Chapter 206 Amnesia (Two chapters in one)
Zhao Shiqing nodded. "Yes, it's a hundred miles away, very far from your home. The school has holidays on the first and fifteenth of every month, but your home is so far away. When others are on holiday, you're left alone in the school. You were only seven or eight years old at the time, all alone. It's pitiful just to think about it."
Lin Xian looked puzzled. "Am I an orphan? That's not right. You said my home is called Zhushan'ao, so it should be in the countryside. I'm a country kid, but I can go to school in the city. If I'm an orphan, then who paid for my education?"
Zhao Shiqing shook her head. "Then I don't know. Why don't you think about it? Under what circumstances could a child who couldn't even afford a carriage go to Baifeng City, a hundred miles away, to study? Oh, and that school doesn't just teach reading, it also teaches martial arts. One of the teachers is skilled in martial arts."
When he heard the word "martial arts", something flashed through Lin Xian's mind, but he couldn't grasp it and could only look at Zhao Shiqing in confusion.
Zhao Shiqing suddenly attacked, punching Lin Xian in the face. Lin Xian subconsciously dodged. He had not yet recovered, but it was still obvious that he knew no martial arts at all.
Zhao Shiqing abruptly stopped her fist in front of his nose: "You don't know martial arts."
"But you said that the school I'm in teaches martial arts, so why don't I know it?" Lin Xian asked.
Zhao Shiqing: "Because you only studied there for a year or two. For a child with average talent, one or two years wouldn't even build a solid foundation for martial arts. Even if you learned some moves, they would be just fancy moves. It's normal that you don't know martial arts. Plus, you focused on studying and probably never practiced martial arts again. But the facts prove that although you don't know martial arts, you have a strong body. You were stabbed and thrown into an ice cave, but you were able to swim to shore on your own. You're better than most people."
Lin Xian was stunned. Swimming?
Yes, the young master also told him that he swam out of the river.
He is such a good swimmer, he must have loved swimming since he was a child, but he still can't remember anything.
Zhao Shiqing felt somewhat helpless. Suddenly, she thought of something and said, "Braised pork? Where is the best braised pork you've ever had?"
Lin Xian blurted out without thinking, "Yang Shengqiu's family, his aunt...made braised pork..."
Lin Xian's voice became increasingly low. He stared at Zhao Shiqing in astonishment. Zhao Shiqing also glared at him. The two stared at each other until Zhao Shiqing suddenly laughed, "So you're a foodie."
Lin Xian blushed: "My friends say the same thing about me."
Zhao Shiqing asked, "Do you remember?"
Lin Xian: "I want to be quiet for a while, it's a bit chaotic."
His mind was in a mess, as if there were a myriad of thoughts on his mind, or as if countless wild horses were trying to break free, making his head buzz and his temples throb.
Zhao Shiqing nodded, turned around and walked out, then gently closed the door for him.
Outside the door, Xu Bo was still asking Yan Xia questions. Yan Xia was already getting impatient: "Shut up."
Xu Bo kept his mouth shut, but couldn't help it after a moment: "Brother Yan, the thing you did last time..."
Yan Xia: "Keep shutting up!"
When Zhao Shiqing came out, she saw Yan Xia's eyes wide open like bells, and Xu Bo pursed his lips tightly, looking aggrieved.
The corners of Zhao Shiqing's mouth twitched. He really didn't expect that the son of the Minister of Justice, Lord Xu, would be like this.
Coming to the capital really broadens my horizons.
Seeing Zhao Shiqing come out, Yan Xia's eyes became more kind: "How is it? Any progress?"
Zhao Shiqing nodded slightly: "It's almost done, give him some time."
Xu Bo's eyes suddenly lit up: "What do you mean by 'almost'? Why give him some time? How much is 'a little'?"
Zhao Shiqing looked at him seriously and said, "You are the second child, and you have an older brother?"
Xu Bo didn't understand why the servant suddenly asked this, and nodded: "Yes, everyone in the capital knows that I have an older brother, and my older brother is the runner-up."
Zhao Shiqing really didn't know about this, but that didn't stop her from talking nonsense.
"Not only is your older brother better at studying than you, he's also taller than you, right?"
"...So be it." It was obvious that Xu Bo was reluctant.
Zhao Shiqing said, "You are born of the same mother, so there shouldn't be any differences between you. But now the differences between you are growing wider and wider. Do you know why?"
Xu Bo hurriedly asked: "Why?"
Zhao Shiqing: "The answer is hidden in the Tao Te Ching. If you put the first sentence of each chapter together, you will know the answer."
Xu Bo lowered his head in thought, his lips moving but no sound coming out, obviously he was silently reciting the Tao Te Ching.
Zhao Shiqing breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he could have some peace and quiet, although it might only be for a while.
Yan Xia rubbed his ears. He did not ask about Lin Xian. Zhao Shiqing said to give Lin Xian time, so let him. He had waited for several days, so a little more time would not be a big deal.
The three people sat opposite each other, and only Xu Bo was sometimes happy and sometimes depressed. Obviously, he had gained some insights from the Tao Te Ching.
Zhao Shiqing simply closed her eyes and rested. She didn't know how long it had been when she suddenly heard a shout in her ears. She was so scared that she hurriedly covered her ears. If she was a step slower, her ears would have been damaged.
When he opened his eyes, he was faced with Xu Bo's enlarged face: "You're playing tricks on me, you dare to play tricks on me?"
Zhao Shiqing gave him a thumbs up: "Smart, you figured it out so quickly?"
Xu Bo......
He turned and looked at Yan Xia: "Brother Yan, he played a trick on me. I was deceived by him. Please help me teach him a lesson."
Yan Xia: "You want me to teach her a lesson? You have bad intentions, don't you? You don't want me to have an easy life. Let's see if I will still help you the next time your father beats you up!"
Xu Bo suddenly wilted. Just as he was about to fight for himself, he saw that the boy who had played a trick on him had slipped past him like a loach, pushed open the door, and slipped into the house.
Inside the house, Lin Xian still maintained the same posture as before, but the confusion on his face was gone, replaced by bewilderment.
Zhao Shiqing stood beside his bed and asked, "How much do you remember?"
Lin Xian smiled bitterly: "I remember now, I saw you at that particularly unpalatable grilled fish stall."
Zhao Shiqing sat down next to him and asked, "It seems you really remember it. So, who hurt you?"
Just when Zhao Shiqing thought she would hear that familiar name soon, she saw Lin Xian shaking his head: "I don't know who it is either."
Zhao Shiqing......
"Because it was already dark, I had originally hired a sedan chair, but halfway through, one of the bearers sprained his ankle. I am not a wicked person who is rich and unkind, so seeing that he had a sprained ankle, I felt embarrassed to ask others to carry me again, so I paid the sedan chair fare and let them go.
But that day was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and there were few pedestrians on the street. I walked all the way but didn't see any sedan chairs. The sky was getting darker and darker, and later I couldn't see anyone at all. There was only laughter and joy coming from every household.
I was in a very bad mood at that time. To be honest, this was the first time I spent the New Year so far away from home. Although I had a cousin with me, he could not replace my parents. I felt more and more melancholy, and my mind was in a state of confusion. I didn't even realize when someone would catch up with me.
By the time I reacted, the man had already blocked my way. He was wearing black clothes and a mask. Without saying a word, he stabbed me with a knife.
A wave of pain washed over me, and my memory is fragmented. I remember him groping me and taking my purse. Then he threw me into the river. The water was freezing cold, and I thought I was dead. But the next moment, I found I could still move my hands and feet. After that, I can't remember anything. Maybe the pain and cold made my mind blurry.
Zhao Shiqing was stunned. A masked man?
Well, she has also covered her face, and she has even changed her appearance and worn a human skin mask.
Are there masked men in the capital robbing people and killing people?
This makes sense, after all, there are dark corners everywhere where the sun doesn't shine.
However, this was not the answer she wanted.
"By the way, on New Year's Day, you didn't spend the New Year with your cousin in the rented house. Where did you go?"
Lin Xian's expression softened noticeably. "I went to pay New Year's greetings. Although I'm new in the capital and am only attending as an auditor, I do know a few friends, including my cousin. So this morning, my cousin and I went to pay New Year's greetings to the teacher, and then we parted ways. He went to his friend's house, and I went to see my friend."
Zhao Shiqing asked in a deep voice, "Does your friend include Yang Shengqiu?"
Lin Xian nodded repeatedly: "Of course, it's just that Yang Shengqiu had a lot of social engagements, so I waited until very late to see him. He still remembered me, haha. We talked a lot about our childhood, and he didn't put on airs at all. That's great!"
Zhao Shiqing asked, "Did you tell me about his family being wiped out?"
Lin Xian: "Such a big thing, of course I have to tell him, but he said he already knew, and said that he would go back to pay homage if he had the chance in the future."
Zhao Shiqing sighed in her heart. It was hard to persuade a damned ghost with good intentions. She had earnestly advised him not to mention this matter to Yang Shengqiu last time, but he felt no pressure when he said it. He had already thrown her persuasion to the wind.
If it weren't for those two little beggars, even if he had swam out of the glacier, he would have frozen to death on that cold winter night.
"Do you remember the murderer's height?"
Lin Xian thought about it and stretched out his hand to compare: "Taller than me."
Zhao Shiqing: "Anyone in the capital is taller than you."
Although Lin Xian has a handsome appearance, he is not tall. He may not be noticeable in Wu, but when he arrives in the capital, he is considered to be of medium to short height.
Although Yang Shengqiu is not very tall, he is not short either. He is half a head taller than Lin Xian.
But there are too many people taller than Lin Xian. There are two of them outside the door. Yan Xia and Xu Bo are both taller than him.
Just based on height, it is impossible to determine that the murderer is Yang Shengqiu.
"What knife did he use to stab you?" Zhao Shiqing asked again.
"It's a dagger, it must be a dagger." Lin Xian was sure of this.
"You've had close contact with him. Think carefully about that person's characteristics, such as his smell," Zhao Shiqing guided.
Lin Xian touched his head, which began to hurt, as if he had overlooked something, but he couldn't remember what it was.
Zhao Shiqing patted his shoulder and said, "Let's stop here for today. You should have a good rest. If you think of anything else, have Master Xu notify Hero Yan."
Coming out of the Xu residence, Zhao Shiqing said to Yan Xia, "Lin Xian met Yang Shengqiu, and something happened on the way back. How could such a coincidence happen in the world? Brother-in-law, what do you think?"
Yan Xia shook his head. "There's no evidence to prove that Yang Shengqiu was the one who hurt Lin Xian. All the evidence now points to murder and robbery, including Lin Xian's own confession. If there's still no breakthrough here, then we can only hope to find his cousin."
As soon as he finished speaking, Walnut came running over: "My Lord, the government has sent a message that they have discovered the whereabouts of Wang Feihu's father and brother."
Yan Xia said "OK" and turned to Zhao Shiqing and said, "I may have to leave Beijing again. I have already agreed with Xu Bo that you can come visit often while Lin Xian is staying here."
Zhao Shiqing nodded, and when they returned to Tianjing Hutong, Zhen Wuduo could tell at a glance that his beloved granddaughter looked lonely.
"Is it because of that amnesiac kid? Sigh, this kind of thing can't be rushed. You have an uncle who once got into a fight and his boat capsized. He was rescued from the sea. Ha, a kid who was born and raised in the sea, fell into the sea and lost his memory. He's like a fool, not recognizing anyone and just grinning foolishly. Sigh."
Zhao Shiqing asked hurriedly: "What happened next? How did this uncle become?"
Zhen Wuduo: "Two or three years later, that guy was tricked, pushed off a boat, and fell into the sea. When he was rescued, guess what, he remembered everything. The first thing he did was to seek revenge. He took a few boats and left with a broken leg. He became disabled. His wife kept nagging him, saying it would be better if he didn't remember. If he couldn't remember, he wouldn't seek revenge. It's good to be silly and happy every day."
There was a hint of darkness in Zhao Shiqing's eyes. Lin Xian remembered it, but his memory of the murder that night was fragmented. This might be because he was frightened at the time. All he could remember was that the murderer was taller than him and used a dagger.
Her adopted uncle regained his memory after falling into the sea again. If Lin Xian was thrown back into the ice hole, would he be able to remember more?
Zhao Shiqing decided to tell Master Yan about his idea tomorrow, but he found out the next day that Master Yan had left the city overnight to capture Wang Feihu's father and brother.
The old beast who harmed his own granddaughter and killed his daughter-in-law is finally going to be brought to justice.
But Yan Xia was not there, and Zhao Shiqing did not have the face to take Lin Xian out of Xu's house and throw him into the ice hole.
Zhao Shiqing was helpless.
It’s still the first month of the year and the streets are bustling with activity.
"The stilt-walking troupe from Daguo Village has arrived in Beijing. They'll be performing outside Kuixing Tower in the morning and at Bao'en Temple in the afternoon!"
Walking on the street, Zhao Shiqing heard the news and immediately became interested.
She loved watching stilt walking the most in Liangdi. She could do it herself. She had never expected to see stilt walking in the capital. She trotted back home with Lingbo in her arms. "Aunt Ruyi, Xiuxiu, Loach, Chen Wangxing, Xiaoyezi, all of you, come out. Let's go to Baoen Temple to watch stilt walking this afternoon."
When she shouted like this, the yard, which had been empty just now, suddenly became lively. However, when Zhao Shiqing counted, only Xiuxiu and Zhang Ye were missing.
"Where did Xiuxiu and Onoko go?" Zhao Shiqing asked.
Wan Ruyi said, "Xiuxiu's uncle asked someone to bring her something, and she went to get it. Oh, and since the old man wouldn't let us go out alone, Xiuxiu took Xiaoye with her."
Zhao Shiqing frowned slightly.
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