Chapter 174 The Foundation of China
After dinner, Chen Zhenzhu pulled out a small blackboard to review the entire case. The case review took some time to complete, and then they moved on to the criminal psychology analysis.
"Regarding this serial murder case, the chain of crimes stemming from the 'sending off the elderly' arrangement, the most psychologically complex figure is Qiao Kaiyue. He is a combination of pathological and mentally abnormal. As for Yu Wanqing's twisted personality, could someone briefly explain it?"
Xiao Bai suddenly raised his hand, revealing a densely filled notebook spread out in front of him.
Chen Zhenzhu smiled and said, "Little White, I guess."
Lu Ye scratched his head, frowned, and picked up a pen to take notes. He could solve cases, but he needed to study the psychological aspects more deeply.
Xiao Bai stood up, coughed, and said, "Based on the case analysis, Yu Wanqing's initial motive for the crime was Yu Qiang. Having visited her home, I know that the neighbors all looked down on them. Yu Wanqing regarded Yu Qiang's happiness as her life goal, even going so far as to kill others to obtain money for Yu Qiang to get married and have children. Her conscience was numbed under the pretext of 'for her son's happiness.' Yu Qiang's betrayal caused her psychological pillar to collapse; this was not only an emotional blow but also the collapse of her entire life's beliefs. This led to her developing hatred for Yu Qiang. The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred, which became the fuse that ignited the mother-son conflict."
After Xiaobai finished speaking, she glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, who clapped her hands and said, "Xiaobai is right, but I'd like to add something. Her hatred isn't just directed at Yu Qiang; it also extends to the families who betrayed their parents. In her eyes, Yu Qiang and they have become the same kind of people. They are doing well, while she has lost everything, and this emotion has deepened her anger. She had previously advised Yu Qiang not to extort money from the families, but later she developed a mindset of 'If I'm finished, none of you will be doing well either,' and betrayed all the families. This destructive mentality has given her a distorted sense of balance."
Lu Ye raised his hand and said, "The amount of stolen money exceeds 300,000. She chose to marry Qiao Jinqiu but did not kill him. It should not be just for the family property. I feel that her thoughts are rather complicated in this regard."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "It was a false sense of redemption. She devoted herself to serving Qiao Jinqiu. Although she said she coveted his money, Qiao Jinqiu's appreciation and affirmation ignited her desire for a normal and stable life. She thought her sacrifice would earn Yu Qiang's respect, but in the end she found that Yu Qiang was no different from those people. In the end, she confessed to everyone. It was an indiscriminate revenge under despair, and also a complete explosion of her distorted personality."
Wu Zhongguo sighed, "Yu Wanqing 'sent her father off in his old age,' only to be betrayed and disliked by Yu Qiang. Qiao Kaiyue hired someone to kill his father, but ultimately, because his own son disobeyed and didn't throw away the kitchen knife, a cycle of betrayal ensued. There's a kind of karmic retribution at play."
Lu Ye said, "I read Qiao Kaiyue's statement, and he harbors deep resentment towards his father."
Shen Zhenzhu wrote "surface level" and "psychological level" on the small blackboard, sat on the armrest of the sofa, and faced everyone, saying: "Qiao Kaiyue's criminal psychology is a typical process from accumulated resentment to distortion and finally to complete loss of control. What are the manifestations of his surface level? Does anyone know?"
Zhao Qiqi quickly raised her hand: "Me, me, me."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "Brother Aqi, you go ahead."
Zhao Qiqi said, "It manifests in their coveting of Qiao Jinqiu's money."
Shen Zhenzhu clapped for Zhao Qiqi: "Brother Qiqi is absolutely right."
Zhao Qiqi rubbed his nose and sat down, letting out a sigh of relief. Lu Ye nudged him, indicating his approval.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "On the surface, he was driven by direct economic interests. Qiao Jinqiu's modification of his will and marriage to the nanny directly threatened his future source of income and social status. The value of his father's paintings was the foundation of his livelihood. However, his father's art exhibition for the nanny would greatly increase the value of the paintings in the nanny's possession, while the last paintings he kept would be relatively devalued. This exacerbated his panic and anger."
Wu Zhongguo pondered and said, "In his confession, he even brought up his mother, saying that she was so angered by Qiao Jinqiu that she drank poison and died? Is this a manifestation of his psychological level?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "His mother's death caused him some psychological trauma, which planted the seeds of hatred in his heart towards Qiao Jinqiu. But the psychological level is not that simple."
Shen Zhenzhu stood up and said, "First, he attributed his mother's death to his father's infidelity. But he had awe and dependence on his father. So when Qiao Jinqiu repeatedly flirted with women, it fueled his hatred to kill his father. He subconsciously rationalized killing Qiao Jinqiu as 'avenging his mother,' which is a psychological defense mechanism. We know that some families who kill their fathers cannot get over the trauma and develop severe mental disorders. Qiao Kaiyue used the reason of 'avenging his mother' to cover up his despicable motive of killing his father for money and to lessen his guilt."
"No wonder Sister Pearl made it clear from the beginning that he shouldn't use his mother as a shield." Xiao Bai wrote it down in her notebook, recalling the interrogation, and couldn't help but despise Qiao Kaiyue even more.
"He has always lived under the influence of Qiao Jinqiu and was also overshadowed by Qiao Jinqiu. Everyone regrets that he did not inherit Qiao Jinqiu's talent. He must have heard these words many times since he was a child. His talent may have been ignored and his genius belittled for a long time."
Shen Zhenzhu drew double arrows over the names of Qiao Kaiyue and Qiao Jinqiu: "Qiao Jinqiu's talent, reputation, and womanizing all highlighted Qiao Kaiyue's mediocrity and incompetence. Unable to inherit Qiao Jinqiu's talent in art, he turned to controlling Qiao Jinqiu's life and property. When all his plans failed, and Qiao Jinqiu still looked down on him, he chose the most primitive way to kill his father, which was also his morbid ritual to declare to his father that he had become the master."
Chen Zhenzhu stopped and waited for them to finish taking notes. She then concluded, "Qiao Kaiyue is a combination of a pathetic loser and a ruthless avenger. In the end, he was betrayed by his own son, a highly ironic ending, much like Yu Wanqing's, as if it were a cycle of fate."
Lu Ye closed his notebook and said in a deep voice, "Qiao Jinqiu, as a master of calligraphy and painting, still has property and status. Those nine elderly people who were killed by Yu Wanqing were obviously killed because they were a burden. After their deaths, their children still have to show their grief to outsiders and hold lavish funerals. I heard that Niu Yanben, whom you arrested today, was still burning incense for his mother-in-law at home."
Zhao Qiqi, standing next to him, said with a dark face, "He still has the nerve to say that his mother-in-law's Alzheimer's was a burden and delayed his wife's pregnancy, but it was his wife who took care of her. Because his mother-in-law passed away, his wife miscarried. He really ruined a family."
Wu Zhongguo said angrily, "There are also some elderly people who listened to their children making deals with Yu Wanqing, and because they were paralyzed and unable to move, they watched helplessly as Yu Wanqing fed them drugs. It's really heartbreaking."
“Supporting one’s parents is not only a legal obligation, but also a human instinct and a cornerstone of social morality. To regard one’s parents, who gave you life, as a burden and kill them is extreme selfishness and is intolerable to public order and good customs.”
Shen Zhenzhu said solemnly, "Although these cases are extreme examples, the problems they reflect should serve as a wake-up call for us. Our living standards are getting better and better, but is the spiritual world of some people becoming barren? Is the traditional virtue of respecting the elderly in danger under the profit-driven value system? 'Providing for the elderly and having someone to rely on' should not just be a slogan; it is the moral foundation of the entire nation."
After Chen Zhenzhu finished speaking, everyone was deep in thought.
After a long pause, Xiaobai said, "Everyone gets old. 'Respecting and caring for the elderly' is also 'respecting me and caring for me.' From home to society, it's just like what Sister Pearl said—"
You reap what you sow.
You reap what you sow.
Lu Ye and the others said in unison, then looked at each other and smiled.
"Sister Pearl, the people at the train station have brought Liu Cheng over," an agent said, knocking on the door.
Shen Zhenzhu stood up and asked, "Where are the police officers over there?"
The officer said, "I still had cases on my hands, so I quickly handed them over at the train station and left. They said Liu Cheng was on his way to apply for a job as a caregiver at a nursing home when he was arrested."
Zhao Qiqi couldn't help but say, "My goodness, if he becomes a caregiver, how can the elderly on the other side get better?"
Lu Ye put away his notebook and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "I'll hurry up and finish the interrogation of the family members."
After thinking for a moment, Shen Zhenzhu said, "I'll handle Liu Cheng's side."
Wu Zhongguo patted Zhao Qiqi and said, "Come on, I'll take you to interrogate one."
Xiao Bai didn't need Shen Zhenzhu to say anything. Holding her sister Zhenzhu's notebook in one hand and her sister Zhenzhu's large tea mug in the other, she said, "Let's go! Send them on their way as soon as possible."
Shen Zhenzhu led four teams of people to conduct the interrogation with great fanfare, thus avoiding Director Liu.
Director Liu stood at the door of the empty fourth team office, only to find no one there. He turned to Tian Yongfeng, who was passing by, and said, "Why are you always wandering around outside? Weren't they just here a moment ago?"
Tian Yongfeng said aggrievedly, "I heard the case has been solved, but there are still some small fry left to be interrogated. I also just arrested someone who killed his in-laws' family of five."
"Thank you for your hard work." Director Liu nodded and said, "It's so late and you're still working overtime. Tell them to take a break and leave the rest of the work to your subordinates."
"Yes, I understand." Tian Yongfeng watched Director Liu leave work.
Director Liu took two steps and stopped, pointed upstairs and said, "When the logistics department opens, you keep an eye on your people and don't make a fuss."
"What are you saying, a mere logistics department?" Tian Yongfeng said dismissively.
......
Shen Zhenzhu was busy until 2 a.m., having finished the interrogations and criminal detentions. She leaned back in her chair, yawning, and said, "Tomorrow is Sunday, do you want to go to Sixth Sister's for dinner?"
Lu Ye loves eating at his sixth sister's place, but today he unusually said, "I'm going home to spend time with my parents tomorrow, so I won't be attending the gathering."
Zhao Qiqi said, "Me too, I want to take my grandma to the hospital for a check-up."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "That's true. I hope she lives to be a hundred years old."
Wu Zhongguo said, "I need to hurry up and cultivate a father-son relationship with Xiaochuan. I'll accompany him to practice tomorrow morning. But if we finish early, we'll go over there."
“Okay, I’ll go practice driving first, and then I won’t go anywhere else. I’ll just stay at the shop with my mom.” After going through this case, Shen Zhenzhu cherished the time she spent with Shen Liuhe even more.
She turned to Xiaobai and asked, "You're not going back to Shenyang, are you?"
Little White was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open, and he mumbled sleepily, "What's there to go back to? There's a whole pile of clothes that haven't been washed yet."
"That's settled then, everyone can go home." Chen Zhenzhu stood up, stretched, lowered her head to smell the fragrance of the large roses, put on her coat, and walked out of the office.
There were no buses running outside, and the stingy Chen Dui missed the days when he could hitch a ride. He reluctantly took a night taxi home.
A small, pale yellow lamp was still lit in the corridor, where she had waited for several nights before finally returning home.
She tiptoed into the bathroom to wash up, and came out smelling wonderful. Section Chief Shen then sneaked into Shen Liuhe's bedroom, quietly slipped into her mother's bed, snuggled into the warm blankets, and fell asleep almost immediately.
Shen Liuhe got up and turned on the lamp. She saw that Shen Zhenzhu had returned and was choosing to squeeze in with her instead of sleeping in her own room.
She moved Shen Zhenzhu to a different spot, but Shen Zhenzhu was like a clingy puppy, wanting to stay close to her mother even in her sleep.
Shen Liuhe glanced at the time; it was already three o'clock.
"Mom..." Chen Zhenzhu murmured in her dream.
I don't understand why some people would throw away the mother they finally had.
"I'm here, you little devil."
Shen Liuhe didn't know what her daughter had gone through. She sighed softly, patted the sleeping child, and quietly looked at Shen Zhenzhu's well-behaved sleeping face.
"It's good that you're back safe and sound."
After a long while, he turned off the lamp, turned to his side, and fell asleep with Chen Zhenzhu in his arms.
When Shen Liuhe woke up in the morning, she had already left home.
Shen Zhenzhu rushed into Shen Yuyuan's room and, through a combination of threats and inducements, dragged Shen Yuyuan to accompany her to driving practice. She was in high spirits because her driving test was coming up soon.
After finishing their driving practice, the two sisters returned to the shop and the first thing they saw was Xiaobai standing behind the counter packing food for customers: "You're too late."
Xiao Bai nodded, and Chen Zhenzhu followed the direction and saw Zhao Qiqi sitting in the corner with an elderly woman with white hair, waving to her: "This is my grandma. She said she wanted to try Sixth Sister's cooking, so I brought her here. Grandma, this is Sister Zhenzhu, whom I often tell you about. She's our team leader now."
"Hello, Captain Chen, thank you for taking care of Qiqi." The old lady was in good spirits; she must have been a beauty in her youth. Even though she's almost seventy, her eyes are bright, her back is strong, and when she smiles, the corners of her eyes seem to ripple with the beauty of time.
"Grandma, you're too kind. We're all colleagues, it's only right that we look out for each other." Chen Zhenzhu handed over the menu and said, "Grandma, what would you like to eat? It's my treat today."
"Then we've come to the right place!" Xiao Chuan, with his sharp ears and eyes, stood at the door and greeted Chen Zhenzhu loudly, "Sister, why didn't you invite me to your party?"
Wu Zhongguo was accompanied by his grandparents. Upon seeing them, Shen Zhenzhu quickly stood up to greet them, "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma. What brings you all here?"
Wu Zhongguo said, "That brat started haggling with me early this morning. After scoring a goal, he insisted on coming over for a meal. I thought, 'Sure, let him come. His mother is away on a business trip, so it saves me some trouble.'"
Zhao Qiqi moved chairs over and skillfully set up the table, saying, "Grandpa, Grandma, and my grandma can eat together. We just arrived too."
Grandma Zhao greeted Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu with smiles: "I never expected to make new friends while out here, it's wonderful!"
Shen Liuhe came out of the kitchen and said cheerfully, "What day is it today? Even the birthday celebrant is here."
Wu Zhongguo asked, "Who else wants to come?"
Shen Liuhe said, "The old man Zhang you know, his son booked two tables for his birthday banquet today. He didn't want to go to a fancy hotel, he insisted on eating here. I've been in the kitchen preparing for him all this time."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I'll go ask Brother Aye where he is."
Shen Zhenzhu returned to the counter, leaned against Xiaobai, and called Lu Ye. After a while, Lu Ye answered the phone and said, "Bai went home and said she would take my parents out shopping, but they went to see a movie without me. We have nowhere to go, so wait for me and I'll be right there."
Xiao Bai popped his head out and said, "Brother A Ye, you're my own brother, bring me half a pound of those big peach cakes from the place next to your house."
Lu Ye said on the phone, "I'll buy you ten pounds, so you can eat your fill."
Xiao Bai chuckled and hung up the phone, then turned and went into the kitchen to help.
As more and more diners entered the restaurant, Grandma Zhao, Grandpa Wu, and Grandma Wu talked endlessly about the years they had lived through.
“Back then, I worked day and night at the county steel plant to support the country’s steel construction. I developed asthma and joint problems.” Grandma Zhao took the yogurt that Zhao Qiqi poured for her, took a sip, and said, “Luckily, Qiqi doesn’t mind my trouble. Whenever I have a headache or fever, he urges me to go to the hospital. In winter, when the heating in my house is not working well, he buys honeycomb briquettes to burn in the stove for me, and they burn all night long.”
When Zhao Qiqi heard his grandmother start praising him, he rubbed his nose shyly and said, "I'm your grandson, it's only right that I do these things."
Grandpa Wu couldn't help but say as he recalled the past: "Back then, I was sent to the countryside to support the country's construction. I signed up for the Northwest Construction Corps and was assigned to the Gobi Desert. Life was tough back then. It was desolate and uninhabited. Although it was boring, the scenery was still quite nice. You could even see ibex grazing in the distance, hiding from people. I went to the Northwest alone and stayed for five years. We came back together."
Speaking of this, Grandma Wu smiled and said, "Our health problems all started back then. The conditions in the Gobi Desert were terrible, and life was extremely inconvenient. Back then, there was a call for women to hold up half the sky, so both men and women went down into the mines. Every day when we got back, we couldn't take a shower; we always had to wait for the men to finish. Old Wu often took care of me. He would drive out and often bring back some candy and milk powder. He coaxed me into marrying him. Now we're old and can no longer contribute to the country, but fortunately, our family is harmonious, and the younger generation understands us and doesn't see us as a burden."
"Hey, don't say things like that." Wu Zhongguo set out the chopsticks and solemnly lectured Grandma Wu: "We will never think of you and Dad as a burden."
Xiao Chuan stood behind Wu Zhongguo distributing the bowls, shouting, "Dad, I will never think that you and Mom are a burden to me."
Zhao Qiqi rubbed his head and said, "That's right, I knew you were a good kid. Did you win again recently?"
Xiao Chuan sat down next to Grandpa Wu and said proudly, "Scoring goals is my specialty."
Lu Ye waited at the door for a while with peach cakes in hand. Grandpa Zhang's whole family, including his nephew, niece-in-law, and others, came to wish him a happy birthday. A group of people surrounded Grandpa Zhang as he went inside.
After they went inside, Lu Ye went to the corner table, handed the peach shortbread to Xiao Bai, and greeted the elderly people: "Why are you all here today? I should have invited my parents too."
Wu Zhongguo said with a smile, "I don't know why, I just wanted to come out and sit for a while. I'm afraid they won't like it in other places, but I'm absolutely at ease here with Sixth Sister."
Zhao Qiqi nodded vigorously: "My grandma has a sensitive stomach, so she doesn't feel comfortable eating food from other people's homes."
Xiao Chuan exclaimed, "My dad has a good stomach, I feel at ease with whatever he eats."
Wu Zhongguo patted him on the back of the head: "Go get your own milk tea."
"Yay! Time for milk tea!" Xiao Chuan exclaimed happily as he headed towards the milk tea counter.
Shen Liuhe cooks quickly, and the waiters keep bringing dishes to Grandpa Zhang's table. Grandpa Zhang brought a bottle of good wine today, and since he's the eldest today, the younger generation is happy to have a drink with him.
"Steamed sea bass." Shen Zhenzhu placed the dish in the center and said to her grandparents, "Today I told my mom to make something light. If you have any dietary restrictions, please let me know. Don't treat me like an outsider."
The table was packed, with the steamed sea bass placed in the most convenient spot for the elderly. The snow-white fish was topped with delicate shredded ginger and scallions. Wu Zhongguo got up and divided the succulent belly meat among the elders.
The hot oil poured over the sea bass brings out its fresh aroma, and the chopsticks peel back the skin to reveal the firm, white flesh inside.
The sea bass has tender flesh with a smooth and fresh texture. The simple, savory base flavor brings out the natural sweetness of the fish, making even the discerning Wu Zhongguo praise it highly.
"Grandma, watch out for fish bones." Zhao Qiqi no longer wolfed down her food while eating next to her grandmother. She ate from her own bowl while keeping an eye on her grandmother's bowl. After picking out the fish bones, she saw the winter melon and pork rib soup had arrived, so she stood up to serve the elderly women some soup.
During the meal, Grandma Zhao and Grandpa Wu greeted Grandpa Zhang. Grandpa Zhang's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, and Little Fatty Zhang poured Grandpa a glass of wine and held it up to his lips.
Grandpa Zhang would repeatedly recount his glorious past deeds, and everyone listened attentively. Little Fatty Zhang would occasionally chime in with a few words, making his relatives and friends smile knowingly.
"Don't just serve me, eat more yourself too, you're still growing." Grandma Zhao put the ribs in her bowl to Zhao Qiqi, put down her chopsticks, and continued chatting with her new old friend about everyday things.
Shen Zhenzhu casually picked up a piece of pork rib for Xiaobai as well: "You should eat more too, you're growing."
Lu Ye said from the other side, "What about me? I'm still growing too."
"Here, let me get you some." Gu Yanzheng appeared out of nowhere behind Lu Ye, tossed his car keys onto the table, and reached for chopsticks.
Lu Ye quickly grabbed his chopsticks and said repeatedly, "Boss, I can do it myself, I can do it myself."
Wu Zhongguo silently moved his chair, and Gu Yanzheng sat down next to Chen Zhenzhu, who was grinning from ear to ear, as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "So happy to see me?"
Shen Zhenzhu denied it: "The soup was too hot. You should try it, it's delicious."
Zhao Qiqi got up and served soup to Gu Yanzheng. Gu Yanzheng took the opportunity to greet the elders in a proper manner. Seeing that there were ribs in the soup bowl, he picked them up and put them into the Chenzhu Pearl Bowl, saying, "You should have some too."
Chen Zhenzhu said happily, "It's good for your health."
Gu Yanzheng said with a smile, "It's good for the brain."
Shen Zhenzhu held her head and rubbed it: "I think my brain works pretty well."
One sentence silenced the entire scene.
Team Leader Gu's love life was destined to be bumpy, and no one dared to laugh at him. He resolved to give all the walnuts in the office to Chen Zhenzhu.
"This soup is so comforting, everyone should drink more, the essence is all in the broth." Wu Zhongguo ladled out a spoonful of winter melon and pork rib soup, two tender pork ribs resting in the clear, tea-colored broth. The winter melon was stewed until almost transparent, so soft and glutinous that it melted in your mouth.
The broth has a warm, sweet taste, and the aroma of the pork ribs after long stewing blends perfectly with the sweetness of the winter melon. It's understated and not overpowering, interpreting the taste of mom with its hearty and authentic flavor.
The restaurant was bustling with activity, and Grandpa Zhang's hearty laughter never stopped. Just like here, there was no deliberate display of filial piety, no tedious lecturing; love was conveyed through chopsticks placed into the elderly man's bowl, hidden in patient listening and respectful gazes.
Fortunately, in this rapidly developing era, those who abandon family ties are still a minority. Every family's dining table retains simple, heartfelt emotions.
You raised me with patience, and I will accompany you as you grow old.
Warmth is contained in the dishes of every meal, and flows in the blood, perpetuating the roots of Chinese culture.
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Author's Note: This case is complete. Next case: [Advanced Human Mutual Aid Association]
See you tomorrow, there's a 100 RMB red envelope!
***
This article and the psychological analysis in this chapter reference and modify works such as "Criminal Psychology," "Popular Psychology," "Profiling," "Psychology," "Parricide," and "The Psychology of Malice," as well as online resources.
The food section references and modifies online sources.
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