Chapter 1347: A-Hui

In chaotic times, traveling with a large group is safer. "Did they encounter anything outside?"

"That's not clear. There are so many people in the manor, and everyone has legs, so I can't know all their whereabouts. However—" Old Man Chen blinked, "—Chen Fu'ang's wife probably knows; a few days ago, neighbors heard the couple arguing, and they were arguing very fiercely."

"What was the cause of the argument?"

"His wife scolded him for finding another woman."

"..."

Dong Rui asked curiously from the side: "How did his wife know?"

Like a small peddler like Chen Fu'ang, how would his family know what he had done outside? "Shall I take you there to ask in person?"

County Magistrate Li followed as well.

Chen Fu'ang's house was in the west of the manor; his wife was dark and slightly plump, three years older than him, and looked like an ordinary farm woman. The house was not big, and the furniture was old. He Lingchuan glanced and saw a set of patched bedding exposed inside the slightly open wooden door.

There were originally two boys in the family, but they had been called back to the room by Chen's wife.

Although named "Fu" (Rich), Chen Fu'ang's family was not well-off.

As soon as Chen's wife heard Old Man Chen explain the purpose of the three, she wailed: "He died so miserably, leaving us three orphans and widows; there's no way to live from now on!"

Old Man Chen knocked on the table: "These two officials are here to investigate the case; you must cooperate properly."

He didn't say one thing: Chen Fu'ang at least went peacefully, while the other unlucky people bitten to death by monsters were the ones who "died miserably."

"Cooperate with what?" Chen's wife cried like a fountain, "People are already dead, what's the use of investigating afterward? How will the three of us live in the future?"

Her crying was particularly shrill in the night, and even He Lingchuan couldn't stand it, so he took two ingots of silver from his bosom and placed them on the table: "I have a few questions; as long as you answer truthfully, the silver is yours."

The lamp was like a bean, but it couldn't hide the charming luster of the silver.

When Chen's wife saw the two ingots of silver, her crying paused. Old Man Chen urged again: "Your parents are both here, and your two brothers are also in the manor; with these two layers of care, the three of you won't suffer in the future, what are you afraid of?"

Only then did Chen's wife sob: "Ask... ask away."

Before He Lingchuan could speak, Dong Rui had already snatched the lead: "Why did you argue with Chen Fu'ang the day before yesterday?"

Chen's wife's complexion turned from overcast to thunderstorm in an instant: "He found a slut!"

"Where from?"

"A few days ago, brought back from outside by the caravan."

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui looked at each other: "You mean, the Chen family caravan brought back a woman from outside? How old is she?"

"Twenty-something, half-crazy, but very slutty, and she brought a five or six-year-old daughter." Chen's wife pointed at Old Man Chen, "He knows too."

County Magistrate Li rolled his eyes from the side; half-crazy and still slutty? Purely personal imagination. Old Man Chen was unhurried: "She wasn't brought back by me, and I've only seen her twice; how could I know better than you?"

Dong Rui didn't listen to their nonsense: "Where are this mother and daughter now?"

"I don't know."

"Don't know? Two living people just disappeared like that?"

"That night when the monsters attacked, dozens of people were gone, so what's the difference with those two?" Chen's wife said hatefully, "Maybe they were dragged away by monsters and eaten."

He Lingchuan pointed to the silver on the table: "What exactly happened?"

For the sake of the silver, Chen's wife said reluctantly: "The caravan returned from Baiting County, and when they stopped at Hutou Slope to get water, this mother and daughter secretly slipped onto the cart. No one noticed until the caravan returned to Chen Family Manor."

"What is their background?"

"I only saw her once; she was in the dilapidated shed where grass was piled in the west, giggling at passersby. Others told me that she was more confused than clear-headed."

West? He Lingchuan was very sensitive to orientation tonight.

"But when she was clear-headed, she mentioned to Sister-in-law Wu, who kindly went to deliver food, that she came from a small place called Maodun... it seems to be called Maodun." Chen's wife didn't know where that place was, "She had been married, but her husband died, so her in-laws sold her two daughters, and then sold her. I guess, at that time she was already a bit..."

Chen's wife pointed to her own temple, and then continued: "As a result, in less than five years, her second man slipped off a cliff and died too."

"And then?"

"Then her mind became unclear again, and what she said was incoherent; one moment she said she escaped with her daughter, the next she said her daughter was picked up by her on the side of the road; one moment she said her in-laws were going to sell them again, the next she said there were monsters chasing them from behind."

"Monsters chasing them?" Dong Rui raised his eyebrows at He Lingchuan, "Doesn't this get to the point?"

"At that time, how did we know there were really monsters? We just thought she was talking nonsense!" Chen's wife curled her lips, "Maybe in her mind, the in-laws who wanted to catch her and sell her were the monsters. At that time, I told this idea to the sisters-in-law in the manor, and they all felt it was very correct."

The boy in the room was about to slip out to pee, but when he came out, his eyes were attracted by the monkey on Dong Rui's shoulder. Hearing this, he suddenly looked up and said: "Little An said, the monsters have been chasing them for a long time. Every time they relax, those monsters will come out of the darkness—!"

He made his hands into claws, making a pouncing gesture: "—Pounce out!"

"Little An?"

"That's the little girl." Chen's wife pointed to the inner room and scolded her son, "Go in! Adults are talking, what are you interrupting for!"

"It's okay." Dong Rui beckoned to the boy and grabbed a handful of candies, "Come, eat some candy, and by the way, tell me what else Little An has said?"

The boy saw the monkey on his shoulder also peeling the candy wrapper, its movements very nimble, and he became interested immediately: "If you give me the monkey, I'll tell you."

Chen's wife said angrily: "You are not allowed to be rude to the officials!"

Don't offend people for an ugly monkey and let them take back the silver on the table! The boy twisted his neck: "I want the monkey, otherwise I won't say anything!"

Chen's wife was just about to slap him, but Dong Rui pointed at the boy and whispered two words to the Ghost Ape.

No one else heard clearly, but the Ghost Ape immediately jumped onto the boy's shoulder, bending his back.

The weight was really not light, but the boy was overjoyed; he reached out to touch the monkey twice and then pulled hard on the hair on its neck. Chen's wife was startled and slapped his hand away: "Don't mess around!"

The owner of this ugly monkey was still watching.

The Ghost Ape didn't care; anyway, this little thing couldn't pull it. It grabbed a candy from the table and peeled it unhurriedly.

Dong Rui urged: "Say it now."

"Little An said she came from Xingyun Village, and there is a very large and tall ginkgo tree at the entrance of the village. One night, it was suddenly very noisy outside, and the village was full of fire and the sound of adults screaming; it was the first time she heard adults crying and screaming like children."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1348 =====