There were many adults and children standing in front of the door.

They didn't know what information Gao Xiuli had provided to the police; they were more concerned about whether Gao Xiuli would receive a reward.

After Gao Xiuli came out, she quickly stuffed the money and receipts in her hand into her waistband so that no one else could see them.

She worried that if she reported the barber's affair with the mute woman in exchange for money and receipts to the police, people on the street would gossip and curse her behind her back. After all, the mute woman was a pitiful woman, and many people on the street knew about her affair with the barber, Lao Liu.

Wu Dinghuai took Gao Xiuli into the jeep, while Qian Weidong resealed the door of Liu Han's room.

Gao Xiuli was incredibly excited as she rode in a jeep for the first time in her life. She shifted her position on the seat, seeking a sense of presence, and even pinched her thigh hard to see if she was dreaming.

In those days, how could an ordinary woman on the street have ever ridden in a military jeep?!

The streets of Yushan Township are only about the size of a palm.

Gao Xiuli directed the jeep to wait for an opportunity, and they arrived at the mute man's house in just a few minutes.

These are three mud-brick houses near the Huai River. They look a bit dilapidated. There is an old well in front of the door and a few locust trees. Two of the trees have hemp ropes strung on them, which are undoubtedly used for drying clothes.

Unfortunately, the house was locked up tight, with a long brass lock hanging on the door.

After getting out of the jeep, Wu Dinghuai walked to the door, pushed open the two closed doors, and peeked inside through the crack.

Judging from the dust covering the front of the house, the fallen leaves on the ground, and the condition of the house, Hao Dinghuai deduced that the owner of the house was mute and had probably not lived here for a long time.

Worried that Wu Dinghuai would misunderstand her, Gao Xiuli quickly explained:

"Officer, this really is the mute's home. I'm not lying to you."

Wu Dinghuai said with a smile:

"I know you're not lying to me. By the way, what's the mute's name?"

Gao Xiuli replied:

"I don't remember her real name, everyone calls her by her nickname Chuntao."

At this point, she continued:

"The mute should be in the hospital. The doctors there should know his name. Doctors need a name and household registration to see a patient."

Wu Dinghuai felt that Gao Xiuli's words made sense, so he got into the jeep.

He took Gao Xiuli to the front of Liu Han's former house, dropped her off, thanked her, and then drove straight to the township hospital.

Gao Xiuli no longer needed to be involved in the following matters, and Wu Dinghuai knew that if the mute man was not in the township hospital, then they should be able to find out the relevant information by going to the county hospital.

Wu Dinghuai even thought that since the mute man had a secret affair with Liu Han, he should be able to learn more about Liu Han's situation.

Of course, he was also mentally prepared. After all, Liu Han was a veteran agent, and it was normal for him not to reveal information to the mute. Maybe they were just in a normal physical relationship and had normal needs. One wanted a woman's body, and the other wanted money from the man's pocket.

Upon arriving at the Yushan Township Health Center, Wu Dinghuai found the vice president, Jin Yongfu, and explained his purpose.

Facing Wu Dinghuai, who was dressed in a police uniform, Jin Yongfu told him the truth.

"The mute Tan Chuntao you're looking for has tuberculosis and was transferred to the county hospital about twenty days ago."

Wu Dinghuai asked:

"Who brought Tan Chuntao here when she was sick?"

"It was Old Liu, the barber on the street, but I heard he was killed in the woods near the Hongqi Factory a week ago."

"Do you have Tan Chuntao's medical records?"

"Medical records? Oh, Tan Chuntao took them with her when she was transferred to another hospital."

Wu Dinghuai asked about the patient's condition, then thanked Jin Yongfu and left the health center.

The three men drove their jeep to the county hospital and quickly found the ward for people with speech impediments.

Upon seeing Wu Dinghuai and the others in police uniforms, the mute man was filled with terror, then began gesturing wildly and chattering incessantly.

Wu Dinghuai, Qian Weidong, and another staff member, unable to understand what the mute was saying, stared at him blankly.

Wu Dinghuai looked at Qian Weidong, who was following beside him:

“Qian Weidong, Duliang is your territory. You need to find someone who can hear deaf and mute people so that we can understand more about the situation.”

Qian Weidong was ordered to leave the ward immediately, and Hao Dinghuai also did not stay in the ward. He could not understand the mute language, and staying in the ward would be a waste of time.

He went to the office of the mute doctor to learn more about the mute man's condition and other circumstances.

The attending physician told Wu Dinghuai that Tan Chuntao was brought in by a barber named Liu Xianghai, who also paid all the hospital fees. Moreover, Liu Xianghai paid two thousand yuan at once, which surprised the hospital doctors at the time, because no ordinary person would pay such a large sum of money at once when seeking medical treatment.

You have to understand that in those days, two thousand yuan was a considerable sum of money; it could buy several tiled houses.

“Oh right, I remember now, Liu Xianghai told me that Tan Chuntao is his cousin.”

Wu Dinghuai did not respond.

He knew that this was just a lie fabricated by Liu Han.

His so-called cousin was nothing more than a mistress he kept.

Wu Dinghuai thanked the attending physician, and then walked out of the attending physician's office.

A short while later, Qian Weidong appeared before Wu Dinghuai with Yao Dongju, a female police officer in uniform.

After getting to know each other, the group discussed how to communicate with the mute woman, and then went to Tan Chuntao's ward together.

Through Yao Dongju's translation, Wu Dinghuai learned that the mute woman and Liu Han had been together for over ten years. When she was about forty-three years old, Liu Han sneaked into her home one night, forcibly took her, and then gave the mute woman a sum of money.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!