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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 447: Human Skin Puppet (Part Ten)
"Stop pretending. With so many people dead this time, you can't tell me your abilities have deteriorated!"
I straightened up and replied seriously, "Believe it or not, I really feel nothing at all."
Qin Jian glared at me in frustration, "You..."
"What about me? You two keep chatting; I'm going back to sleep."
"Sleep? Get your act together right now..."
"Hey, look over there..." Ling Juan shouted. Both Qin Jian and I turned to the entrance of the Xie Family, where the Xie Family Siblings were streaming out. Thank you, Master stood at the door, bowing in a humble manner that made me furious. Why should they act like this? Do these siblings even have any humanity? They just lost their son!
My anger simmered beneath the surface as Ling Juan bluntly exclaimed, "Look at their family; Senior Xie seems like he owes someone money, acting all subservient... It's ridiculous..."
Qin Jian seemed to understand more than I did and whispered, "This is a show of gratitude. The deceased need assistance to complete the funeral rites, and the family must express their thanks in return. So it's not about being subservient; it's called mutual respect."
"Fine, I don't get it. Master Ma, do you understand?"
I found myself unable to resist Ling Juan's big, blinking eyes and could only chuckle awkwardly, "Well, I'm not entirely sure either."
Someone was dissatisfied with my vague response. Qin Jian immediately snapped, "Keep pretending; just keep it up."
At that moment, Ling Juan was focused on counting. She had plenty of time to tally up the men and women of the Xie Family one by one and then started using her fingers. Watching her was like seeing a student doing math problems; I couldn't help but want to laugh. But just as Thank you, Master approached us, I didn't have time to let out my laughter.
Qin Jian opened the car door.
"Thank you, Master," he said, looking exhausted as he glanced at us in the car. "I'll go back to the city with you. We'll make do for one night and set off early tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good," I replied readily. I didn't notice Ling Juan behind me, her face filled with distress as she desperately blinked at Qin Jian, hoping he would refuse or suggest leaving for the city tonight.
I knew girls could be delicate, and someone like Ling Juan, so young and vibrant, wouldn’t fare well in the cold rural environment, especially without a comfortable place to sleep. All there was was a creaky wooden bed, and I wondered if Ling Juan would even be able to sleep.
In the end, Ling Juan's hope for Qin Jian's response was met with: "That's great; it's decided then. By the way, I have something to discuss with you."
The rural night fell faster than in the city, as there were no streetlights or neon signs. Once night descended, a thick mist quietly enveloped the houses of the villagers. As the plants on the mountains became indistinct, a bonfire flickered to life in the Xie Family's yard, built from wooden frames.
This served as a welcome feast for us who had come from afar. A row of wooden tables was laden with beef, lamb, and goat milk. The air was filled with warm aromas—the scent of goat milk mingling with smoke. Men shouted boisterously while women whispered and giggled softly.
Ling Juan stood out among the women; she was beautiful and young, drawing attention effortlessly.
The men of the Xie Family treated her like a princess.
Qin Jian and I drank heartily and feasted on meat while occasionally glancing at Xie Shi's siblings.
One man caught my attention; he looked completely different from Thank You, Master. He was quiet and preferred to stay in a secluded corner. From the side, it seemed he was talking to himself as if sharing secrets with someone.
When I approached him, he looked surprised but quickly regained his composure and asked me, "Have you seen my woman?"
"Isn't your woman here?" I thought this man had a scruffy beard and a dark complexion; his speech was somewhat stuttered. He looked like an honest Hanzi, but I truly had no idea who his woman might be.
Thank you, Master might have seen me talking with his brother, so he quietly approached and asked what we were discussing. I replied, "It seems like he lost his woman."
"What are you talking about, Xie Lun?"
I was puzzled; was it wrong for someone to look for their own woman? Thank you, Master seemed reluctant to mention the matter and gave me a light shove to move aside.
We walked to a corner where he handed me a cigarette, a rather poor-quality one. I was used to the smell of Zhonghua Cigarettes, so I wasn't impressed by this one. Thank you, Master explained, "You can't smoke Zhonghua Cigarettes here; that would be showing off, so you understand."
"Right, what's up with your brother Xie Lun?"
"To be honest, he's nearly forty; how could any woman like him? His woman is just some plastic model he probably picked up from somewhere, like something found in a distant garbage dump."
Plastic Model! Suddenly, I recalled the first and second scenes along with the High-Quality Hair that appeared with Xie Ke. I couldn't help but ask, "Have you seen that Plastic Model?"
"Never. Why?"
For a moment, I didn't know how to respond and could only wave at Qin Jian, who was watching us.
Qin Jian came over, and I mentioned Thank you, Master's brother's Plastic Model.
"What's the big deal? There are discarded Plastic Models everywhere. I bet your brother found it in a nearby dump!" Qin Jian's initial comment was directed at me, while the latter part was aimed at Thank you, Master.
Thank you, Master nodded in agreement.
Qin Jian exhaled and said, "Lao Qi got scared by the High-Quality Hair and now has an interest in checking out that Plastic Model. But time is tight; I don't have time to investigate any Plastic Models. What we need to do is rest and head back to the city tomorrow morning."
I was just about to refute Qin Jian's call when I suddenly heard Ling Juan's voice, almost pleading for help. I, along with Thank you, Master and Qin Jian, rushed over. There she was, disheveled and looking pitiful, about to cry as she rushed into my arms. I thought she would run to Qin Jian, but unexpectedly, she came to me, sobbing, "They bullied me; someone took advantage of the chaos and touched me..."
What the hell! This is a society governed by law, and they dare to do such things in broad daylight. Moreover, there are two police officers present—Qin Jian and Thank you, Master. Although the latter is retired, his authority still holds weight! I steadied Ling Juan and glared at those young members of the Xie Family, saying angrily, "Who? Whoever did this better confess voluntarily; otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
Ling Juan was trembling all over; she was terrified. When I shouted in anger, she shivered even more, her crying becoming more frantic.
Thank you, Master also widened his bloodshot eyes, glaring at each of his nephews one by one. They all looked down, too scared to make a sound.
As for his siblings, they had no intention of finding out who had done wrong; instead, they called their children over with displeased expressions and prepared to leave.
Thank you, Master waved his hand and said, "Wait! Let's get this sorted out before you leave."
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