A Hua's contribution

  After the rain, the sky is clear and the air is fresh. The strange cry that suddenly occurred in the middle of the night was mixed with the cold wind and icy rain, and was swallowed up by the loud thunder, but it did not disturb the people of the entire Huangshi County government office. When the doorman knocked on the door at the first moment of dawn, the whole county government office began to wake up and operate in an orderly manner, except for Min An who was still fast asleep.

  After washing and dressing, Fei Yi opened the closet door and saw Min An curled up on the shelf. Without hesitation, he pushed Min An's shoulder. Min An hugged the pillow and turned over to sleep again. Fei Yi exerted force in his hand, grabbed Min An's collar, and pulled him out of the closet.

  Min An slept soundly, struggling a bit in Nai Yi's hands, like a fish that had been out of water and was flailing its tail. Nai Yi saw that his face still had the remnants of tears that hadn't fully dried, his pale red lips pursed tightly, as if silently recounting the grievances of last night. The force in his hands finally wavered, loosening slightly. Min An took advantage of the opportunity to fall onto the ground, resting his head on the foot of the earth bed and adjusting his position before falling asleep again.

  He sat down on the floor, staring at a lump by his feet, not speaking. Since he had occupied his room and was in his way, he could only quietly wait for Min An to wake up and leave.

  Hua Cuī floated over like a gentle breeze and called out by the window: "Anzi, it's time to get up."

  Min An moved, but his clothes did not move.

  "A Hua was struck dead by lightning last night."

  Min An suddenly opened his eyes, got up, wiped his face with a pillow, and rushed out of the door. Ahua's pen was in front of Master Wu Ren's wing room, without a canopy to block it, and the wooden door was not closed tightly even on normal days, so Wu Ren's three apprentices let Ahua run out to wander around. The Huangshi County government office was dilapidated, with rotten wood pillars inlaid with ink boards, broken rafters decorated with red eaves, and countless broken doors and windows. Originally, over the past two or three years, there were very few villagers who came to report cases, so Bis sat on the public hall, idle to the point of becoming a mud Bodhisattva covered in weeds. Finally, he waited for a proper land dispute case to arrive, how could he not let him shake off his sluggishness? Just as he was grandly presiding over the court, Ahua cleverly came out of the pen gate, passed through the side courtyard, second hall, corridor, and back door of the main hall, and went straight to the front of the public case. It looked up and saw familiar faces, and on its own initiative, it nodded here and there, ruining a grand and majestic public trial. Min An was recording at the time, and before Bis could scold him, he dropped his pen and jumped up to chase after the pig everywhere.

  After going through a public trial storm, Ah Hua was banned by Bi Shi and only allowed to enter and exit the side courtyard.

  But Min An didn't expect that this small world would ultimately fail to save Ahua's life. He stood in front of the pen, staring blankly at the pigsty lined with vegetable leaves and straw, forgetting to put the three incense sticks into the stone holder for half a day. Fen Yi looked out of the window and suddenly remembered what Min An had said. Min An had said that the animals he raised were all dignified and spiritual, such as Ahua, who knew to go out to relieve itself and keep the grass nest clean. Sometimes when Master would scold him severely, Ahua would even hum a few times, diverting Master's anger onto it.

  "Ahua is my sworn brother." Min An raised his head, staring blankly at Fei Yi standing by the window. "Its ancestral home is Huangshipo, and within a radius of ten miles, there isn't any animal that can grow as majestic as it. I asked Master, and even Master acknowledges Ahua as a rare breed."

  Fei Yi saw Min An's uncomfortable appearance and reluctantly picked up the sentence: "So you just picked it back?"

  Min An replied: "I usually don't take action, but when I do, I catch rare species. You are too."

  He flicked a pebble out, hitting Min'an's forehead and leaving a bump, before closing the window again. Min'an rubbed his forehead, muttering to himself: "At least say something, let me ask clearly, what kind of rare breed are you that it's not too late to get angry..."

  He had obviously forgotten about comparing Nike with a pig in the same breath.

  At noon, something else happened that Min An couldn't accept. What was even more cruel than Bi Ahua being struck by lightning to death was that through on-site investigation, Hua Cui confirmed that last night, Min An was wearing a white shirt and pulling a ghostly shadow, rushing towards the Fei Yi window, which greatly frightened Ahua. Ahua ran into the empty courtyard in a panic, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning, but Min An, who had just jumped over the low wall and flown over Ahua's body, was not in any danger at all.

  Of course, this is still not the most cruel thing.

  Min An Tong Ding Si Tong, decided to cooperate with Master to cure his own strange illness. When he turned to the kitchen's outer room to prepare for lunch, he found that there was an extra dish of roasted sauce pork on the table.

  Xiao Liu had already heard the story of Min An scaring Mao Thirteen by dressing up as a ghost last night, and Ah Hua's misfortune. So when eating big dishes, he was very forceful, using this to avenge Min An's fright. The rest of the yamen officials rushed forward, dropping their chopsticks towards Ah Hua's remains, while Min An looked at the dinner table with tears in his eyes. Hua Cui, wearing an apron, brought out a bowl of green vegetable and yellow needle soup, and whispered in Min An's ear: "This roasted pork is made for Xiao Liu, to calm him down, besides Ah Hua is dead and has no use, it's better to fill everyone's belly, and also compensate you for the gift. As for what happened last night when you sneaked into Fei Yi's room, I won't mention it, to save face for Fei Yi, and leave some leeway for you."

  Min An suddenly remembered to look up and find Fei Yi, asking: "Where is he?"

  Hua Cui replied: "I had just finished drinking a bowl of porridge when I was called away by Master Bi. Apparently, a villager has died and they need Fei Yi to examine the wounds. As you know, apart from Fei Yi, there isn't a single decent martial artist in the entire county. Asking him to take a look at the wounds shouldn't be wrong..."

  Min An hastily grabbed Huai Cui's handkerchief to wipe her mouth and walked out: "A case of murder occurs only once every two or three years, it's a big case, I have to go take a look."

  The villagers were lying on a wooden board, wearing neat shorts and straw shoes, with a faint smell of smoke. The body was carried over by passing farmers, the scene of the incident was at Huangshi Slope, due to the crowd, the traces had been destroyed. Fei Yi stood in the hallway, took a look at the body, and had already estimated the general situation, asked Bi Si: "What do you think, sir?"

  Bisi stroked his small beard and deduced: "Last night's thunderstorm was very severe, I think this person was probably struck to death by lightning."

  He frowned, but didn't say anything, and simply said, "Then let's make a decision according to the adult's intention." He didn't want to get involved in the case, so he was ready to quietly push the trouble away.

  Bi Shi said with a smile, "Does Fei Yi think this official is right? That's good, that's good..." Just as he was speaking, Min An had already hurried over, bowed his head and circled around the corpse, then squatted down to carefully examine the deceased's mouth, nose, limbs.

  Bi Zhen raised an eyebrow and watched Min An busily coming and going. Finally, Min An stood up, bowed his head and said: "Congratulations, sir, that you will soon eliminate the bandits of the Thirteen Taos."

  Bi Zhi was somewhat displeased: "What is this Young Master saying? How did the death of one person get linked to Mao Shi San and his gang?"

  "Sir, would you like to hear the truth or a lie?"

  Bis blew his mustache: "Of course it's true."

  Min An rolled up his sleeves, covering his fingers, and then lifted the corpse's short shirt, saying: "Usually, people who are struck by lightning will leave scorch marks on their bodies, even in the most hidden places, there will be a burning smell. It is impossible for someone to die like this person, with intact skin and wearing neat clothes. Moreover, this person's seven orifices did not bleed, and when I opened his mouth and smelled it, there was no burnt smell, only the smell of smoke and fire. There were also ashes in his nostrils, from which we can infer that he was likely burned to death by a large fire."

  Bis was silent for a long time, considering the possibilities of what Min An had said. This was his first encounter with a murder case, and he didn't have any experience to rely on. All he could count on was the little constable in front of him. Bis hesitated: "The little constable has been following Mr. Wu out on cases, learning many of his skills. I also trust the little constable, but how can we prove this man's death?"

  Min An had anticipated that Bi would ask this question. He called someone to bring heated sesame seeds from the kitchen, pinched them in his hand and blew them towards the corpse's mouth and wrists. Immediately, the sesame seeds stuck to the lips and wrists, more densely than other parts of the body. Min An clapped his hands and said: "This person has no smoke ash in his mouth, but there is some in his nose, so I think he might have been gagged to prevent him from calling for help. His wrists were bound, and when the fire started, the hot air would scorch his skin. The areas that were tied up would not allow body fat to dissipate, and it would naturally condense together. Even after death, the sesame seeds would still stick to the skin. Therefore, I deduce for you, sir, that this person was intentionally bound and roasted alive, but then thrown onto Huangshi Slope to create a fake appearance of being struck by lightning."

  Bi Shi nodded after listening: "The young master's words are reasonable." He scratched his forehead, looked at Fei Yi who was standing calmly beside him, and asked: "Does Fei Yi agree with what he said?"

  "He's very intelligent and can also perform autopsies. The adults know how to use people well, there are no weak soldiers under their command, it's a blessing for the common people." However, in her heart, she was secretly surprised, originally Min An performing autopsies and deducing case circumstances wasn't as weak and muddled as he usually appeared.

  Fei's official tone was very authentic, calmly and steadily covering all aspects. The way he spoke in a light tone wouldn't make people feel like they were being flattered, but rather praised without leaving any traces, which made Bi Si feel at ease.

  Bis's heart was slightly relieved, and he asked again: "That... what did the young master say earlier about Mao Thirteen and his gang?"

  "Sir, please take a look at this man's green eyebrows. They are medium in width and narrow at the edges, which is the mark of Mao Thirteen's gang. Mao Thirteen calls himself 'Green Eyebrow Hero' outside, and within the gang, the deeper the eyebrow color, the higher the status. Judging from this man's eyebrow color, it's highly likely that he's the second-in-command of the bandits. Let me assume he is for now. Now, with the second-in-command found dead in the wilderness, killed without any signs of struggle, it can be seen that Mao Thirteen is no longer in control within the gang, and internal conflicts have already occurred. The killer is a meticulous person. Sir, if you seize this opportunity to strike, catch the killer, solve the case, and take down the bandits' lair, it would be an excellent achievement."

  Bi Shi nodded: "Then you first deal with the documents agreed upon with Mao Thirteen, and then go to fight the bandits according to your plan." After finishing speaking, he ordered the remaining yamen runners to move the body away and arrange for its burial, and handed over the official seal to Min An.

  Min An received the official seal and saw Fei Yi standing beside him, saying in a low voice: "The master is afraid of discussing the bandits without a powerful protector, so he hesitated three or four times. Why not let Fei Yi follow the master on an envoy trip? I guarantee that the master will give Fei Yi plenty of reward silver."

  Fei Yi Hui Dao: "I have a lot of silver, how much do I need to give you to make you shut up and not bother me again?" He stingily glanced at Min An and walked away.

  Min An saw that his request for a change of clothes had fallen through once again, and he let out a sigh. He walked to the side hall with a dejected air, but as soon as he entered, he regained his usual composure. Mao Thirteen was sitting in a chair, looking worried and anxious, having been thoroughly frightened by the female ghost's demand for his life the previous night.

  Min An followed the rules of the Tao and provided Mao Thirteen with wine to calm his nerves, and also showed him a letter sealed with an official stamp, agreeing to meet at Huangshi Slope in ten days for a decisive battle. Min An made it clear that if Mao Thirteen lost, he would have to submit himself and his followers to Bi Xi's disposal. Bi Xi would also invite a high-ranking person to perform a ritual for Mao Thirteen to dispel the evil energy surrounding him.

  Min An's letter had a clever trick. If he asked Mao Thirteen directly where his men were, Mao Thirteen would never betray his brothers. But Min An proposed to fight fairly with Mao Thirteen in the form of a written challenge, and Mao Thirteen would definitely bring all his men to battle. At that time, as long as Min An assisted Bi Xi well, they could capture all the bandits at once, and also make Mao Thirteen lose willingly.

  Cao Thirteen, having been frightened by the events of last night, had already submitted to the female ghost's power. How could he not comply? Besides, he had always admired heroic spirit, and when he heard Min An say that Bi Xi wanted a fair fight with him, his mouth was already shouting "Good! This is what a good man looks like!"

  As for Bi, Min An had already made him completely follow his plan after two persuasions, that is, to release Cao thirteen first and then make an appointment for battle, taking advantage of the victory to recruit and properly dispose of Cao thirteen's gang.

  After Mao Shi left, Min An sat in the chair in the side hall, with a flush of wine on his face, as red and beautiful as a newly opened peach blossom. He held his face, thinking about how to persuade Fei Yi to go to Huangshi Slope when Fei Yi had already stepped into the door.

  Fei Yi stood in front of Min An, a faint scent of incense wafting from his sleeve, enticing Min An to secretly take a sniff. "Can't you stop?"

  Min An looked up and asked: "What's wrong?"

  "Why is there an extra tombstone in front of my window?"

  "That's the burial site of Zhongyi Ahua, who had shielded me from curses and disasters when she was alive, and after her death, proved to me what it looks like to be struck by lightning. She made so many contributions, can't I even set up a monument to commemorate her?"

  It wasn't until then that it became clear. Min An took a look at the body and immediately determined that the person was not killed by lightning. He didn't even think about Ah Hua's contributions after her death, and he was still surprised by Min An's sharp insight, which was almost comparable to Xiao Zhiqing of Changping Prefecture.

  Fei didn't waste any words with Min Anduofei, he gave Xiaoliu a small silver ingot, and Xiaoliu took care of things for him, directly moving Ahua's bone grave to the pigsty. As Xiaoliu hummed a little tune while tamping down the earth, he secretly, on his own initiative, set up a wooden tablet for Ahua, writing: A good pig, died in its rightful place.

  Fei Yi's silver was exchanged for a trip outside, and at first, he gave Bi Xi a bill as a food and lodging fee. After that, it can be said that the money flowed in endlessly, and no one knew how many silver tickets Fei Yi had with him or how much silver he could exchange. So every time Fei Yi appeared somewhere, there would be people from the government office coming to welcome and send him off, serving him to the best of their abilities, making it increasingly difficult for Min An to ask Fei Yi to go out again on a business trip. Min An had originally wanted to rush to Fei Yi's window and reason with him about Ah Hua's bone burial mound, and then persuade him to take care of some business, but when he walked into the courtyard, he found that there were already two or three yamen runners standing sparsely inside, stabilizing a flower rack, on which five bamboo slips were hung, clearly written:

  At one o'clock in the morning, Mr. Bi Xi made an appointment with Gongzi to have early tea.

  At noon, the young master is drying flowers and grass, do not disturb.

  At the appointed time, Hua Cui presented lotus seeds and silver ear soup. Xiaoliu, Xiao Jia, and Lao Ban Tou escorted her all the way, warning others not to disturb them.

  At the hour of Xu, the second young lady of Xiao Zhuang invited the young master to watch the stars and moon for the third time. She prepared paper umbrellas, tea, and melon seeds in advance. If the invitation failed, she could give them to Miss Xiao to ask for a reward. Do not disturb.

  Today's on-duty order in the hospital: Xiao Liu, Xiao Jia, and Lao Ban Tou. Others who make appointments should do so three days in advance; those who exceed this limit will be cursed to death with a thin household register, and will also be required to sign one night shift for thirteen nights.

  Thank you for the landmines from Min Xiao Gongzi, Hengzi and Zhu Er Duo! Thank you one by one to all the sisters who left messages!

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