Bai Bai then asked, "Do you know whether his tendons in his hands and feet were alive or dead and severed?"
"A knife wound sustained while alive will turn outwards, but will not after death. A knife wound sustained before death will have flowing blood, causing the sides of the wound to appear red; a knife wound sustained after death will have congealed blood, causing the sides of the wound to appear white. According to my examination, all of his symptoms belong to the former category."
Bai Bai waved his hand, signaling the coroner to step aside.
He then pointed at Wang Erma and asked, "What is your relationship with the deceased, Butcher Zhou?"
"Replying to...Replying to your Excellency, I am Butcher Zhou's assistant."
"Do you know if he has offended anyone?"
Wang Erma: "I don't know, I'm not familiar with the master's affairs."
"Then let me ask you, do you know Su Ruanruan?"
"In reply to your question, sir, I do not know any Su Ruanruan. Last night I did see a woman in the master's courtyard, but the master often brings women home, so I am used to it and did not pay attention to who that person was."
"Don't you recognize him?" Bai Bai rolled his eyes and pointed to a man kneeling to the side.
"Tell me, what did you see last night?"
“I am a scoundrel…” the man stammered.
Bai Bai slammed his gavel. "You were chatting fluently with others at the dinner table, but now you're stammering. What's wrong? Should I prepare some fine daughter's wine for you?"
"No, no, I remember. Last night, I was drinking on my way home when I passed Willow Lane and saw a man knock a woman unconscious. I quickly hid behind a tree and heard him say, 'So this is Su Ruanruan? How ugly!' I saw him put the woman into a sack and push the cart away."
"Are you sure it's him you saw?"
"My lord, the night was dark and the light was dim. Although I couldn't see very clearly, I could still make out the general outline. He was a very strong man, and I wouldn't mistake him. Besides, I recognized his voice, so there's no mistake."
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