He was the man Old Black sent to keep an eye on this place.
The man walked into the grain station, saw the steamed buns and pickled vegetables on the ground, immediately turned around and ran towards the bathhouse, telling Lao Hei everything he had seen.
The next morning, as soon as Xu Xinghe arrived at the bathhouse, Lao Hei told her about it, "Yesterday evening, a woman came to deliver something to Xu Mingli. She crawled in through a dog hole, and when she saw no one in the room, she dropped off the things and ran away. Judging from the woman's clothes and appearance, she's probably the Feng Qiushi you mentioned."
Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up instantly after hearing this.
Feng Qiushi was indeed in contact with Xu Mingli!
Furthermore, the fact that she knew about this secret passage indicates that Xu Mingli's actions were not simply coercion, but rather trust, and that he had told her his hiding place and contact information.
Now that Xu Mingli has been arrested, Feng Qiushi will definitely panic. This may be a good opportunity.
Xu Xinghe tapped the stone table lightly with her fingertips, lost in thought.
If you go directly to Hongqi Village to find Feng Qiushi and tell her about Xu Mingli, she might not admit it. But if you lure her out, that's a different story.
At that time, she will be unable to defend herself!
Moreover, judging from the fact that she brings Xu Mingli meals every few days, it's clear that she probably can't refuse Xu Mingli's requests, otherwise she wouldn't have taken the back road to town late at night.
If she were to encounter some bad people in that remote place, she would have no way to call for help.
"Brother Hei," Xu Xinghe looked up at Lao Hei, "Have your men go to Hongqi Village now and find a discreet way to deliver a message to Feng Qiushi. Tell them someone asked her to bring food and be at the old mill courtyard at the west end of town within half an hour. Don't be late. Remember, they must act like the messenger and not arouse her suspicion."
Old Hei immediately agreed, "Don't worry, my men are experts at this kind of thing. They'll make sure she believes it!"
He immediately arranged for someone to deliver the message.
Xu Xinghe then looked at Zhang Cishu, "Cishu, let's go to the old mill courtyard at the west end of town and wait there. Leave the gate slightly ajar. After Feng Qiushi goes in, you stay at the gate and make sure she doesn't get away."
“Okay.” Zhang Cishu nodded, got up and walked towards the jeep, his movements swift and decisive.
On the other side.
Feng Qiushi had returned to Hongqi Village and was sitting in the house in a daze, still thinking about Xu Mingli's disappearance, feeling both relieved and uneasy.
Not long after, a knock came from outside the courtyard wall.
She was already terrified, and the sudden sound almost made her jump. It took her several seconds to come to her senses, and she got up and went to the door. "Who is it?"
Is this Feng Qiushi's house?
"Yes, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm from the neighboring village. I just happened to be passing by to deliver a message to you. Someone asked me to tell you to take some food to the old mill in town. Hurry up."
After saying that, the person left. Feng Qiushi didn't dare to open the door, so he didn't see the other person's face at all.
The last time Xu Mingli encountered trouble, he also sent someone to deliver a message in the same way.
Feng Qiushi was almost certain it was him, and felt extremely agitated.
But when they thought of Xu Mingli's methods, they dared not disobey.
She knew Xu Mingli's temper; if she didn't go, he might cause her some trouble.
Feng Qiushi didn't dare to delay. He rushed into the kitchen, found a cloth bag, filled it with food, and hurriedly left with the bag.
She jogged along, her heart filled with frustration and helplessness. All she could do was pray that Xu Mingli would behave himself this time and not cause her any more trouble.
An hour later.
Feng Qiushi finally arrived at the old mill at the west end of the town.
The place is abandoned; weeds grow rampant in the yard, the old mill door is tightly shut, and the courtyard gate is ajar, exuding a sinister atmosphere.
She stood at the gate of the courtyard, feeling inexplicably uneasy, as if something was wrong.
Although the hiding places Xu Mingli chose before were also remote and desolate, the gates were usually locked because that made him feel safe.
Could it be that there was never a lock here to begin with?
Feng Qiushi hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth, pushed open the door, and went in.
She lowered her head, hurried across the yard, and walked into the house, wanting to put her things down and leave as soon as possible. But as soon as she stepped over the threshold, a pair of clean cloth shoes suddenly came into view.
These weren't the worn-out rubber shoes that Xu Mingli usually wore.
And this size... it belongs to a woman!
She looked up abruptly, her heart leaping into her throat.
Xu Xinghe was sitting on a wooden stool in the center of the room, looking at her calmly, with a faint smile on her lips.
"You... how did you get here?" Feng Qiushi's voice trembled so badly that the cloth bag in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, and the steamed buns and pickled vegetables inside rolled all over the ground.
Her mind was blank; only one thought remained: run! She had to run immediately!
She didn't even have time to think about why Xu Xinghe was here before she turned around and rushed out the door, her shoulder slamming against the wooden door with a loud clang.
But before she could run out of the house, a tall figure blocked her way.
Zhang Cishu stood at the doorway at some point, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his eyes cold, like an unyielding wall.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Feng Qiushi reached out and tried to push Zhang Cishu like a madwoman, but her strength was nothing in front of the man, and Zhang Cishu didn't even budge.
She was so anxious that tears were about to come out of her eyes. She took two steps back, trying to find another way out, but found that the mill house only had this one door, and the windows were also boarded up tightly.
"Why are you running?" Xu Xinghe's voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of sarcasm. "Since you're here, why don't you sit down and have a chat? Xu Mingli is with me too, so you two can be reunited."
Feng Qiushi froze, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot.
Seeing this, Zhang Cishu stepped forward, reached out and braced himself against her back, and forcefully pushed her into the house.
Feng Qiushi staggered in, "What...what do you want? I don't know anything!"
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