Chapter 169 Pulling out the big radish
"Section Chief Shen, the contact information for the deceased's family members is all here. Please take a look." Dean Guo, his face ashen, opened the locked filing cabinet. In an inconspicuous drawer at the bottom of the cabinet lay a tremendous secret.
Shen Zhenzhu took the envelope, unfolded the letter, and saw a string of copied addresses and phone numbers. The names on the letters matched those of the seven deceased elderly people.
“I don’t want to help her cover it up either, but my nursing home has to keep going.” Director Guo wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, plopped down in a chair, and looked utterly exhausted after everything had finally settled down.
Lu Ye asked, "How did you realize something was wrong?"
Dean Guo spoke frankly: "It's medicine, the excessive consumption of drugs. I used to be a pharmacy apprentice for two years, so I know a little about pharmaceuticals. Several elderly people died at her hands, and at first everyone thought she was just unlucky. Later, I discovered that after she came in, the amount of drugs in the warehouse was abnormal; they must have been used in excess... Considering the causes of the elderly people's deaths and the scenes of their families being extremely grateful to her, what else is there to misunderstand?"
Shen Zhenzhu handed the letter to Lu Ye and asked Dean Guo, "Besides [illegible], have you made any other discoveries? For example, smothering an old man to death?"
"No, that's not true. You know, the conditions here are not good. There are eight elderly people living in one room, with one caregiver. Some of them are mentally sound and capable of taking care of themselves. If someone in the same ward were smothered to death, it would definitely be discovered."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "While Yu Wanqing was working there, who else was she close to?"
Dean Guo said, "There was a young man who was quite close to her. I thought he was her son, but she said no, just a friend who works nearby and comes to visit occasionally."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Where is that person?"
Dean Guo said, "I don't know, I don't even know her name. Yu Wanqing won't say anything."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Do you still remember what I look like?"
Dean Guo said regretfully, "I can't remember clearly. I saw his back two or three times from this window upstairs. After asking him, he never came back."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "Thank you for your cooperation."
Lu Ye asked a few more questions about the old man in Fengming Valley, and then said to Shen Zhenzhu, "When we get back, we should submit an application to Director Liu. This time, the cases will probably be merged."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Qiao Jinqiu and Feng Mingu died for different reasons, but they all involve Yu Wanqing, so they can be combined into one case. I don't know if Bao Lü can cooperate; that depends on Director Liu's abilities."
Lu Ye smiled and said, "I trust Director Liu to handle things."
Lu Ye left someone outside Dean Guo's office; further investigations into him and the nursing home would follow.
Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye went downstairs together. Shen Zhenzhu said, "I'm going to her employer's house now. What are your plans?"
Lu Ye said, "I'll go check on the Feng family. The old man from Fengming Valley died in place of the old man surnamed Feng, so his family can't escape responsibility. We'll contact each other then."
"OK."
They waited downstairs for a while, and then Wu Zhongguo and the others came down as well.
The four teams split into two groups and acted independently.
Xiao Bai got into the car and reported to Chen Zhenzhu: "Yu Wanqing's bank account is fine, it only shows her earnings. However, we found a property, but the address is unclear and we are investigating."
"We can't let the elderly die in vain." Zhao Qiqi was depressed after learning about the incident of deliberately killing elderly people in the nursing home. She couldn't understand how anyone could be so cruel.
Upon arriving near the auto parts market, Chen Zhenzhu checked the address and said, "The two places aren't far apart. I'll go find Liu Cheng, and you two go check on Fang Chenggong."
"No problem, be careful."
Shen Zhenzhu went to Liu Cheng's auto repair shop, her first employer.
The auto repair shop owner said that Liu Cheng had quit his job and gone to work in the south. One of the workers who was on good terms with him crawled out from under the car and said, "Liu Cheng is skilled and has always wanted to open his own auto repair shop. He was held back by his father with Alzheimer's disease before. Now that he's gone to the south, he's sure to do well. I heard he even got a girlfriend from the south."
"Did you know that he hired a nanny to take care of his father?"
The mechanic said, "Of course I know. He even asked me for money. The boss said he was filial and gave him an extra bonus."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Do you know how he found the nanny?"
The mechanic said, "It seems to be someone named Sister Hong. She used to run a steamed bun shop, and later she opened a real estate agency. She should be on the street up ahead."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Do you know Fang Chenggong?"
The mechanic said, "I don't know him."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Did you all go when his father passed away? When did it happen?"
The auto mechanic said, "It was around January last year, probably the 15th. I remember we went to give money to him right after we got paid. I also remember everyone advising him that Uncle Liu didn't want to be a burden, so he left. They told him not to be too sad. They also said that they had hired a caregiver to take care of him, and it was good that Uncle Liu didn't suffer in the end. They had done their best."
"Have you heard Liu Cheng mention the cause of death?"
The mechanic said, "I did say that, it was a sudden heart attack."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Do you have Liu Cheng's mailing address?"
The mechanic hesitated before asking, "Did he do something wrong outside?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "It's nothing serious. I hope he will assist with the investigation."
The mechanic put down his pliers, wiped them on his pants, and went into the workshop. Five minutes later, he came out and handed Chen Zhenzhu a letter: "He only wrote one letter, asking me to help him find the boss to get his withheld wages and transfer them here."
"Okay, thank you. Please let me know if Liu Cheng contacts you."
......
Xiao Bai and Zhao Qiqi went to the home of their second employer, Fang Chenggong, and Jiang Xue, in an alley behind the auto parts market.
No one was home; the house was empty. They inquired at the neighborhood committee and learned that Fang Chenggong and Jiang Xue had divorced. Fang Chenggong was in poor mental health and had been laid off. Jiang Xue had taken the child back to her hometown in a neighboring city.
More than an hour later, Shen Zhenzhu saw them return and heard what had happened.
Back in the car, after a short meeting, Xiaobai summarized: "That means that after Yu Wanqing was fired from the Honghe Nursing Home, her first job was as a caregiver for Liu Cheng, a single auto mechanic, taking care of Liu Cheng's father who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. This was around July 1992 to January 1993. The elderly man she was taking care of died of a sudden heart attack six months later."
Her second job as a caregiver came in the same month; she went to the home of Fang Chenggong and Jiang Xue to care for an elderly man with hemiplegia. It's said that Jiang Xue was unwilling to care for him, and after much difficulty, they found Yu Wanqing. From January to June of last year, also a period of six months, the elderly man suddenly died of a heart attack.
Zhao Qiqi turned her head from the driver's seat and said, "If you calculate it this way, the old lady passed away in about six months. Could it be that she made a big fuss at the nursing home and was discovered, so she deliberately delayed her departure?"
Xiao Bai said, "That's very possible."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yu Wanqing's third job was taking care of Qiao Jinqiu for more than half a year. Qiao Jinqiu didn't die; in fact, she was so well cared for that she could even go out in a wheelchair. She married Qiao Jinqiu probably because she valued his status as a master of calligraphy and painting, his earning power, and his family fortune. One was lustful, the other greedy; they hit it off and got married. In the end, Qiao Jinqiu's manner of death was different from the methods Yu Wanqing usually used to kill people. Did you just inquire about how Fang Chenggong found Yu Wanqing to be his nanny?"
Zhao Qiqi said, "I asked around, it's a labor agency, I think it's called..."
“Sister Hong?” Chen Zhenzhu said.
Xiao Bai said, "Let's call her Sister Hong!"
Zhao Qiqi quickly started the police car and drove towards the street ahead. They were looking for "Sister Hong's Labor Agency" along the way when they saw a middle-aged woman with short, burgundy hair locking the door.
Beside her stood a gaunt, seventy-something-year-old woman, leaning on a cane and cursing loudly: "You deadly wretch! My daughter-in-law wanted someone to take care of me and support me in my old age, and you actually introduced her to 'send me off in my old age'! I'll beat you to death, you heartless, rotten woman!"
The middle-aged woman took out her keys, glanced furtively to both sides, and when she saw a police car approaching, she didn't bother to deny it and turned to run away.
The elderly man and his family blocked her way and shouted that they should call the police.
Zhao Qiqi slammed on the brakes, and Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai sped off. Although there was no portrait, Sister Hong was too easy to spot. Her striking red hair made her impossible to hide in the crowd.
Shen Zhenzhu grabbed Hong Jie's arm, and Xiao Bai pulled out the handcuffs and said, "Liancheng Major Crimes Unit, don't move around. Come back with us for investigation."
Zhao Qiqi parked her car and rushed over, showing her identification to the onlookers. After showing her identification, she and Xiaobai took Sister Hong away, one on each side.
"You police are amazing! You arrived before I even called the police!" The arguing old man pointed his cane at Sister Hong and said, "She doesn't treat us old people like human beings. She instigated my daughter-in-law to harm me. My daughter-in-law went home and told the whole family what happened."
Shen Zhenzhu noticed a woman in her early thirties wearing a trench coat supporting the elderly woman and asked her, "May I ask you a few questions?"
Walking to the side, the daughter-in-law, Chen Qin, straightened her clothes and said indignantly, "You've come at the perfect time. Even if you hadn't come, I would have gone looking for you anyway."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Could you tell me what happened?"
Shen Qin asked the other family members to help her father-in-law sit down to the side before speaking to Shen Zhenzhu: "I came here a week ago to inquire about finding a nanny. Because my son got into a top university, which is a bit far away, my father-in-law wanted me to focus on taking care of the child and not run around. But we're all worried about leaving him alone at home. I heard there's an agency here that can find suitable nannies, so I thought I'd ask around. I asked a few times in the past few days, but I wasn't satisfied with the prices."
The day before yesterday, Sister Hong called me mysteriously, saying that besides elderly care services, they also offered special services. I thought she was up to something shady, but after asking, she said it was a "sending-off the elderly" service. It's specifically for paralyzed, Alzheimer's, or elderly people unable to care for themselves, promising to "solve their troubles and regain ease" in a maximum of six months. I hung up and thought about it for a long time, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. I had a family meeting, and today I came here.”
Did she specify what methods she would use or who would provide the service?
Shen Qin said angrily, "I pretended to be curious and asked one more question. She told me that she was a pro and that no one could tell the difference. She didn't say anything more, but if I wanted to ask, I had to pay money to make a 'sending off the elderly' plan. Officer, is this something a human being would say? Everyone has parents who gave birth to them. This isn't human; this is animal. I get along very well with my in-laws. They took good care of me when I was young. If we didn't get along, and I felt they were a burden, wouldn't I just be sending the elderly away without any effort?"
Shen Zhenzhu wrote down everything she said and said, "Further investigation may be needed later. Can you testify for me?"
Shen Qin said, "Don't worry, it's fine to go to court. I will tell the truth."
Shen Zhenzhu left her contact information, shook hands with her, and said thank you, "Thank you for assisting our investigation. This is my business card. Feel free to contact me if you need anything."
Shen Qin said righteously, "Fine, I urge the police to severely punish Sister Hong and avenge the deaths of the elderly people she killed!"
Zhao Qiqi took Hongjie's key, opened the sliding door, and went inside with Xiaobai to check everything.
He rummaged through the household registration documents in the cabinet and found that one drawer was locked.
"Give me the key." Xiaobai asked Zhao Qiqi for the keychain and tried to open the drawer lock after a few tries.
There were three envelopes in the drawer, all filled with hundred-yuan bills.
"It looks like an agency fee, but it's higher than the usual agency fee." Xiaobai showed it to Zhao Qiqi.
"Hmm?" Zhao Qiqi turned the cabinet over and tried knocking on the wall next to it, only to find it was empty.
Xiao Bai said, "Need a hand?"
"No need." Zhao Qiqi hugged the full metal cabinet with both hands, and with a sudden burst of strength, moved the metal cabinet to the side.
Xiao Bai found some scissors and handed them to Zhao Qiqi. Zhao Qiqi pried open the wall panel through a gap, and a small ledger was hidden in a space about the size of an eyeglass case.
They huddled together and flipped through the documents a few times. The income and expenditure amounts were all in the tens of thousands. Not only were the names of Liu Cheng, Fang Chenggong, and Qiao Kaiyue listed, but also the names of three other elderly people.
Xiao Bai immediately said, "Quickly report to Sister Pearl."
Zhao Qiqi ran out to call Shen Zhenzhu. Shen Zhenzhu came in, glanced at the envelopes, and then looked at the envelopes in the drawer. She said, "The money for the last three people is the same as in the envelopes, and there are also schedules for six-month periods. They're probably waiting to finish Yu Wanqing's order before moving on to the next one."
Zhao Qiqi said angrily, "How many elderly people do they want to harm before they stop? Qiao Kaiyue is such a good actor. He's been crying and sobbing these past few days. Anyone who didn't know better would think that he and his son had a very good relationship."
Shen Zhenzhu frowned and said, "This alone is not enough. If Yu Wanqing agrees, everything will be much easier."
Xiao Bai glanced down at the pager, got a mobile phone from Chen Zhenzhu, and made the call. A few minutes later, he returned and said, "Yu Wanqing's house has been sold, but we found that her son just built a new building under her household registration. It's in a village in the north of the city, and he paid for it in full."
Zhao Qiqi said, "I know this place, shall we go there?"
Shen Zhenzhu walked to the door and looked at Sister Hong, who was sandwiched between police officers in the police car and was still loudly proclaiming her innocence: "Go over there."
After Hong Jie was seen off by the other officers, Chen Zhenzhu got back into the police car and headed north of the city. On the way, she called Director Liu to apply for a search warrant.
Xiao Bai looked down at his notebook and said, "How many secrets does Yu Wanqing still have... When we interrogated her before, she denied killing Qiao Jinqiu."
Shen Zhenzhu took a sip of water and said, "If Yu Wanqing was responsible for the deaths of the two previous employers, then her marriage to Qiao Jinqiu clearly angered the employer who hired her. Qiao Kaiyue said he hired Yu Wanqing through a 'friend,' which is obviously a lie; his name is clearly written in the ledger. But Qiao Qiao also said she paid for the nanny. So, is it a conspiracy between Qiao Qiao and Qiao Kaiyue, or did Qiao Kaiyue commit murder alone? Brother Aqi, do you have any ideas?"
Suddenly called out by Chen Zhenzhu, Zhao Qiqi thought for a few seconds and said, "If we put aside today's events, I think it was Qiao Qiao who committed the murder. Qiao Jinqiu didn't care about this daughter, and Yu Wanqing also said she wasn't respectful enough. Maybe Qiao Qiao had too much resentment, or maybe she knew that not only would she not be left with the property, but she also had a stepmother, so she simply killed Qiao Jinqiu, and maybe she could get some of the inheritance. Besides, didn't we say that the murderer was familiar with the layout of the house, and that the murderer also knew that the door lock was broken? In short, the suspicion lies with one of our own family members. But Sister Hong came out, which makes me think that Qiao Kaiyue is the most suspicious person."
"Xiaobai, what do you think?" Shen Zhenzhu called on Xiaobai again.
Xiao Bai said, "I also suspect it was Qiao Kaiyue, after all, he was the one who invited Yu Wanqing, and Qiao Qiao was ranked later. It was one thing to learn that her father was not dead, but that he had married Yu Wanqing. Seeing the inheritance that was within her grasp slip away, she was so angry that she killed the old man."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Personally, I also lean towards Qiao Kaiyue. Do you remember the relationship between Guo Zhi and Yu Wanqing? One thought they were employer and employee, and the other thought they were lovers. There must have been someone interfering. Their goal was to shift the suspicion onto Yu Wanqing."
Zhao Qiqi was driving ahead, and after navigating a low-lying area with standing water, he said, "That still lacks direct evidence."
Xiao Bai said, "First of all, the unanimous vote to approve Qiao Kaiyue is highly suspicious. Dean Guo said that Yu Wanqing had a close relationship with a young man, but denied that he was her son. But now it seems that he is her son, and she said that on purpose to distance herself from the situation."
"We'll know once we get there." Chen Zhenzhu looked out the car window. After three days of hard work, she was finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The urban village in the north of the city was originally a large, crowded courtyard. It has been demolished and renovated by private individuals, making it difficult to find your way around.
In 1992, part of the area was demolished and replaced with a seven-story residential complex called Bihai Garden.
Some of those houses that weren't demolished rented out, while others built their own. In anticipation of future, vague rumors of demolition, and also to save face, every household tried to build their private houses as large as possible, focusing only on size and not appearance, hoping to get rich overnight.
Yu Wanqing's son's house is located on the edge of the urban village, and it is the second building in the row. It looks very impressive.
The building at the intersection is quite old. The dimly lit ground floor has been converted into a small shop on the street corner. An old lady who runs the shop sits outside picking celery while chatting with the neighbors on the bench.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't let the police car drive in. She got out about 30 or 40 meters away, took out a plainclothes jacket from her large backpack and put it on. She and Xiaobai strolled hand in hand into the car. Zhao Qiqi took a detour from another intersection.
"Auntie, does Yu Qiang live here?" Shen Zhenzhu walked to the convenience store, glanced at the building number, and asked knowingly.
The soft, gentle greeting made the old woman look up from her mundane conversation. Her eyes swept over Shen Zhenzhu, then over Xiaobai, and she asked in confusion, "Who is looking for him? Who was the matchmaker?"
Chen Zhenzhu squatted down next to the old lady. Seeing that there were three or four other old ladies and gentlemen in front of her, she smiled at them in a friendly manner and reached out to help pick celery: "Auntie, I know you're busy. Actually, a matchmaker came to my house to introduce someone. My older sister isn't home, so my younger sister and I came to inquire about this family. Do they indulge in drinking, gambling, prostitution, and smoking?"
She's pleasing to the eye, has a sweet tongue, and is quick-witted. The older woman gestured to the older men and women in front of her and muttered, "Look, even such a good girl has been tricked into coming here."
Xiao Bai massaged the old lady's shoulders and said affectionately, "What do you mean by that?"
The old woman said dismissively, "I wouldn't dare say that to just anyone. I didn't say a word when the neighborhood committee investigated income. Old Yu's family is just a mother and son, and suddenly they've become rich. Look at their four-story villa, it's more impressive than anyone else's. Their son is always dating girls. I advise your eldest sister not to jump into that fire pit. We've been neighbors for so many years, we all know what kind of people each family is capable of, it's definitely not a good thing."
Judging from her voice, which was neither too loud nor too soft, Chen Zhenzhu guessed that Yu Qiang was probably not home, and asked, "Where is he?"
The old woman said, "He came home drunk late last night and is still sleeping. Sigh, this kind of man has no other skills, but he's a master at sweet-talking young girls. I advise you to leave quickly, or you might get targeted."
Xiao Bai said, "So what if I like you?"
An old man next to me, smoking a pipe, crossed his legs and said, "He's using sweet talk to coax you into dating, but unfortunately, your cunning, laziness, greed, and slyness can't be hidden. He's filled the house with wedding supplies, but I haven't seen any girl willing to marry into the family."
"Does his mother look like this?" Shen Zhenzhu took out a photo of Yu Wanqing to show them.
The elderly woman and man looked around and said, "Yes, yes, that's her."
Zhao Qiqi came around from another road, glanced at Shen Zhenzhu, Shen Zhenzhu nodded, and he reached out to knock on the door.
The woman at the convenience store exclaimed in surprise, "You're all together? Young lady, are you a police officer?"
Shen Zhenzhu took out her ID and said, "Don't worry, Auntie, I was just asking about the situation."
The old woman was so frightened that she slapped her thigh and said, "What am I going to do? If he finds out that I said these things to the police, I'm doomed."
Xiao Bai pressed further, "Why do you say that?"
The old man smoking his pipe tapped the sole of his shoe and said, "It's just that some people say her mother has a spirit attached to her, who can send old people away without them even noticing. I think it's a lie, just to scare us old folks. Anyway, I always say bad things about her family, but I haven't seen them send me away."
"Oh dear, you can't say that. It's better to believe it's true than not to believe it's not." The old woman held Chen Zhenzhu's hand, looking flustered and genuinely frightened.
Chen Zhenzhu patted him reassuringly and said, "I won't tell him what I just said, don't worry."
The old woman said, "Really?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Really."
The old woman breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "It's enough for the neighbors to talk about it. I'm really afraid that if things get out of hand, I won't be able to handle it."
The four-story building, covered in white ceramic tiles, had no courtyard wall; there were corridors on the second, third, and fourth floors. Zhao Qiqi knocked on the iron gate for a long time, but no one answered. Chen Zhenzhu said, "You can climb up to the second floor. Do you want to do it, or should I?"
"I'll do it." Zhao Qiqi rolled up his sleeves and took a few steps back. He suddenly ran forward, using his feet to push off the iron gate for leverage, grabbed the outer edge of the second-floor corridor with his long arms, and used the momentum to flip up. In the blink of an eye, he was on the second floor, his movements swift and clean.
The elderly folks chatting downstairs were dumbfounded. Zhao Qiqi glanced into the room, then leaned against the corridor wall and made a shushing gesture.
The person in the second-floor room woke up and was on the phone.
Zhao Qiqi tiptoed to the door and saw Yu Qiang, shirtless and still in bed, clutching the microphone and saying fearfully, "I heard someone downstairs say 'police,' what am I going to do? All my money is with me, and it's too late to cut ties with her now. Anyway, it wasn't me who did it; she's the one who's embarrassed. I hope she dies out there!"
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Author's note: Pearl: The case is about to be solved, Captain Qiu, where are you?
***
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
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