"Stop!" Magistrate Li called out to the government official, "Now confess truthfully!"
Wang Ergou, after being struck several times, kept groaning in pain before slowly getting up and kneeling down, "Magistrate, I confess, I bought the rat poison!"
My wife was taken by them, and I couldn’t bear it; I just wanted revenge. I bought rat poison to harm them."
"Detail the process of how you administered the poison!"
"On the second day of the month, I went with my dad, my eldest brother, my third brother..."
"Second brother, you..." Wang Huzi broke in, panicking—this would implicate them all.
"Silence!" Magistrate Li banged the gavel again, and Wang Huzi dared not speak further, his eyes filled with hatred and utter disappointment towards his younger brother, believing they were all doomed.
"Yes, sir, I went with my dad, my eldest brother, and my third brother to Yang Family Village. At midnight, we climbed over the wall. We first used Sleeping Powder to knock out the people inside, then we poisoned the pickled vegetables!"
"Did you poison all the pickled vegetables?"
Wang Ergou then laughed heartily, "I did, not a single one was spared! I even felt that wasn’t enough revenge!"
By now, Wang Ergou had nothing to fear, having confessed everything.
"According to reports from the government official, you lost all your money, so where did you get the money to buy the poison?"
Xiaoxiao was listening silently and was surprised that the magistrate picked up on such details. Indeed, they were out of funds, weren’t they defeated terribly? Being beaten meant they couldn’t produce any money, so where did the funds come from?
"My eldest brother provided it, ask him about the origins!"
Wang Huzi had not expected his younger brother would betray him so thoroughly; they were utterly ruined and had no choice but to confess.
"Magistrate, I confess!" Wang Huzi said, then emphatically knocked his head on the floor.
"..." Was there more to this?
"The money was from the Young Master of Dongfeng Restaurant in the county; he said he would give us a hundred taels of silver after the job was done, but we have not received those hundred taels yet; we were also deceived."
"..." How could this involve Li Fugui? Was Li Fugui really foolish enough to expose himself by hiring someone to poison the food?
"Big brother, what hundred taels?" Wang Ergou glanced at his father and third brother, who seemed not at all surprised.
"..." Xiaoxiao realized that Wang Ergou was unaware of the silver issue; it seemed he had been used as a pawn.
"Before the New Year, as I walked on the street, a house servant approached me, saying that if I sabotaged the pickled vegetables, after the deed was done, the Young Master Li Fugui of Dongfeng Restaurant would give me a hundred taels of silver; we are having problems even eating, so I..."
"Big brother, did you deliberately mention Yang Qiu’s family in front of me to make me harbor hatred and seek revenge?"
Wang Ergou then understood—he had been manipulated by his elder brother, but still couldn’t believe it and wanted to confirm.
"Hmph! It’s your fault for being foolish; you took the bait after just a few words!"
Upon hearing his elder brother’s words, Wang Ergou, as if mad, attacked Wang Huzi; he had been thoroughly deceived by his entire family.
"Silence! Silence! Separate them!" The gavel had been struck countless times in this court, and Xiaoxiao was already immune.
"Do you happen to know the Young Master from Dongfeng Restaurant?" Magistrate Li turned and asked Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming.
"Your Honor, the Young Master Li Fugui of Dongfeng Restaurant indeed had attempted to obtain that pickled vegetable recipe but had not succeeded," Yang Ming answered truthfully.