Lu Jinping said: "I am investigating this case now, don't leave the village for the past two days, be on call, if you escape, I think you have a weak heart and absconded for fear of crime, do you hear?" ”

Winter melon head muttered: "I have a few businesses to deal with in the same state, I'm going to run, this business can't afford to delay." As soon as she said this, the village next to her kicked him in the ass and said, "You dare to contradict you, sir?" You don't want to live anymore. ”

"No, I don't. How dare I talk back to the lord, I'll just say it, no matter how big the business is, it can't be as big as the lord's orders, and I will listen to whatever the lord says. I'm just not leaving. ”

Only then did Lu Jinping get up and leave the winter melon head house.

When he came to the street at the entrance of the village, Lu Jinping said to the county magistrate and the county lieutenant of Tong County: "My sister-in-law and I live in Su Laohan's house, so you can go to the village or other places to live." ”

Tong County Linghe County Lieutenant wished there was Lu Jinping's words, they didn't want to live on the kang of the common people, I don't know if there is a quilt cover in this cold winter, not to mention the most terrible lice, biting all over the body, I can't wear any clothes when I get home, all of them are burned, and now Lu Jinping said this, of course, he was overjoyed, but his face was apologetic, and he said, "Presumably, the old Han's family can't live with so many of us." Then we won't bother, follow the lord's arrangement, and live somewhere else, if the lord has any orders, we will be on call. ”

Lu Jinping said: "Don't patronize eating and drinking, send people to go door-to-door in the village to find out, and see if anyone saw Su Laohan's son that day, and where did he see what was going on?" The details must be clearly stated, and any news will be reported to me as soon as possible. ”

Tong County Ling and the county lieutenant hurriedly agreed, and ordered his subordinates to hurry up and go door-to-door to investigate and visit.

So, Lu Jinping took Ye Qingqing to follow Su Laohan and Su Sanmei to their house, the Su family was really very simple, a fence wall surrounded three simple wooden houses, and after entering, the house was deserted. After all, the two were away from home for many days.

Su Laohan didn't expect the lord to live in his house, so he didn't prepare anything, and when he got home, he hurriedly lit a fire and boiled water.

When Su Sanmei quickly scooped two bowls of brown rice from a rice bowl and squatted at the door to wash rice. Lu Jinping smelled a familiar smell, which was the musty smell of aged brown rice. Lu Jinping has been eating this kind of rice with Ye Qingqing for more than half a year, and he is very familiar with it. But when he became an official, he never ate again, now. Do you want to remember the bittersweet again?

Ye Qingqing leaned into Lu Jinping's ear and whispered, "I'll go and tell the people from the county government to let them bring some white rice, right?" ”

Lu Jinping hurriedly shook his head and glanced at Ye Qingqing reproachfully. Ye Qingqingqiao's face was slightly red, and she lowered her head and stopped talking.

After Su Sanmei scooped up the aged brown rice, put it in a Ding jar, added water, and began to cook rice, and then ran to the vegetable garden behind the house to pull a pot of green vegetables back.

Ye Qingqing hurriedly stepped forward to help, but Su Sanmei blushed and shook her head and said no, and then squatted in the yard and carried a bucket of water in the well to wash it carefully.

Su Laohan has already boiled hot water, and there is no tea at home. I could only use an earthen bowl to hold two bowls of boiling water, put them on a small square table in the middle of the room, and invited Lu Jinping and the two of them to drink water.

Lu Jinping looked around and sighed: "Your family's life is not very good." ”

Su Laohan nodded, sighed and said: "Family and everything is prosperous, we just suffer from discord at home, I had a serious illness more than ten years ago, and my health has been poor, I can't go to the ground, I can only help do some light work." The survival of the family depends on my son. But after my son married his daughter-in-law, the two of them fought and quarreled all day long. My daughter-in-law hooked up with three and four, and my son was even more angry. Where is there still the heart to take care of farm work. Planting crops is like serving someone, and if you don't serve it well, he won't give you a good face. People can make 300 catties of rice per acre of land, but our family can't even beat 200 catties. In addition, my daughter-in-law brings her in-laws' things to her mother's house from time to time, and every time my son has to quarrel with him, how can such a family be good? It's good to be able to make ends meet without begging on the streets. ”

"Is your daughter-in-law's village far from here?"

"It's not far. It's just a ten mile road over the mountain. ”

"Can you make a hard trip and call her, I have something to ask her."

Lu Jinping felt that if he didn't do anything again this night, he wouldn't let Su Laohan think that he was doing his best to help him investigate the case, so although he didn't have any hope that he could get any useful information from Su Laohan's daughter-in-law and find out any problems, he felt that doing so would comfort the poor old man and say that he was working hard to investigate the case.

Su Laohan was a little hesitant, he really didn't want to see his daughter-in-law, in fact, he scolded his daughter-in-law when she left their house, but now he asked him to invite his daughter-in-law back, which is really a bit faceless.

Lu Jinping saw his hesitant appearance and guessed what he was thinking. At that moment, he said, "I will send two catchers to follow you, you only need to lead the way." When she arrives, the arrester will bring her over, and now it is the Yamen to investigate the case, and she must come to listen to the questioning. ”

Su Laohan heard Lu Jinping say this, so he could only agree, not to mention that now there is a yamen to summon her, not to ask for it himself. He was just leading the way, so he nodded in agreement. stood up and told his granddaughter to take care of the lord, and then followed Lu Jinping out of the door.

There are two catchers at the door, which are arranged by the Tong County Order to listen to Lord Lu's orders at the door at any time. After Lu Jinping told them, the two catchers hurriedly agreed and left with the old man.

After Su Laohan left, Su Sanmei seemed a little at a loss, and the rice was not good at this time, so she sat on the threshold, hugged her knees and looked at the twilight in a daze, and did not come to talk to Lu Jinping to say hello.

Soon, the house was filled with the smell of rice, which was particularly attractive at night in the mountain village.

Ye Qingqing walked to Su Sanmei's side, sat side by side with her on the threshold, looked sideways at her and said, "Do you have anything on your mind?" I see that you don't speak. ”

A reluctant smile appeared at the corner of Su Sanmei's mouth, and the smile disappeared in an instant like a white horse, and became cool and lonely again, looking down at the straw sandals under her feet, her toes were exposed, and she kept shrinking in, as if she was afraid of others laughing.

Ye Qingqing put her arms around her shoulders distressedly and said, "If you want to change your clothes, you won't change them, isn't it cold?" ”

Su Sanmei smiled shallowly, and half of her neat white front teeth could be seen from the gap between her lips.

Lu Jinping also walked out, holding a small stool and sitting next to them under the eaves outside the door, looking at the distant mountains and the twilight, as if talking to the two and seemed to be talking to himself: "Home and everything is prosperous, this sentence is really true, if a person respects his parents, husband and wife rely on each other, and care for his children, such a family will definitely prosper, but if he fights all day long, then such a family can't work together, what can be done?" People's hearts are moving together, this is the case in the country, and it is also the case in small families. ”

As soon as she heard this, Su Sanmei's head lowered even lower, almost buried in her arms.

Ye Qingqing, who was hugging her shoulders, felt her body trembling slightly, as if she heard a sobbing sound, and was about to comfort her, when suddenly, she saw a scar on the back of her neck from her lowered head, and couldn't help but be taken aback, and looked up at Lu Jinping.

Lu Jinping came over to take a look, couldn't help but sigh, his thick eyebrows locked, and said to Su Sanmei: "What's the matter with the injury on your neck?" It seems to have been pinched. ”

Su Sanmei was startled, and quickly covered it with her hands, pulled her hair to block it, and didn't speak, just towards Lu Jinping.

Lu Jinping said: "Don't be afraid, I am the official master, I will be the master for you, no matter who bullies you, I will bring him to justice, who will break your neck?" You tell me, don't be afraid. ”

Su Sanmei kept shaking her head, stood up in a panic, and walked into the house. Walking to the stove, I picked up the cracked lid of the pot, and saw that the rice cooked in it was not yet cooked, but it was almost there, so I quickly put the washed vegetables in the pot and began to cook.

Ye Qingqing walked up to her and said, "Third sister, you must tell the lord that someone pinching your neck is not a joke, what is going on?" The lord came to investigate the case of your father's tragic death, and if this matter is related to your father's case, it is likely to be able to help your father's tragic case, do you understand? ”

"Why should I help him?" Su Sanmei's words were sad and angry, and although her voice was very soft, it was enough for Ye Qingqing to hear it. couldn't help but glance at Lu Jinping who came over.

Lu Jinping didn't speak, because at this time, he was afraid that he would call back the words that Su Sanmei had already spoken about.

Ye Qingqing guessed something from Su Sanmei's expression and asked, "Why are you unwilling to help your father redress his grievances?" Is this wound on the back of your neck, ...... your father pinched it? ”

Su Sanmei nodded slowly, propped her hands on the stove, and tears fell on the stove one after another.

"You are so obedient and sensible, why is he pinching you? Why? ”

Su Sanmei sobbed and finally spoke: "I don't know, I really don't know!" No matter what I do, my father is not satisfied, he always gets angry for no reason, pulls my hair and beats me to death, kneels on my back with his knees, chokes my neck, my mother comes to save me, he beats my mother, pinches my mother's neck, and also chokes to death. pinched the mother to roll her eyes and pant before letting go. My mother and I have been careful to accommodate him, and we don't dare to offend him for anything, but we still have to be bullied like this......"

Su Sanmei choked up and wiped her tears as she spoke.

Ye Qingqing's eyes turned red when she heard this, and she hugged her in her arms, and Su Sanmei hugged Ye Qingqing's waist and cried. (To be continued.) )