Survival rules for restaurants: cooking and eating melons at the same time

Chapter 35: The Anning Lane Crying Case

The boy thought for a while and nodded.

An Qiao insisted that the two of them sit down. After a long stalemate, the two of them slowly sat down.

After the meal, An Qiao learned that the two of them had escaped from the same village. There was a flood a few years ago and many people in the village ran away. Some got separated along the way, and some died of illness.

The families of Shuanzi and Yudong died along the way. When they arrived in Kyoto Prefecture, since they were both under the age of fourteen, they were not included in the resettlement arrangements. They could only do odd jobs, such as moving things and carrying heavy loads, and managed to support a house full of children.

An Qiao couldn't help but admire him a little.

After dinner, he asked the two to go to the backyard with him. Because they were going to cook, he spent money to make two sets of clothes for them. After they took a bath, he started to work. He agreed to deduct three days' salary for the clothes, so the two took the clothes.

An Qiao couldn't help but like him even more. He had a good sense of propriety and didn't take anything for granted.

After changing clothes, several people sat under the eaves and started to can. Shuanzi and Yu Dong had never seen so many good things, and couldn't help asking, "Young lady, this is too fragrant and crystal clear. Are you going to sell it in the restaurant? The packaging is too exquisite."

"I opened a small shop specializing in canned food, and I will ask you to help me when the time comes." An Qiao smiled and reached out to put another label on.

The two of them nodded, not quite understanding, and the whole afternoon passed by while they chatted and laughed.

After the summer solstice, the time of darkness slowly moved forward. An Qiao saw that the sky was dark and unclear. She didn't know if it was her sixth sense that was playing tricks on her. "You two should go home quickly. Three more people will come to help tomorrow. The youngest one must be over seven years old. You must return home safely."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sun, which was bright yellow in the daytime, began to flash with lightning and thunder.

Shuanzi and Yudong picked up the bag of steamed buns and dry biscuits given by Anqiao and disappeared into the night.

An Qiao felt her heart pounding. Somehow, within half a minute, Gu Qingyun appeared at the door. "An Qiao, close the door." After saying that, he glanced at the lobby and disappeared.

As if possessed by some mysterious force, An Qiao said to the night, "Be careful."

When Gu Qingyun arrived at Anning Lane, he could already hear crying. There were carriages of wealthy families, and people were crying softly from inside the carriages. There were also people standing at the door, supporting each other and crying.

Two clerks at the door supported each other and vomited together. For a moment, the alley seemed particularly sad.

"What's going on?" Gu Qingyun walked around the crowd and entered the blockade area.

"Three died, and the rest...are disabled. So far, we have found eighteen girls and seven boys, aged between fourteen and seventeen. Almost none of them are able to talk to us now, and we have called a doctor. Ten of the girls and three of the boys still have families." At this point, Xin Hai paused and deliberately lowered his voice, "Today, the family of the Minister of Industry came to report a case. One of the girls was his eldest daughter. Fortunately, both the master and the servant were smart. After being kidnapped, the girl immediately went home to find the Minister, so no disaster happened. She only suffered some minor injuries and was taken away by the Minister's Mansion. He promised to visit her tomorrow."

Gu Qingyun nodded and walked inside. It was a house with an ordinary entrance but a vast world inside.

From the outside it looks like just a residential building, but actually the yards on both sides also belong to this family. The east and west sides are connected, and a whole row of thick and dense trees are planted, which not only blocks out the sound but also blocks the sight.

Opposite the gate is an entire wall with carved beams and painted rafters, and with the words "Clear and Innocent" written in large letters. It looks vigorous and powerful, but seems a bit ironic in this courtyard.

Walking around this wall, you can see the house behind the wall, which is surrounded by a long corridor on both sides. There are various rock and waterside pavilions in the middle. There is also a small pavilion in the middle of the small lake, with red curtains hanging from top to bottom all the way down to the water.

Gu Qingyun took a special look and found it was a really big bed.

Walking into the house along the corridor, it is open from north to south and blocked from view by two wooden doors. There is also a stage and some wooden props behind the house for unknown purposes.

Back inside, there are three rooms on each side, each with different furnishings, but all with an ethereal air, and each exuding a different fragrance.

"Sir, the victim is not found here." Xin Hai spoke at the right time.

"Hmm?" Gu Qingyun was already a little confused. This house looked like a brothel that was not open to the public. Although it was immoral, it was not illegal in that era. Many people were just performing to make a living.

How come everyone in this case is disabled? From this point of view, there is no clue at all. I can only follow Xinhai out of the main hall, through the long corridor, and back to the wall.

They entered the woods from the left again. There was a wooden house in the woods. When Gu Qingyun pushed open the wooden door, his stomach churned. Many of the things were common tools in prison, but what was disgusting was the foul smell coming from the house and the pieces of meat from unknown parts hanging all over the walls.

Xin Hai stepped forward and pressed the mechanism, and the floor slowly moved, revealing a secret door.

Walking down into the dark room, there are cells on both sides, four in total.

Going further ahead, it was even more unbelievable. First there was a cell, followed by a simple small pharmacy, then several bathrooms of different sizes, and then a closet and a dressing table.

Go all the way to the innermost part and press the switch to open the dark room. There is also a staircase on this side. Climb up to the backyard of the house.

"Did you find it in prison?" Gu Qingyun asked.

"Yes, when we arrived, I don't know what news the other party had received, and the whole yard was silent. It took us a long time to find the secret room. Zhao Huaiqing suspected that there was a secret door or a secret passage, so he just took a few clerks to search it." Xinhai replied.

Gu Qingyun looked unhappy. "Well, it might be a secret door... Otherwise... it would be a bit scary. Someone who can keep a close eye on the Dali Temple and Jingzhao Yamen must be powerful enough not to be underestimated."

Gu Qingyun really couldn't think of who this person was. If he wasn't a royal relative, it would probably not be possible.

The rain outside finally started to fall with a crackling sound. Gu Qingyun walked out, rubbing his brows. This case was jointly investigated by the Jingzhao Yamen and the Dali Temple. Because there were too many people involved and there was no useful information, the people who were rescued were locked up indoors all year round. Their faces were frighteningly pale and they couldn't speak even when they opened their mouths.

Gu Qingyun was rarely annoyed by the sound of rain, so he told the family members outside to go home first. He would help treat the children after finding out the truth and then take them home.

In fact, several families had already wanted to leave. How could an ordinary family afford to support such a disabled person? Even if they took him home, what would the problem be?

Not only has his innocence gone, but he has also become disabled. Even though he is sad, he can’t say anything.