บท 397: Retribution

Shuiyun County, Shen's Pastry Shop.

A raucous crowd had gathered outside the pastry shop, loudly demanding refunds.

"Give us our money back!" they yelled.

"These mooncakes you sold us, are they even fit for human consumption? They're covered with mildew – how long have they been sitting around?"

"Exactly! We can handle a bad taste, but inedible? Do you even have a conscience?"

Inside, the shopkeeper was sweating bullets. Hiding initially, he finally decided to confront the situation and sent an employee to inform First Madam Shen of the debacle. Wiping his sweaty forehead with his sleeve, he emerged with a stern face and barked, "Who allowed you to cause a scene here? Scram, or I'm calling the authorities!"

The crowd wasn't deterred. "Go ahead, call them! We'd love for the magistrate to see your shady business practices."

"We paid a premium for these mooncakes and they're inedible. If you don't refund us, we're not leaving!"