Cooking (II)
Yang Pan studied painting and developed a keen interest in shadow puppetry during his college years. After graduation, he engaged in a career related to shadow puppetry, aiming to carry forward Guo Jia's intangible cultural heritage. To this end, she joined the shadow puppetry society. After going to Nanfu City for exchange and study in October 1995, there was no news from him.
Gu Fang asked Yang's father if he had a list of members of the Shadow Play Research Society.
Father Yang shook his head. He seldom got involved in his daughter's work. Yang's mother did provide a name of a person, Wei Xiaoquan, who was Yang Pan's colleague and classmate in the society.
Gu Fang contacted Wei Xiaoquan. When Wei Xiaoquan heard that Yang Pan was in trouble, he rushed from Rongcheng to Nanfu City.
Wei Xiaoquan was wearing black-rimmed glasses. He was about 175cm tall, of medium build and average looks. "Is it really Panpan?"
"I've checked with her parents. When was the last time you saw her?"
"The last time?" Wei Xiaoquan frowned and recalled, "At the end of last year? I don't quite remember."
"Aren't you guys in a society?"
"We are in a society, but we don't see each other every day. We all have our own jobs, and we only get together for communication and learning."
"When did you exchange and study last year?"
"It was after National Day, around June or July, I don't remember the exact date."
"How many days have you been communicating? Who are the people traveling with you?"
"In one week, all the people who came were people who had learned the lesson."
"Give us a list of names."
"I'll write to you later. Is Panpan really dead?" Wei Xiaoquan still refused to believe it.
Gu Fang nodded, "We police officers won't joke about people's lives. Do you want to see her?"
Wei Xiaoquan shook his head. "She and I were classmates in college and we always had a good relationship. I even dreamed of being with her. But unfortunately, she didn't like me."
Gu Fang's heart moved, "She has a boyfriend?"
"He's not really a boyfriend, we just have an ambiguous relationship. Panpan is interested, but I don't know if he has feelings for her or not."
"What's his name?"
Wei Xiaoquan picked up the pen and wrote down his name, "Zhan Weiyi, it was after listening to his speech that Panpan became fascinated with shadow puppetry, and I, because I love him, also love his family." Wei Xiaoquan smiled bitterly. From beginning to end, Yang Pan's eyes had never been on him.
"Do you have Zhan Weiyi's contact information?"
Wei Xiaoquan shook his head. Who would keep the phone number of their love rival?
A total of fifteen people came to the Chengdu Shadow Play Study Society. On October 7, 1995, they chartered a bus from Chengdu to Nanfu City for exchanges and studies.
In the past two years, Nanfu City has vigorously developed the intangible cultural industry, aiming to build Nanfu City into a cultural city.
Shadow puppetry is one of them, and a cultural street has been specially built for this purpose, including the shadow puppet production process, shadow puppetry and a shadow puppet museum.
Yang Pan and his team came here for a visit. They want to promote shadow puppetry in Chengdu as the city's iconic industry.
The Nanfu Shadow Puppetry Research Society confirmed that they did receive colleagues from Chengdu on October 7. As for how many people there were and who they were, they were not quite sure. The person who contacted them was a man named Zhan Weiyi.
The fact that the statements of both parties match each other shows that there was indeed an exchange meeting.
For further verification, Gu Fang took Jiang Shengyu, Qiu Ming, Yang Dawei and Shen Xingyan to Chengdu.
The first person to look for is Zhan Weiyi, who is the president of the Shadow Puppet Study Society.
The society rented a floor in an office building in the development zone. As soon as you enter, you will see a life-size shadow puppet. It is a figure in blue, wearing red printed clothes with green cuffs and hem, and has her hair tied up in a bun with a flower hairpin on it.
Shen Xingyan stood in front of the shadow puppet that was as tall as her, and looked into its eyes. For some reason, goose bumps appeared all over her body.
Gu Fang revealed his identity and the front desk staff asked them to wait and went to call Zhan Weiyi.
Shen Xingyan looked around the office. There were all kinds of shadow puppets on the floor and on the desks, including figures, animals and backgrounds.
But it doesn’t give people the feeling of a non-profit organization, but more like a company. The girl at the front desk was very pretty and slim, with long hair tied into a bun. When she walked, her upper body did not move, her neck was very straight, and her earrings swayed with a very small amplitude. Her lower body from the hips to the thighs was also motionless, with only her calves moving.
Shen Xingyan suddenly thought of shadow puppetry. If the arc of her hand swings was straighter, her movements would be the same as those of the shadow puppets.
Gu Fang also stared at the back of the receptionist. Shen Xingyan came close to her and asked, "Is her walking posture weird?"
Gu Fang nodded, "Like..."
“Shadow puppets.”
"Yes, look at them." The other staff members had no expression on their faces, and their arms were straight when they took things, just like the mechanical dance of later generations.
The girl at the front desk came back and took them to the conference room, saying that Zhan Weiyi had a guest and asked them to wait and she would be there soon.
Then she brought the tea over, and her movements of pouring the tea became more obvious, more like a shadow puppet.
After she left, Jiang Shengyu rubbed the goose bumps off his arms and said, "Why do I feel so creepy?"
Qiu Ming hummed softly.
Jiang Shengyu: "Even Xiao Qiu feels it's creepy, it's really creepy."
The door was pushed open and Zhan Weiyi came in. He was about thirty years old, wearing a black suit and a white shirt, with his hair carefully combed back. He was very handsome and had a calm temperament. Compared to him, Wei Xiaoquan is indeed inferior in appearance.
He walked normally and smiled politely, "I wonder if there is anything I can do to help the police comrades."
Gu Fang also laughed, "You guys seem to be quite formal in your association."
"We have the official approval documents, and I am also running the business diligently. I give speeches at schools every year. Many of our members are recruited from schools, and young talents are the backbone of the future development of the shadow puppetry industry."
“The spirit of the exhibition director is admirable. I wonder how many members there are now?”
"There are more than 100 of us, and every year we organize members to go to other provinces and cities for exchanges and learning."
“When was the last time you exchanged studies?”
"We went to Haishi a few days ago and showed our shadow puppets to the local society and performed several shadow puppet shows."
"I heard that you went to Nanfu City last year."
Zhan Weiyi chuckled, "Yes, I got to know many local veteran artists."
"Among the people who went there, there was a man named Yang Pan. Do you remember him?"
Zhan Weiyi paused and said, "Sorry, there are too many people and I can't remember clearly."
Gu Fang: "Your students were all recruited through your speeches. You don't forget their names, do you?"
"I only remember some who performed well. Some people just came here to get a spot and show off their faces during the exchange and study. They don't come to the academy on a regular basis. How about this? I'll have someone check it out." He stood up, opened the door, and said to the receptionist, "Xiao Wang, give me the list of people who went to Nanfu City for exchange and study last year."
After a while, the list was brought over. Zhan Weiyi glanced at it and handed it to Gu Fang, "Take a look."
Yang Pan's name was on the list.
Gu Fang pointed it out to him. Zhan Weiyi frowned and thought, then suddenly realized something and said, "Oh, it's her. She's a young girl who just graduated. She's quite young and is particularly obsessed with shadow puppets."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"I really don't remember." Zhan Weiyi picked up the water on the table and took a sip.
"Really? President Zhan, I advise you to think carefully before answering. If you make a false confession, you will be held criminally liable." Gu Fang reminded him.
Zhan Weiyi smiled and said, "I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth."
"Did you know that Yang Pan is dead?"
Zhan Weiyi's hands trembled and the water almost spilled. "What did you say?"
"I said she was dead." Gu Fang stared into his eyes and said word by word: "She was skinned."
"Ah?!" Zhan Weiyi's face turned pale instantly, "Impossible!"
Gu Fang sneered, "Zhan Weiyi, I'll say it one last time, tell us everything you know. If we find out that you've concealed anything, I think you know better than me what the consequences will be."
"But Yang Pan and I are really just ordinary colleagues." Zhan Weiyi gripped the water cup tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Seeing that he was still using the same rhetoric, Gu Fang stood up and said, "In that case, we won't bother you anymore. I'll take the list."
"Please go on."
Zhan Weiyi walked them to the door, looking a little dazed.
Shen Xingyan suddenly asked: "President Zhan, can you give me a shadow puppet?"
"Of course, Xiao Wang, go get a set of shadow puppets."
The receptionist came out with a long box and put it in Shen Xingyan's hand. Shen Xingyan thanked him and said, "I remember the shadow puppets were made of donkey skin or something."
Zhan Weiyi's body shuddered, "Ah, yes, donkey skin...cow skin and sheep skin are also OK."
“What are your shadow puppets made of?”
"Ours? We use cowhide."
"What's the difference?"
"In fact, they are all similar, but cowhide and donkey hide are of better quality, stronger and more transparent."
"When will the exhibition director give a speech? I also want to go and listen to it and learn more about Guo Jia's intangible heritage."
"It's such a coincidence. I just gave a speech and I don't have any plans recently."
"That's really unfortunate. What a pity. Thank you for the shadow puppet for the exhibition director. We won't bother you anymore."
After they left the society and got in the car, Gu Fang said, "Wei Xiaoquan said Zhan Weiyi and Yang Pan had an ambiguous relationship, but Zhan Weiyi said he didn't remember Yang Pan. One of them must be lying."
Jiang Shengyu said: "I think there is something wrong with Zhan Weiyi. His expression is a little different when he mentioned Yang Pan. It is obvious that he is hiding something from us."
Gu Fang asked Shen Xingyan, who was in the passenger seat, "What do you think?"
Shen Xingyan fiddled with the shadow puppet and said, "Have you noticed that there is a circle of skin on Zhan Weiyi's right ring finger that is particularly white? That's where he wears his ring."
"You mean he's married?" Jiang Shengyu was surprised.
"Married or recently divorced men, young female members..." Shen Xingyan suddenly changed the subject, "I saw at the front desk that Zhan Weiyi will have a speech on January 23rd, and the venue for the speech is Huiming University." Shen Xingyan looked at Gu Fang, "Should we go and listen?"
Gu Fang raised the corners of his lips and smiled a bit devilishly, "As a new visitor to Chengdu, it would be unreasonable for us not to show our support to President Zhan."
Jiang Shengyu laughed, "Xiao Shen, you have sharp eyes."
"As a forensic doctor, you must always keep your eyes and ears open."
Jiang Shengyu gave a thumbs up, "No wonder Qi Jiabao calls you Sister Chen. If I wasn't afraid of losing face, I would also want you to call me Sister Chen."
Shen Xingyan glanced at him and said, "You should just call me Xiao Shen. If you call me Sister Shen, I will look so old."
Jiang Shengyu laughed loudly, and Gu Fang also curled the corners of his lips. His eyes fell on the shadow puppet that Shen Xingyan was playing with, and his eyes became a little more serious.
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