Under the serious gaze of the police, Lu Qingjiu brought a few stools from the house and some snacks for them to sit and rest while waiting for the police station to send professional personnel and equipment.
"When did you come back here?" The young policeman sat down, but the old policeman did not move, and he looked at Lu Qingjiu with a look of suspicion.
"I just came back a few days ago." Lu Qingjiu said, "I used to work in City A."
"What are you doing back here?" The old policeman looked Lu Qingjiu up and down.
"This is my hometown." Lu Qingjiu said, "I'm tired from work, so I want to go back home and farm."
The old policeman asked about the identities of Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun again. After getting the answers, he stopped talking and turned his attention to the well. He seemed to be thinking about something, and his expression became more and more serious.
Yin Xun was terrified and said to Lu Qingjiu, "What did this policeman remember? Why does he look so scary..."
Lu Qingjiu shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.
Neighbor Uncle Li also heard the sirens and came over to ask what happened. Lu Qingjiu told him that something seemed to have fallen into his well, so he called the police and told his neighbor Uncle Li not to worry.
"Oh, this well in your house," Uncle Li said, "it's very strange."
"What do you mean?" The young policeman next to him heard what Uncle Li said.
"When Qingjiu wasn't home before, we often heard the sound of something falling. At first, we thought it was someone, so we came in to check, but we found nothing in the well... After a long time, we stopped paying attention." Uncle Li seemed to feel that the police's expression was not right, and whispered, "Did you find something in there?"
"Not sure yet." The young policeman waved his hand, signaling Uncle Li to stop joining in the fun, "Go back quickly."
"It's okay, Uncle Li, you can go back first." Lu Qingjiu also said.
Uncle Li then turned around and went back.
Lu Qingjiu exchanged glances with the young policeman. Not surprisingly, he saw a hint of fear in the young policeman's eyes. It was obvious that this young man had not been a policeman for too long and was not calm enough when faced with such a thing.
The old policeman was much calmer and remained cool throughout the whole process. He did not leave the well until the support people sent by the bureau arrived.
It was almost midnight and the whole village was asleep, with only the chirping of insects in the grass remaining.
The newly arrived police brought professional equipment and personnel, and then prepared to go down the well to salvage the items.
Yin Xun was still dozing off, but the words "There's a dead body" from the person going down the well made him shudder and he woke up instantly.
"Oh my God!" Yin Xun looked towards the wellhead in horror, "Is there really a corpse?!" He thought it was just a dead animal or something.
The atmosphere among the crowd grew tense. The people at the well pulled the rope hard and finally pulled the body out of the well. Because it had been in the water for too long, the flesh on the body had almost completely rotted away, leaving only white bones, covered with thick seaweed, which at first glance looked like a mass of black hair.
It was the first time for Yin Xun and Lu Qingjiu to see a corpse. They both covered their mouths and noses and took a few steps back. However, Bai Yuehu didn't change much. He continued to crack his melon seeds with a cold expression, which was completely out of place compared to the nervousness of the others.
"It's a female corpse." The police officer on the scene briefly examined the body and said, "She's been dead for at least a year. We need to take her back for a detailed examination."
"Do you still remember what happened last year?" The old policeman who came earlier suddenly turned around and asked his colleague next to him a question.
"You mean?" the man said, "No way, how could the body be dumped here?"
"It's possible." The old policeman turned his head and looked at Lu Qingjiu. "How long have you not been back?"
"Several years." Lu Qingjiu answered honestly, "Two or three years, this house has been abandoned."
The old policeman nodded and said, "Okay, you guys go to sleep first. We still need to investigate the scene. Come to the police station tomorrow to make a statement."
Lu Qingjiu nodded.
The police seemed to have a clue about the body and had ruled out Lu Qingjiu as the primary suspect. After all, judging by the decomposition of the body, the man had been dead for at least a year, and according to Lu Qingjiu, he had never returned during that time. Of course, these matters still needed further investigation, and the most important thing at the moment was to find the body's identity.
Although the police asked them to go back to sleep, Yin Xun said that he did not want to go back and insisted on staying with Lu Qingjiu for one night.
Lu Qingjiu looked at him suspiciously: "Are you afraid of ghosts?"
"Haha, how could I be afraid of ghosts?" Yin Xun said, "I, Yin Xun, have never been afraid of anything in my life!"
Lu Qingjiu: "...Since you are not afraid, can you give me some of the quilt?"
Yin Xun: "I don't! I feel cold on my back!"
Lu Qingjiu: “…”
In the end, he gave up fighting with Yin Xun for the quilt and quietly went to get a clean one from the bed.
Lu Qingjiu did not sleep well that night. He kept thinking about the appearance of the corpse, which made him listless when he woke up the next day. He went to the police station with the police to take a statement and kept yawning after returning.
The backyard was cordoned off by the police, who said they were trying to protect the scene. Although from a time perspective, the scene was no longer of much value, after all, too much time had passed and most of the evidence should have been destroyed.
A few days later, the police withdrew their protection from the scene, and Lu Qingjiu found some free time to go to the police station and make a statement.
After returning from the police station, Lu Qingjiu went to the neighbor's house and asked Li Xiaoyu to prepare some pig grass for the pigs. Li Xiaoyu went happily, and his father asked curiously about the situation in the Lu family's backyard.
"Is there really a body?" Uncle Li was smoking and almost dropped his cigarette in shock when he heard this. "Then what about the sounds we heard during that time..."
Lu Qingjiu laughed dryly twice, thinking that it was better not to delve into some things. The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
Aunt Li also said: "Then you must be careful in the future. If you have any more problems, remember to ask a fortune teller to come. Oh, what a sin."
Lu Qingjiu nodded, indicating that he understood.
When he returned from the police station, he bought a few pieces of fresh beef and spices from the nearby market, preparing to braise them for later use. For lunch, he had to make do with a simple meal. Lu Qingjiu diced some beef, minced it, and stir-fried it until fragrant. He then added carrots, onions, peas, and corn. After a high heat, he poured the ingredients over the leftover rice and steamed it directly. After steaming, the rice could be eaten directly as a side dish.
When he was cooking, Bai Yuehu watched from the side and occasionally helped.
After the rice was steamed, Lu Qingjiu took the pot out and divided it into three portions. Then he poured soy sauce on it and stirred it evenly, and then he could start eating it directly.
The vegetables, meat and rice were evenly blended together, leaving a delicious taste in the mouth. It was simple and filling, and all three of them enjoyed the meal very much.
"Sake, don't forget to water the vegetables in the field later." Yin Xun mumbled, "These seeds have just been planted, and water is essential."
"I'll go." Bai Yuehu said.
"No need." Lu Qingjiu wanted to refuse.
"I'll go." Who knew Bai Yuehu's attitude was very firm, "You can just braise the beef at home."
Lu Qingjiu originally felt it was a bit embarrassing to let Bai Yuehu do such rough work, but after thinking about it carefully, Bai Yuehu was not a human being, and perhaps it would be easier to do the work if he had his own way, so he said nothing more and nodded in agreement to his request.
After a short nap, Lu Qingjiu called the telecommunications company again and asked them to reconnect the network cable and TV signal. The telecommunications company said they would send someone over the next day.
Just after finishing the call, Li Xiaoyu, who had gone out to collect grass for the pigs, returned. Lu Qingjiu went with him to feed Xiao Hei and Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua hummed happily at the sight of Lu Qingjiu, as if to express her gratitude. Li Xiaoyu, on the other hand, muttered something to Xiao Hua beside the pigpen, occasionally reaching out to touch Xiao Hei's short fur. This fur would become prickly in the future, but fortunately, it was still furry now, like a cute kiwi fruit.
Xiaohua was too proud to let Li Xiaoyu touch her, but her sister Xiaohei was not reserved at all. Her pink belly was exposed when Li Xiaoyu touched her. Seeing that Li Xiaoyu was having fun, Lu Qingjiu decided to do his own thing first, as he still had a lot of work to do.
Back in the house, Lu Qingjiu cut the beef he'd bought that morning into large chunks, cleaned them, and then drained the blood from the beef in a pot under cold water over high heat. He then placed the blanched beef and the spices wrapped in gauze into a pressure cooker, and it was done. This method was relatively simple, but the taste was not bad. Lu Qingjiu also added some chicken feet and tendons to the mix, and when he had nothing to do in the evening, he could use these braised dishes as a snack instead of melon seeds.
After returning to his hometown for several days, Lu Qingjiu has become accustomed to the slow pace of life here. There is no need to rush anything, because it will eventually be done.
Bai Yuehu came back from watering the vegetables in the field with some dirt on his body. Lu Qingjiu asked him to take off his clothes and wash them together, but Bai Yuehu hesitated when he heard that.
"Or do you have any magic that can wash clothes?" Lu Qingjiu looked at Bai Yuehu expectantly, "Do you have any?"
White Moon Fox: "...Yes, there is."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Really?!"
Facing Lu Qingjiu's starry eyes, Bai Yuehu hesitated slightly and said, "But there is a sequelae."
"What are the sequelae?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"It's easy to get hungry after using magic." White Moon Fox said, "It's troublesome."
Lu Qingjiu: "Well... I'll wash it then." He originally wanted to say that if he was hungry, he could just eat, but he somehow remembered the scene of the White Moon Fox swallowing the giant gecko that night, and immediately felt that he should not expect to feed the White Moon Fox in just a few meals.
Lu Qingjiu sent Bai Yuehu off to take a bath, and then he took his dirty clothes to the front yard to wash them. While washing, he planned to go to town to buy a washing machine in a few days, otherwise washing clothes would always be a waste of time.
Bai Yuehu took a shower, changed his clothes, and came out, then quietly sat by the side, watching Lu Qingjiu work. He didn't seem to like moving much, and was lazy all day long. He didn't even bother to say anything unless it was necessary. At this moment, he half-closed his eyes and looked like he was about to fall asleep.
The braised beef in the house was cooked, emitting an enticing aroma. Bai Yuehu twitched his nose and looked into the house.
Lu Qingjiu thought he was like a child craving for meat, so he laughed and said, "It's braised beef. It's not ready yet, so we can eat it tonight. I haven't finished the melon seeds that Yin Xun brought. Do you want to go get some to satisfy your craving?"
Bai Yuehu said, "I don't want to go."
Lu Qingjiu asked: "What?"
White Moon Fox: "Too lazy to leave..."
He spoke so confidently about being lazy that Lu Qingjiu burst out laughing. He said, "Okay, then you sit for a while. The market is the day after tomorrow. I'll buy some other snacks and a few chicks... This yard is empty."
Bai Yuehu said, "You decide." He lay on the chair and half-closed his eyes. The warm sunlight shone on his cheeks. From Lu Qingjiu's perspective, he saw that his eyes were a very beautiful golden color. When Lu Qingjiu wanted to take a closer look, Bai Yuehu had already closed his eyes.
Lu Qingjiu hung up the clothes and suddenly remembered something. He turned around and went to the pigpen, only to see that the little guy Li Xiaoyu had fallen asleep with two piglets. He climbed in through the fence, holding Xiaohua in his left hand and Xiaohei in his right hand, and the two pigs slept soundly.
Lu Qingjiu glanced at Xiaohua and Xiaohei, then at the little white pig next to them, and always felt that something was wrong. After careful study, he found that Xiaohua and Xiaozhu's pigpen was exceptionally clean, the straw seemed to have been newly replaced, and there was no peculiar smell. However, even so, he couldn't sleep in the pigpen.
Lu Qingjiu called out, “Li Xiaoyu, Li Xiaoyu!”
The child was awakened by Lu Qingjiu. After opening his eyes drowsily, he rubbed the little flower head in his arms and said, "Brother Lu..."
Xiaohua whimpered as Li Xiaoyu rubbed her and buried her face in the child's arms.
"Why did you fall asleep in there?" Lu Qingjiu asked, "This is a pigsty..."
"Oh, I was telling a story to Xiaohua and Xiaohei, and I accidentally fell asleep." Li Xiaoyu felt a little embarrassed, and hurriedly sat up and wanted to climb out of the pigsty. Xiaohua and Xiaohei also woke up because of this, and they grumbled to express their dissatisfaction with Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu said: "Even if you want to sleep, you can't sleep here. Be good and come out quickly."
He stepped into the pigpen, carried Li Xiaoyu out, and brushed off the straw crumbs on his body. "Let's go home and sleep."
Li Xiaoyu rested his chin on Lu Qingjiu's shoulder without saying a word, but secretly winked at the two little pigs.
Lu Qingjiu didn't notice his little action at all.
After sending Li Xiaoyu home, Lu Qingjiu rolled up his sleeves and returned to his pigpen. He said to Xiao Hei and Xiao Hua, "Don't play with other children every day. They haven't finished their homework yet. You are not pigs for two or three days. How can you be so ignorant? Can you do something serious?"
Xiaohua: “…”
Xiao Hei: “…”
"Don't pretend you don't understand." Lu Qingjiu knew his pigs were smart. Seeing them staring at him with innocent eyes, he angrily said, "Why did you kidnap the children into the pigpen? If I see it again next time, I will-"
Xiaohua: "Hmph." What?
Lu Qingjiu, acting like a parent, said righteously, "I won't let him pick grass for your pigs anymore."
As soon as these words came out, the air was silent for a moment. Xiao Hei started to sob aggrievedly, and Xiao Hua turned her butt towards Lu Qingjiu in anger. Lu Qingjiu: “…” He knew that his pig was smart, but what was going on with this weird illusion that he was bullying the kindergarten kids?
Lu Qingjiu gave his pig several more instructions, the gist of which was that he shouldn't take the child out to play foolishly every day, but should do something serious that has educational significance. As for what serious things that have educational significance are...to be honest, he didn't know either, he just said it casually.
After teaching his pigs a lesson, Lu Qingjiu returned to the house. Bai Yuehu was still sleeping in the yard. Yin Xun had arrived at some point and was sitting in the shade of a tree in the front yard, with a bag of lush green plums beside him. Seeing Lu Qingjiu coming over, he grabbed one and casually threw it to him. Lu Qingjiu caught it, wiped it, and took a bite: "Did you grow these at home?"
"No, my neighbor's are ripe, and he gave me a lot. I brought you a bag too." Yin Xun said, "Is that okay?"
"Well, what kind of fruits do you grow at home?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Cherries," Yin Xun said, "but they haven't been taken care of properly. They're so sour that I don't even want to eat them."
"Just sell it." Lu Qingjiu said.
"I'm too lazy to go, and there aren't many." Yin Xun said.
The cherries here are quite expensive, but there is no demand for them because they are too expensive and not many people buy them. What's more, his cherries are very sour, so even fewer people buy them, so he is too lazy to bother.
"Pick them and I'll make cherry jam." Lu Qingjiu said, "You can soak them in water and drink them in the summer."
Yin Xun laughed: "That's great." Although cherries are sour, they have a unique flavor after being made into sauce, especially in the summer when you can use them to rinse with water and then chill them. It is so wonderful to drink a glass of them in the hot summer.
Lu Qingjiu asked Yin Xun to wash the plums while he went to check on the braised beef. Yin Xun nodded.
The beef was almost done braising. Lu Qingjiu tasted it to make sure it was fully flavored. He planned to make some beef noodles in the evening.
While he was cooking beef, Lu Qingjiu's phone rang. He looked at the unfamiliar number on the screen and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, is this Lu Qingjiu?" asked the person on the other end of the phone.
Lu Qingjiu recognized the man's voice as the policeman who came here on duty that night.
"It's me, what's the matter?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Let me tell you, the identity of the body has been found out. Her name is Fu Ziying. Do you know this person?" asked the police.
"I don't know him." Lu Qingjiu said, "I've never heard of this name."
"Okay." The policeman seemed a little disappointed.
"Any clues about the murderer?" Lu Qingjiu asked with some doubt.
The police hesitated for a moment: "Think carefully about whether there is anything you have missed. I shouldn't have told you this..."
Lu Qingjiu listened quietly.
"Actually, about half a year ago, someone kept calling the police, reporting a murder in Shuifu Village," the officer said. "They kept calling for a week. At the time, we thought it was a prank because we didn't find the body."
Lu Qingjiu was a little confused: "Could the person who reported the case be related to the murderer?"
The police officer said: "...that's where the problem lies."
Lu Qingjiu asked: "What's the problem?"
The police said: "The person who reported the case called herself Fu Ziying..."
When Lu Qingjiu heard this, goose bumps appeared on his arms: "No way?"
"We couldn't find the phone number to report the crime, but we still have the recording. We used it to question Fu Ziying's family and confirmed it was her voice," the police officer said quietly. "But the medical examiner is absolutely certain the body had been dead for a year."
Lu Qingjiu: "...Could it be that it's not Fu Ziying's body?"
"No, the DNA also matches," said the police.
Lu Qingjiu was horrified: "So the dead Fu Ziying... reported the case herself?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone. It was obvious that the police were also a little fed up with this kind of supernatural incident.
"That's not right. Then why didn't she report it right from the start?" Lu Qingjiu felt a little strange after recovering from her shock. "Why half a year ago...?"
"There's a very important clue in the phone recording," the police officer said. "She said at the time that the dead person was a man, so we suspect..."
Speaking of men, Lu Qingjiu immediately recalled the scene he saw that afternoon. In front of the well, there was indeed a man with his back to him, hitting a woman in the face with a stone. He asked, "Can I ask how Fu Ziying died? Was she hit in the face by a stone?"
The policeman asked curiously, "How do you know?"
Lu Qingjiu laughed dryly: "I've been having strange nightmares lately..."
To be honest, if it weren't for the supernatural incident of the deceased reporting the crime, the police would probably suspect Lu Qingjiu of having a motive. He asked, "Then what else did you dream about?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "I dreamed of a man wrapped in hair and dragged into a well."
After saying this, Lu Qingjiu and the police fell silent. After a moment, Lu Qingjiu smiled bitterly and said, "Hey, I wonder if there's another man's body in the well..."
Police: "...Wait, we'll come back and take a look."
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