W Chapter 43

Chapter 43 “Where is the child? I have to take him away first…”

Since the notice of five taels of gold for a piece of information was posted, the Yunshui County Yamen has been as lively as the vegetable market.

Magistrate Lin is rich and generous, directly placing a box of gold ingots in the county Yamen, with the lid open in the main hall.

The golden ingots were eye-catching, and even the bailiffs guarding the side with knives couldn’t help but look at them from time to time.

When Zhao Baocai arrived at the county Yamen, he only saw a long queue.

The usually deserted county Yamen was now crowded with people.

He trailed behind the queue, nervously observing the surroundings with his face covered, afraid of seeing someone he knew.

It’s said that one should make a fortune in silence, and if he was seen by acquaintances, the gold he got would not stay warm for long.

The queue moved slowly, and it took Zhao Baocai an hour to finally reach the front.

Fortunately, he was used to standing for long periods and didn’t feel anything.

He was led in by a bailiff, and when he passed the wide-open wooden box, his eyes were completely glued to the gold inside.

Zhao Baocai’s mouth twitched with excitement, it was all his!

No one knew Zhao Wuxiang better than him, his accomplice.

And no one knew better than him where those people Zhao Wuxiang had abducted were sold to.

After all, he handled everything.

Following the bailiff all the way in, Zhao Baocai had a good plan in mind. He wouldn’t be greedy, just sell ten pieces of information and take ten gold ingots.

“What’s your name, where do you live, and what information do you want to provide?”

The scribe Wu Shi dipped his brush in new ink, waiting for Zhao Baocai’s answer.

“Sir, can I not say my name and address?”

Zhao Baocai spoke with a shrunken neck, a little afraid of the two tall and strong bailiffs standing behind him.

The reason he didn’t want to give this information was that he was afraid the news would leak and people would know he had gotten gold ingots from the Yamen.

He was also afraid that Zhao Wuxiang would know he had informed on him and cause him trouble before he was arrested.

Wu Shi held the brush in his hand, hesitating. He raised his eyes to sweep over Zhao Baocai, sizing him up for a while, then slightly curved his lips and smiled reassuringly.

“If you’re worried that others will know your information, then you can put your mind at ease. There will be no leaks from the Yamen.”

That’s what he said, but Zhao Baocai was still a little hesitant.

Wu Shi smoothed the paper, ready to write, “If you don’t say, how will we notify you to come and get the gold ingots if the information is confirmed to be useful?”

Zhao Baocai didn’t hesitate this time.

He reported his name and address and then said the ten pieces of information he had thought up.

He couldn’t wait to ask, “Sir, when can these messages be confirmed?”

Wu Shi looked up at Zhao Baocai, like looking at prey caught in a net.

“As long as you guarantee that the information provided is accurate, it can be confirmed in three to five days. Some have been confirmed in one day. Today, many people have been sent out to notify those people to come and collect the gold ingots.”

Hearing this, Zhao Baocai was relieved.

But Wu Shi’s next words made his heart rise again.

“By the way, I have to tell you that the adult said that the end will be when the gold ingots in the box outside are used up.”

Wu Shi flipped through the small booklet he was recording in.

“I see that the places you mentioned in the information are a bit far away. If the information provided by others is quicker to check than yours, they will be notified to come and collect the gold ingots first.”

First come, first served?

Zhao Baocai couldn’t stand it when he heard this. Wouldn’t it be very likely that he wouldn’t get much? He might not even get one.

In the face of money, Zhao Baocai couldn’t care less about whether he would be beaten by Zhao Wuxiang.

What he said before was all about the whereabouts of the abducted people, and the places were indeed a bit far away.

After listening to Wu Shi’s words, Zhao Baocai said several more pieces of information.

Some were about Zhao Wuxiang, and some were about the abducted people.

They were all nearby, and it would only take a day to find out the truth.

“And a few days ago, Zhao Wuxiang went to Zhao Family Village in Moon Bay Town to abduct a child.”

Wu Shi’s recording action paused.

He flipped through the report records at hand, “A boy, five years old, named Zhao Baogen?”

Zhao Baocai didn’t want to say this message originally.

He didn’t know the origin of this child, but he knew that Master Tu wanted to protect him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered to bring him back before.

But Master Tu wouldn’t give him gold to spend, and the person was in Yunxia Town. It would only take a few hours to confirm the authenticity of the news.

This message could be exchanged for gold ingots the fastest.

He still wanted gold ingots.

As for Master Tu, he was just a buyer anyway, and the government wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

Even if Master Tu knew he said this, he would at most get a beating.

Zhao Baocai thought about it in his heart, weighed the pros and cons, and nodded in confirmation.

“Yes, the person was bought by Master Tu of Hengtong Gambling House. If the adult sends someone to investigate now, it is estimated that the child can still be found.”

Wu Shi said “Oh” meaningfully, “Is there any other news?”

“No more.”

Zhao Baocai wanted to say where Zhao Wuxiang was, but he really didn’t know.

Zhao Wuxiang never had a fixed place to abduct people from.

Wu Shi put down his pen and rubbed his wrist.

He gave a look to the two bailiffs standing behind Zhao Baocai.

“Okay, since there’s nothing else to say, you can take him down.”

Zhao Baocai didn’t react for a while, until his arms were restrained, he panicked and said, “Sir, what does this mean!”

“Magistrate said that anyone who can provide more than five pieces of information is inseparable from the ‘peddler.’ Rather catch the wrong person than let one go.”

Wu Shi flipped through the booklet, “You said more than twenty pieces of information, and any three-year-old child can see that you are related to the ‘peddler’.”

Zhao Baocai, the accomplice who was lured out by the gold ingots, was pale with fright at this time.

His brain reacted quickly, and he shouted in panic, “Those messages were all made up by me! I have nothing to do with the ‘peddler’!”

Wu Shi chuckled, “Are you sure they’re all made up? Magistrate Lin told me that if you make up information, you’ll get fifty lashes for each piece of information and a fine of ten taels of silver. If you make up twenty-eight pieces, do you want to be beaten into a pulp?”

Zhao Baocai was frightened silly.

Why didn’t he tell him about this rule before!

Compared to being beaten into a pulp, he’d rather be locked up in prison.

“It’s true! Everything I said is true! Absolutely no falsehoods!”

Zhao Baocai wasyārù: taken into custody into prison, and the chief clerk Zuo Mingchen personally led people to interrogate him.

This case of human trafficking is a major case in Yunshui County because of the large number of people who reported it.

If it is handled well, not only will the magistrate have political achievements, but also the chief clerk who is in charge ofqīdào: suppressing bandits,pánjié: interrogating, jiānchá: supervising, and yùqiú: prisoners in a county will also have political achievements.

Zhao Baocai was a person who felt pain even if his oily skin was broken a little, how could he withstand interrogation.

He hadn’t even been subjected to torture, and he poured out everything like beans.

Zuo Mingchen immediately arranged for people to go out and find those who had been sold nearby.

As for the whereabouts of Zhao Wuxiang, Zhao Baocai really didn’t know.

The Yamen could only first eliminate those places that Zhao Wuxiang had been to and look for him in the places he hadn’t been to.

Lin Qingyu finished reading the confession handed over by Zuo Mingchen and instructed his subordinates: “The accomplice has been lured out, so there’s no need to hire those people who were paid to line up to support the scene tomorrow.”

Zuo Mingchen never understood the matter of spending money to find people to line up in front of the Yamen.

“Why did you want to find people to line up in the first place?”

After catching the person, Lin Qingyu was in a good mood.

He was happy to explain, stroking his beard and laughing: “The more people there are, the more urgency there is. There are only so many gold ingots, and they’ll be gone when they’re divided up. If you want to get them, you can only say more.”

The reward this time was enticing enough to be worth the risk. In addition, with Wu Shi’s cooperation, he was not afraid of not being able to lure people out.

Zuo Mingchen was speechless. The high-ranking son of a wealthy family grasped people’s greed very accurately.

At the same time, he also had the ability to spend a lot of money just to put on a play and catch a fish.

Ling Xing naturally knew about the news spread by the Yamen.

He was prepared for people from the county Yamen to come, but he didn’t expect it to be so fast.

Ling Yue’s injury had only been treated for two days, and there was a slight improvement.

But it was best to stay in bed and rest.

The government official leading the team to the gambling house happened to be an acquaintance.

Wang Tuan didn’t expect to see Ling Xing when he came to the gambling house to find someone.

This didn’t seem like a place where a “Ge’er” would appear.

He led four subordinates and was invited to the backyard.

Looking around the courtyard, Wang Tuan nodded to Ling Xing as a greeting.

Time was limited, and there was no time for pleasantries. He directly asked Tu Hai, “Did Master Tu buy a child back a few days ago?”

Tu Hai nodded, “Yes.”

“Has he been registered as a slave with the Yamen?”

“Not yet.”

Wang Tuan breathed a sigh of relief. It would be much easier to handle if he hadn’t been registered as a slave.

“Master Tu doesn’t know, that child was abducted. According to the law, if he hasn’t been registered as a slave, his relatives can take him back by returning the silver that was paid to buy him.”

“Where is the child? I have to take him back to the Yamen first.”

Tu Hai shook his folding fan, thinking of how Ling Yue was injured like that, he felt unhappy, and his tone was also very blunt.

“Family? What family? They beat him so badly that he almost died, what kind of family is that?”

In addition to being angry, Wang Tuan also heard some other meanings in these words.

Tu Hai didn’t want to hand over the person.

After all, he was a local tyrant, and because of their presence on weekdays, there were fewer incidents in these towns.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, the Yamen didn’t want to tear their face with this kind of person.

Wang Tuan could only suppress his anger.

“No matter what, that’s someone else’s child. Moreover, a case has already been reported, and even if the registration is changed, the Yamen will not agree. Master Tu, to put it bluntly, in this situation, even if the family doesn’t give silver, the household registration will fall on their side. If you don’t hand over the person, aren’t you raising a child for others for nothing?”

Tu Hai remained unmoved, and Wang Tuan’s face also sank.

Seeing that the atmosphere was changing, Ling Xing finally found an opportunity to explain.

“Sir, the child that Master Tu bought is actually my younger brother. It’s not that Master Tu doesn’t want to hand over the person, but my younger brother is too seriously injured, and the doctor said that he must stay in bed and rest.”

Wang Tuan didn’t expect it to be like this, which was why Ling Xing would be at the gambling house.

After telling Wang Tuan and his party the general situation, it caused a burst of sighs.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Tuan said, “Take me to see the child first.”

If he confirmed that the injury was really serious, he wouldn’t take the person back, which would be easy to explain to the higher-ups.

Ling Xing glanced at the four bailiffs behind Wang Tuan, “Ah Yue is sleeping, I’m afraid too many people will wake him up. If you want to go in, I can only bring in two people at most.”

Wang Tuan wasn’t an unreasonable person, and he was concerned about the child’s health. Following what Ling Xing said, he randomly pointed to one person to go in with him, so that he would have someone to testify when he went back to report.

The smell of medicine was very strong in the room because the windows were closed.

Fearing that Ling Yue would catch a cold, Ling Xing only opened the windows when the sun was at its peak.

Ling Yue hadn’t been sleeping well before, and his body and spirit had reached the breaking point.

The doctor’s prescription included ānshén: tranquilizing and bǔqì: invigorating Qi ingredients.

Because of this, even if someone entered the room, Ling Yue didn’t wake up suddenly at the slightest disturbance, as he did when he wasn’t taking medicine.

Wang Tuan and the bailiff who came with him were a little surprised when they saw the skinny child lying on the bed wrapped in white cloth.

They didn’t expect him to be injured like this.

No wonder Tu Hai said that his life was almost gone before.

“In two days, the doctor said that he would help Ah Yue break the bone and reattach it, otherwise his leg will always be lame.”

Ling Xing slightly lifted the quilt to show the two people Ling Yue’s somewhat twisted right leg, and then quickly covered it for fear that he would catch a cold.

As government officials, injuries were common.

Wang Tuan and the others often got injured, so at this time, they were more likely to empathize with Ling Yue’s injury.

When they saw that slightly twisted leg, Wang Tuan and the others frowned, subconsciously gritting their teeth and feeling as if their own legs were also hurting.

Hearing Ling Xing say that he still had to break the bone and reattach it, they felt even more unbearable.

Such a young child was going to suffer such pain.

“Brother…”

Ling Yue in his sleep suddenly called out uneasily, his body under the quilt trembling, and he continued to shout in a hoarse voice, “Brother… I’m scared.”

Ling Xing stepped forward in time and gently patted him through the quilt, “Brother is here, Ah Yue is not afraid.”

The child who was trapped in a nightmare finally calmed down under Ling Xing’s patient comfort.

Wang Tuan and the others saw it in their eyes and had a bad impression of the Zhao family who was looking for the child.

After comforting Ling Yue, Ling Xing got up and signaled to leave.

When walking out, Wang Tuan lowered his voice and said to Ling Xing, “I heard that the child’s voice is not quite right.”

Ling Xing whispered: “Ah Yue’s throat was fed with a dumb drug, and he has to drink a lot of medicine every day. The wounds on his body also need to be cleaned every day, and the medicine packs need to be changed. So he really can’t go to the Yamen.”

Wang Tuan paused, this child was really tortured to the point of being riddled with holes.

“No need to go, I will report to Magistrate Lin truthfully when I go back. It is important for you to treat the child.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Wang Tuan was eager to go back and report, and when he went out, he greeted his subordinates to leave the gambling house.

Back at the county Yamen, he immediately went to see Lin Qingyu.

Lin Qingyu didn’t expect that the child in the abduction case in Zhao Family Village was actually Ling Xing’s younger brother.

After listening to Wang Tuan’s description of Ling Yue’s injury, Lin Qingyu’s expression was calm.

“I know, we should prioritize the child’s body, and we will not notify Zhao Family Village for the time being.”

Wang Tuan’s face lit up, so that the child would have more time to treat his body with peace of mind.

He cupped his hands and saluted, preparing to take his leave, but was stopped by Lin Qingyu, “If Ling Xing wants to see me, he can bring people directly.”

“Yes, sir.”