With the direction of suspicion, there is also the idea of solving the case.

It was past noon, not only Gu Qian was hungry and tired, but the accompanying servants were a little listless, Gu Qian just touched his stomach, and Yang Cunli, the sycophant, posted it, and respectfully invited Gu Qian to go to Liu Dazhuang's house next door for dinner.

"Liu Di Bao's house is next door?" Gu Qian was taken aback.

"Back to the old man, the villain's family is next door to Liu Xiaoqi's house. Liu Dazhuang stood behind Yang Cunli, his head bowed, and he didn't have the sharpness just now.

Gu Qian glanced at him, didn't make a sound, but followed them into Liu Dazhuang's house. Liu Dazhuang is a land protector, and his house is more spacious than Liu Xiaoqi's, but with so many people entering, it still seems crowded. Gu Qian entered the courtyard, looked left and right a few times, and found that Liu Dazhuang's house had only two more ear rooms than Liu Xiaoqi's family, and the ear room at the east end was next to the west chamber where Liu Xiaoqi was bombed.

"Liu Dazhuang, when Liu Xiaoqi was killed by the thunder last night, did you hear any movement?" Gu Qian stepped up the steps and found that the two families were only separated by a courtyard wall, and at such a close distance, it was impossible not to find the abnormality of the neighbors.

"Back to the old man's words, the thunder exploded last night, it was very scary, and the villain heard some noise next door, but he didn't dare to go out to see. Liu Dazhuang thought of the thunder last night, obviously still palpitating, and his speech was a little trembling.

"What about your family?

"The villain has only one son, who is an apprentice in the Liangji Iron Shop in the county seat, and usually lives in the store and does not come back. Liu Dazhuang explained: "Only the villain and the villain's Hun family were at home last night, because of the rain and wind, we are also old, so we dare not go out." ”

What Liu Dazhuang said was also reasonable, Gu Qian nodded, gave Duan Wenrui a look, and entered the hall surrounded by Yang Cunli and others.

Pots and bowls have been placed in the hall, and the countrymen have no exquisite dishes for hospitality, but they have cut a few plates of pig's face bacon and fried a few seasonal vegetables. Gu Qian sat down in the first seat, and beckoned Liu Chengzuo, Yang Cunli and others to sit down.

Seeing that the old men were all seated, Liu Dazhuang glanced at Yang Cunli weakly.

"What are you looking at me doing, why don't you pour wine for the eldest master!" Yang Cunli shouted.

"Hey, this is coming, this is coming. Liu Dazhuang picked up the wine jug and was about to take a step, but was stopped by Gu Xiaojiu, "Liu Dibao, don't be polite, you can sit down, I'll pour wine for everyone." ”

"How can this work, the ninth master is a guest from afar, or a villain. "Liu Dazhuang didn't dare to let him serve.

Seeing the two of them competing with each other, Gu Qian coughed and said, "Liu Dibao, you have been busy for a long time today, let Xiao Jiu come for some small things." ”

"But ......"

"Let you sit down!" Gu Qian's face was blank, Liu Dazhuang immediately wilted, he glanced at Gu Qian, and sat in the most corner awkwardly.

Yang Cunli saw that he was reprimanded by the county magistrate, his heart was secretly refreshed, but he snorted coldly on his face, reluctantly moved the stool, and gave Liu Dazhuang half of his position.

"Okay, everyone is tired, let's eat with an open belly!" Gu Qian took the lead in raising his chopsticks, sandwiched a chopstick vegetarian dish and put it into the bowl in front of him, seeing that Yang Cunli was going to toast him, Gu Qian smiled slightly, and asked Xiao Jiu to stop him, "This official is in control, don't eat meat or drink, don't be restrained, just eat and drink at will." ”

The eldest master said so, and everyone didn't dare to force it, seeing that Gu Qian only picked up vegetarian vegetables to eat, Liu Dazhuang hurriedly went out and asked the Hun family to fry a few more seasonal vegetables and send them over.

Gu Qian lowered his head to eat the vegetables, and handed over the matter of greeting people to Gu Xiaojiu, seeing that Jiu Ye threw off his arms to eat and drink, the people who shrank their hands and feet let go a little, and had the courage to eat some bacon and chicken legs.

They were all subordinates, and Gu Qian didn't bother to socialize with them, seeing that Gu Xiaojiu began to lead everyone to fight fists, he simply picked up a few dishes and went to the East Chamber to eat. After a few dishes, Duan Wenrui came back.

"Wen Rui, you come here. Gu Qian beckoned to him, and asked Gu Xiaojiu to bring in a plate of bacon and a pot of wine, which made people lower the door curtain and the two of them ate inside.

Without the control of the boss, the hall became more and more lively, Yang Cunli almost couldn't enter the East Chamber several times to set up with the county master, and finally broke the jar and put the object of the stammering on Gu Xiaojiu. It's not the same for the big man, and it's the same for the celebrities around the big man.

The outside room was very lively, which just gave the two of them space to talk. "How's it going, have you found anything?" asked Gu Qian in a low voice.

"There are cracks in the walls of Yanagiji's house, and the outhouse door of the east ear house is a little deformed, so I pushed it and didn't open it. ”

"Then you try it from here. Gu Qian pointed to the small door on the east side and said.

Duan Wenrui glanced out, because the door curtain was drawn, so the people outside could not see the situation in the house, he walked lightly to the wooden door of the ear room, and gently pushed, bang, before the wooden door was pushed open, he heard the piercing sound of the copper basin falling.

This sound came, and the noise of the hall immediately stopped, Duan Wenrui knew that something was wrong, and jumped back to the edge of the kang with an arrow step, and as soon as he picked up the chopsticks in his hand, he saw that the door curtain was lifted, and Liu Dazhuang walked in with a nervous face. "Master, what's wrong?"

Gu Qian was also taken aback, he patted his chest, glared at Liu Dazhuang angrily and said, "Liu Dibao, what kind of sound is this?

"This ......" Liu Dazhuang swept the small wooden door with the corner of his eye, and saw that the small wooden door was not pushed open, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and said to Gu Qian in a low voice: "It's all villains, it's not that the eldest master is frightened!"

"What was the sound just now?" Gu Qian glanced at the wooden door and said unhappily.

"Maybe the villain's cat is naughty and knocked over the pots and pots!" Liu Dazhuang said with a smile.

"Wen Rui, go and see what's going on!" Gu Qian grimaced, stared at the wooden door and said, "A beast dares to disturb the master's interest!"

"Yes!" Duan Wenrui pushed the door on the ground, and as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, he heard Liu Dazhuang say urgently: "Master Duan, no!"

"Why not?" Duan Wenrui's face was like a knife, where would he listen to Liu Dazhuang's persuasion, he violently pushed open the small wooden door connecting the east ear room, and as soon as the door opened, he saw Liu Dazhuang running over anxiously. "Yanagi Jibao, it's just a brute, why are you so nervous?"

"I, the villain, am not nervous, not nervous. Liu Dazhuang saw Duan Wenrui open the door, and he couldn't stop it anymore, so he could only stand by the door and smile.

The light in the east ear room was very dim, it seemed to be a place to store sundries, Duan Wenrui's sharp eyes roamed around the room, and before he could move, he saw Liu Dazhuang take a step forward and dissuaded: "Master Duan, this room is dark and dusty, don't dirty your clothes." ”

"This house is tightly closed, where did the cat come from?" Duan Wenrui didn't even look at him, and muttered to himself.

Liu Dazhuang sneered: "I'm afraid I ran out from the beam." ”

Duan Wenrui kicked away the copper basin that fell in the middle of the room, and entered the ear room, which was full of sundries, at first glance, there was really nothing abnormal, in fact, he knew that there was no cat in this house at all, but why did Liu Dazhuang refuse to admit that it was the copper basin in the house that fell, but said that there was a cat doing tricks?

What did he want to hide? Duan Wenrui walked around the room, and found no valuable clues, he picked up the copper basin, threw it on the water tank on the side, and said with a smile: "This thing made a noise just now, right?"

"It should be. ”

The copper basin was thrown on the water tank, making a muffled sound, Duan Wenrui noticed that the sound was different, and he was about to check, but he saw Liu Dazhuang suddenly exert his strength, picked up the broom next to the door and shouted: "You beast again!

"Let's go, let's go!" Liu Dazhuang still waved at the beam.

Duan Wenrui knew that he couldn't check it anymore, so he could only go out of the ear room.

Gu Qian sat on the edge of the kang and watched the situation inside silently. It wasn't until Duan Wenrui came out of the ear room that the two exchanged glances: there must be a ghost inside.

Sensing Liu Dazhuang's abnormality, Gu Qian didn't continue, the rabbit was in a hurry and bit people, who knows what Liu Dazhuang can do if he investigates it again.

Duan Wenrui went out and slapped the dust, and when he came back, he simply opened the door curtain and ate and drank loudly. Liu Dazhuang sat at the bottom of the round table in the hall, and he could catch a glimpse of the situation in the room, and saw that the two adults did not look at the ear room, and his hanging heart suddenly relaxed a lot.

After the group finished lunch, the sun was already crooked, Gu Qian returned to Liu Xiaoqi's house, and after hurriedly interrogating the Zheng family and a group of neighbors, he was about to go home.

"Big master stay!" Seeing that Gu Qian was leaving, the Zheng family knelt down in front of Gu Qian with courage.

Gu Qian frowned and said impatiently, "What's the matter?"

"Please be aware of the weather, the weather is getting hot recently, and the husband's body cannot be put away for a long time, and please ask the lord to be merciful and allow the body of the deceased husband to be buried as soon as possible. ”

Zheng raised his red and swollen eyes from crying and looked at Gu Qian sadly, the people around him were all moved by her grief, and some old women silently wiped away their tears. Gu Qian looked around and found that the villagers were looking at him with expectant eyes, thinking about it, Liu Xiaoqi was dead, and there were no measures to preserve the corpse in ancient times, if this weather continued, Gu Qian himself wanted to cover his nose.

"Okay, let's bury Liu Xiaoqi first!"

"Master Xie's mercy! Master Xie's mercy!" Zheng was overjoyed, and kowtowed to Gu Qian.

"Natural disaster prevention, Liu Xiaoqi has passed away, you can do your best to prepare for him. Gu Qian looked at Zheng's overjoyed expression, and a trace of doubt rose in his heart, but he didn't show it, but encouraged him, and went out to get on the horse and leave.

"What do you think?" Gu Qian rode on his horse and said slowly to Duan Wenrui and Gu Xiaojiu.

"There's something weird. Duan Wenrui groaned: "Liu Dazhuang is suspicious, but Zheng is not very easy to say. ”

"Can the cause of Liu Xiaoqi's death be determined?" Gu Qian continued to ask.

"Don't hide it from my lord, Wen Rui has worked hard in Beixiang Silver Kiln for many years, and although I am not talented in terms of understanding gunpowder, ordinary people can't compare to me. Duan Wenrui smiled humbly and said: "The sky thunder splits people, it should be from top to bottom, not to mention whether the roof will crack, even if it cracks, it will not be a circular hole." ”

Gu Qian nodded and encouraged him to continue.

"Speaking of the earthen kang in the west chamber, a big pit collapsed in the center of the kang, and the dust in the house was splashed, together with the bloody explosion scars on Liu Xiaoqi's stomach, it can be concluded that it was a gunpowder explosion. ”

"Should he be killed?"

Duan Wenrui nodded affirmatively: "I'm sure." ”

"Then who is the murderer?" Gu Qian asked again.

"This ......" Duan Wenrui smiled bitterly: "This villain is not easy to judge. ”

"Didn't you just say that Liu Dazhuang was suspicious?"

"What do you think, my lord?" Duan Wenrui asked rhetorically: "Liu Dazhuang's family is adjacent to Liu Xiaoqi's family, and the power of the gunpowder explosion is so huge, why doesn't Liu Dazhuang even have the courage to probe it?" Duan Wenrui saw that Gu Qian was silent, and continued: "Besides, you also saw Liu Dazhuang's reaction just now, he is so afraid that we will enter the east ear room, is there any secret hidden inside?"

"When I was interrogating the Zheng family outside just now, you didn't take the opportunity to go in?" Gu Qian said with a smile.

"I can't hide it from the adults," Duan Wenrui also smiled, "The villain went into the West Chamber to investigate again, guess what I found?"

"Don't sell it, say it quickly!"

"My lord, at the west wall of Liu Xiaoqi's Kang Cave, the villain inserted a wooden stick into the new mud. ”

"New mud?!" Gu Qian was taken aback, "Are you sure?"

"It's true. Duan Wenrui was very sure: "If you don't believe it, you can check it again." ”

"Suspicious people don't need to be suspicious, can I still believe you?" Gu Qian glanced at him and said, "The other side of the kang cave of Liu Xiaoqi's family should be the wall of Liu Dazhuang's house, and the other side of the wall is ......" His eyes lit up, and Duan Wenrui said in unison: "East Ear Room!"

"My lord, shall we turn around now?" Duan Wenrui said excitedly.

"No, no," Gu Qian shook his head and said with a smile: "Just blowing up a hole doesn't mean anything, Liu Dazhuang can be said to have suffered an unwarranted disaster for his own family." The most important thing at the moment is to find the source of the gunpowder, which can blow up a hole in the house, how much gunpowder is needed?"

"At least twenty pounds, otherwise there is no such power. Duan Wenrui said very professionally.

"Do you know where gunpowder is sold? ”

"Silver kilns often deal with gunpowder, and I am familiar with all the shops in the city. ”

"Well, you go back to the city to investigate the source of the gunpowder, and be sure to find out the suspect who bought the gunpowder by tomorrow morning. Gu Qian said solemnly.

"Okay!" Duan Wenrui nodded and took the order.

Gu Qian looked at Duan Wenrui's distant back, and smiled at Gu Xiaojiu, who was pouring sobering tea on the side, "Xiao Jiu, are you awake?"

Gu Xiaojiu put down the water bladder in his hand and said with a bitter face: "Wake up." ”

"Okay, sir, I have something for you to do. ”

Because they were afraid that Liu Xiaoqi's body would be damaged, as soon as Gu Qian and the others left, the villagers of Luliu Village put on clothes and wrapped Liu Xiaoqi under the leadership of Liu Dazhuang and went to the funeral.

When the nails were hammered into the coffin, Zheng's crying sounded again, and the old women on the side also wiped their tears sadly, Zheng threw himself in front of the coffin, crying and begging the neighbors who were nailing the nails: "Please, uncles, light!"

"Liu Qi's family, don't worry!" An uncle glanced at Zheng, kept the hammer in his hand, and drove the big nail into the wooden board with two dings.

"Xianggong, how can you live if you leave the slave family alone!" Zheng Shi saw the nail driven into the coffin, wailing and almost fainting from crying.

"Liu Qijia, wake up!" The old women supported Zheng, seeing that her face was pale, and the person had fainted, several people pinched their fingertips and pinched people, and finally woke up Zheng.

Zheng had tears in his eyes, and he was choked up and speechless.

"Liu Qi's family, don't be too sad, you have to take care of yourself!" As soon as the old woman finished speaking, she saw Zheng suddenly covering her mouth and retching.

"Liu Qi's family!" the old woman was taken aback when she saw her reaction, they looked at each other, and finally said to Zheng in surprise: "You have it?"

"What?" Zheng asked, tilting his head sideways.

"I've got a baby! I'm pregnant!"

"What?" Zheng was stunned, "What do you mean to have a baby?"

"You stupid woman," an old woman with gray hair put her on the shoulders and said angrily, "You are still young, you don't understand this, women's mouths are sour, retching, and lazy, and they are generally bad babies." ”

"Really?" Zheng touched his stomach in disbelief and recalled: "I only said that I had been feeling unwell in my abdomen recently, and I didn't think about eating, and I didn't think about it, after all, I have been married to my husband for three years, and there has been no good news, so I ......"

"Good boy, it's no wonder that you don't know, you husband and wife have no good news, and everyone thinks you can't give birth, which Cheng thinks that the doll is here at this time. ”

"It's good to have it, but what if it's not?" Zheng hesitated.

"What's so difficult about that, ask the old Li Tou at the head of the village to check the pulse. ”

"But Xianggong has just ......"

"Listen to the eldest mother, let Lao Li take the pulse first, if there is really a baby, Xiao Qiquan has knowledge, maybe how happy he is!"

As soon as the words fell, there was another cry.

The Liu family was lost, and Lao Li was already outside to help, and when he heard that he wanted to check the pulse of Liu Qi's daughter-in-law, he hurriedly walked in with the eldest lady.

Not long after taking Zheng's arm, Lao Li nodded affirmatively: "Yes, it's Ximai." ”

"How many months?" asked the anxious lady with a roar.

"It's been more than two months. Old Li Tou glanced at Zheng and said uncertainly.

But Zheng Shi listened to his words, blushed, and said as if talking to himself: "It turned out to be ......" Seeing that she blushed, the old women all smiled tacitly.

"Okay, okay, let the little lady be quiet. The white-haired old woman thanked Lao Li Tou, and asked people to make a bowl of noodle soup for Zheng's to make up for it, and waited for everyone to leave before sitting next to Zheng's, and said to Zheng's without knowing whether she was happy or worried: "Little lady, I still have to talk to Liu Qi about this." ”

Zheng Shi restrained the joy on his face and slowly lowered his head: "Thank you, Auntie, I know." ”

At night, there were still two tables of vigils left in the courtyard of the Liu family.

These people are the neighbors of Liu Qi's family, Liu Dazhuang is old, and he settled the vigil and went back, but his son Liu Kang, who was an apprentice in the county seat, came back, and when he heard that Liu Xiaoqi was dead, Liu Kang's face was full of grief, and he cried fiercely holding Liu Xiaoqi's coffin.

After Liu Dazhuang left, Liu Kang naturally took over his father's place, either adding tea to the guardians who pushed pai gow, or helping the slightly older uncles light cigarettes.

In the middle of the night, when the people were hungry, the women who were helping were cooking hot noodle soup for everyone to eat. Liu Kang saw Zheng leaning against the wall of the mourning hall alone in a daze, so he took a bowl of noodles, walked in front of her with light steps, and said softly: "Sister-in-law, will you eat a bowl of hot noodle soup?"

More deeply exposed, Zheng was draped in a layer of cotton clothes, and there was a thick straw under his body, since the news of her pregnancy spread, Zheng's treatment suddenly changed, everyone advised her not to keep the spirit, but Zheng insisted on sending her deceased husband on the last journey, and everyone couldn't resist her, so they went with her.

In order to avoid her being afraid, there was always an old woman by her side, but Liu Kang came just right, and the old woman who accompanied the Zheng family happened to go to the thatched house.

Seeing Liu Kang's concerned eyes, Zheng's eyes turned red again, she thanked Liu Kang, and stretched out her hands to take the noodle bowl.

"Sister-in-law, eat it while it's hot!" Liu Kang said softly.

Zheng nodded, bowed his head and was about to raise the chopstick.

At this moment, a dark wind struck, and with two pops, the white candle in the mourning hall was extinguished.

"Ahh

"Give me back my life, give me back my life......" Zheng's screams were still echoing, and a figure with a cloak of flesh and blood slowly appeared in the mourning hall.