Xiao Huzi, carrying a roster in his satchel, walked out happily. Just as he stepped into the shop, he saw Zhu Huaizhang standing at the door with Constable Wang.
He stood there, stunned... His aunt had reported it to the authorities?!
Xiao Huzi didn't have time to think. He slid to his knees in front of Jin Shanyao, looked up and cried, "Auntie, I was wrong! I'll never bribe Brother Anci with candy again! Please don't report me to the authorities, it was my first time bribing someone!"
Jin Shanyao was taken aback at first, then her face darkened as she said, "I guarded against everything, but I couldn't stop you... Tell me, what did you get in return?"
Xiao Huzi, with tears in his eyes, said, "Auntie, do you really have to destroy our relationship of over ten years?"
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "How old are you this year? You've had this relationship for over ten years?" She reached into Xiao Huzi's bag and pulled out a notebook.
One person's name per page, densely packed throughout the entire book.
Jin Shanyao handed the notebook to Zhu Huaizhang, " Lord Zhu, what do you think of this matter?"
Zhu Huaizhang glanced at Xiao Huzi and said in a deliberately deep voice, "Using sugar to bribe the top scholar, reselling calligraphy copybooks... five days in jail, and stripping him of his qualification as a child scholar."
Xiao Huzi felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He'd be fine locked up in jail, but if he lost his scholarly degree, his father could skin him alive.
He looked up and asked, "Sir, is there any chance to turn the situation around?"
Jin Shanyao suppressed a laugh and coughed lightly, "Your profits will be split 20/80. You get 20%, I get 80%."
Xiao Huzi jumped up, his teeth clenched, his Xiao Pang filled with helplessness against the evil forces, "You guys are really something."
After saying this, she snatched the roster from Jin Shanyao's hand, turned around and ran into the rouge shop in a flash, then sat down in a chair and burst into tears.
"Third Grandpa... Xiao Huzi lost money in business. After splitting the profits 50/50, he still wanted to split them 20/80... I didn't earn a single penny!"
Shopkeeper Wang was baffled by his crying, but still had to serve the guests, so he said, "Go cry in the backyard... and remember to take two books with you when you're done."
Wow... Xiao Huzi got up and walked to the backyard crying. Good heavens... Who has the time to write so many books? He doesn't even read them himself, but prints them all out for him to read.
Why is this person so narcissistic...?
Inside the Anzhi Hall.
Zhu Huaizhang sat opposite Jin Shanyao and sighed softly, "I came here this time to ask for your help."
Jin Shanyao a soft "hmm," rested her arm on the table, and looked at him with bright eyes, " Lord Zhu, have you come to have your fortune told?"
Zhu Huaizhang choked, feeling his face burning with embarrassment. " Shopkeeper Jin, please don't tease me. I'm really facing a problem this time. May I speak with you in private?"
Jin Shanyao up and led him to the main room. Zhu Huaizhang asked Constable Wang the door, sat down, and remained silent for a while before speaking.
"During your absence from Qingzhou Prefecture, several cases of arranged ghost marriages occurred."
He frowned as he said this, "A while ago, a family from the outskirts of the city came to the government office to report that their daughter had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned while attending a temple fair. No sooner had her body been brought home than a matchmaker came to propose marriage."
Jin Shanyao looked at him and nodded repeatedly, but her hand reached into the small winnowing basket, grabbed a handful of walnuts, crushed them, and ate them. She used to dislike eating these dry things.
Ever since she's been in contact with humans for a long time, she's always worried that her intelligence will be assimilated, so she likes to take supplements whenever she has the chance.
Zhu Huaizhang stared at her speechlessly, "I'm talking about dead people... and you can actually eat that?"
"What's the big deal...? You could be squatting in the outhouse and telling me, I'd eat it..."
Zhu Huaizhang felt nauseous. "Alright... stop talking."
He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The couple didn't agree and kicked the matchmaker out on the spot. Then, on the seventh day after her death, when they went to visit the grave, they found it had been disturbed."
Jin Shanyao's eyes widened, and she asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is the body missing?"
Zhu Huaizhang nodded.
Jin Shanyao gasped, realizing she had guessed correctly. She then reached into the small winnowing basket with both hands and crushed all the walnuts inside.
She picked up a walnut kernel and popped it into her mouth; she couldn't take it anymore... She was being led astray by these humans' minds—stealing corpses... What kind of people would do such a thing?
Zhu Huaizhang picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke..."
Jin Shanyao, chewing on a walnut kernel, pushed the small winnowing basket towards Zhu Huaizhang, gesturing for him to have some too... But Zhu Huaizhang had no interest in eating walnuts.
Since the body disappearances began, four or five families have reported missing bodies, both male and female... He's been extremely busy these past few days, but still has no clue what's going on.
Jin Shanyao the food in her mouth and asked curiously, "What happened? How did the couple react to seeing the empty coffin?"
"If it were an empty coffin, that would be fine, but those despicable tomb raiders actually put a skinned black dog inside."
Upon hearing this, Jin Shanyao began frantically stuffing walnut kernels into her mouth...
Zhu Huaizhang silently pushed the small winnowing basket closer to her, "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."
Jin Shanyao had no time to reply; her mouth was full of walnut kernels, and she nodded frantically to signal Zhu Huaizhang to continue.
She believed that as long as she ate fast enough, the lack of a human brain wouldn't affect her.
Zhu Huaizhang said helplessly, "What other reaction could they have? The old couple fainted on the spot, and when they woke up they reported it to the police."
I've been investigating for three or four months without any progress. I'm at my wit's end, which is why I'm turning to you... I hope you can do some divination for me and see where these tomb raiders are hiding."
Jin Shanyao picked up the teacup beside her and drank it all in one gulp, then swallowed the food in her mouth. "You're rich now?"
Zhu Huaizhang asked doubtfully, "Don't you only charge one copper coin for divination?"
Jin Shanyao her eyes. "Such a heinous case of yours, you wouldn't even get two coins, would you?"
Zhu Huaizhang was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Alright... two copper coins, you help me calculate..."
"What's the use of calculating? There's no evidence even if we figure it out..." Jin Shanyao up a small winnowing basket, shook it, and picked through the walnuts, popping them into her mouth. "We need to lure the snake out of its hole so we can catch them red-handed."
Zhu Huaizhang understood the reasoning behind it all, "But we can't let someone die just to solve a case."
Jin Shanyao regretted it a little; she should have given him some walnuts too.
She cleared her throat. "Fake death... Find someone to bury in a grave, spread the word, and wait for them to take the bait."
Jin Shanyao her head, picked up the walnut crumbs that had fallen onto her clothes, and popped them into her mouth. "Fifty taels... I'm willing to lend you a hand."
Zhu Huaizhang frowned, his heart aching. "No... it's too expensive."
"Tsk... I'm telling you, you never seem to have any long-term goals. Why did Su Wenqian get promoted so quickly?"
Jin Shanyao at him sideways and continued, "It's because he solved cases with money and repeatedly performed meritorious deeds that he caught the emperor's attention. Now he's a high-ranking official in the capital, a close advisor to the emperor... And look at you, still agonizing over whether or not to spend fifty taels of silver..."
Jin Shanyao sincerely said, " Xiao Zhu... considering your upright character, I'd like to help you out when I leave Qingzhou Prefecture. Fifty taels is already a friendly price. You know I'm not short of money..."
Zhu Huaizhang gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, but it still wouldn't work; it was too expensive, and he didn't have the money. "Could you make it cheaper? Consider it doing a good deed for the people and accumulating Merit..."
Jin Shanyao sideways at him. How did he know it was for the sake of Merit? Kid, you're pretty smart. No wonder you became a prefect.
She coughed lightly twice. "Since you're using the common people as an excuse, then I'll reluctantly agree... So, listen to me." Jin Shanyao leaned close to Zhu Huaizhang's ear and whispered for a while.
Zhu Huaizhang was taken aback, frowned, and was shocked. He then retorted, "No, that's too dangerous."
Jin Shanyao patted Zhu Huaizhang on the shoulder, "That's why I want fifty taels from you. Trust me... human greed is limitless. They'll definitely take the bait."
Zhu Huaizhang's mind was completely occupied with fifty taels of silver, and hadn't she just said she'd given him a discount? What was going on? Was he hallucinating?