Futile Devices Scans

The sun had risen high.

Tao Mo grew tired from standing, so he simply chose a flat, large rock, rubbed it vigorously with the inner side of his own robe hem, and then waved to Gu She. “Young Master Gu, sit here.”

Gu She turned back to look at him. “And you?”

Tao Mo sat down on the ground beside the rock and grinned. “I’ve already sat on the ground several times anyway.”

Gu She looked at him, then lifted his robes and sat down on the rock. “Next time, I will choose a better time.”

Tao Mo froze for a moment, then said with delight, “There will be a next time?”

“You do not wish to come?” Gu She asked blandly.

“Of course not. Of course I wish to come.” Tao Mo was so pleased that he scratched his head. “As long as Young Master Gu asks, I will definitely come.” He did not know whether his eyes were playing tricks on him or whether it was an illusion, but he somehow felt that the corners of Gu She’s mouth seemed to have lifted slightly.

Gu She suddenly turned his head.

Tao Mo was startled, thinking Gu She had discovered him secretly looking. But when he followed Gu She’s gaze, he saw Gu Xiaojia hurrying over with several villagers. He rose together with Gu She and forcefully patted his backside.

Gu Xiaojia had already arrived before them. Pointing to the oldest man among the group, he said, “Young Master, this is the village chief of Sangtou Village.”

The village chief hurriedly bowed, his heart as uneasy as fifteen buckets in a well, seven going up and eight going down. Testing the waters, he said, “Young Master Gu’s carriage is missing?”

Gu Xiaojia frowned. “Would I lie to you?”

The village chief quickly waved his hands. “Of course you would not lie. I was only, only asking one extra question.” As he spoke, his eyes shifted toward the two men beside him.

Those two were also farmers. They were simply a little quicker-witted than usual and counted as two relatively capable people in the village. Ordinarily, they had dealt with shopkeepers, but dealing with a wealthy young master like Gu She, who at a glance had come from a grand household with substantial family wealth, was still like a maiden getting into the bridal sedan for the first time. Especially now that this involved a theft case, their hearts were beating like drums. They could only stand there, looking at each other, not knowing what to say, which made the village chief anxious just watching them.

Unable to keep watching, Tao Mo could not help saying, “In truth, Sangtou Village is still some distance from here, so we should not have invited you here for questioning. But this road only leads to Sangtou Village, so we asked you here to see whether you saw anyone steal the carriage.”

Gu Xiaojia rolled his eyes as he listened. Asking like that, who would admit it?

Sure enough, the village chief and the villagers all shook their heads again and again.

Gu Xiaojia snorted coldly. “No one else comes here normally. If it was not you, then who was it?”

The village chief became anxious as soon as he heard this and loudly cried injustice. “It is true that this road leads to Sangtou Village, but it is not only people from Sangtou Village who can use it. Young sir, please be merciful and do not falsely accuse us.”

Gu Xiaojia glared. “Then tell me, aside from the people of Sangtou Village, who else passes along this road?”

The village chief looked at the others. The others looked back and forth at one another, yet not a single one came forward to speak.

Tao Mo said, “In truth, it may not necessarily have been someone from Sangtou Village. Perhaps there were other people out here for a spring outing…”

Gu Xiaojia’s eyes glared at him so fiercely they nearly spat fire.

The village chief and the others quickly nodded.

Gu Xiaojia looked at Gu She’s expression.

Gu She was silent.

When he did not speak, the others dared even less to speak.

The village chief and the others looked awkwardly and anxiously at Tao Mo. They could tell that among the people here, only Tao Mo was speaking on their behalf.

Tao Mo hesitated, then looked toward Gu She.

Gu Xiaojia cleared his throat and said in a low voice, “Young Master, do you think we should…”

“Report it to the authorities,” Gu She said.

Gu Xiaojia froze.

Gu She said, “A matter like this should be reported to the authorities.”

Gu Xiaojia looked at Tao Mo, who was standing to the side looking disheveled and somewhat foolish, with extreme distrust.

Tao Mo’s face reddened, and he echoed, “Pursuing stolen property is indeed the duty of the authorities.”

One villager behind the village chief hesitated before speaking. “Does it truly have to be reported to the authorities?” Seeing everyone look at him, he quickly said, “I am afraid that once it is reported, others may misunderstand Sangtou Village. In the future, it will be difficult for people to come here to do business.”

Tao Mo reassured him, “Do not worry. At most, you will have to appear in court as witnesses. As long as the theft of the carriage has nothing to do with you, it absolutely will not harm Sangtou Village’s reputation in the slightest.”

Seeing that Tao Mo did not look particularly remarkable, yet spoke with such firm conviction, the village chief could not help asking, “May I ask how this young master should be addressed?”

Before Tao Mo could answer, Gu Xiaojia said, “Village Chief, you truly do not know who he is? He is the highest official within a hundred li of Tanyang County, Tao Mo, Lord Tao.”

The villagers were shocked and hurriedly bowed one after another.

Tao Mo hastily returned the bows.

Gu Xiaojia said, “Reporting it to the authorities is one thing, but how are we supposed to get back?”

The village chief said, “Our village naturally cannot find a carriage as fine as Young Master Gu’s, but we do have ox carts. I only do not know whether Young Master Gu would be willing to lower himself.”

Tao Mo said, “It is fine, it is fine.”

Gu Xiaojia looked at Gu She with a wrinkled face.

Gu She lowered his eyes. “Please ask Lord Tao to go to the Gu residence and inform them to send another carriage.”

Tao Mo said in astonishment, “You are not leaving with me?”

Gu Xiaojia was secretly delighted, but he did not dare show it too openly, lest it provoke Gu She’s displeasure and make him change his mind. So he said, “What status does my young master have? How could he ride in an ox cart?”

Tao Mo’s heart shook. He turned his head to look at Gu She, only to see that Gu She’s face remained expressionless from beginning to end. It was as though from the moment the village chief and the others appeared, he had become quiet, so quiet that Tao Mo felt an indescribable oppression.

Seeing that they were still only talking without moving, the village chief could not help taking the initiative to say, “If Lord Tao does not mind, I will have them bring the ox over at once. As for Young Master Gu, will you come to our village for a seat, or wait here? If you wait here, I will have them bring two chairs over as well.”

Gu Xiaojia said, “Go bring two chairs. If you have snacks, bring some clean snacks too.”

The village chief repeatedly agreed.

The village chief had originally wanted to leave two villagers here to keep them company while they waited, but the villagers were all still afraid of the title of county official, Gu She’s expression, and Gu Xiaojia’s sharp tongue, and they squirmed, unwilling to stay. As it happened, Gu Xiaojia also did not want them standing to the side, so they all followed the village chief away. Beneath Long Mountain, only the three of them remained, looking at one another.

Gu Xiaojia tried to figure out Gu She’s thoughts. Thinking that Tao Mo had probably angered him by constantly speaking up for the villagers earlier, he followed that line of thought and said to Tao Mo, “How do you plan to recover my young master’s carriage?”

Tao Mo said, “I will send yamen runners to look for it.”

“If that person intended to steal the carriage, how would he let you find it?”

Tao Mo was uncertain as well, so he could only say, “By following the traces and clues, we should be able to investigate it eventually.”

Gu Xiaojia said, “Easy for you to say. If you had not talked so much just now, perhaps we would have already found it by now.”

Tao Mo frowned. “Why are you so certain it has something to do with the people of Sangtou Village?”

“I already said this road usually has no one traveling on it. Even if it was not done by someone from Sangtou Village, it must have been someone who usually has dealings with them and knew that Young Master often leaves the carriage here when he comes for outings,” Gu Xiaojia said. “Besides, I did not insist it was them. I only wanted to bluff them a little. Most people are timid and afraid of trouble. If you do not make the matter involve them directly, they will absolutely keep silent on the principle that one less problem is better than one more. If you frighten them and it concerns their own interests, then they will reveal every trace and clue they know.”

Tao Mo said, “Are not many wrongful cases caused precisely because people, when their own interests are involved, say things against their conscience and falsely accuse one another?”

“You…” Gu Xiaojia was both angry and unable to refute him, so he could only walk to Gu She’s side and glare at Tao Mo resentfully.

Seeing that Gu She was standing again, Tao Mo pointed to the rock from earlier. “Young Master Gu, why not sit down and rest?”

Gu She slowly turned his head, his dark, bright eyes fixed steadily on Tao Mo.

Tao Mo’s heart trembled. For some reason, that gaze made him feel a little guilty.

Gu Xiaojia’s eyes swept back and forth between them twice. Sensing something strange in the situation, he cautiously looked toward Gu She.

Gu She soon withdrew his gaze and looked instead at the cypress tree by the roadside.

Tao Mo’s lips moved. He wanted to say something, yet he could no longer summon the courage. By then, he could already be certain that Gu She was angry. But why was he angry? When had he started being angry? Tao Mo had no idea at all. If it was because he had spoken on behalf of the villagers… he believed he had done nothing wrong. He thought it over again and again for a long time, yet still could not figure out why, and could only sigh soundlessly.

Until Tao Mo climbed onto the ox cart driven over by the villagers and watched Gu She gradually disappear from sight, the two of them did not speak another word.

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