Chapter 149 - Chen Gong
Chapter 149 Chen Gong
When the masked middle-aged man in blue got close to Su Li, he hesitated for a moment and came to Su Li. Then he said in a very low voice, “Little girl, I am here to save you. Quickly come out and leave with me.”
Su Li put away the dagger and stood out from the haystack. She looked afraid.
The middle-aged man in blue saw the scene and turned gentle. He immediately took Su Li and walked quickly along the alley to the iron gate of a locked courtyard. Then Su Li saw him take out a key…
With the help of the middle-aged man in blue, Su Li was able to turn out from the back window of the courtyard and leave the alley without a trace. Before she left, she saw that the nine killers were still in the alley and were searching carefully with her psychic awareness.
At this moment, it was dark, and there were not many people on the street.
The middle-aged man in blue seemed to be uneasy. He did not let Su Li return to her home. Instead, he took Su Li to wander around the streets and go to a courtyard that looked very ruined.
The middle-aged man in blue opened the door and let Su Li come in. He took off the cloth from his face and said, “It’s too dangerous at night. Here is my family. If you don’t mind, you can stay here for one night. Go home when it’s dawn.”
Su Li then saw the face of the middle-aged man in blue. It was very ordinary. He was the kind of person who would be ignored in the people. The only thing that made people feel eye-catching was his messy beard.
“I don’t mind!”
Su Li quickly shook her head. Then she bent to give a salute and said, “Thank you for saving my life.”
The middle-aged man in blue was expressionless and did not respond to Su Li’s gratitude. He turned around and said, “I’ll check if there is any food in my home.”
Such reaction made Su Li feel shocked. It seemed that the middle-aged man’s temperament was a bit interesting. He was serious in speech and manner and had a heart of stone. He was not like the person who could save people. It seemed that he only “saved” himself.
“Interesting.”
With this in mind, Su Li followed the middle-aged man in blue into the room. What she saw in the room made her feel shocked again.
Did someone… really live in the place?
In the seemingly spacious central hall, there was no other furniture except a table and two chairs! It was empty like being evacuated.
Su Li went to the inner room again, and she saw that there was nothing but a bed in the room even without clothes.
At this time, the middle-aged man in blue walked out with two bowls of noodles and put them on the table. Then he shouted in an old-fashioned way, “Come and eat noodles.”
His voice seemed to lack emotions and sound like a robot.
Su Li heard his voice and came out. She saw two bowls of simple noodles on the table, but she looked calm. Then she sat down and picked up the chopsticks to eat.
When the middle-aged man in blue saw Su Li’s reaction, he felt a little surprised. He guessed that Su Li couldn’t eat the simple noodles in spite of good self-control. It could be seen from Su Li’s clothes that she was a miss from the eminent family.
Su Li noticed the middle-aged man’s gaze. She smiled and said, “Don’t focus on my gorgeous clothes. In fact, I didn’t have enough to eat when I was young. The simple noodles are pretty good. By the way, may I know your name? I’m Su Li. I forgot to tell you my name just now. It’s impolite.”
“Su Li?”
The middle-aged man in blue instantly became serious and said, “Which Su Li are you? Su Li of the Academy of National Classics?”
Su Li smiled embarrassedly and said, “I don’t expect that you know me.”
The middle-aged man in blue was in no mood for banter with Su Li. Instead, he looked at her seriously and said in a cold voice, “As for the group of killers, do you know their origins?”
Su Li was in a daze. The tone of the middle-aged man in blue reminded her of something unpleasant.
Seeing Su Li’s silence, the middle-aged man in blue came to his sense. Su Li was not his prisoner. He smiled bitterly in his heart and managed to smile. Then he smiled. He thought that his smile was kind but scary in fact.
“I scared you. Those killers may be related to my case, so I am too excited. Don’t blame me.”
Su Li blinked meaningfully but said in a naive voice, “Your case? Are you the Officer of the Supreme Judiciary like my Eldest Brother?”
The middle-aged man in blue heard Su Li’s words and was silent for a while, and then he said, “Besides the Supreme Judiciary, there is another organ of survey. I am Chen Gong of the Ministry of Penalty!”
Su Li slightly shrank her eyes. The person was actually the cruel official of the Ministry of Penalty who made people feel scared at the mention of his name!
Su Qingtan repeatedly mentioned Chen Gong, so she went to the National Book Tower to check him today. Then she knew that Chen Gong was a famous cruel official in the Dahan Country. He was noble and upright. He didn’t accept bribes and his family was as poor as a church!
On the other hand, he used cruel torture for prisoners, and even the subordinates of the Ministry of Penalty could not stand it. The households of the Dahan Country even used the name of Chen Gong to scare the children of the family. He was truly a cruel person who could make children stop crying!
However… Su Li looked at the noodles cooked by the bloody Chen Gong personally. It seemed that he was not that cruel. However, his family was really as poor as a church. Utter destitute was the most appropriate expression to describe his family situation.
“It seems that you have heard of the name. If you don’t have the appetite, forget the noodles.”
Chen Gong said calmly without any expression. No one could know what he was thinking.
Su Li smiled and took another bite of the noodles. When Chen Gong’s expression slightly changed, she analyzed, “I am not very clear about the origins of the four people. I just saw that there were fewer people on the street, and I was on the alert. Afterwards, the carriage suddenly lost control and I jumped out of the carriage in time. But I was too scared at the time, and I saw the alley and hid in.”
Chen Gong heard Su Li’s words and frowned. He did not get any clue from Su Li’s words. When he looked up, he saw that the girl stick her tongue out. He consciously softened. If his daughter had been still alive, she could have been twelve or thirteen years old.
After eating the noodles, Su Li took the initiative to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. Chen Gong looked at her petite back and his aged eyes flashed with bitterness, and then he muttered, “You didn’t allow me to bring a woman back. The girl is one or two years older than our daughter. She should not be counted.”
After cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks quickly, Su Li returned to the room, but did not see Chen Gong. She started her psychic awareness and found out that there was still a room behind the courtyard. She immediately went there and came to the door. She had not yet stepped in and heard a cold scold inside the door,
“Stop!”
It was Chen Gong. Su Li stopped and backed to the outside of the door. But it did not prevent her from seeing the scene inside the room, was it… a festival lantern?
There were all kinds of festival lanterns in the room… They were all connected in series by ropes and hung in the air. The ground was thick with melted candle piled dozens or even hundreds of times.
Chen Gong stood in the festival lanterns and turned his back to Su Li. He said nothing, but Su Li could sense his sadness and decadence.
After a while, Su Li finally did not violate Chen Gong’s order and turned away. After she had a rest in the room for a night, she did not see Chen Gong come back. It seemed that he had stood in the room for a whole night.
At dawn of the next day, Su Li got up and tidied the shakedown. When she came to the kitchen, there was nothing else expect flour. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Chen Gong ate noodles every day and had the strength to investigate into the case. It was really rare.
Su Li went to the vegetable field of the backyard. She found a few cabbages and green onions, and picked some. In a short time, she cooked two bowls of noodles in a simple sauce plus a little seasoning that she carried.
When Su Li put the noodles in a simple sauce on the table, Chen Gong came out from the back room. He sniffed and saw two bowls of noodles in a simple sauce on the table. He was in a daze.
“Uncle Chen, I am unable to repay your kindness for saving my life yesterday except a bowl of noodles in a simple sauce.”
Su Li handed the chopsticks over and smiled brightly, and then she said, “I haven’t cooked for a long time. Have a try.”
Chen Gong lowered his head and hesitated for a moment. Then he took the chopsticks and picked up the noodles. He took a mouthful of the noodles and chewed them. Then he chomped on the noodles.
Seeing that he ate happily, Su Li immediately handed over her bowl. Chen Gong actually did not refuse her. He took it and continued to eat. His cheeks were bulging, and he didn’t say anything from beginning to end.
Soon, the second bowl of the noodles was empty.
Su Li smiled and squinted. When someone liked to eat what she cooked, she would be very happy. Then she said, “Uncle, wait for a moment. I will cook more!”
Then Su Li got up and went to the kitchen. When she left, she didn’t see that the middle-aged cruel official who had been serious in speech and manner behind her lowered his head and wiped his face with his hand.
In the kitchen, when Su Li was ready to pour out the flour, Chen Gong suddenly appeared at the door and said in a low voice, “I’ve had enough. Go back and let your parents know you are safe. I am leaving.”
Chen Gong didn’t give Su Li much time to reply. He turned back and went into the room. Soon, he put on an official uniform and left the courtyard. The door of the courtyard was not locked.
Su Li stopped what she was doing and meditated for a while. Chen Gong, the idol of the Eldest Brother, seemed to be a bit interesting.
After Su Li cleaned up and closed the gate of the courtyard, she went back to the Su House along the bustling street. Su Qingtan looked for her all night and just came back. He was so agitated like an ant on a hot pan. When he saw Su Li come back safely, he instantly felt happy. Then he came to Su Li and held her tightly.
“You naughty girl, I haven’t seen you all night. How can you make me so worried?”
“Eldest Brother, I almost can’t come back.”
Su Li felt sad and shed tears. When Su Qingtan saw the scene, he felt distressed. He comforted her while he listened to what happened to her yesterday.
“Were there killers attacking you? Did Lord Chen Gong save you?”
Su Qingtan felt scared after the event. Fortunately, Chen Gong saved Su Li; otherwise the consequences of yesterday… He did not dare to think.
“The Second Sister did not offend anyone in Yunjing. Where were the killers from?”
Su Qingtan felt puzzled. He had tried his best to make Su Li live a secluded life. Su Li did not go to other places expect the Academy of National Classics. Even at the last feast, he tried to block Su Li and did not let the Wu Family see her. In this way… there was still trouble!
For the first time, Su Qingtan felt that the forces of Yunjing showed malice.
“Don’t worry. After the incident, I must walk from crowded streets, and I won’t take a carriage casually. I believe that those bad guys will not attack me in broad daylight.”
Su Li softly comforted him and Su Qingtan could not help but sigh. The girl clearly encountered danger, but she comforted him in turn.
“Li, you finally come back. We’re all worried about you!”
It was unknown when Su Huanli occurred outside the door. After he saw Su Li, his eyes brightened up and he immediately came in. Then he said, “By the way, Li, the new site of the Baiwei Building has been chosen. You can go there today to see if it is appropriate. If it is appropriate, immediately design the kitchen boiler, and I will have it built.”
Su Qingtan frowned and said in a low voice, “Daddy, the Second Sister had a narrow escape and needs to have a rest now. The business of the Baiwei Building is not urgent and we can talk about it later.”
“What are you talking about?!”
Su Huanli became angry at once and rebuked him loudly, “You don’t manage household affairs and don’t know that life is hard. We have moved into Yunjing without income for a month! We need to pay maids and servants. Everything in the family needs money! It’s not cheap to treat your First Mother’s wounds. If everything goes on in this way, we’ll use up everything. We all have to live on air!”
Su Qingtan felt annoyed too. When he was trying to refute what his father said, Su Li stopped him and said in a soft voice, “Daddy, Eldest Brother, don’t quarrel about it. I’ll go to the Baiwei Building with daddy. Eldest Brother, go and get busy.”