"What’s so strange about it? In such a big place, having a dog hole is quite normal."
"The problem is the Earl doesn’t even have a dog, so why would there be a dog hole?"
"In places without a dog, usually people would seal that dog hole up."
"Right, people generally wouldn’t keep a dog hole."
Everyone started discussing enthusiastically.
Little Taotie pulled out her toy pipe and spoke again, "While the Gardener and Brother Guang were chatting, they looked towards the direction of the dog hole eight times, especially each time they talked about tulips."
Everyone looked at the pipe in Little Taotie’s hand and fell into an eerie silence.
Transforming into Little Sherlock Holmes, Little Taotie analyzed methodically, "The Gardener really loves flowers, but once they bloom, the Earl would sell them. So, he figured out a way to move the blooming tulips through the dog hole, and obviously, someone was outside to receive them."
She looked around at everyone, and they were lost in thought because of what she had said.
Little Taotie continued her analysis, "The maid’s gaze towards the Earl was very tender, not at all like someone who would want to kill the Earl. When she went to find the Gardener, her eyes were filled with disgust. Clearly, she was not on the same side as the Gardener."
"Indeed, I also feel that they don’t get along well."
"That rules out the possibility of the maid conspiring with the Gardener to kill the Earl, but after the Earl’s death, both of them disappeared together. How do we explain why they disappeared together?"
Little Taotie tapped her toy pipe rhythmically on the table, and everyone quieted down following the rhythm, their gazes uniformly turning towards Little Taotie, waiting for her to provide an explanation.
Little Taotie felt like she was the little detective everyone was eagerly anticipating, her big eyes twinkling with pleasure.
"The Gardener conspired with someone outside to kill the Earl. The maid would definitely try to stop it. After the fact, disappearing with the Gardener might mean she was killed by the Gardener and her body was taken away, or she might still be alive but was kidnapped by the Gardener."
Upon hearing this, everyone seemed enlightened and looked at each other, never expecting Little Taotie to be the one to unravel the mystery.
"You’re really amazing!" A girl gave Little Taotie a big thumbs up.
The middle-aged man also praised Little Taotie.
Little Taotie’s face blushed, thankfully hidden somewhat by her mask. NovelHub
Ji Guang asked, "So, the murderers are the Gardener and someone who met him at the dog hole?"
Little Taotie, "These are all just guesses, we must find evidence."
"Evidence?" The girl was eager, "How do we look for it?"
Little Taotie, playing the part of a little adult, commanded, "Brother Guang, keep an eye on the Gardener and continue to engage him in conversations about gardening. The person on the outside will definitely come at night to collect the flowers. Approaching midnight, the Gardener will try to send you away, but you must cling on to him."
She looked at the middle-aged actor, "Uncle, at that time, you put on the Gardener’s clothes and pretend to be him. It will be dark and if you keep your hat pulled down low, the person outside won’t be able to see."
"What about me?" The girl asked eagerly.
Little Taotie thought for a moment, "You can chat with the maid, protecting her."
She looked at the others, "You go and find the Earl, engage him in conversation to keep him away from the garden."
"Will this help us find the evidence?" someone asked.
Little Taotie looked at these confused adults and sighed like an old soul, "The sign says that on the day the Earl is murdered, you must find and stop the murderer before the murder occurs, otherwise everyone will be buried with the Earl. The most important thing is to save the Earl, to keep him from harm!"
Everyone was startled, and they felt ashamed.
Here they were, full-grown adults, yet their minds weren’t as clear as a child’s.