Chapter 57: Fat Chicken

Donghe County has abundant water and a moderate temperature, making it ideal for growing soybeans, which are the most commonly cultivated crop in the area. Soybeans have numerous uses, not only for human consumption in dishes such as soybean rice and tofu, but also as an important feed for livestock such as cattle and horses. Their price is significantly higher than that of wheat.

However, soybean plants are particularly susceptible to infestation by soybean pests. If not monitored carefully, the seedlings can be devoured and left in tatters, which is extremely frustrating. Indeed, even now, under the high sun, many children are running through the fields catching these pests.

“There’s one here!”

“There’s one here too!”

“This one is fat!”

“This one is also fat!”

Children love to compete with each other. If one catches one pest, another will be sure to catch two.

“Grandpa Chen!” shouted several sun-tanned boys excitedly as they ran up to an elderly man at the edge of the field, holding up their cloth bags. “Look, we’ve caught so many!”

Grandpa Chen appeared to be in his fifties. Wearing a large straw hat, his skin was dark and thin, and his sun-exposed complexion gleamed with oil, clearly indicating a lifetime of hard farm work.

He smiled as he looked at the bulging bag. “Wow, you kids are really industrious! This should be enough to feed the chickens for several days!”

Chickens love to eat soybean pests. Feeding them these pests helps the chickens grow quickly and become plump, and they lay eggs more frequently, often laying double-yolked eggs.

Since the arrival of the new county magistrate a few years ago, the people have been encouraged to raise more chickens. Every ten days, large carts organized by the county transport the chickens to the prefecture for sale, making it very convenient.

Nowadays, men work in the fields during the day, women raise chickens at home, and children also stay busy by catching pests in the fields.

This not only helps control pests on the soybean plants but also provides an additional source of income. Households can occasionally kill a chicken for a meal. Over the years, people’s pockets have become fuller, and their bodies have become stronger.

“That’s nothing!” Hearing this, several energetic boys rushed forward. “Grandpa Chen, look at mine! Mine has more!”

“Mine also has more! Before I left home, my parents told me that once these chicks grow up and start laying eggs, they will buy me new shoes!”

“My mother also said she would support my education!”

“Is studying fun?”

“Probably not. I saw Tie Niu from the front street often getting scolded by his teacher. His father even chased him all over the street with a broomstick…”

Grandpa Chen affectionately patted each of these eager little heads in turn, smiling and praising them continuously.

A woman carrying a pole with buckets approached and poured a bowl of water for the old man. “Here, have some water.”

The old man did not refuse, took the bowl, and drank half of it in one go. Then he squatted at the edge of the field and chatted with the woman.

“Your daughter-in-law is about to give birth, right? In a few days, your family will have four generations living together!”

The woman, with a dark-red face full of satisfaction, replied, “Yes, all thanks to your blessings! We always have plenty of fat chickens and eggs, and often buy cow’s milk and goat’s milk to eat. Her body is in great condition. The other day, the doctor even said not to eat so well, fearing the baby might be too big and cause difficulties during delivery.”

In the past, when she first got married, life in Donghe County was not so good. Now that her daughter-in-law is coming, she can finally enjoy a comfortable life!

Grandpa Chen nodded with a smile, about to speak, when he saw a middle-aged scholar riding a donkey approaching from a distance, waving his arm and shouting, “Sir! Sir!”

Although the old man was of advanced age, his eyesight was still excellent. He stood up and shouted with a strong voice, “What’s the matter?”

The scholar gave the donkey another slap on the rear. “People from Kaifeng Prefecture have arrived! They’ve already sent someone to call the magistrate of Xih River County. You, you should go back quickly!”

“Eh?” The old man was actually Chen Wei, the magistrate of Donghe County. Hearing this, he was surprised. “So fast?”

Originally, he had estimated that they would not arrive until tonight at the earliest.

If the people sent were not very diligent, they might arrive tomorrow.

Generally, when superiors dispatched someone, they would first send a messenger to inform them in advance, allowing them to prepare for the reception. Unexpectedly, this time they had completely ignored the old customs!

“Grandpa Chen! Grandpa Chen!”

A group of little boys swarmed around him, some hugging his legs, others his waist, looking at Chen Wei with curious eyes, just like they were looking at their own elder family member, and asked curiously, “What is Kaifeng Prefecture?”

The woman laughed and pushed them away like shelling beans. “Go away, you kids! Don’t disturb the adults when they’re dealing with important matters.”

As she spoke, the scholar had already arrived. It turned out he was the local county assistant magistrate. After rushing all the way, his face was flushed red, and his chest and back were soaked with sweat.

“Sir, the people from Kaifeng Prefecture have arrived,” he said, jumping off the donkey and wiping his sweat with his sleeve. “There are seven of them, and the leader is Xie Yu, the military inspector from Kaifeng.”

Although Xie Yu was young, he was already widely renowned. Upon hearing this, Chen Wei became somewhat anxious and hurriedly put on his shoes. “Oh no, oh no, this is bad!”

With that, he hurriedly ran to the tree, mounted his donkey, and galloped away.

The county assistant hadn’t even caught his breath before he realized that his superior had already disappeared. He was used to this and sighed, then turned to the woman with a bow. “Big sister, can I have a bowl of water before I go…”

Meanwhile, when Xie Yu and his party arrived at the Donghe County office, they were surprised to find that the county magistrate, Chen Wei, was not there. Only the county assistant remained in charge. When they asked, the assistant said that he had gone to the fields.

Everyone couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

Since everyone was already exhausted from the journey, having sweated through their clothes dozens of times, the fabric now had a white salt layer from repeated drying and wetting, they first went to bathe and change clothes. Meanwhile, the Donghe County office split into two groups to invite the magistrates of the two counties.

After about half an hour, the Kaifeng Prefecture group had finished bathing and changing clothes, and someone had set out a meal.

In the center was a pot of glossy mushroom stewed chicken, beside it a plate of fragrant lotus leaf-wrapped fat chicken, and further still a large bowl of bright red chili stir-fried chicken, along with a large plate of golden fried eggs, a bowl of soybean rice, and several stir-fried vegetables.

Yuan Pei laughed as he said, “I’ve long heard that Donghe County has plenty of chickens and eggs, but now I’ve finally seen it for myself.”

Ma Bing entered with her hair tied up. “Earlier, when I was walking around Kaifeng City, I seem to have seen a shop that specialized in selling chicken, and it might have been owned by people from Donghe County.”

Xie Yu wiped his hands and sat down first. “There’s also one in the prefecture city. At the time, the emperor even specially praised Chen Wei for this matter…”

Not long after taking office, Chen Wei encouraged the people to raise chickens and personally led the way in setting up shops to collect eggs and live chickens from households every three or four weeks for sale in the city, then deducting the costs and distributing the profits to each household, making it very convenient.

Everyone sat down to enjoy the chicken, which was indeed more tender and succulent than any they had tasted elsewhere. Even with minimal seasoning, it was already aromatic, and the meat was plentiful. Before they knew it, they had polished off every dish.

After the meal, the magistrates of Xih River County, Wang Shaoqing, and Donghe County, Chen Wei, arrived and waited in the front hall.

Wang Shaoqing, the magistrate of Xih River County, was also a pragmatic person. The two magistrates sat together, both equally dark-skinned, making them very noticeable.

Since the case was first handled by the Donghe County office, Chen Wei began to explain the situation.

“After the body was brought back, I sent people to search along the river, but we have not yet found any luggage. However, we did find an ownerless mule in the woods. On the mule’s back was a satchel containing only some handkerchiefs, fans, and a water bag, all of which are commonly seen on the streets and cannot confirm the identity.

Fortunately, the mule had horseshoes, which seemed to have been fitted recently. We have already sent the yamen runners to inquire at several blacksmith shops in the county, but there has been no result yet.”

Xie Yu nodded.

Iron is an important material for casting weapons, and ironware has been strictly controlled in every dynasty. Even farming tools, kitchen utensils, and horseshoes must be registered to prevent them from being collected by ill-intentioned people to recast into weapons. Therefore, whoever buys them must have their names recorded.

Then… that was it.

Xie Yu looked at Wang Shaoqing, who then said, “Do you have an imprint of the horseshoe? The deceased may not necessarily be from Donghe County, so we should also inquire at the blacksmith shops in Xih River County.”

Chen Wei sighed in relief and immediately ordered someone to fetch the imprint.

Indeed, having people from Kaifeng Prefecture handle the matter was convenient. Otherwise, with the two counties being on equal footing, neither would have gone to the other’s county office, and the time spent going back and forth alone would have been considerable.

Later, when the yamen runners returned, they brought the satchel from the mule’s back and its contents. As expected, they were all everyday items.

Xie Yu also took a look and then asked, “Have there been any missing person reports in the two counties recently?”

Chen Wei and Wang Shaoqing both shook their heads. “No.”

It is common for people to be away for five or seven days, and it is not unusual to be away from home for a short period.

“Where is the coroner?” Xie Yu asked.

The coroner, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward. “I am here, sir.”

“What was the condition of the body when it was discovered? Approximately how long has it been dead?”

“Your servant reports that the body was still relatively intact, but there were already bruises on the surface, and the body had stiffened. According to my estimation, the death occurred more than half a day ago but less than a day.

Additionally, blood foam was found in the deceased’s mouth and nose, the fingernails were cyanotic, and there were no obvious injuries on the body. It should… it should have been a drowning.”

The coroner replied nervously.

Donghe County had long been peaceful, and there had been no murder cases for many years. The coroner himself was not very skilled, and after several years without practice, his skills had become even more rusty.

The body was discovered on the evening of May 11th. According to this, the person might have died during the day on the 10th.

But this time frame was too vague, and it would be best to narrow it down further.

“Has the body been dissected?” Xie Yu asked.

The coroner shook his head and looked at Chen Wei.

Chen Wei said, “We were afraid that family members might come to identify the body, so we have not touched it yet.”

It had already been nearly four days since the case occurred. Despite being preserved in an ice house, the body must have already started to decompose.

They could not wait any longer.

“It’s hot, and waiting too long will cause evidence to be lost.”

Xie Yu pondered for a moment, then gave a meaningful look to Zhang, the coroner accompanying him, and Ma Bing. The two understood and immediately asked the Donghe County coroner to take them to see the body.

Since no one had come forward to claim the body after several days, the authorities now had the right to dissect it for further examination.

Xie Yu quickly sorted out his thoughts and slowly expressed his ideas.

“Recently, the weather has been hot, and when the body was discovered, it was still relatively fresh, indicating that the death was recent. In the past few days, there has been a severe drought, water levels in various places have dropped, and the water flow has slowed, so the body would not have floated far in a short time. In addition, the mule was also found nearby. The possibility of murder and disposal of the body is low. Considering these three points together, it can be basically determined that the deceased was killed near the crime scene.”

“There was nothing important in the satchel. The deceased was probably not on a long journey. Has the artist drawn a portrait? After the coroner examined the body, did he record the height and physical features? Have portraits been posted in the city to search for the person?”

“We did post them, but they were too vague, and no one has come forward to report the case yet,” sighed Chen Wei.

A man in his thirties riding a mule… there must be at least eight or ten thousand of them.

Xie Yu hummed in acknowledgment, not urging them, but slowly organizing the few clues in his mind:

The deceased could not afford a horse. The inner shirt and shoes were all made of cotton cloth, and the material and workmanship of the satchel were also ordinary, indicating that his family was probably not wealthy.

However, he deliberately wore an outer robe made of silk. The fabric was not suitable for a long journey, clearly indicating that he wanted to show it off to someone.

To whom did he want to show it off?

A lover he admired?

Or an enemy he wanted to show off to?

Or perhaps he was going to attend an important occasion and specially prepared a set of decent clothes?

But in any case, the person should be nearby. Specifically, the last person or group of people the deceased met or was going to meet before his death should be within the two counties of Donghe and Xih River.

He died by the river, and his money bag was missing. Was he killed after meeting someone here?

Or was he followed and attacked after being targeted while on the road?

Or did he accidentally fall into the river and drown?

Xie Yu did not speak, and Wang Shaoqing and Chen Wei also did not dare to speak. Everyone sat there waiting in silence.

Chen Wei was frugal by nature, and there was no ice stored in the government office. The heat was overwhelming, but they had to endure it.

For a while, everyone was fanning themselves vigorously.

Outside in the courtyard, there were no seasonal flowers planted, but there were several vegetable racks with green vines climbing on them. Purple eggplants and tender gourds hung from the branches and leaves, along with other melons and fruits, all growing very well.

Xie Yu couldn’t help but daydream, perhaps the dish of braised eggplant with meat sauce on the table earlier was freshly picked from here… indeed, it was more delicious than any he had eaten before.

Hmm, there are many open spaces in Kaifeng Prefecture, but they are all planted with flowers and trees, not a single melon or fruit. Looking at it now, it seems quite a pity.

Until the sun began to set in the west, there was finally some commotion outside.

Zhang, the coroner, and Ma Bing approached one after the other, their hair still wet, and their clothes changed, seemingly having just bathed. The latter was walking and dry-heaving, his face green.

“Your Honors, my humble servant…” Before Zhang could finish speaking, Ma Bing beside him let out another dry heave.

Xie Yu looked at her dispirited appearance, feeling both distressed and amused, and promptly instructed someone to fetch ointment and prepare some cooling tea.

“Just sit and rest for a while.”

Originally, the people from the two county offices were shocked to see a young lady among Xie Yu’s group. Later, when they saw that she was actually engaged in the work of examining the corpse, they were even more astonished.

Now seeing her in such a pitiful state, they felt a subtle sense of balance.

Ah, after all, you’re just an ordinary person.

But Xie Yu seemed to understand their thoughts. After comforting Ma Bing, he actually took the initiative to explain, “Miss Ma is very capable, but her nose is too sensitive, so she has a harder time than ordinary people.”

In other words, he was telling them not to underestimate her. It wasn’t that she was afraid of the corpse, but rather that she couldn’t control her nose.

Yuan Pei looked at Xie Yu, then at Ma Bing, and inwardly clicked his tongue.

Next to him, A De, seeing his strange expression, couldn’t help but whisper, “What are you looking at?”

Yuan Pei turned with a wooden expression, looked at him once, and said, “Looking at the big fool.”

A De: “…”

Do we have a grudge? Otherwise, why do you always tease me!

Ade was a blunt and impulsive fellow. Although married, he lacked any sense of romance and often blurted out irrelevant or inappropriate words, earning himself scratches from his young wife chasing after him. It was no wonder nobody seemed surprised.

Chen Wei, Wang Shaoqing, and others hurriedly said, “Yes, we greatly admire you, Miss Ma, for your remarkable courage and capability.”

Ma Bing gulped down several cups of cold tea and held a sour plum in her mouth, finally recovering slightly. Waving her hand dismissively, she said, “Actually, it wasn’t that bad originally. It was just that when we cut open the corpse, the built-up gas inside exploded, filling the entire room…”

Before entering, she had already applied fragrant ointment under her nose, which should have lasted a while. Unfortunately, the corpse had been kept for several days, allowing foul gases to accumulate in the abdomen. When Assistant Zhang made the incision, the table exploded immediately!

Those who haven’t experienced it firsthand can never imagine the stench of an exploding decaying corpse. At that moment, Ma Bing felt that the ointment under her nose had been wasted entirely. A fiercely intense and pungent odor surged toward her… The stench made her eyes tear up uncontrollably, and she vomited right on the spot.

After everyone heard this, there was first a moment of silence, then someone started it, and soon dry-heaving sounds arose one after another.

Xie Yu: “…”

Did you do this on purpose?

Ma Bing blinked innocently, saying, “No!”

Isn’t that exactly what happened?

Once everyone had calmed down, Assistant Zhang began detailing his new findings.

“The deceased was around thirty years old, with age and height matching previous descriptions quite closely. There were no obvious old scars or birthmarks. Due to the prolonged time since death, the eyes had become cloudy, and the body showed signs of decomposition like blisters, so no distinct odors could be detected.”

The cold room could only slow decomposition but could not stop time, so what was bound to happen eventually did.

“Additionally, my humble self shaved off the deceased’s hair and found some suspicious bruises on his scalp, neck, and back. However, due to the extended time since death, the marks are no longer clear, making it difficult to determine whether they were sustained before death.”

As he spoke, Assistant Zhang handed several sheets of paper to Xie Yu, who then passed them on to the others.

As night fell, someone came in to light the lamps and brought two kinds of simple snacks.

Amidst the drifting lamp oil scent, there also floated subtle fragrances.

Ma Bing glanced instinctively:

Hmm, steamed egg cake and lard date cake—both filling, hearty, and affordable.

She had vomited for half the day and was already empty inside. Now that she had somewhat recovered, she had indeed become hungry.

Just as she was thinking this, she noticed Xie Yu quietly pushing the plate slightly toward her.

Smiling at him, Ma Bing picked up a piece of lard date cake and began eating.

The cooking technique of the chef was somewhat crude, but the ingredients were solid. One bite in, and the rich aroma of lard and sweet dates filled her mouth. As she chewed, there were large chunks of real date flesh, making it extremely fragrant and sweet.

Having spent many days together, the people from Kaifeng Prefecture already knew her fierceness well and found nothing unusual about it.

However, the people from Donghe County’s office were astonished. Just moments ago, she had been vomiting uncontrollably. Now, while discussing a murder case, with the assistant describing all sorts of disgusting signs… how could she still eat?!

Indeed, as Magistrate Xie had said, “Miss Ma is extremely capable!”

Assistant Zhang said, “My humble self and Miss Ma have done our best to identify and draw the bruises. Other areas are fine, but the bruises on the neck and back of the head are very likely to have been caused by human action.”

“How so?” Xie Yu asked.

“Esteemed officials, please take a look,” Assistant Zhang pointed at the drawings, “If someone drowned, due to struggling or bumping, many bruises would indeed appear, but they mostly concentrate on the torso, limbs, and head. Bruises encircling the neck are indeed rare. Moreover, the shape here really resembles finger marks.”

He pointed to another drawing, “This is the back of the head. If it were caused by a bump, it wouldn’t usually be this large. Unless…”

Ma Bing continued, “Unless someone forcefully pressed his head from behind.”

Murdered?!

Everyone was shocked.

Wang Shaoqing quickly asked, “Excuse me, Miss Ma, could it possibly be due to being struck before death?”

If it truly was murder, the peacefulness of their two counties, which had not seen a murder case for many years, would be broken.

Ma Bing thought for a moment and shook her head, “It’s probably not likely.”

Certainly, the back of the head is a common target for surprise attacks. However, if someone truly intended to attack, they would usually choose something sharp or heavy first. The contact area of such objects wouldn’t be too large, and there would often be obvious wounds at the injury site.

But the deceased’s back of the head was very smooth and intact.

Chen Wei also asked, “Could it possibly be that he accidentally fell and hit his head on a rock, landing on the back of his skull?”

Ma Bing and Assistant Zhang shook their heads together, “If it were indeed a fall, there would certainly be internal bleeding in the brain and corresponding cracks in the skull. Just now, we already examined under the scalp.”

Before the words had fully settled, everyone in the room changed expressions, their throats convulsing.

To cause bruises of such a large area, if not from being struck, it must have been from prolonged pressure.

Therefore, she and Assistant Zhang both speculated that it was highly possible the murderer had pressed the deceased’s head and neck underwater, fearing he wasn’t dead yet and maintaining the pressure for a long time, thus leaving such clear postmortem bruising.

In other words, the bruises on the deceased’s body could roughly be divided into two categories: those sustained before death and those after.

The bruises on the neck, limbs, and torso were likely sustained before death, while the bruise on the back of the head was very likely the result of continued pressure applied after death.

Xie Yu nodded appreciatively, “Any other findings?”

“There is one more!” Ma Bing wiped some crumbs from the snack off her mouth, “The deceased very likely suffered from chronic cough or heart disease before death, and it’s more probable that it was a heart condition.”

Everyone was both surprised and delighted, asking, “How so?”

Ma Bing used her hands to demonstrate, “Because I noticed the tips of his ten fingers were significantly thicker than those of an average person. Furthermore, upon dissection, we found his lungs and heart were abnormally swollen. Although lung swelling could be due to drowning, heart swelling is quite telling.”

Xie Yu finally showed some delight, “This is indeed a significant clue.”

Nodding, Ma Bing continued, “Although it’s possible the condition hadn’t flared up yet, the deceased must have already shown signs of it in daily life. Once we inquire, those close to him will surely have noticed.”

Everyone was greatly pleased, and when they looked at each other, they saw the same joy in each other’s eyes.

Indeed, the talents of the Kaifeng Prefecture were efficient.

How long had she even been here? And yet so many clues had already been uncovered!

“Chen Magistrate, Wang Magistrate!” Xie Yu called out.

The two county magistrates stood up upon hearing their names.

“Immediately issue new missing person notices. In addition to detailing height and appearance, include this new finding. Make sure they are posted throughout every street and alley in both counties before dawn!”