Chapter 16 first quarter
If this matter can be done easily, who will be so troubled.
Sheng Zhisuke was still hesitant.However, he didn't just walk around aimlessly, but thought of an excuse that was very suitable for Mikazuka, and he was working hard to complete it, so it can be said that he has made some progress.
This excuse is nothing else, it is Chuan Fan's painting.In the end, Shengzhisuke decided to create three scenes of cherry blossoms, maple red, and withered plants according to the three seasons of spring, autumn, and winter. It took a lot of time and thought, and the plan was interrupted.
He planned to finish the painting in one go, send it to Lizhi for a review, and then invite Hexiang to go with him.This is a good excuse, and at the same time allows Kazuka to see his painting.When the time comes to visit Kawasan with Hexiang, I will take the opportunity to tell her that everyone in Hetian House should continue to patronize Kawasan as before.This possibility should be quite high.
In addition, this excuse has great advantages.Shengzhisuke brought Hexiang to visit Chuanshan, Lizhi will definitely treat him warmly, and Qie can be regarded as an equivalent return at that time.In this way, Shengzhisuke also has face, and Lizhi will agree.
Now this season is moderately hot and cold, and it is very pleasant to go boating on the unbearable pool.Hexiang must not understand the joy of such outdoor activities.The location of Chuanfan is a quiet shore, and Hexiang should be able to spend some leisurely time without caring about other people's eyes.
The more I think about it, the more I think it's a good idea.Shengzhisuke re-tied the turban, buried his head in making the Sichuan fan and painting.Once he starts to focus on subtle things, there is no end to it.He was engrossed in his homework, and suddenly came back to his senses, and found that what came to his mind was not Li Zhi, but He Xiang's face full of joy and admiration, and he blushed involuntarily.
It is easy to say that the scenery of cherry blossoms is the most suitable for the spring fan. However, it is still much more difficult than expected for Shengzhisuke to use the painting tools he obtained to present it in the limited shape of the painting.The fuchsia red that I am used to usually turns into a very common light red once I mix it up.Fuchsia and light red seem specious, and they are familiar colors to everyone. The difference between the two can be seen at a glance.
The same goes for the withered vegetation in winter.The edge of the water is covered with a slight layer of frost, and the trees in Ikegata are covered with fine snow like white powder on the branches-this idea is good, but on this small board, it must be drawn so that people can distinguish what is snow , What is the frost, in fact, the difficulty is quite high.After much trial and error, he tried tearing the cotton into pieces and sticking it to the branches, but when assembled it would get dirty from the sides, so he gave up.He even wanted to use silver foil and gold powder, but in doing so, he would deviate from the original design intention of Qie, which is "toy fun that children will like after seeing it", Sheng Zhisuke felt ashamed of his ignorance.
The brightly colored maple scene didn't take much effort to paint, but the color of the water surface was tricky.In spring, the water surface reflects the bright blue sky, and in winter, Shinobi Pond is as silvery as moonlight. As for autumn, Shengzhisuke thinks that the slightly dim and gray scene is more autumnal than the red maple-like autumn scenery. Meaning, in order to achieve this artistic conception, he repeatedly re-deployed the paint and re-painted.In fact, Shengzhisuke didn't have a lot of budget to spend on paint fees, but he could temporarily credit it, so he didn't think about the gradually accumulated amount.As the saying goes, be brave when you go, and be timid on the way back, just worry about it when you get back.
Shengzhisuke does not directly assemble carefully drawn and colored works.The fun of painting lies in assembling. He also made several uncolored trial works, one of which was given to Kayo in the long house.Jiadai and his mother Axiu had a great time assembling.Sheng Zhisuke did him a great favor by receiving the stewed fish and candied sweet potatoes from them.
"Mr. Sheng, where is this teahouse?"
"At the end of the pond."
"I didn't expect Mr. Sheng to go in and out of that kind of place. It's really not to be underestimated." Although Axiu made fun of her, she didn't say "I heard you know the daughter of one of my customers?" Breathe a sigh of relief.After thinking about it calmly, Axiu just contracted the work from Wadaya, so she probably wouldn't have heard such in-depth things, but at this time Shengzhisuke was very nervous about the people and things related to Wadaya.
Just like that, when he finished drawing the Sichuan fan...
"Mr. Sheng, another guest is looking for you."
One fine morning in May, although Yin Zang said, "It's such a fine weather, you should sleep in comfortably", but A Jin still woke him up, and sent Tai Yi to accompany Yin Zang to the fish market, and she held a The wooden barrel, containing the tea bowls washed by the well, peeped into Shengzhisuke's room.
"This time it was a waitress. She asked if there was a Mr. Guqiao living here." It was not an ordinary waitress, but a lady waitress—Ah Jin emphasized.Her eyes moved for some reason, appearing to have other meanings.
Axiu's cheerful voice came from outside. "Oh, isn't this Miss Jindo? Good morning, it's really rare." Hearing Axiu's greeting, a rough female voice responded: "It turns out that Miss Axiu lives here. I'm so confused, I should have thought about it earlier."
Mr. Fukan is still the same, right?Yes, it hasn't changed at all, it makes people a little jealous.It seems that the more enviable a person is, the more palatable he is, this saying is absolutely true-the two of you talked endlessly.
Miss Zindo?Shengzhisuke passed Ajin, struggled with the hard-to-open paper door for a while, and then went outside.The two women were standing in front of Axiu's house.
"Mr. Guqiao you are looking for is that young man."
Axiu gestured to Shengzhisuke with her palm, Shengzhisuke nodded, and then widened her eyes.
What a tall woman.She should be more than 180 centimeters tall, and she is full of fat, just like a female sumo wrestler.If the sound came from this body, it would not be surprising that it would ring like a bell.Ah Jin's eyes wandered in surprise.
"It seems to be the maid of Wada House..." Ah Jin whispered behind Sheng Zhisuke's back. "Mr. Sheng, you have so many faces."
"Are you Mr. Furuhashi Shengnosuke?" The female sumo approached him.
"Really, Mr. Sheng?" Axiu smiled heartily, and Ajin smiled politely back silently.
"Yes, I am Guqiao."
"Forgive me for visiting rashly. My name is Tsuda, and I work as the head maid in Wadaya in Tomikucho."
The tall woman bowed, her fat back protruding high.To make her clothes, at least one piece of cloth is enough.However, her name is Jindo?Liusuke said that the loyal head maid of Wada House, who also served as the guardian of Hexiang, was named "Tatsu".She has the same name as Grandma Duojin in the longhouse, so it's definitely not because I heard it wrong, is it a different person?
"I came here today to inquire about something. May I ask if Mr. Jihei from Murataya is at your house?"
"Huh?" Sheng Zhisuke let out a silly exclamation, and A Jin looked at each other in blank dismay.
"Mr. Jihei from the rental bookstore."
Shengzhisuke didn't know the other Jibei. "No, he didn't come."
The tall woman's big face was full of gloom.Her facial features are three-dimensional, and the obvious beauty point above her forehead is just like a painting.There were three faint wrinkles on her forehead, it seemed that it was not because of displeasure, but because of worry.
"Did the boss of Murata House send you a message this morning?"
"No, no one has been..."
"I see. So, Mr. Furuhashi, you don't know anything yet."
What's going on - the tall woman lowered her head and muttered to herself.
"Did something happen to Mr. Murataya?"
Hearing Shengnosuke's question, the maid who looked like a sumo wrestler raised her eyes, and the tall nose sitting in the center of her facial features exhaled heavily.
"Mr. Jihei has been missing since the day before yesterday."
"what?"
This time, not only Shengzhisuke, but Axiu and Ajin also screamed.
At two noon the day before yesterday, Jihei visited Wadaya.
"Because my lady has all the books she wants, so he sent them here."
Rokusuke said that the seamstresses and maids of Wadaya were all customers of Murataya.He Xiang is a major customer of Murata House. She not only reads yellow paper and red books, but also likes to read history books and song books.Therefore, Zhibingwei personally contacted Hexiang for the books, and often went in and out of Hetian House.
"He chatted with the lady for about an hour and then went back home. I don't know where he went after that."
Like a kite with a broken string, it disappeared without a trace.
"It's not like Jihei-san's style..."
The head maid of Wadaya is particularly tall in the small residence of Shengzhisuke.She sat down on the entry steps, facing Shengnosuke.Suddenly it became a human-shaped screen, and Shengzhisuke couldn't see Axiu and Ajin standing by the door at all.
"Early yesterday morning, people from Murata House came to our store to inquire, and we found out about this. The people from Murata House said that Jihei had not returned to the shop. Is there something urgent or someone is not feeling well? The house bothers you?"
Of course, there is no such thing.If there is such a situation, Wadaya will send someone to Murataya to report.Kazuka didn't think there was anything unusual about Jibei from the day before yesterday, and when he left, Jibei was still carrying a big bookcase, saying that he would visit the next client.
"Who is his next client?"
"I heard that Mr. Jibei didn't go. However, the other party doesn't seem to have an appointment with him, so I don't care about it."
Sheng Zhisuke pondered in a low voice.
"But Jihei-san is an adult after all, and they decided to take a look at the situation temporarily, but..."
After waiting for two nights, Jibei still didn't come back.He Xiang was so worried that he couldn't keep calm and stayed up all night last night.
"This morning, Miss ordered that Mr. Furuhashi of the Fukan Nagaya might know something, because he has a good relationship with Mr. Jihei, and Mr. Jihei may be with him. You might as well ask about it." The tall woman said He paused here for a moment, opened his big eyes, and looked at Shengzhisuke carefully. "You sent me here. Since you don't know anything, Mr. Guqiao, it seems that we have found the wrong person."
There was a hint of blaming Shengzhisuke during the conversation.Although it is not clear why he was blamed, Sheng Zhisuke still apologized.
"I heard from my lady that Mr. Jihei appreciates Mr. Furuhashi's skill in transcribing manuscripts and relies heavily on you."
"No, I'm just a novice. I learned a lot from Jibei-san."
The tall waitress rolled her big eyes.
"The two sometimes go to the Fengyue place together to study there?"
"What?" Shengzhisuke didn't make a silly exclamation this time, because he was afraid of being heard by A Xiu and A Jin.But they laughed without hesitation.
"Mr. Sheng and Mr. Jihei?"
"Both of them are bookworms, Miss Zindo."
"Leaving aside Mr. Zhibingwei, this Mr. Sheng has no money even if he wants to go."
Ah Jin, don't talk too much.
"Miss Axiu, after all, Mr. Jihei is a man, so he is occasionally attracted by the smell of makeup in Huajie and Liuxiang, right?" The wrinkles on the forehead of the tall head waitress deepened a little.
"If that's the case, he should tell the people in the store first, right?"
"Please, Miss Axiu, I didn't expect you to be so ignorant of men. How could a man tell others about such things."
Maybe it's because she was soaked in some gentle village and couldn't get out - the woman insisted that Jihei must be lingering there.
"If Mr. Jibei intends to have fun in Huajie Liuxiang..." After Shengzhisuke spoke, the eyes of the three women on the scene immediately focused on him. "Just, even if you sneak up because of embarrassment, you should tell the shopkeeper, Xun San. It's better to say that Mr. Xun San would have expected this a long time ago, and there will be no big trouble."
It must be so—Sheng Zhisuke emphasized his tone.
"Since even Mr. Xu San doesn't know, there should be a special reason. It seems that Miss Hexiang is not worrying in vain."
Hexiang thinks that Shengzhisuke should know something, which makes Shengzhisuke very relieved.She didn't meet her expectations, and felt a little regretful, but facing the stern gaze of the tall waitress in front of her, Sheng Zhisuke felt that it would be more appropriate to show a deeply regretful expression at this time.The whole thing is really complicated.
"I have known Jibei-san for half a year now, but I know that he is a straight man. And I heard from someone who knows him well that Jibei-san has always lived a strict life like a monk."
I heard it from Fu Kan.Shengzhisuke didn't know whether it was appropriate to tell the truth, and he was extremely cautious in his speech.
The tall woman spoke first after hearing the words. "I heard that he lived a life like a widower, praying for his late wife wholeheartedly, and he refused anyone who came to talk about the continuation."
This is the first time I have heard of it, but judging from what Fu Kan said at the time, such a situation is not difficult to understand.
"Now I should go to see Mr. Fu San first. I'll go to Murataya right away." Sheng Zhisuke picked up the saber. "Miss Dozu, please tell Miss Hexiang that as soon as there is any further news, Guqiao will notify her immediately, and please rest assured."
Sheng Zhisuke originally wanted to say "Tsudo", but unconsciously said "Tuozu".At this time, the head maid's eyes suddenly changed.Axiu was startled and shrank her neck, but Shengzhisuke couldn't see it.
"Mr. Guqiao."
"What's the matter?" Shengzhisuke was standing up on one knee with a saber stuck in his waist, when the tall maid approached him.
"What did you just say?"
Facing the astonishing momentum, Sheng Zhisuke stepped back slightly.Axiu grabbed Ajin's sleeve at the door, held back a smile and was about to slip out, but Shengzhisuke couldn't see it.
"I am the head maid of Wada House, named 'Zindo'. Not 'Tazu'."
"Ah, yes." Sheng Zhisuke backed away slowly. "That, that must be my mistake. I'm sorry. I heard that there is a head maid in Wada House who is the guardian of Ms. Hexiang. She is loyal and her name is 'Tatsu'."
The woman's nostrils are enlarged. "You're right, I'm the lady's guardian."
The head waitress stood proudly and slapped her chest with her thick hands.
"I'm 'Zindo'. Mr. Furuhashi, where did you hear the name 'Tazu'?"
"I heard it from the six or six assistants of Shengwentang."
"That gourd pot!" Jin Duo let out an angry roar, and Axiu couldn't help laughing anymore, holding onto Ajin who was beside her.
"Mr. Sheng, you are wrong."
"The wrong person is Liusuke. It's shameless, let me meet him next time, and watch me turn his head off!"
Jin Duo, who was furious, and Axiu, who just showed an embarrassed expression (but still suppressed a smile), talked with each other one by one.The head waitress is indeed called "Jindo", but because of her burly physique, extraordinary momentum, rough voice, and the fact that she was born in Chen Nian, it reminds people of it.
"He must have said I looked like a dragon."
"No, for Wadaya, you are as reliable as a dragon god, that must be the meaning."
She is not as compliant as "Ivy", she is "Dragon" at all, and there is such a mockery in the nickname.Even if he was scolded for this, Sheng Zhisuke could only admit that he was unlucky and apologize again.But what did she mean by "gourd pot"?However, Liusuke, which is used to describe the hippie smiling face, is very appropriate.
"Really Sorry."
Shengzhisuke's residence was sometimes full of life, sometimes full of laughter, and sometimes apologizing, and it was extremely noisy. At this time, a child laborer from a village house came.Axiu and Ajin stood beside the child laborer and led him into the room.The child worker's face was flushed, and he might have been running all the way, out of breath.
"Mr. Guqiao, good morning." He bowed his head and saluted, ignoring the situation at the scene, explaining the purpose of coming very respectfully. "My master Jihei has something to ask Mr. Furuhashi for help, can I trouble you to move to the Murata house..."
Before he finished speaking, the child worker noticed that everyone looked different.Especially that Jinta who looked like a dragon god was ashen-faced.
"May I ask what's the matter?"
That's what I wanted to ask.Shengzhisuke thought.
"Has Jihei-san returned?"
Anyway, Shengzhisuke decided to go out for a trip.
Murataya's Jihei looked a little haggard.
Sheng Zhisuke, who rushed to the store, passed by the tent and was taken into the depths of the store.This is not a small room next to the library that I borrowed for work on weekdays, but a six-tatami room next door with an alcove.This appears to be Jihei's living room.
There is another reason for Shengzhisuke's speculation.Instead of flower pots or hanging scrolls, the alcove is a small Buddhist alcove, which should be the memorial tablet of Jihei's dead wife.
"I want to ask you, it's not good to mention it in front of others."
After two days of absence, Jihei's cheeks became thinner, he stroked his chin and said.
Murata House's live dictionary Broom San has not appeared since it was shown just now.Broom San didn't show a trace of panic, and the atmosphere in the store was also very calm.From this point of view, I am afraid that I am the only one who does not know the situation—Shonosuke speculates.
"Before talking about this, Mr. Jibei, let me tell you where you have been these two days and what happened? This is a normal procedure, right?"
The round eyes under Tanqiu's eyebrows were wide open. "Hey, brother Sheng, do you know that I'm not at home these days?"
"Miss Hexiang is very worried about you, and just sent someone to inform me about it."
Jihei scratched the back of his neck embarrassingly. "I'm really sorry, it's all because I was too excited for a while. I thought they would send someone to inform Xiao San about this. But the other party has no time to take care of it..."
Although it is not clear who the other party is, it seems that Jihei is involved in a serious situation that makes everyone involved become very excited.
"You haggard like this in just two days, what happened?"
Jibingwei was depressed and his voice was low and weak. "There is a restaurant called Mikawaya in Ishihara-cho, our main office. It specializes in organizing various celebration banquets or skill presentations for people. The business is booming. It is a decent store and a customer of our store."
The owner's only daughter, Miss Aji, who was in her 28th year of life, was kidnapped.
Sheng Zhisuke gasped. "Is it true that someone was kidnapped?"
Jibei clicked his emaciated chin a few times. "Someone sent a letter to Sanhewu this morning. They asked them to redeem Miss Aji's life with three hundred taels."
Aggie was missing the morning before yesterday.
"After the maid woke her up, she went from the dormitory to the toilet at the back door of the house, and she never appeared again."
She disappeared without a trace.
"After Miss Aji disappeared, we searched all over Miheya's house. Because of the sudden incident, Miss Aji should still be in her pajamas. No one has seen her change clothes. It is impossible for her to walk outside in her pajamas, so the judgment Passed out somewhere in the house. Like suddenly feeling unwell."
Because of business, Sanhe House has many rooms and a spacious courtyard.There are storage rooms and warehouses.They carried out a blanket search, even under the floor and the cesspit, but they couldn't find Aji.
"It's almost like a ghost."
Just listening to his explanation is really like being hidden by a god or Buddha, or being taken away by a tengu.
"Just as they were in a panic, Mrs. Katsueda, the proprietress, thought of me. Jibei, who rented a bookstore, had the same experience before. Talk to him and see what he thinks is better."
The guy from Mikawaya visited Murataya.It was just past noon the day before yesterday, and Jihei had just left Wadaya.
"At that time, I left Wadaya and walked by Sendaibori. I wanted to go all the way to the mansion of the Mifune Tegumi. At that time, I happened to meet the guy who came all the way to Saga Town at the upper bridge. If I walked to Fuyuki Town , should be missed with him. It’s really lucky.”
Although this was an insignificant matter, Jibei still explained it in one breath.
"So I went to Sanhe House. I wanted to know the details first. After I arrived at Sanhe House, everyone searched the house again, but they still couldn't find Miss Aji, and then sent people to Miss Aji's talent master and sisters from the same school, etc. An acquaintance asked about his whereabouts."
While talking, Jihei shook his head with gloomy eyes.
"But I still found nothing. No one has seen Miss Aggie, and no one knows where she is. Even if I further ask Miss Aggie if there is something strange recently, and whether she has a plan to run away from home, I still can't find any clues."
I spent two days running around, and received the letter early this morning.
"Since we know it's kidnapping, no matter how hard we search around, it won't help."
Shengzhisuke interjected, "That's why you came home only to find out that you haven't been home for two days and haven't told anyone."
Jihei's charcoal eyebrows were drawn into a figure eight. "Ashamed."
"Mr. Xinghei must have scolded you. Mr. Kusan should also be very worried."
Kohei is Jihei's eldest brother and the third generation head of Murataya's wholesale book store.Xingbei is like a military scientist, with dignified and stern eyes, he looks nothing like Jibei, there is a gap in age.Once I heard Jibingwei mention that Xingbingwei is the elder brother and Zhibingwei is the younger brother.
"Brother is like a father to me." Jihei said with a wry smile on his face. "He scolded me so badly that I was completely speechless. The old man was not flustered. He seemed to think that I encountered some good and cheap old books and forgot the time."
It is indeed very similar to what Zhu San would have speculated.
"However, they all forgave me after they understood the reason, and said that it's no wonder I lost my mind with excitement."
Jihei paused for a moment, and looked at Shengnosuke as if he was about to carefully take out some fragile item.
"Brother Sheng...do you know the reason?"
Sheng Zhisuke pursed his lips tightly and nodded slightly. "I heard Mr. Fukan mention it."
The wrinkles that appeared between Jibei Tanqiu's eyebrows gradually eased. "That's it. That's good."
"That's not good. Logically speaking, a junior like me shouldn't know about such personal matters, but Mr. Fu Kan..."
It's okay, it's okay—Jibei hurriedly waved his hands vigorously.
"This is Mr. Fu Kan's thoughtfulness, which is very similar to his style. Brother Sheng is a warrior. His status is different from that of us businessmen. Although it is a job, you have to communicate with me in a certain way. You have to know what kind of man he is from. As the manager, Mr. Fu Kan thinks that you should know about this matter, and his idea is very correct. "
Fu Kan is not as serious as you said.
——Never talk about sex or women with Mr. Jihei.Because it was too cruel for him.
In order to remind the young Shengzhisuke not to make mistakes, Fukan tells the painful experience of Jihei.
"It's been twenty-five years since now." Jihei said, his eyes shifted to the altar. "Dengdai passed away...I didn't expect it to be so long, and sometimes I can't help being surprised when I think about it. Everything seems like yesterday."
Even though I have a few extra gray hairs and wrinkles, I still say that—Jihei squeezed out a wry smile.Shengzhisuke couldn't bear to look directly at his sad smiling face, so he looked at the spotless Buddhist altar just like Jibei.
Todai is Jihei's wife.She married Jihei twenty-five years ago, and died in less than half a year because she was brutally murdered by someone.
"At the beginning, it was like Shenyin." It was June 1st.
"At that time, my elder brother entrusted me to run the bookstore, and I was just beginning to be self-reliant. Although I was married, I was still a child. I was not familiar with many things, and I was busy all day long."
Get up before dawn in the morning, turn on the light at night and bury your head in keeping accounts and sorting out books.Dengdai has been accompanying Zhibingwei to wait on him.Fu Kan said that their husband and wife were like glue—were married for half a year, and the couple didn't even have room to quarrel.
"At that time, there was a pastry shop near Shokakuji Temple, but now it's a soba shop. There was a pastry chef who came from far away from Matsue to make top-notch pastries that amazed the people in the area. It was only in summer that he could make them. Ge Ji."
Difficult to obtain due to limited quantity.On that day, Todai specially went to buy katsuki for Jihei who had a sweet tooth.
"Because it will be sold out in the morning, she will go out as soon as she finishes packing her breakfast."
Then never come back.
"She turned her head and smiled at me when she walked to the area of the acacia tree by the back door."
--wait me back.
It was Katsuki who had a long line of customers rushing to buy it. Although Todai did not come back immediately, Jihei was not worried.He had a smile on his face: he thought she should be patiently waiting in line.
"It was almost two o'clock in the afternoon, and she still didn't come back..."
Zhibingwei sent a child worker to the pastry shop, and learned that Geji had already sold out that day.Ask the clerk if they have seen Dengdai, and they all say they have no impression.Firstly, most of their customers are women, and secondly, Dengdai is not a regular customer in the store, and the clerk will not remember her appearance.
Jibei continued to wait.It's too early to worry.Todai should have encountered some urgent matter on the road, maybe met acquaintances or bought a rare pastry, and suddenly wanted his parents in Tawaramachi, Asakusa, to taste it first.
But when the sun went down, Todai still did not return home, nor did he return to his mother's house in Tawaramachi.Shokakuji Temple is located in front of Fuyuki Town, not far from the Murata House in Saga Town, so it can be said that it is nearby.Tendai went there, but suddenly lost his whereabouts on the way.
Zhibingwei stayed up all night, and he went to the Yamen to report the case in the morning.There are many canals in this area, and whenever someone goes missing, the usual way to deal with it is to look for it on the river.The yamen sent a boat to search downstream, all the way to Dachuan, but Dengdai was never found.
The next three days, four days, five days just went like this.The last person to see Dengdai was Zhibingwei, who was interrogated at the Yamen.The local police were in action, and Jihei found them scouting his surroundings.In the eyes of outsiders, the relationship between the couple is harmonious, right?The two of them have been married for half a year, right?Once something happens to the wife, the husband is the first to be suspected.Whenever someone goes missing, the last person who sees the missing person is suspicious.This is a fixed pattern of investigations, and Jihei knows it well.
Kohei, Satozo, and Murataya's folks could only comfort Jihei, saying that Todai had been hidden by the gods.
Half a month later, when Jihei was getting used to the suspicious eyes cast on him by the people around him, Todai's remains were discovered.
The remains appeared in a very different direction from Fukagawa, in Senda Valley.At night, there were only a few samurai mansions and the lights of the sentry posts, and Todai's body lay in the dark bamboo forest, wearing the kimono when he went out, no sandals on his feet, and his hair bun and belt were messy.What appeared to be a dagger was lodged under the left chest.Her hands and feet were bound with ropes, and there were traces of cloth being stuffed around her mouth.She was assassinated and died, it seems that she died only a few days ago.This means that she lived about ten days after she disappeared and was imprisoned somewhere.
Who is it?Where to start?And how did he kidnap her?
"It was a kidnapping case, the target was obviously Tendai, and I finally got a pardon."
The word "pardon" was deliberately exaggerated by Jihei, and then he smiled wryly.
"In this way, the target can be locked, and the murderer is determined to be someone who has hatred for me or Dengdai, and then the other party will fall into the dilemma of being investigated, but I can't think of who is the murderer at all. We are just a family How can a small rental bookstore form a deep hatred with others."
However, the case of Dendai is different.
"Her father is a craftsman of Buddhist altars. He has a traditional and conservative personality, and he is reticent. He doesn't say anything except 'oh' and 'um'. Her mother is docile. I used to be a tea house Xishi."
She was a cute girl with a pair of canine teeth, and was popular with many people at that time.
"After asking the proprietress of the tea house, I learned that at that time, some people even came to the shop regularly for Deng Dai's face, and entangled her endlessly. Since we came to talk about marriage, Deng Dai immediately resigned from the tea house. I am completely unaware of this ..."
I even locked the killer in this range, but ended up in a dead end.Because there are absolutely no clues.
"The location where Todai was found is also very inappropriate. Speaking of Senda Valley, it has been developed a little bit now, but twenty-five years ago there were only gnats or foxes besides the samurai mansion. The townspeople can't control it at all."
Fukan didn't say so much to Shengzhisuke.He mentioned that Jibei's wife was kidnapped and killed, and that Jibei was suspected because of that incident (according to Fukan, it was a serious misunderstanding). Not Dengdai.
At this time, Jibei talked about this matter, not because he confided all the details to Shengzhisuke, but because another kidnapping case happened. Without pouring out once, he even had difficulty breathing.
Jihei looked at the altar and the tablet enshrined in it for his wife, his eyes were not wet.His eyes wandered.Shengzhisuke felt that Jihei and Todai's souls nodded at each other at this time, confirming the pain of parting from each other, and that the two have the same heart so far.
"The reason why Mikawa House in Ishihara Town thought of asking you to help, I now understand."
Shengzhisuke moved his strength towards Dantian, and tried his best to make a steady voice.His efforts seemed to have worked, Jihei blinked, showing an expression as if he had woken up from a dream.
"What is Mikawaya going to do next? It should first respond to the letter request."
"About that." Jihei immediately sat upright again. "The letter requests that the midnight clock ring tonight, and a boat be dispatched under the Yuzang Bridge. The proprietress, Mrs. Shengzhi, boards the boat with three hundred taels and paddles to Okawa."
Sheng Zhisuke was not yet familiar with the geographical environment of Edo, so he thought for a moment.
"The suspect intends to collect the ransom on the boat and escape directly across the river." Tonight is the new moon—Jihei said. "The sky is clear today, so you should be able to see the stars. If there is no light on Dachuan, you won't be able to see the other party's face clearly."
"Apart from the ransom, did the letter mention how to deal with Miss Aji?"
"No." Jihei frowned. "Although it's a letter, it's just a few words written very rudely. For example, 'Aji's gold three hundred taels, when the proprietress Yuzangqiao'."
"Didn't it say something like 'take three hundred taels to redeem Aji's life, if you don't do it, it will be bad for her'?"
"Judging from the handwriting, the other party should not be able to write a decent article. It is very similar to the handwriting written by my child labor."
Maybe it was written that way on purpose.
"Did someone really put in that letter?"
"Yes, someone threw it by the water tank by the back door. There was a small stone wrapped in it. It was a crumpled piece of paper."
"No one at the scene saw the person who sent the letter?"
"If there were any, I would have caught up with and caught the person who sent the letter."
"Then it doesn't mean it was cast from behind?"
Jihei froze, staring at Shengzhisuke. "Brother Sheng, you also said that..."
Sheng Zhisuke was a little timid, "But..."
"My father's generation has been in contact with Mikawaya. They are very clear about me and Todai, and they are most afraid of following in my footsteps." That's right, becoming like me—Jihei clenched his fists tightly, repeated. "When the police or the town officials checked the wrong direction and dragged their feet, suspecting that it was the family members, Miss Aji was already dead, and the murderer escaped."
"So they didn't report the crime to the government?"
"So what if you report the crime?" Zhibingwei's expression darkened. "Even if the cops come into the store quickly, they won't be able to help."
Shengzhisuke took a deep breath quietly and sat upright again.Now it's not just about Miss Aggie's kidnapping, but also the trauma of Jihei and those who know about his tragic past.
"I understand. I asked the letter to confirm the actual situation, nothing else. Jihei-san, please calm down."
But having said that, you can't accept all the soldiers and guards according to the order.To kidnap Aji who just woke up without being discovered by anyone, and to post a letter when the store was in chaos. It is really difficult to say that no one in the Sanhe House is linked to the suspect.If someone responds internally, they should be mentally prepared.As for why Sheng Zhisuke had to make such psychological preparations...
"Mr. Jihei, you want me to board that boat with Mikawaya proprietress?"
To accompany her—no, as a bodyguard.Maybe he was right, Jibei seemed inexplicably flustered.
"Sheng, Brother Sheng, you have nothing to do with Sanhewu. Please help me with this. It's really finding the wrong person. I know it well."
"It's okay. After all, it's Jihei-san's request." And—Shonosuke put the saber on his waist, raised his face and said. "Even though I'm skinny, I'm still a samurai."
But having said that, swordsmanship is about skill and has nothing to do with fat or thin.
"And I can row a boat." Sheng Zhisuke added this sentence in a low voice, looking a little cute.
It was not so much that he was on board the ship as it was that the ship had left the shore when he discovered it.In any case, there is no way to get off the ship when you get on it.
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