Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

"Then where do you live?"

Huang Ya's eyes trembled slightly: "Slave, I usually sleep with my wife, if my wife has guests, I will wait at the door.

She was very busy, listening to see if the customers were scolding her. If Qiu Niang's screams were too miserable, she would quickly go find the brothel owner for help, and she would also have to listen to the instructions from inside at any time.

Cui Bianxu searched the room slowly. After studying carefully, he made some progress in finding clues. There was a faint fragrance in the room, and there was a thick layer of ash in the incense burner on the table.

He checked every inch of the door, under the bed, cabinets, and beams, and found a certain amount of dust everywhere.

Qiu Niang's clothes, jewelry, and the box containing silver and money that she hid in the innermost part of the cabinet, covered by clothes, all indicated that she did not have anything valuable on her when she disappeared.

Cui Bianxu looked at Huang Ya, who was standing silently with her head down by the door, and suddenly asked, "How is your relationship with Qiu Niang? Does she usually beat or scold you?"

Huang Ya was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, a hint of worry on his dull face: "No, my wife is a very good person. Although she has a bad temper and a straightforward personality, she never hits me and even buys me a lot of food."

Cui Bianxu did not continue to ask questions, but instead asked the brothel owner: "Is she good to you?"

Huang Ya shook his head like a rattle when he heard this, avoiding her gaze, his hands unconsciously rubbing his thighs: "No, Luoshuilou doesn't, we don't hit people..."

"Then why are you so scared?" Something was so obviously wrong that even Wang Leisheng could see it, and he was about to go forward and grab her.

Perhaps because she was young, Huang Ya was frightened and dodged backwards, but there was a door panel behind her, and her heavy body hit the door panel, causing it to shake a few times.

Wang Leisheng awkwardly withdrew his hand upon seeing this: "You little slave, I won't eat anyone!"

"Okay." Cui Bianxu signaled him not to move and just stand there, able to attack or defend.

In a brothel, it is normal for the ladies, not to mention the madam, to beat and scold the maids.

"Huang Ya, tell me in detail what happened on New Year's Eve. Remember, don't miss a single word." Cui Bianxu softened his expression and made himself appear more amiable.

"Yes, Shangguan."

Huang Ya swallowed, but still kept her eyes lowered, not daring to raise them. She only took a half step forward symbolically. "That day, my lady slept until lunchtime and didn't wake up. I was afraid she was hungry, and I was also afraid that if I went too late, the delicious dishes would be gone, so I went to bring back the food first, and then called my lady to get up."

"Does Qiu Niang usually sleep until this time?"

She shook her head. "It's not the same every day. It depends on whether the previous day's guests stayed overnight or just had a quick visit and left. It also depends on how restless the guests were. Some guests were so restless that I wouldn't get up until dinner time the next day."

Talking about these obscure and dirty matters on the bed, the eleven-year-old Huang Ya's face showed no shyness or ignorance, as if this matter was as natural as eating and drinking water. She knew all about it and was accustomed to it: "My wife is very powerful. With the same guest, other wives would be unable to get out of bed for three days, but my wife can get up in one day at most."

"Go on." Cui Bianxu did not have the chivalrous heart to change the fate of others. The only thing in front of him was to solve the case.

Wang Leisheng didn't react much. As a man, he knew better that some people did have some unspeakable habits.

"My wife didn't seem very energetic after she got up. She felt a little sleepy, but she didn't eat much. She said she was worried that it would not look good during the drum performance in the evening. After she finished eating, I ate the remaining dishes..."

"Have you eaten it all?" Wang Leisheng thought that it was not unreasonable for the young lady to be as fat as a ball.

"Yes, my wife likes me to eat more and gain weight, saying that it looks festive." Huang Ya said it seriously, not thinking that there was anything wrong with being fat.

Wang Leisheng thought to himself that your name and figure are really two different things.

Cui Bianxu heard this and confirmed with her: "Did you feel uncomfortable after eating it?"

"No, it was the same meal as usual. Then I cleared away the dishes and went to wash clothes for my lady."

"You were washing clothes while Qiu Niang was sleeping?"

"Yes, my lady's clothes are made of delicate material, so I wash them carefully every day. After I finished washing, the madam happened to see me and asked me to wash her clothes as well."

"Then Qiu Niang was alone in the house all this time? When did you come back and find Qiu Niang missing?"

Huang Ya had already answered this question with the people in Wannian County, so he didn't need to think about it and answered directly, "It was around the beginning of the evening hour. I finished washing clothes and wanted to ask my wife if she wanted to have dinner. I found no one in the room, so I thought she had woken up and went for a walk upstairs. However, she didn't come back until the evening hour. I was afraid that she would be late for the performance, so I went out to look for her, and that's when I found she was gone."

Cui Bianxu pondered for a moment and said, "This room is at the very back. If Qiu Niang left here on her own, someone in the building would definitely see her. But has anyone claimed to have seen her?"

"No, Luoshuilou is no more bustling than other places. There are no customers during the day. The ladies usually rest in the house, and the maids like me who serve are usually working in the backyard. The madam sent people to look for her, but they couldn't find her. Even the thugs at the gate said they hadn't seen my lady leave."

Wang Leisheng sucked his teeth and said, "Could it be possible that your wife could just disappear out of thin air?"

"wrong."

Cui Bianxu stood up, walked to the window, and reached out to wipe the window frame. There was only a thin layer of dust on it. "You can also go out from here."

Qiu Niang is an excellent dancer. This is just the second floor. If she wants to get out from here, it should not be difficult at all.

"Does Qiu Niang have any good benefactors?" Cui Bianxu turned his head and asked.

Huang Ya hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook her head: "My wife said that all men in the world are unreliable. She has always only been interested in the money of those men."

No? Then why was she hesitating? Cui Bianxu felt something was wrong and winked at Wang Leisheng, who immediately began to put pressure on him, raising his voice with a hint of threat in his words: "You must know that if the government investigates the case and conceals anything and it is discovered, you will be implicated as well."

Huang Ya lowered her head and said nothing. Cui Bianxu and the others could only see her plump, bulging cheeks. Seeing this, Cui Bianxu began to play the good cop: "Qiu Niang has been missing for three days now. It's snowing so hard outside, and it's freezing cold. She doesn't have any money on her. If she were kidnapped by criminals, wouldn't she suffer terribly? If you continue to hide the truth and refuse to tell us, Qiu Niang's life may not be saved. Judging from the material of your clothes, Qiu Niang must have treated you well. Can you bear to watch her die?"

Huang Ya quickly raised his head: "Impossible, my wife will not die!"