Forty-third bowl of soup (three & four)
"I've measured everything." Shiba carefully put away the paper with the size on it, and smiled at the few people, blessed her body, she is really soft and gentle, even the most stern and selfless adults are talking to her He couldn't help being gentle when he spoke.
The scholar poured a cup of tea and handed it to Shiba, carefully avoiding physical contact with her, then sat back next to the chess game, and said to the lord: "Wansheng thinks this is a big deal, lord, I'm afraid it's not what we imagined. So simple."
"Yes, as I said before, Bai Qijie, a businessman, even if he has done a lot of business, it's still the same, but he has to pay attention to his way of whitewashing the peace." Xiao Jiu also said, and she gestured Shiba sat aside to rest, then walked to the chess game, and said to the lord, "My lord, if we can't find the body, we can't convict Bai Qi. If we don't convict Bai Qi, we have worked hard for more than a month. What is it? Where did he get so many girls? There are no dead or alive."
The adult pondered for a moment and said: "This matter has to be discussed in the long term. The corpse was our only hope. Now that the corpse cannot be found, there will be no physical evidence. Bai Qi can be arrested later. The only thing I care about is that he the people behind it."
"Your Excellency, what do you mean... is there someone behind Bai Qi?" Cheng Pu frowned and asked in a rough voice, which startled Shiba who was beside him, and he quickly showed an embarrassed smile.
Shiba lowered his head, looked at the numbers recorded on the paper, and used a pen to outline the outline of the clothes from time to time, making corrections along the way. Xiao Jiu glanced at her, saw that she wasn't listening, and said, "I think so too, when we found Bai Qi before, we thought it was the biggest fish, who knows that there is someone else behind the scenes! "
"I think it's true. A mere businessman has robbed so many girls and children, but no one has found out, and he hasn't encountered any resistance. Even if the adults think it's unusual and decide to investigate, we don't know that so many missing girls and children have gone. where."
"There are also restaurants, teahouses, brothels and so on under his name. I don't think the girls in them are from unknown sources." Xiao Jiu was very annoyed. "What is the origin of this person? If we don't hurry up and bring him to justice, sooner or later more girls will be ruined by her."
The adult glanced at Shiba, and said to Xiaojiu: "You don't have to worry too much about this matter, I will continue to send people to investigate, and when I need you, I will naturally summon you."
Xiao Jiu nodded: "When it comes time to arrest people, adults must take me there. The last time that bastard Bai Qi saw me, he thought I was not good-looking, and said that I was worth ten taels of silver at most!" ! No vision! She is young, cute, lively and cheerful, so she should be worth twenty taels, okay
Cheng Pu chuckled, and habitually taunted Xiaojiu: "You are worthless, but if you are an eighteen girl, then you are worth-"
His mouth was covered and he didn't know what he said was wrong. Xiao Jiu stared at him desperately, wondering what Shiba had experienced? Can you say something like this casually? After all, Shiba never asked about the scars on his body, and this stupid big man kept pulling them out!
The scholar also felt that Cheng Pu was out of his mind, so he quickly called Shiba who was already looking up, "Miss Shiba, Wansheng suddenly remembered that there was a book that he hadn't finished reading, why don't you play this game of chess with the adults?" Bar."
Shiba was stunned for a moment, the lord looked over and asked, "I wonder if I can have this honor?"
She nodded quickly, walked over slowly, and sat on the seat where the scholar was sitting. The chessboard is now just an endgame, and the scholar is almost cornered. I'm afraid that reading the book is fake, and I don't want to see myself lose. .
Your Excellency's chess skills are absolutely undisputed. Even a well-educated scholar would be willing to bow down. He originally planned to escape, but after Shiba sat down, he turned the situation around just after a few moves. The scholar stood aside curiously, why? Also reluctant to leave. He looked at Shiba from time to time, then at the lord, shaking his head and saying: "My lord has met an opponent this time."
Surprisingly, Shiba's chess skills are better than adults', but she hasn't dared to play hard yet, and secretly gave up several moves. Cheng Pu and Xiaojiu don't understand Go and can't tell, but scholars and adults are I know what I know.
This girl is definitely not ordinary.
In fact, in terms of chess skills alone, an adult is not as good as a scholar, but he is superior in his observation skills, careful thinking and calm attitude. No matter what the situation is, he will never show indifference on the surface. On the contrary, as a scholar, his thoughts are written on his face. In many cases, patience and perseverance are more important than skills.
Although Shiba looks shy, he is very steady when playing chess. As the saying goes, you can know a person by watching chess.
"I lost."
"Your Excellency accepts." After a game of chess, Shiba returned to her shy and pleasant appearance. She looked at the people present with a bit of embarrassment, as if she felt that she had won the chess, and that she had embarrassed Sir.
The scholar smiled and smoothed things over: "I have been working with the lord since I was working, and I have played countless games of chess with him. I have always lost more than I won. In recent years, the lord's chess skills have become more and more sophisticated, and I am no longer an opponent. Today, eighteen The girl really made me feel proud, how about this, I'll treat you to dinner at noon today, let's go out to eat!"
As soon as she heard about going out to eat, Xiao Jiu's eyes lit up: "Go to Zui Bin Lou!"
The scholar suddenly felt pain: "Zuibin Building is so expensive..."
"It's the first time you invite Shiba to dinner, are you going to take her to eat at the wonton stall at the street corner?" Xiao Jiu gave him a disdainful look. "No matter what you say, you have to express it!"
It's also rare for the adults to say something humorous: "Zi Gui's treat is rare and rare. If I knew about it earlier, I would not have breakfast this morning."
Cheng Pu also nodded sharply.
Zuibinlou is the best restaurant in their county except Baiqi's. The only thing is that the price is a bit expensive, which is not affordable for ordinary people. More than a month's salary. So although he boasted about treating guests to dinner, after he sat down, he touched his purse distressedly.
Originally, one person would eat enough for the whole family, but now he can be regarded as a civil servant, so he can still save some money every month, so that he can marry a wife in the future, but who knows that this meal will make a lot of money. Seeing the scholar's appearance, Xiao Jiu bumped him with his arm: "Hey, what are you thinking? It's just a treat, how can you still spend all your wife's money? You are obviously a scholar, why are you so stingy."
The scholar gave her a resentful look, and his whole body exuded the air of "I am very poor and very sad." Shiba felt like sitting on pins and needles, the adult sat beside her, seeing that she seemed to have something to say, he asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"
"My lord, why don't we go back, it's too expensive, I'm really uneasy about letting you treat me..."
"It's okay." She raised her face like a fluffy bunny, the adults almost raised their hands to touch her head, but they held back. To cover it up, he coughed lightly and said, "You don't have to worry about Zigui. He comes from a scholarly family and is not short of money. He just ran away from home because he didn't want to get fame. This meal is nothing. I've saved enough."
Hearing this, Shiba's eyes widened: "Really?"
Even the questions were soft and sticky, the adult chuckled lightly: "Of course it's true, how could I still coax you?"
Eighteen bowed his head and smiled shyly. Over there, Xiao Jiu and the scholar were still bickering, Cheng Pu threw peanuts into his mouth and said casually: "You two have a small fight for three days and a big fight for five days, so you might as well get married, and it would be nice to fight for a lifetime. "
He just said that casually, and as a result, the two of them blushed instantly. Shiba curiously looked at this and then that, wondering why they suddenly stopped bickering, and then looked at the adults, who also had the expression that I understand everything but I don't say anything. Shiba thought for a while, and praised sincerely: "Young Master and Xiao Jiu are really suitable, when will the two get married?"
She's not stupid, it's just that the pink between the two of them can be seen even by a rough man like Cheng Pu, let alone the adults and her. Shibaben is careful, and has always wondered why the scholar and Xiaojiu like each other, but why they bicker when they meet.
The two had a big blush, and Xiao Jiu muttered, "Who wants to marry such a sour scholar..." He was thin and looked weak, and he was powerless. Cheng Pu hadn't When we were with the adults, she was the only one of the three of them who had a bit of force, and she had to go up to protect any robbers who robbed them on the road.
The scholar snorted, turned his head and said, "However, I also come from a scholarly family. Such a rude and bloody woman is not suitable for me."
The two cooperated unexpectedly on this point, shook their heads and snorted coldly, with a tacit understanding.
Eighteen pursed his lips and smiled.
Zui Bin Lou is worthy of being Zui Bin Lou, and all kinds of dishes are delicious in color, fragrance, and taste. In order to avoid waste, of course, the main reason is to feel sorry for the money he spent, so the scholar forced himself and Cheng Pu to stuff all the unfinished dishes into their stomachs. When I got back to my house, I stood up and my whole body was fluttering, and I almost didn't go to the sky.
Shiba was walking in the middle when she was leaving Zui Bin Building, but when it was her turn to go out, it was a coincidence that someone turned around and bumped into her. She was knocked staggering, and fell backwards. Fortunately, there was an adult behind, who stretched out his hands to wrap her arms around her slender waist, helped her stabilize, and whispered: "Be careful."
Eighteen blushed: "Thank you, my lord."
The lord nodded first, then narrowed his eyes: "Bai Qi."
Bai Qi
Shiba subconsciously looked at the man, and saw that the man was dressed in brocade clothes, and he was well-looking, but the calculation and shrewdness in his eyes made him uncomfortable. At this moment, he was staring at Shiba, Shiba was the closest to the lord, she grabbed the sleeve of the lord without thinking, and quickly hid behind the lord.
The lord is tall, and immediately blocked Shiba. Bai Qi couldn't see the beauty, so he lazily raised his hands together: "The grass people pay their respects to the lord. I don't know who that girl is from the lord?"
Xiao Jiu rushed over and spat at Bai Qi: "None of your business, have you heard that good dogs don't get in the way? Why don't you hurry up and get out of the way?"
Bai Qi didn't refute, and took a step back to get out of the way, but kept his eyes on Shiba. Shiba's hands trembled slightly, and he didn't dare to let go of the lord's sleeves. It's rare for the lord not to care about the difference between men and women, so he put one hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid."
Bai Qi just stood there, staring at them all the way, and then beckoned for one of his men to come over: "Go, find out for me, who is the girl next to the dog officer?" Tsk tsk, if she looks like this, if she is captured If you give it to the master, the master will definitely reward you a lot.
After returning to the mansion, Shiba was still a little scared. She didn't dare to let go of Xiao Jiu's hand, but at this time a corpse was brought in, and Xiao Jiu needed an autopsy. Little Jiu had no choice but to drag the adults to take care of him, so the adults sat in the corridor reading a book, and Shiba sewed clothes in front of the window.
The two were silent.
Three days later, just after dawn, the door was knocked violently, and the scholar's voice came: "Xiao Jiu! Xiao Jiu! Xiao Jiu, are you awake? Xiao Jiu! Xiao Jiu, get up quickly! Something happened!"
Xiao Jiu rubbed her eyes and got up, dissatisfied: "Got it!"
Then she looked at Shiba who was also woken up and said, "It's okay, you continue to sleep, I'll come as soon as I go." After finishing speaking, he yawned, found clothes to put on, and felt strange, why did he sleep so deeply today? At this time of weekdays, she should wake up at about this time.
Maybe it was because I stayed up late yesterday. Xiao Jiu didn't care, anyway, this kind of situation happened often before, she yawned again, tears welled up in her eyes. At the door of the room, he looked dignified. Xiao Jiu didn't understand, so: "What's wrong?"
"Bai Qi is dead!"
"What?!" Xiao Jiu was startled. "Bai Qi is dead? Wasn't he fine yesterday?"
"Don't worry about it so much. My lord told you to go to the morgue quickly. The corpse has just been delivered." Cheng Pu lowered his voice, "Don't let the eighteenth girl hear, she is timid, so as not to be frightened."
Xiao Jiu nodded: "Let's go."
He didn't even eat breakfast, and hurried to the morgue, and saw adults and scholars standing beside the corpse, and conducted a preliminary inspection on the corpse. Seeing Xiao Jiu coming, the scholar said: "The preliminary judgment is that he died from a sharp weapon stabbing a vital point, but I don't know who can have such a skill." You must know that Bai Qi is a Lianjiazi, and apart from the fatal wound on his chest, he is still alive. He didn't have the slightest resistance to injury all over his body, what did this mean? It means that Bai Qi has no chance to fight back.
But is it possible
Xiao Jiu looked at the wound carefully, compared it again, frowned and said: "I don't know what caused the wound at the moment, and I need to go further to know."
The lord nodded and said, "I'll give you the body, Zigui, you come with me."
"yes."
So Xiao Jiu performed an autopsy in the morgue, and the adults took Cheng Pu to Bai Qi's mansion to investigate.
Bai Qi's body was discovered by the servant girl in the mansion in the morning. Bai Qi has a habit, that is, he likes incense, especially daughter incense. The girls under his command, whatever he likes, will be kept by his side for a while, and they will be sent away when they get tired of playing. Every morning, he ordered the maid to light the incense on time, and then decided who would serve him this morning according to the smell of the incense.
As a result, the servant girl had just entered the room early this morning, and before she had time to light the incense, she smelled the pungent smell of blood. Taking a closer look, Bai Qi was lying on the ground in snow-white single clothes, covered in blood. She was so scared that she screamed and ran out. Up to now, the layout of the room has not moved at all, and everything is as it was before the incident.
Originally thought that Bai Qi was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and trafficking case of girls and children, but who knew, they had just realized that there was someone behind Bai Qi, so Bai Qi died in such an unexplained manner. A few days ago, I met him at Zuibinlou, and this person was fine, but after a while, he died. Both the adults and the scholar were surprised by this.
"It must be someone behind the scenes." Cheng Pu said. "I just don't understand. Why did he kill Bai Qi now? If he wanted to kill Bai Qi, he would have had countless chances. Why yesterday?"
The lord thought about it: "Xiao Jiu said that the time of death was around midnight, that is to say, Bai Qi had been dead for some time. I just asked the maidservants in the mansion, and every night Bai Qi had to pick a girl with a beautiful face to serve her. Then the next morning, he changed girls according to the smell of the incense that was lit randomly, but at present, last night, he seemed to be alone."
You can tell from his attire, the unlined clothes are brand new, and he deliberately changed into new unlined clothes, and he didn't look for girls like in the past. Could it be that he was waiting for someone
The scholar lifted the curtain of the bed and said loudly, "My lord, come and see!"
My lord walked over, the bed was clean without any trace of blood, and the quilts were folded neatly. Not only that, but the whole room looked very tidy, with a figure of Bai Qi lying down on the floor. The adults walked over and lay down facing the figure.
"...Bai Qi was sitting on the bed." The scholar said immediately. "Who is important enough to make him sit on the bed and wait?"
"Maybe...not because it's important." The adult murmured. He looked around the room. Bai Qi's room is the same as his overall taste, resplendent and resplendent, with some seemingly priceless decorations everywhere.
"My lord means..."
"I don't know either." The adult shook his head. "It's just a feeling."
In the middle of the night, Bai Qi was sitting on the bed alone, wearing brand new unlined clothes, why was he sitting upright
After investigating the scene, they went back to the county government office, and Xiao Jiu just finished the autopsy. There is nothing to say, the fatal wound was on the chest, the murderer struck very neatly, one blow was fatal, Bai Qi didn't even have a chance to call for help.
"What makes me feel strange is that according to the condition of the wound, the murderer should be lower than Bai Qi at that time." Xiao Jiu frowned, pushed the scholar down on the chair and sat down. "For example, if you are Bai Qi and I am a murderer, then I should be like this—" She knelt on the ground, pretending to stab with a murder weapon, and compared Bi Shusheng's chest. "This is too strange. Bai Qi is not short, but when he sits down, how can anyone be shorter than him? Or is the murder weapon more unusual?"
The adult looked at the simulated actions of the two of them, and after a while, he suddenly asked: "Is there a possibility that the murderer is kneeling?"
"Kneeling?"
But that makes sense. But kneeling... Both Cheng Pu and the scholar had subtle expressions, and Xiao Jiu didn't understand it, as if only men understood this question, she looked at this and that, "What, what do you mean?"
The men glanced at her without answering. Xiao Jiu was furious: "What do you mean?!"
"Look." The scholar sighed and gestured at her. "Assuming that I am Bai Qi and you are the murderer, and you are kneeling in front of me now, then it must not be a long weapon, because if you have a long weapon, I will find out immediately. And I am dressed like this waiting for you, which shows my respect for you Far from being intimidating to come, it’s even welcome.”
Everyone has had this experience. When guests are coming to the house, they put on new clothes and wait.
"You mean, he knows the person who came here?"
"It should be so, and it's someone he doesn't know how to guard against. After all, Bai Qi is good at martial arts, and ordinary people are no match for him. If you want to kill him, you have to let go of your guard." The scholar hesitated. "And this pose..."
Xiao Jiu didn't understand: "What's wrong with this posture?!"
Scholar Jun blushed, bent over and whispered something in her ear, Xiao Jiu immediately slapped him: "Smelly rascal!"
The scholar was aggrieved: "You insisted on asking me." How could you beat him
Xiao Jiu glared at him: "Shameless! Why are you men so shameless!"
"Hey, be careful what you say, why did we men mess with you?" Cheng Pu protested dissatisfied. "So far this is the most reasonable guess, only at this time will Bai Qi let down his guard, okay?"
If you explain it this way, it is true, but... Xiao Jiu's face is still flushed: "Then according to you, the murderer must not be a man."
"Of course." The scholar said, "Bai Qi likes pretty girls, we all know that."
Xiao Jiu rolled his eyes at him.
The adult is still thinking, and he is still puzzled: "Assuming our hypothesis is correct, then who is this woman? Is it the girl under Bai Qi's subordinates?"
"He has so many girls under his command, how can we find them?" Cheng Pu rolled his eyes. "Besides, there is nothing to regret when such a person dies. If he dies, many girls and children will be saved."
"I asked the housekeeper and the maid, and they said that last night Bai Qi didn't find someone to serve her as usual, and even took a bath and changed clothes early and locked the door behind her, as if she was waiting for some important person."
"Could it be the mastermind behind the scenes?!" Xiao Jiu's eyes lit up.
"If it's the mastermind behind the scenes, it can be explained why Bai Qi was killed. Because she knows that sooner or later we will find her." The scholar sighed. "But if it's really the mastermind behind the scenes, if she kneels down to Bai Qi, the relationship between the two will be completely reversed. In this case, the mastermind behind the scenes should be the mastermind, and Bai Qi is just a scumbag. The reason why the master kneels down with the minions? Besides, a girl's family... shouldn't be the one behind the scenes."