Chapter 307: Drama Theater
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The next day, just as dawn broke in the east, Zhou Jia brought Ruyi, Bodyguard Chen, Constable He, and the others into the city.
...The group was almost at the city gate when the old woman from the theater came out of the farmer’s house. She returned to the place where she had hidden last night in fear and took a look. There were still no traces of anyone returning. She thought to herself that she had to escape!
The old woman drove the carriage to the official road. Not long after, she thought again. Boss Su must have hidden a lot of silver. It was not too late to free before retrieving the silver. After thinking about it, the old woman turned around and drove the carriage into the city.
As soon as the group arrived at the city gate, they saw the city gate slowly open. Zhou Jia said to Constable He, “Old He, send two people to the government office to record that person’s corpse before sending it to the mortuary. The others, follow me to Willow Flower Alley.”
“Yes, sir,” Constable He replied with a bow. The two constables pulled the mute’s corpse towards the government office.
Constable He brought Zhou Jia and the others to Willow Flower Alley. When the pedestrians in the alley saw that the people from the government office had arrived early in the morning, they hurriedly dodged to the side.
Passerby B asked softly, “What happened? Why are so many officials here so early in the morning?
Passerby A curled his lips and said, “Who knows? This alley is not a peaceful place, to begin with. It’s either a dark brothel or a theater.”
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the opera garden. Constable He said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, the Yunyin Drama Theater is ahead.”
Zhou Jia got out of the car and said to Constable He, “Go in and check.”
Just as they arrived at the entrance of the theater, a thin old man walked out of the hut at the door. He smiled and cupped his hands at Constable He. “Constable He, what happened so early in the morning?”
Constable He pointed at the old man and said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, this old man is guarding the theater here.” After saying that, he said to the old man, “Uncle Lin, this is our Prefecture Lord Zhou. Boss Su has committed a crime. We’re here to investigate.”
When Old Lin heard this, he hurriedly knelt down to Zhou Jia. “Greetings, sir.”
Zhou Jia took a step forward and helped him up. “Please get up.”
Seeing this, Old Lin didn’t waste his breath. He said eloquently, “Sir, I’ll bring you guys there. This theater belongs to Boss Lin. I’ve been guarding the door here. After Boss Lin couldn’t sing anymore, I rented it to those running the venue. Boss Su and her two servants have been here for almost three months. Those people who played and sang were temporary hires. Boss Su and the other two live in a row of houses behind the stage. Yesterday afternoon, I saw her old woman driving the carriage out, and hasn’t returned until today.”
When Zhou Jia heard this, he said to Bodyguard Chen, “Old Chen, go and guard the door. Make sure to nab her.” Bodyguard Chen cupped his hands and went to the entrance of the theater.
Walking around the stage, Old Lin pointed at a row of five rooms at the back of the stage and said to them, “Sir, they live inside.”
Constable He led his men over and pried open the lock. There was no one inside with some women’s clothes hanging on a shelf. The bedding on the bed in the inner room was neatly folded and there were some jars on the dressing table.
Ruyi opened it and took a look. It was some cosmetics and lip gloss. There was also some jewelry in the box. There was a large wooden box on the bed. After knocking off the copper lock on the box, he saw some clothes on it. He lifted the clothes. The two wooden boxes below were filled with gold and silver. On the bottom was a stack of banknotes.
After Ruyi picked it up and counted, he said to Zhou Jia, “Master, there are
13,000 taels of silver here.”
Zhou Jia nodded and said, “Put everything into the box and carry it back to the government office.” Everyone put everything into the wooden box and carried it out.
They searched another room and realized that there were only a few men’s clothes inside. They walked towards the room next door.
After opening the door, he saw some wooden boxes and miscellaneous items in the outer room. The inner door was locked. Ruyi walked to the door and could vaguely hear heavy breathing inside.
Ruyi pointed at the inner room and said to Constable He, “Old He, listen. There is someone inside, quickly pry open the door.”
“They’re here.” Constable He walked to the door and pried open the lock. He pushed open the door and gasped when he saw the situation inside. There was an iron cage in the house. In the small cage were more than ten frightened little girls with gagged and tied hands and feet. These girls looked to be between six and seven years old and some were in their teens. There was a nauseating sour stench on them.
When the girls saw them enter, they whimpered for help. Constable He went forward and tore the rags from their mouths. The girls burst into tears.
Zhou Jia then came in and saw these girls. He said angrily, “Damn it! So they’re actually trafficking people in the name of an opera troupe.”
Constable He looked at these children who were about the same age as his daughter and comforted them gently. “Young ladies, don’t be afraid. We’re constables from the government office. This is our magistrate, Lord Zhou.
We’ll let you out now.”
When the girls heard this, they looked at Zhou Jia and the others and nodded.
Constable He opened the iron cage and the others carried them out one by one. They counted a total of 14 children.
The few of them untied the ropes binding their hands and feet and asked them, “Where’s your home? How did you get here?”
A little girl in her teens sobbed and said, “I’m from Dingyuan County. That day, I was cutting pig grass in the village. That old woman stopped me and asked for directions. After I showed her the way, she gave me two candies. I woke up here.”
After asking, they found out that these young ladies had been abducted from the remote county city nearby. Some had been kidnapped when they were at the market with their families, and some had been drugged and kidnapped when they were cutting grass and playing. Although these young ladies had dirty faces, they were all good -looking.
Old Lin stood at the door. When he saw Constable He coming out of the house with some dirty-looking little girls, he shouted in shock, “Heavens! Where did these children come from? When were they locked inside? Why wasn’t there any movement?”
Constable He pointed into the room and said to him, “You’ll understand when you enter the room.”
Old Lin ran in to take a look and cursed angrily, “You heartless vicious woman.
Has your conscience been eaten by a dog? Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”
Bodyguard Chen stood in front of the stage at the entrance of the theater and stuck his head out to see a black-veiled carriage driving towards the theater. When it was about to reach the entrance, the old woman in the carriage saw the two carriages parked at the entrance and turned around to flee. “Stop,” BodyGuard Chen shouted. He rushed over and grabbed the reins, pulling the old woman out of the car.
The old woman struggled and shouted, “Someone come quickly! Someone is snatching the carriage.”
A few pedestrians surrounded them. A man rolled up his sleeves and glared at them. “What are you doing? How dare you block the way and rob in broad daylight?”
BodyGuard Chen took out his waist token and shouted at them, “I’m a guard of the government office. I’m ordered to capture this old woman.”
When the man saw this, he hurriedly retreated and spat at the old woman angrily, “Pfft! You damn old woman..”
Chapter 307: Drama Theater
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The next day, just as dawn broke in the east, Zhou Jia brought Ruyi, Bodyguard Chen, Constable He, and the others into the city.
...The group was almost at the city gate when the old woman from the theater came out of the farmer’s house. She returned to the place where she had hidden last night in fear and took a look. There were still no traces of anyone returning. She thought to herself that she had to escape!
The old woman drove the carriage to the official road. Not long after, she thought again. Boss Su must have hidden a lot of silver. It was not too late to free before retrieving the silver. After thinking about it, the old woman turned around and drove the carriage into the city.
As soon as the group arrived at the city gate, they saw the city gate slowly open. Zhou Jia said to Constable He, “Old He, send two people to the government office to record that person’s corpse before sending it to the mortuary. The others, follow me to Willow Flower Alley.”
“Yes, sir,” Constable He replied with a bow. The two constables pulled the mute’s corpse towards the government office.
Constable He brought Zhou Jia and the others to Willow Flower Alley. When the pedestrians in the alley saw that the people from the government office had arrived early in the morning, they hurriedly dodged to the side.
Passerby B asked softly, “What happened? Why are so many officials here so early in the morning?
Passerby A curled his lips and said, “Who knows? This alley is not a peaceful place, to begin with. It’s either a dark brothel or a theater.”
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the opera garden. Constable He said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, the Yunyin Drama Theater is ahead.”
Zhou Jia got out of the car and said to Constable He, “Go in and check.”
Just as they arrived at the entrance of the theater, a thin old man walked out of the hut at the door. He smiled and cupped his hands at Constable He. “Constable He, what happened so early in the morning?”
Constable He pointed at the old man and said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, this old man is guarding the theater here.” After saying that, he said to the old man, “Uncle Lin, this is our Prefecture Lord Zhou. Boss Su has committed a crime. We’re here to investigate.”
When Old Lin heard this, he hurriedly knelt down to Zhou Jia. “Greetings, sir.”
Zhou Jia took a step forward and helped him up. “Please get up.”
Seeing this, Old Lin didn’t waste his breath. He said eloquently, “Sir, I’ll bring you guys there. This theater belongs to Boss Lin. I’ve been guarding the door here. After Boss Lin couldn’t sing anymore, I rented it to those running the venue. Boss Su and her two servants have been here for almost three months. Those people who played and sang were temporary hires. Boss Su and the other two live in a row of houses behind the stage. Yesterday afternoon, I saw her old woman driving the carriage out, and hasn’t returned until today.”
When Zhou Jia heard this, he said to Bodyguard Chen, “Old Chen, go and guard the door. Make sure to nab her.” Bodyguard Chen cupped his hands and went to the entrance of the theater.
Walking around the stage, Old Lin pointed at a row of five rooms at the back of the stage and said to them, “Sir, they live inside.”
Constable He led his men over and pried open the lock. There was no one inside with some women’s clothes hanging on a shelf. The bedding on the bed in the inner room was neatly folded and there were some jars on the dressing table.
Ruyi opened it and took a look. It was some cosmetics and lip gloss. There was also some jewelry in the box. There was a large wooden box on the bed. After knocking off the copper lock on the box, he saw some clothes on it. He lifted the clothes. The two wooden boxes below were filled with gold and silver. On the bottom was a stack of banknotes.
After Ruyi picked it up and counted, he said to Zhou Jia, “Master, there are
13,000 taels of silver here.”
Zhou Jia nodded and said, “Put everything into the box and carry it back to the government office.” Everyone put everything into the wooden box and carried it out.
They searched another room and realized that there were only a few men’s clothes inside. They walked towards the room next door.
After opening the door, he saw some wooden boxes and miscellaneous items in the outer room. The inner door was locked. Ruyi walked to the door and could vaguely hear heavy breathing inside.
Ruyi pointed at the inner room and said to Constable He, “Old He, listen. There is someone inside, quickly pry open the door.”
“They’re here.” Constable He walked to the door and pried open the lock. He pushed open the door and gasped when he saw the situation inside. There was an iron cage in the house. In the small cage were more than ten frightened little girls with gagged and tied hands and feet. These girls looked to be between six and seven years old and some were in their teens. There was a nauseating sour stench on them.
When the girls saw them enter, they whimpered for help. Constable He went forward and tore the rags from their mouths. The girls burst into tears.
Zhou Jia then came in and saw these girls. He said angrily, “Damn it! So they’re actually trafficking people in the name of an opera troupe.”
Constable He looked at these children who were about the same age as his daughter and comforted them gently. “Young ladies, don’t be afraid. We’re constables from the government office. This is our magistrate, Lord Zhou.
We’ll let you out now.”
When the girls heard this, they looked at Zhou Jia and the others and nodded.
Constable He opened the iron cage and the others carried them out one by one. They counted a total of 14 children.
The few of them untied the ropes binding their hands and feet and asked them, “Where’s your home? How did you get here?”
A little girl in her teens sobbed and said, “I’m from Dingyuan County. That day, I was cutting pig grass in the village. That old woman stopped me and asked for directions. After I showed her the way, she gave me two candies. I woke up here.”
After asking, they found out that these young ladies had been abducted from the remote county city nearby. Some had been kidnapped when they were at the market with their families, and some had been drugged and kidnapped when they were cutting grass and playing. Although these young ladies had dirty faces, they were all good -looking.
Old Lin stood at the door. When he saw Constable He coming out of the house with some dirty-looking little girls, he shouted in shock, “Heavens! Where did these children come from? When were they locked inside? Why wasn’t there any movement?”
Constable He pointed into the room and said to him, “You’ll understand when you enter the room.”
Old Lin ran in to take a look and cursed angrily, “You heartless vicious woman.
Has your conscience been eaten by a dog? Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”
Bodyguard Chen stood in front of the stage at the entrance of the theater and stuck his head out to see a black-veiled carriage driving towards the theater. When it was about to reach the entrance, the old woman in the carriage saw the two carriages parked at the entrance and turned around to flee. “Stop,” BodyGuard Chen shouted. He rushed over and grabbed the reins, pulling the old woman out of the car.
The old woman struggled and shouted, “Someone come quickly! Someone is snatching the carriage.”
A few pedestrians surrounded them. A man rolled up his sleeves and glared at them. “What are you doing? How dare you block the way and rob in broad daylight?”
BodyGuard Chen took out his waist token and shouted at them, “I’m a guard of the government office. I’m ordered to capture this old woman.”
When the man saw this, he hurriedly retreated and spat at the old woman angrily, “Pfft! You damn old woman..”
