The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat-Chapter 143 - 144: A Fate Worse Than Death

Although Prince Zhao was unwilling to help, Hua Manman still wanted to inform County Magistrate Luo so he could prepare in advance.

She bribed a vegetable vendor, planning to disguise herself as one to sneak into the county government and find an unguarded moment to meet County Magistrate Luo.

However, before she could even get into the county government, she heard the news that County Magistrate Luo had been thrown into the main prison.

Hua Manman was on the verge of tears.

Li Ji casually burned the secret letter he had just finished reading. He looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and asked.

"You’re not thinking of breaking into the prison to rescue him, are you?"

Hua Manman clutched her chest, looking utterly heartbroken.

"I spent a full two taels of silver to bribe that vendor, and now all that money has gone to waste!"

Li Ji: "..."

’So what you actually care about most are those two taels of silver, right?’

Hua Manman looked at him with pleading eyes. "Do you think he’ll agree if I go ask the vendor for a refund?"

Li Ji smiled. "He’ll tell you that you’re delusional."

Hua Manman couldn’t hold back any longer and shed tears of poverty.

Jin Ling’er and her brother came to invite them downstairs for dinner.

The moment food was mentioned, Hua Manman immediately forgot her sorrow.

She wiped away her tears and asked, full of anticipation.

"What’s good to eat?"

It was probably the first time Jin Ling’er had ever seen someone change their expression so naturally and quickly. She was stunned for a good while before snapping out of it and answering honestly.

"I don’t know either. We can go downstairs and ask the waiter."

The four of them went downstairs and took a seat in the main hall.

A waiter came running over to ask what they would like to eat.

Hua Manman: "Do you have any house specialties?"

The waiter began to briskly reel off the names of their dishes.

"We have plenty of famous dishes here! There’s braised duck leg in soy sauce, sweet and sour carp, red-braised donkey meat, hot and sour fish head, hand-shredded chicken, meat in a jar, scallion-braised goose, winter melon and meatball soup, yam and chicken stew, and black-boned chicken and goji berry soup. What would you folks like to order?"

Hua Manman swallowed and asked what the dishes tasted like.

Seeing her ask in such detail, the waiter thought she was going to order every single dish. His energy surged, and he praised each and every dish effusively.

After he finished, Hua Manman’s mouth was watering even more.

She resisted the urge to order and asked the most crucial question.

"How much do these dishes cost?"

The waiter recited the price of every dish.

The cheapest among them was still fifty cents.

Hua Manman silently calculated her remaining assets and said to the waiter in all seriousness.

"Please bring us a pot of plain congee and two cheap side dishes."

The waiter: "..." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

’I suspect you’re messing with me, but I have no proof.’

Seeing him just standing there, Hua Manman couldn’t help but ask.

"Don’t you have plain congee here?"

The waiter summoned all his professional decorum to force a smile. "Of course we do. Please wait a moment."

After he left, Li Ji finally spoke, slowly and deliberately.

"Are you really that broke?"

Hua Manman huffed. "You wouldn’t know how expensive things are since you’re not the one managing the money. Back then, I had to be careful even when spending five taels of silver. Now, I don’t even dare look at anything that costs more than five cents!"

Li Ji was bewildered.

’It’s such a pitiful situation, so why can she speak about it with such righteous confidence?’

Soon, the waiter brought over the plain congee and side dishes.

All four of them had experienced hardship, so they knew they were lucky to have anything to eat at a time like this. No one was picky; they just picked up their bowls and chopsticks and started eating.

Who would have thought that just as they finished eating, a large group of officers would storm menacingly into the inn and surround the four of them.

The leading arrest officer stepped forward, hands on his hips, and asked in a gruff voice.

"Are you Jin Ling’er, Jin Sinian, and Li Ergou and his wife?"

Li Ji was expressionless. "Who is Li Ergou? I don’t know him. You have the wrong people."

The arrest officer spat on the ground and cursed.

"Stop your fucking bullshit! I know you’re Li Ergou! What, you don’t even dare to acknowledge the fine name your parents gave you? You gutless coward!"

Hua Manman silently covered her eyes, not daring to look at Prince Zhao’s expression.

Anyone with eyes could see that these officers did not come in peace.

Jin Ling’er quickly pulled her brother behind her, her slender body trembling slightly with nervousness.

Li Ji stared intently at the arrest officer.

He could clearly hear the arrest officer’s thoughts—

’These are the four who offended Mr. Gao! Mr. Gao is very busy right now and has no time to deal with these four pieces of trash, so he left it to me. In a bit, I’ll just find some random excuse to throw these four scumbags in jail. Once they’re in the slammer, we call all the shots. There are countless ways to torture people in there. I’ll make sure they wish they were dead!’

Just when everyone thought Li Ji was about to explode with rage, he suddenly let out a soft laugh.

"Heh. I’ll remember you."

Hua Manman’s heart trembled.

She was the only one present who understood the meaning behind those words.

Anyone Prince Zhao made a point to remember usually met a terrible end.

The arrest officer’s life was now on a countdown.

However, the arrest officer didn’t sense the Grim Reaper approaching in the slightest. He was still pointing at Li Ji, cursing up a storm.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? How dare you make such a shameless threat? With a cowardly look like yours, I could crush you with my little finger!"

The last word had barely left his mouth when Li Ji appeared before the arrest officer in a flash.

Before the arrest officer could even react, Li Ji’s hand was already wrapped around his neck.

With a slight exertion of force, Li Ji hoisted the officer clean off the ground.

This arrest officer looked to be well over one hundred and sixty pounds, yet Li Ji could lift him with a single hand without the slightest effort.

It was a clear demonstration of Li Ji’s terrifying strength.

After a brief moment of shock, the other officers all drew their sabers and pointed them at Li Ji, demanding he release their superior.

But Li Ji acted as if the blades weren’t even there.

He looked at the arrest officer’s face, which was contorting from lack of oxygen, and asked unhurriedly.

"Tell me, whose father did you say you were?"

The arrest officer couldn’t speak and could only struggle desperately.

In his panic, he drew the saber from his waist and hacked wildly at Li Ji.

Li Ji easily snatched the saber from his hand and, in a reverse grip, stabbed it through his thigh.

The arrest officer let out a miserable, pain-filled scream.

Blood flowed down his pant leg. DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

The other officers were all dumbfounded.

They hadn’t expected this Li Ergou to actually be so ruthless with their superior.

Jin Ling’er hastily covered her brother’s eyes, not wanting him to see such a bloody scene.

Li Ji released the arrest officer’s neck.

However, with his injured leg, the arrest officer couldn’t stand and collapsed straight onto his butt on the ground.

Li Ji pointed the blood-soaked tip of the saber at his other leg.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he stabbed again!

By now, all the other customers in the inn had been scared off and had fled in all directions.

The officers could no longer just stand by. They raised their sabers and charged at Li Ji.

"Don’t get too arrogant, you stinking brat!"

...

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