Listening to everyone's discussion, Xiao Chen became more certain that this was a deliberate murder and not an accident.
Water leaks out of that wall, which freezes at night in winter and thaws at noon. In addition, this wall originally faces the sun, and the weather is warm at noon. There is mud in front of the wall. Normal people will never go under the wall.
When Wang, San and others passed through the town, it was noon. Logically speaking, it was time to rush on their way. Why did they dismount?
Even if you dismount, why do you have to go to the base of the wall?
Even when they reached the base of the wall, with Wang San's skills, he was fully capable of escaping when the wall was about to fall. This can only mean that either a few people's attention was attracted by other things, or the three of them were
There is something strange about my body.
Xiao Chen's mind was spinning so many times in an instant. There were so many doubts about this. Didn't the people from Dongchang who came to the scene at that time discover it?
In other words, if you discover it, treat it as if you haven’t discovered it?
If Ni Duan is really discovered but not reported, there are two possibilities: one is that the person who came has nothing to do with himself and is only responsible for carrying the body back; the other is that among the people who came, there is someone related to this matter.
More or less related.
If it is the second possibility, then the scope of this matter must not be small.
Looking at the sun that had risen more than two feet above his head, Xiao Chen clenched the fist of his right hand tightly.
"If you don't take the good road, you have to go under the wall. Alas, misfortunes never come singly."
"That's right, it would be nice if we could just take a detour, and the three of us wouldn't be killed."
"Ride a horse well, but get off the horse. If you ride a horse, even if you go under the wall, you will be fine."
There are more and more pedestrians on the street, and everyone's discussions are getting louder.
Xiao Chen glanced at the crowd talking about the place where the accident happened, trying to find some acceptable explanation.
"Oh, you don't know that the three people on horseback have already passed by and then came back." A childish voice reached Xiao Chen's ears.
A boy of seven or eight years old, his body was in tatters, and his feet were obviously the cotton shoes of an adult that he had picked up, and they were not asymmetrical at all.
His face was red from the cold, but his big eyes were full of aura.
"Little brother, you said that the three people on horseback have already passed by and then came back?" Xiao Chen walked up to the child and asked with a smile.
"My name is not little brother, my name is San'er." The boy stretched out his right hand. The entire back of his hand had been turned dark brown by dirt, and only the palm of his hand was tender and white.
He wiped his nose lightly with his white palm and said, "The three people had already passed by. The big dog tied under the corner howled, and the leader reined in his horse and looked back."
"Then what?"
"Then the man got off the horse and led the horse back. The other two people also got off the horse and walked back."
"Are they going to see the dog?"
"Yes. It was a big dog that had been wandering around the town. I don't know why it was tied there that day."
Xiao Chen's heart trembled: "What color is that dog?"
"A big black dog with four white paws, a tuft of white hair on its chest, and two ears standing straight up." San'er said.
Xiao Chen's heart ached.
According to San'er's description, this dog is almost exactly the same as the Dahei that accompanied him before he joined the Jinyi Guard. As for Wang San, the reason why he turned back was because of the look in the dog's eyes. To put it bluntly, it was because of Wang San's eyes.
feelings towards oneself.
If you don't find out the real culprit behind this, you won't be worthy of being a captain in the east factory.
"Can you tell me the situation in detail?" Xiao Chen walked to San'er, squatted down, held San'er's thin arms with both hands, and said sincerely.
It seemed like it was the first time he was treated like this. San'er's eyes showed vigilance and he took a step back.
A smile appeared on Xiao Chen's face.
San'er's retreat is so similar to his own back then.
This is a kind of subconscious avoidance due to long-term wandering, kindness to strangers.
"Don't be afraid, I was a child without a home just like you. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, do you have a place to go?" Xiao Chen tried his best to put a smile on his face to make himself look kinder.
San'er shook his head, a trace of loss and helplessness flashed across his spiritual eyes.
Xiao Chen stood up: "Let's not talk about what happened that day. I will take you to have a full meal first, and then buy a new set of clothes and shoes. Look at what you are wearing now. The sky has cleared up and the snow on the ground has started to fall at noon.
If it melts, it will get even colder and you won't be able to bear it."
San'er looked at Xiao Chen blankly with suspicious eyes: "Why are you so nice to me?"
Obviously, this little guy didn't want to accept the kindness of strangers easily.
"Because when I see you, I feel like I've seen myself back then. Not only do I want to buy you new clothes, I also want to take you with me and give you a future." Xiao Chen walked up to San'er before he could do it.
When he was dodging again, he grabbed his thin right hand and walked towards the most prosperous place in the town.
He wanted to know everything that happened that day from San'er's mouth.
But he even wanted to take care of this child who was abandoned by society despite his inexperience, just as Wang San had taken care of himself.
The early morning sunlight shone on his face, giving it a warm glow.
Xiao Chen smiled bitterly in his heart.
I used to have a thorough understanding of the human emotions in this society. Whether in Jinyiwei or Dongchang, I always played the role of a cold-blooded and cruel law enforcer.
But Wang San's death made him feel guilty that he had not repaid his kindness.
Today, when he saw the down-and-out yet honest and clever San'er, he didn't know why he felt a strong desire to protect him.
Perhaps, this strong desire to protect comes more from the guilt towards Wang San.
Facing the sun that felt no warmth at all, there was no emotion on Xiao Chen's face.
He must thoroughly investigate the cause of Wang San's death. And he will definitely be responsible for the growth of San'er, who still doesn't understand the dangers of the world.
Time is approaching, and the only bathhouse in the town is overcrowded.
Seeing Xiao Chen in official uniform, the bathhouse owner's face was full of smiles: "Sir, how many are there?"
"Just one child." Xiao Chen pointed at San'er beside him.
Seeing San'er in ragged clothes, the boss was startled: "This wild boy, when did fortune turn around and get acquainted with someone from the government?"
With this thought in his heart, he did not dare to neglect him at all, and immediately said: "Please come inside, sir, you can just drink tea and wait for him."
Watching San'er enter the bathhouse, Xiao Chen bought some bathing supplies such as towels and asked the boss to send them in.
After that, he sat down on a stool against the wall and began to look around at the people who were also waiting.