strictlysupreme Chapter 105 Do you like it?
Chapter 105 Do you like it?
"The Sun family's affairs may not be that simple."
Su Ze blew out the already shaky oil lamp, his voice hoarse from staying up all night. He left the desk, opened the door, and stood facing the yard with his hands behind his back.
"How can it be simple? I heard that the Xiao family is fighting over the property. I'm afraid it's related." Master Cui squinted his eyes and didn't open them. He stayed with Su Ze, with a thick stack of documents on his hands. He hadn't rested all night and really didn't have the strength to open his eyes and speak.
The red light outside was about to turn bright, and it was a refreshing time, but Su Ze frowned, watching the branches and leaves in the yard swaying in the morning breeze.
Last night he did not follow the man directly, but chose another route and went to the military camp.
When I was investigating the Sun family's affairs before, I guessed that this person was related to the military. Yesterday he was just trying his luck.
Unexpectedly, the bet turned out to be right, and the man really entered the military camp as if he knew the whole place well.
Su Ze did not follow him, but returned to the county government office and checked out the military documents that had been kept there over the years. The military roster was not under the jurisdiction of the county government, but those who were not included would be registered at the county government office. It was for this reason that Su Ze spent the whole night yesterday checking.
Liu Hu should be the name of this bandit leader.
Su Ze's guess was not without basis. This man had some resemblance to Liu Yu in his eyebrows, and he could enter the barracks at will. Thinking back to Liu Yu's concern for the escaped robber, it was clearly written in black and white on the military registration that Liu Hu, who had returned home due to illness, was Liu Yu's brother.
These documents have been there for many years. Su Ze dug them out of a broken box after searching for a long time. I am afraid that even Liu Yu does not remember them...
His ancestral home was listed as Beidu, and he had previously sent people to investigate Xiao Xuan and Xiao Zongwen under the pretext of routine work, and they were also from Beidu. Although Fan Zhixing was not from Beidu, all signs indicated that he was working on behalf of Xiao Zongwen and his group to disrupt Xiao Lan's business.
First, he wanted to find He's mother to frame Xiao Lan, and then he used Mr. Zhu to create some trouble.
So what was Li Hu's purpose in approaching Xiao Lan? Perhaps Xiao Lan trusted him. Su Ze had been thinking about it all night.
Was he approaching Xiao Lan to harm her for Xiao Zongwen and the others? If that were the case, he would have acted long ago. As Su Ze saw it, Liu Hu wanted Xiao Lan to commit herself to him. But given the robber's character, if he had used force, Xiao Lan would have already submitted. Why bother trying to claim credit for it? Unless, as Liu Hu said, he truly loved Xiao Lan.
Su Ze still thinks about what Xiao Lan did to Liu Hu at that time. A woman like this is really unexpected and will make people remember her all the time. He can't help but want to guess what she is thinking.
"Why do you seem to want to match me with Madam Sun?" Su Ze suddenly looked at Master Cui.
Master Cui lowered his head and squinted his eyes. When he heard this question, his body tensed up, but he quickly relaxed.
"I think her life is not easy, and it will be easier with you."
Master Cui didn't take it seriously, but Su Ze noticed something strange about him.
"I haven't married yet, but she's already someone else's wife. How can you feel that way?"
Su Ze didn't care about these things, but he felt that ordinary people would not match them up like this. He was just a little concerned about Xiao Lan at first. He had never seen such a seemingly weak but surprisingly strong woman. Moreover, Xiao Lan's initial hostility towards him made him curious and concerned.
He would not have any inappropriate thoughts about someone else's wife, but Master Cui seemed to be afraid that he had missed something, and always reminded himself to look at her differently.
The more reminders he got, the more he watched. The more he watched, the more he couldn't take his eyes off her. Yesterday, on the way there, he talked about Xiao Lan's current helplessness, which had caused him to act impulsively in front of everyone.
"I just see that you like her very much. Don't you like her?" Master Cui looked up at him, listless, but with certainty in his eyes.
Su Ze felt a tight breath in his chest, and it took him a long time to calm down. Why did Master Cui say that? He didn't deny it, but he didn't want to talk about it in front of others.
However, Master Cui was not going to let him go. He seemed to have come to his senses. He kicked away the documents at his feet and moved closer to Su Ze to stare into his eyes.
"like or not?"
Su Ze turned his eyes away from him and casually looked at a short grass in the yard.
"There's definitely something special about her."
"More than a few..." Master Cui stood side by side with Su Ze, not as aggressive as before, "She is a strong person. She seems to be not afraid of anything and can control herself at all times. But in fact, she swallows her anger and endures the hardship." Master Cui followed Su Ze's gaze at the grass, but thought in his heart that Xiao Lan was not a strong grass.
"Do you know her well?" Su Ze turned to look at the person, feeling a little doubtful.
"Can't you see? What happened to her yesterday when the child was lost? She almost rubbed that girl's hands to pieces, and she still managed to speak calmly to you."
"Um……"
Su Ze naturally saw what Master Cui said, which made him even more worried about Xiao Lan's current situation. As a county magistrate, he couldn't just rush into the barracks to look for someone without any evidence. With his upbringing, he wouldn't climb over the wall like Liu Hu did to comfort someone. He had to find a suitable excuse before he could see her.
Now that Sun Shaohua had just died, he felt that he shouldn't be intruding into the life of a widowed woman at this time. Regardless of whether the woman agreed or not, even if she agreed, the gossip could be fatal, not to mention that his family had an upcoming engagement.
He stood beside Xiao Lan yesterday, watching her run towards another man with anticipation. At that time, he secretly made up his mind to stand by her side with a legitimate qualification, but now he has backed out.
"If you think too much, the person will run away with someone else." Master Cui turned and walked out of the yard. He was hungry. He wanted to eat the hot wontons and then have a good sleep.
Su Ze looked at his back, his eyes darkening. He always felt that Master Cui understood Xiao Lan better than he did, as if they were old acquaintances.
Thinking of his old acquaintance, Su Ze actually began to compare himself with Master Cui to see if they looked alike. Of course, he didn't. Not to mention that Master Cui was thin and small, not even as tall as his shoulders, his narrow eyes were also nothing like his own.
Su Ze called the servant to fetch some water and prepare some food. He prepared to wash up and talk to Xiao Lan about the connection between these things. As for how Xiao Lan would view Liu Hu, she would decide for herself.
After a bowl of porridge, Su Ze felt a little more energetic. Fortunately, he was young and energetic, so staying up all night was nothing. He thought back to the days when he studied by candlelight every night for the imperial examinations.
"Sir..." Xue Wu stepped in from the door, saw food on the table, and took a bowl without hesitation. Su Ze suddenly felt that he should assert his authority. Master Cui was uncontrollable, and Xue Wu no longer respected him as much as before.
"I took my brothers to wander around in the forest outside the mountain at night, and found a yard on the mountain." Xue Wu drank a bowl of porridge in one breath and served himself another bowl.
Seeing that Xue Wu had a clue, Su Ze no longer minded his rudeness. Before he asked, Xue Wu continued, "There are quite a few big stones and wooden dummies in the yard. They must be where people who practiced martial arts lived. But it looks like it has been abandoned for some time. I remembered that the robbers of the Sun family were all very strong, so I guessed it was them." Xue Wu gulped down another bowl of porridge, picked up the only steamed bun on the plate, and stuffed half of it in one breath.
"But there are no mountain people living around here, so I can't ask anyone. There were bandits there before, but they robbed more and more people, so there are fewer people now."
Seeing Xue Wu talking while eating, Su Ze didn't delay and let him continue without asking any more questions. This time, it was Xue Wu's turn to look up at him and said, "That's it."
"Are you done?" Su Ze snorted, feeling that he had not provided any substantial clues. After all, the identity of Liu Hu had been confirmed.
"Oh, I found a few knives there, just like before..."
"Sir..." Master Cui walked in listlessly. Seeing that the table had been almost cleared, he frowned, looking displeased.
He was just about to go out to eat wontons when he received news that forced him to return and report, "Sun Jiye has been sent back by someone, a businessman from a neighboring country."