Jiang Si’s words left the monk Si Hai red-faced. Even the middle-aged monk Xuan Ci, who was temporarily acting as abbot, gave her a deep look.
Jiang Si paid no attention to the various gazes directed at her. She addressed the County Sheriff seriously: “We only arrived at Lingwu Temple this morning, which can be confirmed by the guest reception monk and others. Judging by the swelling of the male corpse from the well, he fell into the water no later than yesterday. Therefore, Master Si Hai’s claim that my brother killed Master Si Kong to silence him is completely unfounded. The corpse wasn’t killed by my brother, so how could he possibly kill again to silence someone?”
“Then why was he in the back mountain helping Master Si Kong water plants? Master Si Kong’s death was not an accident!” Si Hai angrily retorted.
Jiang Si chuckled, “Don’t Buddhist monks preach compassion and kindness? Couldn’t my brother have been helping Master Si Kong water plants out of the goodness of his heart? They say that those with Buddha in their hearts see others as Buddha. Master Si Hai, you always assume the worst in people. I wonder how you practice your faith!”
“Young lady, you certainly have a sharp tongue!” Si Hai’s face turned blue with anger.
Jiang Si shot back without mercy: “And you, venerable monk, are being unreasonable!”
“Have these benefactors ever visited Lingwu Temple before?” the County Sheriff suddenly asked.
Xuan Ci looked at the guest reception monk.
The guest reception monk was responsible for receiving pilgrims at the temple. Those who held this position were often diplomatic and good at handling affairs. Such people usually had excellent memories, especially for pilgrims like Jiang Si and her group who came from no ordinary background. If he had received them once, he would remember.
The guest reception monk replied, “This is these benefactors’ first visit.”
The County Sheriff looked at Jiang Zhan carefully and said calmly, “Since this is their first visit, Jiang Er had no prior grudge against Master Si Kong. Moreover, Master Si Hai did indeed see Jiang Er helping Master Si Kong fetch water. Logically speaking, Jiang Er had no reason to harm Master Si Kong.”
He paused briefly, then continued, “Of course, this reasoning is based on the premise that Jiang Er did not kill the man in the well.”
Although this deduction was simple, it was the most reasonable.
If Jiang Zhan hadn’t killed the man in the well, he had no motive to kill Si Kong. So the matter returned to the original question: who killed the man in the well?
Finding the killer of the man in the well would naturally lead to finding Si Kong’s killer if Si Kong’s death wasn’t accidental.
This was all part of the same investigation.
“Then, young lady, how did you know the man in the well didn’t die this morning?” the County Sheriff looked directly at Jiang Si.
Jiang Si calmly replied, “It’s not yet midsummer, and the well water in the mountains is quite cool. Even a piece of pork placed in well water would remain chilled for a day. If the man had fallen into the well water today, in my humble opinion, he wouldn’t look like he did when he was pulled out. Of course, this is just my speculation. Your Honor can wait for the coroner’s autopsy results.”
The County Sheriff nodded unconsciously and turned to his attendant, “Go see if the coroner has arrived.”
A death case was a major event in a county. The County Sheriff had already sent someone to dispatch officers from the county office while the crowd was still gathering.
“Since we’re waiting for the coroner’s autopsy results, we’ll set aside Jiang Er’s suspicion for now.” The County Sheriff looked at the village head of Qingniu Town, “I heard someone identify the man in the well earlier. Does the village head know about this?”
The village head nodded repeatedly.
“Then please tell us about him in detail.”
“The deceased is the young master of the Liu family’s cloth shop at the east end of town. His name is Liu Sheng, and he just turned nineteen this year. Liu Sheng’s father passed away long ago, and he was the only child raised by his mother. Liu Sheng’s mother doesn’t know yet that her son is gone. Ah, it’s truly pitiful.”
“Since he’s called ‘young master,’ I assume the Liu family’s cloth shop business is doing well?”
“Not really. The town is only so big, and it’s close to the county seat. Many particular families go to the country to buy clothes. As for ordinary families, they don’t often splurge on good clothes, only buying a few pieces of clothing for festivals and holidays.” The village head seemed a bit puzzled as he continued, “Although the Liu family’s cloth shop business is average, Liu Sheng dressed well and spent generously, so people called him Young Master Liu.”
“It must be hard for a widow to raise a son and run a cloth shop, isn’t it?”
The village head nodded repeatedly, “It is hard indeed. Fortunately, Liu Sheng’s second uncle cared deeply for his nephew and often helped the mother and son.”
“Since Liu Sheng’s second uncle cared so much for his nephew, let’s call him here first.”
“Your Honor, Liu Sheng’s second uncle passed away two years ago.”
The County Sheriff paused, then asked, “Does Liu Sheng’s second uncle’s family have any other members?”
“No, Liu Sheng’s second uncle never married. Now, apart from distant relatives, only Liu Sheng’s mother is left in the Liu family.”
“From what I understand, men usually don’t marry due to poverty. Since the Liu family had a cloth shop, why did Liu Sheng’s second uncle remain single?”
The village head explained, “The Liu family’s cloth shop wasn’t inherited. It was opened the year Liu Sheng was born. By then, Liu Sheng’s second uncle was already in his thirties.”
“Then how was the Liu family’s situation before that?”
The village head shook his head and sighed, “They were poor.”
The County Sheriff seemed lost in thought.
Yu Jin suddenly asked, “Did Liu Sheng’s father also marry late?”
Seeing the village head look at him, he smiled, “We just heard that when Liu Sheng was born, his second uncle was already in his thirties. Since Liu Sheng is an only child with no older siblings, doesn’t that mean his father had a child at a very late age? Was it also because he couldn’t find a wife?”
In Da Zhou, common people usually married and had children around seventeen or eighteen. Liu Sheng’s father seemed too old when Liu Sheng was born.
“That wasn’t the case. Liu Sheng’s father married in his twenties, but—” The village head stopped, seemingly uncomfortable discussing others’ private affairs.
The County Sheriff spoke gently, “Village head, feel free to speak. I need to understand as much as possible about the deceased’s family situation.”
The village head nodded and continued, “Liu Sheng’s parents were married for over ten years without a child, so they were both quite old when Liu Sheng was born.”
“I see,” the County Sheriff stroked his long beard.
A young man standing next to the village head suddenly exclaimed excitedly, “Oh, I remember something my mother mentioned!”
Seeing everyone look at him, the young man suddenly became nervous despite his excitement.
“Go ahead, young man,” the County Sheriff smiled.
The young man couldn’t help but look at the village head.
The village head glared at him fiercely, “If His Honor tells you to speak, then speak!”
“My mother once said that Liu Sheng’s mother couldn’t have children for over ten years. The reason she had Liu Sheng was because she came to Lingwu Temple to pray for a child!”
Even though they were discussing the deceased’s situation, suddenly bringing up Lingwu Temple, even for something positive, made Xuan Ci and the other monks look uncomfortable.
Encouraged by the County Sheriff’s gaze, the young man felt a sense of importance and continued excitedly, “After my mother saw that Liu Sheng’s mother had Liu Sheng, she also came to Lingwu Temple to pray for a child. Not long after, she became pregnant with me. Haha, the incense at Lingwu Temple is truly effective.”
“So, Lingwu Temple has been popular for over twenty years?”
Xuan Ci chanted a Buddhist phrase to the County Sheriff, which was taken as an acknowledgment.
At this moment, the County Sheriff’s attendant came in, “Your Honor, the coroner has arrived. I’ve taken him directly to where the body is being kept.”
The County Sheriff nodded and looked towards Miss Li.