Cake Fragrance (11)
The steam from the bowl, carrying the aroma of wontons, blew towards Gao Hui's face, and it was so steaming that it blinded her eyes.
"I...I just have a suspicion...I have no evidence, no..."
Gao Qing hurried to explain, even though she knew how disappointed Gao Hui would be.
"It's okay." Gao Hui calmed down and picked up the spoon again. "I can accept it. No matter what the truth is, it's the truth. Sister Qing, I will do my best to help you."
Gao Qing smiled and nodded. Only then did she realize that the little girl in front of her was no longer as fragile as before after being beaten and standing up again and again.
"Let's go after we finish eating. We still have a lot to do."
"good."
As they walked, the three of them arrived at the city gate.
Gao Qing was looking around, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, a clear bird call came from behind the bushes beside them. Gao Qing immediately smiled and carefully pulled Gao Hui and Xiao Lin into the bushes.
After pushing aside the dense leaves, Xiao Lin was surprised to find that the people hiding in the woods were none other than the little beggars under Gao Qing.
"Sister Qing, you finally remembered to come and see us! Fortunately, we didn't give up and insisted on waiting here, otherwise we would have missed you this time!" One of the little beggars said happily.
"I'm sorry, there have been so many things happening lately that I forgot about you." Gao Qing lowered his voice, "But this time, I really need your help."
"Sister Qing's business is our business. Tell us! We promise to help you with everything!"
The other little beggar patted his chest proudly, making a dull sound.
"That's it..." Gao Qing slowly took out a pair of shoes from his chest and handed them to the little beggar. "Gather some of your brothers and go to the source of the nearby river to look for footprints as big as these shoes."
"Then take some people to search for a foreigner wearing a black cloak. Oh, yes, that person sells drugs."
"The last group of people, take this certificate and go find someone in the city who can help you forge it. Remember, ask obscurely, or you won't find anyone. Once you find someone, verify the authenticity of this certificate. If you find anything, come to the city gate and meet me immediately."
The little beggar slowly stretched out his hands to take the shoes, looked at each other for a while, and nodded firmly.
After saying this, Gao Qing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "These items are very important. I am sorry to bother you all. I have no way of repaying you for your kindness."
After saying this, they all laughed heartily: "Sister Qing has been so kind as to take us in for so many days. It's time for us to repay her."
After breaking up, Gao Qing took Gao Hui's hand and went to Zuihonglou to help Gao Chang overturn the case. Xiao Lin still followed behind them.
During this period, Gao Qing tried to persuade her to return many times, but Xiao Lin was still restless and insisted on following them, fearing that they would do something stupid.
Gao Qing couldn't persuade her, so he had to let her follow them.
In ancient times, many men were greedy for beauty, indulged in a life of luxury, and lived in chaos, which led to the development of brothels.
Every time a country is destroyed and falls into decline, it is always inseparable from greed, and now, Gao Qing and Gao Hui are facing such a filthy place.
When Gao Qing and Gao Hui stood in front of the door, not daring to go in, the madam came out seductively, shaking her hips and shooing them away: "Go away, this is not the place for you!"
Gao Qing smelled the strong scent of powder on the madam, which was not accustomed to her. He pinched his nose tightly, took out a token from his chest, held it in front of the madam, and said, "We are ordered to come here to investigate a case. Don't stop us."
"Hey!" The madam leaned in closer, narrowed her eyes, rolled them, and continued arrogantly, "So what if you were ordered to investigate the case? Do I really think I'm afraid of those officials?"
"I don't steal, and I don't kill. How could they possibly arrest me? Do you think I'm as terrified of officials as they are? I'm going to make it clear today: they're afraid of me, but not me!"
"We don't intend to arrest you, we just come to ask questions."
After saying that, Gao Qing took out a piece of shiny silver from his pocket and handed it to the madam.
The madam then glanced at Gao Qing, twisted her waist, raised her head and turned around, and with a wave of her slender fingers, she grabbed the silver in her hand: "Then come in and talk."
Looking at the enchanting twisting body of the madam, Gao Qing and Gao Hui looked at each other for a while, but had no choice but to follow her.
As soon as I entered the building, I heard a shrill laugh, which was very harsh.
Then, the scene inside became even more disgusting. A group of useless scum were hanging out with dancers in scantily clad clothes, drinking and feasting, and laughing loudly.
Xiao Lin was older than Gao Qing and Gao Hui, but he couldn't stand seeing the decadence and drunkenness everywhere.
Going upstairs, the madam led them to a quiet guest room. While she was pouring tea from the teapot, she noticed Gao Hui looking around and said with a smile, "Sister, what are you looking at?"
Gao Hui finally realized what was happening and quickly replied, "I heard that the courtesan in this brothel is extremely beautiful. Some people would spend a fortune to see her beauty in person!"
"That's right." The madam placed two cups of tea in front of the two of them, her lips curled up. "It's just that my building is new, and the courtesan hasn't been chosen yet. Even if I did, she wouldn't be as beautiful as the young lady from the Jiang family in Tianling City. It's a pity, why don't I have the luck to attract a girl as stunning as her? A little less beauty would be fine..."
Recruited? Even decent women coveted her? It seemed that the woman in the Drunken Red Mansion was also "recruited" by her.
"Tianling? I've been in Tianling for quite some time, but why haven't I heard of any Miss Jiang?"
Even though Gao Qing scoffed at the madam's every move, he still suppressed his displeasure and spoke to her.
"What do you know, little brat? I've seen Jiang Ying, the second young lady of the Jiang family. She has eyes as bright as water, a beautiful face, and especially that cherry-like mouth. She's truly an angel with a beautiful appearance. No wonder all the wealthy families in Tianling are vying to marry her! It's a pity, for some reason, that young lady ran off with a scholar, and we haven't heard from her since..."
"How pathetic! If you have a fortune, why don't you do something good instead of doing something dirty like this?"
"Okay, if you don't understand these, then don't talk about them. By the way, why did you come here?" The madam waved her sleeves and sat down leisurely.
"It's like this." Gao Qing leaned closer and whispered, "Did a man come into the building five nights ago?"
"Five days ago..." The madam pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and responded immediately, "That night, a man did come. He was at least seven feet tall. He looked like an official, very arrogant."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! We officially opened four days ago, and we were preparing for the opening five days ago. He was the only one who came to the building, so how could he remember it wrong? Besides, my family had some unexpected events in the past few days, so I closed the business after only one day of business. I just reopened today, and there weren't many customers. Of course I remember it clearly."
"Do you have any proof of that?"
"I don't know about that. Isn't your job here to find evidence? Why are you asking me?"
Seeing this, Gao Qing and Gao Hui had no choice but to thank them and leave. The madam also responded politely, then waved her hand and asked two waiters to see them off.
As a result, with this wave of the hand, Gao Qing inhaled the fragrance of the madam into his nostrils again.
This gave Gao Qing an idea - since it was a brothel, there must be the smell of cosmetics. If he could find out whether Gao Chang smelled of cosmetics, he would know whether he really came to this brothel that night.
"Boss lady, you smell so good."
Gao Qing deliberately grinned and complimented.
When the scent was mentioned, the madam had a flash of inspiration and immediately thought of evidence that could prove Gao Chang had indeed been there: "Oh, by the way, speaking of this perfume, the master you are investigating should have this scent on him. Just go and check it out."
"But the fragrance will dissipate easily, right?"
Gao Hui raised questions and also awakened Gao Qing.
"No, no, no!" The madam shook her head. "The perfume powder I wear is different. Ours is specially processed, with some small ingredients added to it to prolong the fragrance. And the smell can't be washed off with water. The only way to remove it is to expose it to the sun for two days. Since that master has had contact with me, if he has my scent on him, doesn't that prove he's been here?"
This was undoubtedly fantastic news. Gao Qing quickly asked, "How long can this fragrance last?"
"Six or seven days."
Six or seven days! Counting on my fingers, five days have already passed. Fortunately, it has rained frequently these days, so the smell should not be too weak.
But time is running out, she only has three days, so she must speed up.
Gao Qing bowed to the madam, then left the mixed brothel with Gao Hui and Xiao Lin.
Seeing Gao Qing quicken his pace, Gao Hui lifted her skirt and followed him in small steps, asking, "Where are we going next?"
"Return to Gao Mansion."
"Why go back again?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Qing suddenly stopped, causing Gao Hui to stagger.
Then the two of them looked at each other, Gao Qing's gaze becoming increasingly profound as he slowly spoke, "We're going here to put an end to this farce. The world can't go on this dire."
Gao Hui didn't answer, but lowered her gaze and followed Gao Qing's steps.
Xiao Lin sensed something was amiss and quickly stopped Gao Qing, asking, "This case has been fully taken over by the governor. You can't even enter the Gao residence now!"
Unexpectedly, Gao Qing pursed his lips and didn't take Xiao Lin's words seriously: "Who said we can't get in if the gate is sealed?"
Now, Xiao Lin didn't know how to respond.
---
After the investigation, Gao's mansion was deserted and the gate was guarded by people sent by the prefect, who did not allow any unauthorized persons to enter.
Since they can't get in through the main door, they have their own small door.
After Aunt Ma passed away, the kitchen was closed because Gao Chang felt that Aunt Ma had stayed there for too long and had brought bad luck.
Fortunately, before Aunt Ma died, she did not lock this small door. She even cleverly covered it with some haystacks. If you don't look carefully, you will definitely not be able to find it.
After passing through the small door, the three of them stood together in the kitchen.
Perhaps because it had not been sealed for too long, there was only a very thin layer of dust on the kitchen utensils, but the spider webs in the corners of the walls were still swaying in the wind, and the air was still filled with the familiar smell of smoke.
After Gao Qing stood up straight, she caught a glimpse of the big pot where rice porridge was cooked. It was also her first meeting with Aunt Ma.
For a moment, a complex and bitter emotion surged into her throat.
But this was definitely not the time to be sad. She quickly came to her senses, walked straight to the knife rack, picked up two axes that she was familiar with, and threw them to Xiao Lin and Gao Hui in turn.
After taking the axe, Xiao Lin and Gao Hui still didn't know what she was thinking until she tilted her head and urged, "What are you still standing there for? Come and chop the door!"
Gao Qing was the first to swing the axe and chopped down the wooden door of the back kitchen with a clean and decisive blow.
After all, he is older than the two of them. Even if Xiao Lin is thin, he is stronger than Gao Qing and Gao Hui.
She rolled up her sleeves, strengthened her arms, raised the axe above her head, and imitated Gao Qing's posture, chopping hard at the closed door.
Gao Hui stood beside her. Although she was weak, she gritted her teeth, gripped the axe handle tightly, and swung it hard. Every time the axe fell, wood chips would fly everywhere.
The axe fell again and again, and the wood chips scattered with the cold wind and fell on the cold and hard stone ground, making a rustling sound.
Following several firm axe strikes, the heavy wooden kitchen door finally cracked open with the joint efforts of the three men.
After a violent vibration, the door cracked, revealing a narrow gap.
A cold wind suddenly rushed in, stirring up the dust on the ground.
Xiao Lin gripped the axe handle tightly and swung it down with one last powerful blow. The axe embedded itself into a corner of the wooden door. With a loud bang, the crack in the door panel grew wider and fragments scattered everywhere.
Gao Hui was so frightened that she staggered back, but Gao Qing took the initiative and kicked open the shaky door.
They slipped out of the door sideways and headed straight for Gao Chang's bedroom.
From the moment she stepped into the room, she kept searching through everything in his room.
He searched from the closet to the bed, from the desk to the curtains, and after searching through the whole process, he finally found the dress from under his bed.
"The fragrance, which can only be removed by sunlight, clung to the clothes, but your father hid it under the bed in the dark. I guess he didn't know the inside story."
Gao Hui was stunned for a moment, took the evidence, and her heart was filled with inexplicable thoughts.
But she finally chose to fold the clothes, wrap them in cloth, and then turned and went to Aunt Ma's room.
Aunt Ma's room was not locked yet, so the three of them got in much more smoothly.
After entering, Gao Qing immediately pulled out a large piece of silk from his clothes, bent down, carefully wrapped Aunt Ma's wooden basin and the pair of shoes he had found before, and handed them to Gao Hui.
Gao Hui, confused, was now even more curious. She was about to ask something, but Gao Qing suppressed her curiosity: "Okay, now we just need to go look for my brothers. I hope they can bring good news."
Gao Hui blinked and followed Gao Qing's steps closely.
It was at this moment that Gao Hui suddenly realized her own weakness and helplessness.
Gao Qing, on the contrary, took on all the responsibilities alone. Just like a horse and a cart, she could only be the cart being driven from behind, without a trace of thought or soul.
As promised, they arrived at the city gate, but Gao Qing's brothers had not yet shown up, so she had no choice but to wait with Gao Hui and Xiao Lin, silently hoping that they would be quicker.
After all, it was getting dark, and her next plan was urgent and could not be delayed.
Afterwards, the sky gradually darkened, and even Xiao Lin began to feel impatient with waiting.
Only Gao Qing remained calm and kept staring towards the city, afraid of missing any information.
Finally, her hard work paid off and her younger brother appeared against the light.
The younger brother was even panting, but he continued to pull out the contract Gao Qing had seen from his sleeve, gasping for breath: "Sister Qing... this... this is what you want... That brat... he ran too fast and I couldn't catch up..."
Then, the next younger brother stepped forward to report the situation: "And this... I took this certificate to ask... That person... That person said... If you give this certificate seal... to someone who knows the business... Once they take a look... they will know... it's fake..."
Seeing that the progress was so smooth, Gao Qing was immediately delighted.
Before parting, Gao Qing specifically reminded them, "Thank you for your hard work. I really don't know what I would do without you. Go hide first. It's turbulent now, so don't get hurt."
Gao Qing had just reached out and stroked the arms of his two younger brothers to show his satisfaction when another companion from the west came to report: "Sister Qing, we've found the river! I've assigned a few people to guard it and prevent it from being destroyed."
Gao Qing's eyes finally relaxed.
Now everything is ready, only the last step remains.
"Now we're just waiting for the final move tonight." Gao Qing turned to face Gao Hui, his eyes filled with seven parts of determination and three parts of heartache. "I've figured it out. Everything here is almost over. Don't be afraid. I'll be by your side no matter what."
Gao Hui nodded.
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