The Plough

Chapter 23

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"Who's missing?"

The patrol was startled when he heard it, and hurriedly counted, and soon had the answer.

"Sir, there is one less servant named Sancai!"

On weekdays, those people are in the small building at the back, eating, drinking and lhasa are all solved in it, at most, they come in and out once to deliver vegetables and pick dung. After all, these people are not so suspected, and they have not been convicted so far, just out of caution. They take care of it first, and the person in charge of the guard will not be so dedicated, and will not even count the heads on time every day.

Who are the three

Ling Shu narrowed his eyes and looked at the old housekeeper.

"On the night of Du Yuning's accident, you said that Sancai had a bad stomach, and Lao De was on leave to return to his hometown, so he kept vigil for them."

He didn't let go of any change in the old butler's expression.

The look of the other party finally calmed down, as expected, there was a slight wave again.

But he quickly lowered his head, for fear that they would continue to press him and refused to speak.

"What about you! Didn't you see one or two!" the patrolman asked the others.

"Report sir," a middle-aged maid raised her hand timidly, she was the cook of the Yuan family. "At noon, I saw Sancai."

"And after lunch, who saw him?"

The patrol looked around.

No one could answer.

"Go back and ask, take the brothers to have some supper."

Yue Dingtang took out a few pieces of ocean and put it in the palm of the other party's hand, open and aboveboard, calm and unhurried.

If he doesn't do this, even in the face of Smith, these people will be slack.

He lowered his voice and explained: "The old man is old, don't torture him, try to force him to explain himself."

The patrolman understood, and stood at attention and saluted: "I understand, you can rest assured that you will keep this old thing tomorrow morning and say everything!"

Yue Dingtang: "And here..."

Patrol arrest: "Let's search this place first. If we don't find anyone, we'll escort them back first, and then let the brothers come to search and guard."

If there are enough people in the patrol room, we can turn the front and rear small buildings upside down, and maybe we can find the "ghosts" hidden in the small buildings. That's it.

Yue Dingtang was not their direct boss, and although the two were polite, he couldn't order them directly.

"Then it's up to you. I'll be going to the consulate's dinner later, and I will inform Mr. Smith about this and your credit."

The patrolman Yixi: "Thank you sir!"

Leaving the Yuan family behind, Yue Dingtang and Ling Shu hurried into the car.

"The time is a bit rushed, I'm afraid it's too late for you to change your clothes." Yue Dingtang glanced at his watch.

Ling Shu just wanted to say that it just happened that he didn't have to go to the banquet, and then he thought about it again, if he didn't go with Yue Dingtang, the immoral ghost would not be able to let the driver take a detour and send him back alone, and he had to walk back.

Thinking about the journey from here to home, Ling Shu decisively changed the subject.

"The old housekeeper is not a murderer."

Yue Dingtang: "Why do you see it?"

Ling Shu: "His performance was too flustered, and it was easy to reveal flaws. And Du Yuning's death was a game, like that night, the people who attacked you and me were more like blood on their hands. If it wasn't for the gunman Your marksmanship is inaccurate, and you are probably dead to the banquet now."

Yue Dingtang: "The housekeeper may not kill anyone, but he must know the secret of the Yuan family, and this secret is likely to be related to the deaths of the three."

Ling Shu rubbed his chin: "If, all the ghosts are man-made, and the old housekeeper deliberately created a haunted atmosphere in the Yuan family, trying to create the established fact that there is a haunted house there, over time, the news of the haunted Yuan family spread like wildfire, no matter where it is. It's not unusual for anything weird to happen."

Yue Ding Tang frowned: "The secrets of the Yuan family must be hidden in details that we have not yet discovered, no matter whether the old housekeeper colluded with the murderer or not, whether these people are arranged or made noise, they still have to return to the Yuan family in the end. key places."

In other words, as long as they keep guarding the Yuan family, the other party will be tied and unable to achieve their goals.

Ling Shu raised his eyebrows: "So you deliberately moved people away for a while just to lure snakes out of their holes?"

Yue Dingtang did not answer directly: "The banquet will end at about ten o'clock in the evening. Then you and I will go to the patrol room to see what the butler's interrogation results."

Ling Shu: "...I'm still a patient."

Yue Dingtang said lightly: "You ate a bowl of bean curd, two fried dough sticks, and half a bowl of tomato noodle soup in the morning."

Ling Shu didn't change his face: "The patient needs to eat a little more to get better faster."

Yue Dingtang: "The buffet at the consulate is very rich."

Ling Shu finally stopped talking.

The car drove all the way from Yuan Gongguan to the consulate.

Along the way, there were a few naked people, or people wrapped in ragged cotton jackets, shivering under the pillars locked by the roadside.

Poor people are not eligible for the New Year, their only wish is to survive this winter.

Ling Shu knew that some of these people might not be able to last for the short period of time when he came back by car.

The closer you get to the consulate, the scenery on both sides changes, and everything becomes more advanced.

They seem to have entered another world.

However, this is the same Shanghai.

Poverty and wealth, depression and prosperity, are just a short distance away.

Shanghai in 1933 looked generally prosperous.

The cloud of war had a brief lingering last year and then quickly dissipated.

The local residents may still remember it fresh, or they may forget it deliberately. Everyone sings, dances, and horses run. The smoke and blood gradually fade with time, returning to the original appearance of the largest city in the Far East.

Decay under vanity is like flesh and blood,

Outside the consulate, colorful lanterns were hung up in a fitting way, and there were even small lanterns at the entrance of the small houses, which illuminated the smiling faces at the entrance, all red and festive.

Do as the locals do, the longer foreign diplomats stay in China, the more their every move will have Chinese characteristics, but they do not know that this is only their protective color, and it is also a means they use to negotiate and make friends with military and political figures. They are still shrewd and capable. Bad Westerners.

However, the Nanjing government is still willing to deal with such "China Hands". Many people in this era yearn for Western civilization and look up with envy and humility. With arrogant ambivalence, Terry Burns, the owner of this consulate, perfectly understood and took advantage of everyone's psychology.

Instead of wearing a suit and tie like a visitor, he wore a long robe and a jacket, and greeted people everywhere, attracting many compliments from the banquet people.

Naturally, there is no lack of sarcasm in secret.

"Mr. Burns is really familiar with Chinese civilized etiquette!"

"It is said that this Peng Si has a wide range of personal connections in Nanjing. Even the chairman of the committee has heard of him. He is different from other foreigners. He is an authentic China expert."

"Hey, it's not my race, its heart must be different, what's there to praise?"

"As the dignified U.S. consul in Shanghai, he actually went out to greet him in person. He was more polite and thoughtful than some of us in our own country. Isn't it worthy of praise? Today we all talk about democracy and science, but since the May 4th, many people Meiyang has gone too far, overcorrected, and even forgot the etiquette of the ancestors, shameful, shameful!"

"Okay, don't say a few words. On this occasion, there are so many high-ranking officials and celebrities in Shanghai, don't make a fuss, people will hear you later, eat your food, eat more, and talk less!"

Whispers came from all directions, all in the ears.

Ling Shu forked a piece of honeydew melon and ham and put it in his mouth, chewing it happily.

As one of the few China experts, Peng Si naturally understands etiquette, but not everyone has the kind of treatment that allows him to personally greet him. Unfortunately, Ling Shu is one of them, and he still entrusts Yue Ding. Don's blessing.

Judging from the fact that Peng Si and Yue Dingtang had a good conversation, the two brothers of Yue Dingtang must have had a good time in the official and business circles, and they also maintained a good relationship with diplomats like Peng Si. .

But none of this is about Ling Shu.

His position is located at the end of the long buffet table. Generally, few people come here, but the circles formed spontaneously around him are not far or near. He listens here, stands there, and even Got a lot of gossip.

For example, the banquet was not only for political and business people, but also many celebrities in the cultural world. Some even brought the recently famous star He Youan.

For example, Miss Liu San, who is famous in Shanghai, actually left her fiance who was already engaged, ran away from home, and eloped with someone. The news was suppressed and suppressed by the Liu family. Her future husband's family was angry and dissatisfied. The two families relied on their own family backgrounds and each had their own background. The lawsuit was about to be brought to Nanjing at this moment.

For example, "Sheshan Evening News" recently serialized a novel called "Liuquan Chronicle", borrowing the background of the late Qing Dynasty, to write about the strange people and suspense cases encountered by a county magistrate in Liuquan County, due to the ups and downs of the plot. , fascinating and popular recently, it is not only discussed in the market, but also on such occasions, some people mention it and guess the plot of each other.

For another example, recently, rumors about the haunting of Yuan's mansion have also been raging and clamoring, and it has become one of the focuses of everyone's discussion. Many people have been chatting about Du Yuning's death, and even the various actresses Yuan Bing dated during his lifetime. Names are rarely published, only the childhood sweetheart with the surname Ling is mentioned, and the names are also given.

"The childhood sweetheart surnamed Ling" ate from honeydew melon ham to French foie gras, and drank a glass of wine. Listening to these as stories, it is very interesting.

Until someone stopped him from behind.

"Yo, isn't this Young Master Ling of our Yushu Linfeng?"

The author has something to say:

A small theater that has nothing to do with the text:

Yue Chunxiao happily prepared a bunch of food to go to the hospital to visit.

Yue Dingtang glanced at it and saw that there were small cakes, small biscuits, sweet and sour pork ribs, vegetarian goose, drunken crab, and braised bamboo shoots, all of which she personally cooked.

Yue Dingtang: You bring so much, can he eat it? Besides, you can't eat bland food when you're sick

Yue Chunxiao is righteous: If you can't eat it, it's good to have a look. It's so full of color and flavor. If you watch it a lot, your mood will be better, and your illness will get better soon.

Yue Ding Tang is speechless: I was sick when I was a child, why didn't I see you being so kind to me

Yue Chunxiao: Then you act like a spoiled brat for me.

Yue Dingtang: …

Yue Chunxiao walked away.