The Delicate Lady Coroner Chapter 95: Fifth update 07

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Chapter 95 Fifth update 07

As soon as it got dark the next day, Bo Ruoyou went out in a carriage. After meeting Wu Xiang and his party in the south of the city, they left the city and headed for Guzhang Village. Less than an hour after she left, Lin Huai and his wife boarded the The door of the Cheng family.

Cheng Yunzhi welcomed the two of them into the main hall. Lin Huai looked at the house and said, "This place is quite clean and a bit small, but there are only two of you, father and daughter, and not many servants, so it is enough to live in."

Cheng Yunzhi smiled, "Things are not what they used to be. This is already great."

After sitting down for tea, Lin Huai's expression straightened, "I saw your letter, and I also told Shu Ning about this, but why did you suddenly change your mind?"

Cheng Yunzhi's smile faded, with a look of sadness on his face, "Yesterday you and I talked like that. Youyou guessed that although I didn't mention the engagement earlier, I told her that I have plans for her marriage. arrangement, so she guessed it."

"Now that she knows that your Lin Zhao and the eldest girl of the Bo family are engaged, she doesn't think anything of it. She said that we have been away from Beijing for a long time in the past few years. Even if there is no eldest girl of the Bo family, there will be other girls, not to mention you. After being engaged to Lin Zhao for many years, in Lin Zhao's heart, the eldest girl of the Bo family is his perfect match. Therefore, she doesn't want to get the marriage back, so she just makes the mistake."

Lin Huai knew that Cheng Yunzhi had been angry for many years, and had planned to discuss with Chu Shuning how to break off the engagement with the Bo family. However, Cheng Yunzhi suddenly changed his temper, and he guessed that something had happened.

However, he didn't expect that this was what Bo Ruoyou meant.

The couple looked at each other and Lin Huai said, "Youyou really think that way?"

Cheng Yunzhi nodded, "She also said that they have been engaged for many years, and they have a certain friendship. Even if they really get the marriage back this time, Lin Zhao will probably not be happy in her heart, and her situation is quite embarrassing. In this case, it is better to get it done. They forget it."

After a pause, Cheng Yunzhi said again: "I made it clear to Lin Huai yesterday what I'm worried about. I think you also understand that the Bo family's wife is cruel to Youyou, and she is also selfish in getting engaged to you. , I think you have known this for a long time over the years, but it is you who have decided on the marriage. From now on, you will be responsible for the good or bad of being married to the Bo family. Youyou and I will never mention the engagement that year in the future. ”

Lin Huai smiled bitterly, "I responded to you yesterday sincerely, but have you both made up your mind? If this is the case, then this marriage will not be canceled. Not to mention that the previous generations of the two families have some friendship, so But now I have no reason and can’t retreat.”

Cheng Yunzhi waved his hand, "You can just pretend that this never happened."

Chu Shuning said helplessly: "Yunzhi, why is Youyou so decisive? Could it be that she... doesn't like Lin Zhaocheng?"

The Lin family is a good match in everyone's eyes, but Chu Shuning didn't expect that it was Bao Ruoyou who said she didn't want this marriage. She was also a woman, so she naturally saw the key point at a glance.

Cheng Yunzhi didn't hide anything after hearing this, "It's true." He snorted softly, "You Lin Zhao are indeed young talents, but we Youyou also have ideas. She and Lin Zhao have only met each other a few times. Fate, friendship is just ordinary. Secondly, this marriage has been changed to someone else, and it has been changed for so many years. She doesn't bother to fight for someone who has no friendship. She will not force someone who is not her."

Chu Shuning and Lin Huai were dumbfounded when they heard this. Lin Zhao had always been known as a talented person, but now he was looked down upon by others.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Cheng Yunzhi said firmly: "I came to the door yesterday just to keep my promise back then. What I said today will also be kept. You can rest assured that Youyou and I will not mention the engagement. , then it will not be capricious."

Lin Huai and Chu Shuning did not show it on their faces, but they were slightly relieved in their hearts. If they really wanted to break off their engagement with the Bo family, it would inevitably cause an ugly scene. Now that Cheng Yunzhi has changed his mind, they are just falsely alarmed. One scene, everything is the same as before.

"Of course I believe you. If that's the case, then the matter is settled." After Lin Huai finished speaking, he looked at the yard again, "I don't see Youyou, but you went to the Yamen?"

Cheng Yunzhi nodded, "Yes, there is a case in the Yamen."

Chu Shuning sighed a little, "Youyou is a little girl with a beautiful face, how can you let her become a widow? She is surrounded by dead people all day long, and she still has to run around and work like this. It is really heartbreaking."

Chu Shuning’s words were sincere and not meant to be despicable. Cheng Yunzhi also sighed: “This is what she had to do. She was seriously ill back then and she didn’t have any preferences after she recovered. Fangze taught her Her medical skills were superficial. I didn’t want to continue practicing medicine because of what happened back then. By coincidence, I helped the county government determine the cause of death of a person who died unexpectedly, and then I became a widower. Youyou didn’t know what I was doing at first, but later she found out. I don’t feel afraid, but I feel that it is extremely meritorious to help the dead redress their justice.”

Chu Shuning frowned, "Is it because of what happened back then——"

Cheng Yunzhi nodded, "It's more or less the reason, so even though she's just a child, she knows it deep down in her heart. It's just that she finally got interested. How could I bear to stop her? I thought maybe it would happen in ten days and a half. She didn’t like it anymore. After all, how could a little girl like to do this? But later she persisted and was very attentive. After Fangze passed away three years ago, I was not in good health either, so she helped the county government conduct an autopsy. There are many, and now he is even more powerful than me."

Chu Shuning sighed, "What about from now on, are you going to be a gangster all the time?"

Cheng Yunzhi frowned slightly, "Actually... I didn't want her to continue doing it, especially the last time she was attacked by a murderer and seriously injured, almost hanging on by a thread. I regretted teaching her the art of apostasy at that time."

Cheng Yunzhi looked sad and took a breath before saying: "It was also at that time that I thought that I could not delay any longer, so I ordered people to inquire about you. When the incident happened, the palace first investigated the Cheng family, and there were some In the early years, my old enemy had been keeping an eye on the Cheng family. Later, I had to leave Beijing. It has been more than ten years. If it were not for Youyou, I would not want to disturb you."

Lin Huai sighed, "Why do you think so? What happened back then involved the imperial concubine and the prince. There is no right or wrong. If a person cannot be saved, someone must be responsible for it. Medication is just a name, you and me. We all understand. Back then, the Lin family couldn't help your father, but they tried their best to speak for the rest of the Cheng family. Now, am I still taboo about anything?"

Cheng Yunzhi responded with a smile, and Chu Shuning asked: "So Youyou will continue to do adultery for a while? Have you ever thought about Youyou's marriage?"

Cheng Yunzhi's smile faded, "This matter... needs to be discussed in the long run."

Cheng Yunzhi was a little worried, but he didn't elaborate. He left him and his wife to have lunch. After lunch, Lin Huai and Lin Huai said goodbye and left the house. As soon as they left the door of Cheng's house, Lin Huai caught sight of him. A person was staring at them from a distant corner of the street. However, when he looked over, the person quickly turned the corner and disappeared.

Lin Huai frowned. Although it was just a glance, he felt that the man was very sneaky.

Chu Shuning followed him and looked over, "What's going on?"

Lin Huai stared at the street corner for a while, but did not see the man coming back. He thought he was suspicious for a moment, shook his head and got on the carriage. As soon as he got on the carriage, Chu Shuning said: "Youyou is a thoughtful and sensible person. , he is also a good boy, but he has no fate with our Zhao'er. This time they changed their mind, but there was less trouble." He said with a wry smile, "I didn't expect that our Zhao'er was looked down upon."

Lin Huai somehow thought of Huo Weilou at this moment, and he also laughed, "They have known each other for a short time, and it is normal for them to have no other thoughts. It will be better to get along with each other as brother and sister in the future, and the eldest girl of the Bo family has no choice in this matter. It's settled like this, and there's no need to let Zhao'er know that it bothers him."

Chu Shuning responded with a smile.

After Lin Huai's carriage left for a full stick of incense, the sneaky figure just now appeared at the street corner again. This time he stood there and waited for a while. Seeing that there was no movement at the Cheng family's door, he turned around and left Changxingfang. , walked all the way through Yujie, went straight to Changlefang, then turned around a few alleys to the side door of Bo's ancestral residence, called the door, and someone soon let him in.

……

The sun was rising in the sky, but Bo Ruoyou and his party had not found Guzhang Village yet. Bo Ruoyou couldn't help but lift the curtain of his car and asked Wu Xiang, "Wu Captou, didn't you say that Guzhang Village is just downstream of Luohe River? ?"

They had walked twenty miles along the Luo River and searched a distance away from the river bank. However, they asked seven or eight people along the way, but no one knew where Guzhang Village was.

Wu Xiang also frowned, "It is said that the chief worker of Guzhang Village is not from Guzhang Village, but he only knows its approximate location, and there are many rumors about Guzhang Village. The altar he mentioned is one of them, and I heard it from the older generation in the family, and said that Guzhang Village believes in the river **** and water god, and this altar is to worship the river **** and water god."

Bo Ruoyou frowned slightly, "Abandoning the baby by the river, the strange rocks look like altars, it is indeed consistent with the belief in the water god, but he also heard from hearsay that Guzhang Village may not be in this direction."

Wu Xiang said hurriedly: "If we can't find him before sunset, we can just go back to Beijing."

Bo Ruoyou didn't notice anything because she had to travel at night. Cheng Yunzhi prepared snacks and tea for her today. She rode a carriage, which at least took less effort than Wu Xiang and the officials.

Wu Xiang said again: "I have taken people to inquire about the wrapping cloth. There is only one shop selling the same silk and satin in the whole capital. However, he said that the embroidery pattern on it is not the type they sell, so it is not in the market. Where they bought it, since there were no clues here, they had no choice but to come to this village."

Bo Ruoyou knew clearly that after walking for another five or six miles, the land next to Luohe River was only fertile farmland. Going further, there were rolling mountain ridges. Occasionally, he could see a few farmhouses, but past When asked, they all said that this was not Guzhang Village.

Seeing that the time was getting later and later, Wu Xiang ordered the government officials to disperse and search for the mountain villages to the west of Luohe River. After walking like this for half an hour, the two of them went to the west to search. The official is back.

"Captain, I asked! They said there are no other villages nearby, but if you go west and cross the ridge in front, there is a small village. However, the village is very small and it is not called Guzhang Village. ."

Wu Xiang looked around and saw only the shadow of a mountain ridge in the distance. The long-term worker said it was twenty miles, but they had walked almost twice as far now. Even he was a little tired. Thinking about it, he Feeling that today's suffering was not in vain, he gritted his teeth and said, "Go to that village and check. If they don't know Guzhang Village yet, we will go back."

The group of people headed west of Luohe River. After walking less than ten miles, a low hill appeared in front of them. As the Yamen said, after passing here, there was the small village.

The mountain road was a bit rugged, and Bo Ruoyou's carriage moved even slower. She lifted the curtain here and looked out. She felt that this place was far away from the capital, and it deviated from the official road and the scenery along the Luo River, making it seem a bit remote. , in terms of territory, it seems to have been under the jurisdiction of counties in Gyeonggi Province. Now is the season of spring, with green trees and blooming wild flowers in the mountains and fields. Although traveling is boring, looking at the spring scenery among the mountains, forests and fields is quite a bit like traveling in spring.

When the carriage went up the ridge, the view became even wider. When looking to the west, you could vaguely see a few houses. Then going down the ridge, you could clearly see that this was a valley, and there were many buildings in the valley. There are more than ten farmhouses here, which makes it feel like a hermit from the world.

The dirt path in the village went down the hillside. It was narrow enough to pass a carriage. Not long after walking, they met two middle-aged men in commoner clothes carrying hoes. The Yamen went up to ask. , "Brothers, may I ask if this is Guzhang Village?"

The two people frowned, and one of them said with a deep look: "This is Blackwater Village."

Wu Xiang heard this and asked, "Have you ever heard where Guzhang Village is?"

The two shook their heads, "I don't know."

The two of them were obviously going to do farm work. Wu Xiang didn't ask any questions and just walked towards the nearby farmhouse. "Look at which house has an elderly person and ask an older person to ask."

While walking, Bo Ruoyou opened the curtain and looked outside. This valley is surrounded by mountain ridges on three sides. There is only a gap in the northwest. The mountain road also extends to the northwest, but I don’t know where to go from there. While Bao Ruoyou was watching, she found that the bright sky suddenly dimmed. She hurriedly looked towards the sky to the west, and saw that the sun that had not yet set in the sky was covered by clouds. Although it was not dusk yet, it was already dark. It feels like the sky is getting dark.

Wu Xiang also saw it, and couldn't help but speed up his horse, and soon arrived in front of a farmhouse.

Every farm house here has a simple fence and a courtyard gate. Wu Xiang stepped forward and called the door. A moment later, an old woman with gray hair was revealed inside the door. She looked out with a wary look and saw There were so many people coming, they even opened the door a little smaller, and said in a loud voice: "What's the matter?"

The yamen officer stepped forward and asked: "Mother-in-law, we are from the Jingzhao Yinfu yamen. Have you ever heard of the Guzhang Village nearby?"

The mother-in-law frowned and closed the door with a bang, "I've never heard of it, this is Blackwater Village."

The officer looked back at Wu Xiang, who looked helpless and said, "Go to the next house and have a look."

The crowd walked along the mountain road and soon reached the bottom of the valley. Most of the residential buildings here were concentrated at the bottom of the valley. In order to make it easier to ask people, the Yamen chose the most spacious courtyard and knocked on the door.

The houses here are no longer fences, but solid walls with gray tiles and mud. Among the simple houses, they look quite impressive. After the yamen called the door, a seven or eight-year-old boy appeared inside the door. figure.

The boy also wore commoner clothes, with a double bun on his head and a collar with a peace charm on his neck. His eyes were black and white, and he still looked out the door with some fear. The yamen officer asked, "Little doll, are there any adults at home?"

The boy blinked, but before he could speak, an old man's voice came from behind him.

"Yu'er, who are you talking to?"

The boy opened the door wider, "Mother-in-law, there are so many people——"

After the words were finished, an old woman wearing a gray robe came into view. She walked with a limp, and had several scars of different shapes on her face. Her hair was also quite sparse, and she was extremely thin. , the gray robe she was wearing hung down on her body, and she looked a little deformed inexplicably, but her eyes were quite clear. She quickly stood behind the boy and looked at Wu Xiang and the others suspiciously.

"Who are you?"

The officer asked: "Mother-in-law, have you ever heard of the Guzhang Village somewhere around here?"

When she heard this, the old woman did not shake her head and reject it like the people who asked the question before. She was a little surprised at first, and then asked slowly: "What are you asking about Guzhang Village?"

This statement made Wu Xiang's eyes light up. He got off his horse and said kindly: "Does your mother-in-law know? We are from the Yamen in the capital. We would like to ask some old people from Guzhang Village to ask some questions. Do you know that Guzhang What happened to Zhangcun?"

The old woman looked a little cold and said, "You don't have to look for me, everyone in Guzhang Village is dead."

Wu Xiang frowned, "Dead? Why did you die?"

"Plague, about ten years ago, there was a plague and everyone in the village died." The old woman's skinny and scarred face showed a bit of disgust, and she pointed to the gap in the southwest. "Fifty miles from here, you can see several abandoned houses in a ravine. That is Guzhang Village."

Fifty miles! Wu Xiang's eyes darkened, "Then, are there no living people in that village?"

If there are no living people, how can there be dead babies? Or maybe people from other villages knew about the altar method in Guzhang Village and imitated it?

Wu Xiang had many questions in his heart. This was what the old woman said: "They are basically gone. Some of them have left their hometowns and gone to other places. There has been a plague in their village. People are afraid of dealing with them. Old woman, I have many I haven’t heard the name Guzhang Village in years.”

Wu Xiang’s heart sank when she heard this, and she asked again: “Does your mother-in-law know that there used to be a powerful way to worship gods in Guzhang Village?”

The old lady became even more suspicious when she heard this, "You are from the Yamen, why are you asking this?"

Wu Xiang said half truthfully and half falsely: "People in the yamen also believe this. Please pray to God for promotion and wealth. We are running errands for the nobles this time. If my mother-in-law knows about it, if she doesn't tell us, there will be something wrong." Thank you very much."

The old lady looked at them, then looked at the carriage behind, and then she saw the face of the woman in the carriage. She pointed at Bao Ruoyou, "Is that your nobleman?"

Wu Xiang smiled, "That's right."

The old woman began to hesitate. At this moment, rain suddenly fell from the sky. Although the raindrops were not dense, they were all the size of beans. Wu Xiang and others were soaked outside, and their bodies quickly became wet. mark.

The old lady seemed to be unable to bear it, "It's raining. Come in and take shelter first. The nobles will also come in."

It was getting late, and it was raining again. Fortunately, I finally asked someone who knew about it. Wu Xiang patted the rain on his hair, and was the first to take the lead and walked in. Seven government officials followed him on this trip. Including Wu Xiang and Bo Ruoyou, there were ten people in total. They all walked into the courtyard together. The originally small courtyard suddenly seemed a bit crowded. When they entered the main room, everyone was even seated. There are not enough stools.

The rain outside the door was getting heavier and heavier. The courtyard was all flat with compacted soil, which looked a little muddy at the moment. Wu Xiang looked worried at the rain and asked, "What do you call me, mother-in-law? This is the black water." A villager? There are only two mothers and two grandchildren in the family?"

The old woman and the boy stood by the door leading to the inner room. "The old woman's surname is Zhang. She was born and raised here. She has a son who works outside. My wife died of illness two years ago. On weekdays, only the old woman and her grandson live. ."

The furnishings in the house are quite simple, and the house looks old. Wu Xiang looked around and asked, "Does your mother-in-law know the method of worshiping gods in Guzhang Village?"

Grandma Zhang nodded, "I've heard something about it, saying that if you believe in the water **** or the rain god, you have to hand in the offerings every year. If the offerings are not enough, they will be punished. Some people say that the plague that year was to punish them. ."

Wu Xiang said doubtfully: "This place is not close to the capital but not far away either. The plague... I never remember that there was a plague more than ten years ago."

Grandma Zhang smiled, and the raised corners of her lips twitched her withered face, along with a few scars, "Although it's not far or close, it's close to Qinshui County and it's in the mountains. , usually a place where no one cares, and the village is very strange. They don’t marry foreigners, and they don’t like to interact with people from other villages. Because of this, when they get sick, they only kill people in their own village. , people in other villages escaped."

After she finished speaking, she smiled again. She seemed to feel that she had escaped a disaster, but the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. Instead, her face twitched, making people look at it. tingling.

Bao Ruoyou has been standing by the window since she entered the house. Although this house is old, the gray tiles on the mud roof outside are all brand new, as if they have just been renovated. She asked: "Mother-in-law's How often does your son come back?"

Grandma Zhang said without blinking: "I haven't been back for half a year."

Bo Ruoyou pursed his lips slightly and asked, "Why is this place called Blackwater Village?"

Grandma Zhang pointed to the northwest, "There is a black water pool at the foot of the mountain, so it is called Heishui Village."

The rain was getting heavier and the sky was getting darker. Bo Ruoyou felt a little uneasy inexplicably. Fortunately, there were many offices in the house so that she would not be too anxious. At this time, Wu Xiang said: "When we came , I also asked an old woman in the middle of the mountain, but that mother-in-law had never heard of Guzhang Village."

"Oh, you are talking about Granny Wu. She is old and has a bad memory. She must have heard of it." Granny Zhang answered without thinking. After she finished speaking, she glanced at the rain outside and said, "This rain is too heavy. If you don't get out of the mountain quickly, it will be too late. The road in the mountain will be slippery, and after a while, the road will be too muddy to walk on."

Seeing that the rain was not as heavy as a shower, Wu Xiang did not want to spend the night in the mountains. When he was about to get up, he heard Bo Ruoyou say: "I am really thirsty after walking for a day. Is there any water here, mother-in-law, and I can lend me a bowl of it?" ?"

Grandma Zhang didn’t take it seriously, “Yes, please wait a moment.”

After she finished speaking, she wanted to leave by herself, but she was worried about leaving her grandson behind, so she grabbed her grandson and walked together. The kitchen could only be entered after leaving the main room. The mother-in-law and grandson soon disappeared at the door. No one took it seriously, but Bao Ruoyou quickly walked towards the door of the inner room where the two of them were standing just now.

The house was simple and simple, with no wooden door. Only the curtains were hanging down. Bo Ruoyou lifted the curtains and walked in. Wu Xiang and others were immediately surprised. But soon, Bo Ruoyou walked out of the house, his expression no longer calm. As calm as before, she met Wu Xiang's eyes, but before she could speak, Granny Zhang came back with a bowl of water.

Seeing that she was not standing where she was just now, Granny Zhang's brows suddenly frowned. At this time, Wu Xiang thought for a while and stood up, "Grandma Zhang, the mountain road is not easy to walk. We are afraid that we have to stay here for one night. Now, mother-in-law, would you be willing to take us in for a night?"

Grandma Zhang's hand holding the bowl was trembling slightly. She looked around at them and nodded, "Yes, you can, but you have to pay for it."