Jinqkang nodded after hearing Yihshyong's explanation.
"Do you understand?" Yihshyong was worried that he was speaking too fast. "Do I need to repeat the instructions again?"
"No need, Sir! I already understand what I have to do and say."
"Good." Yihshyong breathed a sigh of relief.
"I will also give a report to Mr. Tsaehorng. He said that I should report important things that happened." Jinqkang added his answer.
"Next to the grocery store is a payphone box. You can call him from there," Yihshyong said.
Jinqkang nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
"Then, let's not waste any more time. Hurry up and get there!" Yihshyong patted Jinqkang on the shoulder.
"Yes, Sir!" Jinqkang then ran out of the house straight away. The young man was walking so fast, he even looked like he was half running. Yihshyong hoped he could do his job well.
Meanwhile, Gongshi and Pyngher were silent as they watched and heard the conversation. When they weren't asked, they said nothing. They seemed to be listening to all the conversations in silence. Yihshyong was sure that the two of them had been trained to behave that way. From their expressions, Yihshyong guessed that Gongshi and Pyngher had already guessed, in general terms, about what had happened.
Yihshyong turned to Pyngher, who was just sitting on a chair in the dining room. The man smiled politely when he realized Yihshyong wanted to say something.
"Mr. Pyngher," said Yihshyong. "Did you bring a change of clothes? I'm afraid you will have to be here for a longer period of time. Apart from the people who are now here, you must also listen to the descriptions that will be given by other people who have also seen that girl."
"How many people are there who aren't in this house right now?" Pyngher asked. "Only two people. Mr. Mingju and one of our friends, Mr. Dongfang."
Pyngher nodded. "Mr. Mingju said earlier that I might have to be here until morning. So I've brought a change of clothes."
Yihshyong nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
"You're welcome, Sir," Pyngher replied with a respectful nod.
Yihshyong turned his gaze towards Gongshi. The old man was looking around the room where they were now. His eyes then fell on a painting hanging on one of the walls there.
"Isn't that Mr. Shanqguan Yeongleei's painting?" Gongshi said. His forefinger was pointed at a painting depicting a landscape of a swamp.
"You mean this 'Green Swamp' painting?" Iren asked.
"Green Swamp?" Gongshi turned to Iren. His eyebrows rose.
"We don't know what the title of the painting is. So 'Green Swamp' is the title we gave it." Yihshyong smiled.
Green was the dominant color in the painting. Actually, the color was more accurately referred to as a combination of green and blue. The painting itself was a landscape painting depicting a swamp that seemed quite shallow. Many plants covered the edges and the middle of the swamp. There was a towering mountain in the background of the swamp.
"How do you know this painting is the work of Mr. Shanqguan? There is no signature on this painting," said Iren. "We don't even know who painted this painting."
"I saw it when the painting was almost finished. The painter was Shanqguan Yeongleei. I still remember it well. It happened about forty years ago. At that time, I had recently started working for Mr. Mingju's family. Shanqguan Yeongleei was a friend of Mr. Mingju Tsaehorng's grandfather." said Gongshi.
"It turned out that he painted it himself," said Yihshyong. "He never mentioned that at all."
"Do you know Mr. Shanqguan Yeongleei?" Gongshi asked.
"He was the owner of this house," said Iren. "I mean, the old owner. The new owner is his nephew."
"His nephew? Is he Shanqguan Gongsyh?"
Yihshyong was surprised. Gongshi turned out to be acquainted with the owner of this house and his nephew.
"Are you a friend of Mr. Shanqguan?" Iren asked.
"No. He was a friend of Mr. Tsaehorng's grandfather. I don't know whether they can be called friends or not. However, what I clearly see is that there was quite an intense interaction between them. Several times I have taken Mr. Tsaehorng's grandfather to meet Mr. Shanqguan. At that time, Mr. Shanqguan's elder brother worked far away, so he left his son with Mr. Shanqguan."
Jinqkang nodded after hearing Yihshyong's explanation.
"Do you understand?" Yihshyong was worried that he was speaking too fast. "Do I need to repeat the instructions again?"
"No need, Sir! I already understand what I have to do and say."
"Good." Yihshyong breathed a sigh of relief.
"I will also give a report to Mr. Tsaehorng. He said that I should report important things that happened." Jinqkang added his answer.
"Next to the grocery store is a payphone box. You can call him from there," Yihshyong said.
Jinqkang nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
"Then, let's not waste any more time. Hurry up and get there!" Yihshyong patted Jinqkang on the shoulder.
"Yes, Sir!" Jinqkang then ran out of the house straight away. The young man was walking so fast, he even looked like he was half running. Yihshyong hoped he could do his job well.
Meanwhile, Gongshi and Pyngher were silent as they watched and heard the conversation. When they weren't asked, they said nothing. They seemed to be listening to all the conversations in silence. Yihshyong was sure that the two of them had been trained to behave that way. From their expressions, Yihshyong guessed that Gongshi and Pyngher had already guessed, in general terms, about what had happened.
Yihshyong turned to Pyngher, who was just sitting on a chair in the dining room. The man smiled politely when he realized Yihshyong wanted to say something.
"Mr. Pyngher," said Yihshyong. "Did you bring a change of clothes? I'm afraid you will have to be here for a longer period of time. Apart from the people who are now here, you must also listen to the descriptions that will be given by other people who have also seen that girl."
"How many people are there who aren't in this house right now?" Pyngher asked. "Only two people. Mr. Mingju and one of our friends, Mr. Dongfang."
Pyngher nodded. "Mr. Mingju said earlier that I might have to be here until morning. So I've brought a change of clothes."
Yihshyong nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
"You're welcome, Sir," Pyngher replied with a respectful nod.
Yihshyong turned his gaze towards Gongshi. The old man was looking around the room where they were now. His eyes then fell on a painting hanging on one of the walls there.
"Isn't that Mr. Shanqguan Yeongleei's painting?" Gongshi said. His forefinger was pointed at a painting depicting a landscape of a swamp.
"You mean this 'Green Swamp' painting?" Iren asked.
"Green Swamp?" Gongshi turned to Iren. His eyebrows rose.
"We don't know what the title of the painting is. So 'Green Swamp' is the title we gave it." Yihshyong smiled.
Green was the dominant color in the painting. Actually, the color was more accurately referred to as a combination of green and blue. The painting itself was a landscape painting depicting a swamp that seemed quite shallow. Many plants covered the edges and the middle of the swamp. There was a towering mountain in the background of the swamp.
"How do you know this painting is the work of Mr. Shanqguan? There is no signature on this painting," said Iren. "We don't even know who painted this painting."
"I saw it when the painting was almost finished. The painter was Shanqguan Yeongleei. I still remember it well. It happened about forty years ago. At that time, I had recently started working for Mr. Mingju's family. Shanqguan Yeongleei was a friend of Mr. Mingju Tsaehorng's grandfather." said Gongshi.
"It turned out that he painted it himself," said Yihshyong. "He never mentioned that at all."
"Do you know Mr. Shanqguan Yeongleei?" Gongshi asked.
"He was the owner of this house," said Iren. "I mean, the old owner. The new owner is his nephew."
"His nephew? Is he Shanqguan Gongsyh?"
Yihshyong was surprised. Gongshi turned out to be acquainted with the owner of this house and his nephew.
"Are you a friend of Mr. Shanqguan?" Iren asked.
"No. He was a friend of Mr. Tsaehorng's grandfather. I don't know whether they can be called friends or not. However, what I clearly see is that there was quite an intense interaction between them. Several times I have taken Mr. Tsaehorng's grandfather to meet Mr. Shanqguan. At that time, Mr. Shanqguan's elder brother worked far away, so he left his son with Mr. Shanqguan."
