In ancient times, there were two fellow villagers and friends in Xiangyang Mansion, Hubei Province, one surnamed Zhang and the other surnamed Li. On weekdays, I walked hand in hand to do business in the north and south, earning some silver taels, thinking that one day I could go home to buy some land, marry a wife and have children, and live a peaceful and stable life.
In the evening of this day, the two made a big deal in the market, earned a good sum of silver, and happily looked for an inn to rest for the night. Halfway through the journey, I came across a strange man who claimed to be surnamed Hu and was also a foot trader, carrying two large boxes. Also ask where the inn is. Seeing that the man surnamed Hu had a kind face and was also going in the same direction, Zhang invited him to go with him and stay in a store together, which not only saved their own expenses, but also added a bit of excitement. Li naturally had no objection, and the three of them went together.
After walking for a short time, I saw the lights in front of me, and an inn came into view. When the three of them entered the store, the shopkeeper greeted them warmly and arranged for them to settle down in the east wing. After a tiring day, the three quickly packed their bags, washed up, and went to sleep early.
Across the east wing, there is a businessman who is good at the purple clay pot business, surnamed Wang, and a blind gentleman who is proficient in divination, surnamed Zhao. Although Mr. Zhao can't see, he is as careful as a hair, good at observing words and feelings, and listening to voices and distinguishing people.
That night, Wang Shangjia took out a treasured purple clay pot and showed off its value to Mr. Zhao. After listening to his words, Mr. Zhao knew that he was just a nouveau riche and did not understand the true meaning, so he was reluctant to say more. Wang Shangjia did not give up, pestered, and asked Mr. Zhao to calculate a hexagram for him and see what was in the pot.
Mr. Zhao had no choice but to pretend to make a fortune and casually said some auspicious words. Wang Shangjia was full of joy when he heard this, and felt more and more that this purple clay pot was a treasure. The two of them said a word, and the argument did not stop until late at night.
Just as the blind man and the teapot merchant were about to fall asleep, they suddenly heard a strange sound in the east wing, like the sound of knives chopping, mixed with low moans, which was creepy. Mr. Zhao felt bad in his heart, and he was afraid that something bad would happen, so he woke up Wang Shangjia in a low voice and told him about the strange noise just now.
When Wang Shangjia heard this, he trembled with fright, and hurriedly asked Mr. Zhao what his plan was. Mr. Zhao pondered for a moment, thought about it, and said, "We might as well break the purple clay pot to cause a dispute and take the opportunity to attract everyone's attention." When the people are gathered, I will declare that I have stolen the silver, and I suspect that you have done it. People are busy checking your luggage, but nothing is found. At this point, I pointed out that since the thief was not in the West Wing, he might be hiding in another room, and I suggested that I start with the nearest East Wing. In this way, you can push the boat down the river and find out the truth. ”
After listening to this, Wang Shangjia felt that this method was a bit risky, but he had no choice but to act according to the plan. He deliberately smashed the purple clay pot to the ground, making a loud noise. There was a sudden uproar in the inn, and everyone flocked to the west wing to check out.
As a result, Mr. Zhao claimed that he had stolen the silver, and suspected that Wang Shangjia had done it. When everyone heard this, they came over and asked to check Wang Shangjia's luggage. Wang Shangjia deliberately pretended to be pale, but he had nothing to say, so he had to let everyone check it. However, the crowd rummaged through his luggage and found nothing.
At this time, Mr. Zhao had another idea and said, "Since the thief is not in the West Wing, he may be hiding in another room." I think it is better to start with the nearest east wing, and maybe I can find something. When everyone heard this, they felt justified, so they followed Mr. Zhao to the east wing to check.
When the man surnamed Hu heard that everyone was coming, he was shocked and his face changed. He hurriedly defended: "Everyone, wait! My luggage is a sacrifice of the deceased elders of the family, and it is unlucky and unsuitable to be opened. Please also raise your noble hands and let go of the next horse. ”
However, the crowd did not allow the suspect to escape, and insisted on finding out. The man surnamed Hu was helpless, so he had to watch everyone open his heavy big box. I saw that the lid of the box was opened, and two corpses suddenly appeared, and the inn was suddenly shocked.
Everyone immediately reported to the official, and the government quickly sent people to investigate when they heard the news. After some interrogation, the truth finally emerged. It turned out that the man surnamed Hu had been eyeing Zhang and Li as early as the daytime market, and he had evil thoughts. He prepared two large boxes in advance, hid the two accomplices in them, pretended to ask for directions, and went with Zhang and Li. When they arrived at the inn, they secretly released their accomplices, and in the dead of night, they conspired to kill two innocent businessmen, trying to kill them for money.
I thought that I would be able to be unaware of the twilight and prepare to leave the store before dawn. Because it was night when I stayed in the hotel, and it was not dawn when I left the store, no one paid attention to the appearance of the three people, and even if they paid attention, they couldn't tell the difference in the hurry. In addition, there are three people staying in the hotel and three people leaving the hotel, and the number of people is the same, so it will not arouse the suspicion of others. I thought that things were done seamlessly, but I didn't expect that although Mr. Blind couldn't see, he used his keen hearing to detect the abnormality, and skillfully used clever tactics to expose the evil deeds of the murderers and protect the safety of other guests in the inn.
This matter spread, and the villagers all praised Mr. Zhao for his wisdom and bravery. And the man surnamed Hu and his accomplices, who had lost their conscience, were severely punished, and the evil was rewarded with evil and was very happy.