Chapter 101 So tired I couldn't even lift my hands (Major revision)
"Cough...cough cough!" Jiang Wanqiu almost choked on her water when she was asked that question. Her pretty face turned bright red instantly, and she was so embarrassed that she almost dug her toes out of a three-bedroom apartment.
She couldn't really explain why she carried such a thing with her in a short time, so she could only wave her hand vaguely and say, "This... is a secret recipe, and it's a bit inconvenient to show it to others."
Inside the military region's interrogation room.
Contrary to expectations of chaos and torture, the place was eerily quiet. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall, each tick sending a strange unease through one's heart.
Zhou Youfu was handcuffed to a chair. At first, he stuck his neck out, looking at the young man opposite him with a "like father, like son" attitude.
Half an hour passed, and Battalion Commander Zhao, who was dressed in military uniform and looked even more handsome than people in magazines, didn't say a word.
He sat there quietly, an open manila envelope in front of him, looking at the contents.
Zhou Youfu began to feel uneasy. This lack of physical punishment or verbal abuse was more unbearable than being slapped twice. The fear of the unknown is the most tormenting.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky outside darkened, and the light bulbs inside cast long, dim yellow light.
Zhao Wenchang finally stopped what he was doing, raised his unfathomable eyes, and looked at him quietly.
"Zhou Youfu, 33 years old, came from a poor peasant family in Hongxing Commune."
“Your father is Zhou Laogen, and your mother is Wang Guixiang. Your family, starting from your grandfather’s generation, has been honest and hardworking farmers with good class background. In principle, you are of impeccable lineage.”
Zhou Youfu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said stubbornly, "Since you know that my family has been poor farmers for generations, you...you can't try to smear us!"
Zhao Wenchang glanced at the other person, pulled a photo out of the file bag, and pushed it in front of him.
The photo is in black and white and shows a girl with braided hair and a shy smile.
“Gao Xiulan, the daughter of the village head of the neighboring village, was eighteen years old and died three years ago in the spring. You told people that she was dating you and ran away. But her parents didn’t believe it, saying that their daughter was honest and could not possibly do such a thing.”
Zhou Youfu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Zhao Wenchang then pulled out a second photo.
"Li Chunyan, a 21-year-old female worker at the county textile factory, went missing two years ago in the autumn, supposedly on her way back to visit relatives. Her husband came to your house to ask about her, but your parents chased him out with a broom, scolding him for not keeping a good eye on his wife."
The third one, the fourth one...
Zhao Wenchang leisurely placed photos of young women on the table, each accompanied by a handwritten missing person report.
Zhou Youfu's breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"What...what does all this have to do with me! Stop spouting nonsense!"
"It's alright?" Zhao Wenchang sneered.
"What about this one?!"
He placed the last photo in front of the man. It was a photo of the scene investigation, showing the piles of white bones in the Zhou family's cellar!
The photo was extremely clear, showing pale, stacked bones that gleamed eerily under the flash. One of the skulls, baring its teeth and with dark, hollow eye sockets, was staring straight at Zhou Youfu.
"ah--!"
As if stung by a scorpion, Zhou Youfu jerked backward, nearly tipping over with his chair.
He was trembling uncontrollably, as if he had seen a ghost, repeatedly muttering, "It wasn't me...it wasn't me...it has nothing to do with me..."
The interrogation room door was pushed open, and Division Commander Zhao Changfeng walked in.
He glanced at the photos on the table and Zhou Youfu, who was nearly paralyzed with fear on the floor, then at Zhao Wenchang, whose face was cold and stern, and sighed helplessly.
"Wenchang, this case has a very bad influence. I think we should report it and let the special task force handle it. It's too much of a burden for you to bear alone."
Zhao Wenchang saluted, his voice steady: "Reporting to the commander, I discovered the case myself, and I know the situation best. I'm confident I can get them to talk!"
"Alright, if you encounter any difficulties, report them to the organization immediately." After saying that, he hurriedly left again.
He still needs to go check on the Zhou family's cellar.
The iron door of the interrogation room slammed shut, and Zhao Wenchang slowly walked up to Zhou Youfu.
His deep eyes narrowed dangerously as they met Zhou Youfu's trembling pupils.
"Your parents have already started confessing. They say you tricked them into coming here, and you killed them. They're old, they just helped you dig a hole and bury them. You're the mastermind."
"No! They're talking nonsense!" Zhou Youfu suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes wide open. "It was that old bastard... he thought I was useless and couldn't get a wife, so he made me go and seduce women! That old hag always helped him hold those women down! They're the real culprits!!"
He went berserk, blurting out all the evil deeds his family had committed. He thought he couldn't take the blame alone; if he was going to die, he'd drag those two old bastards down with him!
Zhao Wenchang stood up, his face expressionless, and called out towards the door, "Recorder!"
Outside the door, the guard in charge of taking notes immediately pushed the door open and came in.
Zhao Wenchang calmly instructed, "Make a note of this: the suspect Zhou Youfu's psychological defenses have collapsed, and he has confessed everything. Notify the pre-trial department to take over and conduct a detailed statement."
"Yes, sir!" The guard stood at attention and saluted without asking any further questions.
After glancing inside the interrogation room, he stepped out, closed the door, and quickly followed Zhao Wenchang away.
In another interrogation room, Old Man Zhou and Old Woman Zhou were throwing a tantrum.
The two insisted they knew nothing about the numerous skeletons unearthed from their cellar.
"What cellar? Our family only has three dilapidated rooms, where would we get a cellar? You soldiers shouldn't wrong innocent people!" Old Mrs. Zhou shouted.
Old Zhou, however, stuck out his neck, looking like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water: "I can't read, and I don't know what's written in that book you're talking about. Anyway, it has nothing to do with us!"
This is the scene that Zhao Wenchang saw when he walked in.
He raised an eyebrow and said to the two young soldiers in charge of the interrogation, "Read Zhou Youfu's confession to the two elders."
As soon as he left, one of the soldiers cleared his throat, picked up the transcript that had just been delivered, and began to read it aloud, word by word. When they heard how Zhou Youfu had smeared them with all the blame, the two elderly people in the Zhou family were dumbfounded.
"That damned ingrate!" Old Mrs. Zhou jumped three feet high, pointing to the sky and cursing the ground. "Heartless bastard! I raised him for nothing! I'll tell you everything! It was him, he did it all!"
When Zhao Wenchang opened the door, a rich aroma of food wafted out.
After winter sets in, it gets dark here around 5 p.m., but the houses are brightly lit and warm.
The scene he had imagined of Jiang Wanqiu huddled under the covers, silently shedding tears, did not occur.
The table was laden with dishes: braised pork, stir-fried greens, cold appetizers, and a large bowl of milky white fish soup.
His young wife, who had just escaped from human traffickers, was sitting at the table, her cheeks bulging from eating, like a hamster stealing food.
Her small, palm-sized face glowed with a luminous sheen under the light, and her large, almond-shaped eyes lit up instantly when she saw him. Her charming and contented expression showed no sign of being frightened.
"You're back!" Jiang Wanqiu quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and greeted him indistinctly, "Come and eat! Sister-in-law Yanhong brought a big carp today, and the soup she made is so delicious!"
Li Yanhong, who was ladling soup into her bowl with a large spoon, grinned and said, "That's right! Wenchang, you're finally back! I told Wanqiu that this crucian carp soup is the best for promoting lactation! When Wanqiu gets pregnant, I'll have you make it for her every day!"
Li Yanhong also heard that the woman had been abducted. Knowing that Jiang Wanqiu had returned, she specially brought a large carp to the woman's door and helped her cook.
Zhao Wenchang stood at the door, watching this scene with a complex expression.
He made a special trip back from the military region ahead of time, just in case she was alone at home and overthinking things, crying, or feeling scared.
result……
He took off his coat, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Jiang Wanqiu immediately served him a bowl of rice, then put a large piece of fish belly meat into his bowl, blinking her captivating eyes and urging, "Eat quickly, it's getting cold."
Zhao Wenchang picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of rice, and finally couldn't help but say, "I thought..."
"Hmm?" Seeing that the man stopped mid-sentence, Jiang Wanqiu raised her charming face and asked curiously, "What did you think?"
Looking into her clear, bright eyes, Zhao Wenchang swallowed the rest of his words.
He thought she would be crying and waiting for him to come back and comfort her. In the past, he could work non-stop for three days and three nights without sleep, but today, the thought that she might be scared made him unable to stay still for a moment.
As Jiang Wanqiu sipped her soup, she casually asked, "By the way, has the Zhou family confessed yet?"
When the topic turned to business, Zhao Wenchang's lips curled into a cold smile, but when he looked at her, that coldness softened a bit, taking on a hint of smugness: "No. You're tough as nails and arrogant as a mule."
He paused deliberately, and seeing the woman's serious expression, he continued, "But don't worry, no one who falls into my hands can't be pried open. Tomorrow, I'll show them what real skills are."
His smug, self-satisfied manner, coupled with his puffed-out chest, reminded Jiang Wanqiu of her own father, who was always boasting and exaggerating.
Jiang Wanqiu looked at him and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Seeing the young couple exchanging glances, Li Yanhong immediately understood what was going on. She wiped her hands and quickly stood up.
"Oh dear, what a forgetful thing I am! I was so busy talking! I have to hurry back, my wife is waiting for me to cook dinner!" Before leaving, she reminded Zhao Wenchang, "Wanqiu, you must be tired today, so don't bother tidying up, get some rest. Wenchang, you must spend some quality time with your wife!"
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