"Dad, why did you die so miserably... leaving us orphans and widows, how are we going to survive..."
A woman's cry echoed throughout the alley, adding a gloomy atmosphere to the alley.
This made Li Huguo's footsteps much heavier. He walked over step by step. There was an old couple on the side of the road. On the left was a poor old man. His clothes were in tatters and his shoes had been patched again and again. The old man's face was full of vicissitudes of life and blurred.
The old woman on the right has her silver hair messily coiled around her head. Her dark and yellow face is covered with wrinkles. She is wearing a tattered gray apron. The few strands of silver hair falling down are swaying in the north wind. Her feet are wearing The worn slippers seemed to tell her bitterness in the cold wind.
Both of their eyes were very cloudy, and Li Huguo's arrival did not attract their attention.
The road suddenly became damp, whether it was urine or water, which gave the air a foul and unpleasant smell.
Li Huguo walked very slowly and looked at the surrounding houses. The houses here were very dilapidated. Some houses were repaired and repaired, and the holes in the walls were made of hay.
A few skinny wild dogs were crouching in the corner, seemingly lacking the energy to bark. Next to them, there were a few children playing with their chests against their backs, playing a stone-throwing game.
The desolation on the roadside made Li Yuguo walk faster and faster. This place was too dilapidated and was not in direct proportion to the prosperity of other places in the capital.
Maybe it's because this place itself is very remote. Even Li Yuguo wouldn't have come here if it weren't for Niu Dingtian.
At the entrance of the mourning hall, Li Yuguo hesitated for several minutes, because the death of the watchman might have something to do with him.
After all, this murder couldn't be such a coincidence. In addition, Wang Sili was busy and the prince came again. Could it be that the prince knew in advance that a murder would happen here
This must have something to do with the prince. Being related to the prince means that the prince has a purpose. The prince's purpose is nothing more than His Highness, and His Highness is cooperating with him. In this way, it can be regarded as nepotism.
Li Huguo came to the mourning hall. At this time, the watchman's widow saw him, and she said: "This gentleman is..."
"I am from the imperial court." Li Hugo said.
As soon as these words came out, the widow's face turned pale. She said, "People from the court? We, we don't know..."
"I haven't asked yet, why do you say you don't know? In fact, you must know something, but you just refuse to tell me, madam... You can tell me what you know openly. All I want to do now is Investigate the case, are you willing to let your husband die in such an unclear manner?" Li Huguo said.
The widow lowered her head and said, "We really don't know."
Li Huguo took out the silver and put it in the hands of the child beside the widow. He invited three sticks of incense and worshiped at the altar. Since the woman refused to say anything, he naturally didn't want to be too tough, but what he didn't expect was , when Li Yuguo finished his worship and was about to leave, the five or six-year-old child followed him out.
Because he was a little kid, no one paid attention, but Li Yuguo found that he followed him as if he had something to say.
At such a young age, he is wearing mourning clothes and looks very pitiful. In the future, he is destined to be dependent on his mother. Maybe he will have a stepfather, but to a certain extent, his stepfather is very repulsive to children who are not his. , so his future is not very bright.
"You don't need to send it away. Go to your mother's place quickly." Li Hugo said.
"Sir, my mother invites you to come to the backyard..." the child said, and then ran back in a panic.
Li Huguo was very surprised, but watched the child leave. At night, in the family's backyard, an oil lamp was lit, and there was a coffin lying inside. The coffin had not yet been buried, because the body had to be laid. It is a local custom to wait three days for burial.
Li Huguo came to the courtyard. At this time, the woman stood up and said, "Sir... I have offended you a lot during the day. I hope you will forgive me."
"If you have anything to explain to me, tell me immediately. I am from Tongming Temple of the imperial court, directly under the direct control of the current emperor. I will not favor anyone. As long as you have grievances, just tell me directly." Li Yuguo said, The name of Xindao Tongming Temple is quite useful.
The woman knelt on the ground, hugged her child and said, "Sir, you have to make the decision for us, mother and son... Our family of three is helpless here, our life is good or bad, we barely have enough to eat, but... "
"Could it be that your husband wasn't..." Li Huguo raised his voice, because according to previous news, the watchman died of a sudden illness while working.
But now it seems that there is more to the story.
"He was a local snake in our street, Zhao Laowu, who was known as Kudutuo. This Kudutuo was very powerful... He killed my husband. Although he also gave us money, my husband became ill and died. We were harmonious as husband and wife. I am so unwilling to let him die like this..." the woman said.
Li Yuguo thought for a while and then said, "Can you do laundry?"
"Sir, what do you mean?"
"If there is no way to survive here, go to Li Mansion in the north of the city and say that you are a hired worker. We will also give you a good salary at that time, so that you and your mother can at least have a worry-free life. As for Kutoutuo's affairs, you don't have to worry about it. Yes, I will make him pay the due price." Li Hugo said.
The woman burst into tears of gratitude and thanked her again and again.
And Li Huguo has arrived deeper in this street. This street is called "Bitter Street", which fits the style here, because the people here live very miserable lives.
At the end of Bitter Street, there is a City God's Temple, but the City God's Temple has been abandoned. People seem to have lived in it and it has become a residential building.
Around the City God's Temple, there are some black gambling houses and black brothels. This is a three-nothing zone, full of disease, poverty, blood and pain. Several naked women were driven out from the City God's Temple, and there was a sound coming from inside. He made a rude voice: "Get out of here, get the fuck out of here, I can't serve people, I can't dance, I can't sing, my mother is so pretty, I can't compete with the girls from Huanjie." Compare."
The rough voice of the fire bull was like the roar of a wild beast, and Li Huguo also heard the voice and walked straight over.
"Who are you? Do you know where this place is?" There were two men in ragged clothes, like beggars, at the door of the City God's Temple. They stopped Li Yuguo and refused to let him in.