Chapter Thirty-Five: Stirring Up Trouble

But such good times did not last long.

Before they knew it, a group of rabble-rousers had gathered at the entrance of their salt shop.

“Neighbors, please judge for me! My wife was perfectly fine before, but recently, for some reason, she’s been in unbearable pain, and now it’s even worse—her neck keeps swelling bigger and bigger…”

Wasn’t that Butcher Wang?

“Is that true? But have you gone to see a doctor? Could it be caused by something else?”

“I’m just a simple man, I dare not make reckless claims. But for as long as I can remember, we haven’t changed our vegetables or anything else—only the salt we use is different now,” Butcher Wang hurriedly explained.

“No, but now that you mention it, I feel like my neck has gotten a little thicker too?”

“Me as well.”

What started as one person causing a stir quickly drew an ever-growing crowd of onlookers.

In an instant, the entire salt shop was plunged into a storm of rumors and dispute.

Han Qing found the matter rather peculiar.

Still, he had to get to the bottom of it—what exactly was the cause, and why were their necks swelling?

He had a vague suspicion in his heart, but he needed to see Butcher Wang’s wife himself to be sure.

“If this truly is caused by our salt, we will of course take responsibility. May I see your wife and her current condition?” he asked sincerely.

Butcher Wang nodded.

They set off to his home to investigate.

Han Qing looked at the woman lying in bed—her complexion was haggard and wan. Her neck was swollen, her eyes slightly protruding.

Wasn’t this goiter?

It was possible that the locals rarely consumed much salt, which was why such illnesses were uncommon here. The local doctors, lacking experience, would have no idea how to treat it.

“Have you been using too much salt these past few days?” Han Qing asked abruptly.

Butcher Wang thought hard for a moment.

That was indeed the case.

Because the price was so low, his wife had bought quite a lot.

“This condition isn’t caused by a problem with our salt, but because you’ve been consuming too much of it. If you trust my advice, try reducing your salt intake for a few days,” Han Qing patiently counseled.

The woman’s condition was not yet severe, and would need to be observed for a while.

But this incident made Han Qing more wary.

Butcher Wang was an honest man, straightforward in his words. But this matter could easily be exploited by others seeking to slander their salt shop.

From then on, extra vigilance would be needed.

“I’ll trust you for now,” Butcher Wang said.

“Though the responsibility doesn’t lie squarely on us, your family’s trouble does partly relate to our business, so we’ll offer some compensation,” Han Qing instructed the shopkeeper to bring out several taels of silver immediately.

He also admonished Butcher Wang to inform the salt shop should his wife’s condition improve.

This was a masterstroke in crisis management.

It immediately dissolved the distrust between customer and merchant, and perfectly salvaged the shop’s reputation.

“Write up an account of this incident in small print and post it in our shop. Be sure to clearly outline all precautions as well,” Han Qing ordered.

Though the incident hadn’t caused major harm, it was still an important warning.

The shopkeeper nodded and instructed the servants to handle it swiftly.

Customers with similar symptoms were willing to try Han Qing’s suggestion.

After three or five days, those who had consumed too much salt did indeed show improvement.

They felt deeply apologetic for the commotion they’d caused and discussed paying a visit to express their gratitude.

However, the salt shop responded simply, saying there was no need for elaborate thanks.

“We appreciate your goodwill, but it was our own oversight that led to this situation,” the owner said with a face full of remorse.

By placing himself in a humble position, he won greater empathy from the people.

And so, more and more customers were willing to trust their shop.

“Young master, I made some inquiries. It seems there really is something wrong with that salt. But for some reason, all news about it has suddenly vanished,” said a servant.

“Could it be that they bribed those people?” Second Young Master Bai asked in confusion.

“But we also contacted affected customers, and they all say it has nothing to do with the Han family’s salt shop,” he mused.

How odd.

“Young master, whether it’s truly related or not doesn’t matter. We just need to use this as an excuse to blow the matter out of proportion. When the line between truth and lies blurs, they’ll have no choice but to slink away in disgrace,” another retainer suggested, offering yet another underhanded scheme.

The aim was to blow things up.

“Bringing you back to work for me was the right call,” Second Young Master said approvingly.

The next day, more than twenty people gathered at the entrance of Han’s Salt Shop, all moaning in apparent pain.

Some claimed stomach aches, others dizziness and blurred vision.

All insisted their symptoms were caused by eating the salt from this shop.

This orchestrated display was nothing less than an attempt to spread rumors about the salt being unsafe.

The shopkeeper panicked instantly.

Hadn’t they already resolved the issue? Why were new troublemakers showing up?

He couldn’t drive them away or scold them—if he did, it would only make things worse and become their fault.

The news reached Han Qing.

He, however, remained calm.

“Han, aren’t you worried? I invested in this business too, you know! I don’t want it to fail,” Master Zhu fretted, as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle. The moment he heard, he rushed over to discuss the situation.

“Why are you more flustered today than ever before? Has this thrown you off your stride?” Han Qing asked, still leafing leisurely through his book.

“You didn’t see it for yourself—it looks as if we’ve committed the vilest crime!”

“If all these people claim to be sick, then we can help them seek treatment. If it really is related to our salt shop, we’ll apologize and resolve it,” Han Qing replied expressionlessly.

“Treatment? We’re not doctors—how can we diagnose them?”

“Close the shop today. Invite several physicians from the city’s medical halls to examine them. Let’s see if these twenty-odd people are truly ill or faking it. If anyone is found to be feigning illness, drag them all to the county office,” he said coolly.

The shopkeeper, having received his orders, quickly sent servants to fetch the doctors—especially making sure to report the matter to Magistrate Bai.

With Magistrate Bai’s men overseeing the process, let’s see how these fraudsters manage to slip away.