Chapter 290: Chapter 288: What Do You Think?
Su Miaoyi looked at the few people shopping. ’Since we’ve run into them,’ she thought, ’we might as well ask.’
"Do you all know about the Human-faced Sheep Horn God?" she asked.
At the mention of the Human-faced Sheep Horn God...
...the expressions of the several people suddenly grew much more solemn and reverent.
"The Sheep Horn God protects our lands and blesses us with good weather and bountiful harvests every year. Of course we all know of him," a woman said.
"So you all raise sheep in order to..." Lu Zhishen began, looking at them.
Just as he was speaking, two more people came in from outside.
Since they were here, it was a good time to ask everyone.
"We raise the sheep until they die of natural causes, and then we bury them."
"It’s a lot like keeping pets," Zhao Yongliang said. "There used to be a belief around here that the better you raised your sheep, the more you’d be protected by the Sheep Horn God, and the better your family’s life would be."
Lu Zhishen nodded.
’There must be quite a few people in the village who raise sheep.’
He had heard a lot of bleating.
"What do you all make of what happened last night?" Su Miaoyi asked.
Silence. No one spoke.
"Just say whatever’s on your mind," Zhao Yongliang said.
"The Sheep Horn God must have his reasons for doing this," an old woman said. "This is also a warning to us. People can’t do wicked things; you have to live with a clear conscience. Heaven is always watching, and there will always come a day of reckoning."
"Ma’am, someone is using the Sheep Horn God to create panic," Chu Xingrou said.
"Then have you caught the person?" the old woman asked.
"No."
"If you haven’t caught anyone, how can you say someone is deliberately using the Sheep Horn God?" the old woman said, bowing her head and clasping her hands toward the sky. "This is very likely the Sheep Horn God himself, delivering punishment. I advise you not to interfere with the Sheep Horn God. The punishment will be meted out."
Chu Xingrou opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
The old woman continued, "Those evildoers had better watch out."
With that, she left the convenience store.
Chu Xingrou stepped aside to let her pass.
Zhao Yongliang said, "She’s old. They’re all like that."
Su Miaoyi looked at the others.
"It doesn’t matter if it’s the Sheep Horn God really delivering divine punishment or if someone is doing this on purpose," a young woman said. "Either way, someone must have done something wicked, or what happened last night wouldn’t have happened. The evildoer could be one of the people who died, or it could be the murderer."
The young woman was holding two buns. After she finished speaking, she paid and left as well.
"Tangtang has a point," another woman said. "Someone definitely did something wicked and is getting their comeuppance. Maybe it’s the dead person, or maybe it’s the murderer."
"The ones who died... Tian De’s wife, Tian Dajiang, and Tian Wu’s wife from yesterday," another woman chimed in. "That year, Tian Dajiang did... *that thing* to Xiao Min. And as for Tian De and Tian Wu’s families, they were so loose-lipped, they’d say anything. Maybe they offended someone."
"Exactly! That’s why their tongues were cut out."
Listening to them, Su Miaoyi glanced at Zhao Yongliang.
Just last night, Zhao Yongliang and Duan Wenrui were saying...
...if people were killed just for gossiping, the whole village would be wiped out.
Zhao Yongliang’s face instantly turned bright red, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Maybe it really is the Sheep Horn God delivering his punishment," someone else said. "That year, Tian Dajiang’s family ate a goat. Because of that, they held an extra sacrificial ceremony that year to beg the Sheep Horn God for forgiveness."
"Oh my, don’t say any more. I was on pins and needles that year. I couldn’t sleep well for the longest time, terrified something was going to happen."
"So many years have passed. Could it be that he’s starting to settle accounts with us now?"
"That was Tian Dajiang’s family’s business. What does it have to do with us? If he’s settling accounts, he should go after his family."
"But Tian Dajiang is already dead. What about the others? Why did it happen to them?"
"Stop talking, just stop."
"Maybe we should talk to the village chief and hold another sacrificial ceremony."
The group of people said their goodbyes to Su Miaoyi and her team and then all left.
While they were talking, Tian Liu had bagged some fruit. "Here, here. Take this and have a snack."
She suddenly shoved it into Su Miaoyi’s arms. Su Miaoyi took half a step back, a completely baffled look on her face.
She had seen her walking over, but she never expected Tian Liu to give the fruit to her.
"You all work so hard on this case. You look like you haven’t slept all night. I can’t help much, but take some fruit to eat. It’s nothing expensive, so don’t mind it," Tian Liu said.
"We couldn’t," Su Miaoyi said, trying to push it back.
But Tian Liu was very strong and pushed it right back.
Su Miaoyi glanced at her hands.
’I definitely can’t use force against a civilian, but I can’t take things from them either.’
So, after accepting it, Su Miaoyi placed it on the counter to the side.
"Oh, don’t be so formal with me. Are you turning your nose up at our simple country things?" Tian Liu said.
"No," Su Miaoyi’s voice was too flat to sound convincing.
"Not at all, not at all," Chu Xingrou chimed in quickly. "We have a rule against accepting gifts."
"Oh, please, you can hardly call this a gift," Tian Liu was saying when someone else came in.
It was a young woman who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six.
As soon as Tian Liu saw her, she smiled and asked, "Xiao Min, what can I get for you?"
Hearing the name "Xiao Min," Su Miaoyi, Chu Xingrou, and Lu Zhishen all glanced at her without betraying any emotion.
The people who had just left had mentioned a Xiao Min while talking about Tian Dajiang.
While reviewing Tian Dajiang’s case file, Su Miaoyi had also seen the name of a young woman named Tian Min.
The young woman who had been victimized by Tian Dajiang.
’But I’m not sure if the person in front of me is the one from the file. It could just be a common name.’
Su Miaoyi and the others stood to the side without a word.
Xiao Min was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, both very loose-fitting. Her hair was very short, shorter than Lu Zhishen’s...
Su Miaoyi tilted her head and glanced at Lu Zhishen.
’His long hair isn’t a good point of reference.’
Su Miaoyi then looked over at Zhao Yongliang.
Xiao Min’s hair was just a little longer than Zhao Yongliang’s.
Xiao Min smiled, revealing a dimple. She glanced at Lu Zhishen and the others before quickly lowering her head, seeming rather shy and reserved.
Tian Liu pulled her directly to the counter. "What are you buying?"
Xiao Min took an empty glue bottle from her pocket and showed it to Tian Liu.
"Got it," Tian Liu said. "Wait a second, I’ll go get one for you."
Xiao Min nodded.
While waiting for Tian Liu to get the item, Xiao Min kept her head down, her hands clutching her clothes.
"Here," Tian Liu said, handing her the glue.
Xiao Min looked at Tian Liu and held out three yuan for her.
"It’s not much money, just take it and use it," Tian Liu said with a wave of her hand.
Xiao Min immediately shook her head, insisting on giving her the money.
"It’s really not much," Tian Liu said.
Xiao Min shook her head more vigorously, starting to look a little anxious.
Su Miaoyi watched her.
’She can’t speak.’
Tian Liu took the money. "Alright, alright."
Xiao Min gave her a small smile, then left the convenience store with her head down.
Watching Xiao Min’s retreating figure, Tian Liu let out a soft sigh...