Gu Chengrui asked the neighbors. The person's name was Sun Liang, and he had been working as a clerk in the grain store. After the disaster, he was the only one left in the house.
He was fired because he drank too much before the New Year and delayed a significant business deal. He had been working part-time recently and only found a job at a tavern a few days ago.
Gu Chengrui saw that an auntie knew the deceased well, and he asked, "Have you seen anyone with him recently?"
"I'm really not sure about that, but he has a few friends who often drink with him. Why don't you ask them? Perhaps they might know."
"Thank you; I'll have to trouble you to point the way."
The auntie did not wait and immediately led the soldiers to search for them. Soon, three people were found. One of them was dead, and although the other two were not dead, they were already unconscious.
After asking around, they were all single.
