There is a god in the sky

Chapter 318 The Brothel Murder Case 6

As Shen Lan walked down the street, a beggar slipped her a note when she was near the Xiao family's house.

The beggar was incredibly fast; he disappeared into the crowd.

Shen Lan opened the note, which contained only an address.

She turned around and hired a sedan chair on the street, instructing, "Go to No. 3 Yongshou Street."

"Are you going to Yongshou Street alone, young lady?"

"Yes."

"Is there a recent death in your family?"

Shen Lan didn't know why the sedan chair carriers asked that question; perhaps No. 3 Yongshou Street was a place that dealt in the dead.

She gave an ambiguous answer: "Let's go take a look first."

"It's good to take a look. That coffin shop is doing very well. Many people order coffins one or two years in advance, otherwise they can't get a number."

It turned out to be a coffin shop.

Shen Lan tentatively asked, "Why is that restaurant so popular? Is it expensive?"

"It's expensive. Anyway, we ordinary people can't afford their coffins. I heard that a top-quality coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood costs several thousand taels."

"That is indeed expensive."

"I heard that the owner of that coffin shop is also a geomancer, specializing in funeral rites and guiding the souls of high-ranking officials and nobles."

Shen Lan thought to herself: She was familiar with this profession; Old Master Wei also did this.

One is a state-owned enterprise, and the other is a private enterprise.

The sedan chair swayed and rocked for half an hour before finally landing.

"The young lady has arrived. It will cost thirty coins in total."

Shen Lan paid the money, and the two sedan chair bearers hurriedly carried the sedan chair away as if a ghost was chasing them.

Shen Lan looked up at the street, which did indeed have a somewhat eerie feel even in broad daylight.

The streets were filled with white lanterns, and every shop had paper effigies of children, creating an eerie atmosphere.

She stepped inside and saw a coffin shop with a very large storefront, so she went over to it.

No. 3 Yongshou Street, this is it.

It's rare to find customers in this shop, and those customers are dressed in formal attire, so they must be from the residence of some high-ranking official or nobleman.

"Don't worry, Master Rong. Leave this to our Manager Wu. He'll make sure it's handled perfectly."

"I've heard that Manager Wu is a skilled geomancer. I wonder if he can summon a spirit to possess you?"

"What does this mean?"

"Let's not beat around the bush. This time, the deceased was someone the nobleman valued. His death was shrouded in mystery, so the nobleman naturally wants to know the cause of death."

"But shouldn't investigating the cause of death be the government's job? I've heard that the newly appointed head of the Criminal Investigation Department is the most skilled at solving cases. Why don't you let him investigate?"

"Give me an answer, is it okay or not!"

The waiter looked troubled. "Please wait a moment, I need to ask the manager."

Shen Lan didn't know why the person had invited her here, nor did she recognize the guest inside.

After entering, she went directly to the room where the paper figures were piled up, so that the Imperial Secretary Rong would not see her.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the waiter finally came out and politely declined the customer's request.

Rong Zhanshi spat and cursed, "A hollow reputation!"

The waiter was indignant, but dared not take the blame for him.

After the man left, he angrily cursed, "Only someone who has done something wrong needs to be possessed by a ghost, how shameless!"

Shen Lan strolled over and took a stack of yellow paper from the shelf.

"Hey buddy, how much are these?"

"Sanwen."

"Oh, how do I order coffins from your company?"

"I wonder who this is for? Our shop has several types of coffins, and they come in several price ranges. You can tell me what kind you want and how much you'd like."

Shen Lan hesitated. She wanted to prepare a coffin for herself, but then felt it was unnecessary.

If she dies someday, Xiao Ji will probably take care of her funeral arrangements, right?

The back door was pushed open, and a man wearing a half-mask came out and said to the waiter, "Let me take this guest to the back."

The shop assistant nodded. "Alright, young lady, go and pick some out yourself. If you see something you like, I'll have the shopkeeper give you a discount."

Shen Lan's gaze fell on the man's face. She quickly walked over and followed him to the backyard.

"Did I apply the medicine I gave you? How did you end up here?"

Shen Zhiyuan took off his mask and showed it to her, then replied with a smile, "It's quiet here, and most people don't come here, so it's safe."

Shen Lan noticed something different about him.

When Shen Zhiyuan left the Liu family, he was filled with a fierce aura and a resolute determination to do whatever it took.

Things look much more peaceful now.

Could it be because he works in a coffin shop?

"Did you invite me here?"

"Yes, a lot has happened outside recently, and I'm very worried about you."

Shen Lan felt a warmth in her heart. "I'm fine. I'm just a small coroner. Big storms can't kill a small fish like me."

Shen Zhiyuan closed the door and showed her his work area.

Since this is a coffin shop, its main business is naturally making coffins.

Shen Lan then realized that his wood carving skills were quite good, and he was already a junior apprentice in the shop.

Shen Zhiyuan picked up his tools and began carving auspicious clouds on a coffin. He asked Shen Lan, "Do you remember when I was little I said that if I didn't pass the exam, I would become a carpenter?"

"Yes, I remember you gave me a small carriage that you carved yourself."

Unfortunately, even the best things were destroyed in that fire.

“At the beginning, I was just a handyman in the Liu family. I learned wood carving from a master craftsman for a year. He saw that I was quick to learn and wanted to take me as his apprentice.”

Unfortunately, Shen Zhiyuan's ambitions lay elsewhere; otherwise, he would have studied even more diligently.

But unexpectedly, that year of hard training led him to a way to make a living.

He invited Shen Lan here today not only to find out how she was doing, but also to put her mind at ease.

If she sees that she has a place to stay, she won't worry about me anymore.

Shen Lan leaned against the side watching him work, and could also hear the knocking and banging sounds coming from next door.

It seems there are quite a few people working in this shop.

"Is there an outhouse here?" Shen Lan realized that she hadn't been to the toilet for a while.

If we're talking about the most inconvenient place for women in this era, the outhouse would definitely be number one.

Shen Zhiyuan put down his tools, stood up and said, "I'll take you there."

"No, I can do it myself."

"Okay, the innermost room on the left side of the courtyard is it."

The place was easy to find; Shen Lan walked for a while and saw it—a small wooden shed standing alone in a corner.

She held her breath and finished quickly, only then taking deep breaths of fresh air.

This is a habit she has developed over the years, and her ability to hold her breath has become better and better.

On her way back, she heard someone ask loudly, "It's almost noon, what's for lunch today?"

"The vegetables and bean sprouts are enough."

"Huh? It's all vegetarian dishes again? When will we be able to have meat for once?"

"Don't even think about eating! Things are getting tense lately, you're not allowed to go anywhere! Eat whatever you can get! If you don't eat, you'll go hungry!"

"Honestly, it's just two people who died, we didn't kill them, why are you acting like we're in jail?"

"Who told you to run around like that and see things you shouldn't have? The authorities are investigating this case recently, so be careful."

Shen Lan felt that one of the voices was familiar, and she could even picture in her mind what he looked like when he spoke.

Why is Little Tiger here?