Chapter 194 Husband and wife are birds of the same forest

While waiting, Chen Zhenzhu closed Jia Minliang's case and sent it to the prosecutor's office on the first day.

The next day, the person in charge of the state-run restaurant across from the original joint-construction community contacted her: "We've found the original chef, Sun Guofu, who is in charge of rural banquets in Zhuang County."

That day, Shen Zhenzhu drove with Wu Zhongguo to Zhuang County to find out what was going on.

In Zhuang County, everyone knows Chef Sun. The local guide enthusiastically pointed east and said, "That's the four-story building with the red carpet over there; they're busy working on it right now."

"Thank you." Shen Zhenzhu drove up to Sun Guofu's house. His family was making preparations for tomorrow's wedding banquet, including stewed pork hock and braised beef.

The old woman frying flounder in a large iron pot under the shed by the entrance greeted visitors with, "Hello, is it a wedding or a funeral?"

Shen Zhenzhu said politely, "Auntie, we're from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, here to inquire about someone. Is Comrade Sun Guofu here?"

They helped organize banquets everywhere and had seen all sorts of people. Some turned funerals into frivolous celebrations, while others turned weddings into brawls between the two families.

The old woman, with a triangular scarf around her head, adjusted her sleeves and said, "If she's inside, just go in and call out."

Shen Zhenzhu sized up the woman's height, appearance, and accent; she didn't match the "Shi Lina" she was looking for. This woman had a kind, round face and was at least 168 cm tall, exuding strength, and spoke with a strong Zhuang County accent.

A young man's voice came from inside the house: "Mom, Dad told you to rest because you're tired. There's still time."

"Okay, take them inside to find your dad."

The young man was quite tall, at least 1.8 meters, and in his early twenties. He stood at the door and said, "Come this way."

"good."

Shen Zhenzhu walked into the room and saw that the alcoholic beverages were piled up on the roof, resembling a wholesale store.

There are doors on both sides. Inside the east room, there are tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans, colorful lanterns, red carpets, and other miscellaneous items.

In the west room, the burly Sun Guofu squatted on the ground, holding a large bowl and selecting ingredients from various bags.

"Hello, Comrade Sun. We were introduced by the former manager of the state-owned restaurant to learn about the situation," Shen Zhenzhu asked from the doorway.

Sun Guofu turned around, still picking at the trash out of the bowl. He raised his eyelids, revealing an honest and kind face, and said in a deep, resonant voice, "Hey, hello everyone, what can I do for you?"

Shen Zhenzhu looked up at him, feeling that he was at least 185 cm tall, and made way for him: "It's like this, about fifteen years ago you were working at a state-run restaurant, did you know a woman named 'Shi Lina'?"

Sun Guofu brought two stools for Shen Zhenzhu and Wu Zhongguo to sit on, then sat down opposite them with a bowl in his hand, reminiscing, "Let me think about it, this is way too early. I had only been a cook for a short time then..."

Wu Zhongguo said, "Her husband's name is Hu Caizhi, do you remember him?"

Unexpectedly, Sun Guofu slapped his thigh, almost dropping the bowl, and exclaimed excitedly, "I remember now, Hu Fengliu! I remember everyone called him that back then. He would bring a woman to our restaurant to eat all the time, and he would even order southern dishes. He had a fight with my master, and we all hated him."

Chen Zhenzhu asked with delight, "What did that woman look like? Was she dressed neatly and cleanly?"

Sun Guofu placed the bowl on his knees, pressed his hands against the corners of his eyes and pulled them upwards: "I only remember that the eyes are like this, the rest... the rest seems to be very short, about the height of a pumpkin in my eyes."

Sun Guofu gestured with his hand: "It's about this far. They were dressed not only neatly and cleanly, but I heard that although they were from the countryside, they dressed more fashionably than city people. They were either wearing polyester shirts or dresses. When I was dating my wife, we didn't have enough cloth coupons, and I was so envious of her."

An old woman working outside brought in a flounder, picked up a few crumbs and threw them into the cat's bowl by the threshold, then said, "I also remember them. I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Hu Fengliu was married at the time, and he was always fooling around with other women. He said that woman was a classmate he met when he went to the countryside."

She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Sun Guofu before turning to Chen Zhenzhu and saying, "I remember once I served her stir-fried pork, the first time my husband had ever cooked for a customer. She took one bite and threw up, which made me furious. Later, I suspected she was pregnant, and my husband told me not to talk nonsense. Because of this, we almost didn't get married."

Shen Zhenzhu understood. If it weren't for the fact that they almost didn't get married, she wouldn't have kept thinking about it for so many years.

Now it seems that they have a good relationship and are living a prosperous life.

Shen Zhenzhu took out the photo of Lin Si that she had found and showed it to the couple: "Was that the woman back then?"

Sun Guofu gestured to the corner of his eye and said seriously, "I remember his eyes were very slanted, similar to this one. I really can't remember his face though."

Grandma Sun recognized her at a glance: "It's her."

Sun Guofu was taken aback: "Your memory is that good?"

Grandma Sun said, "I still remember her wearing bright pink plaid polyester; back then, it was quite eye-catching."

Sun Guofu thought for a moment and said, "That's true."

Grandma Sun glared at him, and Sun Guofu lowered his head and started picking up the spices again.

Shen Zhenzhu asked about the date from that year, and Aunt Sun guessed and said, "I remember the year we got married, it should be the Year of the Horse, 1978."

Shen Zhenzhu then asked, "Do you still remember what Hu Caizhi's wife looked like?"

Grandma Sun shook her head: "I don't remember anything about that. I don't think I ate there."

Sun Guofu said in a low voice, "What kind of man is this?"

Shen Zhenzhu and Wu Zhongguo asked a few more questions. After leaving their house, Shen Zhenzhu said, "Let's go back and check if there are any people in Hu Caizhi's rural areas who match Lin Si's identity."

“You drive first, I’ll call the Hushi Municipal Bureau to ask.” Wu Zhongguo naturally agreed: “If that’s the case, then they were already entangled before the wedding, and Hu Caizhi couldn’t break up with them after returning to the city.”

Back in the city, the municipal bureau of Huzhou finished its investigation in the evening.

The other party said on the phone: "Section Chief Shen, the Huangtu County Police Station in Huzhou City has confirmed that there is no one who matches the description 'Lin Si'. However, there is a woman named 'Shi Lin' who has run away from home and her whereabouts are unknown. The photo will be sent over later, and I will forward it to you."

"Okay, thank you, Comrade Deng."

Shen Zhenzhu hung up the phone and said, "Isn't 'Lin Si' reversed the same as 'Shi Lin'?"

Wu Zhongguo wrote the two names on a piece of paper: "That's right."

After waiting for half an hour, Chen Zhenzhu received an email on her computer. When she opened it, she saw a photo of "Shi Lin," also known as "Lin Si," on an old missing persons list.

Wu Zhongguo said, "That's right, it's her."

Shen Zhenzhu called Huangtu County in Huzhou City again, and the police station leader specially found the old policeman who was in charge of the missing persons case back then to answer the phone.

Chen Zhenzhu pressed the speakerphone button on the landline and said to the other party, "I'm sure Shi Lin is the person you're looking for. Does she still have any relatives?"

The old policeman said, "I remember her family was looking for her, but they couldn't find her for a long time, so they just gave up. Sigh, there's nothing you can do about these things."

Does she have a mental illness?

The old policeman said in broken Mandarin, "No. There was a mentally ill man who ran away to who knows where. If she had one, she would have stopped looking for him long ago. Why should I care about her? Back then, she was supposed to get married, but people found out she was having an affair with a young intellectual. The marriage didn't happen, and she disappeared. Everyone said she was too ashamed to live with him and jumped off a cliff."

"Okay, thank you." Having gotten the answer she wanted, Shen Zhenzhu hung up the phone and listed the points of doubt in her notebook.

"Shi Lin is highly suspected of being the one who caused the disappearance of Shi Lina and her daughter. Shi Lin must have come looking for Hu Caizhi back then. Hu Caizhi may have known about Shi Lina's sudden disappearance, but the two elderly people in the family were kept in the dark. She took advantage of this and lived as Shi Lina for fifteen years."

The affiliated high school of the sports institute has always emphasized that students must not smoke. After Xiao Chuan learned about the dangers of smoking, Wu Zhongguo recently started to quit. Working overtime at this moment, he had no taste in his mouth. Chewing on a tea stalk, he said, "If the DNA results come out tomorrow and it really is Hu Caizhi's son, then the world will have another animal."

Chen Zhenzhu stood up and glanced at the time: "Let's stop here for today. I'll think about it and take you home first."

Wu Zhongguo finished the last sip of tea and said, "There's still one more bus. I can just walk to the station myself. It'll be a good time to clear my head and think things through."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Shen Zhenzhu took out her car keys, waved, and left.

In the corridor, Shen Zhenzhu encounters Park Heung-sung and Kang Ha returning from a mission.

Park Heung-sung greeted him, saying, "Captain Chen, I heard from Captain Tian that you applied for a DNA test? When will the results be available?"

Kanghe said excitedly, "This is the first time we've used the provincial department's equipment; we don't need to go overseas to ask for help anymore."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yes, we'll use our own machines and release the report tomorrow morning."

Park Heung-sung seemed quite interested, asking a few questions before saying, "This case is indeed strange. Director Liu mentioned it to me, and I hope Captain Shen will succeed soon."

Kang He clenched his fist and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "Let's give those criminals a good shock and show them what the Skynet is all about."

"Thank you for your kind words," said Chen Zhenzhu.

After talking with them, she walked down from the office building. Gazing at the starry night sky, Chen Zhenzhu went to the side of Mantou No. 2, touched the milky white car door, and smiled.

fine.

Colleagues spread the word about the DNA technology, and during her involvement, no one felt that she was meddling, and no one was perfunctory in the investigation.

"This is a step forward in the rule of law."

......

The autumn air was crisp and clear. At 7:30 in the morning, the sunlight was bright, unlike the dazzling light of summer.

The air is filled with the unique scent of straw and smoke, and the fields in the suburbs, after a bountiful harvest, are covered with ashes, all in anticipation of a good harvest next year.

Chen Zhenzhu took a shower in Xiaobai's dormitory and came out refreshed to change her clothes.

Xiao Bai took off his white sneakers and sighed, "I'll need to practice those two moves you taught me today for a few days. I feel like my physical fitness is still lacking. Autumn is here, and I'm getting lethargic."

Shen Zhenzhu arrived at the team at six o'clock. Seeing Xiaobai running, she ran a few laps with him as usual, and then they sparred a few moves.

"Don't even mention it, I don't want to get out of bed when winter comes." Chen Zhenzhu changed her clothes, opened the door, and smelled the refreshing autumn air, perking up: "It's almost time."

Xiao Bai also rushed out: "I can't wait any longer."

As soon as Shen Zhenzhu sat down in the office, Zhao Qiqi called.

He said excitedly on the other end of the line, "Sister Pearl, that's right, you're right! Hu Caizhi is Hu Xiaolei's biological father, and Shi Lin is his biological mother. I'm bringing back the original report now."

"Knowing the result is enough. Drive carefully." Chen Zhenzhu smiled, revealing her dimples, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

The landline was on speakerphone, and Xiaobai and Wu Zhongguo could hear everything clearly from across the desk. Lu Ye, who had just entered the room, was carrying fried dough sticks and grinned from ear to ear.

"Knowing the result makes things easier." Shen Zhenzhu said to Wu Zhongguo, "Shi Lin and Hu Caizhi fabricated their confessions. Summon them immediately and interrogate them separately."

......

Hu Caizhi was making breakfast for Hu Xiaolei at home when Shi Lin impatiently urged them to go get the money.

Hu Caizhi had a bad feeling. He put down the spatula and touched the jade Buddha on his chest: "I... I really don't want you to take risks for money."

"You're such an idiot, do you know that?" Shi Lin, though simply dressed, was quick-witted and gave Hu Caizhi and his son a good scolding. Just as she was getting into it, Hu Xiaolei suddenly saw a police car stop at the convenience store.

"Mom, the police are here."

Shi Lin assumed it was a payment and hurriedly ran out. Hu Caizhi waited and waited but she didn't appear. Just as he opened the door, the police also "picked him up" and put him in their car.

Hu Caizhi leaned out of the car window and hurriedly instructed Hu Xiaolei, "Stay home and don't go anywhere. Dad will be fine. Take good care of Grandpa and Grandma, and close the convenience store. We won't be doing business today."

Grandma Shi and Grandpa Shi were still cleaning the convenience store, unaware of what had happened.

Hu Xiaolei ran over and pulled them into the house, closing the door of the convenience store.

Grandma Shi belatedly realized what was happening and helped Grandpa Shi into the house, saying, "What a terrible thing! Come here, take your medicine first. Xiao Lei, pour some water."

"They're here."

Half an hour later.

Interrogation room of the Major Crimes Unit of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Team.

Shi Lin shouted in one of the rooms that she was demanding 20,000 yuan in compensation: "You police officers don't keep your word, you're trying to force a confession out of us!"

Wu Zhongguo carried in a teacup, smiling as he told the officer to close the door: "Don't be in such a hurry. Don't you like to chat with me? Come on, let me chat with you."

next door.

Shen Zhenzhu sat opposite Hu Caizhi, her gentle smile chilling him to the bone. Xiao Bai appeared expressionless, but inwardly he was carefully observing Shen Zhenzhu's interrogation techniques.

"I think you should know why I asked you this question. Tell me now."

Hu Caizhi asked tremblingly, "What do you want me to say?"

Shen Zhenzhu said calmly, "Do I need to tell you? Don't you have any desire to be honest? Do you think our public security organs are just playing around when they investigate cases?"

Three questions in a row completely silenced Hu Caizhi.

He kept shaking his legs, and his hands instinctively reached out to touch the jade Buddha.

Shen Zhenzhu didn't give him time to prepare, and asked directly, "Since you're in a relationship with Shi Lin, why don't you bring her back to the city?"

"Shi...Shi Lin..." Hu Caizhi jolted awake. The name, unmentioned for so many years, was brought up again, and he looked at Shen Zhenzhu as if he'd seen a ghost. He stammered, "You...you really know?"

Shen Zhenzhu softened her tone and asked with measured pressure, "That's why I'm asking you. This is to give you a chance to be honest and lenient. Start from the beginning and tell me whatever comes to mind. Can you do that?"

Hu Caizhi said, "I...I want to have a cigarette."

Xiao Bai took out a cigarette from his pocket, got up, walked to Hu Caizhi's side, handed it to him, and lit it for him.

Hu Caizhi took a deep drag, clearing his mind as he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. As the smoke rose, he began to speak: "In 1975, I was assigned to the countryside of Huangtu County as an educated youth. There wasn't enough space for the educated youth to stand, so I slept at Shi Lin's house the first night. She was so beautiful and lovely back then. In the mountains, she smiled at me like a little fox."

The cigarette burned slowly. Hu Caizhi didn't bother to take another puff. He recalled, "She was so innocent and spirited. She wouldn't let the old educated youth bully me and always brought me eggs to eat. If there was any sesame oil at home, she would secretly scoop a spoonful for me. But I was pathetic. I deceived her heart. I promised to take her back to the city, but I had nowhere to settle down in the city. I begged and pleaded to get a job, but when it came to housing, both husband and wife had to be local residents. I was young then and really wanted to settle down in the city. Someone introduced Shi Lina to me, and I... I fell in love with her the moment I saw her."

The cigarette almost burned Hu Caizhi's fingers, so he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it. Shen Zhenzhu didn't interrupt him and let him continue.

"When I first saw Shi Lina, I momentarily mistook her for Shi Lin. But they were so different—one lively, the other gentle. I agreed to marry Shi Lina, and Shi Lin was completely forgotten. My workplace even allocated me an apartment... Who knew Shi Lin would show up with a huge belly? They were both so pregnant they almost got into a fight. After Shi Lin left, Shi Lina soon gave birth to a daughter, whose features didn't resemble mine. After giving birth, Shi Lina's personality changed drastically; she would beat and verbally abuse me and her parents."

One time, Shi Lin came to me with her son, asking for living expenses, and Shi Lin saw her. Shi Lin argued with her, saying she'd seen Shi Lina arguing with another man in the street, and that her daughter looked like that man. In a fit of anger, Shi Lina ran away with her daughter. That's when I found out Shi Lina had an affair with a man before she got married. I couldn't find Shi Lina anywhere; she must have run off with her lover and daughter! She actually cheated on me!

Shen Zhenzhu asked him, "Then why did you impersonate Shi Lina?"

Hu Caizhi said matter-of-factly, "If my employer finds out about this, I'll definitely be fired, and they'll take the house back. I have no choice."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then are we just going to let Shi Lina's parents go?"

Hu Caizhi said, "Shi Lina didn't have a job and did odd jobs with her mother. Her father's health was poor, which delayed Shi Lina's marriage; otherwise, she wouldn't have come to me. After we got married, I supported their whole family. Shi Lina ran off with another man, and her parents were almost driven to their deaths by her. To apologize to me, they even tried to hang themselves at home. Sigh... children are all debts. I really had no choice; I couldn't just kick them out onto the street. They've been good to me all these years, treating me like their son. Anyway, they give me all the money they earn from their small shop, so I haven't lost too much. Fifteen years have passed, and the old folks are getting old and confused. They've started mistaking Shi Lin for Shi Lina."

After he finished speaking, Chen Zhenzhu asked, "You said Shi Lina cheated on you. Does anyone else know? I remember the other person was a chef at a state-run restaurant?"

Hu Caizhi lowered his head and said, "I've cheated on many people, and I'm not even sure if it's the cook."

Shen Zhenzhu then asked, "How did Shi Lin find you? Did you still have contact with her after you got married?"

“We’ve never been in contact. I wrote her a breakup letter. I… I didn’t know she could get pregnant.” Hu Caizhi glanced at Chen Zhenzhu and said, “It took me less than half a year from starting work to getting married. If I do the math, it should be mine.”

......

When Wu Zhongguo came out of the interrogation room, he saw Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai studying the transcript.

Wu Zhongguo also gave the transcript to Shen Zhenzhu so that they could verify its authenticity.

"Shi Lin also said that Hu Caizhi lied to her about getting married before returning to the city and slept with her. Her belly grew bigger every day, but there was no sign of Hu Caizhi. In a fit of anger, she ran away and went to Hu Caizhi's house according to the address in the letter. After discovering that Hu Caizhi had already married another woman, she was furious and went to his house to argue several times."

"The beginning is consistent, but the end is problematic." Shen Zhenzhu said after reading the last part of the transcript: "After Shuangshuang gave birth, Hu Caizhi said that Shi Lin and Shi Lina had a fight. Shi Lina was so angry with Shi Lina that she ran away with a man. But Shi Lina said that she saw Hu Caizhi slap Shi Lina, and after Shi Lina ran away, Shi Lina saw her jumping into the river with her daughter. But Shi Lina didn't tell Hu Caizhi, afraid that he would blame her."

Xiao Bai said dejectedly, "It's been fifteen years since she jumped into the river, where am I supposed to find her?"

“There’s a vague feeling that they’re shifting the blame to each other. And if Shi Lin could chase after Shi Lina when she jumped into the river, didn’t Hu Caizhi chase after her too?” Shen Zhenzhu put the two transcripts together and compared them carefully. The more she looked, the deeper her brows furrowed. “Someone is lying.”

Xiao Bai said, "Exactly, who knows if she jumped or was pushed? Besides, back then, she was heavily pregnant and managed to travel thousands of miles to find Hu Caizhi unharmed. You need a letter of introduction to go out, how did she do that?"

Wu Zhongguo said, "According to my investigation, after returning to his hometown, Hu Caizhi was involved in the city's construction. During the years he worked on construction sites, Liancheng recruited tens of thousands of laborers from all over the country. Could it be that he brought them over to Shi Lin?"

After listening to their analysis, Shen Zhenzhu nodded and said, "You're right. Yesterday after get off work, I went to the security guard at the Hejian Community and asked him again. He took me to Hu Caizhi's former colleague. That colleague said that there weren't many people who could write back then, and Hu Caizhi was one of them. He helped issue work certificates. It's entirely possible that he falsified documents and used his position to bring Shi Lin to Liancheng."

Wu Zhongguo scoffed and said, "He's quite something, trying to support two families on his own and enjoy the blessings of having two wives."

Shen Zhenzhu stood up and said, "Strike while the iron is hot, I'll go and interrogate Hu Caizhi again."

Xiao Bai quickly picked up Chen Zhenzhu's teacup and poured water in: "I'll be right there."

They went into the interrogation room, and within two minutes, Gu Yanzheng arrived at his office.

Where are they?

Wu Zhongguo was still studying the notes when he looked up and said, "Off to tackle the tough challenge. Something wrong?"

Gu Yanzheng thought for a moment and said, "Borrow a few paperclips."

He, a logistics director, went to the criminal investigation team to borrow paperclips, doing so with complete confidence. He first glanced with satisfaction at the dazzlingly blooming flowers, then opened the drawer of Chen Zhenzhu to look for the paperclips, only to find the jade bracelet neatly packed in a velvet bag.

Gu Yanzheng reached out and touched it in disbelief, holding the broken left wing root and staring in surprise for a few seconds.

It gives me a feeling that my feelings are being valued and cherished.

"You're gone already? Do you want me to help you look for them?" Wu Zhongguo asked again, looking up at the table.

"No, thank you." Gu Yanzheng completely forgot to secretly feed the beef jerky he brought back from out of town.

A glimmer of light appeared on the pitch-black path of their relationship. Gu Yanzheng clutched his heart with one hand and said, "I need to take a break. See you later."

“...That’s inexplicable.” Wu Zhongguo shook his head as Gu Yanzheng left.

In the corridor outside, Tian Yongfeng, who wanted to apply for a new sofa from the logistics department, found Team Four.

He had been hoping that Shen Zhenzhu would put in a good word for him so that the second team's sofa with the big hole could be eliminated as soon as possible, but when he suddenly saw Gu Yanzheng come out, he subconsciously said, "Director Gu, are you here to bother Section Chief Shen again?"

"Harassment?" Gu Yanzheng slammed on the brakes and said coldly, "As long as I'm here, your butt will be stuck in the sofa hole all day."

Tian Yongfeng was furious: "You wait, I'm going to report Director Liu."

Gu Yanzheng sneered: "Hurry up and go, or I'll settle the score with you."

Xiao Min rushed over to break up the fight. Tian Yongfeng pointed at Gu Yanzheng's back and scolded him earnestly, "Old Gu, you can't just give up like this. Without ambition, no woman will like you! Look at Old Shen now, and look at you now! If you can't sleep at night, think about yourself instead of always bothering Old Shen!"

"You still say I harassed Lao Shen?" Gu Yanzheng turned and walked back, his stern steps carrying an air of authority.

"Come on, Captain Tian, ​​you can't provoke people just because you have a family to support." Xiao Min finally managed to get Tian Yongfeng away from the scene by pulling and dragging him away.

Tian Yongfeng, furious at his son's lack of self-respect, fled, saying, "I was doing it for his own good."

"So, Captain Gu, you're heartbroken, yet you still had a good drink?" Seeing that Tian Yongfeng was still trying to argue, Xiao Min continued to pull him along, saying, "Okay, okay, let's go, I won't say anything more."

......

Hu Caizhi is definitely easier to deal with than Shi Lin. Relatively speaking, he is clever but narrow-minded and lacks courage.

Faced with Hu Caizhi's fluctuating pace, listing legal provisions and mentioning his beloved son Hu Xiaolei, Shen Zhenzhu finally forced Hu Caizhi to reveal a secret that had been buried in his heart for fifteen years.

"She actually said that I hit Shi Lina, which is why Shi Lina died... How could someone like me, who was bullied by his wife to the point of being laughed at by others, hit his wife? Shi Lin, she's trying to harm me."

"Just died"?

Hu Caizhi knew that Shi Lina was dead.

These words disappointed Shen Zhenzhu; Shi Lina and her daughter were indeed gone.

Hu Caizhi felt a deep sadness welling up inside him. Ever since Shi Lin started demanding compensation from the Public Security Bureau, he had felt that this matter would eventually be exposed.

"Shi Lin is too arrogant, thinking the whole world revolves around her will. She's the smartest person in the world. I've really had enough of her!"

Shen Zhenzhu did not pursue his inconsistent statements for the time being, but pressed him for details: "Then how exactly did Shi Lina and her daughter die?"

Hu Caizhi asked for another cigarette, but still didn't smoke it. He took a puff and put it aside, his cloudy eyes filled with fear as he said, "I always smoke to make offerings to the Buddha. Shi Lina died a terrible death. She hanged herself at home, one big and one small, hanging from the rafters. I was terrified when I got back. I spent a lot of money buying a jade Buddha, just in case she and her daughter came looking for me."

Xiao Bai said, "You didn't kill anyone, so what are you afraid of? Tell me, why are you afraid?"

Hu Caizhi's hand holding the cigarette trembled: "In 1978, only one building in the joint-construction community was completed, and I moved in. At that time, we were the only ones living in the community. I remember that day was shortly after my daughter's one-month celebration. I was working overtime at the construction site. Shi Lin suddenly caught Shi Lina having an affair and came to our house to argue. My parents were so angry that they were practically dying. Shi Lina went crazy and threatened to hang herself with our daughter, threatening Shi Lin to keep the secret. Shi Lin wouldn't allow it and demanded that Shi Lina divorce me, but Shi Lina refused. In the end, she really did hang our daughter. After our daughter died, Shi Lina knew she had committed a terrible crime and also committed suicide out of guilt."

Shen Zhenzhu was taken aback and asked, "Why didn't you call the police?!"

Hu Caizhi said with a sob in his voice, "I finally returned to the city, found a job, and got an apartment. If this gets out, I'll lose my job and be charged with hooliganism. I'm scared, I really can't call the police."

Shen Zhenzhu asked, "How was the body disposed of? Who disposed of it?"

Hu Caizhi initially remained silent, his eyes darting around: "I don't know, it was all Shi Lin who did it."

Shen Zhenzhu retorted angrily, "Are you still going to lie at a time like this? Do you think we'd believe something without evidence?"

“I… I was completely devastated after I found out, and I had nightmares every day.” Hu Caizhi suddenly burst into tears: “It was Shi Lin, Shi Lin forced me to help dispose of the body, otherwise she would say I was being a pervert and would shoot me. I had no choice but to bury Shi Lina and her daughter with her.”

Chen Zhenzhu: "Where is it buried?"

Hu Caizhi said, "The road in front of my house was under construction, so we buried it overnight... The place where she hanged herself is now the beam of the convenience store. I didn't dare to sleep there, so I turned it into a convenience store."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Didn't anyone see?"

Hu Caizhi shrugged and said, "There was only one family living nearby. It wasn't as lively as it is now. There wasn't even a bus station."

Shen Zhenzhu stood up and went out to instruct the roadblocks and the exhumation of the body. She turned back and glared at Hu Caizhi, saying, "I'll give you some time. I'll expose your lies after I find the body!"

-----------------------

Author's Note: A Special Edition on Scumbags...

See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]