Chapter 364: Chapter 364. Bounty
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“No, I didn’t.”
Qiu Yongkang shook his head, and Su Qing said nothing else. She pursed her lips and looked in the direction of the western city. Ji Shuisheng was their last hope. They could only use the second method if they still could not find him.
Soon, Ji Shuisheng hurried back. Su Qing looked at him without saying anything, but they telepathically connected. Even if it was just a look, Ji Shuisheng understood what Su Qing wanted to ask. He shook his head dejectedly.
“No, I searched the entire place but didn’t find a wallet with embroidered pear blossoms.”
“Alright.”
The hope in Su Qing’s eyes vanished. She only said yes, and everyone looked at her in surprise. What did she mean?
“Put up a notice all over the city. Anyone who provides clues to solve the case will be rewarded with three ewes.”
Su Qing was using the modern reward system. With such a large reward, there would be brave men. Those who knew the clues would report it.
“Alright.”
Xing Ruhai nodded in agreement. He was now acting as Mo City’s Zhizhou, so he was in charge of these matters.
“Let’s write the notice now!”
Although Qiu Yongkang felt this method was useless, he did not object and actively helped write the notice.
“Shuisheng, let’s go and wake Godmother.”
Su Qing’s eyes were red after being awake for the whole night.
“Alright.”
Ji Shuisheng also nodded sadly. He blamed himself deeply for not finding the murderer of his godmother. He had let her down.
When Su Qing and Ji Shuisheng returned to the mortuary, they saw Xiaoying’s face was blue from the cold, and she was still kneeling in front of the coffin. Zhong Yong’s forehead was covered in blood, and his eyes stared straight at the coffin. Tears flowed silently from his eyes like water. His lips were dry and bleeding, and his voice was hoarse from crying. He looked like he had lost his soul as he mechanically filled the coffin with Underworld coins. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Ji Shuisheng knelt before the coffin and burned paper money for the Godmother with Zhong Yong.
Su Qing wore mourning clothes and walked to the coffin to see Godmother. During the day, she could see Godmother more clearly. Godmother’s eyes were closed, and her hands were tightly clenched. Her clothes were covered in blood.
Su Qing closed her eyes to relieve the pain in her heart before opening them again. She reached out to hold her godmother’s cold fist, wanting to pry it open to see if anything was in her palm.
Now that the only clue was broken, they had to find another clue. It was useless to be sad. The most important thing was to avenge Godmother.
Madam Li’s body was already stiff, and her fists could not be opened. Su Qing clenched her fists tightly, using her body temperature to warm her rigid hands. She tried to pry her hands away, but there was nothing.
Su Qing was very disappointed. This was the first time she felt so helpless. Looking at her godmother lying in the coffin, Su Qing said to her with tears in her eyes,
“Godmother, can you tell me who killed you? So that 1 can avenge you.”
Ji Shuisheng felt sad when he heard Su Qing’s words. Godmother was already dead, so how could she tell them?
Knowing that Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong had returned, the villagers of Peach Blossom Cove came over one after another. Everyone was here to offer their condolences and sympathized with Zhong Yong when they saw how pitiful he was.
Madam Li had a good relationship with people. Since arriving at Peach Blossom Cove, they had never made enemies with anyone. Whoever asked her for help, she would consent with a good temper.
Qiu Yongkang’s mother, Auntie Li, and the others were all crying. Everyone was helping to fold gold ingots, wanting to burn more paper for Madam Li so she would not suffer in the netherworld.
Aunt Qiu, Aunt Li, and the others rushed to make the shroud for Madam Li. Su Qing ran around the city to buy the best materials to make the shroud for Godmother. She worked with Ji Shuisheng during the day and made the shroud for Godmother with the other aunts at night. She was so tired that her eyes darkened, and she lost weight.
Xiaoying had been crying the entire night at the memorial home. She was so cold and upset that she fell sick. She had a high fever and shouted for her godmother, saying that someone wanted to kill her godmother and told her to run away. Zhong Yong’s wound on his forehead was infected, and he fainted in front of the coffin because of his grief. Ji Shuisheng carried him back. He was swamped.
Su Qing handed the work of brewing medicine to Xiao Qi. The little guy had been depressed since Madam Li died, and her voice was listless.
Fortunately, Xiao Qi had given them some miraculous medicine. Xiaoying and Zhong Yong took two doses of medication, and their fever subsided. Zhong Yong’s forehead was wrapped in a white cloth as he ran to the mortuary to keep vigil for his mother.
A day had passed, and no one had come to disclose the bounty notice. Ji Shuisheng asked Qiu Yongkang to add another one, and anyone who provided helpful clues would be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver.
A hundred taels of silver and the three sheep from before, such a huge reward was enough to shake the entire city. One after another, people came to the government office to provide clues. Su Qing and Ji Shuisheng personally checked and found that most of the people who provided clues were fishing in troubled waters. Their words were contradictory. They were trying to cheat to get the reward.
After two days of chaos, Old Master Qiu suggested they find an excellent place to bury Madam Li. The murderer had to be investigated, and the funeral had to be done. Madam Li had to be buried.
Zhong Yong did not agree to anything. He would only bury his mother after the murderer was caught.
“Good child, let your mother rest in peace. We can’t let your mother stay in the mortuary forever.”
Qin Feng was also very sad these few days. Poor Madam Li, her husband, died when she was young. She took her son and fled everywhere, living a miserable life. Just a few days ago, Zhong Yong’s illness was cured, and he was waiting to marry a wife and have grandchildren. However, she encountered an unexpected disaster and did not see her son start a family.
“Zhong Yong, let Godmother rest in peace!”
Ji Shuisheng also came to persuade Zhong Yong. No one was as sad as Zhong Yong, but he couldn’t permanently let Godmother stay at the mortuary.
Zhong Yong made a tough decision. He knelt in front of his mother’s coffin and cried loudly. His hands held the coffin tightly, and he was unwilling to let go. Once his mother was buried, he would never see her again.
During the funeral, it snowed heavily. The north wind howled as if crying to send Madam Li off.
Qiu Yongkang, Ji Shuisheng, Li Daniu, and Jiang Laoqi dressed in mourning clothes. They carried the coffin together with four strong men from Peach Blossom Cove. Zhong Yong knelt before the coffin with a mourning basin on his head. Qin Feng was reading the eulogy by the side, and Old Master Qiu was directing the funeral.
The villagers of Peach Blossom Cove had all voluntarily come to attend Madam Li’s funeral. Aunt Li and Aunt Qiu were crying their eyes out. Xiaoying was already crying so much that she could not stand up. She kept crying for her godmother, wanting to call her back.
Su Qing tidied up Godmother’s face and changed her into the burial clothes she had personally made for Godmother. Large drops of tears fell, and she could no longer see Godmother’s kind smile or hear her gentle voice. Su Qing held Godmother’s hand and swore to her,
“Godmother, I will avenge you.”
“Awaken…”
Old Master Qiu shouted, and the coffin was lifted. The eight people carrying the coffin seemed to be struggling, staggering as they walked.
“It’s very heavy!”
Li Daniu shouted, and the coffin became even heavier. The few people carrying the coffin could no longer support it. Ji Shuisheng found it very strange. Godmother was so thin; how could she be so heavy?
“Madam Li, you can go on your way in peace. We will avenge you.”
Qin Feng shouted at Madam Li’s coffin. Usually, coffins were sunken because the dead spirits were unwilling to leave because they had been wronged.
“Old sister, I know you have unfulfilled wishes. Go in peace. We will help Zhong Yong’s marriage.”
Qiu Yongkang’s mother saw that her son could not hold on any longer and quickly shouted at the coffin. Someone shouted from behind the funeral crowd,
“I know the clues. 1 want to provide them..”
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦