Chapter 113 Juvenile Offenders
◎Will your conscience hurt?◎
Zhu Kang's voice echoed in the quiet office. It started as a murmur, then gradually became more sorrowful, and finally turned into an angry roar.
"It's this tattoo, I saw it!"
"Three people killed my whole family."
"Aqiang killed my sister!"
What was sealed in Zhu Kang's memory turned out to be a murder that wiped out his entire family!
The rage in Zhao Xiangwan's heart was burning. This man named Aqiang, who was hiding in the knife city, was a devil! A demon! How could a man who had committed a crime that wiped out a whole family have the nerve to recite a spell to exorcise ghosts? He was a ghost! An unforgivable evil ghost!
Zhao Xiangwan felt a warm touch on the back of his hand.
When she raised her eyes, she met Zhu Kang's eyes.
There was no longer fear, uneasiness, or inexplicable anxiety in Zhu Kang's eyes, but instead there was more sadness, attachment, and deep determination.
Zhu Kang raised his hand and covered the back of Zhao Xiangwan's hand, pulling her hand away from his head.
Zhu Kang slowly raised his head and looked at Zhao Xiangwan: "I remember now!"
Do you remember?
Zhao Xiangwan withdrew his hand and looked at him in surprise: "Does your head still hurt?"
Zhu Kang shook his head: "It doesn't hurt anymore, I'm fine now."
He stood up and said, "Xiang Wan, please continue the trial. This time, I will preside over the trial and you will take notes."
Zhao Xiangwan stood up with him and said without hesitation: "Okay, I'll arrange it."
It was late at night, and the lights in the interrogation room were very bright.
Lu Fuqiang was taken back to the interrogation room again, feeling a little confused.
Didn't you escape? Why were you brought here again?
When he raised his head, he met Zhu Kang's eyes that were burning with anger. He was frightened and retracted his head into his elbows again, continuing to chant "Heaven and earth, please help me... Taishang Laojun, please hurry up and give the order."
Only this time, the spell he chanted was almost nonsense, and his heart was as panicked as a boiling oil pan, bubbling out.
【Who is this policeman? 】
[Looks like Gong Dazhuang! 】
[Didn't they say that all six members of the family were killed? How come there is only one left?! ]
Zhu Kang stared at Aqiang, who was playing tricks on him, and said in a cold voice, "Lu Fuqiang! In Luo County, Caiqi Township, Jiuwan Village, Gong Dazhuang's family of six was murdered. Do you still remember this?"
Just now Ah Xia appeared, and now Gong Dazhuang has appeared. No matter how good his mental quality is or how deep his scheming is, Ah Qiang also feels great psychological pressure.
Ah Qiang was shaking all over. He raised his hands, hid his head behind his elbows, and began to chant, "Gods and spirits, please show up..."
Zhu Kang turned his head and glanced at Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhao Xiangwan nodded, motioning for him to continue, and lowered his head to start taking notes.
Zhu Kang picked up the picture that Ji Zhao had just drawn and examined it carefully.
Even though he was grief-stricken and tears welled up in his eyes, Zhu Kang still looked carefully at the scene of murder on a rainy night.
It is this picture that has been hidden in my heart for twenty years.
It was this memory that troubled him for many years.
It was this little girl in the painting who kept appearing in his dreams.
Zhu Kang reached out his hand and gently stroked the little girl with big eyes, a deep knife wound on her head, blood flowing through her eyes and cheeks, but she still remembered to signal him to hide and not make any sound, and called softly in his heart: "Sister——"
Gong Rou was two years older than her younger brother Gong Yong and was only nine years old when she was killed.
The policeman Zhu Kang, who is now standing in the interrogation room, is actually Gong Yong, born in 1969.
Zhu Kang is Gong Yong's cousin and his uncle's only son.
The tragedy occurred in March 1975, when the spring weather was chilly and rainy.
That night, in addition to Gong Yong's family of six, there was also a six-year-old cousin Zhu Kang. His uncle and aunt came to stay at home for a while during the Spring Festival. Zhu Kang had a lot of fun playing with Gong Yong and Gong Rou, and he kept talking about it after returning home, so his uncle sent him to Jiuwan Village a few days ago to play with his cousins.
Originally, the three children lived in one room and slept in one bed, but that day Zhu Kang happened to catch a cold, so Gong Yong's mother took Zhu Kang over to take care of him and let him sleep in the same bed with the adults.
The murderer broke into the house and killed six people in the family. He mistook Zhu Kang for Gong Yong and counted the bodies, finding exactly six. He thought the family was doomed and fled.
The next day, the villagers discovered that the entire family had died and called the police, who then found Gong Yong hiding under the bed.
Gong Yong was so frightened that he lost his memory.
The uncle and aunt lived in the suburbs of Zhu City, growing vegetables for a living. When they discovered that their only son had died tragically, they were heartbroken and afraid of the murderer's revenge, so they took Gong Yong home to raise him. Zhu Kang and Gong Yong were cousins and looked similar. As the child grew older, people around him did not notice that he had become a different person.
In the 1970s, criminal investigation methods were limited and the rainy night eliminated all traces. The tragic case of the Gong family was not solved and became a local unsolved case.
The villagers who still remember this incident shake their heads and sigh: "Oh! How tragic! The whole family died, and they were all good people."
There are also superstitious old people who still have lingering fears: evil ghosts are taking lives, a family of six, Amitabha~
Zhu Kang remembered everything.
He walked slowly to the iron fence, held up the picture, and said to Ah Qiang who was sitting in a chair, "Lu Fuqiang, you are also from Caiqi Township, right? We are from the same village. Why? Twenty years ago, you were only sixteen years old. Why did you kill people? Why did you kill Gong Dazhuang's family of six?!"
The past events that had been hidden in his heart for twenty years were suddenly revealed by Zhu Kang, and Lu Fuqiang's heart was filled with fear.
He was forced to put down his hands and raised his head in a daze.
Facing a face that looked 60-70% like Gong Dazhuang, Lu Fuqiang screamed, "I didn't want to do it! I didn't want to do it! They forced us to do it! They said that if we want to join, we have to give a pledge and kill people to prove our faith. We founded the Three Swords Society and got tattoos, so we have to kill a few people to prove ourselves."
Killing people to prove the truth?
Zhu Kang simply couldn't believe his ears: "Who are they?! Why would they kill people to preach the gospel? Why would they set up the Three Swords Society? Why would they choose Gong Dazhuang's family of six?"
Lu Fuqiang had just been muttering to himself for a long time and his spirit was almost broken. Coupled with Zhu Kang's face that looked like Gong Dazhuang and his thin but resilient body like a small tree, his psychological defenses completely collapsed, and everything he should and shouldn't say came out of his head.
"After we graduated from junior high school, we had nothing to do and spent our time reading books. During that time, Gong Sichun, Lu Shangwu and I were reading Water Margin. Suddenly, we got interested and decided to become sworn brothers and swear an oath of blood. Shangwu was smart and named our gang the Three Swords Society. Sichun loved painting, so he took blue ink and a needle and tattooed a pattern on his arm. Isn't there a Nine-Patterned Dragon Shi Jin in Water Margin? His tattoos are very beautiful."
"Now that we have a gang name and a tattoo, the next step is to solve a major underworld case."
"Shangwu said that in the Water Margin, to be a hero on Liangshan, one must have a letter of surrender. When Lin Chong became a bandit, he had to kill people to prove his integrity. So we also have to practice our courage with three swords. I was actually afraid, but I couldn't stand their enthusiasm, so I discussed who to kill."
"Sichun said that he killed his cousin Gong Dazhuang's family. I asked why, weren't they his relatives?"
"Sichun said that his grandfather and Gong Dazhuang's father were brothers, and they were not always close, but because of the land distribution during the land reform, the family was divided. Gong Dazhuang's parents were in good health and could earn work points. They only had one son, Gong Dazhuang. After graduating from high school, they sent him to the city to work as a worker, and their lives got better and better. But Gong Sichun's family was in poor health and there were six children in the family, so their lives got worse and worse. Last year, Gong Sichun wanted to continue to study in high school, but his family had no money, so he went to Gong Dazhuang's house to borrow money, but he refused to lend it to him."
"Because of these things, Sichun hated Gong Dazhuang's family and decided to take action. He also said that because they were relatives, no one would suspect that he was the one who did it. The three of us stayed at my house in Xiaowan Village for a few days to let everyone know that the three of us were together and not in Jiuwan Village. We found a rainy day, waited until after 2 o'clock when everyone was asleep, took three kitchen knives, walked along the dirt road across the bridge, and went to Gong Dazhuang's house in Jiuwan Village. We killed the two old ones first, then the two big ones, and finally the two young ones. We also robbed their property so that the police would think it was a burglary."
"Gong Sichun was familiar with the environment and the rooms. He entered from the back door of the kitchen and took us to kill people room by room. Gong Sichun was really cruel. He picked up the knife and chopped, aiming at the head. The first room contained two old people. He killed them in just two minutes without even making a sound. The second room contained two older people. After Gong Dazhuang was killed, his wife woke up in shock and protected the child in her arms. Gong Sichun killed him cousin's wife and threw the younger one to Lu Shangwu, who stabbed him to death tremblingly.
Then, Gong Sichun said that there was a child in his family and he should find the child and kill him.
We walked to the third room together. It was dark, without any light, and a flash of lightning struck. We saw a little girl standing barefoot beside the bed, staring at us with wide eyes in fear.
Lu Shangwu said, "It's a girl? What a pity."
Gong Sichun urged unhappily: Hurry up, take the things and leave.
He looked at me and pushed me forward: "What are you doing standing there like an idiot? Kill her quickly! If you don't do anything, do you still want to join us?"
I had no choice but to walk up to her and slash her head multiple times. I was almost tripped by her in the panic, and Gong Sichun scolded me. I was so scared, I was really scared. There was so much blood! So many dead bodies!
We all put on raincoats and rain boots, quietly returned to my home, changed our clothes and shoes, washed them overnight, and slept until dawn. The next day, when the police came to investigate village by village, we were a little scared at first, but after checking over and over, we found that they did not suspect us, a group of half-grown children, and they could not find anything, so I felt relieved. "
Actually, I am still afraid, really, very afraid. When I close my eyes, I can hear the sound of the knife chopping on my skull, and the scene of blood splashing when the knife sinks into the flesh and is pulled out. I had nightmares for two years. Every night, I would wander around the house with a kitchen knife. I became so thin that I ran away from home and wandered around. I suffered a lot and made some money, but no matter how much money I made, I couldn't get rid of that nightmare. I couldn't sleep in the same bed with someone at night. As soon as I lay down, I felt creepy. I tried, I really tried, but... I killed Axia by mistake."
"That day, we finally got together. Axia lay beside me, and I hugged her and felt like I was embracing the whole world. But the next morning, I found the bed covered in blood. Axia had been stabbed more than a dozen times on the head and body, and I was holding a kitchen knife in my hand."
"I know. I'm done."
"I lived like this, like a wandering ghost, like a mouse. I lived in that knife shop, and only when I saw the knives all over the house did I stop being so scared. I bragged everywhere that I had killed many people, but in fact... I only killed two people, one was Ah Xia, and the other was the little girl from the Gong family."
At this point, Aqiang suddenly looked anxious and leaned forward: "Comrade police, please arrest me. Do you know that I just took a nap on a chair in the detention center and slept very soundly. There are iron bars everywhere here, it's very safe, very safe."
Zhu Kang looked at him coldly: "At the age of sixteen, you committed a crime and murdered someone, so you must have suffered a psychological trauma, right?"
A Qiang didn't say anything, but slowly turned his head and turned his right ear towards Zhu Kang.
This means that he is listening and reminiscing.
"At that time, I was young and ignorant. I read in books about robbing houses, becoming a bandit, drinking big bowls of wine, eating big mouthfuls of meat, how manly, how glorious and lively!"
"When the three of us were in junior high school, it was the period of the movement. The teachers didn't dare to intervene or say anything. If they dared to force us to do homework, we would post big-character posters on them. If they dared to criticize us, we would drag them out and put a dunce cap on them. No matter how excessive we were, as long as we held up the Quotations and read them aloud, no one dared to say a word to us."
"But after actually killing someone, I didn't feel any pleasure at all."
"I was scared, terribly scared! When Sichun was chopping his grandpa and grandma, a bolt of lightning struck. I saw blood all over his face and his eyes were red. I was so scared that my hand holding the knife was shaking."
Zhu Kang gritted his teeth and said, "You killed my sister! She was only nine years old!"
Lu Fuqiang raised his head, staring at Zhu Kang blankly, and suddenly grinned: "Oh, your sister is that little girl, right? I'm sorry, I don't know your sister, but Sichun said that I must kill one of her, otherwise he will kill me. I dare not kill adults, only children, I'm sorry..."
Lu Fuqiang grinned, revealing a mouthful of smoke-yellow teeth, looking ugly and eerie.
Zhu Kang asked: "When did you kill Axia? Where did you commit the crime? How did you deal with the body?"
Lu Fuqiang confessed honestly.
He had been hiding for the past twenty years, fearing that he would be thrown into jail or shot by the police. Until today, when he was taken to the detention center and saw the policemen in olive green uniforms, he confessed the sins that had been pent up in his heart. Suddenly, he felt relieved and relaxed.
After he finished his confession, he signed his name in the transcript and made a request: "Comrade police, when you go to my hometown to investigate, can you help me go see my parents? In the past ten years, I have not dared to go home once. I am afraid to go back and see the old house of the Gong family."
Zhu Kang remained silent, feeling extremely heavy-hearted.
The interrogation was finally completed. It was almost eleven o'clock in the evening. Zhao Xiangwan, Ji Zhao and Zhu Kang returned to the office. Gao Guangqiang was still waiting for them. After understanding the situation, Gao Guangqiang stood up, stretched out his arms to hug Zhu Kang, and patted him on the back twice.
Zhu Kang said in a hoarse voice, "There are two more murderers, Gong Sichun and Lu Shangwu. According to Ah Qiang, the Three Swords Society fell apart after the murder and never got together again. Later, Ah Qiang ran away from home and wandered around. He only heard that Gong Sichun stayed in his hometown and Lu Shangwu moved to the county town with his family. He didn't know how they lived afterwards."
Gao Guangqiang asked him: "What do you want?"
Zhu Kang said: "I will reopen the investigation of this tragic case. I will find out those two beasts and make them face the punishment of the law!"
Gao Guangqiang nodded heavily: "Okay! I will issue a cooperation order to the Luo County Public Security Bureau, and you go back to participate in the investigation."
Zhao Xiangwan said: "Lao Gao, I'll go too."
Ji Zhao was very determined this time and looked at Zhao Xiangwan.
【I'll go too.】
Zhao Xiangwan is too busy with work, so instead of waiting for her to accompany him, it would be better for Ji Zhao to take the initiative to follow.
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at Ji Zhao and thought about how fast and accurate he had just been in drawing the portrait. This time when he went back to Luo County to investigate, he would probably be looking for someone. Ji Zhao, the portrait painter, would be very important. So he looked at Gao Guangqiang and said, "Let Ji Zhao go with us. He will be in charge of drawing the portrait and looking for the person."
Gao Guangqiang: "Okay, Ji Zhao will follow. Let Zhou Rulan go too. She can drive, is careful, and has a good way of managing files. It will be more convenient to have her to reopen the case that wiped out the whole family 20 years ago."
Zhu Kang and Zhao Xiangwan stopped at the same time and saluted: "Yes!"
Ji Zhao was not a police officer, so he just straightened his back and nodded slightly.
--
The autumn wind is refreshing, carrying with it the mellow scent of osmanthus.
Zhu Kang drove, Zhou Rulan sat as the co-pilot, Zhao Xiangwan and Ji Zhao sat in the back seat, and the four of them drove a newly purchased jeep by the Municipal Bureau and drove to Luo County.
Now the provincial roads are getting better and better. It takes about three hours to drive from Xing City to the county seat of Daluo County. We set out at 8 am and arrived at the Daluo County Public Security Bureau at about 11 am.
The person in charge of the reception was Pan Lei, director of the Political Work Office of the Luo County Public Security Bureau. He was very enthusiastic and said, "Are you from the provincial capital? Your Director Xu has already called us and told us that we will definitely try our best to cooperate with your investigation. If you need anything, just let us know."
Zhao Xiangwan explained his purpose.
Because this is an old case from 20 years ago, Pan Lei also feels a little tricky: "Oh, it happened so long ago, and we have experienced a decade of movement. In 1975, many of our work was disturbed by the people of the Revolutionary Committee. I don't know if the files are still there. Wait a minute, I will ask which police station was in charge at that time to see if the old files are still there."
Zhu Kang said anxiously: "It would be even better if we could find the police officer who was in charge of the case at the time."
Pan Lei nodded repeatedly: "That's for sure. We'll come here to ask, but we estimate that we won't be able to give you any news until tomorrow at the earliest. So, I'll arrange for you to stay in a guesthouse first, and then find someone to take you around our county?"
Zhao Xiangwan waved his hand and said, "You're welcome. I'm from Luo County. You can arrange your own accommodation and meals. You just need to hurry up and look for the files."
When Pan Lei heard that Zhao Xiangwan was from Luo County, he felt even more friendly. After chatting for a few more words, Zhao Xiangwan left his contact information and the four of them drove away.
This time it was Zhou Rulan who drove the car, and Zhao Xiangwan sat in the passenger seat and gave orders.
Zhu Kang sat in the back row, extremely anxious.
Zhao Xiangwan turned around and comforted him: "We are the police investigating a case, not seeking personal revenge. We must follow the procedures. Don't worry, when there is progress in Luo County, we will be notified. Then we will go to the countryside to investigate. Let's stay in Luo County today. Are you hungry? I will take you to the rice noodle shop opened by my aunt for dinner."
Eating is the most important thing for the emperor. The four of them quickly reached an agreement and went to Ruyi Rice Noodle Shop located on the restaurant street of the railway station.
There is a small shop on the corner that looks clean and refreshing. There is a golden sign above the store, and the five big characters "Ruyi Rice Noodle Shop" are particularly eye-catching.
It was lunchtime, and the place was bustling with people coming and going.
The characteristic of Luoxian rice noodles in Hunan Province is the various freshly fried toppings, including stir-fried meat with green peppers, stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, stir-fried fatty intestines, stir-fried bacon with white peppers, stir-fried chicken offal... A small spoonful of vegetables is poured on the rice noodles, and then added with pork fat and bone soup, and accompanied by a variety of condiments such as pickled mustard, sour beans, sauerkraut, peanuts, mashed garlic, coriander, green onions, etc. on the counter, for customers to use as they please.
A big bowl of Luoxian rice noodles, with vegetables, noodles and soup, costs two, three or five yuan depending on the size of the bowl. It is filling and delicious, so the business is booming in this train station with a large flow of people.
The last time they were on a mission, Zhao Xiangwan and Zhu Kang were in a hurry and had no time to visit their aunt. This time, they finally stepped into the rice noodle shop. Zhao Xiangwan's eyes were shining with excitement and joy, and his steps were very fast. As soon as he entered the store, someone rushed out and grabbed his arm.
Zhao Dacui was wearing a brown apron, and was covered in grease. She was chubby but very agile. She was standing behind the counter and saw Zhao Xiangwan. She was so happy that she stopped cooking and ran out to hold Zhao Xiangwan, laughing and crying: "Xiangwan, you are back. Why are you so busy? You haven't been back for so long. I missed you so much."
When the customers in the queue at the back saw the chef cooking noodles in the kitchen running out, they became anxious and started shouting.
"Hey, what are you doing~"
"My rice noodles haven't come down yet."
"Hurry up, hurry up, we have to catch the train."
The friendly accent made Zhao Xiangwan smile, and he pushed his aunt and said, "Aunt, go and cook some noodles first. Make a few bowls for the four of us, too. We are all hungry."
Zhao Dacui saw Ji Zhao coming with her and smiled: "Ah, Ji Zhao is here, come and sit down."
He glanced at Zhu Kang and Zhou Rulan again, "Are you Xiang Wan's colleagues? Thank you for your hard work. Find a table and sit down. I'll bring it over right away."
She turned around and called out, "Zhongwu, come out quickly, the third sister is here."
Zhao Zhongwu is now the chef of the rice noodle shop, responsible for frying the rice noodles. The sizzling sound of the hot oil and open flames was so loud that he didn't pay any attention to the movement outside. Hearing Zhao Dacui's voice, he turned around, his face was covered with sweat, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat with the towel hanging around his neck, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Hey, my third sister is back, come and sit down."
Once back in the familiar environment, Zhao Xiangwan became more lively. She also replied loudly: "Second brother, stir-fried pork with green peppers, four bowls."
Zhao Zhongwu responded, "Okay!" without stopping his hands for a moment.
Zhao Zhongwu and Zhao Dacui worked in perfect harmony. One cooked the noodles and collected money, while the other stir-fried the toppings, filled the bowls, and placed them on the table for customers to take away.
Even though they were so busy, the two of them found time to bring four large bowls of rice noodles to Zhao Xiangwan and the others.
The steaming rice noodles are filled with the aroma of the soup, which has a very clear color. The chewy, soft and glutinous rice noodles are crystal clear, and the noodles are topped with a large spoonful of fried pork with local chili peppers. The noodles are oily and meaty, the green peppers are crispy and slightly spicy, and they are sprinkled with green onions. It really makes people's appetite increase.
Zhao Dacui put homemade pickled mustard tubers, snow vegetables, sour beans, and dried radishes in small bowls in front of the four people and smiled kindly: "Children, are you here to work? You must have worked hard. Eat something quickly."
Seeing the jeep parked at the door, Zhao Dacui knew that Zhao Xiangwan was not here to visit relatives or take a vacation, and he brought two upright young men with him. He must have come to Luo County to carry out a mission.
After smelling the familiar aroma of Luoxian rice noodle soup, Zhu Kang didn't pick up his chopsticks for a long time.
Zhou Rulan took a bite, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Xiang Wan, the rice noodles your aunt cooked are really delicious!" Turning around and seeing that Zhu Kang hadn't moved his chopsticks, she urged him, "What's wrong? Eat quickly."
Zhu Kang's voice was nasal: "I ate this kind of rice noodles when I was a child. Our village was not far from the county town, and when my parents took my sister and me to the city, we would go to the rice noodle stall to buy rice noodles. But it was cheaper in the past. A bowl of rice noodles without meat and with pickled cabbage was only 11 cents. If you put meat in it, it would cost 20 cents."
Zhao Xiangwan knew that he was thinking about the past again, so he comforted him, "If you like it, eat more."
Zhou Rulan said softly, "After twenty years, many things are different."
Zhao Zhongwu just came over to wipe the table and put away the dishes. He was a very friendly person and patted Zhu Kang: "Hey, eat quickly. If the food is not enough, I will give you more."
Zhu Kang lowered his head and took two bites. The rice noodles were fragrant and delicious, but he felt uncomfortable in his stomach and had no appetite, so it was difficult for him to eat.
Zhao Zhongwu looked at Zhao Xiangwan with a frown on his face and asked, "What's wrong with your colleague? Is the rice noodles not tasty? Or is he not used to eating something?"
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at Zhao Zhongwu and changed the subject: "Why didn't your second sister-in-law come to the restaurant?" Usually, it was the second sister-in-law who collected the money and cleaned the table, but today it was Zhao Zhongwu who took the time to come over and wipe the table and collect the dishes, which was rare.
Zhao Zhongwu is now married and has changed from his youthful recklessness to a diligent and diligent man. He grinned, revealing dozens of teeth: "Your sister-in-law is pregnant! She can't stand the smell of lard, so let her rest at home."
Zhao Xiangwan congratulated him repeatedly. She never thought that Zhao Zhongwu, who was good for nothing in Zhao Chenyang's eyes and was in jail for gambling in his previous life, would now honestly guard this rice noodle shop, work diligently with his aunt, and open a shop to become a businessman? Now he is married, has a family, and is about to become a father. It is really a cause for celebration.
After Zhao Zhongwu left, Zhao Xiangwan said softly, "Life and death, life never stops. Zhu Kang, if your sister were alive, she might open a rice noodle shop and become the boss, right? Why not put aside the sadness and live happily, just treat this bowl of rice noodles as if it was cooked by your sister for you, okay?"
Zhao Xiangwan's words were clear and soft, yet carried an inexplicable sense of power.
Zhu Kang raised his head and glanced at Zhao Xiangwan, his eyes sparkling with light: "Yes, my sister also loves rice noodles. She always eats a bowl every time she comes to the county town. If she were alive, she might really open a rice noodle shop like your second brother."
After saying that, Zhu Kang lowered his head and concentrated on eating noodles.
The atmosphere at the dinner table became better, and Zhou Rulan quietly gave Zhao Xiangwan a thumbs up. Zhao Xiangwan smiled slightly and looked at Ji Zhao.
Ji Zhao ate quietly. He was dressed exquisitely, had a handsome appearance, noble temperament, and graceful movements. Even though he was sitting in this greasy little shop, he felt like he was sitting in a luxury hotel.
Zhao Xiangwan deliberately asked him: "Is it enough? Do you want some chili sauce?"
【don't want!】
Ji Zhao raised his head suddenly, a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
Although he was from Hunan, Ji Zhao couldn't eat spicy food very well. He could only tolerate stir-fried pork with green peppers. He knew exactly what the chili sauce Zhao Xiangwan was talking about. Zhao Dacui prepared a lot of chili sauce for her every year. Just smelling it made her sweat.
Before Zhao Xiangwan could say anything, Zhu Kang and Zhou Rulan spoke at the same time: "Yes! Some chili sauce."
Well, these two love spicy food.
After eating the rice noodles, Zhu Kang took the initiative to help.
Zhu Kang is a diligent man, thoughtful and quick-witted. He helped to wipe the table, put away the dishes, and even took the dishes to the faucet in the back kitchen to wash them.
Zhao Dacui liked them more and more. She looked at Ji Zhao and Zhou Rulan who were sitting quietly at the table, and whispered to Zhao Xiangwan who was standing beside her helping to set the dishes, "Those two are the young lady and the nobleman, but you and this young man are the ones who do the work."
Zhao Xiangwan: "Everyone's fate is different."
Zhao Dacui said: "If you rely on mountains, they will fall; if you rely on people, they will run away. Being able to do things on your own is better than anything else. Our Xiangwan knows everything and has the best life."
Zhao Xiangwan smiled and said nothing.
In fact, Ji Zhao is the one who cooks at home, but he only cooks at home and only for Xiangwan. Don't even think of letting him lift a finger elsewhere.
As for Zhou Rulan, it was easier to understand. Although she often helped her mother take care of her younger brothers and sisters when she was young, she was still a young lady from the provincial capital, and her family had hired a nanny. How could she possibly help out in a rice noodle shop?
Only Zhu Kang, who was born in a poor family and had experienced the pain of losing his parents, became more motivated to work after Zhao Xiangwan just said that if his sister was still alive, she might also open a rice noodle shop, so he took the initiative to help.
Around two o'clock, there were fewer customers in the store. Zhao Dacui pushed Zhu Kang, who was still happily washing dishes, to sit aside and made them ginger and salt tea, adding roasted sesame seeds and beans to the tea: "You sit down and rest for a while."
Ginger salt tea is another specialty of Luo County.
Ginger is ground into powder using a ginger bowl, boiled with water, and then added with tea leaves and salt to make a bowl of ginger salt tea for daily drinking. When guests come, add sesame seeds and soybeans. People who are used to it will find it delicious, while those who are not used to it will find it strange.
——Putting salt in tea? I don’t understand.
— There are sesame and soybeans in the water? Are you sure this is tea? Not vegetable soup?
Zhou Rulan was obviously not used to it, she only took a sip and put the teacup down.
Ji Zhao wasn't picky, but he wasn't a big fan either, so he drank slowly.
Zhu Kang was so happy that he seemed to have seen a delicious food. He blew it and drank it at the same time. In the end, he ate all the tea leaves, ginger powder, sesame seeds and beans. He asked Zhao Dacui with a feeling of unsatisfied desire, "Auntie, is there any more?"
Zhao Dacui likes the young ones who can eat the most. She picked up the clay teapot happily and said, "Yes, yes, yes, enough!"
Zhu Kang picked up the tea bowl again, took a big sip, and said to Zhao Dacui, "Aunt, I am from Luo County. I grew up in Jiuwan Village, Caiqi Township. My grandmother was the best at making ginger and salt tea. But at that time, our family was very poor. We would not put sesame seeds in the tea until the New Year. We would only put beans in by counting. We were not as generous as you."
Zhao Dacui chuckled, "You kid. When you were a kid, which family wasn't poor? Your family could still grow soybeans, which was a lot of money. I know the Caiqi Township you're talking about, but it's been turned into a town. Jiuwan Village, Houwan Village, and Xiaowan Village were all demolished and rebuilt into a bay because they were close to the bus station. It became Sancunwan."
Sam Tsuen Bay, this is the origin.
Zhu Kang suddenly realized and looked at Zhao Xiangwan: "No wonder after I arrived at Sancunwan, I always felt that everything in front of me was so familiar. It turns out that the villagers here all migrated from those villages. The houses they built and the vegetable fields they opened have more or less the style of the original villages."
Zhao Xiangwan said, "Zhu Feipeng was in charge of the trial of Gong Changshui. I read the transcript and found that he investigated many cases of prostitution, gambling, drugs, and human trafficking in Sancunwan, but he did not ask about the origin of the village. Now that I think about it, Gong Changshui has the same surname as Gong Sichun, so maybe he is from the same village as you, or maybe he is a relative?"
Zhu Kang stood up suddenly: "Yes, how could you forget such an important clue?"
Zhao Xiangwan said, "It's okay. It's not too late to ask now. We've already arrived in Luo County, and Sancun Bay is close by. We can ask anytime."
Zhu Kang sat down slowly, looking lonely, and muttered: "All demolished? Then... my old house is gone, right? I still remember that there was a large plot of land in front of my house, with many trees planted on both sides of the land. There was a hill behind the house with bamboo planted inside. Every spring, I could pick bamboo shoots, soak them and stir-fry sauerkraut."
Zhao Dacui liked Zhu Kang very much and said gently, "It's fine if it's demolished. It used to be so far from the village to the county town. It took more than ten miles to walk. Now it's so good. It's right in the county town. The transportation is convenient and it's also convenient for children to go to school. When the village was demolished and rebuilt, the villagers were very happy to change from rural household registration to urban household registration."
Zhu Kang, however, felt that demolition was not a good thing. He had thought that even though the people were gone, at least the old house was still there, but who knew that everything was demolished. All the memories of my childhood have become a thing of the past, and it is difficult to find any trace of them. This feeling... is really sad.
Zhao Xiangwan couldn't bear to see him continue to be sad, so he brought the topic back to work: "Aunt, are you familiar with the old people in Sancunwan? The case we want to investigate is related to the old case in Jiuwan Village."
Zhao Dacui was immediately interested when she heard this: "Is the old case in Jiuwan Village the one where a fierce ghost demanded a murder 20 years ago? Your aunt has heard about this. It's really scary."
Zhao Xiangwan looked at her: "You know? I haven't heard you mention it before."
Zhao Dacui said: "When that happened, you were just a little kid and didn't know anything. Your eldest and second cousins must have heard about it. They were so scared that they trembled and held me in their arms every day before they would go to sleep. Whenever there was thunder and rain at night, no one in our village dared to go out. We closed our doors and kept the lights on all night, and had to send a strong young man to keep watch."
Zhu Kang calmed down, turned his grief and anger into strength, took out his notebook, and began to ask: "Auntie, what did you know about the situation at that time?"
Zhao Dacui: "Alas, let me tell you, that family in Jiuwan Village is really pitiful. All six members of the family were killed. The blood... was all over the ground."
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at her and reminded her, "Aunt, just tell me what you know, don't exaggerate."
Zhao Dacui's face turned red and he stopped thinking.
"It's been a long time, and I've forgotten some of the details. But I heard that the family was well-off and wealthy, so the thieves broke into the house and hacked everyone to death, from the elderly to the children."
"It rained heavily all night, and the blood flowed out of the house before it was discovered. Uh... I didn't see it with my own eyes, but the villagers told me about it."
"Several police cars came, beeping non-stop. Although the county police didn't really care at the time, six people had died, so the county still took it very seriously. Investigators went around asking if any strangers had come recently or if anything unusual had happened. Unfortunately, there were no clues."
"It was as if a few thieves flew in from the sky, killed someone and ran away."
Compared with what Aqiang said, Zhao Xiangwan also felt sad inside.
Who could have imagined that this sensational tragedy that wiped out a family was actually committed by three sixteen-year-old teenagers?
Gong Sichun was a cousin of Gong Yong, but because he was refused a loan, he held a grudge against Gong Dazhuang and took the opportunity to kill Gong Dazhuang's family. It can be imagined that once Gong Dazhuang died, his house, vegetable garden, and property would definitely be passed on to Gong Sichun's family.
Lu Shangwu, like Lu Fuqiang, was from Xiaowan Village, not far from Jiuwan Village, and the adults and children from the two villages often visited each other. However, because he was young and arrogant, he was influenced by the spirit of the underworld and formed a Three Swords Society, with tattoos on his arms and shouting that he would kill people to prove his doctrine.
Ignorance and shamelessness!
After Lu Fuqiang committed murder, he suffered from sleepwalking and could not sleep peacefully for a single day.
But I wonder if the instigator, Gong Sichun, who set the target of murder, and Lu Shangwu, who clamored to kill people to prove his truth, will feel guilty?
Zhao Xiangwan and Zhu Kang looked at each other and understood the anger in each other's hearts.
These two people must be found and made to face the punishment of the law and the judgment of their conscience!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
