Chapter 18 third quarter

In Okawa at night, the water was like wet clothes, tightly entwining the oar in Shengnosuke's hand. The boat that Mikawaya set up was not like the small boat that floated on Shinobi Pond when Shengnosuke visited Kawaogi earlier, this boat was built solidly.Fortunately, the weather was calm tonight. In order to cross the Okawa whose water level had risen due to the high tide, Shengzhisuke slowly rowed the big and heavy oars. Shengzhi, the proprietress of Sanhe House, sat in the middle of the boat with a lantern in both hands, her whole body tensed.A purple bundle containing twelve sliced ​​rice cakes and three hundred taels of gold inside was placed on her lap.From time to time, Sheng Zhi removed the lantern with one hand, stroked the bundle to confirm it.Her fingers were trembling, and even Sheng Zhisuke, who was standing at the stern, could see it.

How long does it take to paddle from Mikura Bridge to Okawa to reach the center of the river? When Shengnosuke rented this flat boat, he consulted an experienced boatman in advance.Mikawaya sometimes arranges boats and sedan chairs for guests. Known riverboats are willing to accept sudden requests. One of the boatmen answered Shengnosuke's questions, and he didn't ask anything that he didn't need to know. The old boatman was bald, not so much because of his age, but because of the sea breeze and the sun for many years. He told Shengzhisuke that he had to start counting after crossing the Mikura Bridge.Count "one, two" when you paddle hard for the first time, count "three, four" when you stroke the second time, and count to thirty strokes, and you are almost in the middle of the river.If you stop paddling, the boat will naturally rush downstream, so count your breaths at this time, and turn the bow slightly every time you count to twenty.In this way, it can be parked in almost the same position.

Sheng Zhisuke was tied around his waist, and the long lantern without the shop logo was also borrowed by the boatman.The boatman said - please tie it on the left side of the waist, not the back.This will allow you to see where the oars enter the water, and the light from the lantern will create a large circle of light.Even in the dark, the boat can be seen floating on the river from a distance. Shengzhisuke obeyed the boatman's orders.Katsue, who wanted to redeem his only daughter with three hundred taels, had no conversation with Shengzhisuke, who had been counting silently.In silence, the boat came to the middle of the river and swayed quietly.

The stars are twinkling in the sky, but the smell of Okawa at night is depressing.Although spring has passed and it looks like early summer, the river is still cold and clear.Katsue curled up in a scarf. Sheng Zhisuke kept counting his breaths and turned the bow of the boat three times. At this time, a small bright spot appeared in the dark downstream.It's the light of a lantern. —Mr. Samurai, on the surface of the water at night, the actual distance of the object will be closer than the naked eye can see.When criss-crossing or rendezvousing with other ships, please pay attention to the sound of waves lapping on the ship's side and the shaking of the ship's hull.

Sheng Zhisuke kept the boatman's instructions in mind. He held the oar with his right hand, pressed the handle of the long knife with his left hand, and stared at the flickering lights before the darkness.The bright light formed a lantern shape, and the emitted light formed a circle of light, and an approaching boat gradually emerged. At this time, there was a hoarse cough, and Shengzhisuke narrowed his eyes.As if surprised by such an encounter, his own boat slowly rocked.Katsuki sat up in surprise, gripping the edge of the boat tightly with both hands. There were two figures on the boat gradually approaching.One is near the bow, and the other is in charge of paddling.Both of them were men, and the hem of their clothes was tucked into their belts, and the loincloth underneath was as conspicuously eye-catching in the dark.Both covered their faces with handkerchiefs.Rowers may be full-time boaters.The light of the lantern he wore at his waist shone across the water.As soon as the paddle strokes the water, the light and shadow on the water surface are disturbed.

"Aji—" Sheng Zhi whispered as if shouting.The opponent's flat boat approached as if slipping, and the bow of the boat was about to hit Shengnosuke's hull and stopped suddenly. "Are you the proprietress of Sanhe House?" The man at the bow stood up and covered his face with his right hand.The man did not hold a lantern in his hand. "Yes, I am Aggie's mother." Sheng Zhi hurriedly walked towards the bow, but the man raised his left hand, as if to push her back. "Miss Boss, please put out the lantern in your hand first." Before Shengzhisuke could speak, Katsue blew out the lantern.

"Aji, where are the Aji people?" Throwing the lantern aside, she hugged the bundle on her knees to her chest and staggered forward, clinging to the side of the boat. "Mr. Samurai." The man called out to Shengzhisuke. "You are not from Mikawa House." Shengzhisuke Dantian replied vigorously: "I am a friend of the owner of Mikawaya. I am here today as a witness for the delivery of the ransom." The man's raised right hand covers half of his face.Possibly the knot of the masked handkerchief was just under the nose, and he sounded a bit out of breath.Even so, Shengzhisuke could tell at a glance - he was an old man.

This person's bowed body is not to hide his appearance, but to be hunched from the beginning.If the hand towel is removed, it should reveal a full head of white hair. "I brought the money." Shengzhi shouted with all his strength, holding the burden high in both hands. "Give me back Aggie, please. Where is she? Didn't you bring it here?" "Miss Aggie is hiding elsewhere." The man replied, coughing hoarsely.His hunchback rose and fell.In Sheng Zhisuke's ears, it was not a fake cough, but a real cough.The cough just now was also made by this man.This person is not only old, but also sick.He was poorly dressed, and of a thin build.

"Please hand over the burden." Shengzhi climbed to the bow of the boat, about to throw the money to the other party, but Shengzhisuke hurriedly stopped him. "Miss Boss, please wait a moment! I have to wait for Miss Aji to come back first." Shengzhisuke didn't expect to make such a loud noise, and the water surface was also shaken by it.The man at the bow of the boat lowered his raised hand slightly, and the boatman who had been turning his back to Shengzhisuke also turned his head to look at him.Judging from his movements and physique, the boatman seemed much younger.

"But, but..." Shengzhi hugged the bag tightly with a panicked expression. "If the proprietress hand over the money, Miss Aji will return to Sanhe House tomorrow morning. We don't want to kill people needlessly." "Really? Are you really going to let Aggie back?" Shengzhisuke left the paddle and took a step forward. "Miss Boss, this is not acceptable. We don't know if these people really hid Miss Aji somewhere." The man at the bow coughed as if choking, turned his back to them, then took something out of his arms and handed it to Shengzhi.It was a pale blue sash, now folded and tied in a knot.Shengzhi involuntarily leaned forward, the burden fell to the ground, and the cut rice cake hit the bottom of the boat with a heavy and muffled sound.

"This..." This is Aji's - Shengzhi untied the knot of his belt and cried. "She's using this as a nightgown line." Shengzhi rubbed his cheek with his belt, and the man at the bow said: "Miss Aji's clothes are neat, you can rest assured." He raised his hand again, carefully covering his face.The boatman turned his back to them, as if he was the oar of the boat and had nothing to do with himself. "Miss Boss, give me the money. You have to trust me." "Where is Miss Aji?" Shengzhisuke asked forcefully. "How can you exchange a ransom with just a belt!" Oh——The man who covered his face with his hands snickered to himself, then coughed violently. "Young man, you are really strong." The sarcastic words sounded painful. "Miss Boss, the young samurai you invited to be bodyguards have already said so, so why don't we just cancel the deal?" No no no——Sheng Zhi shook his head desperately.She picked up the bag on the ground and threw it at the man before she could stop it.The burden brushed off the man's shoulder and fell towards the opponent's boat.When the man was about to pick up the bundle in surprise, Shengzhisuke strode forward. Katsue hastily grabbed Shengnosuke's skirt pants tightly. "Please, don't interfere. I will pay the money. We only want Aji to return safely!" Katsue hugged Shengzhisuke with both hands, and he couldn't move.When he was about to push the saber out of the sheath with his thumb, Katsue hurriedly pressed his hand. "Please don't! I beg you!" Shengzhi burst into tears and yelled loudly.The opponent's boat suddenly slanted aside.The boatman was about to turn the boat around. "It is indeed three hundred and two taels." The man suppressed his cough and said hoarsely, and grabbed twelve pieces of cut rice cakes with both hands. "Miss Aji will go back tomorrow morning. Just cook red bean rice and wait for her, lady boss." The stern of the boat the man was riding on was already facing Shengnosuke.The boatman lowered his head and covered his face while paddling.Their lanterns also don't have a store logo printed on them.However, Shengzhisuke found that the flat boat was full of mud, which looked very old, and it was all traces of repairs. "Aggie! Aggie!" The flat boat that didn't carry Aggie gradually went away.Shengzhi couldn't bear the sadness, and kept crying and calling Aji's name, as if he was convinced that his daughter would hear it.But the only response was the sound of boats paddling across the river at night, and the painful coughing of the masked man. That night, Mikawaya was as cold and heavy as if the water of Okawa was introduced into the store. As soon as Shinosuke returned to the store, he immediately explained what happened to Shigeemon and Jihei.Shengzhi wept quietly, and Aqian walked up to the proprietress, and the two held hands, crying even more sadly. "Ah Qian, you take the proprietress down to rest. You stay with her." Under Shigeemon's order, Chien helped Katsue all the way into the house. "There is no other way..." Jihei lowered his eyebrows. "In that case, Mrs. Shengzhi can only do that." "Ashamed." Sheng Zhisuke bowed and apologized. "I originally planned not to leave without seeing Ms. Aji. If I can't hand over the money and hand over to someone, paying the ransom is meaningless." "But," Shigeemon whispered. "The other party didn't bring Aji, so we can only be obedient." When the exhausted Shengzhi was there, the owner of Miheya was still calm, but when Shengzhi left, he immediately sat in a depressed posture as if he had lost his soul. "If Brother Sheng kills the two kidnappers on the spot, we won't be able to find out Miss Aji's whereabouts." Jihei seemed to be trying to find an excuse for Shinosuke. "I didn't intend to kill them. However, I want them to reveal the whereabouts of Miss Aji." It's more like justifying yourself. "It's okay, Mr. Furuhashi." Shigeemon's voice sounded like the sound of wind blowing through a tree hole. "If Mr. Guqiao hadn't been there, those villains might have killed Shengzhi directly after taking the ransom. In this way, they would have nothing to worry about." Sheng Zhisuke couldn't help but refute. "If that man has such an idea, it is still a question of whether he will let Miss Aggie come back." Shigeemon didn't answer.His wide-open eyes were like hollows in trees. "Didn't the other party say that they don't want to kill?" Jihei tried not to feel depressed. "Just believe what the other party said. Now that the money has been obtained, the villain has no reason to be unfavorable to Aji. Send her back safely, and don't make things worse, this matter will be over." I think so too—Shiemon's shoulders drooped. Come again and wait for dawn. "Can I borrow Miss Aggie's room again?" Half of the inkstone boxes, brushes, and paper collected during the day remain in their original state. "I want to draw a portrait of the villain now." "But isn't the other party masked?" "Even if it's a masked portrait, draw it first, it may come in handy later. I remember his body shape and the color of his clothes." At this moment, Shigeemon said something, but his voice was hoarse and soft, and he could not hear clearly. "Did you just say something?" Sheng Zhisuke asked, Shigeemon raised his eyes and looked at Sheng Zhisuke. "Is the other party coughing badly?" Jihei raised his charcoal eyebrows in surprise. "Mr. Shigeemon, why did you think of this?" "No... I just think that the patient should not have the strength to deal with Ajihu. If he made this idea to collect medical expenses, then he shouldn't be some heinous villain." Shinosuke put his hands on his knees, turned to look at Shigeemon. "The other person is thin and looks weak. Even if he has a cold, it doesn't look like he has been sick recently. Maybe it's consumption." Although it was an unfounded speculation, he still resolutely expressed his thoughts.Shinosuke's stare back seemed to dazzle Shigeemon, and he turned his face away. "That's it. If this is the case...the other party may really be desperate." "Boss of Sanhe House, you don't need to be considerate of such villains who kidnap young girls." Jihei's stern words silenced Shigeemon. Sheng Zhisuke said, "I'll take my leave first," and stood up. "Before dawn, both of you, please rest for a while." He took the lantern and went back to Aji's room, heaved a sigh of relief, then immediately faced the desk and opened the inkstone box. --what 's the truth?While grinding the ink, he thought about it. Originally, Shengzhisuke was dubious about whether Aji would return to the boat from the villain's boat safely and smoothly when the ransom was paid tonight.This is not his idle speculation.He has a basis. During the day, he collected all the pens and inks in Mikawa House to inspect, and finally got something.When Shengzhisuke and Katsueda went to Okawa together, he was sure of one thing.Pen and ink for letter writing are Yadate that Shigeemon carries around.This can be considered to have been written by Shigeemon.There are other possibilities if it is the pen and ink in the inkstone box, but if it is the Yatachi carried by the owner of Mikawaya, then the situation is different. He wrote ugly characters with his left hand.Even so, he was worried that people would see his flaws, so he only wrote some fragments on it. Yatachi's writing brush tends to have the characteristics of the owner.Unlike inkstones that are freshly ground each time, Yatachi’s ink will remain until it is used up, and its color is different, making it easy to distinguish from other inks.Shinosuke couldn't fully own the kidnapper's eyes.But he is used to reading.As long as he carefully inspected it, it was not difficult to see the clues, and he himself was surprised. On the contrary, he wondered why Jibei hadn't found out, but Jibei should not be paying attention to it now.This is another matter entirely, and when he asked him to help find the pen and ink to write the letter, Jihei should have understood his intentions immediately. In other words, there is something wrong with this kidnapping case.According to Aqian's attitude, Aji has a reason to run away from home, and the person who trusted him is Shigeemon, then this kidnapping case should be a drama they staged. What kind of consensus was reached between Aji and Shigeemon?When was it achieved?Did you plan to pretend it was a kidnapping case from the beginning, send Aji out of the house, and then pretend to pay three hundred taels of ransom?In other words, it was Aji's decision to run away from home, and during the two days when his daughter lost his whereabouts and Mikawa House was busy running around, Aji somehow contacted his father and asked him to arrange a kidnapping case. , Ask your father for money? Why did Shigeemon allow such a thing?The same is true for Aji. Since he is going to run away from home, he can just steal some money from the letter box at home. Why is it so troublesome?Could it be that Mikawaya is so strict about money that Aji can't do anything?Even the boss Shigeemon couldn't hide his wife's money for his daughter who ran away from home. Is this store really so tight about the money coming in and out? If this is the case, there is another possibility, that is, Aji does not want to run away from home, but someone outside needs the money, and Aji wants to contribute money to help, so he begged his father to stage this kidnapping scene.In this case, after the ransom is successfully delivered, Aji just needs to keep pretending that he was kidnapped, and he should return safely afterwards.The sooner you come back the better.In this way, the flaws in the play will not be too obvious.As long as Aji claims that the other party has covered her face all the time, and that she is too scared to remember anything, no one will keep asking. However, Aji didn't come back tonight, and the murderer didn't hand over the money or the person.Is there a follow-up?Just giving money is not enough, will there be follow-up performances?In order to find out more about their plans, Shengzhisuke even drew his sword on the boat, but under Katsue's begging, it was a waste of effort. That's right, Sheng Zhi didn't know anything about it.She was completely excluded from the program.When Katsue saw the other party's boat coming quietly in the dark, and the voice and expression when he held on to Shengzhisuke and begged him not to intervene, no matter how you looked at it, it was just like a woman who hoped that her daughter was safe. loving mother. What happened to Mikawa House?Is there something hidden behind this drama?What is the relationship between the man who grabbed three hundred taels with both hands and looked like a patient, and Aji? Sheng Zhisuke frowned, concentrating on drawing the portrait.Describe what he sees as the man standing on the boat.Draw him before the painful dry cough completely disappears from your ears. The long night is over. As the sun rose, people got up one after another.There was a lot of noise on the road. Aji did not return to Mikawa House.