Chapter 31 Section VIII

From just now, Ade has twisted his hands like twisting a rag. "You are really flexible." Heishiro said. "Won't it break your arm?" He was going to say a few words, but it seemed that Ade didn't listen.Walking around beside the trolley with piled luggage, double check: "I said, Brother Yan, is this really all right? Nothing is missing, right?" Yan, an old god, was there, comforting Ade with a smile. "Miss Boss, you don't need to worry so much. This way you will be fully prepared, and when you come again, you just need to bring Madam Boss and my skills."

Hiko rolled up his sleeves and slapped his thin upper arm. Heishiro put his hands in his arms and stood behind the cart.Seeing Ade come back in a circle, he stopped teasing her and said encouragingly: "Okay, you should calm down first, drink a glass of water before you start. There is still some time, right?" Hearing Heishiro's words, Ah Can and Ah Wen, who were standing side by side at the door of the stewed vegetable shop, agreed in unison, "Yes, water!" They pulled up their clothes and rushed into the room.The two came back immediately and saw that each was holding a glass of water.

"Miss Boss, water." The two said in unison again, and looked at each other. "what are you doing?" "What about Miss Ah Can?" "The proprietress's teacup is this." After being cast a fierce look by Ah Can, Ah Wen looked down at the teacup in his hand. "My... this one is for the guests." "Hmph! Confused." A Can finished scolding mercilessly, and handed the teacup to A De with a proud face.Ad slapped her on the arm.The voice was clear and crisp, and the strength was even more exquisite. The teacup in Ah Can's hand did not fall.

"Why do you guys always quarrel? When you get together, you fight me and I fight you. Ah Can, you are a big sister after all. Why are you happy when you bully Ah Wen for such a trivial matter!" Heishiro Kazuhiko laughed.Ah Can pursed her lips, and Ah Wen, who was backed by Ah De, had a smug smile on her face. "The same goes for you, take it easy!" When Ade roared, Awen immediately stood up straight. "Really, sir, this is not funny at all. Today I have to leave these two children to look after the store. I am so worried that my stomach is about to be perforated."

"I'm sorry." Heishiro said still smiling, "It's all my fault for asking you for such a troublesome thing." "Where are you talking!" Hikoichi shook his head, straightened up like Awen, and bowed deeply to Heishiro. "Thanks to the uncle, the proprietress's new business can have a good start. It's too late to thank the uncle." Heishiro asked Ade to help cook a table of delicious dishes, and hosted a banquet for Saeki Dingcho Hui Tongxin. In order to choose a place to talk to Saeki, Heishiro struggled a lot.Although the meeting at Yuxipo's own meeting is a shortcut, it is to go deep into the enemy's camp.Besides, this person seems to be more difficult to deal with than Hachisuke.It's better to organize a luxurious banquet first to let the other party enjoy themselves, and then take the opportunity to settle the matter.Of course, wine is also indispensable.

It is inconvenient for the two to talk to others, and it cannot be carried out in ordinary restaurants.Having said that, when it comes to booking a room at a restaurant, Heishiro has more than he can think of.Heishiro hopes to visit Saeki's territory to reverse the case of an accident that ended in "disease and death" on the stage.And if the other party agrees to this kind of rude behavior, he will get a red envelope according to the rules, and if he adds an expensive banquet, Heishiro will definitely starve to death.Pawning Xikun's clothes is certainly a way, but in this way, even if he can raise money, Heishiro will still starve to death.Because Xijun, who is burning with anger, will definitely not want to cook for her husband, and maybe he will run away from home.

However, if you are reluctant to spend money this time, it will be very bad to be regarded as an "iron cock".Because Heishiro not only asked Saeki to turn a blind eye to his own actions to track down the real culprit, but also wanted to ask many things from Saeki's mouth, so he had to please the other party. Heishiro thought about it and still had no idea, so he asked Yumi to discuss it.The astonishingly beautiful child said nonchalantly, "Let Kawaiya figure out how much you need." The father of Heishiro and Yumi nosuke, the boss of the dye dealer Kawaiya, is brother-in-law.

"Since we are relatives, we should help each other at this time, Uncle." Heishiro was greatly moved: What a generous and generous nephew!However, although the boss of Kawaiya has a talent for business, he is lustful and greedy for money, and looks like a ghost face and animal head. It is unbelievable that Yumi nosuke is father and son, and Heishiro really does not want to owe him favors. "I also have my face to take care of." He scratched the back of his neck to justify this, so Yumonosuke thought for a while and said: "So, how about trouble Auntie?" "Rent a yakatabune from a boat house."

The food and drink on the yakatabune is self-provided.Guests can entrust their favorite restaurant, and the houseboat can also arrange for it. "Aunt Ade, please help me. You don't need to spend a lot of money to prepare a table of delicious food, right? As for the wine, since you drink it on the boat, you can drink as much as you want. From the beginning, we prepared it according to our budget, even if Zueki The uncle is a hero of the wine country, so there is no need to worry that he will drink endlessly. After such a heart-warming hospitality, once the boat returns to the boat house, it will be good to send a companion snack and say goodbye? When the other party says, 'I haven't had enough , Let the sedan chair wait by the side and invite him to get on the sedan chair before drinking a family."

"Kuminosuke." Heishiro called him. "What's up?" "Can I pet your head?" Komonosuke obediently stuck out his head, and Heishiro touched it for a while. Heishiro immediately mentioned this to Ade, but Ade suddenly flinched.It's really impatient to retreat before listening to the words. Of course, why you want to please someone from Saeki, you can't tell Ade the reason.But Heishiro said that no matter what, he must be gentle with each other, and for this he needs good food and wine.After only a few words, Ade became more and more cringe. "No, no, no, sir, no! How can I manage such an important table!"

"You can do it for sure." "no!" But the helper was already on the side, Yan Yi. "What's the matter, lady boss, just promise to come down!" Hiko patted his chest and said: "I will tell you the detailed steps one by one. Of course, I will also help. Didn't I keep saying it? It's a pity that this shop is only a small restaurant. I persuade the proprietress to cook outside. Isn't this a great opportunity? ? And Mr. Izutsu asked you for help, if you refuse, it will hurt the face of the proprietress." "But the small restaurant has just begun..." A De took over the shop left by A Feng without saying goodbye, and began to expand the stewed vegetable shop with only one pot into a small restaurant.In addition to the signature stewed vegetables, cold salad, deep-fried, barbecue, etc., five or six different dishes are launched every day, and the reputation is very good. "Although it's outside cooking, it's all for cooking. The proprietress's taste is fine. Ah, yes!" Yan's whole face suddenly lit up, and he clapped his hands loudly. "When serving food, the utensils are actually one of the tastes, and the utensils will make the dishes more delicious." Ade sighed in relief: "That's not to mention, we don't have such a good vessel." "So I'll borrow it from Shihewu." Yanichi is a famous chef who works in a restaurant called Ishiwaya in Muban Town.Because the store was destroyed by fire, Yan Yi had nothing to do during the reconstruction period. "Explain the reason to the proprietress over there, and she should be willing to lend it for free. It's not uncommon for restaurants to borrow utensils from each other. You can't always use the same utensils in restaurants, and you can't buy them frequently. Shops with friendship will communicate with each other. none." I see.Heishiro patted his knees as he spoke, and managed to suppress the question of asking Yanyi if he could touch his head, but he still couldn't help but said, "The back of your head looks like a Buddha's light!" So, this day has come.The time-consuming braised vegetables and things that need to be prepared in advance are prepared under the stove in the store early in the morning.The finished things are put into a lacquer box and wrapped in a large furoshiki.Fried and sashimi, wait for Ade and Yanyi to arrive at the boat house, borrow the local stove, and prepare them before sailing.The trolley contains a set of necessary utensils and various utensils borrowed from Shihewu. The selected houseboat is "Kawasen" located on the bank of Azuma Bridge in Mukoshima.Although there are other guests tonight, fortunately they all brought lunch boxes on board, so the stove can be used exclusively by Ade and Yanyi. "Then...we're going." Ade loosened and twisted the arm, twisted and loosened, and said to A Can and A Wen. "If you keep dawdling here, it will be too late to prepare. The fish has probably been sent over there." Yanyi bowed to Heishiro again, and said, "Then, sir, let's go first, see you later." Yansan will also board the yakatabune tonight and serve the guests himself. "Okay, I'm counting on you guys. Ade, I look forward to your delicious dishes!" Ade was so nervous that he didn't answer, his face froze. "Don't look at her like that, she's actually very innocent, isn't she?" Watching the two pull the cart away, Heishiro turned his head and said to Ah Can and Ah Wen. "Miss Boss," Ah Wen replied in an immature voice, "I couldn't seem to sleep last night." Ah Can immediately replied: "How do you know this? You obviously fell asleep." "Because I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!" "Listen to your bragging. I couldn't sleep yesterday. If you got up, I would have found out." Seeing the two little girls arguing with each other, Heishiro said, "Don't you need to look at the pot?" The two woke up with a start, and rushed back to the shop pushing and squeezing. "Don't burn the pot, don't make the wrong change, watch the shop carefully, don't quarrel!" Ah Can and Ah Wen answered "Yes—" in unison like singing. That's a "very long" character. This character refers to Saeki Jonosuke, who is a few years older than Heishiro. In short, the figure is very long and thin.The head is long, the chin is long, the neck is long, the hands and feet are long, and even the fingers are long. Heishiro's horse face is also long, but this person is not only the outline, but every part is long, very thoughtful.The eyebrows, eyes and nose are all slender and long.Of course, people are also long.The lips are thin, although they are horizontal, they are also long. If you look closely, you can see that the earlobes are also long hanging. Children often drag sticks and scribble faces on the hard ground.If Saeki's face could be described in one word, it would be like that.It was a face that was easy to recognize and remember. Also, few words. The eyes are often half-opened and half-closed, appearing to be asleep. In the evening, when Heishiro arrived at Chuansen, Saeki had already arrived.The proprietress came out and told the uncle who had met that she was going to hang out by the river.Heishiro rushed to it, and saw a loofah-shaped head protruding from the thick pampas grass on the earth embankment above the trestle bridge.Under the twilight sky, amidst the cries of autumn insects first chirping, they put their hands in their arms and did not move. "The uncle came very early and has always been like that." Said the proprietress of Chuanxian. There was no way to even say hello. Heishiro didn't know how to speak, and was looking over there when Saeki turned his head with half-opened eyes, and stood up from the miscanthus.At this stop, the entire upper body suddenly appeared. "Master Izutsu," he said. "Oh." Heishiro deserved to be lame. Then, Jonosuke Saeki stepped out of the pampas grass, passed Heishiro, and headed for the trestle bridge. When passing by Heishiro, he said "boat". Chuanxian's boat is moored beside the trestle bridge connected by well-shaped wooden planks.The boatman walked out of the boat house and bowed to the two of them. "Are you leaving?" Before Heishiro could reply, Saeki had already walked into the boat. Now, the two are sitting facing each other in the yakatabune. The water lapped gently against the hull.The boat barely rocked and moved quietly.With the lattice doors closed, the flow of the scenery is invisible, and at times it even feels like the ship is almost still. It was the sixteenth night, but unfortunately the sky was cloudy. Whenever Yueniang appeared or disappeared from the clouds, the lattice door would light up and darken accordingly. Heishiro talked a lot.It is our own side to ask for others, and it is natural to speak, but this kind of scene does not enter the theme right away, and often starts with gossip.However, Saeki didn't say a word, so Heishiro had to say it. As soon as the food was served, Saeki moved his chopsticks indifferently.A toast, still drinking indifferently. Eyes half-opened, silent. Heishiro was sweating profusely. This was the first time that Heishiro held a banquet because he asked for help. Heishiro didn't know the rules, but he was prepared in his heart.Saeki should have known from Okabiki Yasuke what the banquet was going to talk about in advance, even if he put on airs to whet his appetite and taunted him, Heishiro had no choice but to accept his fate. Unexpectedly, it was so silent.He cursed Hachisuke in his stomach. "It's rare for Mr. Saeki to say a single word, and it's quite difficult to get along with." Anyway, I can mention such a sentence, can't I! Yanichi, who entered and exited the cabin from the stern to serve food, also noticed Heishiro's helplessness, and glanced at him from time to time.He should also be quite nervous, not knowing how the dishes are and whether the taste is enough to warm Mrs. Saeki. However, Saeki said nothing. Heishiro finally couldn't bear his temper, and when the dishes were half finished, he asked: "Isn't it to your liking?" Heishiro arched his back, looked from bottom to top, as if he was spying, even he felt worthless. Yan Yi was setting out the soup bowl.Hearing Heishiro's question, he paused. Saeki raised his eyes.Even if the half-opened eyes are fully opened, they are still as thin as a thread. Willow-like lips parted slightly.Saeki turned to Yanichi and said: "Stone and House." Heishiro was surprised, Hikoichi's eyes widened.After setting the dishes on the table, sit with your knees together. "So you are a distinguished guest of Shihewu." Zuobo smiled slightly, shook his head lightly, and said, "Bowl." The meaning seems to be an impression of the bowl, and the thing is indeed borrowed from Shihewu. "Smell..." Saeki looked at the ceiling of the yakatabune, thought for a while, and said, "It's thicker." Yan Yi panicked and replied: "My uncle is right." Then he explained to Heishiro: "Shihewu uses light soy sauce, but the proprietress, Ade, is used to thick soy sauce." Saeki opened the lid of the bowl that had just been served, and said, "Famous moon bowl". Heishiro also looked at his own bowl.Inside is boiled vegetables.Boiled eggs cut in half, bran, chestnuts and mushrooms.Top with tikka stalks for added color. "Yes, just as you said." Yanyi seemed to be nodding along with his whole body, "The egg yolk looks like a full moon, and this combination is called the Moon Bowl, which is an autumn dish." Heishiro was quite impressed. "It turns out that Uncle Saeki is proficient in diet." A merciful smile like the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva appeared on the corner of Saeki's mouth. "Every time you turn a blind eye, you get something good to eat, that's all." He said something.After listening to the whole sentence, it can be heard that it is quite a good voice. "Haha... I'm so envious!" Saeki still had a smile on his face and didn't answer anything. "That's the atmosphere in the Yuxi slope area! No, should it be the human virtue of Mr. Saeki? I haven't experienced it once." After Heishirou finished speaking, it was too late to realize that the words sounded sour, but Saeki laughed. "Uncle Izutsu." "yes." "I understand everything." "yes." Heishiro followed Hikoichi's example and sat down with his knees together. "So, I'm not being polite." Saeki said and picked up the chopsticks. Heishiro and Hiko saluted in unison. "But it may be difficult to find the murderer." Saeki said while biting a chestnut. "You think so?" Saeki nodded. "So, I think it's good to be that person." "Zoji." Saeki nodded again, and reached out to take a large white wine glass, Heishiro quickly filled the wine.The wine is not a small wine bottle, but a wine bottle set with a large wine glass, which is enough to hold a two-in-one wine, but it is almost empty.Heishiro only drank a few sips, and Saeki finished it alone, and he was not drunk at all, not even the corners of his eyes were red. "Yes, Zoji." "He's a flower carpenter. Excuse me, it's fine if you say it's that person, does it mean that Mr. Saeki also thinks that Sakichi is not the murderer?" Saeki didn't answer, just drank silently.After a while, he replied: "Compared to me, it's more difficult to join the house." "You mean?" "Mostly it's a shelter." Heishiro ate the egg and boldly asked: "Why do you think so?" Saeki chewed the egg, swallowed it, and opened his mouth.Heishiro was nervous. Saeki Asahiko smiled. "tasty." "Thank you, thank you for your compliment!" Yan Yi bowed to the ground.Heishiro thought, his face down must be smiling. "Excuse me, why do you think so?" Saeki faced Heishiro, and smiled again with Jizo's half-closed eyes. "Most likely." "Then, what should he bring as a companion?" "Chestnut dessert." "A tea towel twist." Yanyi and Ade each answered. "It contains boiled ginkgo biloba. Aren't there sweet chestnuts in the dish? There is no way to make only two servings of that kind of dish. I will make the rest into chestnut puree." Grilled snapper is also served on board.Saeki only ate half of it and wrapped the rest. The three of them were under Chuan Xian's stove.Yanyi and Ade had finished packing and loaded all the things they brought into the handcart.Heishiro took the time to eat soup and rice here, because he hardly moved on the boat.Ade packed the rest of the dishes for him. "What a weirdo," Heishiro said. "Whether it's a black heart, or a lack of thought, care, desire, and desire, I can't tell at all. If I had known that he was so easy to talk, I wouldn't have to spend so much thought." "That's hard to say, my lord. Perhaps the entertainment pleased him so that he could speak." Hikoichi looked happy.When disembarking, Saeki asked Heishiro to introduce this restaurant.Heishiro of course told him happily, and asked him to take care of him if he had the opportunity. "It's all right. Now I can act without any scruples." When Saeki Jonosuke came and went, his expression was exactly the same.It seems that he is probably the kind of person who doesn't change his face after drinking no matter how much wine he drinks. Perhaps the yakatabune and the catering banquet were a waste of money.But on the other hand, Heishiro felt that he had gained a special and interesting insight: it turns out that there are many kinds of Komiya. The next morning, after Heishiro took a bath, he asked the hairdresser to come home. While he was shaving his head, Yumisuke came. "Morning uncle." "Oh, it's so early. Did you wet the bed last night?" Yukinosuke blushed with embarrassment.The man combing his hair giggled.This person's name is Asajiro, and since his father's generation, he has been a hair comber who went in and out of the Hatchobori dormitory. He not only serves Heishiro, but also often goes in and out of other concentric places. He is a familiar face in the team, but it is the first time he has seen Yumi nosuke. "Good morning, young master." Asajiro greeted while wielding the razor smoothly. "This is the first time I met the young master, the youngest one is called Asajiro." Gongnosuke also bowed politely, and sat down gently on the porch. "Master Yumi nosuke is your proud nephew." "When have I been proud?" "I often hear my wife mention that sooner or later the uncle will welcome the young master back to inherit the family." The hair comber who comes in and out of the dormitory is also an important source of intelligence for street news.But at Izutsu's house it was the other way around.What a mouthful!Heishiro scolded Xi Jun in his stomach. "Sure enough, what Madam said, what a lovely young master! Combing the little ginkgo must look good." The so-called little ginkgo refers to the concentric and unique hair bun, which is generally considered handsome and majestic, and some people yearn for it, but on Heishiro's horse face, the expression is completely lost.But he's right, the comb should look good on Yukinosuke's head. Yumonosuke, who was praised, was fascinated by Asajiro's superb craftsmanship. "Kawaya's father also called the hair comber to the house, but the same person did not come for two months." This is surprising. "Father complained a lot. When the kind and talkative one came, he scolded the patron for talking and not doing anything; when the taciturn one came, he scolded him for being dull and lifeless all morning. Then, no matter which hairdresser, he just said it was bad. " "Whoever taught you that your father is not good-looking. However, I am not qualified to talk about others." Heishiro shook his shoulders with a smile, but it still didn't affect Asajiro's work.Asajiro combed his loose hair with flowing skill. "Did you come so early because you wanted to know what happened last night?" "Yes." Yukinosuke nodded, but glanced at Asajiro, as if he was concerned. "You don't have to worry about anything getting into Asajiro's ears. We were talking about Mr. Saeki just now." Asajiro nodded with a soft expression on his face. "Master Asajiro also goes in and out of Mr. Saeki's house?" "Unfortunately, there is no such fate. Saiki-sama is said to have combed his hair by his wife himself." "Oh..." Yukinosuke showed longing eyes. "The relationship between the couple must be very good." "It's hard to say, maybe it's just reluctant to spend the money." "I didn't have any contact with Uncle Saeki before, did I?" "Well. It is generally said that those who live in the dormitory live in harmony like relatives, but this is only a part of the people! A lazy person like me doesn't know how to communicate with people." Saeki Jonosuke seems to be this kind of person too, always acting alone, often not returning to the dormitory, rumors that he rents a house elsewhere.These are just what Asajiro said, and Asajiro also heard it from his colleagues. "Saeki doesn't talk much, he's a very strange person." "What about Auntie's cooking?" "Excellent. Well done Ad!" Yukinosuke was very happy, smiling all over his face.This time, Asajiro was so fascinated by that smile that he couldn't help but stop. "Ah, what a pretty face. Young master, in the future, I must let the little one comb the ginkgo for you." Mixed with fiery breath, Asajiro whispered softly. As soon as Asajiro went back, Yumonosuke let out a sigh. "The hair comber's complexion is whiter than that of a woman!" "By the way, he's also a womanizer. Gongnosuke, he will come to court you in the near future." Yumonosuke let out a loud cry, and pressed his face that turned red again. "Please don't make fun of me, my uncle was very bad from the beginning." "People are bad, do you want to eat something bad for your teeth? The leftovers from last night are tea towels made by Ade, stuffed with chestnuts!" Heishiro guessed that Gongzhisuke would come, so he left it on purpose.Call Xijun to bring it, and Gongzhisuke is overjoyed. "It's so delicious. I'm really sorry to eat it alone, and I want to give the big forehead a taste." "In that case, just ask Ade next time. However, you and Big Forehead seem to get along very well." Yumonosuke nodded with the tea towel still in his mouth. "Yes. But we're not just playing for fun! I'm helping with big foreheads recently." "What is Big Forehead doing?" Ask around. "What? Masagoro asked him to investigate something?" "no……" As Yumi said, a mischievous gleam flashed in his eyes. "Speaking of which, it was Uncle who made Big Forehead so motivated." "Me?" Heishiro pointed to his nose.He didn't have that impression, but—— "Speaking of which, when I met Masagoro earlier, he mentioned that Big Forehead is doing his job seriously." "Well, yes." Kuminosuke puffed out his chest. "Does Uncle still remember the case about the portrait fan this summer?" That was when Heishiro drank clam soup to cure Kuxia's illness.In a fan shop called "Shoubundo" in the monzencho of Kannonji Temple in Asakusa, there was a painter named Hideaki who was well received for his portrait fans, but was assassinated in the houseboat in Fukagawa Gamachi. "When that case happened, Big Forehead was suffering from heart disease and lack of energy, right? I heard that Uncle cured him." It wasn't Heishiro who cured the disease, but Big Forehead himself.But it sounds comfortable for someone to be so flattering. "He remembered the old case, which became the main clue to find out who killed Xiu Ming." And that's what inspired Big Brow. "Uncle praised Big Forehead, saying that it was his credit, and that he was a good subordinate of Chief Masagoro. Big Forehead was encouraged by Uncle and gained confidence, so he wanted to work harder." In the past, the big forehead listened to Zheng Goro's leader, Maoqi, when he brought up the past or the cases of the past, he always listened to one thing and remembered one thing. Shiro is quite busy. "Big forehead thought, God gave him a good memory, so, don't just listen to the past stories of Mao Qi, but also listen to other people's stories, and keep them in your mind. Both the big boss and Zheng Goro agree, and they are everywhere. He introduced it. So since the summer, Big Forehead has been running around frequently to meet people from all walks of life who were willing to talk about it." Heishiro was greatly admired, and couldn't help being happy. "That's a really good idea." "I think so too. The big forehead realized that this is his way of standing and his ability to make ends meet. Listen to the past more, and he can recite the words at any time, and he can also help with the case. Even if he is small and weak, it is the same. You can also be a useful subordinate with Oka Yin. Uncle, don’t you think so?” "Yes, of course." "Edo is so big, but there is no second person like Big Forehead." Before that, even if Big Forehead listened to the words of the Seventh Boss Mao, he would just remember them in the order they were recalled at the beginning (Even so, being able to think of necessary things when necessary is the strength of Big Forehead ), and in the future, according to the year or content of the event, it will be carefully sorted out and memorized. "I'm just helping out with this part," Gongnosuke said. "Uncle also knows that you don't need to write anything with a big forehead, you can remember everything. But the more you remember, the more difficult it will be! Because it takes more time to remember things." Indeed, when the big forehead is telling the memory in the brain, if it is interrupted in the middle, it will be at a loss and have to start from the beginning. "So, the detailed content will be handed over to Big Forehead, who heard what, and when it happened, write these down, it can be regarded as a catalog, and I will do it." After reading the catalog made by Gong Zhisuke, when the big forehead wants to recite something, it can save the effort of searching the whole head again. "In other words, the story is in the head of the big forehead, and the table of contents is made by you. Is that what you mean?" "Yes, exactly." Yukinosuke looked quite happy.For him, this is also a very vigorous thing to do. "There are many kinds of Okain, and not everyone is willing to tell us the past. Some people look down on him when they see the big forehead, and some people will make trouble for him. Now it's my turn to play." Gong Zhisuke is good at self-defense, and has even knocked adults unconscious. "So, you are in charge of cataloging and bodyguards." "I'm not that good." Gongnosuke was delicately shy. "Besides, so far, there have been few unpleasant times. Not only that, everywhere we go, everyone praises us for being young and admirable, and gives us snacks." "Don't eat cavities." Heishiro smiled.Everywhere he goes, he is loved. It must be Gong Zhisuke's beautiful face and the simple, honest and honest appearance of his friend's big forehead that have touched everyone's hearts. "In short, we are currently visiting the leaders of the gangs one by one. In the future, we want to expand the scope and visit the seniors of the fire-fighting team, the Kido-ban, and the own-ban. Especially the cases of the fire-fighting team, if they can be collected and analyzed In summary, knowing where and what kind of fires will occur in Edo Castle, and where they are likely to spread, should be helpful for future fire prevention matters.” This time, Kuminosuke didn't blush because of embarrassment, but as he talked, his cheeks became red with pride and drive. "Work hard, you two are very promising." "But, Uncle," Kuminosuke straightened his back, with a serious face, "Both Dazuo and I want to help Uncle. It's the same thing about Yushipo. Is there anything we can do to help?" Woolen cloth?" Heishiro put his hands in his arms and looked at the beautiful and extraordinary face of his little nephew.As he stared at it, his face became more and more embarrassed. The murder of Aoi greatly hurt Gong Nosuke's heart.Knowing that he was haunted by a terrible nightmare at night, Heishiro urinates a lot in fright. "I'm very grateful for your kindness, but ah, I think this case is too cruel for you and Big Forehead." "Why? To say it was cruel, the Tie Ping Zayuan was also cruel at that time. But compared to when I didn't know clearly, knowing the ins and outs of the whole thing made me feel much more relaxed." "Hmm..." Heishiro pondered.He understands how Kuminosuke feels. "Last night..." Heishiro said. Yumonosuke answered "Yes" and sat upright on the porch. "Master Saeki mentioned that to find the real culprit who killed Aoi, the most difficult thing to deal with is probably Koiya, because most of the time Koiya is covering up the real culprit." "That's why you let Sakichi take the blame, but you can't bear to send him to jail, so you try your best to suppress the matter, is that right?" "right." Heishiro scratched his chin noisily.The autumn wind in the morning was too cold for Tsukiyo's freshly shaved head. "Even outsiders who don't know the inside story can make such inferences for granted." "Mrs. Ateng thought that Mrs. Kui, who was dead, was actually still alive, and Koiya spent a lot of thought to conceal this matter. Although Mrs. Ateng was kept in the dark because of Kou, it was too deep in her heart to hide the killing of Mrs. Kui. Tired, he confided to Brother Saeki. Surprised, Brother Saeki went to Minato to negotiate, and found out that Mrs. Aoi was still alive, so he ran to the mansion in Yuxipo. Does Master Saeki know about these things?" "Such a series of things, thanks to you can say it in one breath." "I can breathe. Then, Master Saiki, does he know?" "I don't know. I didn't say that much. I just said that the relationship between Aoi, Minaya and Saki is complicated. To make him understand that Saki is not the only one who is suspicious, it is enough to disclose these." "Since this is the case, Master Saeki must be suspicious of Mrs. Ateng. Because this can be seen as the main wife and concubine." Hearing the straightforward word "little concubine" from Yukinosuke's mouth felt strange and sharp. "Uncle, Big Forehead and I have heard people talk about ancient times everywhere, and feel that people kill people for no special reason. Most of the disputes are about money or feelings. Women fight, and one of them kills the other in the end. There are so many kinds of cases. Either you dirty your own hands, or you implicate others and make the people in the middle suffer for no reason. Although the plots of the various cases are different, they are actually the same cases. Such cases There are really many, so Mr. Saeki can deduce it so easily. The more experienced the official, the more so." "I say, Yumonosuke." Heishiro looked at the small leaf-shaped dish that was still filled with two twisted tea towels made by Ade a moment ago, and opened his mouth. "I'm starting to wonder if Ateng knows the real truth." Then, he told Gongnosuke the doubts he thought of when he climbed the taro wash slope after meeting Yasuke.Does Ateng know that Aoi is still alive, in order to put the blame on Sakichi after killing Aoi, he deliberately revealed the past to Sakiji—— "Of course, even if Sakichi was really fooled, Minato would not stand idly by. The case was suppressed in front of his eyes, and no one suffered on the surface. But Sakichi thought that he could finally meet Aoi, but he didn't expect that the person who appeared in front of him was actually Her body. Minaya Soemon also lost Aoi, who had been carefully hidden for many years." Ateng decided to applaud. "It's totally reasonable. I think maybe it's just as Saeki-san expected." If this is the case, it would be futile to take all the trouble to find the murderer.As long as you press Minaya Soemon to tell him the truth, everything will be over.Heishiro doesn't want to let Gongzhisuke or Dazuo intervene again.The grievances and entanglements between Ateng, Minaya, and Aoi were enough for the Tieping Courtyard alone.That was the final outcome of adults' unsightly and ugly love-hate relationship. Kuminosuke also stared at the small leaf-shaped plate.From the eyes of others, it looks like the two are surprised "Who ate the dim sum here?". "To clarify this doubt, there is no other way but to ask Minaya." Gong Zhisuke said. "However, regardless of whether Zuo Ya will tell the truth or not, this matter can be confirmed." Yukinosuke sighed cutely.A closer look revealed that there were still crumbs from the tea towel around his mouth. "Here, Uncle, why don't you let everything go to zero and think over it again?" "you mean?" Heishiro raised his eyebrows and looked at Yukinosuke. "Don't speculate on the 'person' who is the murderer, let's look at the 'thing', what really happened. Uncle went to Yuxipo's mansion, did you see the maid who served Mrs. Kui?" "Yes, a woman named Ah Liu." So Heishiro told Gongnosuke what he heard from Ah Liu. At that time, Aoi had a cold and had a handkerchief around her throat, and the murder weapon was that handkerchief.Sakichi mentioned "smell like incense", but Aoi didn't have the habit of burning incense, and Aoi didn't smoke for a while because of a cold, but took out a tobacco pot and placed it in the room... Heishiro also said that only Aoi, Ah Liu and Ah Liu's children lived in that huge house. There were only four adults and children.Ah Liu didn't know anyone was coming until Zuo Ji was found so frightened in the sunflower room. "So I thought," Heishiro said, "whoever the murderer is must be quite familiar with the situation in that house." "Yeah, I think so too." Yumisuke smiled. "Does Mrs. Ateng understand? Does she have a way to find out the situation of Yuxipo mansion?" "Yes, just send someone to investigate." "what kind of person?" "They're full of guys." "Behind the owner of the house, he only obeys Mrs. Ateng's orders. Isn't he a guy who doesn't ask too many questions and keeps his mouth shut? Does Mrs. Ateng have such a confidant?" This can be asked Hei Shiro.Ateng stays in the Fuji house from morning to night every day.Since moving there, she has even given up her role as the proprietress of the house. "It's true that Minaya has guys who are willing to go up and down the mountain of swords and oil pans for the master, and Lord Jiuhei is one of them, as is the handsome shopkeeper. But, these two people are probably from Soemon's side. " "Ok……" "Even if you have to spend money to hire someone, Mrs. Ateng is the proprietress of a big business, and she has been living a peaceful life. With her status, she must not be able to easily find someone who is willing to do any dangerous business for money." It's true to hear Yumonosuke say that, but—— "Maybe Ateng checked it out by himself! It's like running quietly to the big house in Yuxipo." "Yeah, it's possible. But, putting that aside, look at 'things' instead of 'people.'" 平四郎不知弓之助葫芦里究竟卖什么药，只好照做。 “烟草盆摆在房里，这倒是件值得玩味的事。” 弓之助若有所思地说道。 “是会抽烟的客人来了，葵夫人敬的烟吗……” “可是，阿六说葵从没在她不知情的状况下，单独招待来访客人。” “也许那时有什么特别的原因。” 当时的客人不希望阿六知道有人来见葵，或者，葵不想让阿六知道。 “既然这样，阿藤不就更可疑了吗？葵虽然透露过一些自己的往事和来历，却不曾向阿六明说。” “有可能。但，也仅止于可能而已啊，姨爹。”弓之助斩钉截铁地回道。“对不起，没先讲清楚。可是姨爹，我想说的是，我觉得葵夫人遇害时的房间和葵夫人尸身的模样，实在太干净了。” 太干净？平四郎不明白弓之助的意思。 “葵夫人是被手巾勒死的。那条手巾原本便围在葵夫人脖子上。房内收拾得整整齐齐，因此佐吉兄在看到尸身前并未发现异状。衣架上挂着和服，没有丝毫凌乱。阿六也没听到谈话声或其他声响。而佐吉兄最先看到葵夫人的尸身时，像'拉长着身体躺着'。” 弓之助一一细数后，抬起眼。 “这不就表示，凶手行凶是临时起意的吗？用了现成的葵夫人手巾，也是由于事出突然，不是吗？突然得连葵夫人本人也不明白发生了什么事。我想，在凶手以手巾勒住葵夫人的脖子前，房间里是一片平静安详。” 平四郎也这么认为，但同时也有“那又如何”的感觉。 “不管是阿藤夫人还是任何人，若凶手对葵夫人怀有深仇大恨，会这么做吗？”弓之助热切地倾身向前。“打个比方，如果我是阿藤夫人，在结束葵夫人的性命前，不当着她的面一吐心中积怨，一定不痛快。想必会吵吵嚷嚷，闹得满屋皆知，阿六肯定也会察觉。别的不提，葵夫人也会大声求援吧！” 平四郎想反驳，却无话可说，只好张大鼻孔哼了一声。 “也不会平白放过尸体，一定会又踢又踩的吧。全新的桔梗图案和服？多可恨！一定又撕又剪，乱扔一气。” 平四郎终于反驳了。“那种难堪的场面，搞不好早在另一天发生过了。” “您是指阿藤夫人算准阿六不在的时候，见过葵夫人了吗？” “嗯，也不一定是阿藤，某个和葵有仇的人。” “以前如果发生过这种事，阿六肯定会发觉吧？从葵夫人的态度看得出来。而且真要发生过，葵夫人不可能不告诉总右卫门。” Makes sense.嗯，弓之助说的对。 “就是啊。退一步来想这复杂的经纬，只看发生的'事情'，这案子实在不像是与葵夫人有深仇大恨的人下的手。是的话，未免太不带感情了。” “所以啊，是有深仇大恨的人……”不见得是阿藤喔，平四郎故意做出可怕的表情强调。“雇人下的手呢？那就不需要带什么感情了吧。” 弓之助嘿嘿嘿地笑了。“若是杀手干的，我想不会用葵夫人的手巾，应该用事先准备好的家伙吧。” 平四郎一撇嘴。“带是带了，但发觉葵的手巾可用，便收起家伙呢？” “先不管这个，刚才我也说过，阿藤夫人没有能找寻替身杀手的管道。若有其他人，而这个我们现在还想不起、全然不知的人物，除了对葵夫人怀有深仇大恨，还必须有钱有门路雇用杀手。唯有在这种情况下，姨爹，您的想法才讲得通。” 平四郎有些闹意气，寻思后说道：“葵在躲到芋洗坡前，似乎曾到处做生意，也许是那时结的仇家。” “那种'仇家'，凑屋会宁愿要佐吉背黑锅也不惜包庇吗？” “那么，结论便是凑屋没包庇任何人，压根儿就相信是佐吉杀了葵。” 绕了一圈又回到原点，平四郎说出来的话变得乱七八糟。 弓之助嘴里频喊“姨爹姨爹”，爬到平四郎身边，轻巧地往他背后一绕，为他按摩起肩膀。 “姨爹把思绪搞混了，也难怪，我也一样。凑屋、阿藤夫人、葵夫人和佐吉兄之间充满了过去的谎言和秘密，盘根错结，会衍生什么意外都不奇怪，我们都被那些事情蒙住眼睛了。” 弓之助歌唱般地说着，边按摩平四郎的肩背。技术相当不错，很舒服。 “蒙住了眼睛啊……” “是的。若拿走这些东西，也许这个案子意外地简单。我是这么认为的。” 简单——平四郎实在无法相信，无论如何都没办法。但弓之助的话语似乎也渐渐渗进心里。 要是葵的命案与她的过往完全无关，另有起因呢？ “我也想到芋洗坡的大宅看看，可以请姨爹带我去吗？” “哦，好啊。”答应后，平四郎往膝头一拍。“我正想问能不能麻烦你呢。” 弓之助停下按摩平四郎肩膀的手。 "me?" “是啊。我想借用那大宅与凑屋总右卫门碰面。无论如何，想将这团乱稍微理出个头绪，得从总右卫门那儿问出不少事才行。” 对了对了，还要问葵为了赶跑缠着阿六不放的孙八，所使唤的那个幻术戏班，也想知道孙八后来怎么了。无论何者，都不会是葵一人的手笔，肯定动用了总右卫门的关系和力量。 平四郎说出这些事后，弓之助的眼睛睁得圆滚。 “哇啊，蒙住眼睛的东西又变多了。” 不过，我觉得那些应该没什么相关，立刻又以孩子气的表情加了这句话。 “我也这么认为，只是问个心安。” “难道是演了一出精采幻术大戏，葵夫人却不肯付钱，剧班的人一气之下便对葵夫人下手？” 平四郎轻轻推了弓之助的头。“才说呢，你又多编一个来蒙眼啊？” 弓之助呵呵笑着闪躲。 “所幸那里现在是座空屋，拜托管理人就行了。我们要在葵死去的房间里与凑屋总右卫门碰面。” “这回不用准备屋形船吗？” “我干嘛请凑屋吃饭？” 弓之助放声笑了。 "makes sense." “我这就写信，你能不能帮忙送信到明石町的'胜元'？我和久兵卫讲好透过胜元来通消息。” “好，乐意之至！” “细节就托久兵卫安排，由不得他不愿意。” 起劲地说完，平四郎却又改变主意了。 "Forget it." "what?" “信的内容我来想，你来写。我的字有欠威严。” 弓之助立刻面向书案。