Chapter 12 A Big Catch Requires a Long Line

With Jiang Yongguang's support, our confidence instantly soared! Using the ancient Shu jade slip as bait was sure to lure out Boss Wang, the big fish!

As long as we caught this person in charge, we could follow the trail and find the murderer who killed Aunt Mei, and we would definitely be able to find Sister Mei's whereabouts.

"Officer Jiang, we're counting on you! We'll be ready to move as soon as your fake ancient Shu jade slip is made!" I said excitedly.

Jiang Yongguang nodded to me, guaranteeing, "Don't worry, I'll go back and arrange for people to make a replica of the ancient Shu jade slip overnight. We'll get it done as quickly as possible."

After saying that, he handed me the antipyretic medicine he was holding, put out his cigarette, and prepared to leave.

At this time, Uncle Mei pointed to the cellar and reminded, "By the way, take that 'rat' back with you. We're done questioning him."

Jiang Yongguang shook his head and said, "I can't take him. Catching rats isn't that simple. As the saying goes, you have to catch the thief with the loot, and the adulterer in the act. Even when catching tomb robbers, you have to catch them with the stolen goods. This kid hasn't committed a crime, and there's no physical evidence on him. Even if I take him back, it'll be difficult to convict him."

I then realized that Jiang Yongguang was just scaring him in the cellar.

Jiang Yongguang then said, "You guys should release him quickly, and don't tie people up privately in the future. Luckily, this rat has a dirty background himself; otherwise, if he sues you for illegal detention, you might be invited to have a meal in jail."

Uncle Mei and I nodded quickly and sent Jiang Yongguang out the door first.

After seeing the guest off, the two of us returned to the cellar.

At this time, Skinny Monkey had already been scared out of his wits. His eyes were blank as he sat on the ground, shivering. When he saw us return, he said in a trembling voice, "You're actually people from the authorities!"

I shook my head and denied, "Not exactly. It's just that the people we know are a bit of a mixed bag. We have connections in both the white and black worlds."

These words made Skinny Monkey tremble again. Not many people in the underworld dared to say that.

He glanced behind us and, finding that Jiang Yongguang hadn't followed, quickly begged in a low voice, "Heroes! Heroes, please let me go! My old man is bedridden, and I'm the only one taking care of him. If I go in, my old man is doomed… Please, heroes, have mercy and spare my life! Skinny Monkey will repay your kindness by working like a horse!"

We were originally going to release him anyway, and since he took the initiative to beg, I was happy to do him a favor.

However, I didn't agree to him immediately, but said in a serious tone, "Tonight, you saw things you shouldn't have seen and heard things you shouldn't have heard. If we let you go, what if you go out and talk nonsense?"

Tiger was indeed a paoge (gangster), and he immediately started singing a duet with me, coldly snorting, "It's safer to send him to jail for a few years! So he doesn't say things he shouldn't say outside!"

Skinny Monkey burst into tears on the spot, begging while crying, "Heroes, spare my life! Please let me go! I really can't go in, my old man is still waiting for me to take care of him at home…"

Seeing that the scare tactics had achieved the desired effect, Uncle Mei stepped forward in time to act as a peacemaker.

"I think this kid is quite filial. Why don't we give him a chance? If you promise to keep your mouth shut, we'll let you off this time, how about it?"

Hearing this, Skinny Monkey couldn't wait to kneel down and kowtow to Uncle Mei. He quickly swore that he would never say a word about what happened tonight. If he broke this oath, he would be hit by a car and killed as soon as he went out!

Tiger didn't trust the words of a tomb robber, and grabbed his hair, saying, "You don't have to be hit by a car and killed as soon as you go out. If you dare to leak a single word, I'll bring my Renshoutang (Benevolence and Longevity Hall) brothers to your door and beat you to death! Do you hear me?"

Skinny Monkey nodded quickly and said, "I hear you, I hear you! I definitely won't talk nonsense!"

This combination of kindness and intimidation had completely subdued Skinny Monkey, and we were finally relieved.

Uncle Mei had Tiger untie Skinny Monkey and said to him, "You can go now, but don't forget what you just said."

Skinny Monkey promised several times, "I won't forget, I won't forget! Skinny Monkey keeps his word!"

After saying that, he ran away in a hurry, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.

After Skinny Monkey left, it was getting late, so we climbed out of the cellar and went back to our rooms to rest.

Because I had been sleeping a lot these past few days, I tossed and turned at night and couldn't fall asleep. Around one or two in the morning, I suddenly heard Uncle Mei sitting in the courtyard, sobbing softly.

He was crying and talking in a low voice. I vaguely heard him saying, "Yulan, why don't you come back? You should come back, even if it's just to see you one last time."

I then realized that today was Aunt Mei's touqi (the seventh day after death).

According to tradition, on the night of touqi (returning soul night), Aunt Mei's soul would return home for a glimpse.

But Uncle Mei had obviously not waited for her to return.

Seeing the grizzled, tough man crying like a helpless child, my heart ached like it was being twisted by a knife. Thinking of Sister Mei's uncertain fate, I felt even more despair.

The only hope was to wait for Jiang Yongguang to bring the fake ancient Shu jade slip and use it to fish.

Hopefully, after catching Boss Wang, Aunt Mei's revenge and Sister Mei's whereabouts could all have a good outcome.

The next day, we sent Aunt Mei to her burial together.

Aunt Mei was buried in a cemetery by the Tuo River. When she was being buried, Uncle Mei specifically instructed Tiger and me that if anything happened to him in the future, he should be buried with Aunt Mei in the same place.

After a while, he said again, "I don't know where An'an is now. She couldn't even see her mother off on her last journey."

Hearing these words, I felt extremely sad.

After finishing the funeral and returning home, the neighbors came to offer their condolences, bringing us a lot of food and drinks, and even money.

Uncle Mei told us to keep the food and drinks, but to return all the money untouched, and to make a note of all the neighbors who came to offer their condolences, so that we could return the favor in a few days.

It was almost evening when Jiang Yongguang drove over.

When he came in, he was carrying a red, white, and blue woven bag. There was a clanging sound coming from inside as he walked.

As soon as I heard the sound, I guessed that the woven bag contained bronzes. After all, I had dealt with these things a lot in the tomb before.

Sure enough, when he entered the house and unzipped the bag, I saw that it was indeed full of fragmented bronzes—bronze masks, bronze statues, and bronze lamps…

It could be said that he had everything that was in the tomb.

Uncle Mei glanced at these things and asked him, "What are you going to do with these?"

Jiang Yongguang said, "Of course, they're going to be your bait. After I went back, I thought about it. Using the ancient Shu jade slip as such a big bait to fish might make the fish suspicious. It's better to use these small baits to lure him in first, and then gradually feed him bigger baits, so we can catch them all in one fell swoop!"

After hearing this, I nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, it's more appropriate to use bronzes to trade with them first. Treasures of the level of the ancient Shu jade slip definitely can't be put on the market right away. That's not logical."