Chapter 12

"Zhang Suo, where are we going?"

Meng Changqing pushed aside the weeds and became more and more confused as he walked.

As they had agreed to invite an expert, Meng Changqing thought that Zhang Suo was going to use his connections in the city to find that capable person, but he didn't expect that Zhang Suo would actually take him to climb halfway up the mountain.

It is obvious that not many people walk on this road usually. Although there is a path, there are a lot of weeds around it. If you don't pay attention, you won't even know there is a path here.

"This great man lives halfway up the mountain."

"Why do you live in a place like this?"

Meng Changqing was puzzled, and when he saw the residence of the so-called master, he didn't know what to say.

The master's residence was very simple. He lived in a cave, which looked like a natural cave.

A door was made at the entrance of the cave using wooden sticks. Perhaps because it was thought to be too drafty, a curtain was woven out of straw to block the entrance.

At this time, the straw curtain was lifted up, and the furnishings inside could be roughly seen from the hole.

It was very simple inside, with only a kang and a wooden shelf full of things. There were very few things, but it looked quite clean.

Zhang stepped forward and called into the cave, "Is Mr. Liu here? I'm Xiao Zhang from the police station."

There was no movement inside, so Zhang called out a few more times.

Meng Changqing poked his head inside and said, "Captain Zhang, there's no one inside."

"He should be nearby. He will be able to hear you if you shout a few more times."

Zhang called a few more times, then pulled two chairs at the door and sat down.

She took a half-finished wicker basket and continued weaving it.

I was a little unfamiliar at first, but soon I found the feeling and my speed increased.

"Zhang Suo, do you still have this skill?"

"I am also from a peasant family. I used to do this with my father. We would sell the finished weaving at the market."

Zhang Suo was not at all anxious as before and was weaving the rattan basket slowly.

Meng Changqing was a little impatient, "Captain Zhang, are we just going to wait like this?"

The three-day deadline was very short, and the two of them had nothing to do, which made him feel uneasy and he wanted to go down the mountain to visit the members.

"Don't worry, he will be back soon. If you have nothing to do, chop the wood."

Meng Changqing has been working at the police station for two years. He understands Chief Zhang's character and knows that he would not do anything rash.

Suppressing his anxiety, he was not idle in chopping wood for this 'expert', but also arranged the firewood bit by bit.

Just when Meng Changqing thought he had to wait until dark, a thin and hunchbacked old man came down the mountain tremblingly.

Zhang came forward respectfully and said, "Mr. Liu, do you remember me? I am Xiao Zhang from the police station, Zhang Qingxiong."

"Yeah." Old Liu said indifferently.

As Old Liu approached, Meng Changqing realized that one of his eyes was sunken, with no eyeball, and looked a little scary.

Apart from this, he is no different from an ordinary farmer.

"Master Liu, I won't beat around the bush. You should know that the granary was burned, right?"

Old Liu didn't say anything, but from his attitude one could tell that he definitely knew.

This mountain is near the village, and the fire burning below can be seen clearly from here.

"We came here this time to ask you to come out. We really have no other choice. The granary has been burned down and we can't find any clues. But this matter is urgent, otherwise the two battalions will fight."

Zhang explained the whole story to Old Liu, but Old Liu remained expressionless.

Meng Changqing didn't understand what kind of abilities such an old man could have, but he was sensible and didn't say anything.

"I can't help you."

"Master Liu..."

Zhang Suo wanted to persuade him, but then he heard the old man say:

"It's not that I'm afraid of breaking the rules, it's that my eyes are no longer working. The side of my eye that can see people is now foggy, and my brain isn't working well either."

Zhang Suo felt a chill in his heart; he had forgotten this.

Old Liu is already over sixty years old this year. He is no longer young and all his body functions are declining.

In his early years, he suffered an eye injury and became blind in one eye. As he got older, he began to feel all kinds of discomfort.

Zhang Suo sighed and was about to get up and say goodbye.

Old Liu added: "I have a little apprentice. He is very young, but he has been learning from me for several years."

Zhang Suo's disappointed eyes suddenly became filled with hope, and he was overjoyed:

"You have accepted an apprentice? Where is he now? Can you call him over to help?"

————

"What do you mean?" Wang Heizi was very excited. "What clues did you find?"

Tang Qingqing nodded: "I have some clues now, but I still have to continue investigating."

"What's going on? Tell me quickly."

"I found a pair of suspicious footprints near the central fire scene..."

"Tang Qingqing! You silly girl, you are lazy and don't go to herd sheep or go home to work, but you run out to hang around! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know what the sky is high and the earth is deep!"

A sharp and high-pitched voice interrupted Tang Qingqing's words, and Zhao Dahua rushed towards Tang Qingqing with a sullen face.

While jogging, she did not forget to look for a useful tool nearby. She found a thumb-thick branch on the side of the road, picked it up and waved it towards Tang Qingqing.

"not good."

When Tang Qingqing saw Zhao Dahahua's expression, she knew that things would not end well today.

Ever since she knew her own life experience, Tang Qingqing seemed to have cleared away the fog and finally saw some things clearly.

Zhao Dahua never treated her as a daughter, but only as a slave.

No matter how hard she tried, she would not feel relieved, but only be given more work to do.

Zhao Dahua is angry now, not because she didn't work hard, but because she doesn't go home to work even though she has time. She can't stand seeing her have half a day free.

If I work less, it's like she's making less money.

A good man never suffers a loss in front of him. Seeing that the situation was not good, Tang Qingqing ran away.

"I'm leaving now. Thank you for coming today."

Zhao Dahua was even angrier when she saw her run away:

"How dare you run away, you little bitch! How old are you to know how to seduce men? I will beat you to death today to save you from embarrassment in the future!"

Wang Heizi was just feeling guilty for dragging Tang Qingqing into this, and was itching to know what Tang Qingqing had discovered. When he heard Zhao Dahua cursing like that, he could no longer sit still.

"Auntie Dahua, I don't like what you said. What seduction? How can you be so filthy?"

Zhao Dahua was already angry because Wang Heizi blocked her way, and she became even more annoyed when she heard these words.

She put her hands on her hips and yelled at Wang Heizi, "You damned bastard, you don't learn good deeds at such a young age. You act like a hooligan, flirt with girls, and do shameful things.

I tell you, you have ruined that damn girl's reputation. If you don't want to be considered a gangster, pay me the money right away!"

"Auntie Dahua, did your head get stuck in the door when you went out? How dare you say anything? How can you scold me and also scold your own daughter so badly?"

"What kind of person is this bitch? I raised her from childhood and I still don't know her. She is still young and has no morals. She actually hooked up with two men! If I don't teach her a lesson today, who knows what more shameful things she will do in the future!"

Wang Heizi was shocked. How could a woman like this splash dirty water on her own daughter?

His cousin Wang Cao'er was also not welcomed in her family. She was made to do all the dirty and tiring work, but she was also protected outside.

Although he is young, he knows how important a woman's reputation is.

No matter how angry you are, you can't talk nonsense about your reputation.

Wang Heizi is usually very active, but he has never seen such a battle.

Not to mention Wang Heizi, even Zhai Hongyi was amazed.

He knew very early on that the people in some backward areas were relatively ignorant due to inadequate education, so they needed educated youth to go to the countryside to improve the situation and learn from each other.

But he didn't expect that there are mothers who want to torture their daughters to death.

If word of this got out, it would be a fatal blow to Tang Qingqing's reputation.

Even my own mother said so, who would still doubt it was fake?

Zhai Hongyi frowned and rebuked in a deep voice:

"This lesbian, slander is a crime."

Zhao Dahahua didn't expect Zhai Hongyi to speak up for Tang Qingqing, and she didn't dare to scold them both at once like she did to Wang Heizi.

Zhai Hongyi was an educated youth. He was tall and strong. Despite his young age, he looked very imposing. At first glance, he looked like the son of a cadre in the city.

As soon as this group of educated youth arrived at the team, Zhao Dahua had already found out where they came from. She knew that Zhai Hongyi was the son of an official and was said to hold a high position.

Zhai Hongyi had only been here for a week, but his reputation as a troublemaker had already spread.

He gets into a fight on the first day, acts like a boss at work, or simply disappears, totally refusing to obey instructions.

"That's my daughter, what right do you have to control me?"

"Comrade Tang Qingqing is investigating the arson case. You are obstructing the investigation by making up rumors. We have reason to suspect that you are related to the arson case."

Zhao Dahua stared, having never expected this to be brought up. What would happen if someone heard it?

But she reacted quickly and laughed out loud:

"Zhai Zhiqing, I think you are a smart person, how could you be fooled by a little girl? Investigating an arson case? Her? It would be more believable if you said she was a ghost."

She didn't want to waste time here and wanted to bypass them to chase Tang Qingqing. She must teach Tang Qingqing a lesson today.

But as soon as she moved, she was blocked by Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi, who prevented her from moving forward.

Only after Tang Qingqing ran far away did he let Zhao Dahahua go.

Before Zhao Dahua left, Zhai Hongyi warned:

"If I hear any nonsense, just wait for me!"

Zhai Hongyi snatched the stick from Zhao Dahua's hand and broke it with a light twist.

Zhao Dahua looked unhappy and ran away in a hurry.

Zhai Hongyi looked at her receding back and asked, "Is this woman Tang Qingqing's stepmother?"

"She's my biological mother! She's just like this. It would be better to have a stepmother!" Wang Heizi spat viciously.

Zhai Hongyi's eyes darkened.