Chapter 7

The employee watched, his scalp prickling. “Boss, she really came.”

I studied the jacket on the screen. “She was wearing the same one at the market.”

“Prying the door, pouring in the powder, red jacket…”

“She won’t get away with it.”

The employee asked, “Should we call the police now?”

“Wait until we open in the morning.”

“The broth was made last night. We haven’t used it to prepare anything for sale.”

“Nothing has been sold?”

“Nothing.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”

The next morning, I sealed the entire vat of braising broth and sent samples for testing.

Then I called the police.

“Officer, I’m with Lin Ji Roast Meats. My surname is Lin.”

“Someone poisoned my shop.”

“Our security cameras caught it.”

The test results came back soon afterward.

There was detergent residue in the broth.

I posted the report outside the shop.

“Lin Ji’s routine inspections have always passed.”

“This was deliberate contamination from outside.”

When the police came to investigate, I handed over all the security footage, the inspection report, and pictures of the jacket.

My mother stood beside me, her hands trembling with anger.

“How could she be so cruel?”

“Mom, don’t get angry,” I said. “She won’t get away with this one.”

But before the police could officially come looking for her, something happened to my grandfather.

That day, someone from the court came to Zhang Guilan’s home to demand repayment.

“Zhang Guilan, when are you going to pay?”

“The court’s notice has already been delivered.”

My grandfather heard the argument. His anger caught in his chest, and he collapsed in the courtyard.

My aunt immediately began screaming.

“Dad!”

“What’s happened to him?”

“Call an ambulance!”

By the time I got to the hospital, my grandfather had been stabilized.

The moment she saw me, my aunt charged over like a madwoman.

“Lin Yuan!”

“You made your grandfather so angry he had a heart attack!”

I looked at my grandfather lying in the hospital bed, my heart heavy.

But I did not back down.

“He was pushed to this point by the debt collectors.”

“This happened because of you.”

My aunt screamed, “You still think you’re right?”

I stared straight at her.

“I’m not right.”

“But you’re even more wrong.”

“You signed for the bill.”

“You put the poison in the broth.”

“You spread the rumors.”

“And you still want to blame everyone else?”

My grandfather weakly opened his eyes.

He looked at my aunt, exhaustion in his gaze.

“Guilan…”

“You were in the wrong.”

My aunt shook her head, crying. “Dad, I only did it for this family.”

My grandfather closed his eyes and sighed.

“I spoiled you.”

“I indulged you since you were little.”

I took his hand. “Grandpa, don’t blame yourself.”

But my aunt didn’t learn to restrain herself even after he was hospitalized.

The very next day, she started livestreaming outside my shop.

She set up her phone stand and burst into tears.

“This unscrupulous roast-meat shop is tearing my family apart!”

“He made my elderly father have a heart attack!”

“Everyone, help me judge what’s right!”

My mother went out to talk to her.

“Guilan, stop making a scene here.”

My aunt shoved my mother aside.

“Everyone, look! This is his mother.”

“The two of them are ganging up on me!”

I rushed over to help my mother.

“Mom, are you okay?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

I looked up at Zhang Guilan, my voice icy.

“Try touching my mother again.”

My aunt flinched at my glare but still tried to sound tough.

“I’m her older sister.”

I stepped toward her. “Does being her older sister give you the right to shove her?”

She raised her phone. “I’m livestreaming. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I gave a cold laugh. “So livestreaming means you can push my mother?”

“Leave.”

My aunt tried to play the victim again. “Fine! Just wait. The police are on their way.”

I took out my phone.

“You dare call the police?”

She froze.

“When you shoved my mother, why didn’t you think I might call them?”

The police arrived sooner than she expected.

And this time, I wasn’t the only one who had called them.