Chapter 9 Boiling the Severed Palm
The Liancheng International Fashion Festival has come to a perfect end. The seaside fashion show stage has been dismantled, and the citizens of Liancheng can once again enjoy beachcombing and barbecues at Haixing Park, and outwit and outmaneuver the distinguished guests from afar—the Siberian Great Wild Gulls.
With the Dragon Boat Festival still a month away, Shen Liuhe started making and selling zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) ahead of time. Shen Zhenzhu was making zongzi until after 10 p.m. last night when Shen Liuhe sent her upstairs to sleep. She got up at 5:30 this morning and went downstairs to continue making zongzi.
Shen Yuyuan rubbed her eyes and propped herself up on the bed, saying groggily, "Big sister, I'll go down and make some too."
Chen Zhenzhu felt sorry for her younger sister, who was a high school student and had to work hard every day to help with chores, so she told her not to go: "You did your homework until midnight yesterday, so you should get some more sleep. It won't make a difference if you take care of a few ugly girls."
Shen Yuyuan protested, muttering, "My wrapping isn't ugly, and yours isn't much better than mine."
Shen Zhenzhu ignored the protests and used her elder sister's domineering power to force her younger sister to sleep a little longer. When they got downstairs, she was about to put on her apron when Shen Liuhe pulled it away.
"You go upstairs and sleep too!"
Shen Zhenzhu protested: "I'm not sleeping, I'm already up."
However, the protest was ineffective, and the mother's bloodline suppressed her, forcing her to go back upstairs.
Instead of going back to her own bed, she squeezed into Shen Yuyuan's small bed, and the two sisters fell asleep again in no time.
Shen Liuhe has been in a good mood lately. The police officer who took her statement later told her that Hu Xianfeng's stolen car had been confiscated and he had been fined a lot of money, haha!
Unfortunately, criminal liability cannot be pursued due to the statute of limitations. However, money is his lifeblood; his suffering makes her happy, and the more he suffers, the more happy she becomes.
Yuan Jiangxue, who had stayed up all night playing mahjong, yawned as she saw that the steamed bun shop was already steaming. Instead of rushing back to her own shop, she sat down at an empty table and dozed off for a while.
As the noise in the shop gradually grew louder, she squinted as her sixth sister stuffed a bowl of meat dumplings and soy milk into her mouth: "How can you skip breakfast? Get up quickly."
Yuan Jiangxue looked up at the prices on the blackboard, took out her money, walked to the cash box, and stuffed it in. Then, she widened her eyes and shouted, "Old Lu, are you trying to kill me? You're sweeping your own trash in front of your house over here! That's not how you do sanitation!" After saying that, she picked up her breakfast, put her hands on her hips, and went over to start a fight, looking very energetic.
Sixth Sister was used to their constant bickering, and she would happily serve breakfast to customers while laughing heartily.
The old neighbors know that the two of them are quick-witted and that watching them argue is more exciting than watching a play. They never miss a show like this.
Meanwhile, the neighborhood kids rushed off to school, clearly not having time for breakfast. Sixth Sister quickly stuffed a fragrant red bean bun into their hands: "Eat it after you catch your breath at school!"
She repaid her neighbors with boundless love. Her affection for this little street, Tiesi 2 Village, grew stronger day by day, like the sycamore trees lining the roadside, nurturing the branches of the future with sunshine and rain.
This morning, Chen Zhenzhu ate the yellow glutinous rice dumplings made by her sixth sister. The duck egg yolks inside were fragrant and soft, and the combination of the glutinous aroma of the yellow rice and the fragrance of the bamboo leaves made them delicious even without dipping them in white sugar.
This year, the neighbors have placed many orders, as everyone trusts Sixth Sister's cooking skills and hygiene. If you ask who's the cleanest person on this street, it's definitely Sixth Sister. She washes the vegetables even more carefully than she does herself.
Sister Wang from the police station likes to eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) but doesn't know how to make them, so she orders them from Sister Liu every year for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Today, Chen Zhenzhu slowly rode her bike to work with a big bag of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). Because of her hardworking sixth sister, Tie Si's Dragon Boat Festival always comes a little earlier than everyone else's.
The scab on Chen Zhenzhu's injured knee was cracking open with the slightest movement, making her look even worse. She didn't want her sixth sister and youngest sister to know, as the mother and daughter made such a fuss over a minor injury, and she didn't want them to worry.
Unfortunately, my daily exercise routine will have to be temporarily suspended.
After reporting to the police station, Chen Zhenzhu began her daily patrols, walking the entire jurisdiction by herself without feeling particularly tired. She would always manage to chat with neighbors she encountered along the way. And when she passed some stalls, her mouth would be stuffed full.
Because the bulletin board displayed Chen Zhenzhu's photo, even strangers would call her "Zhenzhu" and praise her endlessly.
Her face was delicate, and her pretty, bright face was always flushed while she was on patrol, her dimples never disappearing.
After walking through the Xin'er Village residential area, carrying a water bottle, I walked along the street for half an hour and successfully dissuaded a couple who were about to come to blows and some street vendors who were cursing and arguing over territory.
Her pretty, harmless appearance and soft-spoken manner made it easy for frivolous people to joke around with her. As long as they didn't cross any lines, she didn't care.
After finishing the water in the kettle, he easily found a familiar shop to get more water, only to be followed by Wu Fuwang, the colorful rooster.
Last time, Captain Gu appeared out of nowhere to stand up for her, but she was too embarrassed to do anything about it.
This time, after luring people into the alley and giving them a good beating, they came out, clapped their hands, greeted acquaintances, and showed off their neat white teeth, looking very harmless.
Didn't she know that in her past life she was a model student at Emei Martial Arts School?
He was recommended to the provincial team without taking the entrance exam; he's incredibly good at fighting.
If you didn't know, it's never too late to find out now.
With a bruised and swollen face, Wu Fuwang wanted to report the incident. He limped to the police station, only to be rudely rebuked by Hong Le: "Do you think she can beat you? Daring to stage an accident for the police?"
The thought of being cornered by the shorter Shen Zhenzhu, whose fists were clenched so tightly he could hardly contain himself, sent a chill down his spine in the sunlight.
Turning around abruptly, I saw Comrade Xiao Shen in the photo on the bulletin board; his bright smile looked sinister no matter how I looked at it.
Next time you see her, you'll have to hide in the men's restroom.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't care what he thought; she patrolled to the vicinity of Xinjie Garden Community.
There is a row of shops along Xinjie West Road outside the residential area, with a similar layout to her shop, consisting of two floors.
Shen Zhenzhu noticed a large crowd gathered in front of Xiaomei Fruit Shop, and it seemed something had happened, so she quickly ran over.
"It's you, Officer Shen. I saw you on the bulletin board. You're even more handsome in person than in your photos. Are you here to solve a case?"
"Let me tell you, this fruit shop owner and his wife are really unlucky. I don't know who they offended, but their daughter, who is only fourteen years old, was kidnapped and a severed hand was thrown against the window early this morning. It's really creepy."
"Could it be a kidnapping? Everyone says kidnappers cut off fingers to extort money, but she had her hand chopped off directly. She's so young and will be crippled. It's so tragic."
What?! You cut off someone's hand and threw it through their window?!
What a desperado!
Shen Zhenzhu listened to the chatter and peered into the crowd.
She came over from the other side faster than anyone else; she was the only police officer present at the scene.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly stood on tiptoe and shouted, "Don't move anything, and don't step on anything! The crime scene is key to solving the case, everyone please help us not to disturb the evidence!"
She pushed her way to the front, spread her arms, and together with the kind-hearted crowd, set up a cordon to prevent overcrowding and the destruction of clues.
"Listen to Officer Shen, don't push! What's so interesting about someone else's tragedy? Everyone move to the back!"
The person who spoke up for them was an acquaintance of the fruit shop owner and his wife. It was also thanks to the help of the neighbors that they were able to get through; otherwise, if the onlookers had rushed in, all the clues would have been destroyed.
Several people who were pushing forward ignored the warnings. Shen Zhenzhu pointed at them and glared at them. Although she was shorter than them, she had a very imposing manner and gave them a fierce lesson.
After reprimanding her, he turned around and saw Zhao Mei, the fruit shop owner, and her husband Cai Duobao, crying so hard they almost fainted.
Cai Duobao, holding his wife, cried out to the crowd with all his might, "Give me back my daughter! Give me back my daughter! She's only in the first year of junior high! Please, please, let my daughter come back alive. I'd give anything to go bankrupt!"
A hand lay on the floor tiles in front of him. It was dark purple, with dried blood. Judging from the bones and knuckles, Chen Zhenzhu could tell it was the left hand of an underage girl.
Judging from the cross-section, it appears to have been chopped open with a sharp weapon; the skin is eerily white, as if it had been boiled.
"Crying so hard, isn't it all because she desperately wants a son? What's the use of praying to Buddha and gods every day? She's already lost her daughter, and now she's got her wish." A cacophony of voices reached Shen Zhenzhu's ears, some true, some false, and it was truly unpleasant to hear.
The crowd was filled with unease, everyone speculating whether it was a human trafficker who had kidnapped the girl to maim her and force her to beg, or perhaps a kidnapping for ransom.
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her head to carefully examine the severed hand, and secretly reached out to touch her forehead. Sure enough, a fleeting image of her Heavenly Eye flashed before her eyes.
The owner of this severed hand, Cai Jingjing, is only fourteen years old. She stands in a dark room. Because there is only a limb, the picture is not clear. The only thing that can be heard is a man saying "Damn it" in a vicious voice, and then the picture goes black.
The accent wasn't the distinctive oyster flavor of Liancheng; his speech was rapid and short, with a panicked tone, making him appear to be a man in his twenties or thirties with an accent from another region.
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, he murdered a minor girl and threw her severed hand in front of her parents' shop. No one would believe there wasn't some deep-seated hatred involved.
Cai Duobao held his wife and murmured, "It's alright, my wife, Jingjing will be alright, she must still be alive. She must... she must be alive."
He couldn't imagine the torture and humiliation the girl would face after being kidnapped; she wasn't even an adult yet.
Shen Zhenzhu pursed her lips and remained silent, her eyes concealing a storm.
Gu Yanzheng led his team to the scene, but the evidence left on the scene was not optimistic.
Upon arrival, they found that the crowd had been kept within a reasonable range and the scene had been well preserved. Seeing Chen Zhenzhu gently comforting the victim's parents, they nodded: "Good."
"Aye, you take some men and do a thorough search of the area to see if there are any other remains. Xizi, you go and find witnesses to take their statements."
Gu Yanzheng put on gloves and squatted down to examine the severed hand with the forensic doctor.
"This is definitely not the primary crime scene. The limbs were boiled in water; high temperatures can accelerate protein denaturation and prematurely or disrupt rigor mortis. The blood will also coagulate, interfering with the distribution of livor mortis. The initial examination cannot determine the exact time the limbs were severed; they need to be taken back for detailed examination."
"Okay." Gu Yanzheng carefully examined the severed hand, then turned to Cai Duobao and asked, "When did you discover it?"
Cai Duobao glanced at Shen Zhenzhu, who was squatting to one side. Shen Zhenzhu said, "This is Captain Gu from the Criminal Investigation Department. With him around, your daughter's case will definitely be solved. Think it over carefully and tell me in detail."
Gu Yanzheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, then met her bright, piercing eyes and nodded in agreement: "I will do my best to solve the case."
Cai Duobao recalled with grief, "Before dawn, before we even got out of bed, we suddenly heard a loud bang from the downstairs window. Thinking someone was stealing something, I cursed, but there was no response, so I didn't get up. At 6:20 in the morning, I got up to go to the market to buy supplies. My wife came downstairs to open the door and saw a severed hand under the window. She was so frightened she fainted..."
Do you remember when the sound came out?
"It was two or three in the morning," Cai Duobao said regretfully. "I guessed it was around that time, so I just glanced at it in the dark."
"How did you determine that this is Cai Jingjing's hand?" Gu Yanzheng asked.
Cai Duobao said, on the verge of collapse, "She has a birthmark on her palm, a black birthmark the size of a walnut."
Forensic pathologist Qin An carefully opened the palm of the severed hand and indeed saw a birthmark the size of a walnut. After being boiled in water, the edges of the birthmark turned gray.
Cai Duobao looked away, grabbed his hair, and said, "Is my daughter going to die? Who wants to kill her? My husband and I run our business honestly; we have no enemies."
Based on the act of cutting off and boiling the limbs, Gu Yanzheng deduced that the murderer was cruel, calm, and clearly intended to kill. Cai Jingjing's chances of survival are slim.
"It was probably chopped off with a cleaver or axe." After examining it, Qin An said to Gu Yanzheng, "Captain Gu, I'll take it back for testing first, and leave two people to do trace evidence examination?"
"Go ahead." Gu Yanzheng nodded, then asked Cai Duobao, "When did Cai Jingjing disappear?"
Cai Duobao said, "She disappeared yesterday afternoon. She asked me for pocket money after school. I didn't give it to her and she ran away, saying she was going to ask her grandma for it. She didn't come back last night, so we thought she really went to her grandma's house, she's done that before."
What time does school end?
"Around 5:30."
"Have you offended anyone recently? Or are you defaulting on debts?"
"We haven't offended anyone. People who buy fruit from us can pay on credit. I always bring cash with me when I buy goods; I never owe anyone money... Please, please help us. We finally had a child. We're not scumbags who favor sons over daughters."
"The time of the crime is tentatively set between 5:30 pm yesterday and 3:00 am this morning. Lao Wu, go and ask if there are any witnesses."
Wu Zhongguo stood up with his notebook in hand: "Okay."
Gu Yanzheng had the couple helped into the shop to continue giving their statements. He then proceeded to investigate the surrounding area, leaving no stone unturned.
After giving their statements, Chen Zhenzhu accompanied the couple to rest briefly in the fruit shop. Because of the incident, the stalls on both sides of the shop were empty and not stocked with any goods.
When Zhao Mei finally woke up, she thought it was all a nightmare.
Turning her head, she saw the police officers at the door and the crowded throng, and she burst into tears again: "My daughter, my daughter!! Who harmed you and threw your hand back at me, stabbing me in the heart!"
Shen Zhenzhu stood to one side, her eyes lowered, carefully recalling the events captured by her divine eye. She hadn't seen the murderer's face. The only thing she was certain of was that the murderer was a young man from out of town. Judging from his tone of voice, he probably had a bad temper, and there were others present.
Whether or not the girl was sexually assaulted... remains to be investigated.
Back at the police station, Shen Zhenzhu pondered how to solve the case. She pretended to take a nap, rested her head on the table for a while, and repeatedly reviewed the surveillance footage, but there were no other clues.
When she got home from get off work, she was shocked to find that the Fourth Criminal Investigation Team was actually at the entrance of Sixth Sister's shop!
"What's wrong?"
A note from the author:
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Zhuzhu: Don't come any closer!
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