Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 83

Li Dalang’s face was full of regret. “It’s all my fault. If I had come yesterday, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Liu Chuncao also looked stricken. A single fire had reduced everything to ashes. Reopening would be like starting from scratch, requiring more money and rushed work.

Ying Su said nothing. She walked slowly through the shop, crouching from time to time to pick up charred remnants, rubbing them between her fingers. Then she circled through the back courtyard.

Some busybody had already run into the street to tell the patrolling constables. Officer Zhou soon arrived, and to his surprise, saw Ying Su again. “This shop is yours?” he asked with a hint of astonishment.

Ying Su nodded. “I opened it in partnership with others.”

Officer Zhou nodded, then turned to the crowd. “Does anyone know how this fire started?”

A worker from the neighboring shop stepped forward. “Last night around midnight, I was woken by the smoke. When I came out, the whole place was already ablaze. I shouted for people to help fight the fire, but it was too fierce, we couldn’t save it…”

In truth, none of them had tried to put out the flames in Weixuan Textiles. Over the past month, its booming business had stirred envy. The two neighboring shops were in tacit agreement, they saved only their own stores. When the fire spread toward them, they doused it with a bucket of water. As for Weixuan’s fire, no one lifted a hand.

Another clerk from the other shop chimed in, “Yes, when we woke, the blaze was already out of control. There was nothing to be done…”

Officer Zhou tilted his chin. “Why didn’t you go to the county office for help?”

The two clerks paled, their voices unsteady. “We… we panicked and forgot… forgot all about it…”

Officer Zhou was about to press further, but Ying Su interjected, “Officer Zhou, come here.”

He followed her into the charred shop. She pointed to the scorched remains on the ground. “I’ve looked carefully. Before the fire started, the shop was smashed.”

In other words, it wasn’t an accident, it was arson.

Officer Zhou frowned. “How do you know that?”

Ying Su pointed to the ashes. “All our furniture was made of wood. When wood burns without being disturbed, the ashes retain the original shape. I’ve ruled out the chance of collapse from roof beams. Ninety percent of the pieces were deliberately smashed before burning.”

He crouched to look where she indicated. She explained, “This was a wardrobe, about 1.2 meters wide and 2 meters long. If it had been crushed by a burning beam, it wouldn’t have shattered like this.”

Had she not pointed it out, the pile of ash looked like nothing. Officer Zhou found himself convinced and nodded. “I’ll investigate this thoroughly and find whoever’s behind it!” He declared firmly.

Ying Su frowned slightly, her gaze still fixed on the debris.

“What is it?” Officer Zhou asked.

“This fire feels… strange,” she murmured. “It is strange. Those two clerks claimed they fought the fire, but look, everything inside is bone-dry. Not a drop of water.” 

“Outrageous! Could it be they know something?” Officer Zhou speculated.

Ying Su shook her head. “If they smashed all the furniture before setting the fire, why bother with both? If the goal was arson, what was the point of smashing everything first?”

Officer Zhou scratched his head. “Maybe they feared the fire might be put out too soon, leaving things intact?”

She shook her head again. “It’s nearly July now, hot and dry. My shop was filled with seasoned wood. Once it caught fire, no one could stop it. They wouldn’t have overlooked that.”

“Perhaps they just weren’t as clever as you,” Officer Zhou said with a chuckle. Then, realizing how that sounded, his ears reddened slightly.

Ying Su didn’t notice. Her gaze had turned vacant, deep in thought. After a long silence, she said, “What if one group smashed the furniture first, and another later came to set the fire?”

Officer Zhou laughed. “Two separate groups targeting your shop? Both striking on the same night?”

Seeing her still pondering, he added, “Don’t worry. I’ll investigate thoroughly. I’ll take those two clerks back for questioning. Think carefully, do you have any enemies?”

Ying Su shook her head. Since opening, she had quarreled only with Manager Li across the street, but she was sure a man like him wouldn’t dare attempt something this bold.

After Officer Zhou left with his men, Li Dalang and his wife came over anxiously. “What did the Officer Zhou say?”

“He’ll continue investigating.” Ying Su’s face was expressionless. Then she added, “Hire some people to clean up. We’ll suspend business for now, take the chance to rest, and reopen after.”

Dalang quickly agreed. “Yes, I’ll find people right away.”

Liu Chuncao, still troubled, muttered, “Who could we have offended, for them to strike so viciously?”

Ying Su shook her head. “This isn’t vicious. It’s only burning a shop. True ruthlessness would take lives.”

Suddenly a thought struck her. She turned to Liu Chuncao. “Leave the shop’s recovery to you two. I have something to do and won’t be around for a few days. If you run short of money, take some from home.”

Chuncao nodded quickly. Ying Su walked straight out of the ruined shop.

For the next four or five days, the couple never saw her. When they returned to the village, she wasn’t home; when they went to town early, she had already left. They had no idea what she was busy with.

All the finished furniture had been lost in the fire. Fortunately, Wang Guaizi and Shi Fei had memorized the designs Ying Su had drawn earlier and hurried to restart production.

The shop had been cleaned up. The day before yesterday, Ying Su had hastily handed Li Dalang a new blueprint for the storefront, then vanished again. Dalang had already hired workers to begin remodeling according to her plan.

The profits from the past month were now entirely gone. Officer Zhou had no progress to report. Even after taking the two clerks in for questioning, nothing useful came of it.

Meanwhile, across the street, Shopkeeper Li, Dalang’s former employer, mocked them endlessly. He sneered that their shop’s feng shui was cursed, that no business of theirs would succeed. Liu Chuncao was nearly provoked into shouting back.

Whenever customers came, Shopkeeper Li would call out from across the street, “Their shop burned to ashes, nothing left inside worth buying! Why not come see my store instead? I guarantee you’ll find what you want!”

Right in front of the couple, he brazenly lured away their customers. Though furious, they could only force a smile and tell visitors, “Our shop is closed for now, but we’ll reopen soon. When we do, you’ll surely find what you’re looking for.”