shopkeeper Qi whispered a few instructions in his ear, then waved him off, “Go do it quickly!”
“Yes.” The servant boy turned and ran off.
Shopkeeper Qi gripped the chair armrests, a cold smile tugging at his lips.
Women should stay home cooking and bearing children; he shouldn’t have pitied that Shang woman before!
“Achoo!”
Shang Wan, who was counting silver, suddenly sneezed loudly.
She rubbed her nose and said to the youth beside her who was checking the accounts: “That Qi fellow must be cursing me.”
Lu Chengjing lifted his eyelids and asked seriously: “Shall we curse back?”
“No need.” Shang Wan was amused by him, “If he dares provoke me again, I wouldn’t mind the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion opening more branches in the city.”
Lu Chengjing lowered his head and made a note in the account book, agreeing: “Niangzi is right.”
Shang Wan reached out and poked his cheek, suddenly remembering something, “Has Constable Dan sent any message?”
“Not yet.”
No sooner had Lu Chengjing spoken than the message arrived.
Shang Wan gave the messenger twenty cash as reward money, then turned to Lu Chengjing and raised her brow: “Pretty accurate guess.”
Those two pickpockets hadn’t told the truth.
The two had only been locked in prison yesterday, and today someone paid to bail them out.
The one who paid was none other than Qiao Yu Gui, Young Master Qiao’s long-time servant, Yuan Kang.
