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 his 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. "
其實還是怕的，真的，很怕。閉上眼睛就是刀砍在頭骨上的聲音，刀陷進肉裏拔出來的時候鮮血四濺的場景，我做了兩年的噩夢，每天一到晚上就拎把菜刀滿屋子游蕩，瘦得脫了形，後來離家出走，四處飄蕩，我吃了很多苦，也賺了一些錢，可是再多的錢，也沒辦法讓我擺脫那個噩夢。我根本沒辦法晚上和人睡同一張床，只要一躺下就感覺毛骨悚然。我試過的，我真的試過，可是……我錯手把阿霞殺了。”
“那一天，我們倆終于好上了，阿霞躺在我身邊，我摟着她感覺擁抱了整個世界。可是第二天早上，我發現床上都是血，阿霞頭上、身上被砍了十幾刀，我的手上，還拿着一把菜刀。”
“我知道，我完了。”
“我就這樣，像個游魂一樣地活着，像只老鼠一樣地活着。我窩在那個刀具城，只有看着那滿屋子的刀，我才不再那麽害怕。我到處吹牛，說自己殺了很多很多人，其實……我手底下只有兩條人命，一條阿霞，一條是龔家那個小姑娘。”
說到這裏，阿強忽然神情急切，身體前傾：“警察同志，你們把我抓走吧。你們知道嗎？我剛才在看守所的椅子上打了個盹，睡得很香很香。這裏到處都是鐵欄杆，很安全，很安全。”
祝康冷冷地看着他：“十六歲犯罪，殺人留下心理陰影了吧？”
阿強沒有說話，而是緩緩側過頭去，用右耳朝向祝康。
這代表，他在傾聽，在回憶。
“那時候年少無知，看到書上說什麽打家劫舍、落草為寇，大碗喝酒，大口吃肉，多有男子氣，多麽風光熱鬧！”
“我們三個讀初中的時候，正是運動期間，老師們也不敢管，不敢亂說話，他們要是敢逼我們寫作業，我們就給他們貼大字.報，他們要是敢批評我們，我們就把他們拖出去戴高帽子。不管我們做得多麽過分，只要捧着語錄大聲念，就沒有人敢說我們半個字。”
“可是真正殺了人，一點痛快的感覺都沒有。”
“我怕，怕得要死！當時四春砍他爺、奶的時候，一道閃電劈下來，我看到他臉上都是血，眼睛裏也是紅通通的，吓得要命，拎着刀的手一直在哆嗦。”
祝康咬着牙：“你殺了我姐姐！她才九歲！”
盧富強仰着頭，呆呆地看着祝康，忽然咧嘴一笑：“哦，你姐就是那個小姑娘吧？對不起啊，我并不認得你姐，可是四春說了，必須得下手砍死一個，不然他就弄死我。我不敢砍大人，只敢砍小孩子，對不住啊……”
盧富強咧着嘴笑，露出一口被煙熏黃的牙齒，醜陋而陰森。
祝康追問：“殺死阿霞，是哪一年，在哪裏犯的事？屍體怎麽處理的？”
盧富強老老實實交代。
他這二十年來一直躲躲藏藏，生怕被關進牢裏，害怕被警察槍斃，直到今天進了看守所，見到一身橄榄綠的警察，将積壓在心裏的罪孽說出來，忽然之間如釋重負，整個人變得輕松起來。
他交代完，在筆錄本上簽字，提了一個要求：“警察同志，你們去我老家調查的時候，能不能幫我去看看我爸媽？這十幾年裏，我一次都不敢回家，我害怕回去，我怕看到龔家那棟老屋。”
祝康不置可否，內心無比沉重。
終于完成審訊，已經快晚上十一點，趙向晚、季昭、祝康三人回到辦公室，高廣強還等着他們，了解情況之後，高廣強站起身，伸出雙臂抱了抱祝康，在他後背連拍了兩下。
祝康啞着聲音道：“還有兩個兇手，龔四春、盧尚武，據阿強交代，殺人案之後三刀會就分崩離析，再沒有聚在一起過。後來阿強離家闖蕩，只聽說龔四春留在老家，盧尚武随着家人搬到縣城，後來他們過得怎麽樣，他并不清楚。”
高廣強問他：“你想怎麽樣？”
祝康道：“我要重啓滅門慘案調查，我要把那兩個禽獸不如的東西揪出來，讓他們接受法律的制裁！”
高廣強重重點頭：“好！我給羅縣公安局發協查令，你回去參與調查。”
趙向晚道：“老高，我也去。”
季昭這一次态度很堅決，看着趙向晚。
【我也去。】
趙向晚的工作太忙，想要等着她陪他，不如季昭主動跟随。
趙向晚看一眼季昭，想到他剛才畫像、繪圖的快速、精準，這一回去羅縣調查，多半要尋人，那季昭這個畫像師便很重要，于是看向高廣強：“讓季昭也一起去吧，他負責畫像尋人。”
高廣強：“好，季昭跟着。讓周如蘭也一起去，她會開車，心細，檔案管理有一套，重啓二十年前的滅門大案，有她會更方便一點。”
祝康、趙向晚同時立定，敬禮：“是！”
季昭不是警察編制，只挺直腰杆，輕輕點了點頭。
--
秋風送爽，風裏帶着股膩膩的桂花香味。
祝康開車，周如蘭坐副駕駛，趙向晚與季昭坐後排，四人開着市局新買的一輛吉普車，開上前往羅縣的道路。
現在各級省道修建得越來越好，從星市開車，到達羅縣縣城大約車程三小時。上午八點出發，到達羅縣公安局時大約十一點。
負責接待的人，是羅縣公安局政工室主任潘磊，表現得非常熱情：“是省城來的同志？你們許局長早就打電話交代過，我們一定努力配合你們的調查工作，有什麽需要只管提。”
趙向晚說明來意。
因為是二十年前的舊案，潘磊也感覺有些棘手：“唉呀，這麽久的事情，又經歷過十年運動，七五年的時候我們很多工作都被革委.會的人幹擾，不知道卷宗還在不在。你們等一下啊，我問一問當時是哪一個派出所負責，看看舊檔案還在不在。”
祝康急切地說：“如果能夠找到當時負責辦案的警察，那就更好。”
潘磊連連點頭：“這個是肯定的，我們來問，估計最快要明天才能給你們消息。這樣，我先安排你們在招待所住下，再找個人帶你們在我們縣城轉轉？”
趙向晚擺了擺手：“您不用客氣。我是羅縣人，住宿吃飯什麽的自己來安排，您只用抓緊時間尋找卷宗就行。”
潘磊一聽趙向晚是羅縣人，更覺親切，又扯了幾句閑篇之後，趙向晚留下聯系方式，四人開車離開。
這回換成周如蘭開車，趙向晚坐在副駕駛指揮。
祝康坐在後排，心急如焚。
趙向晚轉過頭安慰他：“咱們是警察辦案，不是私人尋仇，什麽都要按照流程來。你別急，等羅縣那邊有了進展一定會通知我們，到時候我們再下鄉調查，今天先在羅縣住下來。餓了沒？我帶你們到我大姑開的米粉店吃飯吧。”
吃飯皇帝大，四個人迅速達成一致，前往位于火車站餐飲一條街的如意米粉店。
位于街角有一家看着幹淨清爽的小店，店面上方挂着金字招牌，如意米粉店五個大字特別顯眼。
正是中午吃飯的點，這裏人來人往，非常熱鬧。
湘省羅縣米粉的特點，是現炒的各類碼子，有青椒炒肉、青椒炒豬肝、爆炒肥腸、白辣椒炒臘肉、炒雞雜……小小的一勺菜澆在米粉面上，再加上豬油、大骨湯，配合櫃臺上擺滿的榨菜、酸豆角、酸菜、花生、蒜泥、香菜、小蔥等各式各樣的調料，任由顧客取用。
大大的一碗羅縣米粉，有菜有粉有湯，根據碼子不同兩塊、三塊、五塊不等，管飽又美味，因此在這個人流量很大的火車站，生意爆火。
上一次執行任務，趙向晚與祝康來去匆匆，根本沒時間來看望大姑，這回終于踏進這家米粉店，趙向晚的眼中閃着興奮與歡喜，腳步如飛，剛進店就被一個人沖出來抓住胳膊。
趙大翠穿着一件棕色圍裙，滿身的油煙氣，胖乎乎的身材，身手卻極為靈活，站在櫃臺後面一眼看到趙向晚，喜得連粉也不煮了，跑出來拉住趙向晚，又是笑又是淚：“向晚，你可回來了，你怎麽那麽忙呢？這麽久沒有回來了，大姑想死你了。”
後面排隊的顧客看到後廚煮粉的師傅跑出來，急了，紛紛喊了起來。
“喂，搞什麽啰~”
“我的米粉還沒下啊。”
“快點啰，快點啰，還要趕火車嘞。”
親切的鄉音讓趙向晚笑了起來，推了大姑一把：“大姑，你先去煮粉，也給我們四個煮幾碗，我們都餓了。”
趙大翠看到季昭也跟來了，眉開眼笑：“啊，季昭來了，快坐快坐。”
又看一眼祝康、周如蘭，“是向晚的同事吧？辛苦了辛苦了，找張桌子坐一下，我馬上就送過來。”
她又轉過頭喊了一聲：“仲武，快出來，三妹子來了。”
趙仲武現在是米粉店的大廚，負責掌勺炒米粉碼子。熱油明火，炒菜滋滋聲音很大，根本沒有留意到外面的動靜。聽到趙大翠的聲音，他轉過頭來，一頭一臉的汗，擡手用挂在脖子上的毛巾抹了把汗，扯開嗓子喊了一聲：“唉喲，我家三妹子回來了，快坐快坐。”
一回到熟悉的環境，趙向晚整個人都活潑了一些，她也大聲回了一句：“二哥，青椒炒肉，四碗啊。”
趙仲武應了一聲：“好嘞！”手上動作一刻都沒有停。
趙仲武與趙大翠兩人配合默契，一個煮粉、收錢，另一個炒碼子、裝碗，放到臺面上，讓顧客自行端走。
即使是這樣的忙碌，兩人也逮着空先給趙向晚他們端來四碗大大的米粉。
熱氣騰騰的米粉，湯香四溢，湯底色澤卻十分清亮，筋道軟糯的米粉晶瑩剔透，面上澆上滿滿一大勺本地辣椒炒肉，油多肉香，青椒脆而微辣，再撒上小蔥，看着真讓人食欲大增。
趙大翠用小碗盛着家裏自己做好的榨菜、雪菜、酸豆角、蘿蔔幹，放在四個人的面前，笑容慈祥：“孩子們是來工作的吧？辛苦了，趕緊吃點。”
看到門口停着的吉普車，趙大翠就知道趙向晚這回不是探親、不是休假，還帶着兩個正氣凜然的年輕人，肯定是來羅縣執行任務。
聞到這熟悉的羅縣米粉湯香味，祝康半天沒有動筷子。
周如蘭扒拉了一口，眼睛一亮，贊嘆道：“向晚，你姑煮的米粉真好吃！”轉頭看到祝康沒動筷子，便催了一句，“怎麽了？快吃啊。”
祝康的聲音裏帶着絲鼻音：“這種米粉，我小時候吃過。我們那個村和縣城不遠，我爸媽帶着我和姐姐進城的時候，都會到米粉攤買米粉吃。不過以前便宜，一碗不放肉只要酸菜的光頭粉，只要一毛一分錢。如果放肉，就得兩毛錢。”
趙向晚知道他又想起了往事，安慰道：“喜歡吃，就多吃點。”
周如蘭柔聲道：“過了二十年，好多事情都不一樣了。”
趙仲武正好走過來抹桌子、收拾碗筷，他這人是個自來熟，捶了祝康一下：“喂，你快點吃，要是碼子不夠我再給你加一點。”
祝康悶着頭扒拉了兩口，米粉很香、很美味，可是他心口難受，實在是沒有食欲，吃得有些艱難。
趙仲武看着直皺眉頭，問趙向晚：“你這個同事怎麽了？米粉不好吃？還是吃不慣什麽東西？”
趙向晚看了趙仲武一眼，将話題岔開：“二嫂怎麽沒來坐店？”平時都是二嫂收錢、收拾桌面，今天是趙仲武抽空過來擦桌收碗，少見。
現在的趙仲武已經成家，洗去年少時的輕狂跳脫，變得勤懇起來。他咧嘴一笑，笑得牙齒露出來十幾顆：“你嫂子懷孕了！她聞不得豬油味，就讓她在家休息。”
趙向晚連聲恭喜，真沒想到，在趙晨陽眼裏一無是處，前世因為賭博進了局子的趙仲武，現在會老老實實守着這個米粉店，勤勤懇懇地與大姑合作，開店做起了生意人？現在眼見得結婚有了家，即将為人父，真是可喜可賀。
待趙仲武走後，趙向晚輕聲道：“生生死死，人生不息不止。祝康，你姐若是活着，說不定也會開一家米粉店，當上老板娘吧？不如，放下悲傷，高高興興地活着，就當這碗米粉，是你姐給你煮的，行不行？”
趙向晚的話清亮、柔和，卻又帶着一種莫名的力量感。
祝康擡起頭，看一眼趙向晚，眼中多了一絲光彩：“是，我姐也愛吃米粉，每次來縣城她總要吃一碗的，如果她活着，說不定真的會像你二哥一樣，開一家米粉店。”
說完，祝康低下頭專心吃粉。
飯桌上的氣氛變得好了起來，周如蘭悄悄沖趙向晚比了一個大拇指。趙向晚微微一笑，看向季昭。
季昭安靜地吃着，他衣着精致、模樣昳麗、氣質貴氣，動作優雅，哪怕坐在這滿是油膩的小店裏，也像是坐在豪華大飯店一樣。
趙向晚故意問他：“夠不夠？還要不要加點辣椒醬？”
【不要！】
季昭猛擡頭，眼睛裏露出一絲緊張。
雖然是湘省人，季昭卻不太能吃辣，最多只能承受青椒炒肉這個辣度。他太知道趙向晚所說的辣椒醬是什麽，趙大翠年年都給她準備一大堆的辣椒醬，光是聞着都滿頭是汗。
趙向晚還沒說話，祝康與周如蘭同時開口：“要！來點辣椒醬。”
好吧，這兩個無辣不歡。
吃完米粉，祝康主動幫起忙來。
祝康是勤快人，心細，眼裏有活，幫着擦桌子、收拾碗筷，還把碗拿到後廚水龍頭那裏幫忙洗幹淨。
趙大翠越看越喜歡，看着安安靜靜坐在桌前的季昭、周如蘭，對站在她身邊幫忙布碗的趙向晚悄悄說：“那兩個，是嬌小姐、貴公子，就你和這小夥子啊，是幹活的人。”
趙向晚：“每個人的命都不一樣嘛。”
趙大翠道：“靠山山倒，靠人人跑，自己會做，比什麽都強，咱們家向晚什麽都會，命最好。”
趙向晚笑了笑，沒有說什麽。
其實季昭在家是做飯的那一個，不過他只在家、只為向晚做飯，別的地方，休想讓他動一根手指頭。
至于周如蘭，那就更好理解。她雖然在小時候經常幫母親分擔帶弟弟妹妹的活，但好歹也是省城來的大小姐，家裏也是請過保姆的人，怎麽可能會在米粉店主動幫忙做事？
唯有祝康，苦孩子出身，又經歷了喪親之痛，趙向晚剛剛說如果他姐姐還活着，說不定也會開一家米粉店，他代入之後幹活的積極性飛漲，這才主動幫起忙來。
到了兩點左右，店裏顧客少了許多，趙大翠把還在樂颠颠洗碗的祝康強行推到一旁坐下，又給他們煮姜鹽茶，在茶裏放上炒熟的芝麻、豆子：“你們坐着歇一會。”
姜鹽茶，又是羅縣特産。
姜用姜缽子擺成碎末，開水一沏，加上茶葉和鹽，就是一碗日常喝的姜鹽茶。遇到有客人來，再放上芝麻與黃豆。吃得慣的人呢，覺得很美味；吃不慣的人呢，會覺得怪異。
——茶裏放鹽？莫名其妙。
——水裏有芝麻、黃豆？你确定這是茶？不是菜湯？
周如蘭顯然不太習慣，只喝了一口便放下茶碗。
季昭不挑剔，但也不是十分喜愛，慢吞吞地喝着。
祝康卻歡喜得像見了人間美味，一邊吹一邊喝，最後連茶葉帶姜末、芝麻、豆子全都吃進肚子裏，意猶未盡地問趙大翠：“姑，還有嗎？”
趙大翠最喜歡能吃的小輩，高高興興地拿起瓦茶罐：“有有有，管夠！”
祝康再端起茶碗，喝了一大口，對趙大翠說：“姑，我是羅縣人，小時候在蔡旗鄉酒灣村長大，我奶最會煎姜鹽茶，不過那個時候家裏窮，不到過年根本舍不得放芝麻，豆子都是數着數目放，沒有您這麽豪氣。”
趙大翠撲哧一笑：“你這孩子。小時候家裏哪家不窮？你家還能放黃豆，那已經是舍得的了。你說的這個蔡旗鄉我知道，現在早就改鎮了，酒灣村、後灣村、小灣村這三個村子因為靠近汽車站，被全都拆了重建成一個灣子，成了三村灣。”
三村灣，原來是這個由來。
祝康恍然，看向趙向晚：“難怪我到了三村灣之後，總覺得眼前一切好熟悉，原來這裏的村民都是由那幾個村遷來的，建出來的房子、開出來的菜地，或多或少都帶着原來村子的風貌。”
趙向晚道：“朱飛鵬負責審龔長水，我看了筆錄，他審出不少三村灣裏的黃、賭、毒，還有拐賣的人口幾樁案子，不過并沒有詢問村子的由來。現在想來，龔長水這個名字和龔四春同一個姓，說不定和你們是一個村，也許是親戚？”
祝康霍地站起：“對啊，這麽重要的線索怎麽給忘了？”
趙向晚道：“沒事，現在問也來得及。我們反正已經到了羅縣，三村灣又離得近，随時可以詢問。”
祝康緩緩坐下，神情落寞，喃喃道：“都拆了？那……我家以前的老屋都不在了吧？我還記得，我家屋前有很大一塊地坪，地坪兩旁種了好多樹，屋後有座山包，裏頭種了竹子，每年春天都能掰竹筍，泡一泡炒酸菜吃。”
趙大翠挺喜歡祝康，溫柔道：“拆了就拆了呗，以前從村子到縣城多遠吶，要走十幾裏路呢。現在多好，就在縣城裏，交通方便，孩子上學也方便嘛。從農村戶口一下子變成城市戶口，當時拆村重建的時候，村民們不曉得幾歡喜咧。”
祝康卻覺得拆了不好。原本想着人雖然不在了，好歹老屋還在，誰知道這些都被拆了。童年的所有記憶全都成為過往煙雲，再難尋回半點蹤跡，這種感覺……真的很讓人難受。
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!