Chapter 36: Troublemakers

“Know what the process of solving a case is?” Xu Qi’an started with the topic he was good at:

“Observe the scene, collect clues, then make bold assumptions and carefully seek evidence. Little by little, solve the mystery and get the truth of the case.”

The flickering candlelight reflected Uncle Xu’s dumbfounded expression.

Jiro Xu frowned in contemplation.

Xu Qi’an spoke eloquently, “What we need to think about is not how to count Zhou Li, but to observe Zhou Li, collect information, then summarize it, boldly formulate a plan, and then carefully extrapolate the process to determine the feasibility of the plan.”

A speech that was clear and well thought out, leaving Erlang Xu speechless and agreeing in his heart that his big brother’s thoughts were correct.

The original Ning Banquet is also a resourceful and reliable children …. Xu Pingzhi is very pleased, he used to worry that his nephew’s character is too stubborn, dead to reason, will suffer in the future.

Seeing that both of them did not refute, Xu Qi’an continued, “Resignation, you have the merit of being a lifer, so you are able to come into contact with the scholars of the Shihlin and understand some of the information of the officialdom. You go and gather information on Zhou Li, and do not make any mistakes or omissions in anything.”

“Second Uncle, the Zhou Mansion is in the inner city, the Imperial Sword Guards are responsible for night patrols in the inner and outer city on weekdays, you are responsible for monitoring the movements of the Zhou Mansion, don’t do it yourself, find trustworthy minders to keep an eye on it.”

“I need to know where Chouli goes, what he does, and who he comes in contact with during the day.”

The father and son nodded and suddenly thought of something and stared at Xu Qi’an, “And you?”

Xu Qi’an smiled mysteriously, “I’m going to plan a way out for the Xu Mansion, Resignation, we’ll discuss the details later, and by the way, I’ll ask you about some things. Tonight, I’ll stay overnight in your house.”

……

Tick, tick, tick ….

The sound of water leaking resounded in the silent room.

“Big brother, are you asleep?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

……

“Big brother, are you asleep.”

“No.”

“Oh.”

……

“Big brother, you topped me ….”

Xu Qi’an was taken aback, and then he heard Xu Xinnian say, “Put away your elbow.”

“Ohhhh…”

After another moment of silence, listening to each other’s breathing, Xu Qi’an asked, “Are you unable to sleep.”

Xu Xinxin let out a “hmmm”, “It’s not very comfortable.”

Me too …. Xu Qi’an lamented, “How long has it been since we slept in the same cave.”

Xu Xinxin thought for a moment and replied, “After the age of ten, ever since you spent a hundred taels a year on martial arts training and had a falling out with my mother, we also became estranged.”

I thought you would arrogantly come to say: we have never slept together ….. Now we can still sleep together, Ling Yue sister will never be possible …. The memories of the original owner’s early childhood flashed in his mind, and Xu Qi’an sighed:

“In fact, I don’t blame you, the duties of the Imperial Sword Guards don’t bring in much oil and water, and with all of Uncle Er’s hard work and salary, it’s only about two hundred taels of silver a year. Half of it goes to me. The other half is your expenses, it’s inevitable that Auntie has a grudge in her heart.”

Xu New Year sidetracked the topic, “If this crisis doesn’t pass, the Xu family might really be finished.”

If Squire Zhou can’t fall, after the Beijing inspection, that’s when the disaster of Xu House will come.

“I’ll arrange a good way back, the big deal is that after the Beijing inspection, our whole family will leave the capital, my second uncle and I are good with our hands, so we won’t worry about a way to live anywhere.” Xu Qi’an lamented:

“It’s just that you, Erlang, studied hard for ten years before you passed the examination.”

Xu New Year gave a “heh” sound, “Fame and fortune are just clouds in the eye, I am a scholar, I read the books of the sages, and I cultivate the way of the sages. I don’t care about fame and fortune.”

Xu Qi’an said with deep approval, “Heaven did not give birth to my Xu New Year, and Da Feng Wan Gu is like a long night.”

The boat of friendship capsized, Xu Xinxin breathed in sharply, suddenly rolled his body, rolled away the bedding, and pretended to sleep without saying a word.

“Hey, Resignation, share some of the quilt with me, in the cold winter months, even if big brother is in the Refined Essence Realm, it’s still hard.”

Xu Ru Lao curled up and wrapped the bedding tightly, ignoring him.

….

Xu Ling Yue’s boudoir, last night’s roaring charcoal fire had been extinguished, and the carbon dioxide that filled the room made the air seem dull.

A slit window is left open to bring fresh air into the boudoir.

On Xu Ling Yue’s white porcelain-like face, her small brush-like eyelashes fluttered as she woke up with her eyes open and looked at the bed curtain above her head for a moment, and after a few seconds, her blank eyes regained their vigor and supported herself to sit up.

She stretched languidly as the thick quilt slipped away and the pale white lining wrapped around the young girl’s delicate body.

The white neck has a beautiful arc, and the fluffy and messy hair sets off the delicate and pretty face.

Xu Lingyue’s small green onion hand covered her small rosy mouth and yawned.

The maid sleeping on the small collapse across the room woke up with a start and got up without panicking and dressing.

“The air is stuffy in the room, open the window.” The young girl instructed, rubbing her brow.

The maid immediately ran to open the window.

Xu Ling Yue lifted the quilt and got out of bed, walking over to the window and breathing in the cold air blowing from the yard.

The eldest young lady from a military general was not that delicate, and when Xu Pingzhi taught Xu Qi’an to hammer his body back then, he liked to piggyback Xu Erlang and Xu Lingyue.

The siblings had a solid foundation of physical fitness at that point.

Just a little older, the aunt will not allow a pair of children to follow the unlucky nephew to practice martial arts. After all, at that time the head of the family Xu Pingzhi has decided, nephew to martial arts, son to study.

Readers who practice martial arts are not doing their job.

Daughters can’t practice martial arts, and if they have an ugly body, how can they get married in the future?

Xu Ling Yue was enjoying the fresh air when she suddenly saw a figure passing by the window, wearing a constable’s uniform with a black base and red piping on the cuffs and collar.

The siblings stared silently at each other through the window for several seconds.

Xu Qi’an revealed a warm smile.

Xu Ling Yue screamed and thumped …. Closing the window.

“My sister has grown up ah!” Xu Qi’an thought with relief.

Although I did not bring up by myself, but at least I have watched growing up ….. When I was still a yellow hair girl ….. But the clothes are well worn, there’s no need to react so much.

In the boudoir, Xu Lingyue squatted on the floor, blushing.

The maid said in a broken voice: “Miss, you should change your habit, you have to freshen up before you open the window. See, the dalang saw it, fortunately it’s our own brother, if outsiders see it, how can you live?”

“You still say that!” Xu Lingyue said in shame.

In the past, Xu Xinxin didn’t go this way, and his parents’ main house wasn’t on this side, so it was safe to wake up first thing in the morning and open the window.

How did big brother end up in the inner courtyard …. Xu Ling Yue, sitting in front of the dressing mirror, was filled with confusion.

The maid stood behind her, dressing him up, and at the end, picking through the jewelry box, she complained, “Miss, you don’t even have any nice hairpins or hairpins.”

Xu Ling Yue did not answer, sighed, the family has repeatedly suffered great difficulties, savings were emptied, the family food, clothing, including subordinates, seventeen or eighteen mouths, huge expenses.

Where’s the silver for jewelry.

“The hairpin from Treasure Weapon Xuan is just beautiful, I went in to look at it yesterday and I couldn’t bring myself to come out. If it’s inserted between your hair, miss, it must, must…be intertwined.”

“It’s cross-fertilization.” Longing flashed in Xu Lingyue’s eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

The maid said to herself, “It’s just too expensive, ten taels of silver each. Unless you can solve the store’s riddles, the boss will only make it cheaper.”

Xu Lingyue listened absentmindedly and suddenly asked, “Lan’er, do you think big brother has changed a lot recently.”

The maid called Lan’er froze, and a smile suddenly bloomed on her face:

“Da Lang is gentler and funnier than before, and more capable too. He used to have a scowl on his face, and he wasn’t very nice to Miss or Erlang, and he only smiled when he spoke to the master.”

Xu Ling Yue seemed to be satisfied with the maid’s answer, her pretty face blossoming into a smile, “That’s not his fault, it’s Mother who has been treating him poorly.”

Xu Lingyue loved this feeling of warming up sibling feelings, it was as pleasant as a spring breeze.

The old big brother wasn’t very close to people and wasn’t interesting, but now he’s interesting and well-spoken.

…..

Xu Qi’an came to the door of Xu Suoyin’s room, she hadn’t yet reached the age of male-female defense, so she didn’t need to knock on the door, and directly pushed her way in, and saw Xu Suoyin squatting on the floor, her little paw holding a pig bristle toothbrush, and with a stern, serious face, brushing her own teeth.

Like it’s a big job.

The maid in the room was arranging the bedding.

“Tethered cauldron ah…” she slurred as she lifted her head, bubbles in her mouth.

“How do you wash yourself?” Xu Qi’an asked, her eyes looking toward the maid.

“Father said that men should be strong in order to practice martial arts.”

“You …. realize that you’re a girl?” Xu Qi’an deliberated.

“I know.” Little DouDing tilted his head with an innocent expression.

No, you don’t know …. Xu Qi’an said, “Then do you know the difference between a boy and a girl.”

“Big brother, I don’t know.” Little DouDing was honest and then asked, “What’s the difference.”

This involves physiological lessons, long-winded talk endlessly, Suzuki may not understand …. Xu Qi’an relied on his own nine years of compulsory education in his previous life’s deep background, and excellent culmination, to summarize the old and young, easy to understand science:

“In a nutshell, well …. Boys grow up naughty, girls grow up crying.”

Xu Lingyin came to a realization and said happily, “No wonder Mother always says I’m a troublemaker.”

She ran around the room in circles, yelling happily, “I’m a trick-or-treater, I’m a trick-or-treater ….”

Xu Qi’an silently closed the door to her room, not planning to eat breakfast at home today.