Chapter 368: Chapter 368 Asking Around
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Not at the moment.
“Oh, but Manager Liu did say that the refugees who went to the village to steal were to be temporarily locked up.” Constable Zhang said.
“Did they say why they are imprisoning the refugees? There are so many of them, and they will need a lot of food.
“No, he only said that they were temporarily detained.”
“Alright, I got it.”
“Um…” Constable Zhang scanned his surroundings and asked in a low voice, after ensuring no one was around, “How’s life in the village now? I want to collect some dried white potatoes. Do you think it’s possible?”
“That depends on how much you are planning to collect. Eight to ten pounds is no problem, but it’s hard to say if it’s more.
“By the way, you can look for Doctor Gu and the village chief. They know more about the situation in the village.”
“Alright, I’ll go to Doctor Gu’s place then. His family’s life is relatively better than the rest of the villagers.” Constable Zhang turned around and left, leading his two informers and a few police officers into the village.
When he reached the entrance of the Gu residence, he told his subordinates to stay outside and walked in by himself.
Inside, Gu Chengrui was treating Gu Ziyi’s younger daughter, Lele.
Just as he was done applying the medicine, Constable Zhang walked in and saw Gu Ziyi and her daughter in the house. He blushed and left the room when he saw Gu Ziyi, who had regained her gentle and calm composure. “Sorry, continue on; I’ll be back in a while.”
“No worries, Constable Zhang. I’ve already done with my treatment illness.” Gu Chengrui gave Gu Ziyi a few instructions and then sent the mother and daughter out.
When he returned, he beckoned Constable Zhang to sit and asked, “Is there a reason for your visit?”
“You can say that. Well, there are fewer and fewer noodles left.
“So, I was thinking of buying some dried sweet potatoes to bring home. 1 wonder if you can help me ask around in the village. I’ll buy them at 20 coppers per pound.”
“Hmm… how much are you planning to buy?”
“Naturally, the more, the better. There’s almost no more food at Master Kong’s place.”
“To tell you the truth, the sweet potatoes were planted nearly two months late after the snowstorm, so the number of sweet potatoes in the village is not abundant.
“I can only say that 1’11 try to ask around, but 1 can’t guarantee anything.”
“I understand.
“I’ll come back the morning after tomorrow. This is the down payment, and I’ll add on if it’s not enough.” Constable Zhang said as he put down two taels of silver.
“Oh, Brother Gu, was that woman your eldest sister, Gu Ziyi?” he asked, rubbing his nose.
Gu Chengrui paused for a moment and looked at him suspiciously. “Yes, that’s my sister.”
“Does she have any intention of remarrying?”
“What do you mean? If I remember correctly, you have a wife, a son, and a daughter.
“Although my sister is divorced, she will never marry someone and become a concubine.”
Constable Zhang sighed. “Brother, you’ve misunderstood. I had a wife, but she has always been in poor health. She passed away during the snowstorm when it was too cold for her frail body.
“There’s only my mother and two children at home now. I’m so busy every day that I can’t even return home, so I want to have someone who can help me take care of my children.”
“Constable Zhang, to put it bluntly, the older of your two children is about ten years old, and the younger one is six years old. They can remember their mother clearly.
“It will be tough for a stepmother to discipline them, possibly leading to complaints.
“So, you’ll have to communicate with your children about this.
“Ask for their opinions. If they are willing to accept a stepmother, I can help you pass on a message.
“But I can’t guarantee that my elder sister will be willing to remarry..”