Chapter 30 Lending a hand

Nie Cong's scalp numbed from her eyes, and he felt like he was being watched.

   Sure enough, Gu Yundong stood in front of him and asked him, "Are you very eager to catch the refugee who took the lead of riots in Qingan City?"

"Of course." Nie Cong nodded affirmatively, with a serious expression, "This person is not a refugee, but a bandit who deliberately incited the people to break into the city and he took this opportinity to kill people and make money, this is a heinous crime. It is said that he also caused disasters in the nearby villages when he flew afterwars. It is very likely that he will come to our Xuanhe City. If this person is not caught as soon as possible, I am afraid that more people will suffer."

  Gu Yundong was not a chivalrous person who acted on behalf of the heavens, and she would not exterminate evil just for he sake of Nie Cong. At present, she could only take care of her own small family, and she just wanted to make some money for them to use.

   So she calmly said, "If I help you arrest the criminals, will I get paid?"

  Nie Cong was taken aback, "Help? How can you help?"

   "Will I get paid?"

   "..." Nie Cong's mouth twitched, "Yes."

"How much?"

   "It depends on how much you can help." Nie Cong was a little suspicious, thinking that she also came here fleing from the famine. Could it be that she had seen that person, or she knew where that person had appeared ?

  But Gu Yundong quickly denied his thoughts, " Someone in your Yamen, should have seen the leader of the riots?"

   "Yes, I followed Commander Zhao to Qingan City for reinforcements. There was a small group of soldiers who happened to be face that person. It's a pity that he escaped."

   "Then find a soldier who has seen the criminal's face, let him describe him, and I will draw his portrait for you."

  Nie Cong immediatly lost interest. He thought that she had something about the criminal, but she just wanted to drew his portrait?

   They posted a lot of arrest warrants at the gate of the city, all which were drawn by the best painter of the city based on oral descriptions. Her drawning another portrait of the criminal was useless for them.

Gu Yundong knew what he was thinking when she saw his expression, she raised her eyebrows, "Tell me with a clear conscience, do you really think that based on the portrait on your arrest warrant, that if the real person is in front of you, that you will be able to revognise him ? Of course, I know that you don't arrest criminals just based on portrait , but you have seen the situation of that young man who was arrested today. It is certain that Shopkeeper Pan is not the only one who want to use the Yamen to exert his personal revenge thus reporting a false case. Are you going to use the escuse that people are similar to the person on the portrait to shirnk your responsibility ? Isn't this causing confusion and making you lose both time and energy? Trust me, I can save you half of the effort."

  Nie Cong felt that what she said was not wrong. Ordinary people were afraid of going to the Yamen. But some people, like Shopkeeper Pan who didn't know their own limits and though they had a backer, whouldn't hesitate to come to the Yamen and report fake case.

   He felt that what she said was reasonable. Although there was few of those people, they still existed, did they not.

After thinking about it, Nie Cong looked at her face full of confidence and said conservatively, "If you want to try it, just try it. But you can't go to the Yamen, let's draw it in private first, and if it does not come out right, let's pretend it never happened."

"Okay."

  Nie Cong refused to do it at his cousin's home as he was afraid of bothering her, so he want to do it at a teahouse not far away.

  Gu Yundong was worried about her three family members and went to meet Nie Cong's cousin first.

Therefore, the two of them went back to the small courtyard first. When they entered the door, they heard his cousin talking to Mother Yang,"...You go wash yourself with water first. This unkempt woman, if you didn't know it, you would think that beggars entered my house. Do you have any clean clothes? If not, I will borrow them from next door, but let me tell you, don't damage them, or you will have to pay for them. Aww, these two little darlings..."