Chapter 36
Mo Daowan went on and on with his analysis, until the yamen runners who were watching the spectacle got tired of it.
Because no matter how you look at it, this kid found neither witnesses nor physical evidence at the Liu family's house; he had absolutely nothing substantial to show for it. He was just spouting nonsense and making wild guesses.
Some even maliciously thought that this kid was deliberately trying to get a chance to show off in front of the county magistrate.
No one dared to speak out of respect in front of the magistrate, but some people's eyes clearly conveyed the same meaning.
How could a young man withstand this? Mo Daowan pursed her lips tightly, a hint of resentment in her eyes.
The undercurrents below were turbulent, and those seated above could see them all.
The old magistrate tapped on the table. “I told you to solve this case within ten days and apprehend all the murderers. Now is not the time for infighting.”
“There’s something strange going on at Liu Yin’s house. Tomorrow, two more people will go and interrogate him.”
The old magistrate pointed to the most senior yamen runner standing closest to him, "Chief Fang, you're a master at interrogation and solving cases. Tomorrow, go with this lad to Wuli Village and take a look."
Fang Dutou not only has the surname Fang, but also has a square face.
Today, unlike the cold and stern figure he had been when he stood before the refugees before distributing the rations, he respectfully accepted the order.
"yes."
This incident was just a side story. Some people ignored it from beginning to end, some harbored hostility but had no opportunity to target it, and some were full of contempt and sneered at it.
No one knew what would happen next. After the old magistrate finished making his arrangements, the remaining yamen runners continued to report.
Among the dozen or so constables, Mo Daowan was not the only one who noticed something was wrong. Two other constables also discovered suspicious refugees in the villages they visited.
These were all seasoned yamen runners with sharp eyes; the magistrate directly assigned them men to go to the village the next day and arrest the suspect.
In the blink of an eye, a night has passed.
The snow that fell earlier had not yet melted, and in the morning it started to snow again.
The constables who were ordered to apprehend the suspect last night set off early in the morning wearing shackles. Mo Daowan also took four heavy shackles and followed Chief Fang out of the city.
The journey is not short, and people traveling like this usually chat with their companions to make them feel less lonely.
However, Mo Daowan's companion was his superior, and he didn't want to be labeled as someone who fawned over his superior. So, except when necessary, he didn't speak, but instead let his mind wander to all sorts of random thoughts.
The ubiquitous snow made him immediately think of the weather.
The unusual weather this year has sparked much discussion. Even he, who has been leaving early and returning late recently, has overheard some neighbors talking worriedly, saying that with this kind of snow, they don't know how many houses will collapse or how many elderly people and children will not survive the winter.
Thinking of the natural disaster and the cases investigated in the past two days, Mo Daowan sighed deeply.
Natural disasters are already beyond our control, and it is truly tragic that even our own kind must kill each other.
After thinking about all sorts of things, I finally realized it was about myself.
Yesterday's trip to Wuli Village was his first time handling a case alone. Knowing he wasn't experienced enough, he sought advice from colleagues who were willing to help him beforehand.
But when it came to actually using them, those questioning techniques were still insufficient.
But he could swear that what he told the magistrate at night was something he genuinely felt was suspicious, and he never fabricated anything to curry favor with the magistrate.
However, some things can't be believed just because you say them.
Mo Daowan focused his gaze on Fang Dutou in front of him, hoping that he could get some information out of the person he trusted most among all the county yamen runners today.
...
Having slept poorly at night, Shu Wanxiu felt dizzy when she woke up in the morning. She sat by the bed for a while before getting up to check the front and back of the house and prepare breakfast.
The household chores of fetching water and chopping wood all depended on her. Given the frightening situation, she dared not take Shu Shouyi away from the house for even a moment. Therefore, the water they used for drinking and cooking that day was melted snow.
He huddled in the main room, bolted the door, and warmed himself by the fire for over an hour. Around mid-morning, he heard Aunt Chen's voice in the distance.
Shu Wanxiu's shoulders, which had been tense all morning, slumped down.
From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, she had been looking forward to Aunt Chen.
This time, Chen Sanhe didn't come alone; she brought many girls her age.
With so many people around, it became difficult to sit comfortably by the earthenware pot in the main room. Shu Wanxiu, with a smile on her face, immediately ran to the kitchen and rekindled a fire in the hearth.
Winter is the time when families with surplus food can only afford to eat two meals a day. Seven or eight aunts sat in the Shu family's house for most of the day without moving, chatting and laughing with the aunt and niece for most of the day.
As it grew darker, the aunties reminded her to be careful at night and that they would come again the next day.
Shu Wanxiu felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and she took Shu Shouyi's hand as she watched them descend the mountain.
As night fell, shortly after the town gates were closed, a group of people carrying torches hurried to the gates.
The armored soldiers on night duty immediately became alert, raising their spears and shouting in the direction of the approaching figure: "The curfew has been lifted, who dares to break the night watch?!"
The group consisted of eleven people in total. In addition to ten strong yamen runners, there was also Chen Ping, the son of the village chief of Wuli Village.
There is no such thing as a curfew in the countryside. This is the first time in his life that he has encountered a curfew, and he can't help but look at the yamen runner walking alongside him.
“We are officials of the county government. We are leaving the city on important business. This is a pass issued by the county magistrate.”
The soldiers guarding the city took the things he handed over and unfolded them. They saw that the number of people leaving the city was written in neat handwriting and that an official seal was affixed below. Without saying anything more, they immediately opened the city gate, which had been closed not long ago, and let the group pass.
The heavy city gates were opened, and the group quickly ran into the night.
To explain the purpose of this group's departure from the city, we must begin with what happened after Mo Daowan and Fang Dutou left the city this afternoon.
Traveling through the snow is not only quite laborious, but also risky.
Sometimes the road looks smooth, but you have no idea what's underneath the snow.
Mo Daowan accidentally stepped into a hole and fell into a tree pit that was knee-deep.
The depth wasn't enough to cause serious injury, but the moment he fell, Fang Dutou, who was with him, rushed over and pulled him up. As a result, Mo Daowan, who fell into the pit, was unharmed, but Fang Dutou strained his back.
For older people, a back injury is no small matter.
Moreover, when Fang Dutou was young, he had a back injury from catching thieves, and this sprain has caused the old injury to flare up again.
In an instant, he couldn't move half of his waist, his forehead was covered in fine sweat, his face was pale, and cold sweat was streaming down his back.
Mo Daowan was terrified and forgot all about official business. He went straight to the nearest house and borrowed a bed for Fang Dutou to lie down in. He then asked the family if there was a doctor in the village.
The farmer said: There is no doctor in this village. The nearest doctor is two villages away, and it takes half an hour to walk up the mountain in the snow.
Remembering his mission, Fang Dutou endured the excruciating pain and suppressed Mo Daowan's desire to find a doctor for him.
"Don't go through all that trouble."
"Go to the village and buy some yellow wine, then go to someone's stove or woodpile and catch five or six earthworms. I'll eat them and be fine."
Fearing the young man might not have any money on him, Chief Fang told him to take off his own money pouch and give it to him.
Mo Daowan had already rushed to the door when she heard this, and said, "I brought some copper coins. If I don't have enough, I'll come back for more!"
It wasn't appropriate to carry several pairs of shackles from house to house. He had already explained the situation to the family who wanted to borrow the bed and casually placed the shackles under the bed where Fang Dutou was sleeping.
Wine is brewed from grains, and ordinary families would not buy wine unless there was a wedding or funeral in the family.
After failing to find him twice, he asked the farmer to take him directly to the village head's house.
This time, he successfully bought the wine. Mo Daowan went back to the farmer's house to move the firewood under the stove and catch earthworms.
Having suffered from illness for so long, Fang Dutou has gained some experience in treating his back injury over the years.
For example, this yellow wine paired with ground beetle will gradually take effect after a half-hour rest.
My back injury is quite severe today, and medication alone may not be enough to restore me quickly.
He lifted his clothes and had Mo Daowan, that young upstart, divide the yellow wine into two portions. He would use one portion to give the medicine, and the other portion would be used by the kid to rub and massage his hands.
Mo Daowan is only eighteen years old this year, and he has absolutely no experience in massage, kneading, or treating sprains and bruises.
Once he got the hang of it, he either pressed too lightly or too hard, and this once dignified head constable was now being made to grimace in pain from time to time.
An unexpected back injury delayed the two of them for almost two hours.
After Mo Daowan painstakingly helped the person to Wuli Village, he suddenly realized that he was short of money.
Where are my shackles?
After he cried out in disbelief, he realized that he had fallen under the farmer's bed.
He looked at his boss's face, his expression pale.
Fang Dutou frowned, but did not blame him.
"It's my fault for hurting my back, otherwise you wouldn't have taken off the shackles."
It was already late afternoon, and the two of them could no longer go back to the village to retrieve their shackles.
However, after experiencing all the setbacks along the way, Chief Fang had a vague sense of unease.
He pleaded with the village head of Wuli Village to gather more able-bodied men from the village so that if any problems were found during the interrogation, they could help subdue the Liu family members and prevent them from escaping into the mountains.
The village chief naturally obeyed.
As mentioned before, Liu Yinxue's family only received land but did not build a house. The family is currently staying with several other families in the village.
The unease that Mo Daowan sensed yesterday was mainly from the old lady of the Liu family and Liu Yinxue's youngest son.
Based on Fang Dutou's experience in handling cases, if the Liu family members are indeed the thieves in this case, then all four able-bodied members of the Liu family should have been involved.
The old lady from the Liu family is unable to lift anything with her hands or shoulders, has difficulty walking, and has poor eyesight, so she was probably kept in the dark.
The old lady of the Liu family lives with Liu Yinxue. Going there would probably not yield any information and would only alert Liu Yinxue and make him wary.
Fang Dutou considered this a last resort, so he went to the residence of Liu Yinxue's youngest son first.
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The author's note: 1. Earth beetle: a kind of insect, a Chinese medicinal material, which can break up blood stasis and treat muscles and bones.
—The above is from Baidu Encyclopedia.
2. The description of using ground beetles as medicine in the book is only for the needs of the plot. Please do not imitate it in real life!
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