The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 722 - 711: Reference

Chapter 722: Chapter 711: Reference

Manbao prepared the medicine to stop the bleeding and disperse the bruising before personally simmering it. After waking Zhou SiLang, she poured him a bowl of medicine and asked, "Silang, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"

Zhou SiLang had just taken the medicine and felt a bitterness swirling in his stomach, so for the first time in his life, he declined to eat.

Manbao didn’t press him and simply popped a piece of candy into his mouth before telling him to sleep, while also fiddling with the needles on his head, tapping and pulling at them.

Early the next morning, Manbao, with a pained heart, spent twenty-four points to scan Zhou SiLang once more, although it was only basic data, it was still possible to check if there was still bleeding in his head.

Seeing that there was only un-dissipated bruising without fresh bleeding, Manbao sighed in relief. The rest was just proper rest and recuperation.

Aunt Rong considerately made him a bowl of shredded chicken porridge. Knowing his love for meat, she shredded a large bowl of chicken and added it to the porridge, then filled his bowl with half the chicken, leaving only a small bowl of chicken porridge for everyone else.

As Zhou SiLang ate, he expressed his gratitude, "Aunt Rong, just ask me for anything you need in the future. I will make sure to take care of it for you."

"All you need to do is recover quickly so you can bring the things back to my husband and my son," Aunt Rong sighed. "This injury of yours won’t let you travel for at least two or three months. I’ve just made a set of winter clothes for my husband and son, hoping you could bring them back on your next trip."

Zhou SiLang reassured her, "Don’t worry Aunt Rong. I will recover very soon."

"Miss Man has said it herself: you need to rest for at least two months. It takes a hundred days to recover from injury to tendons or bones. Your bones are broken, two months is considered a speedy recovery."

Zhou SiLang also felt gloomy, entangled in his thoughts he said, "This is terrible. I’ve just accepted a task from County Magistrate Tang and even signed a contract. What should I do now?"

As they were talking, County Magistrate Tang arrived.

While Manbao and her companions were having breakfast, County Magistrate Tang’s sudden visit surprised even Mr. Zhuang, who reflexively offered, "Would County Magistrate Tang like to sit down and eat with us?"

Just as he was about to decline, County Magistrate Tang smelled the delightful aroma and suddenly felt hungry despite having already eaten breakfast.

He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Manbao and the other three sitting at the table immediately stood up to make room for him.

County Magistrate Tang sat down, right below Mr. Zhuang and to Manbao’s right.

Zhou Lijun had already put down her chopsticks and went to the kitchen to get porridge for him. He casually asked, "I heard your Silang was robbed and seriously injured?"

Manbao immediately nodded and recounted the injuries on her Silang’s body, emphasizing the wound on his head. "The broken arm is not a big deal, it can be reattached, at most it will hurt for a couple of months, but bleeding in the head, that’s serious. He was dizzy on the road, never knowing when he might pass out. They were basically aiming for his life along with his wealth!"

County Magistrate Tang frowned and asked, "Was all the wheat seed in the cart taken?"

Manbao nodded, "That’s right, not just the wheat seed, all the things our family had with us were robbed."

"The horses?"

"The horses and cart were left intact."

County Magistrate Tang looked down and said, "Then it wasn’t ordinary bandits, nor were they homeless wanderers; they wouldn’t leave the horses."

The value of a horse far exceeded the wheat seed on the cart, but if they weren’t ordinary bandits or itinerant people, having a horse would be too conspicuous.

Even raising cattle had to be reported to the authorities, let alone horses.

Horses are considered military supplies and could be conscripted by the authorities in the event of a war. Thus, the imperial court has strict control over horses, and the cost of raising a horse is higher than supporting an adult.

Therefore, most families simply couldn’t afford to have horses.

The circulation of horses through regular channels is under imperial control; they didn’t steal the horses, clearly unable to deal with them.

County Magistrate Tang instantly knew where to begin the investigation.

It just so happened that Zhou Lijun brought the porridge over at that moment.

County Magistrate Tang then said, "Your Silang is awake right now, isn’t he?"

"Yes, he’s also eating right now."

County Magistrate Tang felt relieved and smiled, "Then I’ll have a word with him after breakfast."

He would ask in which stretch of road the robbery took place, how many robbers there were, what clothes they wore, what shoes, their heights, and if he could remember what they looked like.

Although Zhou SiLang’s head ached, he still carefully tried to recall details. He actually remembered the appearances of one or two people.

Although events unfolded quickly, he had traveled the road from Qili Village to Yizhou City many times. The sudden appearance of criminals had startled him, but he didn’t panic, so he had a clear memory of the first person who blocked the way.

It was only after the cart had stopped that things became chaotic. Suddenly, more than a dozen men charged from both sides of the forest, with one of them pulling him down.

He didn’t remember that person’s face, but the one who kicked him in the waist and whom he ended up pinning down and punching hard — he remembered that one.

Zhou SiLang’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Yes, I punched one of them hard and left a mark on his face. Lord Tang, if you find a man with a facial injury, you’ll definitely catch them."

County Magistrate Tang nodded, "Since you remember the faces of these two, I’ll have an artist come by so you can help him draw their likenesses."

Bai Shan immediately volunteered, "I’ll do it!"

Manbao also nodded emphatically, "Shanbao is excellent at drawing."

County Magistrate Tang, now interested, laughed, "Is that so? I’m looking forward to seeing this."

Manbao ran to get his ink and brush, while Bai Shan and Bai Er pulled a small table inside. As they spread out paper, Bai Shan said, "Fourth Brother Zhou, tell us about the first man."

Zhou SiLang spat out angrily, "Sharp-chinned, sunken cheeks, a face full of evil, clearly a villain."

Bai Shan’s hand, holding the brush, paused, and he looked up at Zhou SiLang, in silent disagreement.

County Magistrate Tang: ...His mistake was not Bai Shan but the man lying on the bed.

Suppressing the impulse to chastise her Silang, Manbao asked, "Silang, be more specific, um, what were his eyebrows like?"

Zhou SiLang frowned in thought, "Aren’t all eyebrows the same? Just black... uh? Maybe not just black, somewhat faint, definitely not as thick as Lord Tang’s, nor as long. Right here, here, and a bit drooping..."

Zhou SiLang glanced at County Magistrate Tang’s eyebrows as he made comparisons.

Bai Shan leaned in to take a closer look at County Magistrate Tang’s eyebrows and then, frowning, drew two eyebrows on the paper...

Manbao continued asking, "And the nose?"

Zhou SiLang’s headache intensified, "A nose is just two holes, who has three?"

Manbao knew that people with head injuries usually had a shorter temper, so she wasn’t offended at all. After controlling her irritation, she asked carefully, "Is it high, is it prominent, and are the nostrils large?"

Zhou SiLang subconsciously glanced again at County Magistrate Tang.

It couldn’t be helped; in the room, only County Magistrate Tang was about the same age as the robbers, Bai Erlang and the others were too young.

"Not high, not as high as County Magistrate Tang’s, and the nostrils aren’t large, it’s rather flat, and here too, short."

Bai Shan continued to scrutinize County Magistrate Tang’s nose...

County Magistrate Tang barely held back, glaring at Bai Shan.