You don't need to worry about him, but how could Lin Qinghe not worry? Seeing You Rong washing her feet made her feel too embarrassed.
She urged him anxiously, "That's enough... let go of me quickly, you don't need to massage for so long."
You Rong saw Lin Qinghe's cheeks flushing, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards. He raised an eyebrow slightly, "Why be shy? We are husband and wife, we've done more intimate things before, haven't we?"
Lin Qinghe said with a red face, "I... I'm not shy at all!"
Looking at Lin Qinghe's face, which was red as if it could bleed, You Rong smiled without a word. He feared that if he teased her any further, she would be so shy that she'd hide under the covers and not come out.
It took a long time for You Rong to finish washing her feet and drying them. He held onto her foot and didn't let go. Lin Qinghe's foot, held in his palm, inexplicably felt hot. She quickly found an excuse to change the subject, "You... you sit down, I have something important to tell you!"
You Rong then released Lin Qinghe's foot and said, "Mm, go ahead, I'm listening. What is it? Is it related to the small restaurant?"
"No..." Lin Qinghe said, "The small restaurant is doing well now. We've bought the place it's in, and there's still some money left. I want to take some time to see the houses in town. We'll buy a house and bring Mother to live in town, so we don't have to run back and forth every day. What do you think?"
You Rong said, "Good, I'll listen to you. What kind of house do you like? We'll buy that kind."
Lin Qinghe glared at him playfully, "The house is for us to live in together, so of course, we have to choose one that we both like. How can it be just about me..."
"It doesn't matter, if you like it, I will surely like it." You Rong leaned in, hugged Lin Qinghe, and nibbled her earlobe before saying in a deep voice, "Let's rest. We need to get up early tomorrow."
Lin Qinghe believed him, thinking that You Rong genuinely wanted to rest. She nodded, blew out the oil lamp, and they lay down on the bed. You Rong suddenly flipped over and pressed her down. Only then did she realize that "rest" in You Rong's words didn't mean actual rest.
"You..." Lin Qinghe bit her lip, suppressing the moans that threatened to escape, "Didn't you say we have to get up early tomorrow? Aren't you going to rest..."
"It's alright, it won't affect me getting up early tomorrow."
Lin Qinghe was exasperated.
But it would affect her!
-------------------------------------
Two days later.
It was just past dawn. The small restaurant hadn't opened yet, but two men were sneakily climbing over the back courtyard wall of the restaurant. They flipped over and tiptoed into the kitchen.
The two opened a bag of white powder and poured it into the water缸. They looked around and then quickly and stealthily climbed back over the wall and left.
The small restaurant opened its doors to customers as usual.
Lin Qinghe was busy in the kitchen when a newly hired waiter ran in, panicked, "Madam, please go out and see! A guest ate our pork offal soup and collapsed on the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. We don't know what happened..."
Lin Qinghe was startled. She immediately put down what she was doing and hurried out, urgently instructing, "Don't worry about anything else, send someone to fetch a doctor first!"
"The shopkeeper has already rushed to get a doctor. But now that the person is on the ground, we dare not touch them!"
Lin Qinghe arrived at the front hall of the small restaurant and saw a man in his early thirties lying on the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. The man's face was bluish-purple, and he had lost consciousness.
The symptoms looked like food poisoning.
Lin Qinghe made a swift decision and said, "Aunt Zhang! Hurry and get some soapy water from the kitchen!"
Aunt Zhang didn't know what Lin Qinghe needed it for, but seeing the urgency, she didn't have time to ask further and hurried into the kitchen to get the soapy water.
Lin Qinghe took a bowl and poured the soapy water into the unconscious man's mouth. She couldn't do it alone, so she found someone to help her hold his mouth open and pour it in together.
After pouring in several mouthfuls, Lin Qinghe had someone help her lift the unconscious man, hug him from behind, and press hard on his stomach. Soon, the man vomited a lot of water.
Lin Qinghe had someone continue to feed the man soapy water and make him vomit. They repeated this three times before You Rong arrived in a hurry with a doctor.
The doctor was still taking the unconscious man's pulse when a commotion erupted outside the small restaurant. A large group of constables stormed in.
The leading constable said, "We received a report that the food at this small restaurant is poisonous and has killed someone. We are here to investigate. All people from the small restaurant, stand over here! Others, go inside and search!"
"Yes!"
"No, esteemed constables, how could our food be poisonous? Our small restaurant has been open for a long time, and it has always been..." Aunt Zhang explained anxiously.
The constable impatiently drew his sword and pointed it at Aunt Zhang, "Shut up! Whether it's poisonous or not, we will investigate. Besides... look, isn't the person still lying on the ground! Someone is in trouble, and you dare say the food here isn't poisonous? Who would believe that!"
"But..."
Lin Qinghe's expression turned grim. She pulled Aunt Zhang back, signaling her not to say any more, and pulled her behind her.
The yamen constables arrived so soon after the person collapsed. It was evident that someone had intentionally caused this!
You Rong clearly guessed it too. His expression was solemn. He held Lin Qinghe's hand and gave her a look that said, "Don't worry."
The doctor was still examining the unconscious man. A constable who had come out of the kitchen reported, "Reporting to you, sir, we tested the food in the kitchen with silver needles, and they all turned black. The food at this small restaurant is indeed poisonous!"
At this moment, the doctor finished taking the unconscious man's pulse and frowned, "This person... this person has been poisoned by arsenic. Fortunately, the poison hasn't been absorbed too much yet. Hurry and carry him to the clinic for treatment. If it's too late, it will be too late!"
As soon as the doctor said this, the crowd watching outside was in an uproar. Su Dan Fiction Network
"Arsenic? How could there be arsenic in the food at this small restaurant? This is trying to kill someone!"
"Yes... it's too terrifying. This person looks like he's in grave danger. Fortunately, I haven't gone in to eat today, or my life might have been lost."
"We... we eat at this small restaurant every day. Is there some misunderstanding?"
"What misunderstanding? The person is on the ground, and the constables are here. It's more likely than not true. Putting arsenic in food is so frightening..."
The constables, with stern faces, reprimanded, "Who is the cook at this small restaurant? Step forward! We need to take you back for interrogation!"
Aunt Zhang, Aunt Li, and the others were all terrified, their faces pale, standing there in fear.
Lin Qinghe pursed her lips and said without hesitation, "I am..."
Before she could finish speaking, You Rong pulled Lin Qinghe behind him and said sternly, "Esteemed constables, I am the proprietor of this small restaurant. They are all just workers I hired and know nothing. If you want to take someone back for interrogation, take me."