PDLP Chapter 423 Straw Rope
Chapter 423 Straw Rope
Seeing Ding Yun's furrowed brows, the officer beside him immediately observed his expression and sternly questioned the vendor, "Explain yourself clearly!"
The vendor was immediately startled and, without caring whether it was his own stall or not, found the nearest stall and pulled out a handful of thin straw rope from underneath.
He handed it to the official and hurriedly explained, "This straw rope is what the boatmen use to tie up the tarpaulin when we close up shop. It prevents dust from settling in and also protects us from the wind."
After carefully comparing the items, the official squatted down and handed them to Ding Yun with both hands.
“Envoy Ding, look.”
Ding Yun took the rope and examined it carefully. The straw rope used to tie the cloth was exactly the same as the one embedded in the deceased's neck.
Ding Yun glanced at where the straw rope had been taken out, then looked at the vendor and asked, "Do you usually keep the straw rope under your stall?"
"That's right, it's convenient to pick up when you need it."
"Is there any left over?"
"Yes, because the boatmen will replenish our supplies regularly, and we will ask for more if we don't have enough. Over time, we will always have a few extra that we don't need, so we put them under this stall."
Is everything he said true?
Ding Yun looked at Zhang Lai and asked, and Zhang Lai nodded vigorously, assuring him, "It's true, it's true."
"If that's the case, then everyone who went to Ting City last night would be a suspect. How are we going to investigate that?"
A customer nearby said unhappily, "The only people who know there are straw ropes under the stalls are the boatmen and merchants. If anyone is suspected, it's the boatmen and merchants. How would we, the passengers, know?"
"Exactly. If you take it off from where it's tied, such an eye-catching action is no different from walking into a trap."
These words also caused displeasure among the staff and merchants. One hot-tempered boatman retorted, "After the war ended, there weren't many first-time passengers on this waterway from Zecheng to Moyu Town. Most of them were merchants traveling to and from various places, taking the boat at least twice a month. How could they not know the location of the straw rope!"
"The ledger keeps a clear record of who boarded the ship and how many times they boarded," the boatman scoffed, his face full of suspicion. "Maybe someone is up to no good and is using this information to clear their name!"
"What did you say?"
The atmosphere on the pleasure boat was already tense due to the murder, and the mutual suspicion quickly spread throughout the market, with boatmen, merchants, and passengers arguing and fighting.
Zhang Lai's attempts to mediate were to no avail. He was so anxious that he kept scratching the back of his head, his hair a complete mess.
"Silence! What's all that noise about? Shut up!"
The officers on the ship shouted at them, but to no avail. Only when they drew their swords and intimidated the crowd did they quiet down a little, though some still muttered their discontent.
The man who had argued with the beggar earlier said defiantly, "If you ask me, none of us are suspects. Last night, this old beggar was the only one who stayed in this market and wouldn't leave. He was lying on the ground sleeping, so he must have known there were leftover straw ropes under the stall. Only he had the opportunity to hang the person on the bamboo curtain. Last night, he ruined someone's wedding and insisted on getting on the boat. There's definitely something fishy going on!"
What are you saying?!
The old beggar pointed at the man, so angry he almost stood up from the ground.
She shifted her buttocks a few inches away, then remembered her bet that she wouldn't get up without evidence, so she put her buttocks back down and said angrily, "Fine, you can't argue with me, so you frame me, huh!"
The sudden accusation infuriated the old beggar, but it inexplicably brought the boatman, merchants, and passengers to a consensus, easing the tension. They all agreed on the deduction and whispered among themselves.
"I think it's probably him. It's a shame that someone spoke up for him last night, and he still did this."
"Yeah, just admit it already, you've made it so we can't get off the ship."
"........."
Seeing that everyone doubted him, the old beggar clutched his chest in anger, looking as if he was about to faint, and cried out, "You, you're all bullying this useless old beggar..."
Ding Yun snapped, "Quiet down!"
Everyone else fell silent in fear, but the old beggar couldn't swallow his anger.
"Quiet? Why should I be quiet? They've already suspected me, and they won't let me speak. Are they trying to frame me and kill me?"
Ding Yun's eyes were deep, and he said in a steady and serious voice, "If you want to clear your name, you have to produce evidence."
"You...you all say I was the only person in Ting City last night. I was all alone, so where did you get the proof!"
The old beggar, his face filled with indignation and anxiety, refused to get up after speaking. He shuffled over to Lin Lezhi, his expression a mixture of anger and grievance, as if grasping at a straw, asking Lin Lezhi for judgment: "Tell me, did I kill this person?"