Chapter 272

When Hong Chenglue left, he couldn't have taken these rustic household items with him, right? He was invited by the Beijia Nation to go back and be the main general, not to change to another town to be a cook! He Lingchuan focused on the bedroom: "There is blood on the floor of this room, and the whole thing has been deliberately cleaned. Hong Chenglue doesn't want us to find useful clues here. So, all of you, open your eyes wide and search well!"

The three responded and began a carpet search.

However, Hong Chenglue was clearly professional enough in this regard; the four worked together for two quarter-hours, not even letting go of every brick seam, and even found a secret compartment in the wall at the head of the bed, but just couldn't find any useful personal items.

"At that time, he had already killed three bailiffs, had to clean up the place immediately, and had to carry his paralyzed wife away, hmm—" He Lingchuan suddenly saw Mao Tao give him a look, so he nodded.

So Mao Tao tiptoed to the courtyard gate and pulled it open suddenly—

"Oh my," a little old woman fell in from outside.

Her back was hunched, her mouth was shriveled, but her movements were very agile; she stood firm after a stagger and turned to flee.

Mao Tao picked her up by the collar and brought her straight to He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan crossed his arms: "State government business, you came to eavesdrop?"

"Ah?" The old woman stretched her ears, looking blank, her volume very loud, "What did you say!"

"Are you also a resident of this alley?"

"Louder!"

Mao Tao laughed and said to He Lingchuan: "Boss, this old woman is deaf and blind; let's go ask others."

Ten copper coins jingled in He Lingchuan's hand: "Bring reward money, only then is there sincerity."

Seeing these ten copper coins, the old woman's eyes went straight, and her voice lowered; after all, this represented a few days of full meals: "Ah, I can hear, I can hear! What do you want to ask?"

"Are you familiar with the Hong Chenglue couple living here?"

The old woman nodded: "Familiar, I often come here to visit. A-Jin is paralyzed in bed and can't move; I often pour water for her to drink. A few days ago, a murder case happened here, and it was also me, I was the first to come in and discover it, and then reported it to the officials."

"How did the murder case happen? Do you have any clues?"

"Ah, I remember several things happened that day; first, those Liu family boys were beheaded, then the government came to search for grain, oh my, even my..."

He Lingchuan interrupted her: "Wait, why did the government come to search for grain?"

"Liu Yalin borrowed courage from heaven; after stealing military provisions a few days ago, he even distributed grain from door to door, thinking he was some kind of peerless chivalrous thief?" The old woman smacked her lips, "He was caught, and the government said the military provisions had to be returned, as a result... wait, you just said where you came from?"

"Xiazhou Prefecture."

"Bigger than our officials here?"

"Bigger." Jiao Tai said in a muffled voice, "Much bigger."

"Oh, after those bailiffs entered the door, they searched for more than just grain! Even several of my rabbit feet were collected. Lord, can you help me find them back?"

"Weren't there several things that day?" Mao Tao reminded her, "What else?"

"After Hong Chenglue returned, I heard A-Jin's crying, and at this time, three bailiffs suddenly came, holding locks in their hands; were they going to arrest someone? But these three entered his house and never came out again."

The old woman smacked her lips: "A little while later, a carriage stopped at Hong's door, and the person who got off wore satin, looking like a merchant, and also entered Hong's small courtyard. After more than half an hour, the Hong couple got on that carriage and left. I asked Hong Chenglue where he was going, but he wouldn't say."

"Oh my, I felt strange; why didn't those three bailiffs come out? Later I pushed the door in to see, and a leg was sticking out of the kitchen floor. I felt something was wrong and reported it to the officials."

"That is to say, you were the first to arrive at the scene?"

"Uh, I suppose so."

He Lingchuan smiled: "Since you were the first to come in, then the pots and pans in the kitchen were all taken by you, right?"

The old woman wouldn't admit it: "I didn't, I didn't!"

Mao Tao patted her shoulder, scaring her into a big jump: "Hey old woman, we need Hong's things as material evidence. If you dare to hide them, it's covering up, and you'll be treated as an accomplice, at least having two fingers broken!" After finishing, he pressed her fingers, making a "ka" sound with his mouth, scaring the old woman into a shiver.

He Lingchuan was too lazy to even smile, but this kind of lie was especially effective in scaring old women in small towns. The old woman didn't dare to be tricky anymore: "That, that is at my house."

The four followed her home together.

This old woman lived right across from Hong Chenglue, and there was only an old man at home, who hadn't returned yet.

He Lingchuan just stepped into her house and smelled a greasy, stale odor, and then saw that her house and courtyard were piled with countless sundries.

Everywhere were bottles and jars, rotten wood, long hemp ropes, broken bags... He even thought he had entered a garbage dump.

Had this old woman never thrown anything away in her life? She led the four into the house and started rummaging around.

Hong's pots and pans were indeed all here.

There were many other odds and ends, she said they were all Hong's. Recalling A-Jin paralyzed in bed and Hong Chenglue often going out, this old woman must have stolen them from his house.

For He Lingchuan, this was an unexpected joy.

He picked up a comb from the sundries and asked: "This is Hong's wife A-Jin's? Have you seen her use it?"

"Yes, yes." It was also stolen by the old woman.

"Have you used it yourself?"

"No, no." Most of the things she brought back hadn't been used yet.

He Lingchuan picked up the wooden comb and held it to the light: "Then the hair wrapped on this, is it Hong Chenglue's or A-Jin's?"

"That, should be, right?"

He Lingchuan then placed the ten copper coins on the table: "What else should I know?"

The old woman really thought about it seriously before shaking her head: "Nothing."

These few people then strode away.

He Lingchuan sent Shan Youjun to the lumber yard north of Baiting Town.

There were indeed many traces of people staying there, even the horse manure was fresh, but the stables were empty. Clearly, Hong Chenglue had succeeded in one strike and led the team away, not giving them a chance to catch them.

After they left, another two quarter-hours passed, and someone sneaked into this alley, looked left and right, and jumped over the wall into the old woman's courtyard.

The old woman was turning firewood in the courtyard to cook, and suddenly her neck was pinched, and a low shout came to her ear: "What did those people ask just now?"

"Ah..." Why were there people coming again? The old woman was scared to death, "They, they were from the prefecture, wanting to ask about yesterday's situation..."

Before she finished speaking, a dull thud came from behind, and the hands pinching her neck loosened.

She turned her head and saw a man lying on the ground, with Mao Tao standing behind him, grinning.

"Sure enough, there were still eyes left in the town." The eldest young master was truly divine, letting him turn back halfway to wait for the rabbit, and sure enough, the surprise came to his door.

Mao Tao pointed to the man on the ground and asked the old woman: "Is this person from the town?"

She was still terrified and shook her head vigorously: "Haven't seen him, haven't seen him!"

Next, Mao Tao carried the man back to Hong Chenglue's empty house, stuffing a towel into his mouth.

When the prisoner was splashed awake by a ladle of water, the first thing he saw was Shan Youjun clenching his fists until they cracked, walking toward him with a ferocious grin...

￥￥￥￥￥

In less than two quarter-hours, the courtyard gate of Hong Chenglue's house opened without warning.

The old woman outside was another stagger, nearly falling in. It was Mao Tao who supported her again.

This old woman's obsession with peeking through the door crack was truly deep.

"Oh my..." Even she felt a bit embarrassed, not knowing what excuse to make. Initially, some movement could be faintly heard from the door, like someone being gagged and crying out, but later it became quiet, and she couldn't hear anything even if she sharpened her ears.

Mao Tao didn't care: "Old woman, do you know the abandoned mine pit to the northwest?"

"Mine pit?" The old woman's eyeballs turned, "Seems to have heard of it?"

Mao Tao spread his hands, and in his palm were ten copper coins again: "I just saved your life, do you still remember?"

The old woman chuckled twice: "There is only one small mine pit to the northwest, and it hasn't produced ore for ten years. You want to go?"

"Have this idea."

The old woman stared straight at the copper coins in his hand: "That place is hidden in the jungle and is very hard to find. You pay a bit more, and I'll find you a guide, how about that?"

"Fine." Time was tight, and Mao Tao didn't bargain; didn't the eldest young master have plenty of money?

"Then you wait." The old woman moved her bow-legs and walked out, her speed actually not slow at all.

Dozens of breaths later, she returned, with an old man beside her, less than sixty, thin and dry, but his waist was still straight.

"This is my old man; he worked in the mine pit for two years, knows the road well!"

He Lingchuan invited the two into the house: "What did you originally do in the mine?"

"Everything." Compared to his wife, the old man appeared quite honest, answering every question, "Mining, digging, chiseling roads, supporting, and placing explosives."

He Lingchuan was startled: "You even used explosives?"

Trendy. He had been to the mine in Qiansong County, but that was pure manual mining.

"Ah yes, it's more labor-saving. We have been using gunpowder to do things here for many years." In other words, old traditional skills. "Until that mine pit was abandoned, there was still a lot of gunpowder left unused."

Shan Youjun and the others couldn't help but curse in a low voice. Now they finally knew where the gunpowder that blew up the Dunyu grain transport team officials came from.

He Lingchuan naturally thought of it too, his gaze flashing, and he asked the old man: "These gunpowder, you wouldn't happen to have any left at home, right?"

"That no, no." The old man waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I do such a stupid thing? If I accidentally blew up my house, it wouldn't be worth it."

"Uh..." The old woman on the side showed an awkward expression, "The gunpowder you mentioned, wouldn't it be hidden in black and white jars?"

Married for decades, the old man understood her expression, shocked: "Don't tell me you hid gunpowder at home! I clearly threw it away!"

The old woman smiled awkwardly: "It's a pity to throw it away."

He Lingchuan snapped his fingers; it was truly heaven helping him.

"Then trouble you to find it for me." He looked at the few people behind him, "We should say a word to Hong Chenglue: courtesy demands reciprocity."

It's the 31st! Please everyone prepare your guaranteed monthly tickets for next month, and vote for Jiufang as soon as November 1st starts, bowing in thanks.

(End of chapter)