Chapter 3 third quarter

If Otojiro was the murderer who killed Aso, he probably wouldn't have returned to Nozakiya. However, if he had nothing to do with the case, or planned to pretend he had nothing to do with it, he would come back tonight, so there was no need to go after Kawasaki anyway. .Leaving Ikichi to stare at Nozakiya, Moshichi and Kwon San began to investigate the residence of Ashi in the Yuanbei Dazain. Genbei Dazain is ten houses connected to each other. Behind the houses is a river about 18 feet wide.You can see the river from Ase's room, and the river is beyond the embankment. Ashi's room was a poor residence with only thin bedding and a few boxes; the kitchen utensils were also second-hand items that had been used for a long time.

"Ashi probably fell into the water from here." Quan San said. "Although I don't know whether it was homicide or suicide, but the location should be here." "why?" "Ashi is completely naked, it is impossible to walk outside." "Maybe she was stripped of her clothes elsewhere, and the clothes were thrown away." "In the cage, there are two jackets, three close-fitting skirts, three underwear, plus other belts, belt strings and so on. These are probably all of Ashi's clothes." "Probably, I think so too." In another cage, there are two sets of clothes that Ashi wears when going out to do business.Buying and selling soy sauce usually tucks up the hem of the clothes, wears thin trousers inside, and covers the head with a turban to prevent hair from falling into the sales.One set of these business clothes seemed to have been washed and folded, but the other set on top was obviously worn yesterday, the collar was a bit dirty, and the bottom of the tabby socks was also stained with dust.

"Yesterday, Ah Shi came back from his business. At some point, he took off his clothes here, and then jumped into the river... I think so." "Why did you take off your clothes?" "I don't know about that." Quan San said with a dull expression. "Women sometimes do drastic things." "I feel the same way." Mao Qi turned to look at the soy sauce barrels and poles stacked next to the mud tank. "I also think that Ashi came back here for a while yesterday." Moshichi walked to the mud and touched the wooden barrel that smelled of soy sauce.The shoulder pole that has been used for a long time feels heavy just by looking at it.Next to it was another similar set of shopping tools, which was probably used by the father Zhuzhu before he fell ill, and it was covered with dust.

"Then, it really fell into the water here—" Mao Qi stopped Quan San, and continued: "I think Ah Shi committed suicide, but no trace was left. Since her clothes and tabby socks are here, the location is probably here, and the time may be late last night. In this case, according to Given the high tide and current, it’s not surprising that she drifted near the Shimonobashi overnight. But, for some reason, she took off her clothes.” This has always kept Mao Qi in his heart.Why undress? Walking out of Ase's room, Moshichi and Quansan asked the residents of Genbei Zain about Ase's recent situation, as well as her entry and exit conditions yesterday.Everyone said that Ashi used to have a good relationship with the women in the Dazain, but after dating Otonjiro, he suddenly became estranged.

"We don't approve of her affair with Mr. Otonjiro, so she must be very angry," said one woman. "I once told her clearly that you were cheated, and the other party was not sincere. Ashi felt uneasy about this kind of life of earning and living, and saved a little money. I told her that Otojiro was not as good as It’s a solid amount of money.” Mao Qi kept the matter of money in mind.According to his own investigation, there was no money in Ashifang. Regarding Ah Shi's whereabouts yesterday, although she couldn't find out when she went out to do business, she found a person who saw her come back.It is said that living in the opposite Xinneijie

① A kind of rap story Jingliuli, which mainly focuses on the stories of men and women dying for love. "It's not just yesterday. I usually come home at that time every evening after I finish my lectures outside, and I have seen Ashi come back at that time several times. She always comes back when the six quarters of the clock rings. This must be hers." Habit." "Did you see her back?" "Yes, but you can't be mistaken, it is indeed Ashi. The clothes and headscarves are the same as usual." "Is the time fixed?" "It's that hour every day. Besides, it happened to strike the six-quarter."

That being the case, it means that the homicide happened after that time, and Otojiro - who is probably the murderer - came to Ashi and entered her room after that time.Otojiro should avoid the eyes and ears, so perhaps he sneaked in later. Maoqi thought that he might have come to Ashi suddenly.If it was an appointment in advance, Ah Shi couldn't just wait at home alone.Even if Otojiro forbids her to speak out, so that she can't say anything to her neighbors, but this is the first time the man she loves visits, she should prepare food and wine, but there is no sign of this in the room.

Quan San inquired about another clue.There was a part-time worker who sewed clothes for others near Genbei Dazain. It is said that Aseto sewed narrow-sleeved clothes for him. "It will be delivered after the New Year." The sewing master said. "She insisted that I sew it up before the helper's rest day after the New Year. I heard that she has a man who is engaged to each other for life, and the helper will go to see his mother with that person on the helper's rest day. The narrow-sleeved dress is exactly what I will wear that day." Ashi must have told Otojiro about ordering new clothes with a blushing face, but what expression did he have after hearing this?

"For a man who wants to run away from a woman, he must be screaming in his heart that it's miserable, miserable." Quan San said expressionlessly. "Ashi is a poor woman." "More importantly, I couldn't find Ah Shi's dress." Mao Qi said. Moshichi asked many people in Genbei Daizain, especially the people who live next door to Ashi, but no one heard suspicious voices or women's crying last night, and no one heard anything falling into it. The sound of water in the river.Having said that, the murderer who killed Ashi should have noticed this too, Moshichi shouldn't have had such hopes in the first place.Besides, if there was such a commotion, someone would notice it immediately and knock on the door of Aso's house.

Most of the residents here are not at home during the day, and Mao Qi wants to ask about them when they come back, while he himself is walking quickly on the street that is about to sunset, heading for Xiaoshichuan.He was going to meet Zhuzhu who lived in the nursing home. Passing through the gate at the end of the steep slope, Maoqi explained the reason to the guard. The guard said that Zhuzhu was waiting inside. It seemed that the manager of the courtyard had sent someone to notify him first. "It's just that you can't stay for too long. There are all patients here," said the guard.

"How is Zhuzhu's condition?" "I didn't ask the doctor, and I don't know. But you can't be rough on the patient." The sanctuary is a place for the poor to be grateful for, but for the trappers, such strict denials are troublesome.Poor people who are suffering from illness seem to regard the captors who work for the shogunate as their enemies. In fact, there are indeed many such bad captors. Moshichi thought this way and walked to the large room indicated by the guard. Inosuke sat on a thin mattress, wrapped in the clothes given to patients by the nursing home. He was very thin, his shoulders seemed to be covered with bones, but he was more energetic than he imagined.He said that the doctor here told him that he could go home after another half month of patience. "I know Ah Shi has a lover." Inosuke said hoarsely. "Because the manager of the courtyard often comes to visit patients. I can only hope that Ah Shi is not deceived. I didn't expect this kind of thing to happen. A month ago, she only stayed for a while when she came." Isuke drooped his shoulders dejectedly, blinking his bloodshot eyes.The other patients in the large room, though deliberately not looking this way, sometimes cast sympathetic glances. "Poor people can only work hard and have to work for the rest of their lives. Especially with her body shape, it is impossible to have a good marriage. I keep telling her that she needs to earn money to live a good life. I didn't expect..." "Ashi is a woman after all." "Among women, there are those who can't just live by daydreaming." This left Mao Qi speechless. "Aren't you angry Otojiro?" "It's useless to be angry." Zhuzhu smiled with the corner of his mouth curled up. "Ashi, she said that as long as I marry Otonjiro, I can live a better life and get rid of the life of earning and eating every day. Otojiro is indeed a businessman, as long as he works hard, he should be able to live a good life , It’s different from poor people like us who earn smallpox for a day. No wonder Ashi would have that kind of daydream. The boss, I think it’s not bad for Ashi to have such a dream before she dies. It means that she It’s not about jumping into the river by yourself, but it’s more happy to be killed while dreaming like that. As for the man, it doesn’t really matter, it’s because Ah Shi was wrong.” These words are full of desperate meaning. Inosuke also said that the funeral of Ah Shi was all handled by the manager of the courtyard.The funeral will be held the day after tomorrow, and the nursing home will let him go home for the day. "Can't you go home tonight?" "What's the use of going home now? Whether you go back today or the day after tomorrow, Ah Shi will never come back alive." Mao Qi thought to himself, it wasn't that the nursing home didn't let him go home, but Zhu Zhu didn't want to go home.He didn't want to see the remains of his only daughter, and couldn't bear to face it.This also means that Inosuke is actually not that strong. "Ashi worked hard and saved some money," Maoqi said. "But the money is gone. For the sake of your future, I will at least get the money back." Inosuke didn't say anything, but just bowed to Maoqi. When Maoqi left the nursing home and walked down the slope: I thought, if Isuke hadn't fallen ill and the two of them worked together in good health, maybe Ashi wouldn't have fallen into that kind of reckless love.After his father fell ill, Ah Shi suddenly deeply felt the loneliness of being alone, and the unstable future of earning and eating every day-this kind of inner emptiness made the fantasy of happiness sneak in.Ashi may really fall in love with Otonojiro, but she may also yearn for the life of a merchant.Every time she went to buy soy sauce, seeing their lives with her own eyes made her think even more: If I marry that kind of person, I don’t have to walk around with dusty feet every day, and I don’t have to drench like a soaked rat in rainy days. Not to mention dressing like a man carrying a load and peddling a load, and you can let people call me a shopkeeper, no, I will be the shopkeeper soon, so if I am the shopkeeper's lady, the shoulder pole marks will fade away.... (Ashi, the life of a businessman is not good every day.) They also have to work hard with hard work, and their lives are the same as bearers and peddlers, no, they are also similar to captors.Everyone is the same!A potential. Shigeru Shigeshi was almost frozen. He had dinner at a soba noodle stand at the end of the ramp, and walked eastward quickly on the street in full sunset.By this time, Otojiro should have returned from Kawasaki. (If he didn't run away.) He did not escape; Otonjiro returned to Nozakiya.