The Meat Shop

Everyone in Chun Jin County knows that Li Dacheng, the owner of Li's Butcher Shop, is a man of considerable influence. Even the county magistrate acts like a groveling lackey whenever he sees him, all smiles as he calls him "Boss Li" this and "Boss Li" that, terrified of offending this powerful man. They say the last few county magistrates were investigated and punished because of him. Of course they'd better treat the man with care! At teahouses on the outskirts of town, travelers from other counties often have conversations like this with the waiters: "He's just a butcher. Can he really be that powerful?" "You don't know the whole story, sir. Li's Butcher Shop has been open in the capital for ages. The person there is the truly powerful one..." At Li's Butcher Shop on Dongjing Street, the busiest street in the capital, the person holding down the fort while Boss Li is back home visiting family is none other than the stone-faced prime minister himself...