Although Wu Zuo was wearing a loose robe, she looked like a woman at first glance.
The yamen official explained: "I heard that the deceased was a woman, so I asked a widower from our county to come over."
Yes, the reputation of the deceased was taken into consideration.
Wu Zuo first asked the parents of the deceased: "Uncle and aunt, can I see her? I promise not to damage her body and let her go away with dignity."
Xinghua's mother was still crying, and Xinghua's father reluctantly put away his sadness and said: "Please check carefully to see how my Xinghua died."
Wu Zuo then walked over, squatted down in front of the corpse, picked up the tools and began to examine the corpse.
His movements were skillful and fast, and he came to a conclusion after an autopsy.
"The neck of the deceased was injured by a sharp instrument. There were no signs of struggle on the body, and the finger joints were very clean. He should have been thrown into the river after being cut on the neck. The time of death was probably three days ago."
The yamen officer asked Xinghua’s parents: “Did the deceased have any enemies?”
The villagers from Hexi Village who came with them couldn't help but help and said: "Xinghua is a kind person. She often helps people in the same village. She is always the first to rush to anyone who has trouble."
Another villager also echoed: "That's right, among the girls in the village, Xinghua is the best. She is very beautiful. It's a pity."
The yamen officer thought for a moment and then asked, "Has the deceased ever been married?"
Xinghua's father said: "No."
When she checked carefully, she found something was wrong, and she said: "The deceased is pregnant."
Xinghua Niang was stunned: "Isn't it Xinghua?"
Xinghua's father had also seen clearly the appearance and clothes of the deceased, and was sure that it was his Xinghua. He hurriedly said: "Don't talk nonsense, our Xinghua is very well-behaved."
Wu Zuo just told the results of the autopsy. After hearing this, the Yamen quickly made a guess.
"The deceased may have been killed for love. Is there a man close to her?"
The villagers looked at each other, but they didn't know. Xinghua often helped every household in the village, and everyone had a good relationship with her. They were not sure who Xinghua had a good relationship with.
The expression of the man before was getting more and more tormented. He finally couldn't bear the condemnation in his heart and the guilt towards Xinghua, so he stood up.
"Xinghua's child is mine."
The man was wearing ordinary clothes and was tall and tall. He was standing in front of Xinghua's parents with his head hanging down, as if he admitted his mistake.
Xinghua's father and mother immediately pounced on him and beat him.
"Xinghua is only sixteen, how could you do such a thing, you beast!"
The man stood firm and motionless, letting the rain of fists fall on him.
The villagers started talking.
"I really didn't expect that Tiejiang Hu was such a person."
"That's right. I usually look quite honest. I don't even blink when I don't expect to harm others."
"Xinghua is so beautiful. He likes someone but doesn't know how to come to propose marriage. He actually ruins her like this."
"Even if he proposes marriage to Xinghua's parents, they may not agree to it. Xinghua is loved like jewels at home. What does Hu Tiejiang have at home?"
"Don't underestimate him. Blacksmith Hu can make money by forging iron, and his family has a lot of savings. If he is willing to be kind to Xinghua, he will be blessed if he marries her."
Listening to the chaotic discussion, the yamen officer turned to several villagers who were discussing the most lively and asked about the man's identity.
Hu Dalang is the only son in the family. His parents died early and he is the only one left in the family. He is 20 years old and unmarried. He makes a living by blacksmithing in the county town. People in the village call him Blacksmith Hu.
The yamen waiter waited until Xinghua's father and mother were almost done venting, then asked the man: "Did you kill the person?"
Hu Tiejiang immediately shook his head: "It's not me. I am sincere to Xinghua. How could I harm her?"
"When was the last time you saw a deceased person?"
Hu Tiejiang answered without thinking: "Three days ago, I never saw her again after that. It wasn't until I came back from the county town at night that I heard from people in the same village that Xinghua was missing. I thought she was angry with me.
These days, I often go to the places where we often meet to find her."
"Where did you meet last time, what did you do and what did you say?"
The yamen officer asked, but Tiejiang Hu stopped talking.
"Sir, can you ask me somewhere else?"
The yamen official understood that this was something he did not want other villagers to hear.
He said, "Okay, come back to the Yamen with me."
Tiejiang Hu had no objection and nodded with a dull expression. Before leaving, he glanced at the apricot blossoms on the ground.
Xinghua's father and mother also went to the county government office, while the villagers who should follow followed, and those who should go home to eat went home.
Xiao Xixi pulled Leng Moran's sleeve and was about to ask him when she heard Leng Moran say: "Let's go take a look too."
As they were witnesses to the discovery of the body, they were willing to follow them to the county government office, so the government officials would not refuse.
After arriving at the county government office, Hu Tiejiang finished what he said next.
"Xinghua and I fell in love, so we made a private marriage for life. We agreed that when I save more money at the end of the year, I would go to her house to propose marriage."
"That day I met Xinghua in the woods behind the village. She was very happy to tell me that she could make money by selling the flowers she embroidered to the embroidery shop in the town, and she would be able to earn money for herself when she got married in the future.
Makeup.”
"When we parted, her mood was not inappropriate."
"Originally, I planned to send her to the village entrance and then go to the county town to work, but she insisted on letting me go first, saying that there could be no delay."
Hu Tiejiang's voice began to sound like crying, and he couldn't help covering his face and crying: "If I knew something would happen to her, I would definitely send her back."
So what if others see it? He and Xinghua really love each other, and they are not afraid of others knowing.
The yamen servant asked: "Since you like Xinghua, why don't you know that the matchmaker is marrying her?"
Hu Tiejiang put away his tears, but his expression was still full of pain and regret: "She said she wanted to spend more time with her parents at home, so I made a plan with Xinghua to propose marriage to her house after the Chinese New Year, and Xinghua agreed."
The yamen servant’s face was not good-looking: “Where is the child?”
"One time Xinghua came to my house, crying and saying that she dreamed that I was getting married, and the bride was not her. I saw her tears falling, and she felt so distressed, so I wiped her tears, comforted her, and then...
"
Hu Tiejiang glanced at Xinghua's parents and stopped talking.
Xinghua's father and mother were still hiding their faces and weeping. While crying, they called their Xinghua poor, but they were watched by the government officials and could not rush over to beat Blacksmith Hu again.
Magistrate Song rushed over and couldn't help but frown when he heard the crying in the house.
He first asked the government officials about the situation, and then noticed Leng Moran and others.
He asked: "I wonder what you want to do when you come to our county?"
Xiao Xixi was just about to say that she happened to be passing by to visit relatives, but Leng Moran signaled to seal her words.
Feng Yan took out the document from his sleeve and handed it to Magistrate Song: "My lord is an official in Dali Temple. This time I came here just to visit and explore the people's situation. I never thought that I would encounter such a thing."
After County Magistrate Song took the document and read it, he quickly bowed and saluted Leng Moran: "I don't know that Mr. Xiao is here, but I am not waiting at a distance to greet you."
Xiao Xixi raised her eyebrows in confusion, where did Mr. Xiao come from?
