Chapter 67: This Number Is Auspicious
Cao Weida observed his surroundings, then said softly: “Help me inquire if there’s been a woman with an injured right arm in the past couple of days.”
“A woman with an injured right arm. Why does that sound so familiar.” San’er couldn’t help but ponder.
Hmm?
Is this a clue?!
Cao Weida was a bit stunned. Was their luck good, or was this little lady’s luck too bad?
He had just been trying his luck, never expecting there would actually be a harvest!
“No rush, take your time thinking.” His mouth said no rush, but his eyes stared eagerly.
Although he didn’t lack those ten or so gold bars, no one ever complained about having too much money.
What’s more, this involved Special Higher Police special agents!
San’er’s honest, rough face fell into thought, scratching his ears and cheeks for a long time before finally recalling,
“Right, I did hear about it. Liu Zi from our rickshaw company yesterday pulled a female customer in Sesame Hutong around sunset. Only when he got back did he see his seat cushion was stained red with blood. This morning while chatting, he was still complaining about it.”
Cao Weida was delighted, “Do you know where Liu Zi is now?”
“He should be coming soon. He often waits for customers here, and that’s when I ran into him this morning.”
Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. A flat-headed man with muscles taut all over, clearly strong and sturdy, came running over pulling a rickshaw.
San’er immediately raised both hands high and shouted: “Liu Zi, Liu Zi, over here!”
The one called Liu Zi was a man in his thirties. Though the weather wasn’t hot yet, he wore only a coarse cloth short shirt, now soaked through with sweat, with sweat rolling down his neck.
Hearing someone call him, Liu Zi wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel.
“Come over quick, Sergeant Cao is looking for you.”
San’er emphasized the words “Sergeant Cao” a bit in front of outsiders. He would absolutely not call Cao Weida Cao’er in front of others.
“Sergeant Cao?” Liu Zi was first stunned, his honest face showing surprise as he looked around.
“Hey, what are you looking at? Here!” San’er pulled Liu Zi over to Cao Weida’s side. “Liu Zi, this is the sergeant for our area.”
Seeing Cao Weida not in uniform, Liu Zi became obviously restrained, carefully pulling a stack of small-denomination union bonds from his pocket and handing them over, clearly thinking the police station was collecting management fees.
The other party’s face clearly showed distress, reluctant yet forced to hand them over grudgingly, which made Cao Weida feel uneasy.
These were all honest common people. Who wouldn’t do this hard physical labor unless they had no other choice?
How could these patrolmen bear to squeeze them?!
Cao Weida didn’t move, and Liu Zi became at a loss, thinking it was too little, helplessly reaching into his pocket for more money.
San’er hurriedly stopped him and explained softly: “Sergeant Cao doesn’t take money. He has something else to ask you about.”
“Uh, boss, what do you need?” Hearing it wasn’t about money, Liu Zi clearly brightened up. No one wanted to give away their hard-earned blood sweat money for nothing.
Cao Weida smiled mildly, took out a pack of Sanpaotai, pulled out a cigarette and offered it. “Do you smoke? Have one?”
“Thanks boss, I don’t.” Liu Zi waved his hands respectfully, not knowing if he really didn’t smoke or was afraid.
Cao Weida didn’t dwell on it, handed it to San’er instead, and smiled warmly:
“No need to be nervous. I don’t eat people. I’m Cao Weida, many people around Tianqiao know me. I don’t take the blood sweat money you all earn through hardship.”
San’er chimed in from the side: “Sergeant Cao was my neighbor before. Didn’t I tell you all? He’s with Master Duo, a really good guy, never bullies us little folks.”
With San’er, this “old colleague” vouching, Liu Zi’s mood clearly settled a lot.
Still, his attitude remained as humble as ever, cautiously saying: “Boss, ask away. Whatever I know, I definitely won’t hide it.”
Cao Weida nodded satisfiedly, scanning around. Many rickshaw pullers were curiously peering over, and at the city gate there were a few little devils and puppet soldiers standing guard. It really wasn’t a place to talk.
“You’ve been running all morning, must be tired. Come on, let’s go to a teahouse and sit. My treat for tea.”
“No, no need, I…” Liu Zi was still very restrained, but San’er pulled him along to follow.
“Relax, didn’t I tell you? Sergeant Cao is a good guy. With me here, what are you afraid of?”
“Yo, Cao Ye, greetings!” Cao Weida hadn’t gone far when the plague god Wen San’er popped out.
Damn, how did he run into this plague god again.
Cao Weida forced a smile. “Wen San’er, out hunting fares?”
“You got it, that’s what I do. Gotta find a spot to wait. And you…”
“Ah, nothing, just wandering. You go ahead with your business.” With that, Cao Weida hurriedly led San’er and the other away.
Wen San’er’s mouth had no filter. His greatest hobby was bragging, the kind that couldn’t be stopped once he got going.
Especially after drinking, that guy thought no one in the world was tougher than him, always saying he’d beaten this one or that one, how awesome he was.
Too bad, all talk—no one had ever seen him actually beat anyone.
With a guy like this, no secrets could be let known, or he’d get you killed someday!
Seeing Cao Weida hurry off, Wen San felt a bit miffed. “Hey, why does this kid always dodge me? It was just showing off some skills the first time I pulled him. Holding a grudge till now? Too petty.”
Inside the teahouse.
“Here, Liu Zi, have some tea to moisten your throat.”
“Thanks boss, you’re, you’re too polite.” Liu Zi sat uneasily. Always the one bullied and exploited before, suddenly being treated so politely and respectfully really made him uncomfortable.
Sigh, cultivating confidence in the Chinese people is a long and arduous task.
Not like later generations’ Chinese people, who went out fearless, itching for chaos.
No matter where in the world, wherever there was excitement, Chinese people were always the first to rush up with clear eyes to watch the spectacle.
Liu Zi was uneasy, so Cao Weida skipped the pleasantries and got to the point:
“Here’s the thing. I heard from Third Brother that yesterday you pulled a woman who bled and stained your seat cushion red?”
Hearing it was about that, Liu Zi nodded vigorously. “Yeah, last night around sunset, I pulled a customer to the Zhengyangmen East station. You know how strict the evening checks have been lately—no one dares run night fares—so I figured I’d head back to rest.”
“Then a woman hailed me. Thinking it was work, I took her. Who knew, only after she got off and left did I find the seat cushion stained red with blood!”
At this point, Liu Zi said indignantly with heartache: “That was my new cushion, only used for a day. Made my wife stay up all night to barely wash it clean. What a loss!”
Near the train station, taxi, woman, bleeding—basically matched!
Cao Weida asked again: “Did you notice where she was injured?”
“Didn’t notice that. Let me think…” Liu Zi frowned and thought for a long time before uncertainly saying:
“Didn’t notice other places, but she kept frowning now and then. Oh right, she seemed to always hold her right arm, looking in a lot of pain. Probably the right arm injured?”
All matched!
It was her!
Cao Weida hurriedly asked: “Where did she get off?”
Liu Zi thought and said: “Near Bada Hutong. Right, Bada Hutong. Since she was my only customer that night, I glanced and it seemed she headed toward Xiaguang Garden.”
“I actually felt kinda bad. She was pretty, didn’t expect her to be a prostitute.”
“Last night I was wondering if maybe a customer took her out and beat her for not servicing well.”
“Just the other day, our convoy’s Mouse also pulled a prostitute, covered in dust. But not as unlucky as me—just some dust on the cushion.”
The old ancestors were smart and knew how to enjoy. Later generations’ door-to-door services had been popular over a thousand years ago.
But usually only low-end whores did that. High-end places of pleasure, unless you paid big money to take them out.
Cao Weida didn’t listen to the rest of the chatter, his brain racing with thoughts.
He downed his tea in a few gulps, tossed down two small-denomination union bonds, stood up and said: “Come on, take me to where she got off.”
Liu Zi didn’t dare refuse, hurriedly drained the tea from his cup, then pulled the rickshaw with Cao Weida aboard and ran toward the spot.
After running for over half an hour, the rickshaw stopped at an intersection.
Bada Hutong, which should be lively at night, was bustling daytime with people coming and going, mostly poor commoners, looking around sneakily like thieves.
Cao Weida chuckled inwardly. They were pent up, couldn’t come out at night, so they came daytime to vent.
“Boss, she got off right here, headed that way.”
Liu Zi wiped the sweat from his face, voice steady, clearly still had strength.
Cao Weida had to admire him. Non-stop running over half an hour, pulling a rickshaw no less. If it were transmigrator Cao Weida, running empty-handed that long would be brag-worthy for half a year.
He took out six Silver Dollars and put them in his hand:
“You’re Liu Zi, right? Lucky number, six six smooth. Here, this is your fare…”
“Boss, boss, too much, no need for so much…” Liu Zi was startled. Called Liu Zi and giving six Silver Dollars?!
These were Silver Dollars!
Enough for half a month’s runs!
“I wasn’t done.” Not giving him a chance to object, he stuffed the money into his pocket.
“This matter ends here. I didn’t ask you anything, you didn’t tell me anything. Got it?”
Liu Zi wasn’t just honest, he wasn’t dumb. He immediately got it—the six Silver Dollars were hush money!
His heart tightened, and he nodded quickly: “Yes, boss. I understand the rules. I didn’t say anything to you today, and you didn’t ask me…”
Should’ve had my mom name me Nine Zi, maybe get three more Silver Dollars.
Cao Weida patted his shoulder satisfiedly. “Good kid. Go about your business.”
Watching Liu Zi pull his rickshaw away, Cao Weida turned to carefully survey the area.
Bada Hutong was a maze. Outsiders might think it was just eight hutongs, but it wasn’t—eight was just a general term.
With so much foot traffic, all ground traces were basically destroyed. Cao Weida could only follow the direction Liu Zi pointed, hoping to find some clues.
