Chapter 21: Ten Years of White Bones (2)

"Yesterday I went to collect medicine, and the bridge I usually walk on was damaged by the water, so I passed from here. Who wanted to walk halfway, I took the dog and ran away. When I found it, it was digging the ground here, and then I saw what it had dug up, and when I saw something wrong, I called it to the police. ”

It was a pharmacy shopkeeper who spoke, and some medicines happened to draw new branches in the spring, so he went to pick them as before. Where did you know this would happen.

Bai Shui had already been to the pharmacy once, inspected it, and said, "My lord, I asked his neighbor family, he goes out to collect medicine every year, and the bridge is indeed broken, and he is indeed passing through here." ”

Su Yunkai nodded, comforted the shopkeeper a few words, and asked the official to send him back.

The trees in the woods are lush and pine, and they grow luxuriantly. It's just that there are few people here on weekdays, and because of the rainy weather in spring, there is a wet musty smell in the woods, and the sky is darker than outside. And this forest is closed, and the further you go inside, the more thorns block the way, and I cut a lot when I came in just now.

Mingyue had already led the officials to dig up the ground, and the straw mat wrapped in the bones was rotten, but perhaps because the pine trees were lush and tall, and the fallen leaves on the ground were a foot thick, the rain had not penetrated into the ground, and the soil next to the bones was still very dry.

Mingyue swept away the dirt around the bones, and the bones were exposed inch by inch until they were fully revealed.

The skeleton was in a somewhat curled position, but it lay down naturally. Mingyue couldn't help frowning, and Su Yunkai asked, "How is it?" ”

Mingyue squatted beside the bones and raised her head, "The bones have dried and brittle, and they have been dead for about ten to fifteen years. This man was buried here after he died. ”

Bai Shui asked, "Didn't you get buried alive?" ”

"If it's buried alive, the posture won't be so natural. And there is also a straw mat wrap, although the straw mat is rotten to the point of not being in shape, judging from the remaining corners, it was well wrapped at that time. ”

"What is the cause of death?"

"You'll have to have a bone test to find out." After Mingyue finished speaking, she looked up at the sky again, "I think it's been raining lately, so I have to wait if the weather is clear." ”

Su Yunkai asked, "Do you have to have a sunny day?" ”

Mingyue replied, "Not really, it's just that the bones are better on a sunny day." But it's okay on a cloudy day, 'steaming bones' on a sunny day, and 'boiling' on a cloudy day. ”

Bai Shui swallowed, "You should be a dish." ”

"It's almost like cooking."

The stomachs of the servants couldn't help shrinking.

Su Yun smiled, stretched out his hand and dragged her up, saw that her hair was covered with mud, and patted it gently, "Then how do you 'cook'?" ”

Mingyue also slapped her face indiscriminately, but her hands were stained with mud, and this shot was even dirtier. She didn't know at all, and explained, "You have to use wine and vinegar to steam the bones, and when you hold a red oil-paper umbrella and shine it on the bones in two hours, you can see the red lines and the shade of blood." As for boiling bones, you can find a jar, boil vinegar first, then put the bones, then add salt and white plum, boil and take out the bones, and look at the lamp, you can also see where the bones were injured before birth. ”

He finally knew why it was called boiling bones, and it was indeed the method of cooking. He didn't hear anything, but the faces of others were ugly, and he just begged not to cook ribs and other dishes at home today, otherwise how to swallow it.

Mingyue didn't worry about the servants coming to sort out the bones, and after explaining this, she jumped back into the pit again, and her fearless appearance stunned others. I heard just now that she was a fool and everyone was talking about her displeasure in working with women, and they looked at each other at this meeting, and no one mentioned it.

Su Yunkai didn't stop her, she was a fool, and only by doing her own thing could she serve the public. At this time, it was already dark, and the mountain rain was coming. He carried a lantern to light her, and he followed her as she went, and as she moved. Mingyue people moved freely in the pit, and Su Yunkai stood on a high place to play lanterns, and he had to stretch out his hand, even more tired than Mingyue. The man who was cleaning the bones in the pit didn't seem to notice that he was the one who illuminated it, and was just focused on searching for the bones.

The officials had already gone to the neighborhood to ask the people, and Mingyue didn't let the layman touch it, so there were only two people left. Su Yunkai saw that her face was covered with mud but she didn't know that a pair of bright eyes were illuminated by the lantern like a black pearl under the moon, as bright as the sun, which could dispel the clouds.

After a long time, Su Yunkai saw that her willow eyebrows were tightened, looked back and forth, and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"There's still a phalanx missing." Mingyue only heard the voice after answering, and when she looked up, it was really him. She was surprised, "You've been lighting me?" ”

Su Yun laughed, "Isn't it a bad fight?" ”

"Of course not, if I didn't fight well, I would have cursed people a long time ago." Mingyue coughed lightly, "I don't have a bad temper at all, especially when I'm in a hurry." ”

"I think it's good." Su Yunkai said, "There is only one bone left, then I should be able to go down, and I don't have to worry about stepping on the broken bones." ”

"Hmm."

The pit is not very big, and they all bend down to look for something, and the place seems small.

However, Mingyue didn't have this mind at all, this would not be so focused, but she noticed the gloomy atmosphere in the vicinity. The evening breeze is cold, and I feel even colder. She pulled Su Yunkai's clothes and leaned next to him, "I'm a little scared." ”

Su Yunkai handed the lantern to her and lit up the front of her, "I'm here, if you're afraid, talk to me." ”

Mingyue grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "That phalanx bone must have been eaten by the shopkeeper's dog." ”

"Probably not, the shopkeeper said that the dog was digging up the ground at the time, digging up something, and didn't eat it."

"But I can't find it, it should be near my hand, but I can't find it."

When she had said she had nothing to say, she muttered to herself, moving next to him, her head almost reaching the crook of his arm. Su Yunkai felt that she was really afraid of ghosts, but she was not afraid at all during the autopsy, and she was not afraid just now, she could only say that she was too focused and forgot to be frightened. Once you get out of that state, you quickly lose your vajra mind.

She grunted and grumbled, and later began to sing. Su Yunkai listened and couldn't help but look down at her, "What are you singing?" ”

"Our local minor."

Su Yunkai, who knew a little about the rhythm, asked, "Why doesn't it sound out of tune?" ”

Mingyue blushed and buried her head deeper, "...... I have a bad voice and sing out of tune. ”

Su Yun smiled openly, "Sing it, I won't sue others." ”

When Mingyue heard this, she continued to hum the song. Su Yunkai still didn't feel like a song, and the tune ran hard, but he didn't feel unpleasant. Like chanting something, just a little shaky.

The singing stopped suddenly, Su Yun paused slightly, and her sleeves were immediately pulled by her, and when she turned her head to look at her, she was full of excitement, holding a piece of white bone wrapped in mud and said, "Found it!" ”

You can't use a tin can to boil the bones, otherwise the boiled bones will turn black. Mingyue forgot to explain this, and the official prepared a tin can, so she had to look for it again.

Qin Fang returned to the yamen in the evening thinking that there would be food to eat, and whoever wanted to go to the grove went to sleep, who wanted to wake up and the yamen was no one. I had to go and find food by myself, and when I touched the kitchen, I saw Mingyue there, and immediately jumped in, "Miss Mingyue, you are too much, you don't even call me when you eat." ”

Mingyue saw that he was going to tilt his head to look at the pile of white bones, for fear of scaring him, so she covered the cloth bag and didn't show him. Qin Fang was biased to watch, swaying left and right so that the bright moon was dazzled, and he flashed by him without paying attention.

"Don't ......"

Mingyue stepped forward to stop him, Qin Fang had already opened the baggage, and saw a skull lying on top of a pile of fragmented white bones, with holes in the eyes like eyes, looking straight at him.

He opened his mouth, rolled his eyes, and fainted. was so frightened that Mingyue hurriedly supported him, and was almost not overwhelmed by him.

Su Yunkai, who happened to come in with the jar, saw it and hurriedly stepped forward to support him. Mingyue stretched out her hand to pinch Qin Fangzhong, but she didn't even wake him up, how dizzy is this!

Su Yunkai saw that he didn't wake up, so he had to hand the jar to Mingyue, "I'll carry him back, you wait." ”

Mingyue responded, and when he left, he poured the vinegar into the jar and boiled it in the pot first.

The vinegar dissipates quickly when it is hot, and the smell is strong, and it doesn't take long for the kitchen to be full of vinegar. Mingyue methodically put things in one by one, and waited for the water to boil before moving away the bones.

As soon as he put the things away, Su Yunkai came back. Mingyue calculated the time, it would take a while to get to Qin Fang's room this time, did he have to run back and forth?

She smiled, "Why are you running so fast, are you afraid that I will be eaten." ”

Su Yun laughed, and his breath was not yet out of breath. There was no one else in the kitchen, so should she be left alone to cook the bones here? Didn't he say that if she said he was afraid, he would accompany her? "I'm anxious to see how to cook the bones," he said. ”

"Well, we'll see soon, just wait for the water to boil." Mingyue took dry firewood and added fire, and the stove burned vigorously. She said with a little sorrow, "In case your brother-in-law knows that this stove has burned bones, he will ...... Can you still eat the food that comes out of here? ”

Su Yunkai curled the corners of his mouth, "It's better to let him go out to eat, so as not to always quarrel with Bai Zhutou." ”

Thinking of the two who stared at each other as soon as they met, eager to have an over-the-shoulder fall at any time, Mingyue also smiled, "That's right." ”

The firewood burned vigorously, and it didn't take long for the water to boil. Mingyue didn't remove the fire, but just moved the jar away, pinched out the bones, washed them in clean water, wiped off the water with a dry cloth, and put them in front of the stove where the fire was still strong and looked at the light.

Mingyue slowly flipped the bones in her hand, and her voice was slow, "His bones are not blackened, which means that he didn't die of poisoning." But judging from the posture of the dead, it is not buried alive. If you have been hit hard with a blunt force before death, you will usually injure your bones. When the bones are damaged and scarred, blood will seep into the bones, and the broken parts of the bones will appear red and blue-black. ”

There are generally two hundred and six adult human bones, but not every piece has to be examined, and Mingyue took a few of the most potentially fatal bones to check. The skull was not found, nor was the backbone, and when the chest bone was obtained, the boiled bone was illuminated by the firelight, and even Su Yunkai, who was a little farther away, could see it.

On that bone, there is a trace of blue-black!