Everyone was puzzled, and they all looked at the Lu family brothers and sisters.

Lu Tingxiu calculated: "At first, we suspected that there was something wrong with the land, but your land is no different from theirs, and the only thing you don't need is water. ”

"Water?" Dadong was puzzled, "We have always taken water from the river stream, and there has never been a problem, and you also used a silver needle to measure it just now." ”

"As long as the amount of poison in the water is low enough, the silver needle will not be able to detect it." Xia Qiu hesitated for a moment and asked, "Third Brother Shi, you have traveled a lot of places in the mountains to hunt all year round, do you know anything unusual near the upper reaches of the river?" ”

Shi San thought for a long time, but didn't have any clue, "This radius of more than ten miles is full of endless mountains, and there is not even a human figure, just occasionally there are wild beasts." ”

Xia Qiu turned sideways and whispered to Lu Tingxiu: "Xiong Er's face is also brown and red, he should also be poisoned by arsenic, and it is very likely that he has lived in this area for a long time." In this way, it can explain why his body appeared in the upper reaches of Xiajia Village.

Lu Tingxiu had doubts about Xiong Lao's skin color, but considering that the laborers had been exposed to the sun for a long time, it was not impossible for the skin to darken.

Lu Ting repaired his thoughts and asked again, "Is there often outsiders in this village?" Or is there another group of people living in the vicinity, who may have moved here in the last year or two? ”

Water doesn't go bad for no reason, something must be wrong.

As soon as he said this, Shi San slapped his head suddenly, "Yes!" ”

The eyes of the two lit up, and they said in unison: "Where is it?" ”

"On the west corner, about six or seven miles from our village, you have to cross eight or nine mountains to get there."

Shi San made a living from hunting, and drilled into the deep mountains and old forests all year round. About half a year ago, he chased a wild boar to the edge of a cliff and stumbled upon a huge hole in the valley.

The entrance to the cave was dug by hand, and from time to time stones were lifted out of it.

He was so preoccupied with the boar that he didn't think much about it at the time and never went again.

Now that I think about it, I still hear the sharp sound of banging and the intermittent green smoke.

The valley was at the top of the village's water source.

Shi San has been hunting for more than ten years, and he doesn't know when the gang appeared, but he passed by when he released the animal trap two years ago, and there was nothing abnormal at that time.

That's right.

The imperial court strictly forbade private mining, and mining and smelting were managed by the Ministry of Industry.

The ore contains arsenic, and the private discharge of sewage will inevitably cause water and soil pollution, and the people of the village drank the poisonous stream water, which is why they got sick.

The villagers had never touched the book cover, so they naturally did not know the harm of mineral discharge, and thought it was a punishment from the mountain god.

However, before the matter was clarified, Lu Tingxiu did not dare to make a conclusion, so as not to arouse public anger.

The people in the mountains are simple, and when they learned that the Lu family brothers and sisters wanted to go to the mine, Shi San agreed without saying a word.

Under his leadership, the two crossed the mountains and came to the edge of the cliff.

Xia and Autumn have a keen hearing, even if the cliff is far away from the valley, but because of the open terrain, the voice can be heard more clearly.

On the other side of the river, there were shirtless laborers digging in caves, and then carrying them out in baskets and carrying them to the open area for smelting.

Lu Tingxiu made it clear that there were people guarding the mine, not only to prevent workers from sneaking away, but also to prevent outsiders. The guards are dressed in dark color suits, and judging from their appearance, they have a way to go, and their martial arts foundation is not bad.

This mine is small in scale and backward in smelting, and it is by no means the work of the imperial court, but a private mine.

The surrounding terrain was steep, and Lu Tingxiu wondered, "How can their things be transported out?" ”

Shi San was familiar with the terrain of mountains and forests, and soon took the Lu brothers to find a relatively flat road. The trail is a bit winding but leads straight to the outside.

Lu Tingxiu walked along the mountain, and sure enough, he found traces of the wheel pressing, and there was black powder next to the wheel.

Pick it up and twist it, and put it in the nose to smell it, it is black coal powder, which is also a product controlled by the imperial court, and is mostly used for smelting.

These people deceived laborers into mining in the mountains at sky-high prices, and the mine pollution poisoned the villagers, and their evil deeds were outrageous.

What's even more creepy is that they don't hesitate to break the law and violate the ban of the imperial court.

If you guess the worst, it's creepy.

At that time, it was already dusk, and the mine was heavily defended, which was not conducive to further investigation.

Lu Tingxiu hurriedly returned to the yamen, asked Shi San about the surrounding terrain, and then asked him to go back and inform the villagers that in addition to no longer drinking the stream water, the crops grown in the fields could not be eaten.

Shi San vaguely guessed it, and said angrily: "It's these people who have harmed our village?" ”

"Now it's just a guess, we need the government to intervene to find out the truth. Wait patiently, I'll send a skilled doctor. ”

Lu Tingxiu repeatedly told him not to publicize the matter of the private mine, so as not to lose the villagers' minds. The villagers are seriously ill and are by no means a match for the gang of mines.

Shi San knew the severity and pointed out a shortcut to the two of them out of the mountain.

On the way back to the city, Xia Qiu was silent and full of thoughts.

Lu Tingxiu asked, "Dadong's poison, can it be cured?" ”

Xia Qiu took a deep breath and said for a long time: "The poison has entered the internal organs, and the medicine can only prolong life slightly." ”

Judging from Xiong Laoer's situation, most of the other deceived laborers are more than lucky, and they live in groups and cannot escape the doom of chronic poisoning.

For his own selfish interests, he disregarded hundreds of lives. This kind of wordless anger reminded Xia Qiu of the purgatory-like tragedy in her previous life again, and her heart was tumbling in her heart.

Lu Tingxiu was also in a heavy mood, thinking of a way to deal with it.

After a day of running, Xia Qiu's feet were swollen again, and it became more and more difficult to walk.

The road is far away, and Lu Tingxiu puts a section on his back, alternating in turns.

The moonlight was gloomy, Xia Qiu was lying quietly on Lu Tingxiu's back, and the corners of his eyes were suddenly extremely sour.

Sad, caught off guard.

The darkness spreads in the mountains and forests, and it seems that there is an endless dense net, and she is like a lonely soul wandering in the eternal night, and she can only stay when she encounters the harbor of Lu Tingxiu.

hand, subconsciously hugged his neck, Xia Qiu nasal voice was serious, "......"

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't say anything.

Hurried all the way, and it was late at night when I returned to the county seat. Lu Tingxiu couldn't take a breath, and went to the yamen without stopping.

Wei Ge came back in the evening, he found the source along the eastward mountain range, the surrounding mountains were not abnormal, and he returned to the confluence of the branch sources and waited for no one for a long time, thinking that the two of them went back first.

During Lu Tingxiu's absence, Xu Mingliang was anxious to solve the case, and took it upon himself to let the second Xiong Zuo autopsy.

Xiong's family was shocked, and the whole family went to the yamen, where they were arrested and locked in prison.

Lu Tingxiu learned that Xu Mingliang was severely criticized.

The customs are different in various places, Liangzhou is especially particular, the dead are large, the corpse has to be complete, and only after death can they be reincarnated. Xu Mingming's position is correct, but the family of the deceased should be moved with reason and emotion, rather than forcibly performing an autopsy.

The Xiong family's troubles are known to the whole county.

This is just one of them, what makes Lu Ting even more angry is that from today's investigation, it can be inferred that Xiong Lao Er escaped from the mine privately, and suddenly fainted due to physical discomfort on the way, fell into the river and drowned.

This group of laborers is detailed, and the leader Mazi knows that once they are successfully escaped, the matter of the mine will be exposed.

Xiong Lao'er's death can make them relax their vigilance, but once the government intervenes, it may force them to jump over the wall in a hurry.