Hongqi Village.

Erlaizi, hands on his hips, shouted at the top of his lungs, "My father has been dead for several days, the mourning period has long passed, if he isn't buried soon, he won't be able to reincarnate, who will take responsibility?"

"It's not your father who died, so of course you can stand here and talk without any sense of responsibility. If it were you, would you dare not bury him? Your ancestors would crawl out of their coffins and curse you as unfilial sons!"

Political Commissar Wang frowned, suppressing his irritation as he advised, "Erlaizi, it's not that I don't want you to be buried, it's just that the matter hasn't been investigated clearly yet. Wait a few days, just a few days. There's something fishy about your father's case, what if there's some hidden story? Once it's confirmed that there are no problems, you can bury him however you want."

For the past two days, he has been trying to contact criminal investigation experts in the capital, including a highly experienced forensic doctor, but the earliest he can arrive in Northeast China is three days later.

Although the skin of the corpse was burned and it was impossible to perform an autopsy, professionals might be able to glean some information from the surface.

The sub-zero temperatures are just right to preserve a corpse.

Most importantly, he would not let go of any way that could help Jiang Linchuan prove his innocence!

"What nonsense!" Er Laizi's spittle splattered all over Political Commissar Wang's cotton hat. "My father hanged himself, what right do you have to stop him? He's dead, and you won't even let him be buried properly? Is your military trying to force me to my death, trying to make me an unfilial son!"

The villagers watching the commotion also joined in the hushed discussion.

"Yes, there's no reason not to allow the burial..."

"Isn't the military being a bit too serious? The person is burned black, what are they still investigating?"

Commissar Wang wasn't angry. He knew the villagers didn't understand the intricacies of investigating cases and only felt that the deceased was the most important person.

However, in Northeast China, once a person is buried, the grave must never be dug up again.

Even if a legal doctor comes, there's nothing they can do.

He couldn't back down in order to clear Jiang Linchuan's name.

Political Commissar Wang took a step forward, his voice suddenly turning cold, "Er Laizi, I'm telling you this: we can't be sure yet whether your father died a natural death or not; it could be murder! If you bury him now and destroy the clues, you'll be an accomplice!"

"You're talking nonsense! Who would kill my father? You're just looking for an excuse to stop us!"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, we'll know when the criminal investigation experts arrive." Political Commissar Wang's sharp eyes swept over the villagers present. "The experts are from the capital; they specialize in investigating these kinds of cases. I can guarantee there won't be any problems with your father's body. Once the experts arrive and have investigated thoroughly, I'll personally oversee the burial! But don't even think about it now!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers' murmurs subsided.

Experts from the capital—that sounds impressive.

Besides, having the military help with the burial will save a lot of money.

Looking at it this way, it doesn't seem so bad.

But Erlaizi was already feeling guilty, and hearing the word "expert" made him even more nervous.

He knew better than anyone that his father hadn't committed suicide. If they waited for the experts to arrive, the truth would eventually come out.

His eyes instantly reddened. "No, the burial must take place today. My father can't wait any longer. Don't try to scare me with these 'experts,' I won't fall for it!"

"Political Commissar Wang, let me tell you, stop with the nonsense. I'm just an ordinary citizen, why should I listen to you in everything? Even whether my father should be buried or not is up to you. What's the point of me living? Otherwise, I might as well die with my father!"

He plopped down on the ground, slapped his thigh, and wailed, "My poor old man! He can't even rest in peace after death! He has to stay here and can't be buried. If you have a spirit in heaven, please visit them in their dreams and scare them to death!"

Commissar Wang's face turned ashen; he really had no way to deal with such a thug.

If all else fails, then we'll have no choice but to forcibly detain the body.

Just then, Xu Xinghe stepped out of the crowd and said, "Fellow villagers, please be quiet and listen to me for a moment."

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent.

Everyone in the village, young and old, remembers that Xu Xinghe brought them frostbite cream during the snow disaster. She was their benefactor and a lucky star.

“The military isn’t deliberately making things difficult for Er Laizi; they genuinely want to give the deceased the truth.” Xu Xinghe’s gaze swept over the villagers present. “There are suspicious points in that burned-down house, which is why we insist on investigating. The blankets inside were pulled back, and all the straw was exposed. Why would someone sleeping at home sit on straw? That’s clearly an attempt to hasten the fire. If the death was truly an accident, how do you explain these details?”

“If we bury him hastily now, these doubts will remain mysteries forever. No one will know how he died. Is that what we want to see? Besides, what if there's something fishy about his death, and a murderer is hiding in the village? Who can feel at ease? If the murderer can harm him today, he might harm our children or the elderly tomorrow!”

The points of doubt raised by Xu Xinghe are indeed unsettling.

Erlaizi's face turned pale, and he hurriedly retorted, "You're talking nonsense! My dad doesn't like to sleep on bedding because he's afraid of getting it dirty!"

"Whether you're worried about getting dirty or not, we'll know once the experts come and examine it." Xu Xinghe looked at him, her tone softening. "Er Laizi, I swear in the name of Xu Xinghe, I'm not deliberately stopping you from being buried, but I want to wait for the truth and give your father justice. If the experts find no other problems after their examination, I'm willing to pay more for the funeral expenses."

Seeing that Xu Xinghe had made a vow, the villagers immediately began to persuade him as well.

"Erlaizi, Comrade Xu is right."

"It's still cold now, the body won't spoil even if we leave it, what's the harm in waiting a few days?"

"Yes, if there really are bad people, finding them out will be for the good of our whole village!"

Hearing the voices of dissuasion around him, Er Laizi didn't dare to cause any more trouble, otherwise he would appear guilty.

He gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll wait a few more days! But I have a condition: the military must send me flour and meat these days, and there must be enough charcoal. My father can't be buried; he must be watching me from heaven. He certainly doesn't want his only son to suffer."

Political Commissar Wang immediately nodded, "No problem. Starting today, someone will deliver food to you every day, and I'll have someone bring over charcoal. I guarantee you won't freeze!"

Erlaizi didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the house.

Once the matter was settled, the villagers gradually dispersed.

Xu Xinghe and Political Commissar Wang exchanged a glance and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

We've finally bought some time. Now we're just waiting for the expert to arrive. Hopefully, he can find something out!

Xu Xinghe and Political Commissar Wang entered the village cadre office.

Once the door was closed, it blocked out the cold wind from outside, and the charcoal fire in the stove was burning brightly, making it very warm.

Zhang Cishu picked up the enamel mug and poured a cup of hot water for each of them.

Xu Xinghe took it, but her mind was still on Lao Hei.

Is Lao Hei reliable or not?

He wouldn't lie to me, would he? After all, he promised. What would he be if he went back on his word?

If a leader were truly untrustworthy, he wouldn't have so many underlings.

But what if he really didn't find anything...? Could it be that the murderer never left Hongqi Village and was hiding right under his nose?

Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up, and she suddenly looked up, staring straight at Political Commissar Wang. "Political Commissar, I've thought of a solution!"