Having said this, the government servant guarding the door shouted: "Master Meng is here!"
Yang Zheng heard this and immediately went out to greet him. Meng Changqing came on horseback with Bafang Xibei and a group of government officials.
"Sir." Yang Zheng opened his mouth to accuse, "My subordinates neglected to take precautions..."
"Stop it, stop it." Meng Changqing raised his hand, "Don't say that." After that, he asked: "Are there any casualties?"
Yang Zhengzheng looked ashamed, "My subordinates have just arrived and haven't had time to inquire."
Qian Deming, the squad leader who was following Meng Changqing, stepped forward and said to Yang Zheng: "Captain, this is a subordinate who neglected his duty."
Yang Zheng waved his hand, "Let's talk about it later."
While they were talking, Meng Changqing had already entered the house. Seeing a couple crying on the ground, Meng Changqing asked them, "Are you injured?"
Wanbao said loudly: "My lord, please ask me a question. Come back quickly!"
"They are the victims after all. Talk to them nicely, move the stool behind them, and pull them to sit up."
"Yes."
Meng Changqing advised calmly, "Things have already happened. Crying is of little use. Sit on a stool and relax."
She looked around the room and saw obvious signs of dragging. She followed the signs and saw a small amount of food scattered on the ground in the back room.
"It seems that some bags were spread out during the robbery." Yang Zheng stood behind Meng Changqing and speculated based on the traces in the house: "Among the robbers, there should be some who are slightly weaker, or the bag was held by the victim, so The mouth of the bag will spread out and there will be traces of dragging the bag.”
"The victim is still alive and seems to have no problem with his consciousness. You can ask them what happened at that time after they calm down. Go outside and ask the onlookers to see if they heard anything at that time. Pay attention to the onlookers. The expression of the person.”
"My lord, I think the robbers may be working together inside and outside..."
Meng Changqing lowered his voice, "Don't have any assumptions, just check it out."
"Yes!"
After Yang Zheng went out, Meng Changqing called Qian Deming and Sun Dayu again, "Tell me about the situation at that time."
Qian Deming said: "Tonight is my shift, and I and my brothers are staring at the dangerous mountains as usual.
According to the instructions of the adults, the brothers on the observation deck were always staring at the dangerous mountain. However, their vision was damaged at night and they could not see far. But suddenly I heard someone shouting. I immediately sent Wanbao to call for heavy rain, and I took Wanbao with me. Brother Ben, run this way.
When we arrived, what we saw was the couple sitting at the gate of the courtyard crying. ”
"So you didn't even see the robber?"
"Yeah." Qian Deming was so ashamed that he couldn't even lift his head.
Meng Changqing asked again: "Da Yu, when did you come? And when did you chase the robber?"
"I took my brothers from the day shift to rest in Annan Village. When I heard Wanbao calling us, I came here immediately. Judging from the distance, I only came a little later than the leader Qian."
Qian Deming nodded, "Indeed, I had just asked people to help the couple into the house, and Heavy Rain and the others arrived. As soon as we met, we immediately decided that Heavy Rain would take people to follow the trail, and I would take people back to report the news."< br>
Meng Changqing nodded after hearing this, and after waiting for a while, the crying in the hall gradually subsided.
"Have you asked that couple what was going on at that time?"
Qian Deming was helpless, "I just said that people from the mountains came and robbed their food. If I asked other questions, they would just cry."
"In the whole village, is this family the only one who was robbed?" Meng Changqing asked.
"Judging from the reactions of the people outside, this family should be the only one." "Yeah." Meng Changqing walked outside the house. Yang Zheng and his people were still asking other villagers, Bafang and Xi Bei followed behind Meng Changqing.
“It feels strange when you think about it carefully,” Bafang said. “It’s not a long distance from the nearest observation tower to here. Qian Deming and the others came over when they heard the noise. How come they didn’t even see the shadow of the robbers? ”
Xi Bei said: "This is not surprising. If the robbers were also staring at the observation tower, they would naturally be able to see the government officials early and evacuate in time.
It is no secret that Changqing deploys this group of people. It is normal to know that someone is watching them on the dangerous mountain. ”
Meng Changqing walked around the house and came to the door again.
"Master, what do you see?"
"I didn't see anything, or maybe I missed it." Meng Changqing said, "Master, go around with Bafang again and see if there are any special marks on or near the wall."
"Okay."
Yang Zheng also inquired about the situation and came back to Meng Changqing, "I asked all the people watching in the yard. They all said that they were woken up by the screams. They heard the noise and knew that someone was robbing food, so they immediately I found something to block the door of my house and waited until the government officials came over before I dared to go out.”
Yang Zheng lowered his voice, "I saw that they looked frightened and uneasy, and they were lucky not to be robbed. There was no abnormality."
"So, they didn't see the robber with their own eyes?"
"Yes."
"I know." Meng Changqing said: "You take people outside to guard, and I will go in and ask about the situation."
Meng Changqing moved a stool and sat in front of the victim and his wife, "It's time to calm down now. Are you the only two in your house?"
The two nodded at the same time, and the man even said: "It's just the two of us. Even if there are many people in the family, they don't dare to stare at my house."
"How much food did they steal?"
The man collapsed and said, "They've all been robbed! I've been busy farming for a year, all for the sake of others, how will I live in the future!"
"It doesn't matter, right?" Meng Changqing asked.
"It's better to kill us." The woman's face was covered with tears and snot, and she didn't bother to wipe it away. "You just want us to starve to death!"
"It's better to die than to live, not to mention you still have a child in your belly." Meng Changqing asked again: "How many people did they bring? They can rob your family of all their food."
"There was..." the woman recalled with choked sobs. "Nine or ten people broke in with knives and robbed the food whenever they saw it. Even the contents of the earthen pots by the stove were taken away."
The man added, "If someone hadn't called the government officials over, they would have even taken away the sweet potatoes and pickles in the cellar."
Meng Changqing: "Who called the Yamen servant to come?"
"It was the people on the mountain who shouted." The man said, "They left people outside to watch."
"How do you know they are from the mountain?" Meng Changqing asked, "Do you know the people who came?"
The woman said: "We know them. They are the same group of people who used to have trouble with my men in the mountains."
"According to what you said, the robbers don't want to deal with you, so they are targeting your house to rob?"
"It must be so, they are here to take revenge on us." The man said, "I was the first group to go down the mountain, and I live closest to the road they use to go up and down the mountain."
"Master!" The man knelt down to Meng Changqing, "We can't live here anymore. They didn't hurt anyone this time, but it won't be possible next time. My woman is still pregnant. They really have evil intentions. Our family has three lives. It’s all gone.”(End of Chapter)