Qi Ning stood at the window, feeling strange in his heart. He could hear that the person crying was obviously a woman. In the dim night, a woman's cry came over, and it seemed very miserable. It was really scary. After a moment of silence, suddenly Hearing the knock on the door, Qining turned around suddenly, walked slowly to the door, and asked softly: "Who is it?"
"Hou... Mr. Hou, it's me!" Mrs. Tian's voice came from outside, looking very uncomfortable.
"Is something wrong?" Qi Ning was very cold to her along the way and always kept a distance. He also saw that this trick seemed to have some effect on this beautiful woman. At least this beautiful woman had shown her restless mood.
"No... it's nothing serious...!" Mrs. Tian whispered: "It's just... I'm just asking if you heard the crying outside?"
Qi Ning did not open the door, but said: "I heard it, do you know what's going on?"
"I don't know. I cried for a long time. I'm very pitiful." Mrs. Tian said softly: "I...can I go over and have a look?"
Qi Ning had said it first. The group must not act alone without his instructions. Mrs. Tian obviously took Qi Ning's words to heart.
Qi Ning knew that Mrs. Tian must have sympathy, so he wanted to go over and see what was going on. After hesitating, he finally opened the door and saw Mrs. Tian standing timidly outside the door. When Qin Ning opened the door The beautiful woman opened the door and showed a hint of joy on her face.
"Is the crying making you unable to sleep well?" Qining asked softly.
Mrs. Tian shook her head and said, "No, it's just... I just feel that that woman is a little pitiful...!" After a moment of hesitation, she said, "She has been there for a while."
Qi Ning said "hmm" and said, "You go back to the house first, I'll go over and see what's going on." Knowing that she had to be vigilant in everything when she went out, Mrs. Tian hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded lightly and left. It's a bit lonely going up there.
Qining went out and came downstairs, and saw two soldiers sitting on the bench next to the stairs. They were the guards arranged by Wu Dalin.
Although there are not many inns in Dongyang County, there are even fewer guests. After all, it is only a small county, and there are not many guests. Qining and his party directly booked all the inns. Wu Dalin will send someone to every inn where they stay along the way. People guard.
Seeing Qi Ning going downstairs, the two guards immediately stood up. Qi Ning nodded slightly and walked past the counter. Since the inn had been booked, the shopkeeper did not need to arrange for others to stay in the hotel, leaving only one shop assistant in the hall. , if someone comes to stay in the hotel, it is easy to refuse.
When the store clerk saw Qi Ning, he also stood up. Qi Ning walked over and asked with a smile: "What's going on with the crying outside? Do you know that person?"
The shop clerk smiled and said, "Don't pay attention, sir. He is a lunatic. He has been wandering around this county a month ago. He always cries at night and looks like a female ghost. He has come here two or three times." "
"Oh?" Qining frowned and said, "Female madman? Do you know where she comes from?"
The store clerk shook his head and said: "I don't know. I just heard them say that this crazy woman is looking for her husband...!" He lowered his voice and said: "I also heard people say that she had a child with her, but that child She suddenly fell ill and died, and she couldn't find her husband, so she suddenly went crazy."
Qi Ning frowned. If this was true, then the woman's life experience was really too miserable.
"Go and prepare some food, and then arrange a room. If possible, find a woman to help her wash it." Qining threw a piece of silver to the shop assistant: "Let her eat well and have a good sleep."
The shop assistant took the money, thanked him profusely, and said, "Your guest is really a living Buddha. I'll arrange it right now." After receiving the benefit, the shop assistant worked very quickly and trotted out.
Suddenly hearing the sound of footsteps, Qi Ning turned around and saw Wei Yujiang coming down from upstairs. When he saw Qi Ning, he hurriedly offered his hands to Qi Ning. Qi Ning smiled and said, "Were you woken up?"
"I was reading a book when I heard someone crying outside for a while. I felt strange, so I came down to take a look." Wei Yujiang came up and said softly: "The woman was crying very miserably, as if she had some grievance against her. .”
Qi Ning smiled and said: "You have an occupational disease. When you cry miserably, you think of your grievances."
Wei Yujiang smiled awkwardly and said: "In my humble position, I have seen many people with grievances. When they cry and cry, it is the same, so it is inevitable to think more about it." He sighed and said: "If there is no grievances in the world, then that is It’s what a humble position demands.”
"If there are more officials like you in the world, who enforce the law impartially and redress the grievances of the people, the grievances will naturally become less and less." Qining patted Wei Yujiang on the shoulder, and then said: "I heard that the woman was looking for a husband. , it seems that her husband’s whereabouts are unknown.”
"Oh?" Wei Yujiang was startled. At this moment, the shop assistant had already led the crazy woman into the store. Qining looked over and saw that the woman was disheveled, with a layer of dirt all over her body and tattered clothes. Entering the store wearing rags, the crazy woman looked around, but her eyes were full of fear.
The shop assistant urged: "Come with me quickly, I'll get you something to eat. You accumulated virtue in your previous life, and today you met the Living Bodhisattva. Look at you, tsk tsk...!" His tone was full of disdain.
The woman bowed her body and murmured in her sleep: "Bodhisattva... Wuwuwu, Bodhisattva is here, where is he? I'm looking for Bodhisattva...!"
The shop assistant pointed to Qining and said, "Here, that's the living Bodhisattva. You have to remember it. There aren't many living Bodhisattvas like this."
The woman trotted forward and knelt down in front of Qi Ning. Qi Ning was surprised and frowned. Wei Yujiang also had a look of astonishment on his face, but he saw the crazy woman kowtowed desperately and kept saying: "Budhisattva, help me." Da Zhuang, please save Da Zhuang, I will offer you incense, please save Da Zhuang...!"
The shop clerk opened his eyes wide, but Qining slowly squatted down and stared into the woman's eyes. Although the woman's face was covered with dirt and her appearance could not be clearly seen, judging from her age, she was only in her early twenties and could never be more than three years old. Ten years old.
"Who is Da Zhuang?" Qining asked.
The crazy woman raised her head and looked at Qi Ning. She had just kowtowed repeatedly, no matter how serious it was. At this time, her forehead had been cut and blood was oozing out. Qin Ning took out a silk handkerchief and reached over to wipe the blood stains on her forehead.
"Da Zhuang is my man...!" The crazy woman raised her hand and pointed outward: "He was taken away, please save him...!"
"Captured by whom?"
"Ghost, they were taken away by ghosts." The mad woman said hurriedly: "What terrible ghosts, they... They took Da Zhuang away. I was afraid that they would take away Xiao Fu. I hid in the woodshed and dared not come out. Seeing those ghosts Da Zhuang was captured. You are a Bodhisattva. Ghosts are afraid of Bodhisattvas. Please let Da Zhuang come back...!"
The store clerk was afraid that the mad woman's nonsense would offend Qi Ning, so he scolded: "You mad woman, what are you talking nonsense about? Why don't you follow me to the back...!" He wanted to come over and drag the mad woman away, but Qi Ning raised his hand to stop it. He stopped, still staring at the crazy woman and asked: "Who is Xiaofu?"
"Xiaofu...!" The mad woman's face was stunned for a while, then she got up like crazy, rushed out, and shouted: "Xiaofu, Xiaofu, where are you? Mom will find your father, and I will do it for you when your father comes back. Windmill, wuwuwu... Come out quickly, your father won't be able to see you when he comes back, he will beat me to death...!"
Wei Yujiang hurried forward, but Qi Ning also stopped him with his hands, and quickly followed the crazy woman. The crazy woman rushed out of the inn and ran to the street in front of the door, crying and shouting like crazy. After a while, she suddenly fainted and Sitting on the ground, Qining walked slowly to her side, only to hear the woman murmur to herself: "You all come back, I'm so scared, you all come back, Da Zhuang, I'm so scared...!"
Wei Yujiang walked to Qining and whispered: "Master Marquis, it seems that her husband has been kidnapped."
Qi Ning nodded slightly and whispered: "But why did she say she was taken away by a ghost? Is it because she was delirious and talking nonsense, or was her husband dead, so she said she was taken away by a ghost?" He shook his head and said: "No, she saw her husband being taken away with her own eyes, and she was hiding in the woodshed with her children at that time, not daring to come out...!" She turned to look at Wei Yujiang and asked, "Do you think what she said is true or false? "
Wei Yujiang looked solemn and said: "I can't be sure even though I'm a humble official. This woman is indeed unconscious. Some things may be her own wild imagination, but they may not be true." He said thoughtfully: "Master Hou, the only way is to figure this out. Where did the woman come from? If we send someone to investigate, we might be able to find out some truth, and the matter can be handed over to the local officials."
"Do you think we should alert the Dongyang County Government?"
Wei Yujiang immediately said: "Master Hou, maybe this woman is talking nonsense, but it is more likely that she really has a grievance against her." With a solemn expression: "An official should make decisions for the people. If she has a grievance against her, the local government will The government should be duty-bound to investigate and find out the truth of the matter. And given her current situation, the government should also find ways to properly accommodate her."
Qi Ning nodded slightly. At this time, he heard the sound of footsteps again, and saw Wu Dalin leading a few people to come quickly. Naturally, the movement downstairs alerted them.
"Master Marquis, what happened?" Wu Dalin came closer and saw the mad woman sitting on the ground. He didn't understand the situation for a while and asked in a low voice.
Qi Ning ordered: "Take two people and go to the Dongyang County Government Office immediately. Find the Dongyang County Magistrate and tell him that I have something to ask him. It's best not to alarm too many people."
Wu Dalin immediately said: "I'll go right now." Without any nonsense, he took two people to find the Dongyang County Magistrate.
The crazy woman was sitting on the ground muttering to herself, still thinking that Da Zhuang and Xiao Fu would come back soon. Qining then winked at the store clerk. The store clerk was smart enough to come over and stir up the mad woman. The woman, the crazy woman was so dazed at the moment that she let the shop assistant take her to the back of the inn.
At this time, Qi Ning saw Mrs. Tian standing gleamingly not far behind. She wanted to get closer but didn't dare. She felt funny in her heart and walked slowly over. Mrs. Tian forced a smile. Qin Ning hesitated and then asked softly: " Did you see that woman just now?"
Mrs. Tian nodded and said sympathetically: "She...she looks very pitiful."
"She is a little confused." Qining whispered: "I heard that she is looking for her husband. Her husband is missing, and the child...!" Feeling a little cruel, he shook his head and said: "It's nothing, you can go and rest first."