Mojing, the city that never sleeps
Gao Wenwen stroked his chin and thought, "The missing person case, after we solve it, will we be able to clear the level?"
Shi Yan thought of something: "Aren't they short of people? We accepted the job and went in to be the maids of that mansion. Today is the sixth day of the New Year. Any tricks will be revealed immediately."
Ding Can, however, curled his lips slightly and said, "No need to go to such trouble. We can just go directly to the door. If a strange woman wants to enter the official's house, the people inside will definitely line up to welcome her."
If I really work in Yuanwai Mansion, I won’t have time to explore the city that never sleeps and discover other side quests every day.
It would be better to just create an identity for yourself and say that you are here to investigate the case.
She and Shi Yan are women. If they stay in the mansion at night, they will be qualified as female members of the official's family. Then, no matter whether it is a human or a ghost, they will become the target of the visitor.
The case has not been resolved for a long time. If another woman comes to the door, the official will definitely not turn her away.
Having made this decision, after coming out of the teahouse, Xia Jialian looked towards the pastry stall next to the door, picked up a packaged bag of mung bean cakes to pay, and asked the vendor for directions.
"Excuse me, Mr. Zhang's house in the west of the city. Do you know how to get there?"
The vendor took the money and pointed in the direction enthusiastically.
"Just walk along Fenghuang Street until you reach a place called Ping'an Tavern. Turn left from the adjacent alley and walk to the end. When you enter another street, the most imposing courtyard on your right is Mr. Zhang's house."
"Thank you very much."
Following the route indicated by the vendor, the few of them quickly found the Yuanwai Mansion.
Just as the vendor said, the mansion was spacious. At first glance, the courtyard wall was nearly a hundred meters long, and there was a large open space in front of the gate. However, it was very deserted at the moment.
The entrance of the alley they came from was the dividing line. There were many pedestrians on the other side, but most of them left through this alley.
As for those who had to pass by the gate of the Yuanwai Mansion, they all stayed far away and hurried past the white wall opposite, for fear of being contaminated by the Yuanwai Mansion's curse.
"How many people are you?" There were two guards standing in front of the mansion gate. When they saw the people walking up to the steps, they naturally asked them why they came.
Xia Jialian said politely, "I heard there's a missing woman case in your mansion. We're detectives from out of town, and we'd like to learn more about the situation."
The guard immediately made way for them: "My master has been troubled by this matter for a long time. Please follow me."
"Thank you, brother." Gao Wenwen walked up the stairs and followed him.
There is a lot of secrets in the Yuanwai Mansion, and the traditional Chinese style is displayed to the fullest.
The front yard and the back yard are separated from each other. The front yard is used for receiving guests and is relatively calm and grand.
The servants who were cleaning the courtyard were all concentrating on their own tasks. When they saw a stranger coming in, they just looked up for a few seconds and then quickly looked away, being very dutiful.
The wooden floor was polished to a spotless shine, and the lights on both sides were quite luxurious.
Just now, when the security guard brought people in, someone had already gone to inform Mr. Zhang in advance.
So when they entered the hall, the owner of the mansion was already sitting in the main seat waiting for them. When he saw someone stepping over the threshold, he slowly stood up, showing great composure.
I don’t know if it’s because he is naturally calm or if he simply doesn’t take the people who come here seriously.
Zhang Gusheng was dressed in silk and satin, and his whole body was full of luxury. It was somewhat surprising that although he was in his forties, he was very well maintained.
He doesn't have a big belly and his face is handsome.
How to describe it? Probably the ancient version of a successful business person.
After he stood up, he put on a gentle smile and was very hospitable. "I heard that you have come from afar to offer advice on the missing persons case. Why don't you have lunch here? It will show your hospitality."
"Yes, I have already instructed the kitchen to prepare wine and food for our distinguished guests."
The speaker was Zhang Li, the steward of Yuanwai Mansion, who was standing next to Zhang Gusheng.
Xia Jialian asked, "Don't worry, we'd like to hear the details of the previous cases first. Also, if it's convenient, we'd like to go to the backyard and take a look."
He and Gao Wenwen were male guests, and normally they were not allowed to enter the backyard. They had to get permission from the host.
Zhang Gusheng didn't think it was a big deal and agreed immediately: "Of course, no problem, but the servants have already gone to prepare tea. How about we wait until we have tea..."
"It's okay, Mr. Zhang can just take us there."
They had just had some cheap tea in the teahouse, so they weren't very thirsty yet.
Zhang Gusheng sighed softly, "Thank you for your hard work, but today is really unfortunate. I have an important business to discuss, and Zhang Li wants to go with me. I may have to excuse myself for a while. I'm really sorry."
Xia Jialian expressed her understanding: "Business is indeed important, but if we go there..."
"Xu Linfeng, the head of the mansion's security guards, will be responsible for taking you there." Zhang Gusheng only glanced at the entrance to the hall, and one of the guards standing at the door walked out.
He has a stern expression and looks like someone who is difficult to approach and only obeys orders from his superiors.
Xu Linfeng clasped his fists and saluted: "My Lord."
"Well, you will take the guests around the backyard. If they have any questions, remember to answer them promptly."
"Understood," Xu Linfeng made an invitation gesture with one hand, "Please follow me."
Xia Jialian looked at Zhang Gusheng again and said, "Mr. Zhang, we will leave first."
"Please help yourself, everyone."
After coming out of the hall, Ding Can looked back a few times. Zhang Gusheng and Zhang Li also set off at the same time and walked towards the gate of the Yuanwai Mansion.
The two were talking in low voices. When Zhang Li leaned over to speak, he noticed her gaze and nodded in a friendly manner.
Ding Can smiled back.
"What are you looking at, Sister Can? Is there something wrong with them?" Gao Wenwen asked softly.
She shrugged. "I just find it a little strange. You're really bold. On a day like today, you're still in the mood to go out and talk business."
With the lessons learned from the past, there would be disappearances on the fifth day of every month. The whole government would strengthen its vigilance. Even staying indoors would not be excessive. Why would they choose this time?
What's more, he also has a daughter who disappeared for this reason and has not been found yet.
Xia Jialian heard the two people talking from the front: "Manager Xu, what kind of business does your family mainly run?"
"The master owns several ceramic factories in the city, and is engaged in the porcelain business."
No wonder I saw so many porcelains as decorations in the front hall just now, it turns out they are their own products.
"Porcelain is not like fresh food. It can be stored in the warehouse for a long time and can be sold all over the place. Mr. Zhang's business must be very prosperous, right?"
Xu Linfeng paused for a moment and said, "The master does have a business mind, but I am only a guard in the mansion and don't know much about his business. Sorry, you asked the wrong person."
"Don't mind me, Manager Xu," Ding Can said to ease the atmosphere. "We were just shocked by the wealth and splendor of the mansion and were a little curious."
Xu Linfeng did not respond, but continued to walk forward.
The front yard and the back house are separated by a bamboo path. There are more guards standing at the arched round gate than at the main gate.
"After crossing this archway, you will officially arrive at the backyard. The master is so elegant that he named the backyard Fangfei Garden."
Ding Can turned his head and asked: "Did you plant a lot of flowers?"
"Decorating a house and planting flowers is not uncommon. The master said that women are naturally fragile and need to be cared for like flowers. Therefore, this "Fang Fei" more refers to the courtyard where the female relatives live. Please come in."
After entering the backyard, the style is completely different from the front.
If the front yard can be described as an ancient building with a long history and rich heritage, it is magnificent and majestic, and you will not treat it casually once you enter. Then the backyard is as warm as the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
A river runs through Fangfei Garden, with several pavilions built on both sides of the river.
Beyond the small bridge and flowing water, there are clusters of flowers. You can vaguely see butterflies and bees flying among the flowers, giving the place more vivid colors.
It’s a good place to raise people.
A flock of birds happened to fly across the sky, and combined with the various different scenery in Fangfei Garden, it was like a beautiful painting unfolding before your eyes.
"It's so beautiful here." Shi Yan exclaimed sincerely.
"Should we go see Madam Zhang first?" Ding Can noticed that a team of guards were patrolling on a small bridge in the distance. Different guards were also seen in other places. They should have been specially prepared for today.
"The madam died of a serious illness a few years ago. Currently, the affairs of the harem are handled by the master in his spare time. Fortunately, there is not much to do, and with the help of the housekeeper, everything is going smoothly."
Ding Can's eyes moved slightly: "How many children does that gentleman have? Which one was missing before, and which one is it?"
"The master has only two daughters. The eldest daughter, Zhang Yuntang, got married two years ago, and the second daughter, Zhang Shutang, is missing."
"Second Miss's boudoir, can we go take a look?"
Xu Linfeng turned around and headed in another direction: "The young lady's room is over here. She has been missing for a month, and the room has been cleaned regularly. Please follow me."
Xia Jialian took a few quick steps and came to his side. "Please tell us about the four disappearances before and after. What were the circumstances under which they occurred? As many details as possible would be best."
"Five months ago, that was the first time someone went missing, and no one took it seriously..."
Xu Linfeng looked into the distance, lost in some memories.
*
The sixth day of the first lunar month this year was the beginning of all this. The New Year had not yet ended, but the whole house was prosperous and everyone was in a good mood.
It was a rare occasion that the owner was not as restrained as usual and even organized entertainment activities in the front yard.
The servants in the mansion were very happy and lively, and only when it was almost midnight did they disperse.
Because of the hangover, he got up even later the next day. When the old woman in charge was assigning the day's tasks, he discovered that a maid was missing.
She was a little impatient: "Where's Lan Yao? Why hasn't she come yet? Who lives in the same room with her?"
Someone replied: "We didn't see her when we got up and thought she had gone to make breakfast."
Lan Yao was in charge of the kitchen. She had to prepare breakfast for the whole mansion with other maids, so she had to get up early. Therefore, the girls who shared the room with her didn't think there was anything unusual.
The old woman glared at him and said, "Who knows where he's been slacking off again. Go find him for me."
I searched Fangfei Garden several times, even in the front yard, but I couldn't find Lan Yao.
The Yuanwai Mansion is a wealthy family, and its servants are required to follow the standards of a wealthy family. If they want to leave the mansion, they need to obtain a warrant in advance for permission to travel, and only the guards in charge of guarding the various gates will let them in.
However, everyone was partying last night, so the guards were a little lax, and some people walked back and forth, but their names were not recorded in the record book as usual.
The entire house was turned upside down, but the person was nowhere to be found, and the matter was dropped after a few days.
After all, it was just a maid missing, nothing serious. Maybe she couldn't stand the strict house rules and left when no one was questioning her.
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