Cake Fragrance (9)
Under Chu Mo's leadership, Xiao Lin and Mu You came to the county government office openly, while Gao Qing quietly put on a cloak, hid in the grass and trees, and walked along the corridor to the noisy lobby.
Although it was late at night, the county government office was brightly lit.
"You still dare to deny it!" Gao Chang's voice echoed from the hall, resounding like thunder. "Now my personal guards have found several boxes of silver with official seals in your warehouse. The evidence is irrefutable. You have no right to deny it!"
At the end of Gao Chang's fingertips was Rong Ye, who was hunched over with his waist hunched over.
There was always a strong fear in his eyes, and this time when he faced Gao Chang's accusation, even his eyes flashed with the firelight.
"I... I didn't... This is a frame-up! It's a frame-up..." Rong Ye's voice was extremely trembling, but he suppressed the tone that had just been raised.
"Framed?" Gao Chang's face began to twitch, and then he bared his teeth in disdain. "Then tell me, who framed you? Who would have such a motive?"
Rong Ye swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and his helplessness filled every pore of his body.
Gao Chang sneered and waved his hand. The soldiers behind him immediately moved forward, twisted Rong Ye's arm, and took him away.
Sadly, Rong Ye did not choose to struggle, but instead followed Gao Chang's wishes with a dead heart.
So in the midst of the commotion, all that was left were the old slave's cries and smashed furniture.
Gao Qing, who witnessed everything, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, looking at the innocent county magistrate being taken to jail, feeling sorry for his misfortune and angry at his lack of resistance.
This must be the reason why no one noticed her when she sneaked into Gao's mansion just now despite making noises - Gao Chang had already brought his men to punish Rong Ye.
She didn't understand what had happened to Rong Ye, but she understood what kind of vicious and powerful person could force a generation of scholars to become so timid.
So she hated it, hated the world here, hated the rules of survival here.
But she couldn't topple the mountain on her own.
The people here have been oppressed for years, and have developed a slave mentality. They are numb and indifferent, as if they had been fed poison. In the whole situation, the only sober people are these outsiders.
Gao Qing turned his head fiercely and took advantage of the night to take a shortcut into the chaotic county government office.
In the hall, the old slave's sobbing subsided, and Xiao Lin was comforting him. Mu You had a serious expression on his face. Only Chu Mo was still adding incense to the incense cup, his movements slow and calm.
Gao Qing became agitated and yelled, "Boss Chu! Forget it! Why are you still in the mood to light incense? You're almost dead! This time it was Magistrate Rong who was murdered, so maybe it will be us next time! In the end, it's a mystery whether we can even leave the city alive!"
Chu Mo gently covered the incense burner, fanned the smoke from the burner, and took a light breath: "Girl, why are you so anxious? It's late at night, what else can they do?"
Even though Chu Mo said this, Gao Qing still couldn't calm down, her teeth were clenched tightly.
Naturally, she couldn't stand Chu Mo's indifferent attitude, so she immediately turned around and strode out of the county government office, blending into the night wearing a black cloak.
Xiao Lin and Mu You were about to chase after him, but were stopped by Chu Mo.
"Isn't Gao Qing going to die? Don't stop us!" Mu You's brows were even more furrowed than before.
"This is her fate. It's time for things to come to an end..."
The lobby suddenly became quiet, leaving only the tragic sound of the cold winter wind blowing.
Quietly, a small insect spun and fell into the black tea on the table. However, it did not float on the water surface. Instead, it sank to the bottom of the cup and mixed with the tea leaves, making it difficult to identify.
After leaving the county government office alone, Gao Qing would rather live on the streets than return to Liuxiangju, a place of trouble. So, while Gao Chang was still dealing with Rong Ye's affairs, she simply dared to return to Gao's house.
"Sister Qing is here! Here! Quick! Quick!"
Behind the slightly opened door, Gao Hui lowered her voice and called out to Gao Qing who was walking at night. Aunt Ma was also inside the house providing cover.
The wind outside was getting stronger and stronger. Gao Qing walked in shivering, holding her elbows. Seeing this, Aunt Ma quickly handed her a freshly lit hand warmer.
Gao Qing nodded at her, then gestured for them to squat down to hide from others.
"Sister Qing, why are you back again? But have you found anything?"
Gao Qing shook his head.
"What should we do then?"
"Don't panic, there will be clues, there will be clues..." Gao Qing's body kept twitching, but it was not only because of the cold weather, but also because of the panic in his throat.
Gao Hui saw that she was in a bad state and hesitated to speak. Even though she repeatedly told herself that this was a delusion, she finally bit her lip and said, "Sister Qing, I... I have an idea..."
Gao Qing raised his eyebrows.
"To be honest," Gao Hui gradually leaned closer to Gao Qing's ear, "if you ask me who I suspect killed my mother, I would think it was... my father..."
Gao Hui's words shocked both Aunt Ma and Gao Qing.
Gao Qing quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead, grabbed Gao Hui's arm tightly, and stared with wide eyes: "Why do you say that?"
Gao Hui was so frightened by Gao Qing's reaction that she dared not speak, tears welling up in her eyes. "Because... because my parents have always had a bad relationship, and my father doesn't like me... One time, I passed by my mother's door and overheard their conversation. At the time, I didn't know how my mother had offended my father again. I only heard my father threatening to kill her, and then..."
"Then what! Tell me quickly!" Not only Gao Hui, but Gao Qing's emotions were also pushed to a climax, and his tone became higher and higher.
Gao Hui was yelled at and began to sob, with a nasal sound: "Then... then..."
At this moment, Aunt Ma's hand quickly caressed Gao Hui's eyes. She comforted the helpless child in her most unique and reassuring voice: "It's okay, child. Tell us everything you know. We will always stand by you."
Gao Qing then realized that his emotions were too intense. He apologized immediately and silently moved a few inches away from Gao Hui.
With the two of them comforting her alternately, Gao Hui regained her breath and continued, "Then, on the night my mother died, I personally witnessed my father walk into her room, but there was no movement inside. My father came out, suspicious..."
Gao Qing suddenly understood something.
After thinking for a moment, she turned to Gao Hui and said affirmatively: "Thank you for speaking out. It's okay now. I will help your mother find the real murderer."
"Yes, Miss, although the madam is gone, you still have me. I will stay by your side and take care of you forever." Aunt Ma gently took Gao Hui into her arms. In her eyes, this child had really experienced too much.
Gao Qing looked at Gao Hui who was sobbing in Aunt Ma's arms, then unconsciously lowered his eyes and clenched his fists.
---
The next morning, while Gao Hui was still asleep, Gao Qing hid it from her and went to the street quietly with Aunt Ma.
"If the lady died of poisoning, then the drugstore must have recorded the death. In that case, let's go to the drugstore first." Gao Qing suggested. This was also the starting point for all their future actions.
Aunt Ma nodded and said goodbye to Gao Qing. After all, it would be faster to find a pharmacy separately.
Before breaking up, the two agreed to meet at noon in an alley next to a mutton soup shop at the city gate.
"Boss." Gao Qing lowered his voice and looked around. Seeing that no one was around, he leaned close to the shop owner's ear and whispered, "Do you sell drugs?"
The shop owner was naturally displeased when she asked about this unlucky thing right away. He slammed the table, glared at her, and yelled, "Selling anything! Who dares to sell this? Get out!"
Gao Qing was blasted and felt very puzzled.
But on second thought, it was indeed true. Poison control was extremely strict. If you were caught selling drugs nowadays, you would be sentenced to life imprisonment! But if you avoided these things, the case would make no progress.
Just as Gao Qing was scratching her head in confusion, a slight smacking sound caught her attention.
She turned around and saw a person with his face wrapped in a cloak, waving at her from the shadows.
Half believing and half doubting, Gao Qing walked up to him cautiously.
"What do you want from me?" Gao Qing kept a distance from him, always ready to escape.
Seeing this, the mysterious man took off his wrapping and said in a foreign accent, "Girl, I just overheard you want to buy drugs?"
When Gao Qing heard this, he saw that things were turning around for the better, his eyes widened, and he nodded repeatedly.
"That's right, I have it here!" The mysterious man straightened his back and said proudly, patting his chest.
"You have it?" Gao Qing took a step closer. "Where did you get it? Let me see. How effective is the poison?"
As he spoke, the mysterious man stealthily took out a heavy wooden gourd from his waist.
He removed the cloth plug and poured some milky white juice directly onto a piece of pork that had been prepared in advance. In an instant, the pig skin that was sticky with the juice changed and became rotten and black. Gao Qing was so shocked that he covered his mouth.
"Hehe, isn't it amazing? This poison is natural, it's the sap of the strychnos nux vomica tree. It kills people without leaving a trace. Just one drop is enough!"
Gao Qing pressed, "Then...then do you know that selling drugs here is a capital crime?"
At this point, the mysterious man expressed his embarrassment. "I know it's illegal to sell this here, not just here. But there are people who want it! They're offering a pretty high price. That's why I came here after hearing the news."
"But I overestimated how much he'd need. I brought too much, and I can't take it back. Now I'm worried about it. Coincidentally, I ran into you. Do you want some?"
"Who wants to hurt others for no reason?"
"Oh! I don't want to kill people, I can kill rats and insects! I'll sell it to you at a low price, the lowest price!"
Gao Qing rolled his eyes and asked, "Then... who was the buyer of your poison?"
"I can't tell you that. This is the customer's private matter. We have to protect our customers even when we're doing business."
"Okay, if you don't tell me, I'll arrest you and report you to the police!" Gao Qing said as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Report to the police? Do you think I'm afraid of these petty officials? I can run very fast!"
Gao Qing immediately saw through the man's lies and exposed him immediately: "The city is sealed, where else do you want to run to?"
As expected, the mysterious man immediately lost his temper and took out a piece of paper, revealing a small corner of it in a flattering manner: "Don't... don't report it to the police! I'll show you! Just let you take a look..."
Gao Qing looked carefully and didn't see any signature or seal. At the end, there was only a seal.
She looked carefully, but was shocked by two large characters:
Gao Mansion!
It's the Gao family! The scope immediately became much smaller!
Before he knew it, Gao Qing had an idea in mind, and with a confident look on his face, he immediately set out to return to Gao's house to look for clues.
Just as she was about to leave, she was grabbed by the mysterious man: "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? You don't want to buy it? I tell you this won't work. You must buy it!"
"Whether I buy it or not is my business. Besides, haven't I given you a benefit? I didn't take you to the police!"
The mysterious man was speechless. He wanted to cheat, but he couldn't beat Gao Qing. She saw the opportunity and escaped from under his crotch.
Seeing that she disappeared into the crowd and it was inconvenient for him to show up, he had no choice but to put on the wrapping again and tiptoe around to find the next buyer.
After meeting Aunt Ma and her dog, I only brought disappointing news.
But it doesn’t matter, Gao Qing already has the answer in his mind.
The two were about to return home when Gao Qing suddenly stopped halfway. Unable to let go of the grudge in her heart, she asked, "Aunt Ma, does anyone have the Gao Mansion's special seal?"
Aunt Ma was stunned for a moment, then slowly replied, "Not many people have seals. Besides us supervisors, Steward Liu and the master have them. Why are you asking this?"
Gao Qing pondered for a long time, and then told Aunt Ma everything about her adventure.
Aunt Ma was stunned upon hearing this, then, unable to conceal her anger, she cursed, "It's true that even if you're on guard against thieves in your own home, you can never be so sure... Poor my wife, she's so kind to them all! What an ungrateful bunch!"
"Yeah, let's stop talking. Let's go back home and check and see what we can find out."
Aunt Ma nodded.
As the two walked side by side, Gao Qing repeatedly pondered all the clues he had collected.
The red dot on Mrs. Gao's chest, the object left between her fingers, the sap of the strychnos nux vomica tree...
It's too messy, really too messy. Everything seems to be related, but I can't find any definite evidence.
Before they knew it, when Gao Qing and Aunt Ma arrived at the gate of Gao's mansion, they didn't realize that Gao Chang had already been waiting there.
Taking advantage of the situation, Aunt Ma pulled Gao Qing behind her and bowed to Gao Chang, "What's the matter, Master?"
Gao Chang did not answer, but winked at Liu Tao beside him. Then, Liu Tao walked behind Aunt Ma and grabbed Gao Qing away. Even though Aunt Ma tried her best to hold him back, she could not resist Liu Tao's snatch.
"Master..."
"Aunt Ma." Gao Chang deliberately raised his voice and looked down at Aunt Ma who was standing at the bottom of the stone steps. "Come with me to the lobby."
Aunt Ma fell silent immediately, looked tremblingly at Gao Qing who was being held with his hands behind his back, and slowly followed Gao Chang.
When they moved to the lobby, they found that Gao Hui was also curled up on the side, her big eyes trembling and fear all over the floor.
"Aunt Ma," Gao Chang waved his sleeves and sat on the chair, "Didn't I tell you that this guy was the murderer of the lady? Why did you still help her escape without knowing right from wrong?"
"No, this child is not the murderer."
Aunt Ma was so nervous that she broke out in a sweat, her hands clasped tightly in front of her stomach.
Gao Chang sneered at this and said, "Oh, if she isn't, then who is?"
"Everyone present is a suspect, sir. You must admit that your conclusion is not the truth."
"Haha, Aunt Ma, how can a mentally handicapped person like you be qualified to talk to me about the truth, huh?"
Provoked by Gao Chang's words, Aunt Ma looked down at her feet.
Sure enough, I put my shoes on backwards again.
But this time she didn't change immediately, but continued: "Master, you think you know the truth, but do you understand the facts? We are all wrong. The facts of this case are actually..."
"Shut the fuck up! It's as simple as that, she's the murderer!" Aunt Ma was still halfway through her words when Gao Chang was completely furious, his face turning pale. "If you say anything more, be careful I'll make sure you and everyone in your poor hometown die like your damned parents!"
Gao Chang's words hit the painful corner of Aunt Ma's heart accurately.
Speaking of Aunt Ma's parents and fellow villagers, this was her deepest bottom line. She could no longer be humble and instantly became furious. She yelled at Gao Chang: "You don't want us to investigate, I'm afraid you want to conceal the fact that you are the real murderer!"
"Say it again!"
Gao Chang's brows furrowed in anger, and he rushed forward to grab Aunt Ma's collar. The bloodshot in his eyes became more and more obvious, so that the entire white of his eyes was dyed bright red.
"Hmph." Aunt Ma uttered a disdainful sound through her teeth, and even her eyes trembled, but this time it wasn't out of fear, but out of sheer contempt. "You, all you know is oppressing us, the lower class. Do you think I don't know about the dirty deeds you've done? Why don't people like you get their comeuppance sooner? Do you know that every time I see your face, I feel sick!"
Gao Chang was furious, and he kept making harsh gasps. The next moment, he pushed Aunt Ma away with great force and turned away.
Unexpectedly, this swing pushed Aunt Ma to the corner of the square table at the back.
She just ran straight into the corner of the table that was like the deadly knife of the King of Hell, hitting her abdomen. After struggling and gasping for breath, Aunt Ma spat out a mouthful of thick blood on the ground.
This scared everyone present, including Gao Chang.
Gao Qing immediately broke free from Liu Tao's hand without saying a word, rushed directly to the fallen Aunt Ma, and hooked her head in his elbow.
Gao Hui was also shocked. She covered her mouth and knelt down in front of Aunt Ma, crying.
Gao Qing kept patting Aunt Ma's cheeks, hoping that she would wake up. His throat was sore and tears were pouring down.
"Don't cry, child..." Aunt Ma slowly raised her trembling hands, gently placed them on Gao Qing's right cheek, and grinned, "Don't cry... Aunt, I'm afraid I can't help you overturn the case..."
Gao Qing bit her lips and shook her head desperately. Tears had already dripped onto Aunt Ma's pockmarked face, making the pockmarks even more eye-catching.
Aunt Ma smiled, then glanced at Gao Hui, who was wiping tears at the side, and whispered, "Children... you know... you two look just like my own two children who died young... They... they are just like you two... just as beautiful..."
"Aunt Ma, please stop talking. I'll take you to see a doctor right now..." Gao Qing was panicked, with hot tempers rushing to his head.
But Aunt Ma held her hand and shook her head gently.
At this point, Aunt Ma died completely. The remaining hot tears in her eyes slipped along the fine lines at the corners of her eyes into her thick and gray hair. She was no longer alive.
Gao Qing's heart suddenly collapsed and he cried bitterly, leaning against Aunt Ma's head.
Suddenly, she gently put down Aunt Ma's body, clenched her fists, and walked towards Gao Chang angrily.
But just as she swung her fist, Liu Tao hugged her from behind.
A barrage of beatings and kicks, accompanied by heart-wrenching words like "I'm going to kill you," almost destroyed all the rationality and softness in Gao Qing's heart, and built up layer upon layer of towers of anger.
As Aunt Ma's body grew cold, another pillar of support in Gao Qing's heart collapsed.
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