The Plough - Chapter 10

A newspaper was three cents on average, not too expensive for ordinary people.

Those who couldn’t read could go to the teahouse and listen to people read the newspaper. A pot of tea could allow one to pass the better part of an afternoon, killing two birds with one stone.

The Huangpu News was a small newspaper with few readers. It needed to be sold cheaply in order to make a profit, so it was sold for two cents. With the first to report such explosive news, it could be seen that it would be sold out today.

As the news fermented, it wouldn’t take long for the news of Du Yunning’s death to spread to every corner of Shanghai.

And Ling Shu’s identity as a suspect would be difficult to suppress. Everyone was a judge, newspapers and magazines, countless people, and all public opinion would point the finger at him, which would put a lot of pressure on the person investigating the case.

Under pressure, with so-called evidence, Ling Shu would find it harder to escape guilt.

Throughout the ages, killing for revenge has been a common motive.

“Boss Yue, your ability is limited, you can’t even suppress a piece of news. I have to doubt how much of the accomplishments you’ve claimed over the years are true!”

Ling Shu said coldly, reaching into his pocket and taking out five cents, putting it on the newspaper and folding it up, stuffing it into the beggar on the side of the road.

“There is no wall that can’t be penetrated.” Yue Dingtang said calmly, “From the moment the case was related to you, you should have expected this result. Although the servants of the Yuan family were restricted from entering and leaving, they still need to eat and drink and had to contact the outside world, and there were so many patrols handling errands, it was not uncommon for someone to leak a few pieces of news to the newspaper and make a little pocket money.

Ling Shu sighed. Innocently sitting at home but getting struck by thunder from the sky was the best way to describe his situation now.

If the murderer was not found in one day, the case would be like an invisible rope around his neck, and it could tighten at any time and put him to death.

The person who helped Du Yunning write the list of property might have had a relationship with Du Yunning, or even lured her to elope, and finally killed her and silenced her. Like a non-existent ghost, he always lingered around, but they could not find any trace.

If Ling Shu had not seen the list of property himself, he would even doubt whether such a person had ever existed.

Ling Shu felt that his idea of following Du Yunning’s footsteps to look for clues was correct, but it was like being led by the nose, and the opponent hiding in the dark knew what he would do next, and he could easily control his whereabouts and make a preemptive strike.

Then, what about another approach?

If even the close servants of the Yuan family had never seen this person —

Then, how could Du Yunning meet the other party without being seen by the Yuan family?

As if God had sent a messenger to them, Ling Shu’s spirit brightened in an instant!

“Xinyue Cafe?!”

“Where have you been meeting Du Yunning before?”

Yue Dingtang and him spoke almost at the same time.

Their words were different, but the ultimate thought was the same.

They thought of it together.

Yue Dingtang: “All at Xinyue Cafe?”

Ling Shu: “Yes, she had called me three times and each time we were there.”

Yue Dingtang: “Did you notice her being close to anyone there?”

Ling Shu pondered for a moment, shaking his head, “I don’t remember seeing that. She seemed to know the cafe’s owner and the second time we met there, she even introduced me to the boss who was busy washing cups.”

Yue Dingtang: “How much do you know about that boss, does he have a spouse?”

Ling Shu: “You suspect that Du Yunning might have an ambiguous relationship with him? Impossible.”

Yue Dingtang’s driver had been waiting at the corner, and when they came, he quickly came out to open the door.

When the two were inside and the car started, Ling Shu opened his mouth.

“You’ll know when you see the boss. He’s quite old and not very articulate so it’s impossible for Du Yunning to have a deep relationship with him.”

Yue Dingtang pondered for a moment, “Then let’s go to Xinyue Cafe and take a look.”

It only took fifteen minutes to get to Xinyue Cafe from here without traffic.

Yue Dingtang and him got off at the corner, and after a few steps, they could see the cafe’s signboard hanging outside.

Xinyue Cafe looked quite old.

The freshly painted exterior walls, several windows that were neither new nor old, plants struggling to maintain their green color in the cold winter, and waiters dressed in Western-style clothes—all these details reveal the owner’s care for this café.

However, as a café located in China, it inevitably carries Chinese elements. For example, the music currently playing from the café is not foreign music, but the familiar Chinese song “Jasmine Flower”.

Ling Shu and Yue Dingtang didn’t rush into the cafe. They strolled around the shops near the cafe and chatted casually with the shopkeepers, bought some things and inquired about Xinyue Cafe casually.

This cafe had been around for some years and had had two owners before. The previous owner, surnamed Han, was said to have gone bankrupt and gone back to the countryside to pack his things. The current owner, surnamed Li, was a friend of Han’s. It was said that he needed money urgently and bought the cafe, renovated it and opened it again.

The cafe business was doing well, and the owner was a good person. He had several helpers in his store all of whom he had helped out, and even when his neighbors had difficulties, he would help them out whenever he could.

“The owner has a good heart, but unfortunately it’s hard for good people to make it in this world, it’s only the bad people who succeed!”

Ling Shu walked over from the opposite side of the street, entering the tea shop, and he heard this phrase from Old Tang, the shopkeeper.

“What do you mean by that?” Ling Shu asked.

“Who is he?” Old Tang looked towards Ling Shu.

Yue Dingtang: “He’s surnamed Yang, he’s a colleague of mine, we came out together to do a social survey.”

Old Tang smiled: “So it’s Professor Yang, please come in! Xiaodong, get the tea!”

Nowadays, intellectuals are particularly respected, especially someone like Professor Yue Dingtang, who is a literary person. In the Qing Dynasty, he would have been a top-level official and could have been appointed to a high-ranking position at any time. To ordinary people, there is a sense of distance and the feeling of having to look up to him.

Yue Dingtang talked with the other party in the name of the social survey, and bought two liang of tea, naturally receiving an especially warm reception.

“It wasn’t easy for Boss Li to take over this cafe. Originally he thought he was helping a friend, being kind and helpful, but he hadn’t expected someone to come to his door within a month, saying that Old Han’s cafe had been sold off twice, and the cafe was first sold to him. Old Han had taken his money, and disappeared. Both parties went to court, and Boss Li had no choice but to pay a sum of money to the other party in order to take this place back.”

This tea shopkeeper, Old Tang, was just across the street from the cafe, and he seemed to know both the owner of the cafe and his predecessor very well.

“So, Boss Li is a particularly righteous person then?” Yue Dingtang asked.

Mr. Tang nodded, “Yes, that’s right. During the heavy rain in Shanghai this summer, many places were flooded. My precious tea leaves are the most vulnerable to even a drop of water, but thanks to Mr. Li lending me several large jars, I was able to store the tea leaves inside and seal them tightly, and they didn’t get damp at all. As for his own coffee beans, about half of them were damaged. If you ask anyone on this street, nine out of ten households who mention him would give him a thumbs up!”

Ling Shu said: “I don’t see many customers in the cafe, so doesn’t he lose money by helping others?”

Mr. Tang smiled: “It is said that he is a returning overseas Chinese, and his family has businesses in Southeast Asia. He said he wanted to return to retire, and his son is still doing business in Southeast Asia and sends him living expenses every month, very filial. From my point of view, even if the cafe loses money, it’s no problem. His son has written many letters asking him to go back. Mr. Li said that he now has hands and feet and can still work, so he doesn’t want to go abroad for the time being.”

Ling Shu: “Are these all his own words?”

Mr. Tang: “Yes, I have seen the photos his son sent back. Mr. Li’s grandson is white, fat and clever, and he can call grandpa.”

Yue Dingtang: “Listening to you, we feel that the direction of this investigation is correct, and we can do a related article about the Southeast Asian businessman returning home.”

Mr. Tang looked forward to it: “I don’t know if our little shop can be honored enough to be in your article?”

Yue Dingtang smiled: “Of course, Tangji Tea House, I have written it down.”

He also showed the book in his hand to the other party. Mr. Tang was even happier.

Ling Shu interrupted in time: “Right, Old Yue, have you seen today’s newspaper? By the way, it is related to our social investigation.”

Yue Dingtang: “Not yet, what’s the matter?”

Ling Shu: “Shanghai celebrity Du Yunning died. Now the cause of death is unknown. It is suspected to be a murder. Is security included in our social investigation? Let’s go to the patrol room and ask later.”

The teahouse owner next door gasped, which drew the attention of Ling Shu and Yue Dingtang.

“Are you talking about Du Yunning? Mrs. Yuan? She died?! ”

Ling Shu: “It’s Mrs. Yuan from the Yuan Manor. How about it, do you know her?”

The teahouse owner: “I don’t know her, but such a famous person, our small shop won’t have the honor to make friends with her. I have seen her drinking coffee in the cafe across the street before… It’s a pity. Mrs. Yuan was a beautiful woman with a good temperament. How could she die?!”

Ling Shu and Yue Dingtang looked at each other.

“Did she come alone to drink coffee, didn’t she make an appointment with anyone?”

The boss hesitated for a moment: “Yes, but I can’t remember it clearly. ”

Ling Shu: “Is it a man or a woman?”

“It’s a man,” the boss slapped his thigh, “I remember! It’s two people! She only made an appointment with one each time, but it seemed to be two people coming and going. One of them, don’t say it, looks a bit like you in size! The other one is shorter than you, about half a head, but often wearing a dark red Western suit!”

Ling Shu: “Are you sure?”

The boss: “Of course, the gentleman bought snowflake cream in the foreign goods store next door once. I ran into him and he was very handsome and literate, just like you two. He was a cultured person.”

After bidding farewell to the tea house owner, when Ling Shu and Yue Dingtang entered the cafe, the sky had become deep and dark blue, as if it would be completely black at any time.

The cold and merciless cold wind of winter whirled on the neon lights of Shanghai, passed through the alleys and streets, making the beggars who were not covered by clothes curl up more and more, and finally was blocked outside the heavy door of the cafe.

Inside was a warm and fragrant atmosphere.