"It's been a long time. I can't remember clearly, but it's been about twenty years!" The nunnery head lowered. Anyone would feel uncomfortable when talking about the past, especially such old things.
"Was it more than 20 years ago, or about 30 years ago?" Qu Moying's heart moved and he continued to ask.
"Twenty... twenty-five or twenty-six years ago, I don't know exactly how many years it was. It was a while when I followed my relatives out, and then... I try not to think about these things. The past is over, and thinking about it will only make me sad."
The abbot sighed again and said.
"The abbot's accent seems to be that of the capital." Qu Moying's gaze was fixed on the abbot's face, the color of her eyes beneath her veil as deep as water.
"It may be that I have been living in Beijing for so many years that I have long forgotten the accent of my hometown." The nunnery abbess stuttered, seeming to add a bit of sigh.
Qu Moying stopped asking questions for a moment, and just looked at the abbot. After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Has the abbot never thought about the follow-up of this matter?"
"This matter really has nothing to do with me. The previous banknotes were left by the old nunnery owner, who allowed me to handle all the affairs of the nunnery. The current banknotes were given by Aunt Hailan, who is next to the second wife of the Qu family. She was used to make the life of the second wife of the Qu family in the nunnery better. Life in the nunnery is hard."
The abbot said hurriedly, and his reply was very quick, a few points faster than his previous answer.
Yue Wenhan didn't say anything, but just kept his eyes on the abbot, and continued to listen to her and Qu Moying's questions and answers. He was also an experienced criminal, so he naturally saw that the abbot was more adept at answering the current topic than the previous ones. She didn't want to talk about her past, and even thought about it for a long time when answering.
Have I really forgotten, or do I not want to mention those old things, or is there something in these old things that cannot be mentioned.
Because of his doubts, he even saw a flash of relief on the nun's face.
"Didn't you say before that it was given to you by the maidservant of the former Madam Qu Er? The old abbess was still ill at that time, right?" Qu Moying said. This was a little different from what he said before, and it should be the result of more careful consideration.
This is the maximum amount of prevarication to get yourself off the hook.
It's only been a short while, and she actually thought of such an answer. Has she made up her mind to get away with it? The corners of her lips curled up silently. If it were normal, she might have been able to get away with it.
"It was actually given to the old nunnery owner, but I was the one who received it at that time. It's reasonable to say it was given to me, but in fact, it was all given to the old nunnery owner in the end. The old nunnery owner kept it and passed it to me when she was dying, so that I could be in charge of the affairs of the nunnery in the future and allow other people in the nunnery to survive. There weren't many vegetables planted, and if the year was bad, it wouldn't be enough to eat."
The abbess's complaints were also reasonable and gave a good explanation for the different reasons from her previous ones. While she was exonerating herself, she also said that the lives of the other nuns in the nunnery were not easy, the incense was not popular, and the nuns had to farm on their own to survive.
"When the old abbot passed away, were there other people around?" Qu Moying asked.
"The old nunnery had been ill for a long time. That day, when I brought her lunch, she was about to die. She gave me the banknotes and the nunnery. I saw that she was in a bad condition, so I went to call for help. But when the help came, the nunnery only had time to take one last look at her before she passed away."
Let's talk about the old abbot.
Her eyes became red and she turned her head away and hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She spoke this part very clearly.
"That is to say, when the old abbot passed away, the abbot was the only one by her side." Qu Moying pondered the meaning of her words and asked.
"Later, many people came." The abbot explained hurriedly.
"But I can't speak anymore!" Qu Moying said this very confidently, as if he knew everything. The abbot was startled and subconsciously raised his head to look at Qu Moying.
This should be the fourth daughter of the Qu family, the daughter who was born in the nunnery? Why did she ask so clearly? It is impossible for anyone to find out. It is absolutely impossible.
"Yes... the old abbot was already dying at that time." Even though she told herself not to panic, she was still a little panicked after being asked for so long, and the topic jump was so wide, completely beyond the abbot's previous imagination.
"The last person who spoke to the old abbot was the abbot?" Qu Moying lowered his eyes and continued to ask, repeating it again, seeming to ask more carefully.
The nunnery abbot did not dare to answer directly. After thinking about it carefully, she felt that there was no flaw, so she gritted her teeth and said, "Actually, it's not true... Several nuns came here later, and they all talked to the old nunnery abbot."
"But she can't tell?"
"Yes... yes!" said the nunnery abbess, with cold sweat already on her back. He kept asking the same question over and over again. Even though she was mentally prepared, she felt a little nervous at this time, and her throat was dry. Could it be that this Fourth Miss Qu really knew something
Impossible, how is it possible, this is absolutely impossible1
The abbot comforted himself.
"The old abbot's matter will be verified after the coffin is opened." Qu Moying looked at the abbot solemnly and suddenly said.
The abbot's eyes were frozen in his sockets, and at this moment, he could hardly move.
"If the test reveals anything, since the abbot was the last person to have a formal conversation with the old abbot, then things will be easy." Qu Moying continued, as if he didn't notice the abbot's stiff body.
"Open... open the coffin?" The abbot swallowed his saliva and finally calmed down. He said hurriedly, "Why... why do you want to disturb the abbot's peace? The old abbot had been ill before and was about to die. That time, it was not unexpected. The coffin was prepared long ago."
"The coffin was prepared early?" This was another surprise, and Yue Wenhan couldn't help but interrupt.
"Yes, the coffin was prepared a long time ago. The old abbess knew that she didn't have much time left, so she asked the nunnery to prepare it. Many people know about this matter. It is not just my business. The old abbess herself ordered people to do it." The abbess said anxiously.
He was very ill and knew he didn't have much time left, so he went to get a coffin, which means his death was not unexpected.
All of this happens for a reason.
"The old nunnery master may know that he will die soon, or he may be doing it because of the conflict of mourning. Isn't there a saying of conflict of mourning in this area?"
Qu Moying smiled slightly and took up the next question.
Many people know about the practice of burying a happy person in a happy place, but there are not many people who know about the practice of burying a happy person in a happy place. Even if there are not many, this practice has always existed. If there is someone in the family who is seriously ill, it doesn't look good, and the coffin should be prepared early. On the one hand, it is for the sake of preparedness, and on the other hand, it can also help to bury the bad luck and illness, and maybe get rid of the bad luck and illness, and get better.
This statement is being made in the capital.
But there is no formal statement. After all, the main purpose is to see a doctor. Many people don't even believe that they don't even want to see a doctor but just want to wash away the disease.
But in some remote places, there is such a saying, especially in the northern border, it is very prosperous. Qu Moying had heard about it from Nanny Miao before, but she didn't care. Now, looking at the wandering eyes of the abbot, she suddenly had an idea and blurted out the words, and saw the abbot's face change instantly.
"It looks like this is true." Yue Wenhan sneered, his face suddenly darkening, "This reason can also be considered a reason to open the coffin. Add it to the case file."
"Sir... how can you disturb the old abbot's peace and quiet just because of... just because of speculation." The abbot's eyes flickered involuntarily in panic.
"We have medicine, witnesses, several pieces of evidence brought in, and even Hailan's testimony. Does the abbot think that the coffin cannot be opened yet?" Qu Moying replied coldly. His voice was not loud, but it seemed to hit the abbot's heart.
He took a step back and almost fell, and hurriedly covered up, "Although Wang Wu is the old nunnery abbess's nephew, you should know what kind of person he is. If you don't believe me, you can check in the surrounding villages. People like him are just trying to extort money. How... How can you take him seriously? As for Hailan, that maid, you can't take her seriously. When the old nunnery abbess got into trouble, she was... not there."
"She is not here, but she is involved in other things. The old abbot is just here by chance. I'm afraid the one we really want to deal with is not the old abbot. What do you think?"
Qu Moying laughed softly, with an undisguised mockery in his voice, and raised his head high, "Abbot, are you still thinking of other possibilities? Once the old abbot opens the coffin, all the truth will be revealed!"
“The old abbot died of illness… of illness, it really has nothing to do with our temple. Wang Wu was a scoundrel, your Excellency cannot open the coffin just because of a scoundrel’s words… and disturb the old abbot’s peace. Even if the old abbot is in the netherworld, it’s… it’s… it’s…” The abbot became more and more flustered, his eyes flickering.
Others may not know how the old abbot died, but how could she not know
"Abbot, don't you want to say something?" Qu Moying asked coldly, taking a step forward and forcing the abbot to take another step back.
"I... I don't know... what you said, I just don't want to disturb the old nunnery." The nunnery gritted her teeth and calmed down the panic in her heart. She didn't believe that the fourth lady Qu in front of her really knew anything. Tears fell from her eyes. "The old nunnery master has been very kind to me. If you really want to open the coffin, just based on these two reasons, I... I will not admit it even if I die."
Opening the coffin also requires procedures, and more importantly, evidence, witnesses, and testimony. She has thought it through now. Everything else is trivial and can be explained, but opening the coffin is absolutely not allowed.
No matter what, she would prevent the coffin from being opened. She knew some simple procedures. Even if he was the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, he couldn't open the coffin just because he wanted to.
Raising her head, the nunnery abbot's face was firm and sad: "If you don't have solid evidence and witnesses, and only rely on Wang Wu's statement, I will stop you from opening the coffin even if I die in front of the old nunnery abbot's coffin."
No matter what, she just didn't agree. The witness Wang Wu was not upright himself, so how could the coffin be opened just because of a few nonsense words he said
She refused to agree!
But the next moment, Qu Moying's gentle words made the nunnery master fall to the ground stiffly...