Live by the mountain, eat by the mountain; live by the water, eat by the water.
The western side of the Hongqi Factory site is where the Huai River and Hongze Lake meet.
Fishermen and villagers from nearby areas would bring their catch to this temporary stall every day before the workers of the Hongqi Factory got off work in the afternoon to sell their products and exchange them for money or cloth and grain coupons to supplement their household income.
For the nearby villagers and fishermen, Hongqi Factory, a military-industrial enterprise directly under the Ministry, was one of the richest units in the entire Duliang City. The employees all had secure jobs and were extremely wealthy. The nearby villagers and fishermen, who lived off work points, would often go down to the river to catch fish, shrimp, and eels, and then sell them to these wealthy Hongqi Factory cadres and employees.
Moreover, these villagers and fishermen knew that the employees of Hongqi Factory generally did not buy vegetables to cook lunch, but ate in the factory canteen, since the round trip from the factory area to the dormitory area was a bit tight.
So they all rushed to bring the products from the fields and water before they got off work in the afternoon.
That's why, at this moment, the stalls not only have all kinds of fresh vegetables, but also four or five other stalls displaying aquatic products, including various kinds of fish, shrimp, eels, soft-shelled turtles, river clams, and snails of all sizes.
Jiang Yuping, who was about to bend down to look at the eels in a bamboo basket, immediately straightened up when she heard someone greet her.
Upon seeing the person in front of him, he greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Oh, it's Sister Chen, Director Chen. You're here to buy groceries too?"
Sister Chen's real name is Chen Youlan. She is the wife of Zhou Huaihai, the top Party Secretary. Before liberation, she was an old underground worker. After liberation, she came out of hiding and followed her husband Zhou Huaihai to the Red Flag Factory. She first worked as the deputy director of the political department and retired last year at the age of 55.
This old underground party member might not be known to ordinary employees, nor would they know her past identity. However, as the wife of Qiu Jingwen, a middle-level cadre, Jiang Yuping could not possibly not know Chen Youlan, because Chen Youlan often went to the clinic to see Jiang Yuping for treatment when she had headaches or colds. Over time, they got to know each other better.
The two greeted each other, and Chen Youlan told Jiang Yuping that her husband, Zhou Huaihai, had been having stomach problems lately because he didn't like the food in the cafeteria. So she cooked some meals at home to help her husband soothe his stomach, since she had nothing to do at home after retirement anyway.
Zhou Huaihai had also been treated by Jiang Yuping, who suggested that the leader go to the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to find a TCM expert and get some Chinese medicine to adjust his condition. Western medicine can only relieve the immediate pain, but in the long run, it is still necessary to adjust with TCM and develop good eating habits.
Therefore, she looked at Chen Youlan and said:
"Director Chen, I've spoken with Secretary Zhou and suggested that he go to the provincial capital to see a traditional Chinese medicine expert and get some Chinese medicine to adjust his condition."
Chen Youlan responded with a smile:
"Dr. Jiang, thank you. Old Zhou told me about your advice when he got home. He's been too busy with work to leave, and now the investigation team has come to the factory, and a murder has suddenly occurred. Old Zhou is even more tied up."
At this point, she looked at Jiang Yuping and asked with curiosity:
"I heard that retired worker Niu Dajiang committed suicide by hanging. Have the autopsy results come out yet?"
Jiang Yuping then told Chen Youlan the results of Wei Hong's autopsy and also informed her that the forensic doctor sent by the Municipal Bureau was conducting a further autopsy.
After hearing this, Chen Youlan said "Oh" and then seemed to be deep in thought.
After a few seconds, she shook her head, indicating that she did not understand.
"Tell me, Old Niu is retired, and his children are all married and have established their own careers. He shouldn't have committed suicide. Isn't there something fishy about this?"
Jiang Yuping asked with a smile:
"Director Chen, you're a veteran underground worker. In your opinion, could it be that Master Niu's death wasn't suicide, but murder?"
"After hearing this news, I started thinking about this issue. I suspect that it is more likely to be murder. Otherwise, Lao Niu would have had enough reasons to commit suicide."
"Director Chen, who would kill a retired employee? What other reason could there be, and why in his home?"
"It's hard to say, but since the autopsy results show that he committed suicide by hanging, it should be true. The key question is why he committed suicide?"
“I also asked Wei Hong, and we ruled out the possibility that Master Niu had a serious illness. Do you think he might have learned about enemy agents and was threatened into choosing to commit suicide?”
Chen Youlan seemed very interested in Jiang Yuping's reasoning.
“Hmm, Jiang Yuping, your idea is quite interesting. It’s very possible that this Master Niu knew about the undercover agents. The agents have something on him and forced him to commit suicide, or killed him and staged it as a suicide. Of course, everything will only come to light once the police have solved the case.”
The two women began to discuss and deduce the case of Niu Dajiang's suicide in a disjointed manner.
As Chen Youlan was speaking, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and looking at Jiang Yuping, she said again:
"Dr. Jiang, I heard from Lao Zhou that your son Qiu Shou is very vigilant and aware. He took the initiative to report the situation of Liu Xianghai, the victim in the murder case, to the police. The little guy is only a teenager, right?"
Jiang Yuping was startled upon hearing this.
When her son Qiu Shou was taken to the guesthouse by the police to report on Liu Han's situation, Jiang Yuping was unaware of this at first. It was Shao Jian who told her. Although Qiu Jingwen knew about it, he did not call his wife Jiang Yuping to tell her.
Although Jiang Yuping was very surprised, she did not show it on her face, after all, Chen Youlan was praising and commending the autumn harvest.
She looked at Chen Youlan and smiled:
"Director Chen, what kind of situation can a little kid like him report during the autumn harvest?"
Chen Youlan shook her head and smiled.
“Dr. Jiang, for the police, any clue is useful for solving a case. I saw the photo of Liu Xianghai. The scar on his face is obviously from being injured by a grenade or similar weapon many years ago. I feel that his identity is not simple.”
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