As the days passed, the people of the village gradually forgot about it, and only occasionally heard people talk about it, and it seemed that it had all passed......

In the evening, the quiet village was broken again, and all the people in the village came back early, as if they were discussing something along the way, and the expression on their faces was very anxious, and they didn't even have time to go home and put down the goods in their hands, so everyone rushed to the village chief's house in unison.

Looking at their appearance, Shen Huan felt strange and followed them together, standing in the corner with Song Shi and listening to them talk about what happened today.

The place at home is not big, everyone is gossiping, Song Yi was very confused when he heard it, and quickly stopped everyone: "What are you talking about?" Pointing to one of the oldest men, he said, "Old Five, tell me, what's going on." ”

A simple woman brought a bowl of water and put it in front of Lao Wu, who was Song Yi's daughter-in-law, and the younger people in the village called her Aunt Song.

After taking two sips of the water bowl and moistening his dry throat, Lao Wu opened his mouth and said, "Uncle, here's the thing, do you remember the dead man who was caught in our village a few days ago?"

"Well, what's wrong? Isn't that over? Song Yi felt strange.

The fifth elder sighed and said: "Originally, we went to the market today, but the stall had just been rolled out, and we saw the government grabbing a person. It's no one else! It's actually the sixth guy! At that time, a few of us were very strange, how could such an honest person as the sixth man make trouble! So a few of us went to the yamen with us, and we inquired about the officers, and it didn't matter, but it frightened a few of us! ”

"What's wrong?"

"I heard from the people in the yamen that the sixth child committed a murder case! Say it's killing someone! It's the dead man who was caught in our village! ”

Song Yi was shocked when he heard it! Hurriedly asked: "Didn't the county lord say that he committed suicide?" Why did it become the sixth killer again? ”

"yes, that's what we asked! But the people in the county government said that after the dead man was pulled back, someone came to identify the body that day, saying that the dead person was the shopkeeper of the sixth worker's house! At that time, the sixth child went to Suzhou with him to buy goods, but only the sixth came back, but the shopkeeper died outside! So the dead man's mother-in-law cried and shouted that it was the sixth man who had killed someone, and the yamen arrested someone. ”

Song Yi frowned and said, "This is absolutely impossible!" The sixth kid grew up with a few of us, not to mention killing, since he was a child, he didn't even dare to kill chickens, how could he have the courage to kill people! ”

The fifth elder sighed: "Yes! Let's say the same! It's useless! I heard that the sixth child can't bear the board in the yamen, and he has already drawn it! So a few of us hurriedly collected the stall and came back, uncle, can you see if there is anything else you can do? ”

Song Yi thought about it carefully and said, "In this way, tomorrow you and I will go to the yamen to see the sixth child, if it is really the sixth person who killed someone, it will be his own doing!" But if it is wronged, we can't ignore it, even if it is sued to the state capital, we must return the innocence of the sixth child! ”

Hearing Song Yi say this, the old people in the village also nodded one after another, for the countryside of that era, almost everyone in a village was a little bit related to the past, so it was impossible to sit idly by and watch their relatives fall, not only because of face, but also because of a bit of family affection.

The matter was agreed, and Song Yi instructed everyone again: "Also, everyone must not talk about this matter!" Especially if you have to hide it from the sixth! is old, his wife left early, and there is only this single seedling left in the family, if she knows about it, won't it cost her her life! ”

"Got it, we'll be careful."

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Shen Huan leaned motionless against the door, not knowing what he was thinking, until Song Shi called him several times before he reacted.

Looking at him like that, Song Shi asked strangely, "Brother Shen, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing...... I'll go first......" Shen Huan didn't say anything, turned around and left the Song family.

Looking at his back, Song Shi always felt that Shen Huan had changed, but he couldn't tell where he had changed......

On the way home, what happened just now was still in my mind, and I couldn't get rid of it, and the nightmare I had the day before yesterday seemed to still be in front of me, and the two were entangled and stirred together, so that Shen Huan didn't notice the scene in front of him at all, and he didn't wake up until he bumped into someone.

"Aunt Li, why are you here? Did you hurt anything? It's all my fault, thinking that things didn't notice you, you hurry up. Shen Huan hurriedly helped Aunt Li up and dusted off her body for her.

"I'm fine, I just heard that everybody's back, so I came out and had a look. Xiao Shen, can you help me see if our sixth child has come back? He's been out for days and hasn't come back yet! I'm really not at ease. ”

Aunt Li's words froze Shen Huan there all of a sudden, in fact, the person he bumped into was none other than Li Laoliu's mother! Since the death of Li Laoliu's father, Aunt Li has worked hard to raise her only son. In order to make a living, Aunt Li worked almost day and night, and finally raised Li Lao Liu safely and peacefully.

The son is older, the family has strong labor, and Aunt Li's life finally has hope, but she didn't think that the sky would not obey people's wishes, a serious illness two years ago almost killed her, although she finally survived, but the two eyes lost their light forever......

"I didn't come back, I didn't see the sixth brother, but I just heard the fifth brother say that the sixth brother has been busy in the store recently, so it will take a while to come back." Shen Huan didn't dare to tell her the truth, and he also understood that the old man couldn't withstand such a blow......

"Oh...... In this way, this kid is honest, and always wants to make a little more money to show me his eyes, but in fact, it's nothing if I can't see with my eyes, as long as he can be safe. Alas...... When I marry a daughter-in-law, I don't need to worry about it as a blind woman......"

“……”

Shen Huan didn't answer, and helped Aunt Li back to his home, and just as he was about to say goodbye and leave, Aunt Li stopped him again.

I saw Aunt Li groping with her hands on the wardrobe next to the bed, slowly opened the wooden board on the top, took out a piece of clothing from it, and handed it to Shen Huan......

"Xiao Shen, this dress was made for you by Aunt Li before she was blind, I originally wanted to give it to you when you went to take the exam this year, but I didn't expect you to stay in the capital last time you left and didn't come back. These two years have passed, and I don't know if you have grown taller, and if it doesn't fit, you go back and wear it to see, if it doesn't fit, ask your Aunt Song to change it for you, and I will keep the cloth! This cloth was brought back by the sixth child, and I wanted to make a ...... for each of you."

Aunt Li was still talking, but Shen Huan didn't even listen to half a word at this time, and looked at the dress in her hand blankly...... I returned home with my clothes, lying on the bed and quietly looking at the ceiling, the moon gradually rose, illuminating everything in the room, along with the clothes next to me, also reflecting the white moonlight at this moment......

Early the next morning, Song Shi was already preparing to go on the road with the ox cart, but at this moment, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind! Looking back, it was none other than Shen Huan!

"Uncle, I'll go with you!"

Song Yi turned his head to look at him, as if he was a little angry, "It's okay, you are full of poetry and books, and you are always more measured than a few of us, you can talk to the county master in a while!" ”

Carrying the ox cart out of the village, Song Shi whispered to Shen Huan and smiled: "I thought you really didn't care about this!" Do you know? Yesterday, after my father saw that you left without saying a word, he was so angry that he gave you so many books to read! ”

Hearing this, Shen Huan smiled slightly and didn't say anything......

When I came to the county office, it was already noon, and the prison was gloomy and cold, which made people a little frightened, the sixth man was a thin man, not tall, wearing a tattered and thin prison uniform, and a few blood stains oozed from his clothes, it seemed that he had indeed been tortured. At this moment, Li Lao Liu was huddled by the wall with a pile of straw, his eyes were blank and his lips were chapped...... The bowl of cold rice at the door didn't seem to have been moved......

Song Yi called softly: "Sixth." “

Li Lao Liu came back to his senses and looked at them, called "uncle" and cried, this kind of cry is very strange, like grievance, like despair, which makes people listen to it very unpleasantly......

Song Yi took out some wine and food from the basket he brought with him, handed it in, and said, "Child, are you hungry?" I've brought you some food and drinks, so let's eat them quickly. “

Li Lao Liu crawled over from the corner of the wall, looked at the food and cried, fried fish, coconut white, stewed chicken soup are all his favorite things, even the pot of rice wine next to him exudes a familiar fragrance, he understands that this is a meal made by his mother......

Picking up the chopsticks and tasting a few bites, Li Laoliu cried while eating, the familiar taste constantly stimulated his nerves, and it didn't take long for him to lie on the ground and cry......

Everyone didn't say anything, everyone understood that what he needed now was to vent, otherwise he would go crazy before he was beheaded......

After about a stick of incense, Li Lao Liu gradually calmed down.

Only then did Song Yi step forward and ask, "Sixth, what's going on?" Tell us about it. ”

"Uncle! I didn't kill anyone! I was wronged! No matter how I say they don't believe it, and they beat me on the board, I really have no choice but to draw a bet, it doesn't matter if I die, but what should I do! ”

Seeing that Li Laoliu's mood fluctuated again, Shen Huan hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sixth brother, of course we know that you are wronged!" If you want to clear your name, then please tell me what happened that day! I'll find out the truth! Return your innocence! ”

Shen Huan's words were not loud, but they made people feel loud! Li Lao Liu looked at Shen Huan blankly, for some reason, he would actually believe what Shen Huan said! Completely forgetting that the person in front of me is just a reader who can read and write......

"A few days ago, I went to Suzhou with our shopkeeper to buy goods, and the weather was not very good on the day I came back, and it rained halfway through.......," Li Lao Liu recounted what happened that day......

...................

"Damn! What the hell is this weather! “

Shopkeeper Wu hid under the gazebo on the official road and complained, the lightning and thunder outside, it is indeed rare for such a big thunderstorm to have in the late autumn season.

Li Lao Liu covered the last box of goods with a tarpaulin, and then entered the pavilion to wipe the rain on his face and said: "Yes, this rain is really coming, it has rained so much, and it is not easy to walk on this road." ”

In ancient times, there were basically dirt roads, and the goods on the car were heavy, and it was easy to get stuck in the mud. Shopkeeper Wu looked at the sky, estimated that he couldn't stop for a while, so he said to the sixth child: "Sixth, when the rain stops, you can go back slowly by yourself, and I will go first." ”

When Li Laoliu heard this, he persuaded: "Shopkeeper, why are you rushing back in such a heavy rain?" The proprietor has said that this batch of goods is not in a hurry, and it will be sunny in a few days, and it will not be too late to go after the road is dry! ”

Shopkeeper Wu seemed to be talking to himself and sighed, "Alas...... If I don't go back today, I don't know what will become of my family! ”

"What's wrong? What's going on at home? ”

"It's your business, something happened to your family!" Shopkeeper Wu gave him a blank look, and after speaking, he took an umbrella and stepped on the mud and left.

Since then, the shopkeeper has not been seen again until his body is recovered......

................

After listening to the sixth child's narration, Shen Huan had a rough idea in his heart, but he didn't say anything.

The sixth cried: "Now, the shopkeeper's daughter-in-law accuses me of killing the shopkeeper, saying that I went out with him to buy goods but only one person came back, if the shopkeeper is killed, then it must have nothing to do with me!" Now even if I jump into the Yellow River, I can't wash it, the county lord believed her words and tortured me, I really can't stand it......"

Seeing Li Laoliu crying again, Shen Huan's face also sank, he could imagine that Li Laoliu must have suffered a great pain, but he had nothing to do in the face of this, because in this era, it is very normal and legal for county officials to extort confessions by torture......