The Rise of a General's Daughter-in-Law Doctor

Chapter 130 The Cyclamen Incident (2)

Er Laizi, a notorious gambler on the main street, came to Xiankelai for a meal. Almost everyone in the surrounding area knew him. After all, two years ago, he was the first person in Kyoto to cause the death of his parents, which caused quite a stir at the time. Back then, Er Laizi was like a rat crossing the street, and he was cursed wherever he went.

However, this scoundrel was also heartless. Despite being hated by everyone, he still went to the gambling den to squander money every day. When he ran out of money, he would go fishing and sell the fish to various restaurants. Although the scoundrel was not a good person, he was quite good at fishing. The fish he caught were big and fat, and he even became the exclusive fisherman of Wenxianglai Restaurant.

The main reason is that other restaurants don't want the fish he catches, because the other owners all look down on this gambler who angered his parents to death.

That day, Er Laizi arrived at Xiankelai Restaurant. The waiter recognized him at a glance, knowing that Er Laizi was a gambler and owed the gambling den a lot of money. He simply didn't have the money to eat at such a nice restaurant.

He intended to kick the waiter out. However, this scoundrel, perhaps having struck it lucky and won at gambling, saw the waiter trying to shoo him away, pulled out a silver ingot from his pocket, threw it at the waiter, and cursed, "What, is this Xiankelai restaurant discriminating based on who you serve? I've got plenty of money today, bring me the best wine and food!"

After saying that, he found the best spot at the cyclamen restaurant and sat down, ignoring the people at that table who were eating.

Just then, the people at that table finished eating. Seeing Er Laizi's fierce look, they didn't want to get involved with him, so they paid and left.

After Erlaizi sat down, he kept shouting, "Is everyone dead? Don't you know how to clean up the table?"

Seeing that Erlaizi couldn't be driven away today, and fearing that he would affect other customers' meals, the waiter obediently went to clear the table.

Just when everyone thought that Er Laizi might have won some money by stepping on dog poop today and was going out for a big meal, Er Laizi suddenly vomited blood and collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, everyone eating in the restaurant was startled and ran out shouting, "Someone's dead!"

When the officials arrived, they found the highly poisonous arsenic in the food.

However, after several days of investigation, they were unable to find out who poisoned Er Laizi. In addition, Er Laizi was a person with a very bad reputation, so the government did not take it seriously. After investigating for so long without finding out, the government stopped investigating, and it became an unsolved case.

The incident caused quite a stir in Kyoto. The case was over, but because of it, there were very few people going to Cyclamen Restaurant anymore. After all, it's hard to imagine anyone being bothered by someone dying in the lobby.

After hearing the story, Li Muxia felt quite sorry for the owner of the cyclamen restaurant. It was clearly a case of enemies seeking revenge, and the owner just happened to be there.

Li Muxia could hear the regret in the waiter's voice regarding the owner of the cyclamen restaurant, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you very familiar with the owner of the cyclamen restaurant?"

The shop assistant said, "We're not that close, just acquaintances. I introduced him to someone when he came to Kyoto to do business and was looking for a shop."

"However, who in Kyoto doesn't know that Manager Wang? Although he came to Kyoto a couple of years ago, he was a very good person and his business was doing well. Moreover, he would distribute porridge to the poor in the south of the city every month. It's a pity that such a good philanthropist ended up like this."

This is why the shop assistant recommended Cyclamen to Li Muxia; he also wanted to do his best to help this philanthropist.

After listening, Li Muxia also felt that this Manager Wang must be a very kind person, and worth befriending.

He said, "Then take us to see this cyclamen."

Upon hearing this, the waiter's face lit up with delight, and he quickly replied, "Alright, I'll take you there right away."

As she spoke, she got up and walked out first. Manager Qu wanted to persuade her again, but seeing that Li Muxia had already walked out, he quickly followed her.

The location of Cyclamen Restaurant is indeed one of the best in Kyoto; it's impossible for a restaurant in such a location not to do well.

The group looked at the once bustling restaurant, now desolate and almost deserted, with its doors tightly shut. The plaque above the door frame still bore three grand characters: "Xiankelai" (仙客来), characters that would undoubtedly be considered the masterpiece of a modern calligrapher.

The waiter knocked on the door, and soon a man dressed as a waiter opened the door a crack from the inside.

Upon seeing the group, the waiter said excitedly, "Brother Fu, you're here! The manager has been looking forward to your arrival every day."

He then opened the door fully and invited the people in. Once they were inside, he turned around and went to call his boss.

After entering, Li Muxia carefully examined the design of the restaurant. The restaurant occupied a large area, and Li Muxia roughly estimated that it should be five or six hundred square meters.

The restaurant's overall decor is quite elegant. It has two floors. The first floor is where ordinary customers eat. There are many chairs in the main hall, and each table is spaced a certain distance apart. This arrangement does not affect the customers' dining experience and saves a lot of space, which is a very reasonable spacing.

In the middle of the first floor, against the wall, there is a stage-like area, which seems to be where people are usually invited to tell stories or sing songs.

Every three or four tables, there is a wooden screen to separate them, so that it doesn't feel too crowded or noisy.

Even the decorative items are exquisite, making it look like a restaurant that has been carefully maintained.

The second floor should consist of private rooms. You can't tell much from the outside, but the decorations on the walls and doors echo those on the first floor, so there's no jarring feeling. The overall decorating style is very consistent.

Not long after, a middle-aged man who had gained some weight came out. The waiter saw him first and quickly greeted him, saying, "Manager Wang, you've lost a lot of weight in the last few days."

Seeing the shopkeeper's somewhat embarrassed expression, Manager Wang said, "Brother Fu, stop teasing me. Hurry up and introduce him."

The waiter then said, "Miss, this is Manager Wang whom I mentioned to you."

Then he turned to look at Li Muxia, wanting to introduce her to Manager Wang, only to realize that he didn't seem to know Li Muxia's name. He looked at Li Muxia with some embarrassment.

Li Muxia noticed the shopkeeper's predicament and introduced herself: "Hello, Manager Wang. My surname is Li and my given name is Jianxi."

This name was a nickname given to her by her grandfather in her previous life. Before high school, she always used the name Li Jianxi. It wasn't until she got her ID card when she entered high school that she discovered that her real name was Li Muxia.

Shopkeeper Wang smiled and looked at Li Muxia, saying, "So you are Miss Li."