Chapter 35 She went to the red light district
The evening snack street was thick with the aroma of cooking smoke and charcoal fire, the cries of vendors mingling with the chatter of diners. Yu Hao stood at the street corner, his gaze piercing the steaming heat to the hunched man. Sun Yong's wok flew over the flames, his movements steady. A flick of his wrist sent chopped green onions scattering, an aroma spreading instantly. Occasionally, a regular customer greeted him, but he simply nodded, speaking little, like a silent reef, letting the crowd flow by. Solving a case requires logic, but at the most crucial moment, it's intuition that has helped Yu Hao solve many major cases. Yu Hao couldn't quite articulate why, but he simply wanted to come to this place to take a look. Perhaps it was because of Luo Xin, or perhaps it was because of the case that had been troubling him. Perhaps this was his intuition. He had considered talking to Luo Xin, but decided against it, believing he wasn't prepared for some things. As Yu Hao approached, Sun Yong looked up, and their eyes briefly met through the smoke. Sun Yong's eyes were calm, like a pool of deep water, with no discernible emotion. He nodded at Yu Hao as a greeting, then lowered his head to continue stir-frying. "One serving of egg fried rice." Yu Hao sat down on a simple plastic stool, his voice a little hoarse. Sun Yong replied "OK", scooped a spoonful of rice from the thermos beside him, and poured it into the pot. Yu Hao looked at him. The man's hands were rough, his knuckles were thick, and his palms were covered with calluses. At this moment, he exuded an almost stubborn concentration, as if making fried rice was the only important thing in the world. The people around were very noisy, each with their own emotions and concerns. After all, in the cold winter, with the Spring Festival approaching, who doesn't have their own story to tell when they can still get drunk late at night? Yu Hao looked at everyone, and deep in his heart he had an illusion that the two recent murders that had entangled him seemed to have never happened, as if they were just a dream. Who can guarantee that their life will be smooth sailing from birth to death? People don't necessarily die when they are old, right? He had witnessed too many deaths and deaths. So many people wanted to live, but died. So many people wanted to live well, but found it so difficult. Like the people before him, wasn't he also one of these countless people? He had always been alone, without a father or mother, eating alone, studying alone, walking alone, sleeping alone... What kind of loneliness was this? The sound of Sun Yong approaching interrupted his thoughts, and his mind immediately woke up from his previous emotions. "Eat slowly," Sun Yong said softly. The fried rice was golden and plump, the scallions were green, and the edges were slightly crispy. Yu Hao picked up his chopsticks...
In the evening, the snack street is filled with the smell of oil smoke and charcoal fire, and the shouts of vendors are mixed with the conversations of diners.
Yu Hao stood at the street corner, his eyes passing through the steaming heat and falling on the hunched man.
Sun Yong's wok was flying over the fire. His movements were steady. With a flick of his wrist, chopped green onions fell and the aroma spread instantly.
Occasionally, when a regular customer greeted him, he would just nod and say very little, like a silent reef, letting the crowd pass by him.
Solving a case requires logic, but at the most critical moment, it requires intuition. This intuition has helped Yu Hao solve many major cases.
Yu Hao couldn't explain the reason, he just wanted to come to this place to take a look, maybe because of Luo Xin, or maybe because of the case that gave him a headache.
This might be his intuition. He originally planned to talk to Luo Xin, but finally thought about it and decided not to. There were some things he wasn't prepared for.
When Yu Hao approached, Sun Yong happened to look up, and their eyes met briefly in the smoke.
Sun Yong's eyes were calm, like a pool of deep water, revealing no emotion. He nodded at Yu Hao as a greeting, then lowered his head to continue stir-frying.
"A serving of fried rice." Yu Hao sat down on a simple plastic stool, his voice a little hoarse.
Sun Yong replied "OK", scooped a spoonful of rice from the thermos bucket beside him and poured it into the pot.
Yu Hao looked at him. The man's hands were rough, with thick knuckles and calloused palms.
At this moment, he exuded an almost stubborn concentration, as if making fried rice was the only important thing in the world.
The people around are very noisy, each with their own emotions and concerns. After all, in the cold winter, with the Spring Festival approaching, who doesn’t have his own story to tell when he can still get drunk late at night?
Yu Hao looked at everyone and had an illusion deep in his heart. It seemed as if the two recent murders that had entangled him had never happened. It was just a dream.
Who can guarantee that their life will be smooth sailing from birth to death? People don’t necessarily die when they are old, right?
He has seen too many lives and deaths. There are so many people who want to live but die, and so many people who want to live well but find it so difficult.
Just like the people in front of me, am I not also a member of this vast living being?
I have always been alone, without parents, eating alone, studying alone, walking alone, sleeping alone...
What kind of loneliness is this?
The sound of Sun Yong approaching interrupted his thoughts, and he immediately regained consciousness from his previous emotions.
"Eat slowly," Sun Yong said softly. The fried rice was golden and plump, the chopped green onions were emerald green, and the edges were slightly crispy.
Yu Hao picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. The taste was the same as last time, with the right amount of saltiness and cooked to perfection.
"The craftsmanship is still so good." said Yu Hao.
Sun Yong did not answer, but just wiped his hands, rubbed off the oil stains on his apron, took out an enamel cup from the thermal box, poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it over.
The tea is ordinary jasmine tea, but it is steamy and particularly warm on a cold night.
Yu Hao held the cup, the heat blurring his vision. He suddenly didn't know what to say.
He wanted to ask Sun Yong about Luo Xin, why he appeared at the bus stop that night, and about Luo Xin being followed recently...
But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.
Yu Hao sometimes felt a little contradictory. Just as Sun Wei said, he was decisive and efficient when handling cases.
But once it involves feelings, or people you are familiar with or care about, your thoughts will always be shrouded in emotions, and an indescribable worry will overwhelm you.
This is the softness in my heart that I don’t want to touch.
Sun Yong didn't say anything either, he just stood by the stove, occasionally stirring the remaining rice in the pot to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
The light from the night market reflected on his face, half bright and half dark, like a black and white photo worn by time.
"Any progress in the case?"
Unexpectedly, in the end, it was Sun Yong who spoke first, but his voice was so low that it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise, but Yu Hao could still hear it clearly.
Yu Hao shook his head: "Still checking."
Sun Yong said "hmm" and didn't ask any more questions.
Yu Hao raised his head and glanced at him, unable to tell his emotion.
The night wind grew colder and the diners gradually dispersed. Yu Hao still had most of his fried rice left, but he didn't pick up his chopsticks.
"Luo Xin..." He finally mentioned the name, but then paused, not knowing how to continue.
Sun Yong paused for a moment, then went back to cleaning the stove. His voice was calm: "Someone's been following me these past few days."
Yu Hao looked at Sun Yong. Luo Xin had indeed mentioned this matter, but he didn't take it seriously. He thought it was just an accidental act of a drunk, but now it seems that it is probably not that simple.
But why didn't Luo Xin tell me about this? Did he have other ideas?
Sun Yong put the spatula back in its place, turned his back to him, and said, "I'll take her back these few days."
"Yeah," Yu Hao replied softly, but this time he didn't say thank you.
I wanted to talk a few more words, but I was speechless and just sat there quietly.
During this time, guests came from time to time, and Sun Yong never stopped working with the shovel in his hand.
After sitting for a while, Yu Hao stood up and took out his wallet, but was stopped by Sun Yong.
"No," he said. "Maybe next time."
Yu Hao looked at him and said, "Okay, next time." Yu Hao nodded and walked towards the village entrance.
Why do you have to come and see this person?
Yu Hao smiled and shook his head. He felt from the beginning that Sun Yong was a man with a story, as if there was something in the two of them that resonated with each other.
Was it because of his experience? Or his interests? Or was it because of those two cases that he hadn't figured out?
He couldn't figure it out, but his intuition told him that getting close to this person was always right at this time.
After walking a few steps, he suddenly heard someone shouting, "Captain Yu."
*
Yu Hao turned around and found a man squatting in the shadow of a roadside ramen stall. The collar of his greasy cotton jacket stood up high, almost covering half his face. In front of him was a bowl of steaming beef noodles.
"Captain Yu!" the man called again, hooked his fingers under the table, and glanced around vigilantly.
Yu Hao raised an eyebrow and took a step forward. The man's head popped out from under his cotton-padded jacket, like a frightened turtle. Only then did Yu Hao see his face clearly.
This person is Liu Bing.
Yu Hao thought to himself that this grocery store owner had recently become the gossip tree of Nan'an Village. He had just been complaining to him about Sun Yong's suspicious behavior a few days ago, and who knows what information he would reveal today.
However, he still pulled out a plastic stool and sat down. "Boss Liu, have you changed your career to become a private detective?" Yu Hao tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes inadvertently falling on the other person's greasy knuckles.
Liu Bing chuckled, with noodle crumbs stuck between his yellow teeth: "Isn't this just helping Captain Yu share his worries?" He suddenly moved closer, but Yu Hao raised his hand to stop him.
"What's the matter?" Yu Hao leaned back.
Liu Bing sprayed Yu Hao in the face, reeking of garlic and cheap liquor. "I have something important to report to you."
"Just say it."
Liu Bing checked everywhere and lowered his voice: "I have been following Xiao Fang for the past two days."
Yu Hao raised an eyebrow. "Last time you said Sun Yong was weird, now it's Xiao Fang's turn? Next time, I'm afraid you'll say Aunt Liu is also suspicious?"
"How can they be the same!" Seeing Yu Hao answering him in a somewhat teasing tone, Liu Bing became anxious, his voice suddenly rising, and he hurriedly covered his mouth, "Sun Yong is a taciturn person, and Xiao Fang is a vixen! This woman has been very weird recently-"
He lowered his voice, as if to tell a huge secret, "The store has been closed for two days, and I've been wandering around outside all day."
"Is there anything strange about this?" Yu Hao disagreed.
Liu Bing rubbed his hands. "You didn't see how sneaky she was. And—" he deliberately dragged out his words, "she went to the red-light district."
This sentence aroused Yu Hao's interest. He looked up at Liu Bing, who was rubbing his hands with a smug look on his face, as if he had grasped some shocking clue.
"Red light district?"
"That's right!" Liu Bing's eyes lit up. "I followed her twice and saw her enter the alley with my own eyes. A woman in her thirties, in high sexual urges, might be..." He winked and made an ambiguous gesture.
Yu Hao frowned: "Don't talk nonsense without any basis."
"But her expression is not right!" Liu Bing said anxiously, "I can guarantee that there must be something wrong."
"Then you should call the public security police and find our criminal police. You have found the wrong person." After saying that, Yu Hao was about to leave.
Liu Bing curled his lips in dissatisfaction and quickly pulled Yu Hao aside: "Didn't you see her expression? She was sneaky and looked back three times before entering the alley. I'm thinking...either she was looking for fun, or..." He suddenly lowered his voice, "Is it related to the two murders in the village?"
"What's the basis?" Yu Hao looked at him and felt that he was trying to force an ordinary matter to be a matter of fate.
Liu Bing shook his head. "My intuition tells me there's something fishy going on. A few days ago, I went to her shop and deliberately brought up the murder case. Guess what? She got really agitated and even kicked me out. So, there's definitely something fishy about her."
"Okay, I understand."
"Captain Yu, Captain Yu, please don't leave yet," Liu Bing quickly stopped Yu Hao when he saw him about to leave again. "I think there's something wrong with that 'Red Romance' hair salon, too."
"What did you say? What's the name of that store?" Yu Hao turned his head and looked at Liu Bing in a daze. He heard a familiar name.
"Red Romance?" Liu Bing looked at Yu Hao's sudden change of expression, wondering if he had said something wrong. "It's the one at the corner of the alley, with the pink curtains!"
Yu Hao's heart trembled, and he frowned slightly, as if thinking about something.
"Captain Yu, this is definitely not a simple matter!" Liu Bing saw his serious expression and became even more excited. "I'm telling you, I'm keeping an eye on Sun Yong and Xiao Fang right now. Do you want to expand the scope? I'm sure I can dig something out for you!"
Yu Hao looked up at him. The man had a flattering smile on his face, but his small eyes gleamed with speculation. He didn't refuse or agree, but just smiled slightly.
He was just about to shift the focus of his investigation back to the village, and this was an unexpected help.
"Don't alert the enemy." Yu Hao stood up, left after saying this.
The sound of Liu Bing slurping noodles came from behind him. Yu Hao didn't need to turn around to know that those sneaky eyes must have been fixed on Sun Yong's stall again.
As Yu Hao walked back to the village, the three words "Red Romance" kept echoing in his mind.
Is Xiao Fang's appearance there a coincidence, or is there some other meaning?
How many secrets are hidden in this seemingly peaceful village?
The cold wind blew on Yu Hao's collar, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.
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