Chapter 3
Time rewound to the hour of Yin. I was sleeping soundly when I was awakened by a commotion.
The one who reported the case was none other than Cui Sheng.
He said that his nephew, Xu Minghao, was supposed to leave on today’s boat.
He had arranged a boatman for his nephew, and the departure was set for the hour of Chou.
President Cui said he found it odd at the time and asked his nephew why he was leaving at the hour of Chou.
Xu Minghao replied that he had other matters to attend to and could only travel at night.
But Cui Sheng said he waited until nearly the hour of Yin, when even the roosters had begun to crow, yet his nephew never appeared at the dock.
He ran to this newly purchased residence to check, only to find the door locked from the inside.
“I couldn’t open it either. I called out at the door for a long time, waking up all the neighbors, but my nephew never came to open the door. That’s why I came to report it to the authorities.”
……