Jing Yu looked at the girl under the osmanthus tree again. He felt that they could have a conversation. After all, neither of them seemed interested in the banquet.
"Hello, my name is Jing Yu. Are you here to get some fresh air?" Jing Yu greeted him friendly.
When the girl heard Jing Yu's words, she turned to look at him, her mouth open but she didn't say a word.
Can't she speak? Jing Yu thought about it and used various body languages to express his greetings.
The girl smiled, with small dimples on her cheeks. She pointed to the sweet-scented osmanthus tree and the door.
Jing Yu couldn't figure out what she meant, so he was probably in the same situation as himself.
So he put on a look of disgust, pointed at the banquet in the house, paused for a while and pointed at the osmanthus tree, and then stretched out two fingers and pointed at the girl and the tree at the same time.
It was the girl's aura that directly understood what Jing Yu meant, and she smiled again. Jing Yu felt that the girl's smile was so clean that he couldn't move his eyes away.
No, her sign language is too professional and I can't understand it... After communicating for more than ten minutes, Jing Yu didn't understand the girl's intention at all.
He had no choice but to smile back, proving that he was listening to the girl.
On the one hand, he is a worldly person, and on the other hand, he is a brainstormer. Jing Yu still prefers the former. When getting along with this sign language girl, his CPU is going to smoke.
"Um...I'll excuse you now. If you don't mind, come in with me." After Jing Yu said this, he made a gesture of invitation.
The girl shook her head and broke off a flower branch to express that she still wanted to stay.
Jing Yu complained in his mind: Does this count as damaging personal property? But Qiao Xu should have a good relationship with this girl, so it doesn't matter.
In the second half of the banquet, the real hero came out, Qiao Xu's eldest brother Qiao Metasequoia. This is the brother Qiao Xu admires the most. He is tall and powerful, and he feels safe at first glance.
Qiao Xu's previous description was "high facial features, eyes like falcons, with an aura that makes people shudder." Now it turns out that it is true, that is, the condition of his skin is not very good, and his appearance is far different from his actual age.
"Thank you all guests for celebrating my achievements, but the war in the north is not over yet. The barbarians will not stop and the war will not stop!" came a clear voice.
Jing Yu looked up and saw that it was Qiao Metasequoia who was speaking.
By the time the banquet ended, it was already past four o'clock, and Song Qian was very drunk again. Because of his rising reputation, many people present wanted to have a relationship, so they kept drinking.
But this time he didn't get drunk and fell asleep on the bed. However, Jing Yu spent a lot of effort to carry him back to Ding Mingsi. He was no longer in the mood to sleep and continued to light up the lamp and read history books and supplement the remaining notes.
Qiao Xu stayed at his home for a few days and didn't come back. Without her as an alarm clock, Jing Yu returned to the bad routine of sleeping until eleven o'clock every day. Fortunately, people in this world can practice (although he hasn't started yet), otherwise He died suddenly within a few years.
However, the court would not let them idle. Gu Danqing said that a new mission would come soon, and this time it was a far-distance mission. Jing Yu would like to call it a "publicly-funded trip", and if the mission is completed, he can get money. Wouldn't it be nice?
According to the letter from the Lin'an County Magistrate, as early as more than a month ago, a dragon-like demon appeared in the Lin'an River in Lin'an County. It has been practicing for many years. It often controls wind and rain, causing Lin'an to not see the sun for several days. Common people The interest is generally not high. As a county magistrate who is considerate of the people's sentiments, he is naturally very concerned about the mental state of the people, so he plans to negotiate with Jiaolong, hoping that the other party will not release his magic power again.
The county magistrate sent three or four martial arts warriors, but they were all beaten back, so the matter naturally dropped. Until recently, there was a sudden rumor that the dragon-like monster in the river was the Dragon King's envoy from the East China Sea. So they recruited migrant workers and asked the local wealthy gentry to donate money to build the Dragon King Temple to worship the Dragon King and hope for good weather.
If the county magistrate thinks it should be repaired, it may be done to stabilize everyone's mood. Not long after the Dragon King Temple was built, a large number of people rushed to worship. There were so many people that the street was blocked. Because many of the people who worshiped the temple were local landowners with some status and wealth, the county magistrate did not dare to offend them, so he planned to ask the court for help.
Just a few days before I finished writing the document, the dragon suddenly became angry and rolled in a large group of dark clouds from the southeast, which were continuous and completely blocked the sun, making the entire Lin'an County dark. Then came the downpour, which became heavier and heavier until it was like water pouring down from behind. Lin'an County has become a water town. The threat of floods is not particularly great, and there are not many casualties. Everyone consciously ran to the mountain temples outside the county to take refuge.
Now Jing Yu's dream of traveling was shattered. He really wanted to see the scenery of the misty Jiangnan, with the blue brick and tiled houses, the wisps of dusk smoke, and the tenderness unique to the south of the Yangtze River, slowly smearing in the picture called Little Bridge and Flowing Water. .
His back molars were almost broken. He hated that dragon so much that he wanted to tear it out. A heavy rain ruined Jing Yu's dream of traveling. But without that rain, he might have stayed in the capital until eternity.
The three people in Dingmingsi regained their strength, and Song Qian went to the most places. The route he planned was to go to Longzhou by land and then turn to Lin'an by water. There is a canal in Longzhou, and you can easily get there by renting a fast boat.
Qiao Wutong was very generous and borrowed three good horses, which were much faster than the old horse from the post station that Jing Yu rode a few days ago.
Feng Dian camped out in Guliang County, Longzhou, but bad luck meant that during the peak season for transporting grain and cargo, there was not enough space in the canal. The local county government launched a system that is implemented every year, which is the pass system. Ships traveling in and out need to report to the government. , make an appointment, and wait ten days and a half to get the pass before you are eligible to leave the city by water.
Another bolt from the blue occurred when the three of them were having dinner in a restaurant. The most valuable jade in the collection of Wang Yuanxing, the largest salt merchant in Guliang County, disappeared. The entire city was closed to traffic, and the city gates would not be opened until the thief was caught.
Wang Yuanxing also specially offered a reward and asked knights from all walks of life to help find the jade. He will be greatly thanked.
However, this incident caused dissatisfaction among many caravans who came here for transit. It is now the end of September. At this time, you can just finish transporting the goods and make a round trip, making a lot of money. If you miss the peak season, then the whole year's plan will be in vain. , the profit is not more than half of previous years.
There are even conspiracy theories circulating, saying that Wang Xingyuan wanted to create a monopoly and dominate one family, so he deliberately spread false news to rely on his friendship with the county magistrate to close the city gates so that he could have his own channels to make money while others could only watch. He ate it all.
Under such an environment, naturally no one was willing to accept Wang Xingyuan's reward, and everyone accepted the fact that he was directing and acting.
Jing Yu and the others don't think so. They still think that the probability of being stolen is greater, and they don't have either the pass or the fast boat. If this case can be solved, selling a favor to a big shot like Wang Xingyuan will be both a cakewalk and a cakewalk. have to.
So Qiao Xu unveiled the list, and unveiled it under everyone's puzzled eyes. Of course, some people thought that this was a request from Wang Xingyuan, in order to make the whole scene more perfect.
The three of them were naturally invited by Wang Xingyuan.
As expected of a salt merchant, the elegance of that mansion rivals that of Qiao's mansion, especially the two jade lions at the door, which can be sold for a lot of money just for a buck.
"The trenches are inhumane. Comparing one person to another is irritating." Jing Yu's back molars once again endured undue pressure.
Wang Xingyuan is a middle-aged uncle who is cheerful. Even when he is not smiling, his eyes are narrowed to a slit, which makes people feel close to him.
He invited the three of them to sit in the living room. He didn't get straight to the point. Instead, he asked everyone about their tastes so that he could prepare dinner in the kitchen.
"Since the three young heroes are all warm-hearted, Wang must show corresponding sincerity and ask the three young heroes to stay at the house for the next time." Wang Xingyuan sat in his seat and touched the baby in his arms with a smile. Jade walnut.
Jing Yu looked around and found that most of the items in the house were jade, so he asked, "Master Wang, you like jade? I see there are two jade lions at your door, they are really impressive."
"Hahaha, blah blah blah, it's a little hobby, not surprising."
The three of them briefly introduced themselves to Wang Xingyuan, but they all tacitly agreed not to mention their identities and only revealed their names.
Wang Xingyuan nodded after listening: "Looking at the dignified appearance of all of you young heroes, I guess your background is not simple, but Wang doesn't overdo it, and everyone gets along well with each other."
"Lord Wang, did you lose a piece of jade recently?" Jing Yu asked bluntly.
"Yes, oh, just two days ago, when I was going to polish all the jadeware at home, it was the only place that was empty." After that, he pointed to a wooden shelf in the center of the hall, which was empty.
Wang Xingyuan's smile disappeared, replaced by a sad look, and he stopped plating walnuts in his hand: "This jade is my favorite jade. I bought it from someone else at a huge price. It is not more than two feet in diameter." Yes, there are relatively rare indigo lines."
"It was all put there before, right?" Jing Yu continued to ask.
Wang Xingyuan nodded and agreed.
There are many things to be suspicious of now. All the people in the mansion are suspicious, and the people in the city are also very suspicious. It is really like looking for a needle in a haystack, and it is not easy to find a thief in a huge sea of people.
Song Qian said at this time: "Are there any guests coming to the house recently?"
"It's just you three this month."
"It seems that the people in the city are less suspicious. After all, you have so many jade articles, and the jade lion at the door is worth more than this. I guess if you are not a guest at your house, you will not notice this jade." Song Qian Give your own answer.
As soon as Jing Yu turned his head, Qiao Xu disappeared. He must have gone to the kitchen. He didn't know what she wanted to do.
"Don't you care about the rumors outside? I heard them spreading that this is a farce directed and performed by you to monopolize this business." Song Qian suddenly asked this sharp question.
Wang Xingyuan didn't feel anything about this. He still had the same expression: "Gossips happen all the time, and if you don't listen, there will be nothing. Besides, I really lost the jade, so there is no reason to make up lies. I haven't personally intervened in business for a long time, so where can I go?" As far as monopoly is concerned, just make money and be content.”
"So who's taking over your business now?"
Wang Xingyuan smiled shyly: "To tell you the truth, she is my wife. She is better at arithmetic and eloquence than me, and has a domineering temper. She is best suited for business."
As soon as Jing Yu heard this sentence, he began to think: Could it be that his wife wanted to monopolize the family property? Since taking over the business, her ambitions have grown, selling jade items to expand her small treasury, and then one day start her own business.
Or maybe the wife had an affair with an outsider and was selling jade... However, Jing Yu rejected the above speculation. Thinking about it carefully, it was too bloody and it shouldn't be this kind of plot direction.
"Where is your heir?"
"I just have a son who is useless. He is not interested in money and has gone to the capital to study." Wang Xingyuan became very angry when he mentioned his son.
Ah, Jing Yu was shocked. He was not interested in money and was afraid that he was not a god. However, the next moment he blurted out: "Does Mr. Wang still lack a son?"
Wang Xingyuan didn't seem to hear clearly: "What?"
"No, no, no, it's nothing. I, I, I, let's go check out the house where we're going to sleep tonight." Jing Yu really wanted to slap his mouth open, why did he suddenly say such a thing.
Looking at Song Qian again, he was already suppressing laughter and his face was red. He ran away with the excuse of needing to go to the toilet.
The conversation was ended by Jing Yu, who had a brain cramp, but the biggest beneficiary was Qiao Xu, who had not shown up from beginning to end. She salivated looking at the stewed pig's trotters in the pot, which she could eat at the beginning of dinner.
During dinner, Jing Yu lowered his head and said nothing. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to leave with his toes on the ground, but Wang Xingyuan didn't care. Maybe he really didn't hear clearly.
Being young is good, so he fell asleep and the next day Jing Yu put the embarrassing incident behind him and devoted himself to solving the case.
But now the same case happened again in the city. The jade items disappeared from someone's home without leaving any trace. Now the people gradually began to believe that Wang Xingyuan was not acting and had really lost the jade items. But the problem is that this thief is very smart and has no flaws at all.
Song Qian's speculation failed. If Wang Xingyuan's own jade was lost, it could be suspected that someone in his family had stolen it. But if the jade from another family in the city was lost, it probably had nothing to do with Wang Xingyuan.
Jing Yu and his party also went on an on-site inspection, but the answer given by the other party was still ambiguous, as if the jade article disappeared out of thin air.
In the next few days, jade items from different people were stolen, and the county magistrate was so anxious that he issued arrest warrants all over the city to find the mysterious thief.
Seeing that there was no clue about the case, and there was still pressure from Lin'an if he didn't hurry, Jing Yu activated the traditional skill of Dingming Division - squatting.
The three of them went to each rich man's home to see who could steal the jade one after another.
Late at night, the thief did not come. Qiao Xu was the first to notice. She saw a piece of jade emit a faint light, then slowly rose into the sky, turned into a beam of light, and flew to the mountain forest not far away.
Jing Yu and Song Qian rushed to the scene after receiving the signal. Qiao Xu's description gave them a clue. Their initial direction was wrong. Is it possible that people don't have to steal jade, but demons can also steal jade.
Jing Yu used the talisman, and the three of them turned into green smoke and flew to a hillside. It was covered with bamboos, but in the gaps between the bamboo forests, there was a place emitting a faint light.
Song Qian activated the flying sword and pierced it. The light ball trembled and stopped shining. What was revealed was a monster beast with antlers but thick limbs, resembling a deer but not a deer. It seemed that this was the culprit.
The monster discovered them and was about to escape, but Song Qian teleported in front of it and blocked the way with a sword. The monster lay on the ground and trembled because of fear.
Jing Yu found uneaten jade articles and several rough jade stones behind the monster.
"This kind of monster is called Shelu. It likes to eat jade, but it does not eat jade, because the jade is polished jade, which can accumulate spiritual energy. Shelu likes the spiritual energy in it, and the jade itself will turn into jade and be excreted. This kind of monster Beasts used to be kept in the palace for fun, but now they are rarely seen.”
Jing Yu put away the jade: "Then bring it to Wang Xingyuan and ask Wang Xingyuan to find the county government."
The three of them hurried down the mountain and returned to the palace. They woke up Wang Xingyuan who was sleeping and explained what happened. Wang Xingyuan was magnanimous. Since Shelu could return the jade, let's forget about it. He would compensate everyone who lost the jade and treat it as if he had bought it. This is a luxury deer. As for the county magistrate, he will explain it.
Wang Xingyuan was sitting on the chair, but he looked tired and had not slept well: "Tell me, Wang owes three people a favor. What do you want?"
"A ship that can reach Lin'an quickly, and a pass, that's all." Jing Yu didn't speak loudly, and honestly wanted two things.
"There's a flood over there in Lin'an, what are you going to do?"
Jing Yu patted his chest and said, "I am Sicheng of the Dingming Division in the capital. I have been ordered by the imperial court to go to Lin'an to solve the flood disaster."
Wang Xingyuan immediately knelt down and said, "It turns out he is an official from the capital. He is rude and disrespectful."
"Mr. Wang, there's no need to be polite. Get up quickly. The ground is cold in autumn. Don't kneel down." Jing Yu stepped forward to help him.
Wang Xingyuan trembled with excitement: "Wang will do his best for the things you entrust to Wang!"
The next day, the three of them boarded the fast boat provided by Wang Xingyuan and had passes stamped by the county magistrate himself.
"Sure enough, if you change your face, many people will recognize you." Jing Yu sighed. (To be continued)
