Chapter 2 Chapter 1 An extraordinary journey

In late July of Showa 30, Kosuke Kindaichi took a letter of introduction from Police Officer Isokawa, and sat on a rickshaw that is now rare; the car crossed the top of the fairy and entered the village of ghosts. Kosuke Kindaichi didn't come here because of the murder in Guishou Village. He came here this time to enjoy a quiet vacation time. Originally, Kosuke Kindaichi had been worrying about where to go on vacation, and finally he decided to choose a place in Okayama Prefecture to take a good rest. Since he worked as a private detective and investigated the "Honen Murder Case" for the first time, to the subsequent "Prison Gate Island" and "Eight Tombs Village", they all have a geographical relationship with Okayama County. He has a deep impression of the customs and customs of this place, and the warm hospitality of the people in this place makes him feel very warm.

Kosuke Kindaichi picked a good day and set off with a simple bag. He first traveled west from Tokyo to the Okayama Prefectural Police Headquarters to visit Officer Isokawa. When Officer Isokawa saw Kosuke Kindaichi, his eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Kindaichi, when did you come?" Officer Isokawa's words were full of nostalgia for Kosuke Kindaichi, and he looked at him carefully from head to toe. "I just arrived. Oops! I'm so sleepy, I can't even sleep on the train." Kosuke Kindaichi rubbed his sleepy eyes on purpose, emphasizing the fact that he couldn't fall asleep on the night train.

"You just arrived... Is it because of some strange case?" "Officer Isokawa, you're really serious. Whenever you see me, you'll yell about the case. It's just that I haven't seen you for a long time and I just want to visit you." "Whoah! Really?" "of course it's true!" "Then I feel infinitely honored, ahaha..." Policeman Isokawa stroked his cheek with his big palm and smiled. Police officer Isokawa is also getting older, his short hair is almost all gray, and the wrinkles on his forehead have also increased a lot.

However, his short and fat body reveals a faint vigor, and his tanned reddish-brown strands are in sharp contrast with the white hair and eyebrows.His wife died a few years ago and he is now a widower. "Mr. Kindaichi, do you have any plans?" "I was going to talk to you about it." Kosuke Kindaichi wanted to find a place where he could relax and recuperate for a month without being disturbed by others. "Is there a good place near here where I can rest with peace of mind? It doesn't matter if the transportation is inconvenient. It's best to be completely isolated from the outside world and away from the crowds in the mountains."

"Well... yes, there is, but..." Police Isokawa looked at Kosuke Kindaichi wearing wrinkled summer trousers under a floral blouse as usual, and laughed and said: "You still haven't changed...Ahaha! Let's talk about this matter slowly tonight. I will introduce you to a clean and cool hotel first. Go take a shower and have a good sleep. I will find you after work. " As the Isokawa policeman said, he took out a pen and paper, wrote down an address and handed it to Kosuke Kindaichi. That night, after Kosuke Kindaichi and Policeman Isokawa drank two or three bottles of beer, Policeman Isokawa took out a letter of introduction from his yukata pocket.

"I brought a letter of introduction, but let me say it first, it's a bit difficult for you to find a place that is completely isolated from the world! After all, this village is not immune to customs, and there will also be some gossip." "It doesn't matter! This... is a rare word, how should I pronounce it?" Kosuke Kindaichi looked at the letter of introduction, which said "Kimou Village Aoike Rika". "The correct pronunciation is 'ONIKOUBE VILLAGE', but most people simply pronounce it as 'ONIKOUBE VILLAGE'." "I see. It's rare to hear such a way of thinking! Aoike Rika... seems to be a woman's name."

"Yes, she was a poor woman." Policeman Isokawa seemed to be deeply moved, stroking his face with his big palm and saying: "Her husband was killed, and it is still unknown who the killer was." Kosuke Kindaichi held the letter of introduction, looked directly at Police Isokawa and said: "Officer, you can't do this! As I said during the day, this time I hope not to be disturbed by anything, and I want to concentrate on recuperating." "I know, I know. This murder did not happen recently, it happened more than 20 years ago, so please rest assured. Because of this, it is impossible for you to completely isolate yourself from the world... ...Twenty-three or four years ago, the traffic in Guishou Village was not as convenient as it is now, but there was still a case where the murderer could not be found."

The Isokawa police hesitated whether to tell the story. Kosuke Kindaichi looked away from the letter of introduction on his knee, raised his eyes and said: "Sounds like an interesting story." Kosuke Kindaichi showed his white teeth and smiled, it was a friendly and attractive smile. "Do you want to hear it?" "Yes, hearing that it's a case that's been a mystery for nearly twenty years, I can't help but want to get to the bottom of it. Ahaha! It's a bad habit of mine." "Then... I'll start talking." Police officer Isokawa was very grateful to Kosuke Kindaichi for his thoughtfulness, and he felt more relaxed, and the atmosphere of the conversation between the two gradually heated up.

"Mr. Jin Tianyi, you should know the customs and customs of the countryside very well! No matter which village it is, there will always be some 'powers' who are opposed to each other. For example: in "Prison Gate Island", the ghost head and the ghost head are separated, and the eight Tomb Village's East House and West House..." "Then, is there a family in Guishou Village with two powerful forces?" The Isokawa policeman faced Kosuke Kindaichi and happily replied: "That's right. This case happened in Showa 7, the second year of the Manchuria Incident. At that time, the rural economy was in a recession. You should remember it!"

"Yes, the Manchurian Incident is the biggest cause of the rural depression." "At that time, Guishou Village was divided into two major factions, the Yuliang family and the Renli family. In addition, there was the Tatara family. They were the family of the village chief in the old shogunate era. All the heirs love to play, so the family fortune gradually declines. "The Yuliang family and the Renli family prospered under such circumstances. All those who have anything to do with Guishou Village are either from the Yuliang sect or the Renli sect. Both sides have clear stances. No one is allowed to stand in a neutral position."

"Like the two camps of the United States and the Soviet Union in modern times?" "Yeah. But among the two big families, the Yuliang family has been very rich since ancient times. They own a lot of fields in Guishou Village and nearby. Most of these fields were donated to the Yuliang family by the two generations of masters of the Tatara family. hand. "On the contrary, the Renli family was a new force at the time, and they owned a large area of ​​mountains. At that time, the mountains were not worth much, and these mountains alone could not compete with the Yura family. "At that time, the owner of the Renli family, Renli Renping, was a man with great foresight. He opened up the mountain land he owned, that is, some hilly land nearby, into a vineyard. In the sixth or seventh year of the Showa era, the grapes could be harvested and sold. In this way, the power of the Renli family is getting stronger and stronger." "Do they still grow grapes?" "Of course, grapes have become a major resource in Guishou Village." "The Renli family has brought new industries to the village, and its influence is rising day by day." "Yes, Renli Renping is indeed very remarkable. He has conducted a detailed investigation and learned that Guishou Village, a basin surrounded by mountains, has a similar temperature, humidity and sunshine time to the Koshu Basin, a famous grape producing area, so he started in Taisho. Planting grapes, after several years of hard work, has finally yielded results. "Slowly, many people gathered around Renli Renping to curry favor with him. Renli Renping immediately became a master, had a stronger voice in the village, and became a big force." "In this way, the Yuliang family will think of a countermeasure to counter." "Ahaha! Mr. Jintianyi is really amazing. That's right, in order to strengthen their position in the ghost village, the Yuliang family will of course take countermeasures, and this is exactly the seed of the tragedy I want to tell you." "Plant the seeds of this tragedy...then please tell me what countermeasures Yoshika came up with!" "OK." Policeman Isokawa continued to stroke his face with his big palm. "At that time, the owner of Yuliang's house was Utaro, who was about forty years old. In the eyes of a seasoned veteran like Renli Renpei, he was like a chicken with no combat experience; although Utaro was spoiled and ignorant of world affairs , but he doesn't want to lose to Ren Li Ren Ping, so some people take advantage of it." "Who is taking advantage of the emptiness?" "He's a liar, a person who specializes in taking advantage of the recession in the countryside. At that time, not only the good family was deceived, but the whole Guishou Village was almost turned upside down by him." "Liar? There are still liars in this incident?" The story developed in an unexpected direction, Kosuke Kindaichi couldn't help showing a surprised expression. "Yes, and he killed people and hid." Policeman Isokawa said, a shadow cast over his entire face. "This liar claimed to be Onda Jisan, but of course this was a pseudonym. He came to Yura Utaro with a letter of introduction from someone at the end of Showa 6. At that time, he was about thirty-five or six years old, wearing a gold-rimmed pair. Glasses, a beard growing under the nose, appearance is said to be good. "He said that he would help the villagers of Guishou Village to find a side job. The so-called side job is to make decorative braids. Do you know that kind of thing? It is used to decorate items during Christmas and other festivals, and tie colorful ribbons on flat wooden boards. , A tape that increases the lively atmosphere." "Ok." The development of the story is gradually separated from the struggle of rural forces!Kosuke Kindaichi became more interested and couldn't help leaning forward. In this way, Policeman Isokawa's tongue seemed to be oiled, and he spoke more and more vigorously. "Yura Utaro found it very interesting to hear what Onda said, so he cooperated with him. The farmers flocked to him after hearing Utaro's words. In this way, the farmers also owed him a favor. “The situation of sideline business cooperation is as follows: Entian Jisan lends the machines to farmers who want to engage in sideline business, and then gradually allows farmers to purchase these machines. Before the farmers have the financial resources to purchase the machines, the cost of the machines is first paid by the good family to Entian Jisan. three. "Things were going well, and Yura Utaro was literally a benefactor to the farmers. "A year or so later, in the autumn of the seventh year of Anhe, most farmers had already paid for the machines, but at the same time a person appeared who began to doubt what Ontian Jisan was doing. This is the Qingchi I want to introduce to you. Rika's husband—Genjirou." "Now let's talk about the Aoike family!" Policeman Isokawa spoke slowly with a cigarette in his mouth: "The Aoike family has been running 'Kame no Yu' for generations, and it's a little far away from Kishou Village." "Is there a hot spring?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked about his background. "Actually, it can't be called a hot spring. The temperature in Kamenoba is 20 degrees Celsius, so it's a cold spring. They heat the cold spring, and farmers will go there to take a bath during the slack season. "However, the farmers in Guishou Village are very strange. They only respect farmers who grow rice, and all other occupations will be looked down upon. To put it a bit exaggeratedly, even if they are both farmers, farmers who grow rice are higher than farmers who grow vegetables for a living. . "Although Renrei Ninhei has a bright future because of growing grapes, according to the above-mentioned standards, the Renrei family still cannot hold their heads high in front of Yura Utaro. Okay, let's stop talking nonsense." Policeman Isokawa flicked off the cigarette ash and continued: "The Aoike family runs 'Kame no Yu' and at least is a hotel owner, but they are still looked down upon by poor farmers. "The second son of the Aoike family, Genjiro, was twenty-eight years old at the time. He went to Kobe and Osaka for development when he was young. He had engaged in many types of work, so he knew how to deal with the world. That autumn, he took his wife Rika and their children back to the "Turtle's field", as soon as he saw Onda Jisan's actions, he became suspicious. "So he ran to express his doubts to Renli Renpei, and Renli Renpei gave Genjiro money and asked him to investigate the truth. Afterwards, Genjiro seemed to have caught Onda Jisan's fox tail, and went to Onda Jisan alone. The residence in the village, I want to teach Sitian a lesson..." "In the end he was killed instead?" "yes." "How did he die? Was he strangled or stabbed?" "He was beaten to death. It was late autumn, and the kang stove had already started to heat up. Firewood was piled up next to the kang stove. Onda Jizo hit Genjiro on the back of the head with a piece of wood." When the Isokawa policeman said this, he couldn't help frowning. "I remember that it happened on November 25, Showa 7." "Are there any witnesses?" "No, if anyone saw it, they would have stopped it long ago." "How was the body found?" "It's like this. When Rika Aoike knew that her husband was going to teach Onda a lesson, she once dissuaded Genjiro and told him not to be troublesome. But at nine o'clock in the evening, Genjiro hadn't come home yet. Rika Aoike became more and more worried, so she Go to the place where Entian Jisan lives." "Where does Ontian Jisan live?" "Ah! I need to explain this first. Entian Jisan didn't live in Guishou Village all the time. He came here once a month or twice every three months. He stayed for two or three days each time and left after work. At first he lived in Yura’s house, but it was too boring to live there, and later he borrowed in the side house of Tatara Fangan’s house.” "Is Tatara Fangan the village chief?" "Yes, yes, he is a descendant of the village chief. His real name is Yiyi, and his name is Fang'an. He has lived a life as he pleases for a long time. Because his father and son like to eat, drink and play, his family has declined since then. But he still owns a house passed down from his ancestors, lives with his fifth wife Kuribayashi, and lives a moderately prosperous life." "Fifth wife!" Kosuke Kindaichi's eyes widened, and he cried out. "It's nothing surprising. Mr. Fang'an is still very strong now. He changed his wife later, and he has had eight wives in total." "He... if I go to Ghost Head Village, will I meet this pleasant... uh... this strange person?" "Mr. Fangan is indeed a very pleasant grandfather, because he has been living a free life since he was young. If you go to Guishou Village, you will meet another wonderful character." "Who's another great character?" "For more details, please be patient." Policeman Isokawa deliberately aroused Kosuke Kindaichi's curiosity, his eyes rolling. "Let's continue the topic just now. Seeing that her husband hadn't come home, Rika Aoike went to visit Ontian Jisan's residence. She first went to Tatara's house to inquire about the situation. Unexpectedly, something happened at Dotara's house that night. Mr. Fang'an Arguing with his fifth wife, his wife Kuribayashi rushed out of the house. Mr. Fangan searched frantically everywhere, but couldn't find her. Just as he was drinking wine in despair, Aoike Lijia happened to visit, so they So I went to the side house to find Entian Jisan." "Genjiro has been killed by this time?" "Yes, his head fell into the kang stove." "The head fell in the kang stove?" Kosuke Kindaichi stared blankly at Policeman Isokawa's face, but suddenly burst out laughing the next second. "Police Isokawa, I was almost played with by you." "where……" Policeman Isokawa made a gesture with his big hand to stop Kosuke Kindaichi from speaking. "That's not what I meant! I'm just telling the story in order." "Forget it, forget it. In this way, the appearance of the corpse will be difficult to recognize!" "Well, but not so badly that it's completely unrecognizable." "Are you sure the deceased is Genjiro?" "Of course, Rika Aoike, his parents, brother and sister-in-law all confirm that it is Genjiro." "Is there any sign of a fight at the scene?" "There were no signs of a fight, but there were signs of looting." "Did the murderer get away?" "Yes, Ontian Jisan has disappeared since then." "Did he really commit fraud?" "We have investigated this point before, but there is still no clear result. Ontian Jisan sold expensive machines to farmers, and then disappeared. From these points, his behavior is indeed controversial. "But on the other hand, the finished products made by the farmers in the previous year were paid for. The jewelry company represented by Onda Jisan also found out, but the company in Kobe had closed down before the murder happened. , It is said that it was affected by events such as the Great Panic in the United States.” "Does the company know about Ontian Jisan?" "I don't know. As long as the agent has paid a deposit, the company will not check the identity of the person. So Onda Chisan planned to deceive and conceal his identity from the beginning? Or because of the economic crisis in the United States, his career was frustrated. , had to deceive everyone, and finally committed murder? "It happened to be shortly after the Manchurian Incident, and it was the best time to hide. Therefore, some people speculated that Ontian Jisan took the funds gathered from the farmers and flew to China." The Isokawa police officer showed no regretful expression.However, Kosuke Kindaichi could hear a hint of remorse in his voice for being in charge of investigating the case but missing the murderer. "What happened to the people in Guishou Village?" "The person who loses face the most is of course Ryo Utaro. He pays out of his own pocket to compensate the farmers for their losses, but the farmers still hate him. He has since become the laughing stock of the villagers. After three years of unhappiness, he passed away in Showa 10." "You said the Yura family was a big landowner, but what happened after the war?" "The land reform after the war took back most of their land, but luckily the mountains were not within the scope of the release, and Utaro's wife, Atsuko, was a strong woman. After her husband died, she also let go of her self-esteem and asked Ren Li Ren Ping to teach her They planted grapes, so after the war the Youliang family’s livelihood was pretty good, but they have lost their former power. Today’s Guishou Village can be said to be ruled by the Renli family.” "Is Renli Renping still alive?" "He is dead. However, his successor, Renli Kahei, is as capable as him. When Yura Utaro passed away, there were rumors in the local area that Renli Kahei had an affair with Yura Utaro's wife. Renli Kahei is currently the oldest in Guishou Village. Powerful people." "Didn't you say that Genjiro who was killed was the second son... Didn't Rika Aoike stay in Guishou Village after that?" "Yes. The most pitiful person is Rika Aoike. When Genjiro met with misfortune, she was already pregnant. She didn't expect to see her husband's tragic death with her own eyes..." "Did she have a miscarriage?" "There was no miscarriage, she gave birth to a girl successfully, but this girl..." Policeman Isokawa frowned and said: "You'll know when you go to see it. Although what happened to Rika Aoike is unfortunate, but because Genjiro's brother-in-law has no children, her son, Kaminao, who was born with Genjiro, inherited 'Kame no Yu'." Kindaichi Kosuke showed an inquiring look. "Do you often go to Guishou Village?" "Yes, I often go to 'Kame no Yu' to take a bath. Qingchili Jiabao likes to write letters, and she will send greeting cards every time during the Ghost Festival or Chinese New Year, so I know the situation in Guishou Village pretty well." The conversation between the two paused here, and Kosuke Kindaichi seemed to remember something else, and asked again: "Police Isokawa, you have been stimulating my curiosity. Now please finish what you haven't said! You said that if I go to Guishou Village, I will meet another wonderful person. Who is that person? ?” "Ah! This matter..." The Isokawa Police News looked carefully at the bird's nest head of Kosuke Kindaichi, and suddenly said a very strange sentence: "Mr. Kindaichi, do you occasionally watch movies, or listen to popular songs on the radio or TV?" Because the question of the Isokawa policeman was too sudden, Kosuke Kindaichi couldn't react. "This... occasionally! But..." "Sorry, this is how it happened. When Onda Jisan lived in Guishou Village, the girl from the blacksmith shop, Bessho Harue, took care of his daily life. "In Showa 8, Bessho Harue gave birth to an illegitimate daughter. Needless to say, the father is of course Onda Ikezo. Even if the father is not Onda Ikezo, the fact of giving birth to an 'illegitimate daughter' is already behind the scenes Pointing and pointing, not to mention that Entian Jisan is a big liar and murderer whom the villagers hate, so everyone blamed him even more. "However, Bessho Harue is also a very resolute woman. She entrusted her daughter Chieko with her father Ryota, registered as the daughter of Ryota and his wife on the household registration, and Bessho Harue went to Kobe to work as a waitress. "For a while, she came back and took Chieko away, but after the war broke out, Bessho Harue had no choice but to take her daughter back to Guishou Village. "Around the 23rd year of the Showa era, they left Guishou Village again. At that time, Qian Huizi was already sixteen years old, and this Qian Huizi was even more extraordinary." "What's the big deal?" "Right now there is a very popular star in the music world—Ozora Yukari. She sings a song on the stage, and she can get hundreds of thousands of rewards every now and then. She even acts in a movie. She is a charming woman who fascinates all living beings." Kindaichi Kosuke heard the words and couldn't help clenching his fists. "You mean Dakong Yujiali has returned to Guishou Village?" "Last year, she paid to build a mansion named 'Yujiali Palace' for her grandparents. Well...they are her parents on the household registration. This matter is not to mention Guishou Village. At present, newspapers in the entire county are constantly reporting it. news about her." When Kosuke Kaneda put on a Panama hat, a wrinkled floral top and baggy trousers, and staggered over the top of the fairy on a rickshaw, Onishou Village was in a state of madness for Yukari.