Ye Xiaotian saw that the fat man's father was so angry that his mouth was crooked and his eyes were slanted. If he did not smash his son's head with a brick, he would die from a cerebral hemorrhage. Ye Xiaotian hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Officer Hong, please calm down. Your son hid a brick … he had his reasons."
Officer Hong turned around and looked up and down. He saw that it was an officer from the county yamen. His face relaxed a little and he asked: "May I know your name?"
At this time, Li Yuncong and Su Xuntian arrived with a group of constables. Seeing the two talking, they did not speak and only stood behind them. Ye Xiaotian said: "I am the new Warden of Gourd County, Ai Feng."
Officer Hong cupped his hands and said: "It's an honor to meet you. Just now you said that my son hid a brick in his bag because he had his reasons. I don't understand."
Tycoon said: "Ah … this brick …"
Officer Hong's face darkened: "Shut up! I don't believe you! "
Officer Hong reprimanded his son and turned to Ye Xiaotian. He cupped his hands and said: "Your Excellency, please speak."
Ye Xiaotian said: "Officer Hong, you may not know. Today, there was an argument between the students and a fight broke out between the two sides. I passed by the school on my way to settle the matter. I saw that your son was the only one among the students who did not let go of his book and was concentrating on his studies. His eagerness to learn is really commendable. "
Tycoon listened to Ye Xiaotian's mushy flattery and could not help but feel ashamed. He unconsciously touched the book he hid in his pocket. Ye Xiaotian continued: "Not only did I see it with my own eyes, but the people around me also saw it. Am I right?"
Ye Xiaotian turned his head and asked the last sentence. Li Yuncong and the constables had seen Law Tycoon calm and focused on his books during the fight. They did not know what he was reading. When Ye Xiaotian asked, they all nodded.
Ye Xiaotian said, "Those students caused an outrageous ruckus. In the midst of the melee, they overturned your son's desk and smashed the four treasures of the study. Seeing that your son was about to be injured, they could only pick up a random brick and fight their way out of the encirclement. The situation was extremely urgent at the time, and this official was unable to save him in time.
Hearing this, Hong Yuanwai's anger turned to joy. He looked at his son happily and said: "Tycoon has grown up. Good, good, good. Father's efforts were not in vain. Tycoon, you must continue to work hard. Don't get cocky just because you have some achievements. You. Keep working hard. Don't be arrogant. You must continue to work hard. You. Keep working hard. You.
Tycoon put on the appearance of a well-behaved son and nodded his head in agreement.
"Squire Hong," Ye Xiaotian said, "I came here today to pay you a visit. I heard that you and Manager Shi Bixing were good friends. After Manager Shi's death, I want to ask you about him. Would you be willing to see me? "
Officer Hong said: "Ah! It turned out that the Warden had come because of Younger Brother Shi. Please, please, please come to the hall and have some tea. We can talk slowly. "
Ye Xiaotian replied, "Thank you for your hospitality."
Hong Yuanwai invited Ye Xiaotian into the living room and served him tea. He glanced at his son, who was carrying a backpack and standing to the side. Out of habit, he frowned. Suddenly, he remembered that his son had been enlightened recently and had begun to study seriously. His expression softened.
Officer Hong softened his tone and said: "Tycoon, go to the study room and study. Although you have learned to work hard, you have been naughty in the past and wasted many years of your life. You should work hard to catch up. Only then will you be successful. "
Tycoon said: "Oh! Father, please accompany Ai Dian Shi. I am going to study. "
Tycoon bowed to his father. When he turned around to face Ye Xiaotian, he winked at him and gestured at his chest with his fingers, expressing his gratitude for Ye Xiaotian's heroic action just now. Only then did he walk out of the hall.
Officer Hong always frowned in front of his son, but when he looked at his son's back, his eyes were full of kindness. He slowly counted his beads until his son's figure disappeared at the door. Then he sighed and said: "This child finally knows to study."
He turned around and said to Ye Xiaotian, "This old man only has this one son. I'm a little disappointed that he didn't live up to my expectations. Sir Warden, please excuse me."
Ye Xiaotian bowed and smiled. "All parents in the world think the same way. Minister Yuanwai's love for his son has touched this official's heart. "
Officer Hong smiled: "It will be good if my son can truly understand father's painstaking efforts. Let's not talk about this matter. Brother Shi is dead. I am also very sad. I wonder if the authorities have any clues about this case. I hope they can arrest the murderer as soon as possible to comfort Brother Shi's soul in heaven. "
Ye Xiaotian frowned: "To be honest, there are no clues yet. Revenge? Killing for love? Killing for money? Quarreling with others and causing an accident? The cause of death is still unknown. When I first came to office, I found that this place is chaotic and the security is poor beyond imagination. That is why Shi Bixing's case is not easy to investigate. "
Hong Yuanwai said, "Because of a disagreement, they drew their sabers and fought; it was only the ancient custom of the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, the world was not as chaotic. Now that the world is united, the education of the Central Plains is orderly. Guizhou is far away and is only a bit more ancient. "
Officer Hong raised his head and thought for a while. He slowly said: "Those who come here for the first time from the Central Plains will feel that the people here are fierce and the order is chaotic. It is not a good place to settle down. When I came here from the Central Plains, I also thought the same. Actually, if you live here for a long time, you will know that is not the case … "
Officer Hong said: "You are fierce and he is also fierce. Both of you are afraid of each other so you will not do anything too outrageous. Naturally you will live in harmony. This is called … um, balance. Actually, every place has its own customs. There is a reason for its existence and there is no need to make a fuss about it.
For example, my circle of friends are all merchants. It's common to see ten taels of silver for a meal, so I don't think it's strange. However, if someone who has never seen such a scene suddenly sees such an extravagant scene, he will naturally be surprised. Do you understand what I mean, Warden? "
Ye Xiaotian nodded: "I understand a little."
Officer Hong said: "Therefore, the so-called chaos is inconceivable in the eyes of newcomers, but it is actually the norm here. It is this norm that can maintain the peace of the area. Therefore, Officer Shi's death is nothing more than revenge and profit! "
Ye Xiaotian bowed: "This is the reason why I came to visit. Does Officer Shi know who Manager Shi has offended?"
Officer Hong thought for a while and gently shook his head: "I have never heard Brother Shi talk about enmity with others. As a businessman, harmony brings wealth. How can he have such a big enmity with others? "
Ye Xiaotian saw that Officer Hong seemed to be speaking insincerely and said: "If it is not because of personal enmity, or because he blocked someone's way of making money?"
Officer Hong inquired: "What does Daren mean?"
Ye Xiaotian said: "For example, he is the number one grain merchant in this county and the nearby counties. Could it be that other grain merchants have lost their way of making money because of his competition, so …"
Officer Hong shook his head: "Daren may not know, but there was almost no grain merchant in this area. Brother Shi later opened up a road to the grain production area of the Central Plains. He is the largest grain merchant in the nearby counties, but he does not open his own grain shop. The grain merchants in the nearby counties all buy grain from him and rely on him to make a living. How can there be enmity?"
Ye Xiaotian said: "Oh? Hong Yuanwai knows everything about Shopkeeper Shi's life like the back of his hand. It must be a long friendship, right? "
Minister Hong stroked his beard and said in a disappointed tone, "Yes! More than 20 years ago, there was a great drought in Henan. Many refugees fled in all directions in order to survive. I and Brother Shi met on the way. We came here together and established our own businesses. It can be said that we are good friends. "
Ye Xiaotian said: "So Officer Hong and Manager Shi have been friends for decades. Alas! If we can't find any clues about Manager Shi's case, I'm afraid it will become an unsolved case. "
Hong Yuanwai looked a little excited. He looked up as if he wanted to say something, but the impulse only lasted for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it. His expression gradually returned to normal as he gently shook his head and said: "Brother Shi and I have been friends for many years. We are business partners and we are like brothers. If there is a clue, there is no reason not to say it, but …"
Ye Xiaotian gradually became suspicious. He felt that Officer Hong should know something, but he seemed to have some misgivings. Ye Xiaotian glanced at Li Yuncong and Su Xuntian who were sitting next to him. He thought: "I don't know if he is afraid of Li Yuncong or Su Xuntian, or maybe he doesn't trust a stranger like me. I'm afraid I won't be able to ask anything today."
Thinking of this, Ye Xiaotian stood up and said: "In that case, I will go visit other friends of Manager Shi's and see if I can find any clues. Officer Hong, farewell."
"Ah! Good, good, good. Take care, Warden. "
Officer Hong stood up to send him off, looking a little guilty. Although he was good at hiding it and quickly hid it, Ye Xiaotian still saw it. Ye Xiaotian thought: "Officer Hong must know something, but he has some misgivings and doesn't dare to say it."
As a fake Warden who was ready to find an opportunity to run away, Ye Xiaotian really didn't have a strong motivation to solve the case. With a question in his mind, he left the Hong residence. Officer Hong had just sent him off when Li Yuncong came up to him and said unhappily: "Milord, weren't we going to the Shi family first? Why did we come to the Hong residence?"
Before Ye Xiaotian could speak, Su Xuntian had already reprimanded him: "Does Milord need your permission to investigate where he wants to investigate first? How unruly! "
Li Yuncong's face darkened again. He knew that Ye Xiaotian was a fake Warden, but he couldn't lose his temper. After lecturing Li Yuncong, Su Xuntian nodded and bowed to Ye Xiaotian: "Milord, are we going to the Shi family next? This way, please. It's a shortcut. "
Ever since Su Xuntian met Xue Shuiwu, he treated Ye Xiaotian as his own brother-in-law. To achieve his goal of pleasing Miss Shuiwu, he did everything he could to please Ye Xiaotian. As soon as he saw Ye Xiaotian nod, he immediately led Ye Xiaotian through a narrow alley beside the Hong residence.
They had only walked about a hundred steps from the alley when they heard someone shouting from the top of the wall: "Big Brother, please wait!"
