Chapter 665 - Liu Qing and Cheng Gui (12)

Chapter 665: Liu Qing and Cheng Gui (12)
Ming Shu listened for a while. The crops in the village were dying due to pests.
It didn’t only happen here. The neighbouring villages had this problem too. Everyone’s harvest was not good.
In this era, the production of crops was already very low and it got even lower due to the pests infection.
All the villagers complained of hardship but what could they do? They didn’t have any ways of preventing the pests from coming. Even if they guarded their crops in the field, it wouldn’t be of much help.
This thing had nothing to do with Ming Shu so she left after she finished eating.
When she returned to the Liu residence, she realized that they were talking about pests too.


In the modern world, pests were not a big issue but in this current era, it was a lethal problem. From the looks of it, this year, the problem was really huge.
Most of the land in Yunli Village belong to the Liu residence. The villagers were only helping the Liu residence to plant the crops. Hence, the one with the most loss was the Liu residence.
For the next two days, the entire village was discussing about pests.
Ming Shu squatted at the field and placed her chin on her hand as she watched Qin Ling fiddling on the ground.
If you catch it today, there will be more pests tomorrow. Why waste your time. It would be better spend making food for me.

These crops are our life support for the following year. How can I not care about it?
Qin Ling replied,
You can go back first. I will go back after I’m done.

Ming Shu pinched a locust.
Can they be eaten?

Qin Ling twisted her head and looked at Ming Shu. She replied after a long pause,
Yes, however, they probably wouldn’t taste nice.

In the modern world, they could be delicious but here… it was probably not tasty.
Ming Shu asked the question for fun. She wasn’t planning to eat the bug. She had drumsticks. Why would she want to eat these things?
Ming Shu threw away the locust and said,
I can afford to raise you. Even if there is no harvest, you will not go hungry.




Pu-

Qin Ling came out from the field and wiped the sweats on her forehead.
Second Young Lady, your words is really misdirecting. Although we are both ladies, you need to take note of what you say. It will not be good if someone heard it and spread it around.

If she didn’t realize why she kept following her around during the past few days, Qin Ling would think that she liked her.

What are you afraid of? Can they rumor that I am a man?
Ming Shu didn’t care.
Qin Ling gave a silent laugh. She walked to the edge of the field and sat down to have a rest. She chatted with Ming Shu.

These bugs are called locust. They have a reproduce quickly. If this continues, all the crops will be eaten.
Qin Ling was really worried.
She was not really well-versed with crops but when she saw the look on Father Qin and Mother Qin’s face, she felt that she must think of a way.
Ming Shu listened to Qin Ling’s nagging absent-mindedly.
When are they going back to make food?
Whay do you plan to make for me today?



Ah!

A scream suddenly sounded not far away from them. The people in the field looked over together.

What happened?
Qin Ling stood up too.
A man ran out haphazardly from the field. He shouted,
There is a dead person! Someone is dead!

Dead person?!
The person that died was the wife of Liu San. She was the person that identified Liu Xinyue at the ancestral hall that day.
Ming Shu stood outside and took a look. There was a layer of grass covering the corpse. Many locust stopped on it. Half of the body was sunk into the mud.
Liu Xinyue wouldn’t be so bold as to kill people directly?!
The villagers called the officials to the scene. A dead person was a serious thing.
The officer came over and chased away the villagers at the scene. All the people were chased to a ridge at the side.



Which bastard did this. Don’t let me find out… my child’s wife, you died a terrible death! Officer, you need to help us…
As the family of the dead person, Liu San made a lot of commotion.
The corpse had been pulled up from the field and it was carried onto the main road.
The county magistrate was really fat. He was always arrogant and proud but today, he followed carefully behind a young lord.
The young lord was around 24 years old. He wore white clothes and had a crown on top of his head. His aura was really classy. They could tell that he was not an ordinary person.
He looked really exquisite too. He was like a rich family’s young master from a story. All his actions showed his status. However, he had a ruffian smile on his face and looked like a useless rich young lord.

Who is that? So handsome…


Look at how the county magistrate is following him so closely. It must be an important person.


I have never seen the county magistrate so cautious before. How powerful is this person?

The villagers started whispering among themselves as they tried to guess the identity of the young lord.
The young lord didn’t go down. He stood casually ten meters away from the corpse and said in a mocking or lamenting tone,
Someone can even die here? That is rare.



County magistrate:
…

The county magistrate coughed and asked the officer beside him,
What happened?


Mister.
One of the officers ran over.
Lord Cheng.

The young lord corssed his arms and didn’t give any response.
The officer knew that this person was really powerful and didn’t want to care about him. Hence, he continued answering the county magistrate’s question.
The victim belongs to Yunli Village. That is her husband. The victim was strangled to death and then thrown in the field. The villagers found her when they were working. Besides the corpse, there is nothing suspicious found in the area.

There was a person standing beside him so the county magistrate didn’t dare to appear muddleheaded. He wiped his cold sweats secretly.
Who was the last person that saw the victime?


It was the victim’s husband called Liu San.
The officer replied,
Yesterday night, Liu San and some of the people from the village went up the mountain to hunt for food. When he left, the victim came to send him off. After that, no one from the village saw her.

The county magistrate asked a few more questions but no conclusion was formed.
The county magistrate asked his mean to question everyone in the village. Ming Shu was included too. However, she was not close with the victim so she couldn’t provide any information.

Second Young Lady Liu, come over for a while.
The county magistrate suddenly waved at Ming Shu. If the person beside him didn’t remind him, he wouldn’t have recognize her.
She was really pretty…
The villagers all looked at Ming Shu.
Ming Shu was stunned for a moment. Shallow waves appeared in her eyes. After a while, she chewed on a piece of grass and slowly walked over.
When she walked passed the corpse, Ming Shu didn’t look away. There was a faint smile on the corners of her mouth and she walked steadily.

What’s up?

She examined the young lord opposite her for a second. Then, she looked away.
The county magistrate said,
Second Young Lady Liu, this is Lord Cheng from… the Capital. He wants to go to the Liu residence. Can you guide him to your house?

Ming Shu smiled before she said anything. Her eyes were like halfmoons.
It is the biggest and wealthiest looking building. Why do you need a guide for?

Who dared to talk to him like this? The county magistrate was just about to get angry when he remembered there was someone beside him. He could only said nicely,
This is his first time coming and the roads in the village is complicated so he is worried that he will get lost. Please guide the way for Lord Cheng.

Although he didn’t flare up, he got more firm in his sentence.

No.
Ming Shu rejected and smiled with her eyes.
I want to see you all solving this crime.

County magistrate:
…

What is so nice about a corpse!!
This person came from the Capital!!
The little rascal doesn’t know the importance of this. It is your honour that he is going to your residence!!

No problem. I can wait.
Cheng Gui stopped the county magistrate.
Ming Shu smiled and didn’t reply him. She turned and walked back to the audience area.
Since the other party had given his words, there was nothing the county magistrate could do. He could only scold Ming Shu in his heart.
He didn’t know what luck the Liu residence had to make this important figure from the Capital specially visit them