"Do you know about Xi Yao from the Bai family gatehouse? Was she on the boat that day?" Yang Xiao continued to ask.
"No." Mr. Yi son-in-law shook his head firmly, "Old man, although I don't go to the theater, Xi Yao is a pillar of the Bai family gatehouse and is very famous in the city. I have seen her portrait."
"How many people came to the troupe that night?"
"Including Team Leader Bai, there are 25 people in total." Mr. Yi replied without thinking.
Mr. Yi's straightforward answer made Yang Xiao suspicious, "It's been 10 years. How come you remember so clearly that you checked everyone when you boarded the ship?"
"Everyone who boarded the ship must register at the dock office and pay per person. After the accident, I read the booklet. There were 54 passengers on the ship that night, and the Bai family gatehouse occupied 25 of them, and we were the ones who boarded the ship. There are 12 of these boat crews, including the boss of the boat."
Yang Xiao saw that Mr. Yi's son-in-law looked calm, and it didn't look like he was telling lies. "How many of them escaped in the end?"
Mr. Yi's son-in-law sighed and made a strange gesture in front of his chest, "I am the only one, and it all depends on the blessing of King Jiang Long."
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Xiao suddenly asked: "Are there any children among the 25 people in the Bai family gatehouse?"
"No, there wasn't a single child on the boat that night." Master Yi could not help but frown and stared at Yang Xiao with a strange look, "Why do you ask like that?"
This was of course because Yang Xiao thought of the child held in Team Leader Bai's arms, but there was no need to explain this to Mr. Yi.
"It's okay, please continue. Did anything happen to you after escaping from the boat?" Yang Xiao remembered that the Yi son-in-law swam all the way back to the shore from the cold river water.
Unexpectedly, when this was mentioned, Mr. Yi's face instantly turned ugly. He clenched his skinny fists and spoke after a long while: "Our ship sank very quickly. It was very chaotic at the time, and many people were struggling in the water. , I jumped into the river and swam desperately toward the shore. Halfway through the swim...Halfway through the swim, I heard a strange sound behind me, which was very strange..."
Yang Xiao became alert, "What's the sound?"
"Yes...it's the sound of opera singing!" Mr. Yi's face was full of fear, and his body kept shaking, as if he had returned to the cold lake water that night. "A very weird singing tune. I have never heard of this kind of opera." , it feels... it feels like I’m going to die immediately!”
"It's a ghost show." Yang Xiao understood how Yi's son-in-law felt because he had experienced it himself.
Mr. Yi son-in-law swallowed hard and nodded slowly, "Yes, I later asked knowledgeable seniors about it. It's a ghost show, and it's a very old-school ghost show!"
"I didn't dare to look back, so I held my breath and swam towards the shore. When I was almost reaching the shore, the sound of singing opera became more and more strange. I couldn't help it, and looked back. There was only one thing left of our boat. The next point is exposed, and in front of the boat, there is a person in red standing in the water, and she is singing!"
"Beside the red man, there was a long wooden pole standing in the water. I could see it at a glance. It was no ordinary wooden pole. It was... it was the mast of a ship!"
"There is a ship sinking under the water, and it was this ship that sank our ship!"
Mr. Yi's son-in-law became more and more excited, "I was frightened at the time, but then the singing suddenly stopped. I could feel that thing looking at me. She found me! My hands and feet became cold and I couldn't stand it anymore." Just listen, and then...then a wave comes, and I don't know anything anymore, and when I wake up, I'm already lying on the shore."
Based on the narrative of the old coolie on the dock, Yang Xiao judged that what Mr. Yi said must be true. The sunken ship he saw was the Bohu ship that sank at the bottom of Fengfu Lake.
After asking what he needed to ask and confirming that nothing was missing, Yang Xiao paid Master Yi a piece of silver as agreed, turned around and took Su Tingting away, but before he left the alley, Master Yi actually chased him.
"Is there anything else?" Yang Xiao couldn't figure out the plan of this Yi son-in-law, but he didn't dare to take it lightly for this ruthless man who had been living in the waves for decades.
"It's nothing important." Mr. Yi smiled strangely, "Old man, I just want to ask, who told you that I live here."
"It's Old Hunchback Wang from the dock, or Sun Biandang from West Street, right?" Mr. Yi's son-in-law narrowed his eyes, "Haha, tell me who it is."
Shaking his head, Yang Xiao said with a serious face: "No, this matter involves a lot. It is led by a big shopkeeper in our industry. You are a smart person, I advise you not to ask."
Hearing this, the murderous intent in Mr. Yi's eyes slowly dissipated, and he returned to the old man who lived on credit. He bowed his hands to Yang Xiao and the two of them, and said with a smile: "That's it, old man, I believe you." , then I will wait here for good news."
On the way out, Su Tingting approached Yang Xiao and said nervously: "Did you see just now that this Yi son-in-law looks so fierce? If you tell him that the old man at the dock told him where he lives, he will definitely go find him. trouble."
"Well, that old coolie has helped us. We can't betray our friends. In life, we must always have some moral principles."
After a moment, Su Tingting seemed to suddenly remember something, "By the way, Mr. Yi just said that there are only 25 people in the Bai family class, and there are no children yet, but the Feng Mansion's account clearly states 27 people, which means that except for Xi Yao was left behind forever, and the child didn't come with him either. They left the child behind on the way from Feng Mansion to the dock."
Turning around, Yang Xiao glanced at Su Tingting, who blinked and didn't understand what he said wrong. Yang Xiao took a deep breath and said, "Why don't you understand that the woman who died in Feng Mansion was not Xiyao at all! "
Su Tingting was stunned for a moment, unable to react for a moment, "It's not Xiyao, who is that? Wait, where did Xiyao go?"
"The identity of the female ghost is unclear for the time being, but I guess Zhen Xiyao disguised herself and mingled with the Bai family troupe that boarded the ship. She must be one of the inconspicuous troupes. When Yi Xunye and the others rushed into the cabin, , the person that Team Leader Bai pulled over is the real Xi Yao."
"This is why Mr. Yi said that he heard Team Leader Bai excitedly shouting "Yaoren, save Yaoer". The scene was chaotic at that time. I think Team Leader Bai should have yelled "Yao'er, save Yaoer". After all, his precious daughter Xiyao had just been raped by a female ghost. Walk for your life."
"Impossible, Xiyao couldn't have been alive at that time. The Feng family is not a fool. If Xiyao hadn't entered the house, they wouldn't have given him any money!" Although Su Tingting admired Yang Xiao, he was not brainless. He believed everything he said. , the Feng family is good at it, not so easy to fool.
"Of course the Feng family saw the real Xi Yao, but there are rules for singing ghost plays and the venue must be cleared. I think it must be that when the makeup was being done backstage, the troupe used the fake Xi Yao to replace the real Xi Yao. As soon as the makeup was put on, Looking across the lake from a distance, you can’t tell who is who.”
"After everything is over, Zhen Xiyao will change his identity again, change his clothes, dress a little messier, mix in the team, and leave the house with his previous identity as fake Xiyao."
Yang Xiao's speculation made Su Tingting stunned for a moment, "But...but even if the plan you mentioned is feasible, is Fake Xiyao a fool? It's clear that she is going to die, so why should she cooperate?"
At this point, Yang Xiao sighed and his eyes became complicated, "What if you don't cooperate? Have you forgotten that Team Leader Bai has a child in his hands?"
