Donghe County was great in many ways, except… there were really too many chickens!
After two days and nights of relentless travel, Xie Yu and his group were utterly exhausted. Upon arriving at the Donghe County Yamen on the afternoon of May 15th, they immediately got involved in handling a case and didn’t stop until nightfall, completely drained of energy.
Everyone fell asleep the moment they returned to their rooms. But before dawn, they were awakened by the cacophony of crowing chickens.
At first, Ma Bing tried to fight it, burying herself deeper into the quilt with her eyes still closed, but soon she started to feel warm under the covers. As the rooster crowed again, she rolled around on the kang, groaning as she grabbed a pillow, folding it over her ears. But the roosters, apparently well-fed, crowed with such penetrating power that the pillow was of no use at all.
“Agh, damn it!” she angrily pounded the edge of the kang, fully awake now.
Still groggy from being rudely awakened, Ma Bing stumbled outside and looked up, only to see her colleagues emerging from their rooms as well, all with messy hair and equally dazed expressions.
Not getting enough sleep really was unbearable.
Chen Wei had assigned them a small courtyard behind the county office. Xie Yu stayed in the main room, Yuan Pei slept in a side room next to him, while Ma Bing, being a woman, couldn’t share a room and was given the central room in the western wing.
The remaining four—Ade, Zhuang Peng, Zhang the Coroner, and another—were paired up and assigned two rooms in the eastern wing.
After all, there was a young woman in the western wing, so they felt awkward about disturbing her.
Everyone stared at each other, clearly exhausted, barely exchanging words as they lazily squatted by the well to wash up.
After a while, the door to the main room creaked open, and a fully dressed Xie Yu stepped out.
Everyone had just started brushing their teeth with tooth powder and stared in shock.
“When did you get up?!”
In fact, Xie Yu had woken up half an hour earlier and had even gone out for a quick walk. He had already taken a bath.
Besides solving the case, he also wanted to personally see how the two counties were governed, whether the two county magistrates were as good as the people said, and how ordinary people lived…
After all, not long ago, a young woman had said that he was different from other officials, and he felt he shouldn’t disappoint that assessment.
Then he saw wildflowers blooming all over the mountains, saw the smiling faces of the common people, and even went outside the city to feel the morning breeze from the fields, appreciating the thin mist that twisted like gauze.
Everything was so different from what he had seen in Kaifeng.
It seemed something more simple and genuine had taken root in his heart.
After a while, breakfast was brought from the kitchen:
A large pot of steaming millet porridge, a pan of golden fried salted toona eggs, a plate of tender chicken shreds dressed with sesame oil and vinegar, a dish of split salted double-yolked eggs with runny yolks, a serving of tender tofu with scallions, and a small basket of plain steamed buns.
Except for the millet, all of these were local specialties of Donghe County. They were both abundant and attractive, yet didn’t cost much money, making them excellent choices.
Ma Bing looked at the salted double-yolked eggs and smiled. “I’ve long heard that Donghe County is famous for double-yolked eggs. Now I’ve finally seen them.”
Many people believed double-yolked eggs were auspicious and were willing to spend a little extra to eat them. Yet in this somewhat remote little county town, double-yolked eggs were surprisingly common.
Including Xie Yu, several people thought that if they weren’t in a hurry to leave, they might as well buy some double-yolked eggs to take home, or even give as gifts.
The moment this thought arose, everyone first thought it was a good idea, but then suddenly felt a chill of realization:
Good heavens, could this be the old man Chen Wei’s clever scheme?!
Otherwise, if he really wanted to treat the imperial envoys from the capital with care, he could have prepared other dishes. Why would he serve chicken and soybeans for every meal?
There was a moment of silence at the table when Yuan Pei suddenly murmured, “Don’t tell me we’re going to eat chicken every day for the next few days?”
Well, if it’s a clever scheme, as long as the food is really delicious, buying some wouldn’t be a problem.
But since they couldn’t leave for the time being, if they had to eat chicken and soybeans for every meal, who could stand it?
Everyone: “…”
They all understood the meaning, but the words somehow felt a bit off.
Unlike Kaifeng, Donghe County wasn’t very prosperous, and most shops closed at night and reopened in the morning.
So it wasn’t until noon that day that the yamen runners from Xih River County brought back good news:
“Reporting to all the honorable officials, our subordinates have visited the nine registered blacksmith shops in the county one by one, and this morning one of them finally recognized that horseshoe as their work…”
According to the blacksmith, the horseshoe was likely made from the iron stock produced around the end of last year, but he couldn’t recall any further details.
“Subordinates have brought back the list of people who purchased that batch of iron stock. Please review it, sir.” The runner handed over a register.
Yuan Pei took it and passed it to Xie Yu. “How many names are there?”
The runner replied, “A total of one hundred and thirty-one.”
Everyone was stunned. That many!
But thinking about it, it made sense. The blacksmith shop specialized in making horseshoes for livestock, and the amount of iron used for four horseshoes per animal was minimal.
Qiu An, the Donghe County runner who had previously gone to Kaifeng to report the case, said excitedly, “Sir, with this, the deceased must be among these 131 people! Perhaps some of them even live in Donghe County. Should I also lead men to go question them?”
“We do need to question them,” Xie Yu patted the register, “but these people might not necessarily be the deceased.”
Qiu An was momentarily taken aback but realized it made sense.
For ordinary families, livestock was an important asset, often shared among family members. Perhaps the father went to have horseshoes made for the animal, but later the son rode it out.
But in any case, they were all family members, so at least there was a direction for investigation.
Xie Yu addressed the runners from both counties, “Go inform Magistrate Chen and Magistrate Wang to have their men identify which of these people live in their respective counties and immediately begin house-to-house inquiries.”
Once they had a direction, the case progressed rapidly.
Although over a hundred households sounded like a lot, dividing them between the two counties meant each county only had to handle a few dozen. Sending dozens of runners to visit each household, going straight to the stables, and asking if any man in his late twenties had gone missing made the investigation very efficient and straightforward.
By that evening, they had results.
The deceased was named Wang Zheng, aged 29, currently living in the outskirts of Xih River County. He was already married, had a son, and his parents were still alive.
When the runners arrived at the Wang residence, the family had no idea what had happened. When asked about the livestock, they said, “Yes, our son left on the tenth day of this month to visit relatives and do some small business in the city. He hasn’t come back yet.”
The runners asked, “Since he hasn’t returned, why aren’t you worried? Why didn’t you report it to the authorities?”
The Wang family cautiously replied, “He sometimes stays away for a few extra days. Besides, the government…”
Ordinary people generally had a deep sense of reverence for government offices and tried to avoid them if possible.
Moreover, since he was only temporarily missing, what if they reported him missing and he came back right away? That would make the neighbors laugh at them!
The runners first asked about Wang Zheng’s height and appearance, then whether he had any heart condition.
The Wang family was very surprised. “Yes, he’s been in poor health since childhood, and it’s gotten worse as he grew up. He couldn’t even run around carelessly.”
That settled it.
The runners then showed them Wang Zheng’s belongings, and upon seeing them, the family burst into tears.
“How did this happen?!”
“He was just going out for a bit, why did this happen to him?!”
The runners asked, “On which day did he leave? Who was he visiting? Did he take any luggage or anything else?”
The elderly Wang couple instinctively looked at their daughter-in-law, and the runners followed their gaze.
Why were they looking at her?
Was there something hidden?
“When he left, he did take a few nice sets of clothes to change into,” the daughter-in-law nervously twisted her hands, her face alternating between pale and flushed. After hesitating for a long time, she spoke in a barely audible voice, “He… he had a cousin in Donghe County…”
Before she finished speaking, the elderly Wang couple both changed expressions. One pulled her behind them, while the other smiled nervously at the runners and said, “Relatives, just ordinary relatives visiting.”
But the runners ignored him, exchanged a glance, and said, “Alright, take everyone back to the yamen for questioning!”
It seemed there was indeed something hidden here!
A cousin relationship naturally made people think of a love triangle or even murder out of jealousy!
Although the Wang family lived in Xih River County, the case was accepted by Donghe County, and Xie Yu and his group were also there. Therefore, the runners brought the entire family to the east.
Upon hearing the news, Magistrate Wang Shaoqing of Xih River County quickly ordered his deputy to take care of things and came himself with several attendants.
On the evening of May 16th, Donghe County Yamen held an emergency trial.
Xie Yu presided over the case, with Chen Wei and Wang Shaoqing sitting on either side, and the rest participating as jurors.
Since Wang Zheng’s wife seemed to have something to hide, Xie Yu had her questioned separately.
Without her in-laws obstructing, the wife finally said, “My husband was once engaged to his cousin when they were young, but later, for some unknown reason, the engagement was broken off. My in-laws took charge and arranged for me to marry him instead. In the first few years after our marriage, Wang Zheng often traveled to do small business and stayed away for entire years without returning home. It wasn’t until three or four years ago that he earned some money and felt his health deteriorating, so he finally came back home…”
Although the engagement was broken years ago, Wang Zheng seemed to still have lingering feelings for his cousin. After his financial situation improved, he wanted to return to show off.
Xie Yu asked, “What’s your cousin-in-law’s name? Where does she live? Has she married?”
The wife replied, “Her name is You Xiaotian. She lives in the third house of the Gouwei Alley on the west street of Donghe County. You can find her there. She’s already married, and her husband’s surname is Liu.”
She was married, which was quite intriguing.
“Did Wang Zheng often visit You Xiaotian while he was alive?” Xie Yu asked. “Were there any romantic feelings between them? Did your in-laws know?”
The wife clearly hesitated. After being urged repeatedly by Xie Yu, she finally answered in a trembling voice, “He wasn’t fond of me. At home, he often criticized me, saying things like how if it were his cousin, she would do this or that… As for whether You Xiaotian had feelings for my husband, I don’t go out much, and she rarely visits, so I don’t know. My in-laws told me to endure, saying that men are like that and as long as he knows how to come home, it’s fine.”
Hearing of such a case in their jurisdiction, both Chen Wei and Wang Shaoqing frowned.
No wonder earlier at the Wang family’s house, the deceased’s parents tried to stop their daughter-in-law from speaking. They must have known their son’s misconduct all along and were afraid of being ridiculed.
Upon hearing this, everyone naturally thought of a love-related murder and assumed the culprit was probably You Xiaotian’s husband.
Ma Bing secretly thought to herself, “Now it seems, Wang Zheng dressed up specially when he left, either because his old feelings for his cousin hadn’t faded, wanting to show off and make her regret, venting his resentment; or… he still wanted to seduce her and rekindle their past relationship!”
Later, Wang Zheng’s parents were called to the court for questioning.
However, when the moment came, the two old folks still tried to deny everything, claiming their daughter-in-law was lying and that Wang Zheng was upright and proper.
Before Xie Yu could speak, Magistrate Wang Shaoqing was the first to get angry. “Nonsense! In a court of law, how dare you speak so recklessly! The Kaifeng Prefecture official is here; you must confess the truth!”
At the mention of someone from Kaifeng Prefecture, Wang Zheng’s parents were immediately frightened. After struggling for a while, they finally confessed the truth.
It turned out that in the past, the Wang family had indeed wanted to strengthen their ties with the You family and had made an oral engagement between the two children when they were young. Unfortunately, before the two were even adults, You Xiaotian’s father fell ill and died, leaving the family’s situation to deteriorate rapidly, with only a few orphans and widows barely surviving.
Seeing how difficult the You family’s circumstances had become, Wang Zheng’s parents thought that if they really married their son to You Xiaotian, it would be like taking in several burdens. They were very displeased.
Coincidentally, the marriage contract between the two families had never been written down, so the Wang parents simply broke the engagement and arranged another marriage for their son.
Wang Zheng resisted but was unsuccessful, so he had to reluctantly go through with the marriage. He dared not defy his parents but took out all his resentment and anger on his wife, often verbally abusing her. Later, he even used the excuse of going on business trips to leave home for several years, disappearing without a trace.
Three years ago, when Wang Zheng had accumulated a little wealth, he returned to Xih River County and heard that You Xiaotian had already married, which enraged him.
Xie Yu frowned. “How unreasonable! Your family broke the engagement first. If Wang Zheng could marry, why couldn’t You Xiaotian get married?”
Wang Zheng’s parents were speechless, only mumbling some incoherent excuses that no one could understand.
Since then, Wang Zheng frequently visited his cousin and cousin-in-law’s home. When the parents saw that they couldn’t persuade him otherwise, they simply gave up and let him do as he pleased.
“What did Wang Zheng do when he visited You Xiaotian’s house?” Xie Yu asked.
Wang Zheng’s parents couldn’t answer.
After earning money, their son became increasingly uncontrollable. They had asked several times, but Wang Zheng only argued with them.
The elderly couple feared that no one would take care of them in their old age, so they gradually stopped opposing him, silently allowing and even encouraging him to make their daughter-in-law endure the humiliation.
Chen Wei turned to Xie Yu and said, “Magistrate Xie, from what we’ve seen now, the You couple seems very suspicious. Should we bring them in for questioning?”
Earlier, Coroner Zhang and Ma Bing had also confirmed during the autopsy that there were still many undigested foods in Wang Zheng’s stomach, suggesting he had been killed not long after eating.
If that was the case, it was highly possible that Wang Zheng’s affair with You Xiaotian was discovered, or that he repeatedly tried to seduce her, finally provoking her husband’s anger, who then followed him after dinner and killed him.
Xie Yu nodded. “Yes. But don’t overlook one thing.”
Everyone asked, “What?”
Xie Yu lightly tapped the table. “The Wang family confirmed that Wang Zheng took a bundle of spare clothes when he left, but none were found at the scene.”
Yuan Pei immediately said, “Could the body have fallen into the water and the bundle been washed away?”
“That’s unlikely,” Ma Bing interjected. “If you were riding an animal, you’d naturally hang all your baggage on it instead of carrying it yourself, wouldn’t you?”
Everyone thought about it and realized she was right.
Xie Yu gave her an appreciative glance. “If it was a crime of passion, there would be no need to take the bundle. But we can’t rule out the possibility of robbery for profit.”
Chen Wei pondered, “Are you suggesting we conduct a house search?”
Xie Yu nodded. “Search You Xiaotian’s house. Also, based on what Wang Zheng’s wife described, carefully record the style and material of the missing bundle and clothes, and check the pawnshops in both counties.”
The family of You Xiaotian’s husband wasn’t wealthy. If they suddenly came into possession of silk clothes, they probably wouldn’t dare to wear them openly.
But they also wouldn’t likely keep them hidden at home all the time, both because it would be a waste and because it would be unpleasant to look at.
So, how would an ordinary person deal with valuable items that are inconvenient to use themselves?
Very simply—pawnshops.
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