The Shen family's house in a cool summer

"How?" Shen Yi stepped forward and asked.

"We were right."

Shen Yi sighed.

"Second Young Master, I haven't asked you yet." Xu Mo said earnestly. Indeed, everyone in the circle just now asked about it, but the Second Young Master was missing.

Shen Yi twitched the corner of his mouth, smiling a bit awkwardly.The third brother had just been murdered, and this modest son could no longer maintain his demeanor.

"I was...in the ancestral hall last night." Before Xu Mo asked a question, Shen Yi spoke first.He pointed in one direction, "That's the room where the tablets of the ancestors of our Shen family are enshrined."

Xu Mo was taken aback, "Why does Second Young Master go to the ancestral hall in the middle of the night?"

"Because... I miss my mother, and my grandfather." Shen Yi lowered his eyelids, and a trace of sadness crawled onto his face, making Xu Mo couldn't help but want to reach out and touch that face, to help him get rid of this expression that didn't suit him .

Seeing Xu Mo looking at him intently, Shen Yi thought he had doubts, and said, "No one can testify for me. But I have no motive to kill the third brother."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Mo immediately realized his gaffe. He withdrew his eyes and wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to say it.

"I haven't told you about the news Sun Ke brought back." Finally, I found a topic.

Shen Yi nodded silently, waiting for him to continue talking.

So Xu Mo told Shen Yi about the Chou family, the Xue family, the Shen family, and the escort trip back then, and then asked: "Of course, these are just my speculations. There is no evidence yet. How do you look?"

Shen Yi was still a little happy, because he was asking for his own opinion, which was something they had never gotten along with before, a sense of satisfaction spontaneously arose.

"I just remember that one day my grandfather ran home very happily, and soon we moved out of a very dilapidated hut and lived in a huge yard. At that time, my brother and I were excited for a long time, the first time in our lives Once I had my own room, and the family hired a group of servants, suddenly turned into a noble son, and I still feel a little uncomfortable."

"Did Xue's family come here after that?"

"On the day of the move, Master Xue came to congratulate him, but the frequent contact should have started after the death of grandfather." Shen Yi recalled, while saying, "During that time, our Shen family's business was very good, and the Xue family sent people every three days. Come on, every time he comes, father will send someone to give them a lot of silk and silver notes, just like a bribe.

"I was young and energetic at that time, so I asked my father why he was so useless. Their Xue family's business is far inferior to ours. Why should they be so humble to them? But my father just read, Xue's family is a benefactor, and didn't tell me a word A short sentence. Does this kindness refer to the fact that the Xue family gave a large sum of money to ask grandfather to help them rob the darts?"

The first time Xu Mo saw Shen Yi became emotional, he didn't know why his heart hurt a little, he really wanted to do something, but in the end he could only stand by his side and listen to his words.

Shen Yi probably also realized his emotions, and smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, I made you laugh."

Xu Mo seemed to have thousands of words in his heart, but in the end he couldn't turn them into a single word. All he could do was continue to investigate the case.

When both of them were silent, Sun Ke and Zhao Gan walked over.

"My lord, we have asked again. A girl said that she heard a strange sound last night, like the sound of metal hitting, and when she ran out to look, she saw a figure running away in a hurry. That figure is... Mrs. Xue."

Xu Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his hand to stroke his chin, and said softly, "It really is."

When the two were wondering what the adults meant by "so" with blank faces, they heard the adults ask again: "Have you found the murder weapon?"

"No." Sun Ke replied, "However, we found this thing." After speaking, he took out something and handed it to Xu Mo.

It was a woman's earring, only one, and the red pendant was extremely clear in the sun, and only one was stained with black, probably dried blood.

"Is the murderer a woman?" Sun Ke asked again.

Xu Mo put away the earrings, watched the two of them and ordered: "Zhao Qian, go and investigate the matter of the Xue family and the Shen family. I'm afraid the relationship between the two families is not so harmonious. Go and ask the servants of the two families. Don’t let the gossip go. I feel that the matter of Chou Xi has something to do with both of them. Moreover, the matter of the fabric that was mentioned in the morning must continue to be investigated.”

Zhao Gan asked slightly puzzled: "Didn't Chou Xi get killed to avenge the Shen family? How could he have something to do with the Xue family?"

"Think about the vested interests after Chou Xi's death. Ms. Xue married into the Shen family and controlled most of the Shen family's silk and satin shops. The Xue family restaurant has also flourished in the past ten years. If Chou Xi is still there, the young master How could you be willing to marry Miss Xue?"

"But without Ms. Xue, what happened back then can be used to threaten the Shen family to make a lot of money, right?"

"Is making a lot of money better than taking possession?" Xu Mo raised his eyebrows and said so, disdainful of such an idea.

"The Xue family has a really big appetite." Zhao Gan sighed, "It's really unfair to say that Chou Xi died. He didn't even convey the intention of revenge to his enemy. It's sad, sad..."

Xu Mo gave him a cold look without commenting.

"So, if Chou Xi really climbed up to the young master, wouldn't it be the perfect revenge if he took control of the Shen family's silk and satin?" With a look of contempt in his eyes, he immediately shut his mouth sensible.

"Sun Ke."

Being called out like this by the adults, Sun Ke trembled all over, and immediately stood upright: "Yes!"

"You lead people to conduct a thorough search in Shen's house to find the murder weapon."

"Yes!"

After the two of them walked away, Xu Mo took out the single earring again and looked it over carefully.

"I didn't expect Mr. Xu to be so interested in women's things?" Shen Yi's voice rang in his ears, and he had returned to his normal feeling.

Xu Mo actually breathed a sigh of relief, he himself was frightened by this feeling.

"What about you?" Shen Yi asked.

"what?"

"I didn't expect Mr. Xu to be distracted?" Shen Yi teased again unceremoniously.

Xu Mo gave him a blank stare, and finally recovered his state.

"I'm going to talk to that girl named Xiao Cui."

Shen Yi suddenly realized and nodded, followed Xu Mo to find someone.

Xiaocui was washing clothes in the backyard at the moment, when she saw Xu Mo approaching, she blushed and exerted more force on her hands.

Xu Mo waved the earrings in front of Xiao Cui's eyes: "Young lady, do you know this?"

Xiaocui only glanced at the earring, then immediately lowered her head, and said softly, "This is Mrs. Xue's."

Xu Mo was not surprised at all. He knelt down beside Xiaocui, looked at her face, and asked, "You and Mrs. Xue didn't sleep all night last night?"

"Hmm..." Xiaocui still didn't look up, but the blush on her face became deeper, and she rubbed her clothes more vigorously.

"The earring was found at the crime scene, and it was still stained with the blood of the deceased. It must have fallen shortly after the deceased was killed. If Mrs. Xue has been in the house, why was the earring found at the crime scene?"

Since Xiao Cui kept her head down, Xu Mo was very close to her in order to see the expression on her face clearly.So much so that Xiao Cui could almost feel the breath of Xu Mo's conversation hit her face, and the girl's whole face was flushed red.

From Xu Mo's point of view, he probably thought that the girl felt ashamed and was lying.

"My lord..." Xiaocui said softly, "I really don't know anything."

Xu Mo raised his head, reached out and touched the jade hairpin on Xiaocui's head, it didn't seem like something a servant could use.

He said coldly: "Is this hairpin given by Mrs. Xue?"

Xiao Cui nodded, and the washing action slowed down, her eyelids drooped, dodging Xu Mo's eyes.

"So you stayed with Madam last night, didn't you?" Xu Mo's voice cooled down even more.

Xiao Cui stopped washing clothes completely, and looked up at Xu Mo, with tears in her eyes.She almost begged: "My lord, this servant really doesn't know anything. Madam gave this hairpin to this servant, and asked her not to say anything, but to be with Madam all the time. The servant was in Madam's room yesterday, yesterday. However, I fell asleep late at night, and when I woke up, it was already dawn, and my wife was in the room. When I was serving her to wash up, I found that she was missing an earring, and then she gave the hosta to her. Me, tell me not to say anything. This servant really doesn’t know anything.”

"Thank you girl for telling the truth."

After speaking, he quickly left the backyard.

"I didn't expect Master Xu to use beauty tricks." The voice next to his ear rang again, and Xu Mo felt very distressed.Just talk when he talks, why does he have to lean into his ear every time, it's really unbearable.

While thinking this way, Xu Mo suddenly understood the meaning of his words, and his face turned red instantly.

"When is Second Young Master going to follow me?" Xu Mo started to chase people away.

Of course Shen Yi didn't agree, "We agreed to investigate the case together."

Xu Mo sighed softly, forget it, don't talk to him anymore.

But Shen Yi didn't let him go so easily, and started chattering in his ear.Xu Mo thought to himself, why does this person talk so much when he is alone?When Sun Ke was there, or when he was asking questions, he was as obedient as a kitten, without saying a word.The more he thought about it, the weirder it became, and the more he felt uncomfortable, he couldn't help but stop and interrupted him: "What does the second young master want?"

Shen Yi was stunned for a moment, but looked over with joy in his eyes: "I want to know Mr. Xu." He said it so confidently, but Xu Mo was embarrassed.

He tried his best to be quiet, trying to find his own rhythm: "What do you know about me?"

"Because, I'm curious." Shen Yi looked at Xu Mo with a smile, his face burning hot from the sight of the person in front of him.

"What is it about me that makes you so curious? Why don't you ask me all at once. I should know everything without saying anything." Xu Mo said.

Shen Yi's eyes wandered over Xu Mo's body, looking from head to toe, and back from foot to head.

Seeing this made Xu Mo flustered for a while. "do what?"

"I'm wondering where to start. It's just too much."

"..."

Xu Mo admitted that trying to chat with him must be out of his mind.

He decided not to talk to him anymore, and walked forward quickly.

"Master Xu!" The person behind shouted, "I want to reveal my family's past with my own hands. I don't want to live in ignorance anymore, and I don't want to be disturbed by ghosts and gods anymore."

Xu Mo stopped in his tracks, ghosts and gods bothering him?He turned his head and watched Shen Yi walking towards him.

"What do you say, Second Young Master?"

The man pretended to be confused: "What are you talking about?"

"spirits?"

Shen Yi pursed his lips and smiled, "Did I say it? Then please pretend you didn't hear it."

Xu Mo rolled his eyes again in his heart, but Shen Yi went on to say: "But, what happened 20 years ago, what happened ten years ago, including what is happening now, I really want to understand. I want the Shen family to Go back to live in the sun."

The frivolous smile was removed from the man's face, and he was very serious.Xu Mo knew he wasn't lying to himself.He secretly determined in his heart that he must make this matter clear. No matter how many years passed, as long as Xu Mo wanted to do it, he would definitely be able to do it.

however……

"At that time, Mr. Xu must go to Xishan Bieyuan with me to escape the summer heat."

Forget it, let's throw him away first.

After a whole day of searching, Sun Ke finally found the murder weapon in Shen's house.

The murder weapon was a dagger, which was found in a dry well in the backyard.A long piece of cloth was tied to the hilt of the dagger.Sun Ke said that when he glanced into the well and saw a little light shining at the bottom of the well, he became suspicious and asked someone to go down the well to have a look, and it turned out to be the murder weapon.

Xu Mo asked him to close the door and draw all the curtains, and the room became dark in an instant.

In the darkness, it is true that the long cloth on the handle of the dagger is extremely bright.

"My lord, is this what the young master saw that night?" Sun Ke leaned forward, looking at the bright cloth.

Xu Mo pulled up the curtain, and the light outside the house penetrated into the room again.

Sun Ke blinked, and after his eyes got used to the light, he said again, "Could it be the same person who killed Chou Xi?"

Xu Mo shook his head, "It can't be her."

"My lord already knows who the murderer is?" Sun Ke was startled, and looked at Xu Mo adoringly.

Xu Mo sighed in his heart, and said: "Since the murder weapon has been found, let's go to Shen's residence. The murderer is about to be arrested and brought to justice. Besides, I still have something to ask her."

Called by Xu Mo, all the members of the Shen family gathered under the peach blossom tree.

Xu Mo glanced at everyone, and Shen Yi quietly leaned against the peach blossom tree.It was a cloudy day, with thick clouds blocking the sun, Xu Mo couldn't see Shen Yi's expression clearly under the peach blossom tree.

"Quickly tell me! Who killed my child?!" The eldest lady asked excitedly as soon as she came up, "Is it the bastard Shen Yue? I already knew that he hated my child for a long time, sir, don't let him go! "

Shen Yue smiled helplessly at Xu Mo, "Master Xu, please tell me. Who killed the third younger brother?"

Xu Mo took out the earring, and everyone surrounded him.

"So it was you who killed my son?!" The eldest lady turned around and grabbed Mrs. Xue's arm, and her nails dug deep into her skin.

Mrs. Xue, who was accused, was also very panicked, and she denied it: "My lord, don't wrong the slave family! The slave family did not go out that night, Xiaocui can prove it!"

Xu Mo turned sideways, and Xiao Cui stepped forward from behind him.Madam Xue's eyes widened and her face began to twist. She pointed at Xiaocui's face and shouted, "My lord, it's this girl who wants to frame me!"

"Then Mrs. Xue said, why is this earring at the scene of the crime? It still has blood on it."

"..." Mrs. Xue bit her lower lip tightly and remained silent for a long time.

The audience was silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the face of this strange Mrs. Xue.

"That's right, I went out. At that time, I passed the peach blossom tree and saw the young master lying on the ground covered in blood. I was very flustered. The earring may have fallen off at that time."

"Then why didn't you call someone at that time?" Xu Mo pressed on step by step.

"...At that time... At that time, I wanted to find an official, but, but I knew that the official was in a bad mood..." Mrs. Xue hesitated, and Xu Mo asked Sun Ke to take the dagger to her before she finished speaking. in front of you.

"Someone heard a noise last night and saw you running away from the backyard. This sound should be the sound of you throwing the murder weapon into the dry well."

"..." Mrs. Xue was completely bored now.

Someone gasped.That person is the eldest son of the Shen family, Shen Yue.

He called weakly: "Ma'am..."

Mrs. Xue turned her head and covered her face and said: "Do you still have the face to shout? How long will you be entangled in the matter of that bitch? Have you ever thought that after I married you, I seemed to be a widow, so I had no choice but to get married with Shen Lu?" That little bastard... Then he got on fire and couldn't wash off the dirty water all over his body. That bastard still wanted to continue having sex with me? Wouldn't he go back and look in the mirror to see how much he weighed? If it wasn't for Shen Jiasan In the face of the young master, who would care about him? The only one who takes him as a treasure is his ignorant mother."

"You!" Da Madam was furious, and rushed to Madam Xue again, but fortunately, Sun Ke was able to catch her in time with his sharp eyes and quick hands.

"Hmph, I think the treasure in your eyes is not your precious son, but his identity as the young master of the Shen family, right? Don't think I don't know, you curse the master to die every day. Just wait for the family property to be divided after death." ? That’s why you’re against Shen Yue everywhere, and secretly robbing our shop’s business, maliciously slandering us.”

Now Shen Yue was stunned, he looked at the eldest lady in disbelief.The eldest lady smiled coldly, as if all this was taken for granted.

Mrs. Xue poured out all the bitter water like a faucet turned on: "Shen Yue, all he can think about is that bitch back then, and I have basically been running the shop all these years. If it weren't for me, your Shen family would have been in trouble sooner or later." It's over. And that shameless Shen Lu, he actually told me that he wants me to follow him. Although Shen Yue likes men, what does Shen Lu want from me? A typical prodigal son! I didn't expect that after I rejected him , but he threatened me with Jing'er, saying that if I shouldn't, he told the master that Jing'er is his evil seed! Then how can I stay in the Shen family?"

"So you killed him?" Xu Mo confirmed.

Mrs. Xue sneered: "So what? I've wanted to chop him up a long time ago. My lord, take me away quickly."

Xu Mo waved his hand and signaled his subordinates to take Mrs. Xue back. Before this person could take him away, he saw Zhao Gan running over panting and whispering something to Xu Mo. Xu Mo had a clear expression on his face and walked over In front of Mrs. Xue, she flashed the dagger again, but this time the focus was on the long cloth tied to the handle.

"Mrs. Xue, could you please explain the origin of this long cloth?"

Mrs. Xue was a little puzzled, "This is something I got as a dowry when I got married. My father said, be prepared for self-defense, not afraid of [-] but just in case. Everyone in my family has this fabric."

"So that's how it is." With that said, Xu Mo asked someone to take Mrs. Xue away.