The Plow

"Who's missing?"

The policeman was startled when he heard this, so he hurriedly counted, and soon had the answer.

"Sir, there is one servant named Sancai missing!"

On weekdays, those few people are in the small building at the back, eating, drinking, and messing are all settled inside. At most, they come in and out once to deliver vegetables and pick manure. They took care of it first, and the people in charge of the guards were not so dedicated, and they didn't even count the heads on time every day.

Who is Sancai?

Ling Shu narrowed his eyes and looked at the old housekeeper.

"On the night of Du Yuning's accident, you once said that Sancai had a bad stomach, and Lao De asked for leave to return to his hometown, so he guarded the night for them."

He didn't miss any change in the old butler's expression.

The other party's expression after finally calming down was slightly disturbed again.

But he quickly lowered his head, afraid that they would continue to press him, and refused to speak.

"What about you! Didn't you see one or two of them!" the policeman shouted at the others.

"Report sir," a middle-aged maid raised her hand timidly. She was the cook of Yuan's family. "When I was eating at noon, I saw Sancai."

"After lunch, who saw him?"

The patrol looked around.

No one could answer.

"After asking later, you take the brothers to have some supper."

Yue Dingtang took out a few pieces of ocean and put them into the opponent's palm, he was aboveboard and calm.

If he doesn't do this, even for Smith's sake, these people will be passive and sabotage.

He lowered his voice and explained additionally: "The old man is getting old, don't torture him, try to lure him to confess by himself."

The policeman understood, and he stood at attention and saluted: "I understand, you can rest assured that you will keep this old thing tomorrow morning and tell me everything!"

Yue Dingtang: "And here..."

Patrolman: "Let's search here first. If we don't find anyone, we will take them back first, and then let the brothers come over to search for the guards."

If there are enough people in the patrol room, we can turn the two small buildings upside down first, and maybe we can find the "ghost" hiding in the small building. That's it.

Yue Dingtang was not their immediate superior, and although the two were polite, he could not order them directly.

"Then I will thank you. I will go to the consulate's dinner later, and I will inform Mr. Smith of this matter and your contribution."

The patrolman was overjoyed: "Thank you, sir!"

Abandoning the mourning and crying Yuan family, Yue Dingtang took Ling Shu and quickly got into the car.

"Time is a bit rushed, I'm afraid it's too late for you to change clothes." Yue Dingtang looked at his watch.

Ling Shu just wanted to say that it just happened that he didn't have to go to the banquet, but then he changed his mind, if he didn't go with Yue Dingtang, this wicked ghost would not be able to let the driver take a detour to send him back alone, he would have to walk back.

Thinking about the distance from here to home, Ling Shu decisively changed the subject.

"The old butler is not a murderer."

Yue Dingtang: "How do you see it?"

Ling Shu: "His performance was too flustered, and his flaws were easily exposed. And Du Yuning's death was a round, like that night, the person who attacked you and me was more like someone with blood on their hands. If it wasn't for the gunman Your marksmanship is inaccurate, and you are likely to die now to go to the banquet."

Yue Dingtang: "The butler may not have killed anyone, but he must know the secret of the Yuan family, and this secret is likely to be related to the deaths of the three of them."

Ling Shu rubbed his chin: "If all the ghosts are man-made, and the old housekeeper deliberately created a haunted atmosphere in Yuan's house, trying to create the established fact that the house is a haunted house, as time passes, the news of Yuan's haunted house spread like wildfire. It’s not surprising that anything weird happens.”

Yue Dingtang frowned: "The secrets of the Yuan family must be hidden in the details that we haven't discovered yet. No matter whether the old housekeeper colluded with the murderer or not, whether these people have a good layout or make noise, they will still return to the Yuan family in the end." key place."

In other words, as long as they keep guarding the Yuan family, the other party will be tied and unable to achieve their goals.

Ling Shu raised his eyebrows: "So you deliberately transferred people away for a while, just to lure the snake out of the hole?"

Yue Dingtang didn't answer directly: "The banquet will end at about ten o'clock in the evening. When the time comes, you and I will go to the patrol room and see what the interrogation results from the housekeeper."

Ling Shu: "...I'm still a patient."

Yue Dingtang said lightly: "You ate a bowl of bean curd, two deep-fried dough sticks, and half a bowl of tomato noodle soup in the morning."

Ling Shu's face remained unchanged: "The patient needs to eat more to recover quickly."

Yue Dingtang: "The buffet at the consulate is rich."

Ling Shu finally stopped talking.

……

The car drove all the way from Yuan's mansion to the consulate.

Along the way, there were still a few people who were not fully clothed or wrapped in ragged cotton jackets, shivering shivering under the pillars on the side of the road.

Poor people are not eligible to celebrate the New Year, their only wish is to survive this winter.

Ling Shu knew that some of these people might not be able to last the short period of time he came back by car.

The closer you get to the consulate, the scenery on both sides changes rapidly, and everything becomes more advanced. The bungalows are dizzying, and the elegant and beautiful red walls still shone away from poverty in the night.

They seem to have entered another world.

However, this is the same Shanghai.

Poverty and wealth, depression and prosperity, are just a stone's throw away.

In [-], Shanghai looked generally prosperous.

The cloud of war stayed briefly last year, and then quickly dissipated.

The local residents may still remember it, or they may deliberately forget it. Everyone sings, dances, and horses run. The smoke and blood gradually fade with time, and they return to the original appearance of the largest city in the Far East.

Decay beneath the pomp, like flesh and blood,

Colorful lanterns were hung outside the consulate, and there were even small lanterns at the door of the small bungalows, illuminating the smiling faces at the door bright red, very festive.

Do as the Romans do, the longer foreign diplomats stay in China, the more Chinese they behave in every move. They don’t know that this is just their protective color, and it is also a means for them to negotiate and make friends with military and political figures. They are still shrewd and capable in their bones. Lost Westerners.

But the Nanjing government is still willing to deal with such "China hands". Many people in this era yearn for Western civilization and look up with envy and humility, but they are not willing to bend down suddenly after 5000 years. The ambivalence of arrogance, Terry Burns, the owner of this consulate, perfectly understands and takes advantage of this psychology of everyone.

He didn't wear a suit and tie like a visitor, but instead wore a long robe and mandarin jacket, and greeted people everywhere, which attracted frequent compliments from many banquet guests.

Naturally, there are also those who secretly ridicule and ridicule.

"Mr. Burns is really familiar with Chinese civilized etiquette!"

"It is said that this Pence has a wide network of contacts in Nanjing. Even the chairman of the committee has heard of him. Unlike other foreigners, he is an authentic China hand."

"Hey, if you are not of my race, your heart must be different. What is there to praise?"

"As the dignified American Consul in Shanghai, he actually went out to greet him in person. He is more polite and thoughtful than some of us in the country. Isn't it worthy of praise? Nowadays, we all talk about democracy and science, but after the May Fourth Movement, many people You've gone too far in charming, you've overcorrected, and you've forgotten all the etiquette of your ancestors, shameful, shameful!"

"Okay, just stop saying a few words. On this occasion, there are many high-ranking officials and celebrities in Shanghai. Don't yell nonsense. People will hear you in a while. Go eat your food, eat more, and talk less!"

Whispers came from all directions, and they were all heard.

Ling Shu forked a piece of honeydew melon with ham into his mouth, and chewed it peacefully and enjoyably.

As one of the few China hands, Burns is naturally very polite, but not everyone has the treatment that allows him to greet him in person. Unfortunately, Ling Shu is one of them, and Yue Ding was entrusted Don's blessing.

Judging from the happy conversation between Pence and Yue Dingtang, the two elder brothers of Yue Dingtang must have flourished in the official and business circles, and have maintained a good relationship with diplomats like Pence. .

But these are none of Ling Shu's business.

His position is located at the end of the long buffet table. Generally, few people would come over, but the spontaneously formed circles around him were not far or close. He listened here and stood there. Got a lot of gossip.

For example, the dinner was not only attended by political and business people, but also many cultural celebrities, and some even brought the recently famous star He Youan.

For example, the well-known Miss Liu San in Shanghai actually abandoned her fiancé who was engaged, ran away from home, and eloped with someone. The news was suppressed and suppressed by the Liu family. Her future husband's family was furious and dissatisfied. The two families relied on their similar family backgrounds and their respective backgrounds. Now the lawsuit is about to go to Nanjing.

For example, "Sheshan Evening News" recently published a novel titled "Liuquan Chronicle", which used the background of the late Qing Dynasty to describe all kinds of strange people and strange things encountered by a county magistrate in Liuquan County. , Fascinating, and very popular recently, not only the market is discussing, but even on such occasions, some people have mentioned it and speculated on the plot of each other.

For another example, recently, rumors of ghosts in the Yuan mansion have also been raging and become one of the focuses of public discussion. Many people chatted enthusiastically about the cause of Du Yuning's death, and even the various actresses Yuan Bing dated with before his death. There are also few names listed, only the childhood sweetheart surnamed Ling is mentioned, and the back name is also listed.

The "childhood sweetheart surnamed Ling" ate everything from honeydew melon ham to French foie gras, and drank a glass of wine. He listened to these as stories and enjoyed them.

Until someone called him from behind.

"Hey, isn't this our Young Master Ling from Yushu Linfeng?"

The author has something to say:

A little theater that has nothing to do with the main text:

Yue Chunxiao happily prepared a bunch of food to go to the hospital to visit.

Yue Dingtang glanced around, there were small cakes, small biscuits, sweet and sour short ribs, vegetarian goose, drunk crab, and braised bamboo shoots, all cooked by her herself.

Yue Dingtang: You brought so much, can he eat it?Besides, if you are sick, you can't eat light food?

Yue Chunxiao was confident and confident: "If you can't eat it, it's good to look at it. It's so delicious. If you look at it a lot, your mood will improve, and your illness will get better sooner."

Yue Dingtang was speechless: I was sick when I was young, why didn't I see you treat me so well?

Yue Chunxiao: Then act like a baby to me first.

Yue Dingtang: ...

Yue Chunxiao walked away.