Criminal Investigation Department of the Qing Dynasty

Chapter One (Part One)

Time flies, and it's been three or four years.

Songjiang Prefecture, Songyang County.

Midday.

— "Ding ling."

An old carriage with jingling bells was driving on the muddy path outside the county.

In the bluish mist, the carriage with reins swayed precariously.

It had rained heavily the night before, making the muddy road slippery. Along the way, one could see mountains nearby, with water flowing beside them.

In the distance, there were lush forests and bamboo groves, with streams flowing down from the bamboo. A man-made canal ran through the city's defenses, indicating that this was a small county where underground water passed through daily.

The roof of the carriage was laden with various luggage.

There were bags for money and goods, tobacco pouches, fan cases, and a pile of tattered cloth bags on the top of the broken carriage.

Inside the carriage were about five or six people with bundles, who had traveled from various counties. Since most of them were continuing their journey south for business, only two of them had gotten off in Songyang County.

In sight were a man with a white-clothed book box covered with a white cloth and a child.

Judging by their age and demeanor, they seemed to be father and son.

The man had a pale complexion, dressed in gray clothes, and appeared to be afflicted by a serious illness. He looked like he came from a poor family, and what made him even more peculiar was a red scar on his cheek.

The scar, winding like a centipede, looked terrifying.

The man's original appearance was marred beyond recognition by the scar, making it difficult for people to look at him. No wonder no one on the entire carriage dared to converse with him easily.

As for the child, who seemed to be under seven or eight years old, he only nestled quietly in the man's arms, bowing his head. He appeared silent and reserved.

"This kid is so well-behaved, never making a fuss all the way."

Having traveled far and wide for many years, the coachman, sitting on the front of the carriage, spoke with a cheerful smile.

"He's always been like this since he was young, very quiet, never liking to talk to strangers."

Duan Xiao, who was resting by the carriage, responded upon hearing this.

Though he was unremarkable in appearance, his voice was extremely calm and steady. With a slight upward tilt of his eyes, if it weren't for the ugly scar on his cheekbone, he would have given a different impression.

"What about his mother?"

"She's gone, I raised him alone."

This explanation seemed to clarify why such a man would be accompanied by such a large child.

"Ah, it must be tough for you to raise him alone as a father. How did you end up with that face? It must be very inconvenient to go out like this."

"A few years ago, I got injured, and it turned me into this ugly ghost-like appearance. Now, I just apply some external medicine to it, but I'm afraid it won't get better in this lifetime."

Duan Xiao seemed unconcerned about his half-face.

"So, are you planning to settle down in Songyang this time?"

"Yes, a friend I know helped me find a temporary job in Songyang Prefecture, so I came. Whether I stay or not depends on my mood. Maybe I'll go back to my hometown in a couple of years."

"I see. I always say there's nothing good in a poor and remote place like Songyang."

The coachman sighed understandingly.

"The yamen you're looking for is at the east end of the county, and the county magistrate's surname is Ma. There's also a magistrate named Jiahui."

"... ... ..."

"If there's nothing else good about this place, it's at least relatively peaceful. Nothing major happens here all year round. If you're lucky, you might take the kid around for a meal. But why did you come to Songyang? And why do you have such a big box with you?"

"Why don't you guess?"

Seeing that the coachman was talkative, Duan Xiao engaged in conversation with him like this.

"Are you selling calligraphy and paintings?"

"No."

"Hmm? Are you making medicinal soup?"

"I said I'm here to do undertaker's work. The box contains tools for autopsy and a pile of bones. Do you believe me?"

Duan Xiao answered.

However, the coachman expressed disbelief.

"I don't believe it. With your appearance, you would probably be scared to pee your pants even if you saw a dead body, let alone work as an undertaker."

"..."

"I heard from my relative that the corpses in the yamen are all rotten and stinky, and their faces are unrecognizable. Dealing with corpses every day is not something ordinary people would do. I doubt you've ever seen a dead body."

The coachman spoke with conviction.

Seeing his disbelief, Duan Xiao didn't say much more.

After chatting along the way, the old coachman dropped them off at a place near the county gate because he had more business to attend to.

After getting off the carriage and thanking the host, Duan Xiao and Duan Yuanbao lifted the white cloth box and took the red paper umbrella as they entered the city gate.

Because Songyang County was very small, there was only one main entrance into the county.

At the gate, there were not many people queuing to enter even though it was early in the morning, mostly woodcutters who had gone up the mountain to collect wet firewood early in the morning.

Just as the crowd was lining up to enter the city, a group of five or six masked men carrying a tightly covered stretcher with a strange smell hurried past, causing a commotion among the people.

"What's going on? There's a foul smell coming from that cloth."

"Could it be something strange happening at the Stone Buddha Temple again? I haven't seen the crying 'Five No Girl' from the Bai family for the past few days. Did something happen to her in the mountains?"

"Let's not meddle. It's better for us to stay away from trouble."

Hearing this, Duan Xiao, who was carrying the box and holding his son's hand, remained silent at the back of the crowd.

Stone Buddha Temple, Five No Girl—these were unfamiliar terms to them, spoken by the locals.

As the group of people scolded others to make way, Duan Xiao's eyes, carrying the box and holding his son's hand, swept across the white cloth.

Seeing that the five or six masked men were mostly wearing short clothes from the yamen, with official boots on their feet, a blackish trace of moss and soil leaked from the bottom of the white cloth.

This moss and soil stuck to the boots indicated that it had been dry for at least three days.

The color was dark greenish-black, suggesting a soft brown.

Although the patterns on the cloth shoes were ordinary, they were not something ordinary peddlers and laborers would wear. They might be scholars or students who would wear such cloth for casual outings and socializing.

"Dad."

As if noticing something, Duan Yuanbao called out when Duan Xiao remained silent.

"It's okay, let's enter the city first."

Duan Xiao also suppressed the words in the boy's mouth.

Coincidentally, just as the woodcutters had stopped speaking after whispering a few words, another two people came down the mountain, carrying a white-clothed woman wearing mourning clothes.

The woman wore a single braid, no flowers, and a plain mourning gown under her plain-colored mourning attire. Her eyes were red from crying.

She was trembling, seemingly frightened and afraid because she saw something, and was scared to speak, burying her head in her hands and unable to speak.

There was some semi-dried mud in the crevices of her jade-colored fingernails.

When she appeared, the discussions resumed among the crowd, with occasional references to her background, causing the woman known as the "Five No Girl" to cry openly as she was taken away in public, unable to lift her head.