Chapter 185 Whereabouts

Chapter 185: Whereabouts

Meng Wan had already guessed most of San Jing and Ma Yu's secrets, and even from the first glance at Elder Chen Boqi, Meng Wan had harbored suspicions about the old man.

He was dressed as a farmer, yet his clothes were impeccably clean, with only a few morning dewdrops on the hem. He claimed to have sprained his ankle, yet there was no dirt on his shoes.

Upon closer inspection, his hands, which held the walking stick, bore various calluses and frostbite, but none as thick as those on his thumb and middle finger. Such calluses only form on someone who writes with a brush for years—Song Tingzhou had them too.

Yet how could an old man on a remote village path both toil laboriously and hold a brush regularly? Wasn't that contradictory?

Back then, Song Tingzhou's father only knew a few characters and could handle an abacus to live well, but this elder's calluses were thicker than Song Tingzhou's. He must be either a teacher or a clerk, so why would he need to labor himself?

What kind of person would appear near a tin mine and be educated?

When Xue Sheng told Meng Wan about his conversation with the old man, Meng Wan made a bold guess: this village was likely a settlement formed by convicts exiled to Lingnan.

Convicts sent to the border were all guilty of serious crimes; sometimes their entire families were also exiled, and their property confiscated. Their original household registrations were canceled, and they were re-registered in the place of exile.

But such re-registered status was distinct from that of good citizens—buying fields outside the city was restricted, and they were essentially under permanent house arrest at the border, with descendants unable to leave. Thus, local people looked down on them.

Under such circumstances, escaping their fate was nearly impossible, but there are always exceptions.

Among some batch of convicts, there must have been a genius who led this group to start human trafficking. And astonishingly, they managed to operate right under the nose of Shakeng County. Truly remarkable.

That's why Meng Wan didn't trust the Shakeng County Magistrate. The tin mine was Shakeng's lifeline—with such a major incident occurring at the mine, how could he be unaware?

Huang Ye was abducted without any warning, and then someone tried to deceive him. From their earlier words, they knew Huang Ye's master was the magistrate. Yet despite that, they still dared to plot against Meng Wan. What part was the Shakeng County Magistrate playing?

Meng Wan returned to Heshan with his doubts still unresolved. Heshan was his own turf—even though they returned late, the city guards still opened the gate for Meng Wan without a second thought.

It was already past midnight. Meng Wan didn't disturb Chang Jinhua. He recounted everything that happened in Shakeng County to Song Tingzhou.

"The two are now tied up in the woodshed. Fearing they might escape during the night, I had Xiao Ci give each of them another dose of knockout drops. From what they revealed earlier, the village's young people all seem to be involved in such dealings. They're scattered outside, either tricking respectable women or picking out young, attractive ones from among the tin mine laborers, paying off the jailers a small bribe, and then taking them out to work as covert prostitutes."

Song Tingzhou's brows were furrowed. "You were right not to enter Shakeng County. These people act so boldly; they must have some backing."

Meng Wan, exhausted after washing up, climbed into bed and rested against the bedding, saying, "They have hideouts all over Xi Wu. I don't know which remote corner they've taken Huang Ye to. But from their words, that Brother Chong is planning to take people to Jiangmen Prefecture. If I were him, I'd definitely take the young and attractive ones. Huang Ye is likely being taken to Jiangmen, making rescue even harder."

"Criminals exiled to Lingnan, even after serving their hard labor, cannot leave the county boundaries. Even if they have backing, they couldn't travel so freely without some help. More likely, someone in the Shakeng County yamen has forged household registrations for them."

Meng Wan's half-closed eyes snapped open. "Even such tricks exist? No wonder. But forging household registrations is a serious crime." Losing just one Huang Ye had now unearthed other legal entanglements.

Song Tingzhou blew out the oil lamp and lay on the outer side of the bed. He gently stroked Meng Wan's weary face and coaxed softly, "Rest now. Leave the rest to me."

"Mmm..." Surrounded by the familiar comfort of home, Meng Wan closed his eyes and soon breathed evenly.

Once Meng Wan was sound asleep, Song Tingzhou rose quietly, dressed in his official robe, donned his official hat, and walked from home to the county yamen gate in the night.

The night watchman, who had been dozing, startled awake at his arrival. Fearing reprimand for laziness, he stammered, "L-Lord."

"Call all officers on duty to meet me in the second hall, and summon Inspector Huang and Constable Tao as well." Song Tingzhou gave the order coldly and strode swiftly into the yamen.

Besides them, Chief Clerk Qiao, who had moved out to live separately, was also summoned. Song Tingzhou ordered him to check all incoming population records for the past three years in Heshan County.

Fortunately, since Song Tingzhou took office, he had been strict about population censuses and had Qiao organize all household registrations and file them neatly, sorted year by year. Qiao dealt with these materials daily, so the task came easily.

"Inspector Huang, you're most familiar with the city streets from your patrols. Are there any covert prostitutes in the county?" Song Tingzhou first called Inspector Huang forward.

In Heshan, where survival had been a struggle before, there were few itinerant merchants, and brothels couldn't operate openly. Thus, most were covert prostitutes. This trade was hard to eradicate, and without pimps or madams mediating, quarrels and fights often arose from jealousy. Inspector Huang had seen such incidents during patrols and could indeed answer, "Your Excellency, there are indeed two secluded alleys within the city."

With only one oil lamp on the table, the light was dim. Song Tingzhou lit another, brightening the second hall. His face, flickering in the uneven light, remained calm and stern. "You and Constable Tao each take a team to conduct a thorough search of the town. Arrest all covert prostitutes and their clients and bring them back to the yamen."

Inspector Huang had served under Song Tingzhou for two years, knowing that Lord Song was decisive and resolute, disliking superficial gestures. Without asking further questions, he and Tao Jiu accepted the orders and set off with their men, each going their separate ways.

Chief Clerk Qiao came in carrying several household registration books and lists of recent arrivals. Seeing the group exit the second hall like a whirlwind, all with serious expressions, he suppressed a yawn and forced a solemn face as he entered. He placed the documents on Song Tingzhou's desk. "My Lord, these are all the incoming population records in our county for the past three years."

Song Tingzhou gave him a lingering look but said nothing else, instructing both him and the Deputy Magistrate to assist in the search.

"Pick out those who entered the city for unknown reasons within the past three years and have Shakeng County household registration. Place them on my desk."

Another major case?

Chief Clerk Qiao and the new Deputy Magistrate, who got along well, exchanged a glance and replied in unison, "Yes, my Lord."

Searching through documents was meticulous work. The two sat down at a small table in the second hall, lit two more oil lamps, and the room fell silent, punctuated only by the rustling of turning pages.

By the end of the Yin hour, the sky began to show a pale fish-belly white, as if a spoonful of silver powder had been stirred into a pool of thick ink. A thin mist enveloped the yamen, bringing a damp, chilly breath. The porters' carrying poles creaked under the weight of heavy morning meals, and a vendor's cry rang out, "Glutinous rice with dried scallops! Glutinous rice with dried scallops!"

Song Tingzhou looked up and blew out the oil lamp. He was about to order a yamen runner to buy several portions of glutinous rice when Meng Wan's clear voice sounded from outside the door. "Why are there only two runners at the gate today? Where are the others?"

He and Xue Sheng entered one after another, Xue Sheng carrying two food boxes, and Meng Wan holding one as well.

Song Tingzhou stood up to take the food box from him. "Why didn't you sleep a bit longer?"

"My mind was on matters, so I woke early. I cooked some noodles. If you two don't mind, please have some." Meng Wan's last words were directed at the Chief Clerk and Deputy Magistrate, who were buried in their work.

Chief Clerk Qiao said bitterly, "Your husband is too kind. Having food is already a blessing; we won't be picky."

The Deputy Magistrate, whose surname was Liu, was usually cautious and low-key. Before being transferred here, he had inquired about the fate of his predecessor, so he was always extra diligent, even more so than Chief Clerk Qiao.

Xue Sheng set the meal on an empty table. Meng Wan approached Song Tingzhou and looked at the documents on his desk. "Is it very hard to find?"

Song Tingzhou briefly organized the papers. "We've roughly identified all people from other counties who entered the city, but checking one by one is too time-consuming. Inspector Huang and Tao Jiu have already gone to investigate the town's covert prostitutes. If these people are intent on making money, covert prostitution would be more profitable than outright trafficking..."

He paused suddenly, murmuring, "Covert prostitutes?"

Meng Wan, who was helping him serve noodles, noticed his expression and asked, "What about covert prostitutes?"

"Earlier, there were two scholars who came to report a case, claiming a covert prostitute had swindled their money." Song Tingzhou suddenly remembered the incident involving Lu Su and He Niang. He quickly called out to Xue Sheng, "Xue Sheng, go to Luqiao Town and find Inspector Huang. Tell him to go to Nongmei Alley and locate a covert prostitute named He Niang."

Without a word, Xue Sheng put down his things and immediately went to the yamen stable to get a horse.

Song Tingzhou devoured his noodles in a few bites. Meng Wan was generous with his cooking, having put six poached eggs in Song Tingzhou's bowl and two each for his subordinates. It wasn't favoritism; even with six, they couldn't finish.

After the meal, the three, including Meng Wan, continued the search. With a target in mind, they quickly identified the suspect.

"Shakeng County, Xishi Village, Chen Yunmo? The name sounds refined," said Chief Clerk Qiao.

The Deputy Magistrate added, "This person first came to Heshan six years ago, then returned after two years. After that, visits became frequent and regular—once a month, and always to Nongmei Alley in Luqiao Town."

Song Tingzhou took the record about Chen Yunmo in hand. His brows were sharp, his voice deep and forceful. "He's the one."

Inspector Huang hadn't yet brought He Niang back to the yamen. During the day, Song Tingzhou ordered the two men Meng Wan had captured to be taken to the prison for private interrogation. What they revealed matched Meng Wan's guesses closely. But when pressed further, they didn't know who Chen Yunmo or He Niang were. They only knew they had a junior leader called Brother Hei, and that years ago Brother Hei had acquired a woman from the tin mine whose name had "He" in it.

This connected the threads—Chen Yunmo was probably Brother Hei.

But as for how many people Brother Hei and Chen Chong, Elder Chen's son, took with them, when they left, and where they were hiding now, the two knew nothing.

In the afternoon, Song Tingzhou returned home from the yamen. Chang Jinhua sat at the dining table, her eyes slightly red. "This child Ye Ge'er has had a hard life. Just when things were getting peaceful, he gets kidnapped by those traffickers."

Meng Wan did not tell her the whole story, just told her that a gang of kidnappers in Shakang County was out of control, abducting countless women and boys. Huang Ye had gone to the mine to visit his mother, which was why he was targeted.

Song Tingzhou picked up his bowl of rice. "This pack of villains is like a bad bunch. Until they are rooted out, the people will have no peace."

Meng Wan placed some food in Chang Jinhua's bowl. "Mother, don't worry. My husband already has some clues. He should be able to bring Huang Ye back."

People are selfish after all. Compared to Huang Ye, Chang Jinhua was actually more relieved that it wasn't Meng Wan who was taken. "It's good if he can be found. But since the kidnappers haven't been caught yet, you should stay home for the time being. Stay home and keep safe for now."

Meng Wan comforted her. "Alright, I'll listen to you, Mother. When Tao Jiu returns tomorrow, I'll have him pass word to Bi Yu as well. If any women or boys from the candy workshop want to go home, their families should come to the workshop to pick them up."

A Yan was still a child, unable to grasp the worries of adults. He only knew that his father was staying home with him lately, and he clapped his little hands happily.

Since Huang Ye wasn't home and Chang Jinhua was in a bad mood today, Meng Wan took A Yan back to his and Song Tingzhou's bedroom.

"Daddy~ I love Daddy's bed!" A Yan jumped around on the bed.

Meng Wan gave him a bath and cleaned his little teeth. A Yan, showing off, patted his own soft cheeks. But after a little while of playing, he fell asleep on his belly on the bed.

Song Tingzhou, after washing up in the study, came over and carried A Yan to his small bed, tucking in his little quilt.

"Inspector Huang and the others might return tomorrow. If so, I may have to go to Shakang County." Song Tingzhou climbed onto the bed with his hair still half-dry.

Meng Wan had heard that sleeping with wet hair when you're young gives you headaches when you're old. He grabbed a dry towel from the folding screen and, still in his underclothes, began drying Song Tingzhou's hair while talking. "Be careful when you go. I wonder what tricks Shakang County has up its sleeve?"

Song Tingzhou let down the bed curtain, took Meng Wan's hand, and tossed the towel onto the bedside cabinet. "I saw him once at Prefect Liu's house before the New Year."

Meng Wan naturally leaned into his arms, curious. "What sort of person is he?"

Song Tingzhou looked down and kissed the man in his arms. His assessment of the magistrate of Shakang County was only eight words: "Crude in talk, a sex fiend." He had even dared to flirt with the maids in Prefect Liu's household—whether he had no sense of boundaries or just felt untouchable wasn't clear.

The next morning, Inspector Huang, Tao Jiu, and Xue Sheng, who had been dispatched by Song Tingzhou, all returned to the yamen. However, Inspector Huang had not managed to bring He Niang back.

Inspector Huang reported to Song Tingzhou, "Your Honor, when Xue Sheng found me, I was just asking around in Longmei Alley. But He Niang had been taken away four days ago by a man called Brother Hei and brought out of Luyun Town."

Though he had anticipated that He Niang might already have been taken, Song Tingzhou's heart still sank. "How did you learn she was taken by Brother Hei?"

Xue Sheng brought in a man and a woman from outside. The woman was over thirty, past her prime but still attractive. The man was an ordinary farmer in his forties or fifties. The two, completely unconnected, had been brought to the yamen together.