Chapter 5: The clue is interrupted

"Here, your money, check if there's anything missing." Chen Nanfeng came over carrying a black plastic bag.

Ye Shuyi nodded and said, yes.

"Thank you. I'll treat you to dinner next time." Ye Shuyi said.

"Why not wait for a day? How about tonight?"

"OK."

Ye Shuyi was thinking about where to eat when the young policeman came again.

"Sir Chen!" He was in a panic.

"What's going on? You're so shocked."

"Su Baiqiang is dead!"

One sentence was like thunder, exploding everything.

"How did he die?" Chen Nanfeng was also confused. Wasn't he fine just now? How could he die so suddenly?

The young policeman shook his head: "I don't know! I just went to blow the water with Lao Jiang, and when I looked again, he was dead, with foam at the mouth. There were no wounds."

"Have you called the medical examiner?"

"Yes, forensic doctor Li is checking it out."

Dinner was naturally a waste. With such a big incident happening, Chen Nanfeng couldn't even taste dragon meat.

"This case is not simple." He frowned.

"Can I go and take a look?" Ye Shuyi suddenly asked.

Hearing this, the man in police uniform turned and glanced at her.

The girl is tall, thin and fair-skinned. Today she is wearing a blue plaid shirt with a white vest underneath, flared jeans, and white and blue sneakers. She looks clean and refreshing.

He looks very young, but there is a persistence in his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Chen Nanfeng refused without hesitation.

It’s better for little girls not to watch scenes of death, as they can be easily frightened.

"I'm his ex-girlfriend. Maybe I can give you some clues after seeing this."

That makes sense, I approve it.

Police station holding room.

Su Baiqiang tilted his head back, his eyes bulged, and veins popped out on his arms, as if he was extremely frightened.

The medical examiner has almost finished examining his external condition.

"He's still a drug addict." Li Yunjiang held the pen and wrote on the writing pad.

"Then he died suddenly from a drug addiction attack?" Chen Nanfeng asked.

"From the surveillance footage, the suspect suddenly convulsed and trembled all over, possibly due to drug addiction. An autopsy has not yet been performed, and other causes cannot be ruled out."

"This is too coincidental."

Ye Shuyi, however, knew from her physical memory that her ex-boyfriend's uncle had been a fellow Taoist in Kowloon Walled City, a "ball player" on Tai Tseng Street, and eventually died in the "Shengxian Pavilion" on Old Man Street. When the body was brought back, the death was so horrific that it shocked the young Su Baiqiang.

Though called the "Shengxian Pavilion," it was actually just a public toilet. Those who daily "cultivated immortality" had no money to satisfy their desires and would crawl into this toilet to await their death. Deaths were common in and around the toilet, hence the name "Shengxian Pavilion."

"Is there any injection needle mark on his body?" Ye Shuyi speculated.

"It's on the arm." Li Yunjiang turned over the corpse's arm, and the needle was clearly visible, with a purple swelling.

"He won't play this lightly. There must be other reasons."

"Are you so sure?" Chen Nanfeng was suspicious.

She only talked about the trauma of her childhood.

This left the police with no way to refute.

The body was sent for further examination, and Ye Shuyi took the money that was lost and found and said goodbye.

When I came out again, the lights were on, the traffic was busy, the shops were densely packed, and the colorful signs gave people a feeling of prosperity, rapidity and magic at night.

Hong Kong Island had a subway as early as 1982. Ye Shuyi boarded the train at Yau Ma Tei Station, took the Tsuen Wan Line, and arrived at Tsim Sha Tsui Station.

Her family lives in a public housing estate on the second floor.

Most people on Hong Kong Island live in public housing, where rent is low and affordable. However, it's difficult to apply for housing. Once your income exceeds a certain amount, the government requires you to move out and give the housing to someone who needs it more.

Eight o'clock in the evening.

Ye Junhui and Xiaozhi had already eaten and left some food for her.

The roast pork was brightly colored, with a nice balance of fat and lean meat. Paired with seasonal vegetables and dim sum, it was quite appetizing. Ye Shuyi filled two bowls of rice.

The black and white TV was playing the TVB Jade Channel variety show "Laughter Saves the Earth". Next to the TV was a green glass vase with white jasmine in it, which was fragrant.

Ye Shuyi had just finished eating and put away the bowl when there was a knock on the door.

"Which side?" she asked.

"I am Aunt Wang from the house next door."

Aunt Wang just turned sixty this year, and her hair isn’t much white, mostly black.

"Shuyi, it's so late, let's eat first!" She said with a forced smile.

"You're back late." Ye Shuyi made a cup of tea for the visitor, and the tea leaves in the glass slowly expanded.

Aunt Wang tapped the wooden low table a few times with the tips of her index and middle fingers to indicate that it was enough.

"Shuyi, you didn't cook tonight? Usually when you cook, the whole building can smell the delicious food."

"Ah, my dad cooked it tonight."

"I see... your restaurant hasn't been open these days." Aunt Wang said.

"I've been busy lately." Ye Shuyi didn't tell her the specific reason. "Why are you free tonight?"

"Oh, I need a favor. My son is dating someone this year, and I'm quite fond of his girlfriend."

"Then, I'd like our two families to meet and have a simple meal to mark our engagement. You're the best cook around here, so I'd like to have you take charge of the kitchen. Is that okay with you?"

Ye Shuyi thought about it and decided that the food restaurant should take a few more days to recover, so it would be okay to work as a chef outside.

"Which day? Where?"

"It's in the community downstairs, tomorrow. Because the chef we originally hired had something urgent to do... After thinking about it, you're the only one left."

"sure."

The community downstairs is free for tenants to use and is used to provide daily social and cultural needs. You only need to apply in advance.

After seeing Aunt Wang off, Ye Shuyi began to study the menu she gave her.

The ingredients will be ready tomorrow. Ye Shuyi will cook everything on the menu.

The next day, Ye Shuyi got up early and went downstairs to the community.

But I was not in a hurry to cook, and didn't set off until nine o'clock.

Two tables have been set.

"Shuyi, is it too late to start now?"

"Don't worry. It will affect the taste if you serve it too early."

The first time the in-laws meet, they usually arrange for lunch. If it is a formal banquet, it will be arranged in the afternoon.

Ye Shuyi first soaks the dough in cold water until it is loose and easy to fry, then cuts the pork into slices, adds peanut oil, salt, light soy sauce, cooking wine and starch to marinate, so that the pork will be flavorful.

Then, she started to shred carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, coriander and other ingredients.

The chicken had been killed and the internal organs removed. Ye Shuyi set up a large pot, added water, ginger slices, green onions, and cooking wine, and burned firewood underneath, with sparks crackling.

Hong Kong Island has gas, but some banquets still choose to cook with wood, which gives the food a more original flavor. There are also stoves in the community.

While waiting for the water to boil, Ye Shuyi also marinated the ribs. Fish, also essential for the banquet, Ye Shuyi didn't wash the fish, leaving it with the blood. Washing the fish blood wouldn't make it sweet.

"Shuyi, how can I help you?" Aunt Wang was very impressed as she watched her calmly handling the ingredients.

"Aunt Wang, go wash the vegetables! Just lettuce, snow peas, and prepare some basil for me."

Aunt Wang did as she was told. She had a feeling that this meal would be exceptionally delicious!