The three of them were watching and walking, and when they turned to an alley, they saw a shop selling mutton steamed buns. Chen Bing's heart moved, and he went up and bought two drawers of twenty-eight steamed buns. After thinking about it again, he added two more, and bought a total of two.

I bought thirty mutton steamed buns. I separated twelve of them, wrapped them in white cloth, put them in the basket on Li Yunniang's back, and said: "Yunniang, these twelve mutton steamed buns are for you. You can take them back to eat with your father and mother."

, and also replenish your father’s health.”

Li Yunniang was not willing to ask for it, so she refused again and again. Chen Bing pretended to be angry and said: "Yunniang, you have a share in making the self-made fire. Now I still have to use the money as capital to continue to buy the sulfur and saltpeter. I will earn it later."

If there is more, I also want to share the money with you and my brother. You deserve these. Don’t refuse anymore. If you refuse anymore, you will not take me as a sister seriously."

Chen Tingyao also echoed: "Mother Yun, just accept it."

Li Yunniang had no other choice but to accept it.

Chen Bing held two mutton steamed buns in his hand and walked along the alley he had walked through when he came here. He thought to himself: "My guess is right, she is still there." It turned out to be the woman who was looking for Liniang when she came here.

She was still sitting there slumped, so she walked forward, knelt down, and called softly: "Auntie."

The woman raised her head and glanced at Chen Bing. Her eyes were empty and dull, as if she had lost all hope. Her voice had already been hoarse and she said in a hoarse voice: "Little lady, are you calling me?"

Chen Bing nodded and said: "Take these two mutton steamed buns and eat them. Only when you are full can you have the strength to look for your Liniang."

The woman seemed to see hope again, and hurriedly held Chen Bing's hands and said excitedly: "Little lady, you know where my Liniang is, right? Tell me quickly, tell me quickly. Please

Already."

Chen Bing said: "I don't know where Liniang is. I passed by here today and happened to hear someone say that you were looking for Liniang. I saw that you were haggard and couldn't bear it, so I wanted to give you two steamed buns to fill your stomach."

When I am full, I can continue to look for your Liniang."

Although the woman had disappointment written all over her face, she might have been hungry for many days. After thanking Chen Bing, she took the mutton steamed bun and ate it with big mouthfuls.

After the woman finished nibbling, Chen Bing asked: "Mom, can you tell me how Liniang got lost?"

The woman sighed and said, "I am from Hushan Village. My surname is Sun and I am the seventh in the family. Everyone in the village calls me Sun Qiniang. Five days ago, I took Liniang to buy some things in Changxing County. Liniang said that we would be here soon.

It's the festival and I wanted to buy some headgear earlier, so I agreed."

"That day, I first bought some fabrics so that I could make some clothes for Liniang when I went back, and then I took Liniang to buy a hairpin. Liniang was already pretty, and she looked even better with this hairpin.

It must have been early in the morning. Liniang and I had just finished eating wontons and were about to go back when a man ran out in this alley. He was cleanly dressed and had handsome features. He looked like a scholar and was polite.

Yes, he said in a panic that an old man inside had a serious illness and fell to the ground. He couldn't help him alone, so he asked Liniang and I to help him. Liniang and I are both country people, kind-hearted, and naturally

We went with him quickly. When the two of us reached the place where the old man fell to the ground, and I was about to help him, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. At that time, I felt like the world was spinning, and then I fainted and fell to the ground without knowing anything.

.”

Chen Bing seemed to have touched something and hurriedly asked: "Which gate did you two enter the city from? At about what time did you enter the city?"

Sun Qiniang thought for a while and said: "The two of us entered the city from the north gate, around the time of Sichu. Madam, have you thought of any clues?"

Chen Bing shook his head and asked again: "Sun Qiniang, can you recall and see if you have missed anything?"

Sun Qiniang frowned and thought hard and shook her head. Seeing this, Chen Bing also felt that there were too few clues at hand to start, but Sun Qiniang suddenly shouted and said: "Little lady, I remember, just when I fell When I was about to fall into coma, I heard the scholar-like man say something. He said: "Third brother, this little lady is very beautiful. Brother Wu should be very happy." Then I didn't know anything else. "

Chen Bing still shook his head and said: "Sun Qiniang, you are not the only one who has lost girls in this county. The county captain has also started on this matter, and I think there will be results soon. You'd better go back first, and wait here all the time. I can't wait to find out why. If there is any news, I can go to Hushan Village to look for you."

Sun Qiniang sobbed softly: "Thank you so much, little lady. Liniang was lost from my hands. If I can't find her, how can I go back to Hushan Village? I appreciate the kindness of the little lady."

Seeing her persistence, Chen Bing couldn't say anything more. He stood up, took Li Yunniang and Chen Tingyao out of the north gate and left Changxing County.

It was already Shenchu ​​time when the three of them came out of the north gate, and the sun was gradually setting towards the west. The weather was getting closer to March, and the weather was changing all the time. When they arrived, it was still sunny and windy, but when they returned, they had to face strong winds and strong winds. The gray sand blowing on the road made passers-by really uncomfortable. The dirt road back to Huahu Village was bare on both sides, and there was no tree left. Chen Bing had already greeted the person who cut down the tree thousands of times in his heart.

Chen Tingyao walked in front of the two of them. Li Yunniang took Chen Bing's hand and whispered: "Er Niang, I'm still a little scared. Do you think the person who kidnapped Liniang just wanted to kidnap her?" My people?"

Chen Bing said: "Don't be afraid, Yun Niang. The news I heard from Ge Dong's family and Sun Qiniang today should be the people who wanted to kidnap you that day. It's just..."

Li Yunniang asked: "Just what?"

Chen Bing said: "Yun Niang, do you still remember which alley you and I ran out of that day?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Yuniang said: "This is the alley where Sun Qiniang is today."

Chen Bing added: "Then do you still remember which gate Sun Qiniang said she and I entered the city through?"

Li Yunniang said: "Beimen, Er Niang, why are you asking these questions? Ah! Could it be that these are all related to the girl's disappearance?"

Chen Bing shook his head and said, "It's hard to say whether it's related or not. It's just too much of a coincidence. You and I also entered the city from the north gate that day, and Sun Qiniang also entered the city from the north gate. What's even more coincidental is that, You and I, Sun Qiniang, both met the trafficker in that alley. As for whether the other missing girls also met him in this alley, it’s hard to say, but I think it’s pretty much the same. Yun Niang, in this world There are not so many coincidences. Since so many coincidences are integrated into one place, it means there must be something else in it."

Li Yunniang said: "But why is it the North Gate? There is more than just the North Gate in Changxing County. Is there any reason why this trafficker chose the North Gate?"

Chen Bing said: "If it is as I thought, then there must be a place near the north gate where the traffickers gather or watch. The reason for choosing the north gate is quite simple. Changxing County is south of Taihu Lake, and the nearby The villages are all around Taihu Lake. If you want to go to the city, the only way is to take the north gate, and no one will choose the other gates. Therefore, the north gate must have the most people coming and going. The more people there are, the more mixed it will be. It is easier to fish in troubled waters and start from it. In addition, the last words Sun Qiniang said today are very important. She said that the scholar-like man called another person his third brother, and also said that Brother Wu should like him very much. From this, we know that he was robbed that day There were no less than four people from Liniang, one of them was the scholar, another was the third brother, and one was the one who attacked Sun Qiniang from behind. The last one should be Brother Wu who was supporting the three of them. Now what I have said This is all we have, but unfortunately there are still too few clues and they are even more messy, making it difficult to deduce anything."

Li Yunniang praised: "Er Niang is so capable. I can't think of what you're talking about. If it were me, I would only know the person dressed as a scholar. The four people you mentioned are really bold and reckless. In broad daylight, they If you dare to kidnap or rob someone, is there any royal law?"

But Chen Bing said with a serious face: "Yun Niang, what you think is simple. These four people kidnapped not only Lin Niang, but also many other girls. Taking away these girls will definitely It's not just for fun, the purpose is to sell the girls, so the girls must be concentrated in one place first, then there must be someone guarding this concentrated place, and there must be another place to go, so go This place also needs to be transported on the road, which also needs to be supervised. After arriving at the destination, it will be distributed. There will also be many people in charge of the distribution place. Yun Niang, someone who can do such a complicated thing will not just There must be a powerful force behind those four people. Hey, if these people can act like this, there must be something extraordinary about the force behind them. With the ability of the county captain of Changxing County, I am afraid that the investigation Nothing can happen."

Li Yunniang was already scared, and when Chen Bing told her, she broke into a cold sweat and said: "Er Niang, according to what you said, those people are so powerful that even the county lieutenant of Changxing County can't find anything. Isn’t it hopeless for the kidnapped girl?”

Li Yunniang walked closer and closer to Chen Bing, then simply hooked her arm, and the two walked side by side.

In order to prevent Li Yuniang from thinking too much about this matter, and to dispel her worries, Chen Bing said: "Yunniang, don't worry, it is not hopeless. Being powerful does not mean that there are no flaws. I firmly believe that the county The lieutenant was able to find those girls." But he thought in his heart: "Judging from the behavior and methods of these people, this matter must have been done for a while, but the reason has not been found out yet. I think there are also people in this government. There is an internal conspiracy, which is quite tricky. At present, it is almost impossible to recover these abducted women, hey."

Chen Bing was not around to continue talking about this matter, so he asked Li Yunniang: "Yunniang, I have some doubts in my heart. I can't see a tree on the way from the official road of the county to the village road of Huahu Village, but Why?"

Perhaps Chen Bing's words were a little loud, and Chen Tingyao, who was walking in front, heard them. He turned around and walked to Li Yunniang's side, saying, "You don't know something, Erniang. The summer on these two Zhejiang roads is very hot.

Originally, many trees were planted on the official road so that people walking on the road could have a place to cool down and rest. But after Anxu came, the Huzhou magistrate issued an order to cut down all the trees on the official road.

The reason for the tree is to give the remnants of Anxu nowhere to hide, which is simply ridiculous."

Li Yunniang also echoed: "What brother Tingyao said is that if we want to follow what Zhizhou said, how can we cut down the trees on the official road? It is better to cut down all the trees on Guzhu Mountain and the trees on the edge of Taihu Lake."

, Only in this way can the remnants of Anxu have no place to hide. It would be great if the water in Taihu Lake could be drained, so that the remnants of Anxu would not be able to escape the government's pursuit in a boat on the lake."

Chen Tingyao laughed and said: "Haha, what Yun Niang said makes sense. All the bandits and bandits in the world are in the mountains and forests. The government should cut down all the trees in the mountains. Then there will be no more trouble in the world."

There are thieves infestation."

Chen Bing said: "I see, this is completely different from what I originally thought."

Chen Tingyao asked: "What did Er Niang originally think?"


Chapter completed!