Chapter 1266: Respect is worse than obeying orders
Upon seeing this, Guan Maochun ran forward angrily: "Sir, this woman has gone too far!"
Cheng Jiu also followed and said, "Yes, sir, you have given her enough face, but she still..."
Chai Yan said calmly: "It's okay, finish your meal first, don't waste food."
After saying that, Chai Yan returned to the mound as if nothing had happened, picked up the bowl again and started eating.
Cheng Jiu and Guan Maochun looked at each other and walked back in desperation.
At this time, Zhang Lao Niu was asking his daughter something in the room.
"Daughter, who are they and why are they eating in front of our house?" Zhang Lao Niu was very confused.
Zhang Yuan's daughter Niuniu was also curious about the origins of Chai Yan and the others, but she didn't say anything and just stood by the window and peeked out secretly.
Zhang Yuan said angrily: "Dad, don't ask, they are not good people!"
"How do you know that he is not a good person?" Zhang Lao Niu asked back and then said: "I think that young man looks talented and has no airs, so he doesn't look like a bad person..."
Zhang Yuan said: "Dad, they are from the Wude Department, colleagues of Cai Baozhong."
"Niuniu is her father's colleague?" Zhang Lao Newton was stunned for a moment, then turned and looked out the window.
Niu Niu was also surprised after hearing this. Her eyes focused more on Chai Yan and the other three, and her father's face could not help but appear in her mind.
Zhang Laoniu turned around and said to his daughter: "They came all the way here, you...how can you let people eat outside? This is not the way our Zhang family treats guests.
"
Zhang Yuan said: "Dad, my daughter understands how to treat guests, but since they are not guests, my daughter will not entertain them. Also, it is them who want to eat out, and it is none of my daughter's business."
After saying that, Zhang Yuan turned around and became sulky.
Zhang Laoniu thought about it seriously and said, "No, this won't work. I have to go and take a look..."
"Dad, don't go!"
But when Zhang Yuan shouted and turned around to stop him, Zhang Lao Niu had already walked out of the house.
Niu Niu stood by the window and saw her grandfather walking towards the courtyard door. She turned around and asked, "Mom, these three people are not here to collect debts..."
Zhang Yuan paused and asked his daughter: "How do you know it's not the case?"
Niu Niu replied seriously: "If you came to collect debts, how could you be so polite? I still remember that the group of people who came to collect debts last time were so vicious that they even damaged the fence in our yard."
"What do you know, little kid? Go back to your room and stay there. Don't come out unless I tell you." Zhang Yuan said in a deep voice.
Niu Niu knew that her mother was in a bad mood, so she obediently entered the house.
Zhang Yuan sighed softly, walked to the window, and looked quietly.
At this time, Zhang Lao Niu was already talking to Chai Yan outside the yard.
Zhang Laoniu cupped his hands and apologized: "I really feel sorry for the three of you. It's all because of my son-in-law that my daughter's temper... I will apologize to the three of you on her behalf."
Chai Yan said with a smile: "Uncle Zhang, you don't need to apologize. It's okay. We don't care."
After chatting for a few words, Zhang Laoniu felt that Chai Yan was quite easy to talk to, so he invited them to sit down in the courtyard and talk.
Chai Yan thanked him, took Cheng Jiu and Guan Maochun, and followed Zhang Lao Niu into the small courtyard and sat at the small square table under the tree.
Zhang Lao Niu poured water for the three of them and said: "There is nothing to entertain you in this rural place. Please forgive me..."
Chai Yan said a few polite words, and then said: "Uncle Zhang, we came here to ask about Cai Baozhong, and we won't disturb you for too long."
Zhang Laoniu said: "But our family has not had contact with Cai Baozhong for a long time. Ever since my daughter moved back from the city, we have never seen Cai Baozhong again..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the expression on Zhang Lao Niu's face changed and he asked nervously: "Master, Cai Baozhong...has something happened to him?"
Chai Yan replied: "Cai Baozhong is suspected of colluding with the party and is now absconding in fear of crime."
"Ah! How could they..." Zhang Laoniu was shocked, and then asked: "You...are you going to arrest him?"
Chai Yan looked serious and nodded: "Yes!"
Upon hearing this answer, Zhang Lao Niu's mood instantly dropped, and he lowered his head and did not speak for a long time.
Chai Yan waited patiently for a moment, then took out the small bell found at Cai Baozhong's house, placed it on the table in front of Zhang Lao Niu, and said: "Old man Zhang, I found this under the pillow at Cai Baozhong's house.
I heard from his landlord that this little bell was on her daughter’s bracelet and it was his most precious thing..."
Zhang Lao Niu looked up and then slowly picked up the little bell.
While Zhang Lao Niu was looking at the bell, Chai Yan also told Cai Baozhong how he often stared at the bell in a daze.
Zhang Lao Newton was a little sad and sighed: "Bao Zhong, the only shortcoming is that he likes to gamble. There is nothing wrong with him in other places. I didn't expect that now... Alas!"
Chai Yan said: "Uncle Zhang, can you advise your daughter? I'll just ask a few questions and take a look around. It won't take too long."
Zhang Laoniu thought for a moment, and finally nodded, saying: "Then I'll go and persuade her, you three, wait a moment..."
After saying that, Zhang Lao Niu stood up and walked into the house, but his steps at this time were very different from when he came back before. He always felt lonely and sad.
After Zhang Laoniu entered the house, Guan Maochun spoke: "Fourth brother, do you think her daughter will come out?"
Cheng Jiu shook his head and said: "I don't know, it's quite embarrassing to look like this!"
Chai Yan didn't say anything. While drinking water, he secretly asked Shangguan Peining: "Does Zhang Lao Niu and his granddaughter smell of blood?"
Shangguan Peining said: "No."
Chai Yan asked again: "Where is Zhang Yuan?"
"Yes." Shangguan Peining's answer was brief.
Chai Yan couldn't help but secretly think: Could the three bloody smells in the room belong to Zhang Yuan?
Chai Yan couldn't be sure for the moment, so he could only wait and go into the house to take a look and find an opportunity to come into contact with the blood sample.
In the house.
Zhang Laoniu handed the small bell to his daughter and told her about Cai Baozhong's absconding in fear of crime.
Zhang Yuan didn't say anything, but looked at the little bell in his hand with some concentration.
After a while, Zhang Lao Niu said: "Daughter, you better listen to me and go out and talk to them. Anyway, we have no contact with Cai Baozhong. Whatever they ask you, just answer it."
It’s business to let them go early.”
Zhang Yuan frowned and considered for a moment, then nodded and said: "Okay, I'll go see them."
"Hey!" Zhang Lao Niu nodded.
Then, Zhang Yuan walked out of the house holding the little bell.
When Chai Yan saw Zhang Yuan, he stretched out his hand and said, "Please sit down."
Zhang Yuan walked over and sat on the small stool where Zhang Lao Niu was sitting just now, and said with a cold expression: "What else do you want to ask? Our mother and daughter have nothing to do with him a long time ago."
Chai Yan said with a gentle face: "Cai Baozhong colluded with the party and then absconded without a trace. I came here just to ask, besides gambling, where else does he go on weekdays? Does he have any particularly good friends?"
Zhang Yuan shook his head and said: "No, in addition to going to gambling houses, he also goes to Wu Desi, because he has a bad temper and has no friends around him..."
When Zhang Yuan was answering Chai Yan's question, Shangguan Peining had already followed Chai Yan's instructions and carefully felt Zhang Yuan's body to see if she had any injuries or signs of menstrual bleeding.
Soon, Shangguan Peining gave the results. Zhang Yuan had no wounds on her body and was not menstruating. The smell of blood remaining on her body belonged to someone else.
This result made Chaiyan's suspicion even deeper, and he wanted to figure out the source of the three bloody smells in the house!
"By the way, are you three the only ones living in this courtyard? Why don't you see your mother?" Chai Yan asked.
When Zhang Yuan heard this, he immediately became a little unhappy: "Sir, you actually want to ask, did Cai Baozhong abscond and come back and be hidden by our family, right?"
Chai Yan shook his head and said: "Don't be too sensitive, I didn't mean that, I just asked casually, haha..."
Zhang Yuan said solemnly: "My mother passed away many years ago, and there are only three of us at home. If you don't believe me, you can search the house to see if there is any trace of Cai Baozhong!"
Although he had finished speaking, Zhang Yuan still stared at Chai Yan with a frown.
Chai Yan and Zhang Yuan looked at each other for a while, then suddenly raised the corners of their mouths and said with a smile: "Since Madam has said so, then Chai would be more respectful than to obey!"