After dinner, the rain outside stopped and the north wind was howling wildly, making everything freezing cold wherever it passed.
Zhao Xiaoxing stayed in the third garden to clean and wash, while Gu Xuan stayed in the study to accompany his eldest nephew.
Gu Qi carried Chen Xingling behind him, while Gu Yi rode one himself and set off in a hurry.
They first searched in the small alley across the road from the shipyard gate, but the weather was too cold and every household had closed their doors. After knocking on several houses, they finally found a mahjong gathering spot where a group of elderly men and women were playing mahjong.
In the narrow little house lived a grandfather in his sixties or seventies and his wife. Various pots and pans were piled up in the corners. In the middle of the room were three small mahjong tables and a dozen wooden stools. It was so crowded that there was no place for people to stand.
The old man introduced enthusiastically: "Normally it's cool in the alley, so we all stay outside. It rained earlier, so we had to move everything inside. Your mother-in-law - Lin Ying, right? I recognize her! She's the tall and thin Ying sister, right?"
"No." Chen Xingling shook his head: "It's Li Ying, fat and strong, like a ball. She lives in the shipyard and speaks with a strong northern accent."
The old man immediately remembered and glanced at the three of them.
"Well... we're not that familiar with each other. We often don't understand what she says, and she hasn't been here much these past two days."
Chen Xingling narrowed his eyes and smiled, and whispered, "Uncle, if you are just playing mahjong for fun, I believe the police station won't stop you. But if you are gambling, there are at least twelve people at your three tables. Gathering to gamble is a crime, and the police will arrest you."
The old man was startled and looked around in panic.
"Well, it's very cold outside. We have to go to bed early. I've shown you the place. There's no place to hide, right? I've already told you that your mother-in-law doesn't want to be here. All right, let's go!"
Chen Xingling took a step forward and stood in front of the old man.
"Uncle, I'm also from Yucheng. I'm familiar with every street in the city. I also know exactly where the nearest police station is!"
The old man said angrily: "I told you! Your mother-in-law doesn't want to be here! The temperature dropped earlier, and the old man and the old lady were both worried and went back home."
"She was arrested by Gao Qiandai." Chen Xingling shook his head: "I know she is not here with you, and I am not here to look for her. I just came to ask you about it."
The old man avoided my gaze and his bearded face looked a little embarrassed.
"Old men and old ladies get together to chat and play mahjong... What's wrong with that? I'm warning you - you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"
Chen Xingling gestured to Gu Qi and Gu Yi behind him and whispered, "Uncle, I'm just here to get some information. You don't have to be nervous. Unless we are desperate and have no information at all, we can only report the case to the police station. How can we not report a case when such a big person is gone? A lot of people in the factory know that my mother-in-law played mahjong with you. When the time comes, the police will come to you first to ask. Don't you agree?"
Forehead?
When the old man heard this, he frowned and said “ouch, ouch” twice.
"What exactly do you want to ask? I am old and my eyesight is blurry, so I don't know many things. There are so many old men and women coming here, how can I recognize them all? Let me tell you first, I may not know what you are asking."
Chen Xingling sneered and asked, "How much money did my mother-in-law lose? Who did she borrow the high-end loan from?"
The old man hesitated for a while and answered, "She is very rich. She always brags that her family was a wealthy family in Beijing and that her son and daughter-in-law have made a lot of money. She is not very good at playing and loses a lot, so other people like to play with her. All in all, at least seven or eight hundred yuan."
"Who did you borrow the high-end loan from?" Chen Xingling asked again.
The old man started practicing Tai Chi again and said he had no idea at all.
Chen Xingling nodded heavily: "Okay, since you won't tell me, let's go to the police station and ask the police to question you. They are better at asking questions, and you will definitely be willing to answer what they ask."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Seeing her turn around and leave, the old man had to tell the truth: "I borrowed it from the Maweiba gang."
Chen Xingling asked again: "Who introduced you? How much did you borrow in total?"
"A few hundred yuan." The old man replied, "They all do it privately, so I can't know too much. To be honest, there are very few people who gamble here, and usually they only spend two or three yuan. Your mother-in-law is the first one...
Chen Xingling asked about the name, but he was not interested in arguing with him.
"Because there are really not many old women as stupid as her. Uncle, next time my mother-in-law comes here, we must come and look for her."
"No, no, no!" the old man said angrily, "Don't come looking for me! Don't come at all! This is a small pond and can't support a big fish like your mother-in-law! Next time she comes, I'll tell her to get lost!"
Chen Xingling nodded with a smile: "That's good! Thank you, sir!"
After getting the specific information, the three did not stop, but quickly went to the construction site in the east of the city with flashlights.
The dark night with rain and cooling temperature was so cold that people were shivering.
The ground was still wet and the cold wind was howling, bringing with it the chill of the rain, making the three of them shiver.
Gu Yi finally believed it and smiled bitterly: "Sister-in-law, you said that it is coldest after the temperature drops and it rains here - I thought how cold it could be. A thin shirt is enough in the morning. How cold can it be all of a sudden? Now, I have finally seen it."
Chen Xingling hid behind Gu Qi and laughed.
"In fact, the temperature doesn't seem to be low, and it's not snowing or anything. The wind is strong here in Yucheng. Once the cold wind gets stronger, the perceived temperature will only get lower."
There are big rivers in the north of Chongqing, and the vast sea in the east and south of the city. There is no shortage of cool breezes near the sea and rivers, but the cool breezes after the temperature drops are all upgraded to cold winds, and they are super strong winds.
How could you not feel cold when the wind was blowing on you? When it was raining hard, you might not even be able to ride your bike and you could only get off and push it.
Luckily they were only side winds, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to ride my bike at this point!
Gu Yi said with difficulty: "I'm not afraid of the cold, but I'm most afraid of strong winds, especially when they come one after another like this."
"Xing'er, hide well." Gu Qi shouted.
"Yeah." Chen Xingling was too cold to speak.
I went out in such a hurry just now that I only put on a sweater and a coat, and forgot to wear a hat and a scarf. Now I feel the cold wind blowing in all directions, and I can only shiver.
The outer wall of the construction site had already been built, and a wooden door was temporarily built as the main gate.
Ma Dali was working overtime in the house to finish the furniture. The door was locked tightly and there was not even a light on. It was pitch black in front.
The three of them knocked on the door and shouted, and after a long while, Ma Dali finally arrived.
He was only wearing two thin shirts, and his body was covered with sawdust, even in his hair. It was obvious that he had just been working.
"Why are you here?"
Chen Xingling was the first to squeeze in, shivering and saying, "Quick! Let's talk in the office! Please pour some bowls of hot water, it's very cold!"
Ma Dali hurriedly welcomed them in and quickly ran to the kitchen to pour water.
The temporary office was small, and once the door was closed, the cold wind was instantly blocked out, and the coldness was quickly reduced by half.
Everyone drank water and chatted, and they felt warmer unconsciously.
Ma Dali put the paper under the lamp and looked at it carefully, his expression a little solemn.
"I never thought my aunt would... borrow so much money. Nine times out of ten, you lose when you gamble. You can't touch that thing lightly."
Chen Xingling smiled bitterly, "It's not that we can't touch her easily, it's that we can't touch her at all. We thought she was just playing mahjong, but we never thought she was secretly gambling. It's all our fault that we were too careless. It wasn't until the debt collectors came to our door that we realized she had caused such a big mess."
Ma Dali whispered, "It's not your fault. You all have to go to work and school, and you don't live together, so it's normal that you can't take care of both."
Gu Qi asked seriously: "Do you know this person? Ponytail? His last name is also 'Ma'."
"I know him." Ma Dali explained seriously, "We are from the same village and worship our ancestors in the same ancestral temple. 'Pony's Tail' is just a nickname, not his real name. He is the youngest in the family with many brothers and sisters. When he was a child, everyone in the family liked to call him 'Little Tail'. Later, many people just called him 'Pony's Tail'."
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