Chapter 9 chapter 2

I pushed the gas pedal of my beloved Ducati M400 to the bottom and drove down the national highway, feeling deeply annoyed - how could I say such a stupid thing?What is "I don't know where to start?" What is "I don't care what I do?" It is not a part-time job. Only part-time workers need to follow the employee rules and follow the schedule step by step. Otherwise, they will be easily blamed, not scolded. "It's not your job!" It's just being yelled "Don't worry about it!" For a job like a detective, even if you encounter a job that you don't know where to start, you have to find a place to cut in.Of course I know this, but I was too nervous just now, so I accidentally slipped my tongue.

The area around Babao City is currently the hottest season. In the past week, even the afternoon thunderstorms that are expected in summer have not fallen.It appears that water restriction or zoning is almost imperative.Even in my lightning-fast car, I'm still sweating profusely.No matter how much I look forward to the basic equipment of a detective, it is impossible to wear a trench coat in such hot weather!If you don't do it well, you may pass out due to heat stroke.In this way, detective is basically not an industry suitable for summer!Then at least give me a bitter martini!But as far as I know, the izakaya, not to mention the lack of gin, is still filled with the smoke of yakitori. Even if they serve bitter martinis, it feels more like a middle-aged criminal policeman than a detective.

But no matter what it is, it can't be more dumbfounding than Minister Konya's words.Mr. Dainan told me that Minister Konya opened a detective agency, but after actually seeing it, it was too far from what he said.Let’s take the minister himself as an example. He is completely different from the shrewd and capable minister in my impression. Now he is like a ball that has been emptied... Maybe there is a story behind the minister!I'll ask him again when I have a chance.Compared with this matter, what troubles me more now is the problem of the first case.Since the Minister was so unreliable, it was just an opportunity for me to perform well, because I could live as much as a detective as I wanted.

Although I accidentally said such a worthless thing in front of the minister, it's not like I really have no idea at all.My heart is full of fighting spirit to make the first case successful, but I'm not stupid, of course I know that things can't be successful just relying on fighting spirit.I sorted out Baidi's commissions with my own logic.The detective just needs to do his best to complete the work assigned by the client. As for the content of the commission, try not to get too involved - on this point, the minister and I have a consensus. In addition, I also did some psychological construction.It would be too boring to just think of the entrustment as a piece of paper in the village, but if you think of it as a treasure map containing the secret of a long-lost treasure, it will be different.Originally, it was just a commission from a rural place in the barren mountains, but it was immediately full of mysterious brilliance... It felt like not just a detective, but also a bit of an adventure.

The first thing to figure out is how to find out the origin of that ancient document. Simply put, as long as we can figure out when the ancient document was written?by who?Whatever is written for whatever reason will do.But how? The best way is that I am very knowledgeable about Japanese history or local history.As long as I can tell at a glance, "Well—it's the calligraphy of so-and-so's family. This is a priceless treasure!" Then even if it doesn't feel like a detective, it's still very handsome.It is a pity that this method obviously does not work, because I am not familiar with Japanese history or local history at all.

How about learning from now on? Anyway, I still have some basic common sense about history.Like the Cargill Rebellion or the Battle of Baicunjiang, I am not bragging, I may be a little clearer than ordinary people!Therefore, if it is only knowledge in this area, I am not completely ignorant. ... However, in my opinion, a detective does not need to be proficient in various fields of knowledge.If you come across a case that requires special knowledge to solve, just ask someone who has the relevant knowledge.Of course, the most ideal situation is not to accept such cases that require special knowledge from the beginning, but the ideal is the ideal, and the reality still needs to be taken into account.

In other words, the first thing I want to do now is to find people who have researched the local history of Kobushi Town.As long as the subject is replaced with "find the important person who holds the key to the matter", it will sound like a detective.Although the historians who come to my mind can’t get rid of the image of an old pedant with his hands in his short jacket, an expression of being owed eight million, and a hairless top.Not to mention that this is far from my personal preference, and it is far from the minister's search work of "finding a beautiful woman who disappeared from the city"!

red light. I just stopped the motorcycle and immediately felt hotter than before.Playing motorcycles has always been my hobby, so I am not sloppy with safety equipment.Needless to say, full-face hard hats, leather gloves and leather jackets are the most basic outfits.Although this is not a small expense for me as a migrant worker, when I fall, the injuries suffered with these things and without these things are much different.I once had a very serious car crash. Fortunately, I supported it with my hands and landed on my back, so I didn't even have a scratch. I was very touched.Since then, no matter how hot the weather is, I will always wear a leather jacket and gloves when riding a motorcycle.It's just that the heat is still hot, and the leather jacket is barely tolerable, but the gloves are really unbearable.Just like now, my palms are full of sweat.

The light turned green and I pushed the gas pedal to the bottom again.Although the speed brought a slight breeze, but under such a hot temperature, even the wind could not blow away the heat surrounding the body. The destination, Kobushi-cho, is about an hour away by bike from here.Moreover, the area of ​​Kobushi-cho is not small, and I don't know where Yanaka is, so it might not take an hour, or it might take more than an hour.There is also a hill to climb in the middle.But once you enter the mountain, the temperature should drop a little bit! The first step is to see with my own eyes what that ancient document looks like.

There is a sign saying "Welcome to Kobushicho" on the top of the mountain.I parked my motorcycle in front of a nearby convenience store.Speaking of this convenience store, I've been here several times, but every time I come, I always have the same thought - how could anyone open a convenience store in such a fucking place?Is it used to replace the tea house on the top of the mountain? There is always a map in the trunk of the motorcycle. I opened the map and studied the route I just took.What I just took was the national road that stretches from Babao City to the north, and has to turn over a mountain in the middle.Take a closer look, as long as you climb over this mountain, you should be in front of the valley area I'm looking for.There are mountains on the east and west sides of the Yanzhong area, and the national highway running from north to south is in the middle.In addition, there seems to be an intersection with the word "Yanzhong" written on it, so you shouldn't get lost.Confirm the location of Hachiman Shrine again. It is located on the right hand side of the National Highway, which is the east side of the Yanaka area.Judging from the contour line, there is a shrine-like mark almost near the top of the mountain.

I went into the convenience store and bought canned coffee and a Instant Camera with film attached.Tear off the packaging paper of the instant camera first, so that you will not be in a hurry when you need to use it.Standing outside the convenience store, I finish the coffee in one go and step on my M400 again.What follows is a long downhill road and a lot of hairpin turns. Although I love to play motorcycles, it does not mean that I love drag racing, so a few winding mountain roads are not difficult for me. After finally riding to the flat ground, the villages on both sides of the national highway become more prosperous and lively as we go further into the mountains.This area should already be the Yanaka area!Ahead is the "Yanaka Crossing" I saw on the map.Although it is noon on weekdays, there are so few vehicles passing by!I didn't even bother to wait for the traffic light, so I turned right. On the way from the national highway to the village, I suddenly felt a little angry. Of course I know that Yanzhong is a rural area, and I have long been mentally prepared to see endless rice fields, greenhouses built with plastic sheets, and a whole emerald green mountain range formed by artificially planted cedar trees... Although I wear Wearing a full-face helmet, you should not be able to smell the smell in the air, but the smell of grass, soil and pesticides in your memory has also been awakened with the scene in front of you.The fields are still green, and the harvest season is still very early. The problem is, the sound from the M400 exhaust pipe is as loud as thunder, which is too incongruous for this scene.In fact, every old woman who passed by me looked at me like an alien. The scenery in the valley reminds me of the place where I was born - Liusang Village.Liusang Village is also a rural area. Every year in August, it is full of green rice fields just like here. Because there are few buildings and the view is very wide, the land looks larger than the actual area.The wind is cool, the mountains are green, and the water is clean. The only thing lacking is entertainment.Residents are sparsely populated, and there are not even a few street lights.At night, it is completely engulfed in darkness.No kidding, I still remember the bottomless darkness. Unless one day I am old enough to miss my hometown, it is impossible for me to move back to Liusang, and of course it is even more impossible to move to Yanzhong. Valley is really a place worthy of the name.Just like the information I got on the map, it is located in the middle of the valley, and the village is surrounded by some not too high mountains, each of which is covered with cedar trees. I moved my gaze up and looked at the mountains in the distance.In terms of orientation, it should be the east side!Then the other side of the mountain should be Liusang Village!I remembered that poets always said "the hometown is far away", so isn't my situation the same as "the hometown is by my side"? The question is, where is Hachiman Shrine? I looked for the direction of the Hachiman Shrine through the goggles of my helmet, and I found it right away, because the white flag was flying on the top of the mountain, which should be the preparations for the temple fair of the Mid-Autumn Festival! The roads in the middle of the valley are so narrow that I had to slow down. But no matter how hard I slow down, there is still an endless countryside from one end to the other, all of which are scenes that seem to have been seen before... "……what?" I suddenly had a very strange feeling, and I couldn't help making a voice in my helmet: "Have I ever been here?" Is this the so-called "deja vu"?I targeted the Hachiman Shrine, turning into a path with no central divider island.Maybe it's because I saw too many huts storing farm tools, houses with coal tar on the roof to replace broken tiles, greenhouses built with plastic sheeting, rice cutters parked in garages... etc., Only then will there be a sense of sight!But this reason seems to be unconvincing even to myself, because I don’t know why, but I remember the way here.Looks like I might actually have been here a time or two before.On the way, I also saw a black Volkswagen Beetle parked on the side of the road, which was out of tune with the surrounding scenery.In addition, such as sunflowers, the statue of Jizo Bodhisattva on the side of the road, and the narrow fork road that even motorcycles cannot pass... The closer you get to Hachiman Shrine, the stronger the feeling of déjà vu.When I parked the M400 beside the stone steps, I finally remembered—— "That's right, it's a folk dance." I said through gritted teeth. In retrospect, although it is not a big deal, killing me is not a good memory. Folk dance is a unique ritual in Liusang Village.Every year, ten men and ten children are selected to go to a certain place in a tourist car, dance a folk dance in the shrine, and go home after dancing.And that place will also send ten men and ten children to the shrine in Liusang village to dance a folk dance, and then go home after dancing.Looking back now, it was an incredible event. I finally remembered that the place in my memory is the Kobushi Valley where I am now.It's no wonder that I couldn't remember it after thinking about it for a long time. After all, I have deliberately turned a blind eye to this village custom since I was very young.What's more, it's still a chore.Not only have to start practicing those movements that twist the body into a ball and put a lot of burden on the waist from several weeks ago.When the day arrives, you have to endure the bumps of the tour bus all the way.At that time, I was just a shy and introverted child. Whenever I was unfortunately selected, I would definitely get motion sickness and vomit in a mess, so the folk dance was a childhood nightmare for me.Another reason may be that I usually set off at night and never saw the scenery during the day, so I couldn't remember it all at once! I took off my safety helmet, and used my hands to smooth my hair, which was suppressed by the safety helmet, a little bit more stylishly, while muttering to myself: "It's not easy at all..." Based on my past work experience, the only thing that can be related to a detective is to accompany an old friend to talk about breaking up with a vexatious girlfriend.Of course, there is no research on the temple fair in the village. But there is always an indomitable detective blood in my body, no matter how cold and ruthless this world is, I will never give in.I left my jacket and gloves in the car, put my hands in my pockets, and climbed up the stone steps that snaked through the grounds of Hachiman Shrine.The sound of cicadas can be heard endlessly, there are missing corners everywhere on the stone steps, and there is no standard for the height of the steps.The corners are covered with moss, and ants are crawling around at the feet. There is a stone-built one in Hachiman Shrine.It's fairly tidy, and not as old as I imagined when I climbed the stairs just now.Although I don't know why there is a shrine here, but judging from the building itself, it should not be too old.There is no drop of water in the circle around the huge cedar tree.The lattice door of the main hall was closed tightly, and a brand new red and white rope was hanging from the slightly dirty bell.I'll have to find someone to ask first.It's not very clear from the torii, but there seems to be a small office behind the main hall.I walked slowly and leisurely. However, I knocked on the door and rang the bell, but there was no one there.It made me really impatient, so I shouted directly: "Is anyone here? I'm a detective." ... I don't know if there is a better way to say it? No matter what, the room was still quiet, and there was no reaction at all.Is everyone out?I kicked the dirt around my feet vigorously to vent my anger. "There's no one there anymore!" Suddenly, a human voice came from behind. I turned my head and saw a white-haired old man standing behind me.His hands and feet look very thin and weak, and he is about 20 centimeters shorter than me, but it doesn't give people the feeling of being old.Whether it's standing up straight, or talking to me with a full voice, I feel very tough. "Young man—are you from Liusang? What are you doing here? There are no gods enshrined here!" I was shocked, how did he know that I was from Liusang?Is this old man also a detective?But I knew why right away, he probably thought I was here to scout the venue for the folk dance!I cleared my throat and said: "No, I... I'm from Babao, someone entrusted me to investigate something." "What? What did someone do to you?" I think this is not because of deafness, but because he is not familiar with the saying "someone entrusted me to investigate something"!So I put it another way: "Someone asked me to investigate the ancient documents about this shrine, so I want to see it with my own eyes." The old man's eyes widened. "Are you the one Mr. Danan said?" The old man looked me up and down—from my battered sneakers, second-hand jeans, summer tank top, and hard hat-flattened brown hair—and frowned. "Why is it so different from what I heard? I heard that he is a serious and down-to-earth person..." The old man's voice revealed deep suspicion.Although I don't think I'm a "serious and down-to-earth" person either on the outside or on the inside, it's still a bit harsh to be said that in person.In order to regain his trust, I quickly clarified: "I'm not the person you said, I'm an employee working under him." "yes?" "it is true." The old man still didn't say a word, just looked at me unscrupulously. The first rule of the detective code - pay attention to clothing and grooming.The outfit I'm wearing now is really not suitable for dealing with old people in the countryside. When I was about to say "Then I'll come again next time", the old man suddenly stopped scoring for me, put on a blank face, and said: "It's fine to show you, but be careful not to damage it!" "Hey, can you really let me see it?" "Anyway, it's not something shameful." I originally thought that I had to ask the administrator for permission, but I didn't expect to show it to me so casually. The old man took off his shoes and climbed up to the front hall of the shrine, and opened the lattice door familiarly.Just keep walking inside like this.I also hurriedly followed behind him. The sun's rays filtered in through the crisscross lattice windows, bringing a ray of brightness to the main hall.As far as I know, most of the buildings built on the mountain are inseparable from the dark and damp stereotype, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.It may be because the ventilation here is relatively good, or it may be because the climate has been very dry recently! Between the wooden boards of the floor, there is a very old-looking coffee-colored cabinet.The old man stood beside the cabinet and pointed to the cabinet. "Well, it's right here." Although it's none of my business, I still broke into a cold sweat for them. "...Is it okay to leave it casually like this?" "Forget it! If someone really wants to steal it, even if it is locked in the safe, the safe will be moved away together! And when discussing the construction of the activity center, it is often discussed. If you have to go to the safe every time It would be too troublesome to lock it." The old man smiled, and he laughed happily... Since the parties have said it's okay, let's treat it as okay!I reached for the cabinet and tried to open it.The cover is much heavier than it looks on the outside. Even I, who works in the collection center and needs to use my arm strength from time to time, have to regain my footing to exert force.After finally using all his strength to open the lid, the old man couldn't help but let out a sound of admiration.It seems that he originally thought that I would never be able to open it alone, what a wicked old man. There are several ancient papers in the cabinet.It is obviously stored in a cabinet that is equivalent to a secret room, why are there still several places that have been eaten by moths?When I was about to reach for it, the old man reminded me: "Be careful, the weather is very dry recently, if you are too rude, it will break!" I was so scared that I quickly retracted my fingers.Seeing my reaction, the old man laughed again and said: "It was almost broken during the last village meeting!" This old man is indeed a wicked old fellow.If Liusang Village could have more grandpas like this who know how to make jokes, I might have more good memories of Liusang Village. Although I am a detective, although I have been entrusted with the task of investigating this matter, it would be a great shame if I broke the ancient document that was the subject of the investigation.But then again, I have no idea how to get it right.So my current mood is like facing a bomb that I don't know when it will explode.I squatted next to the cabinet, staring at the ancient document in a daze. "If you're careful, you should be fine, right?" "I don't know." "If it's just a click, it shouldn't be broken, right?" "I don't know." What the hell are you doing!To be a detective is to be decisive.I quickly picked up an ancient document.It doesn't matter, it's neither broken nor damaged.Then take out the second, third... I can often feel the trembling of my fingertips during the process.After a long period of time, these papers have turned yellow, and the recent hot weather has made the paper dry and brittle, which is a bit scary to the touch.It's the last one.be careful…… "……call--" I finally took out all four ancient documents.Not sure how hard these ancient papers can withstand a touch, my nerves are tense.After finally taking out all four sheets of paper, he let out a sigh of relief, took a deep breath, and moved his face closer to the ancient document to read. At that moment, I almost forgot the existence of the old man beside me, and couldn't help shouting: "This is really amazing." I can't understand it at all. In terms of paper size, it is almost a little bigger than A4 paper.In terms of aspect ratio, it feels a little too long.The brush font on the top is very large, and it feels like it is deliberately filling in the blanks.In other words, the article actually written on it is actually not as long as imagined.And as I just noticed, although it has been stored in the cabinet, it still shows signs of being eaten by moths.Most importantly, I couldn't understand a single word of the key content.It seems that it should be in Japanese, because I can still barely understand the words "one" or "six" or "wood", but other parts, even if you tell me that it is Arabic, I should believe it too. Forget it, anyway, I didn't think I was capable of understanding it from the beginning.I took out the instant camera, rolled the film in, and adjusted the focus through the lens, only to remember that I forgot to ask the most important question: "Can I take a photo, please?" The old man smiled and said: "Okay! Anyway, there will be no loss of meat." Then I'm welcome!I took pictures of all four ancient documents.I wanted to say that I would send the negatives to a photo studio for development later, but it was a pity to have the remaining negatives, so I took another round of each one. "All right!" Hearing what I said, the old man went on to ask: "Is everything ready?" "Ah! Yes, thank you very much." "Then I'm going to lock it up! Please put things back where they belong." So we put back the lid of the cabinet again, and then we walked out of the front hall.Back under the sunny sun, not only a feeling of enlightenment, but even cooler than in the front hall.We put on our shoes together, and the old man nodded to me: "Then I shall take my leave." Just as he turned his head to leave, I suddenly remembered something.It is rare to have the opportunity to talk to the local people, so there is no reason to let him go back so easily.So I stopped him again: "Please wait a moment." "Anything else?" "Uh...it's nothing!" I scratch my head. "Before me, did anyone else investigate these ancient documents?" "Before you..." The old man was lost in thought. I didn't have high expectations, but unexpectedly the old man spoke slowly: "There seems to be such a thing, but it was a long, long time ago. I remember that someone from Xiaofu Town came to investigate this matter. I think... it was about twenty years ago. " There are so many wonders in this world, and there are people studying everything—I completely forgot that I was doing the same thing, and I was moved by myself. "Do you know the man's name?" "Well... I don't know. By the way, besides that, there was a kid who lived near here a few years ago, and he did some research during the summer vacation. He is a very smart kid." Children... Children's summer homework seems to be unreliable.It seems that the key lies in the "man from the town"... As I thought about it, I asked politely: "What's that kid's name?" The old man replied without doubt: "That's what I remember. It's Mr. Sakura's granddaughter, named Kiriko." Alright, so where do I start investigating what happened twenty years ago? ------------------- Notes: