Widows are treasures

  "Scram! Scram! No business today! Onlookers, disperse!"

  In front of Zhang's tofu stall by the Luo River, more than a dozen burly men kicked over the tables and chairs on the stall, scaring away all the customers.

  Walking in front of these big men was none other than the deputy head of the Yangbang Luohe branch, Second Master Pei Qianhui of the Pei Manor.

  The lash wounds on his body had healed seven or eight out of ten, and the wound on his face had also scabbed over, leaving a few faint red marks.

  It can be seen from his disheveled appearance that he is extremely angry at this moment.

  By his side were two people, one tall and the other short. One was a foolish leopard, and the other was an old woman with a humpback that almost touched her face to the ground.

  Zhang was scooping soy milk for customers at the tofu stall, but upon seeing this situation, she panicked and threw down the ladle in her hand, turning to run away.

  But was stopped by several big men who rushed up and blocked her way back.

  Pei Qian grabbed a handful of her hair and shouted: "Didn't you see that I've arrived? Why are you running?"

  Zhang's face turned pale, and her body trembled slightly.

  Pei Qianjin sneered, staring into her eyes: "You little slut, I'm the only one who cheats people, no one dares to cheat me. Do you remember those two human traffickers who were beheaded by the government a few days ago? Let me tell you the truth, they were the ones who kidnapped you and brought you to my room that night. They were sentenced to death for kidnapping and selling women! This is what happens when you offend me! Now I'm asking you one question, answer me honestly!"

  "Speak! Who was it that used the Soul-Confusing Incense to knock Grandfather out that night?"

  Zhang's body trembled all over, but he still tightly pursed his lips.

  "Take that!" Pei Qian slapped out with his hand, and on Zhang's delicate white face, five bright red finger marks instantly appeared.

  "Speak up!"

  A glimmer of stubbornness flashed in Zhang's eyes, and she raised her head to stare at him, no longer afraid.

  Pei Qian's eyes flashed with anger, and he turned to grab a chair from the side, intending to smash it on Zhang's head. The foolish leopard beside him quickly grabbed his hand and whispered:

  "Second Master, she is the person that the Feng Mansion specifically wants. If you beat her like this, it's likely to be a problem with the Feng Mansion. Why not let Old Lady Ma check her out? The matter will be clear as day! This Old Lady Ma is the most famous midwife in Luoyang's Flower and Willow Lane, specializing in examining the bodies of girls bought by brothels. She has examined hundreds of girls, and people say that with just a touch of her hand on a woman's body, she can tell not only whether she is a virgin or not, but also when she last served a man, and how many men she has served!"

  Pei Qian heard this and slammed the chair to the ground, turning his head to give a signal to Ma Popo behind him.

  The old woman walked up with a flattering smile, in front of Pei Qian's face, she opened Zhang Shi's clothes, looked inside for a while, then stretched her rough and coarse old hand into the clothes, and searched on Zhang Shi's full chest, pinched from time to time at her most sensitive top.

  Zhang's eyes were filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to cry out loud, and the tears fell plop plop.

  "Old hag, you'd better check carefully for me! Dare to cheat me, and your business will be finished from now on!"

  The old woman hastily replied: "I understand."

  After a thorough examination of Zhang's body, similar to the traditional Chinese medical method of "looking, smelling, asking and feeling", the old woman turned her head and gave Pei Qian a signal: "Second Master, let's take a step aside and talk."

  Pei Qian followed her to the side, and the old woman leaned in close to his ear: "Second Master, actually from her eyebrows and eyes, as well as the way she walks, I already had an idea earlier. This test just now was indeed not outside of my expectations..."

  At this point, the old woman lowered her voice and said something that only Pei Qian could hear.

  Pei Qian was taken aback and asked in surprise: "Isn't she a widow who has been married before, are you sure?"

  "If I utter a single false word, you can punish me as you see fit, Second Master!" The old woman swore an oath.

  Pei Qian stared at Zhang, his facial expression suddenly becoming rich and colorful, his eyes rolling around, and he suddenly burst out laughing, laughing very happily, as if he had picked up a treasure.

  Then he turned around, waved his hand at the two men holding Zhang's family, indicating that they should let them go. He slowly walked up to Zhang and gently stroked her face with his hand, looking heartbroken as he said: "Beautiful one, I'm really sorry, did I scare you? It's all my fault, I'm a real bastard! I'll leave now, don't be angry, if you get sick from anger, I'll be heartbroken to death!"

  As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped himself lightly on the face twice. He turned around and scolded the several subordinates behind him: "A bunch of useless things! Who told you to mess up a good stall like this? Hurry up and clean up the goods! Come here and apologize to people!"

  His subordinates all looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what he was acting out, and could only sullenly put back the tables and chairs that they had just kicked over, and walk forward to apologize to Zhang.

  Bai Qian left with a group of people, overjoyed and delighted.

  Zhang stood still for a long time, then reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and gazed blankly at the empty space on the riverbank not far away.

  That was where Zhen Ming often lay down for a short rest. He hadn't been there for a long time since she refused to sell him soy milk last time.

  She tidied up her clothes a bit, returned to the stall, packed it up, and led the little donkey cart slowly back home...

  ……

  In one of the courtyards of a residential house under the Luo River embankment, Zhen Ming was bent over and fiddling with a pile of glassware on the table when he suddenly lifted his head and let out a loud sneeze.

  "Who is thinking of me?"

  The trash can under his feet was filled with a pile of moldy fruit and leather-like waste.

  Next to him was a strange rotary machine, a handle, a horizontal wheel disc, and on the wheel disc were more than ten glass test tubes.

  A test tube contains turbid **.

  His hand grasped the handle and spun the wheel rapidly.

  With centrifugal force, a dozen glass tubes gradually changed from vertical to horizontal.

  After about ten minutes, it stopped shaking. At this time, the test tube on the wheel plate **became layered and distinct, with each layer having a different color.

  He gently turned a valve under the wheel and let out a drop at a time from the bottom layer, which was collected in a special glass bottle.

  Then use clean water to dilute the glass bottle until it is clear and transparent, reinsert it into the test tube, put it in the wheel disc, and shake the handle of the rotating wheel again.

  After repeated several times, he put the purified ** in a glass bottle, sucked a drop with a straw and carefully observed it under a microscope.

  Finally, he had a relieved smile on his face.

  Then he put what he had extracted into a distillation apparatus and lit the alcohol lamp for distillation.

  At this time, there were a few light knocks at the door.

  He struggled to his feet, his body swaying dizzily. Having sat for a whole day, he got up too quickly and almost fell to the ground.

  In order to extract these high-purity microbial secretions, he had gone a whole day without eating.

  The door opened and Zhang's delicate face, like a flower, stood elegantly at the entrance.