The little girl suddenly called out "Little Brother", and seemed to be quite familiar with herself. Yang Ning said curiously: "Do you know me?"

"Well...!" the little girl nodded and excitedly: "I know, I know, Miss Xiaodie talked about you to me, and she said...she said you are her only relative, little brother, why are you here?"

Yang Ning raised a finger to his mouth, signaling everyone not to make too loud noises. The girls nodded obediently. Yang Ning got closer and asked, "Why are you all locked up here?"

The girls looked at each other, and the older girl said, "My name is Xiu'er, we...we are all tricked here."

"Being cheated?" Yang Ning was stunned.

"My parents and I fled to this city a few months ago. One person found us and told me that my parents could let me be a maid, keep food and accommodation, and get two cents a month." Xiu'er explained in a low voice: "We can't survive anymore, so we didn't refuse. The man took me to another yard first. When he arrived, there were already several sisters like me. They waited there for two or three days. One night we were called into a carriage, and then... and then we came here. Since then, we have never been out again, and my parents don't know that I am here."

"So that's it." Yang Ning frowned and asked, "Do you know why they brought you here?"

The girls shook their heads in confusion, Xiu'er said, "After we got here, some people began to teach us to practice quyi, not let us do other things, and we were not allowed to ask too much. If we practice well, we would treat us better. If we practice poorly, we would not be able to eat and we would be whipped..." Speaking of this, our eyes were red and our voice was even lower: "I heard that someone was beaten to death because he failed to practice well."

"In this way, Xiaodie is also singing music and practicing dance with you?" Yang Ning frowned and asked in a low voice.

Xiu'er nodded and said, "Xiaodie came earlier than us. When we came, their group of people had already practiced well." After a pause, she lowered her voice and said, "I heard that those who practice dancing the best can go to the kitchen to do things at night."

"kitchen?"

"Well, Madam sometimes needs to eat at night, so sometimes she will leave two people in the kitchen to serve her at any time." Xiu'er said: "Xiaodie dances well, so sometimes she can go to the kitchen."

Yang Ning felt relieved and thought to himself that Xiaodie could sneak out of the house, and it was very likely that she would leave by taking advantage of the opportunity to do things in the kitchen, but that was quite risky.

"Well Xiaodie is in the kitchen tonight?"

Xiu'er shook her head and said, "In the past, even if they were in the kitchen at night, we could still see them during the day, but this time I haven't seen them for many days. Maybe... maybe they've left."

"Leave?" Yang Ning frowned and said, "Are you saying they are not in this house? Yes, who are they?"

Xiu'er thought for a while before whispering: "I heard them talk about it before. Many people came and left in this house. After learning singing and dancing, they would be sent away from here, and no one could find them anymore. Xiaodie... Xiaodie and the others came early and had been studying singing and dancing for a long time. They had not seen them for several days, so... So I guess if they had been sent away."

When Yang Ning heard this, his heart sank and his eyes became cold.

He pondered for a moment before asking softly: "How many people are there?"

Xiu'er immediately said, "There were more than twenty people, but today...!" He looked at the girls next to him, "I sent four more today, and there should be more than thirty."

Yang Ning nodded slightly, thinking that the number was close to what Mrs. Hua said before, and lowered his voice: "If you leave here, you may find your parents?"

"Leave here?" Xiu'er's eyes showed joy, "You...you mean we can leave here?" The other girls also showed joy and excitement. At this time, they were no longer afraid of Yang Ning. Instead, they felt that it was a savior sent by God, and they couldn't help but gather around.

Yang Ning whispered: "If you want to leave here, you must first figure out how many thugs there are in this house, do you know?"

The girls looked at each other and Xiu'er said, "I've seen four or five different ones, all of which are fierce and tight, but I know that there are two people guarding the main entrance of the house day and night, and they... they still have knives in their hands."

Yang Ning thought for a while before handing the keys in his hand to Xiu'er, and whispered: "These are keys to several rooms. You can ask everyone to prepare first. Don't make too loud noises. Before I come back, don't act rashly. Wait until I come back, and then take you away after I come back."

"Then... how do you take us out of the house?" Xiu'er said worriedly: "There are people guarding the gate. They have knives in their hands, so we can't get out."

Yang Ning thought to himself that they didn't know there was a hole in the wall of the back garden, and they didn't say it immediately. After the girl took the key, she quickly went out. She first took a big knife to the case in the yard and copied a wine bag on the case. Then she ran to Lao Xing at the base of the wall. Seeing that he was still in a coma, she poured the wine into his face.

Old Xing woke up as soon as he was stimulated by the drink. The back of his head was so painful. When he opened his eyes, a masked man appeared in front of him. He was about to shout out, but suddenly he felt a cold sound in his throat. He heard a cold voice saying: "Ask, say, if you are not honest, you will cut your throat immediately."

After saying that, the blade was still wiping it into his throat. Old Xing shivered all over and said "Yeah" twice.

In order to be foolproof, Yang Ning tore up a piece of linen cloth and covered half of his face, held Old Xing's neck with a knife, and asked, "Why are so many girls imprisoned here?"

Old Xing was about to open his mouth, but Yang Ning repeated: "I would like to remind you that if you say a word wrong, you will cut your throat immediately."

Old Xing said: "This is not all... this is not what I did, it is... it is Xiao Toer... Xiao Toer, I... I also want to make a living. I... I am the constable under Xiao Toer...!"

Yang Ning was stunned and said coldly: "The other men in black in the house are all constables?"

Old Xing said: "We are all constables in the yamen, obey... and follow the orders of Xiao Touter. I have me in the house, and there are a total of six constables here."

Yang Ning took a breath.

He thought that these men in black were just thugs hired, and the yamen involved were nothing more than Xiao Yishui and his confidant Constable Feng, but now he realized that the thugs in the house were all thugs in the county government.

Who knows that the constable maintains order in one area and protects the country and the people? These people are doing such a thing behind the scenes.

"You guys have deceived these girls?"

Holding the cold knife on his throat, Yang Ning's cold eyes even more, Old Xing became much more honest: "Tao Xiao specially arranged for people to find such little girls among refugees. He must be under fifteen years old and handsome. As long as he is eyeing him, he will use the excuse of hiring a maid to cheat him... he will go to other places for a few days first, and then... and then he will turn here without knowing it...!"

"Then what?"

"Then...then...then hand it over to Mrs. Hua to teach them the folk art." Old Xing said: "When they have some foundation, they can...then they can send it out."

"Send it?" Yang Ning wanted to know the most was where Xiaodie was now, "Where to deliver it?"

Old Xing said, "Then... Then I really don't know...ah, don't...don't do anything, I say everything..." After hesitating for a moment, he said with a bitter face: "I only know...I only know...I only know that when the time comes, Feng Laoer...well, it's Constable Feng in the yamen. He will take people away with a carriage. As far as I know, he wants to... send them to the capital!"

"Beijing?" Yang Ning was stunned and frowned, "Are you saying that Constable Feng personally sent them to the capital?"

Old Xing said with a bitter face: "Feng Lao Er... As long as Feng Lao Er sends people out of the city, there will be someone outside the city to pick them up, and then... and someone will send them to the capital. I only know so much, I really don't know the others. Xiao... Xiao Yishui is meticulous in his work, and he will never let us know too much. Even if he sends them to the capital, it is also... Feng Lao Er said it once when he got drunk."

Yang Ning looked at him, but it didn't seem like he was lying. He asked in a deep voice: "How many people have you sent to the capital? When did you start doing this dirty thing?"

"It has been... two years." Old Xing did not dare to move. "After the battle of Huai River started, many refugees fled. At the beginning, those who came were rich and nobles, fled here with gold, silver and jewelry, and then went south. At that time... Xiao Yishui began to use the disciples of the Beggars' Gang to stare at the wealthy businessmen in the city, steal their money, and get a lot of gold and silver. Later, the rich and nobles went south, and fewer and fewer wealthy people came, and more and more poor refugees came to the city, so Xiao Yishui began to think of those refugees."

"Are you talking about these girls?"

Old Xing said: "Yes, it was all his thoughts. From two years ago, no less than two hundred people sent to this house, most of whom were sent away later."

"Since you are a constable, you should protect the safety of the people in the country. Why do you still collude with him and do such evil things that are not tolerated by nature?" Yang Ning was shocked with his eyes, his voice was cold.

Old Xing said: "We are all constables because of him. We have already boarded his ship since the day we became constables. If we disobey his orders, not to mention that the family and the family cannot save their jobs, we are afraid that they cannot even save their lives. Xiao Yishui is cruel and ruthless. He... He is a captain on the surface, but he has friendships between black and white. There are several bandits in Huize County that have always been there because of his good relationship with him, and those bandit leaders have become sworn brothers with him...!"
Chapter completed!