Xiaoman asked, "What's weird?" What's weird? ”

Jing Mo said: "I'm not talking about this case, I'm saying that this place is very strange." ”

Xiao Man smiled understandingly and said, "You don't have to say it, I understand what you mean." Jingmo, do you want to say that this place is called the Tanuki Garden, and it is inhabited by an old raccoon slave, but why can't you see a cat? ”

Jing Mo nodded and said, "Exactly, don't you think it's a little strange." ”

Xiaoman still smiled: "This Cen Mingkai is a close attendant who has fed 'Frost and Snow' for Jiajing Ye of the Dynasty, and has raised cats for the emperor, so he is probably not willing to feed ordinary domestic cats and wild beavers, or he can't forget the 'Frost and Snow' who once carried the emperor's grace." ”

Jing Mo brought the topic back and said, "However, this matter is very difficult to do. This Cen brother's prejudice seems to be very deep. ”

Nie Xiaoman nodded and said, "This is his loyalty." Once he trusts people, he never doubts them. Therefore, our minds should be completely objective, and must not be influenced by his prejudices. ”

Jing Mo was worried: "But in case of the outcome of the case, then Zhao Leren is really suspicious, how can we deal with this old brother Cen?" ”

"It is a matter of course to find out the truth of the matter. The affection of a friend is another matter. The only goal we pursue is the word 'truth', and as for whether this truth can satisfy everyone, it is not for us to consider. ”

"Although this is the truth, didn't you allow him just now?"

Nie Xiaoman turned his face, looked at Jing Mo, and asked rhetorically, "What do I allow him?" He told me to do my best to find out what I could. All I allowed was 'out of the water'. ”

Jing Mo was about to continue to say something, when suddenly a distant greeting interrupted the conversation between the two.

"Master Nie, Su Shangcha, it's so good that you two are here! I'm about to borrow two of them to prove it to me. Didn't you two come from the tanuki garden right now? ”

Jing Mo looked up and saw a short and fat man, wearing the robe of a county lieutenant, still about thirty years old, but his thick upper lip already had some funny short beards. His face was round, surrounded by two fullnesses, rounded like a ball, so that the bridge of his nose was flattened. He has small eyes, but he seems to be unusually sensitive.

This person's appearance is very similar to Wu Dalang in "Uncle Farewell Brother", if you look at it closely, it really makes people laugh. The county lieutenant came to meet him, ran to Xiao Man, and stood up and said those few words of greeting.

Nie Xiaoman arched his hand slightly and replied, "Are you the county lieutenant of Pujiaorenbo?" ”

The fat county lieutenant nodded hurriedly and said, "Don't dare, don't dare, it's not worth mentioning in this unincoming official." Although the two adults didn't know me, I had seen them in the black dungeon case, but I was still a small team leader at that time, and of course the two adults couldn't remember it. ”

As he spoke, he made a deep gesture to Jing Mo, who felt that although this person had a ridiculous appearance, he was quite well-behaved. The fat county lieutenant continued: "There is a legend just now that Cen Mingkai has invited two people to investigate the case, and you have arrived at the raccoon garden. Therefore, I came to greet him. Two adults, my current position is very difficult, and I have to beg for their help. ”

Nie Xiaoman replied, "How do you want us to help you?" ”

Pu County Lieutenant said: "That's very simple. Just ask the two of you to prove it, and the case will be closed immediately. Now let's not stand here. The inkstone study is not far from here, so adults might as well go and take a look. ”

The county lieutenant of Napu County guided the march very diligently, and at the same time told Xiaoman and Jingmo how to deal with him. In this way, the three of them walked all the way back to the entrance of the town, and if they wanted to go north to the Yanying Study, they had to pass through the town. But in order to facilitate the discussion of the case with Xiaoman, the county lieutenant specially avoided the hustle and bustle and detoured from the gravel paved path behind the town.

In this way, it is very suitable for the meaning of Jingmo, because from this path, you can see the rice stalks in the field that are gradually turning yellow from blue, arranged very regularly and neatly, reflecting the morning sun in the middle of the sky, and flashing a kind of colorful light from time to time.

There are many willow trees on both sides of the stone path, and the sparse hanging strips write infinite autumn mood. The farmhouses in the distance, and the waterwheel shed at the foot of the bridge, are also picturesque. Of course, the scene here is far better than the dusty and noisy streets.

The county lieutenant began: "This case happened about three o'clock in the morning. There were two maids in the house, male and female, and the maid had only been hired for a month, but she happened to come home the night before. The old maid slept in the back building, and he didn't even hear the sound of the bird's gun. But it wasn't until the deceased's wife exclaimed that the old family came out from behind. ”

Xiaoman asked: "Where is the specific location of the case?" ”

"The cow died at the foot of the stairs. It should be that when he was studying upstairs, he heard a strange sound downstairs and walked downstairs. At that time, the murderer must have entered the house, lay in ambush in the dark, and when Niu Yizhi walked down the stairs, the murderer suddenly fired a bird gun from the darkness. Niu Yizhi was unable to resist it, and immediately fell to the ground and died. This is evidenced by the fact that there is no overturning of the utensils in the chamber. One thing must be noted: Niu Yizhi was killed by a bird, and he was injured between his neck, and even the gums of his lower jaw were damaged, and the condition was very miserable. As for the murderer's entry path, he climbed in by priing open the west window of the main house; After the deed was completed, he opened the middle door of the guest hall and went out. So the facts of this case were originally very easy to understand. ”

Nie Xiaoman listened to the county lieutenant's report while walking slowly, and waited for Pu Jiaoren to finish speaking before he answered.

Nie Xiaoman asked, "What do you mean by that?" ”

The county lieutenant replied, "I think Cen Mingkai must have told your lordship." His friend Zhao Leren is now suspected of being a murderer. ”

Nie Xiaoman nodded and said, "Yes, I already knew this. But on what grounds did you arrest him? ”

A strange smile appeared on the round spherical cheeks, and two black eyeballs glanced at Nie Xiaoman from the corners of their eyes, as if to express a kind of arrogant pride.

Pu Jiaoren said with some smugness: "Reason? And so much! The first point is that Niu Yizhi was killed by the bird gun, but this Zhao Leren is a master of using the bird gun. ”

Nie Xiaoman frowned, and said with some disapproval: "Have you already proved that the bird that took people's lives is Zhao Leren's thing?" ”

Pu Jiaoren said: "There is no bird left next to the dead body. But I have gone to the suspect's house to see Zhao Leren's bird's gun, and there are indeed traces of it being recently spared. There is also a second piece of evidence, on the floor of the deceased's room, a glazed snuff box was found, which was Zhao Leren's belongings. ”

Nie Xiaoman asked lightly, "Do you think Zhao Leren will act like this?" When he was committing murder, he could still smoke snuff? ”