The big ship had already stopped at the place where it often docked on weekdays, and the two of them followed a few guests who also boarded the ship, and quickly boarded the deck.
"Mr. Song, I haven't seen you for a few days, and your complexion has become much more rosy." The boat lady greeted her with a smile, "Jun'er is still dressing up, why don't you sit down and listen to some songs to relieve boredom? We are here There are a few new singers, all of whom are very good."
Song Zhenguo looked serious and didn't smile at her.
"I want to ask, a friend I brought the night before yesterday, the son named Wang Ziquan, I heard that there was a boat coming later, please call out the girl who accompanied him the night before yesterday, I have something to ask." He casually gave a few taels of silver to the boat lady.
Just giving it away is equivalent to throwing out thousands of yuan. If you are not a wealthy family, you really dare not spend it like this.
"You're talking about Die'er, um, I'll go and call Die'er here, young master can rest in the side room and wait a while." Seeing Song Zhenguo Lu Sheng's serious face, the boat lady didn't dare to delay. Among these sons and gentlemen, there are not many guests who can be as bold as Song Zhenguo. Although those officials' children, although they have a strong background, they are not as generous as Song Zhenguo.
Lu Sheng and the two were led to a wing room, where they rested and waited. Soon the butterfly was called in.
Die'er looked weak and well-behaved, very pitiful, wearing a light green dress with a thin waist, and holding a flute in her hand, as if she was preparing to play the flute for the guests. At this moment, when he was called over, he also looked ignorant.
"Song Gongzi, may I ask you to call Die Er, what do you want to ask?" She asked softly.
"Let me ask you, do you know where is that Mr. Wang Ziquan that you accompanied the night before yesterday?" Song Zhenguo asked in a deep voice.
Butterfly looked bewildered.
"Mr. Wang Ziquan? Oh... I remembered, didn't you go back with Mr. Song? Die'er was very tired at that time. As soon as you left, Mr. Song, you got off the boat and went home to rest."
"Go home and rest?" Song Zhenguo was taken aback.
"That's right. At that time, Die'er picked up guests three times in a row, and she was so tired that she told the boat lady as soon as it was over. She was one of the first people to disembark." Die'er replied in a low voice. "What's wrong? Could it be Mr. Ziquan... What happened??" She was a little panicked.
Lu Sheng stared at her closely, his eyes were sharp, but there was no sign that Die Er was lying.
"Let me ask you, did your ship close after we left?"
Die Er nodded quickly, a little uneasy being stared at by Lu Sheng.
"Yes, yes, as soon as the three gentlemen leave, the boat lady will close."
"Then let me ask you again! After closing, will this ship usually hang red lanterns?" Lu Sheng asked again.
"Red lantern?" Die'er was at a loss, "What red lantern? After closing every day, our boats sail directly into the nearby dock for maintenance. During the maintenance, no lights are allowed on board, only their ship repairers can light the lights. It was the same yesterday."
"Driving into the dock? Didn't it stop here?" Lu Sheng was shocked.
"No, we only come here temporarily when we are doing business. The wind and waves here are occasionally very strong, isn't it easy to be blown away by the wind when parked here?" Die'er gave Lu Sheng a strange look.
Lu Sheng was faintly worried. Wang Ziquan, probably like him, boarded the boat full of red lanterns.
"Brother Lu..." Song Zhenguo listened more and more strangely. He didn't know the meaning of Lu Sheng's asking these questions. In his opinion, Lu Sheng got on the wrong boat with red lanterns. But at this time, he still listened patiently.
"Don't tell me you don't have a large painting boat full of red lanterns at night and empty on board? The style is exactly the same as your boat." Lu Sheng was not reconciled, and asked again.
Butterfly blinked.
"Master, where did you hear about the big boat covered with red lanterns? Do you know that we only hang red lanterns under certain circumstances
Only when the girl on the boat died, would three red lanterns be hung at the door and inside of her room.
One at the door, representing guidance, and two in the room, representing sacrifice and rest. "
Lu Sheng was shocked when he heard the words.
He recalled that weird painting boat, the boat was full of red lanterns, all the rooms and every wing room were hung with red lanterns!
And the way of hanging is exactly what Die Er said, one hanging at the door and two hanging in the room! !
"Oh, it's so scary, young master, don't you come here to scare Die'er after hearing ghost stories somewhere?" Die'er also became a little scared, with goosebumps all over her body.
"Yuesheng... Are you afraid that you are really dreaming?" Song Zhenguo also looked at Lu Sheng worriedly. Lu Sheng's characters are separated from the Sheng characters, so he called him Yuesheng.
When he was in Jiulian City, Lu Sheng rarely used this word. Everyone there called him Young Master Sheng, Brother Sheng. But I came out here to study, and the name means closeness, and it is more formal.
"It's okay... I'm just..." Lu Sheng hesitated for a while, but still didn't talk about the locked door inside the Red Boat. Even if he said it, Song Zhenguo might not believe it, even if he did, it would be useless.
"But since Ziquan didn't come here, where will he go?" Song Zhenguo worried. "The year-old exam is coming up soon. If you break the rules of the academy and you don't get a registration, you will really ruin your future!"
"If the two sons are fine, Die'er is going to play the flute for the guests." Die'er whispered.
"It's okay, thank you Die'er. This is your reward." Song Zhenguo gave her a few pieces of silver.
Die'er immediately cheered up, this was her own income apart from Huachuan. She carefully put the broken silver into her waist pouch, turned around and walked gently towards the door. Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something, turned around and said by the way.
"By the way, my lord, Die'er also heard a ghost story, which was passed on among the girls on the boat.
It is said that there used to be a red boat on the Songbai River named Red Mansion, and then a fire broke out, and none of the girls on the boat escaped. Then the legend of the red boat spread on the Songbai River... It is said that the boat was full of red lanterns, and none of the people who got on the red boat ever got off. "
Lu Sheng lifted his spirits and quickly called Die Er to stop.
"Girl stay, can you tell us the story of the painting of boats in the Red Mansion?"
"Uh... Die'er has only been in this business for a while, so I don't know much about it, but isn't Mr. Song on good terms with Mrs. Jun'er? Sister Jun'er thinks about Mr. Song every day. If it's been a long time, she should know." Die'er whispered.
"Understood." Lu Sheng nodded, "Go."
Die'er left the room, Lu Sheng and Song Zhenguo didn't speak, just kept silent, each thinking about their own affairs.
After a while, a gentleman in a plain white low-cut skirt walked in, and when he saw Song Zhenguo, his eyes lit up.
"Young Master Song!" There was a trace of affection in her eyes unconsciously.
"Jun'er!" Song Zhenguo stepped forward and gently hugged Jun'er. "I haven't seen you for a few days, are you okay? The money I gave to the bow is enough, no one can order you except me."
Jun'er nodded slightly, with a hint of happiness on his face. "Jun'er knows that the young master treats Jun'er well..."
"I've been waiting, waiting for when Jun'er promises to redeem me for you." Song Zhenguo said softly. "Okay, we came here this time to ask about Mr. Wang Ziquan who came with us the night before.
Jun'er, do you know if the prince came back to this boat the night after we left? "
"Mr. Wang Ziquan?" Jun'er recalled, "It was very late that night, didn't that Mr. Wang disembark with you? Why did he come back?"
"Are you sure he hasn't come back?" Lu Sheng asked.
Jun'er nodded: "I'm sure, because that night, I delayed for a while, and I was the last to leave the boat. Do the math, it's just a stick of incense after you left, my lord."
"Is that so... that's weird..." Lu Sheng pondered.
Song Zhenguo asked a few more questions one after another, and Jun'er answered them one by one, which was no different from what Die'er said before. The two couldn't find any clues, and in desperation, they got off the boat.
"The current plan is to report to the officials." Song Zhenguo sighed.
Lu Sheng shook his head: "If you're afraid, you're afraid, it's useless to report to the officials...."
Song Zhenguo glanced at Lu Sheng, not knowing why.
"Brother Song, you should go back first, you're here today, and it's getting late." Lu Sheng reminded, "We still have to take part in the small test tomorrow."
"Well, I'll go back first. If you have any clues, Yuesheng, please remember to let me know." Song Zhenguo sighed again, and separated from Lu Sheng.
Watching Song Zhenguo get into the carriage, he gradually moved away. Lu Sheng recalled one by one when he questioned Die'er and Jun'er before, the reaction of the other party was flawless.
"It seems that they didn't lie, but if the red boat wasn't the one we took before, how could my money bag be on it?" Lu Sheng was puzzled.
He had a vague premonition that he might be involved in a new trouble.
... ... ... ... ... ... ..
Song Zhenguo sat in the carriage and sighed.
He is a person who values love and righteousness. Wang Ziquan happened after he was with him, and there is still no news about him. In any case, he had to give the Wang family an explanation.
What's more, Ziquan is also his good friend and brother, so he will disappear if he says he won't see him. Such a big man is right beside the Songbai River.
"Could it be..." He suddenly thought of a possibility, "Could it be that he slipped and fell into the river!?" Thinking of this, he shivered all over.
"No! If you live, you must see people, if you die, you must see corpses! Ziquan was brought out by me. If something happens, it will be my responsibility, Song Zhenguo!" "If something really happens to Ziquan, I will report it to the authorities!"
He has made up his mind.
"But in this case, what should Jun'er do?" He changed his mind, and thought of Jun'er, whom he was in love with bitterly. He would spend thousands of taels of silver bills on this alone every month, just to keep Jun'er intact and prevent other customers from ordering her. For this matter, the father of the family has quarreled with him no less than ten times.
Thinking of this, Song Zhenguo had a headache again.
Arriving home in a hurry, he got out of the car, paid the money, entered the courtyard, and rushed to his room, not wanting to see anyone at home for a moment.
Several servants saw him and were about to greet him, but he disappeared in a blink of an eye.