Chapter 484: Thousands of Miles Away
Zhao Liang said that when they were investigating Ge Fangfang's situation, they found that Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua were a remarried couple.
Ge Fangfang's father, Miao Genhua's original husband, died in an accident when his child was less than one year old.
Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua registered their marriage in 1994, when their child was three years old.
As for Zhou Yi's inquiry about Ma Weichang's previous situation, Zhao Liang admitted that they did not know much about it.
"Zhou Yi, why do you think there's something wrong with Ma Weichang?"
"There's nothing special about it. It's just reasonable to be suspicious based on his stepfather status. For example, Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua have been married for over three years, but they haven't had any children. Considering their ages, this doesn't make sense."
Zhao Liang nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you put it that way, it makes sense. Miao Genhua is 28, and Ma Weichang is 33. They're both still young. It doesn't make sense that they haven't had another child after three years of marriage."
People in rural areas get married early and have children early. Whether it is for the purpose of continuing the family line, having a large family, or maintaining a second marriage, they will choose to have another child.
If you don't give birth, you will be criticized by people around you.
The countryside is not like big cities where everyone has to take care of their own business. The more backward the place is, the more people care about what others say.
Zhou Yi nodded. "Well, for example, Ma Weichang really wants to have another child, but Miao Genhua doesn't want to. Perhaps she's afraid that Ma Weichang won't treat their daughter well after the birth. So Ge Fangfang might be the obstacle that prevents Ma Weichang from having another child."
Zhao Liang was horrified when he heard this and said, "No... That's impossible. I've met this Ma Weichang before. He seems like a very reasonable person, not someone who would do such a thing."
This is actually the gap in experience and background. Zhao Liang has not been working for long, and his daily work is relatively simple, so it is normal for him to have such a reaction.
What Zhou Yi mentioned was only the relatively clear and simple motive. He did not intend to mention other possibilities for fear of alarming the other party and misleading their investigation.
"Well, I don't know how to put it. After all, human hearts are unpredictable. Of course, what I'm talking about is just a possibility. The essence of criminal investigation is to find out the truth."
Zhao Liang nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Then I'll go back to the institute and report to the director. We'll then ask Ma Weichang about the situation and see if he has any unusual reactions."
"Well, that's fine too. You can focus on investigating where Ma Weichang was and what he was doing at the time Ge Fangfang disappeared, and confirm whether he has an alibi."
"But I suggest you first investigate Ma Weichuang's personal situation. Not only basic information, but also some more important personal issues, such as how Ma Weichuang and Miao Genhua met and got married, Ma Weichuang's previous marriage situation, their relationship, and whether Ma Weichuang treats Ge Fangfang well, etc."
"It would be better to conduct an external investigation on Ma Weichang first, and then question him in person after obtaining certain information and direction. This is safer."
Zhou Yi could not further participate in the interrogation and investigation of this matter, so he could only remind Zhao Liang.
If it was really Ma Weichang who killed his stepdaughter for some ulterior motive, then the case should theoretically be easy to solve.
But if this is true, then Ma Weichang is too cruel.
But judging from the current situation, the little girl Ge Fangfang is probably in great danger.
Zhou Yi took out his cell phone, handed it to Zhao Liang, and said that he could first call the institute and report his ideas to the leader.
Zhao Liang nodded, said thank you, took the phone and ran away.
At this time, Lu Xiaoshuang came over and asked, "Brother Yi, what's wrong? Is there something wrong?"
Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Is it written on my face?"
"It's not written on your face, but it's written in your eyes." Lu Xiaoshuang pointed at his eyes and said, "Look, there's the word 'you' written on the left eye, and the word 'shi' written on the right eye. I can tell from the look in your eyes that something's wrong."
Zhou Yi didn't expect Lu Xiaoshuang to be so observant. Most of the time, he would try his best to control his emotions, especially the expressions on his face.
But I was still a little unaware of the change in my eyes, and I didn't expect that she would notice it.
"It's nothing. Officer Zhao just told me about a case. Maybe it's due to professional habit, so you discovered it."
"Is...someone killed?" Lu Xiaoshuang asked worriedly.
Zhou Yi shook his head: "It cannot be confirmed at the moment, but this possibility cannot be ruled out."
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoshuang couldn't help but sigh: "Oh, it would be great if there were no bad people in this world."
Zhou Yi reached out and touched her head and said, "Silly girl, wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes. This world is just like that. Among a large group of ordinary people, there will be some good people, and then there will also be a small group of bad people."
Lu Xiaoshuang shrugged helplessly and asked, "So, Officer Zhou is going to catch the bad guys in my hometown?"
Zhou Yi shook his head and said, "No, that's not in compliance with the regulations. The most I can do is to help Officer Zhao with his advice. After all, he has helped me so much."
This is the truth. After all, let alone crossing cities, it is already crossing provinces.
If they are from the same province and really encounter a difficult case and want to intervene, they can also ask the superiors for help. After all, Qin Beihai and Liang Wei are both well-known figures in the provincial department, so he can still get involved even if he is just relying on the power of others.
But this is thousands of miles away. Not to mention that they can't get here, even if they can barely get here, where will the local public security department put their face?
Therefore, he could only learn about this matter through Zhao Liang, or through the Shacao Town Police Station, and get some advice.
If Ge Fangfang's body is really found later and it is confirmed that she was murdered, then the case will no longer be the responsibility of the police station. People from the county bureau will have to come, and by then it will be impossible for me to understand the situation.
Just like what Zhou Yi said to Lu Xiaoshuang just now, wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and nothing is ever as simple as one plus one equals two.
After a while, Zhao Liang came back after making a call and returned the phone to Zhou Yi.
"Your conditions are still better. Many places here don't even have telephones, let alone mobile phones."
"Brother Zhao, what did your director say?"
"I've told the director all the points you raised. He thinks this is a very good approach, and he'll implement it now."
Zhou Yi nodded, indicating that their leader was very receptive and did not act stubbornly just because he was a leader. This was a good leader.
"If you are busy, I can keep an eye on this place myself. You just go about your business." Zhou Yi said.
According to the logic of doing things in Hongcheng, he must be busy investigating the case at this time.
But Zhao Liang waved his hand and said, "It's okay. You saw the police car in our station. It can only hold five people at full capacity. Even if I go back now, I can't go to Xipinggou with you."
Then he pointed at the workers and whispered, "Besides, I have to keep an eye on it, otherwise when they come to settle the bill, they'll see you're from outside and raise the price."
Zhou Yi nodded and thought to himself, okay, you have your own habits of doing things, I can't be the emperor who doesn't worry about the eunuchs.
As the sun rose to the top of the sky and it was almost noon, many women who had come to join in the fun took their children home because they had to go back to cook.
Su Xiuying cooked a large table of dishes. Zhou Yi estimated that this meal would cost the Lu family half a month's food expenses because there were several meat dishes.
But there were too many people and there was no room for everyone to sit in the house, so we had to move the tables and chairs outside.
But unexpectedly, when Lu Guohua called everyone to eat, several men from the village who came to help actually ran back home directly, and Lu Guohua couldn't stop them.
It can be seen that Teacher Lu has a very high status in the hearts of the villagers.
Lu Guohua was helpless and could only let a few workers come to eat first.
But what's interesting is that, except for the Lu family of three and Zhou Yi and Zhao Liang, several workers did not sit at the table. Instead, they held a large porcelain bowl filled with corn rice, picked up some vegetables, and squatted in the shade nearby to eat.
This made Lu Guohua feel bad, and he asked them to sit down and eat, but they waved their hands and answered in dialect. Lu Xiaoshuang translated it for Zhou Yi, saying that they were used to it and didn't feel comfortable eating while sitting.
These workers ate peacefully, but Lu Guohua suffered a lot. He kept frowning and looking worriedly, looking at several workers from time to time, as if he owed these people something.
Zhou Yi also understood that Lu Xiaoshuang's kindness was really inherited from her parents.
Kind and soft-hearted people are more likely to fall into internal friction and be condemned by their conscience.
However, the roof renovation went quite smoothly. With the help of the villagers, it was completed by around two o'clock in the afternoon.
The classroom with a new roof looked much more magnificent, and considering the lighting issue, Zhao Liang asked the workers to open a skylight on the roof, which made the classroom much brighter.
Lu Guohua looked at the brand new roof and couldn't help but feel tears in his eyes.
Su Xiuying and Lu Xiaoshuang were busy cleaning the classroom, and Zhao Liang began to settle wages with the workers in the local dialect.
The two sides bargained back and forth, while Zhou Yi and Lu Guohua stood aside and watched.
Zhou Yi didn't understand, and Lu Guohua was obviously not good at bargaining.
After a long while, Zhao Liang finally paid the bill and the workers packed up their tools and left.
Zhao Liang took out his little notebook again and proudly calculated the accounts and told Zhou Yi that because the villagers came to help, he was able to save a lot of money by bargaining with the workers.
Zhou Yi actually didn’t care, as he felt the workers were also working very hard.
But think about it, this is the atmosphere of the market, and it is also normal.
But Lu Guohua obviously couldn't let it go, feeling that he had taken advantage of the workers and villagers.
It was only after his daughter comforted him that the frown on his face relaxed a little.
After finishing his work, Zhao Liang was ready to leave, only to find that he couldn't go back.
Because when he came, he took the construction team's truck that was used to transport goods.
However, because of the bargaining just now, the workers were offended, so they just left.
Zhao Liang planned to walk two kilometers because there was a bus stop two kilometers away.
But Lu Guohua told him that the bus time at this bus stop was uncertain and he didn't know how long he would have to wait.
Finally, he went to the village to borrow a bicycle and asked Zhao Liang to ride it back. He would return it in two days when it was convenient.
Zhao Liang just rode his 28-inch bicycle and walked away swayingly.
That night, Zhou Yi called Chen Yan and asked him for a favor.
Just go to Lu Xiaoshuang’s grandmother’s house and then call her on her cell phone.
When Zhou Yi handed the phone to Lu Guohua, his hands trembled with nervousness and excitement.
When the old lady called "Guohua" on the other end of the phone, Lu Guohua collapsed instantly.
He cried out, "Mom, Mom, I am Guohua. I am an unfilial son. I cannot honor you."
On the other end of the phone, Grandma Lu Xiaoshuang was also crying excitedly, shouting, "Guohua, my son, I'm so sorry for you and for making you suffer."
After more than 20 years, the mother and son heard each other's voices again.
The last time the mother and son spoke, it was the young man full of vigor and energy and the loving mother who had worked hard to support her.
This time when they talked, they were already old men with white hair and middle-aged men with many vicissitudes of life.
From the conversation between the mother and son, Zhou Yi learned that there were actually quotas for going to the countryside to work, and one of the three sons of the Lu family had to go.
In the end, it was Lu Guohua, the eldest brother, who took the initiative to step forward and take on this responsibility.
For more than 20 years, Lu Xiaoshuang's grandmother has always felt sorry for her eldest son and felt guilty about this matter.
The mother and son were thousands of miles apart, and their conversation after more than 20 years was deeply moving.
After they exchanged their thoughts, Lu Guohua handed the phone to Su Xiuying. His eyes were already red and swollen from crying, and he choked up and said, "Xiuying, you...you talk to Mom for a few words."
Su Xiuying wiped her tears, tremblingly took the phone, and then tremblingly called out: "Mom, I am your daughter-in-law Xiuying."
The old lady excitedly said "good" three times in a row, each one more important than the last.
Zhou Yi heard Chen Yan whispering in the background of the phone, advising the old lady not to get too excited and to take care of herself.
Lu Xiaoshuang, who was standing by, suddenly pulled Zhou Yi out of the house.
After leaving the house, she whispered, "Let them have a good chat. Grandma is old, and I don't know how many opportunities she will have to talk on the phone again."
"Don't worry, grandma will live a long life," Zhou Yi said. "And in the future, not only will we have the chance to talk on the phone, but we'll also have the chance to meet in person."
There is no telephone in Yangjiatun, so even if Zhou Yi wants to install a telephone here, it is impossible. Moreover, even if there is a telephone line, the money is not small these days, and Zhou Yi's financial situation is not good after all.
Not to mention mobile phones. It's not just a matter of money. The signal here is not good. Even if you are talking on the phone in the house, the sound quality is not very good. It's just that the family's affection overcomes the impact of the signal.
"Brother Yi, are you planning to take my parents back to Hongcheng?" Lu Xiaoshuang asked in surprise.
Before Zhou Yi could answer, she continued, "My dad definitely wouldn't agree with this. He even secretly asked me if you paid for my ticket this time. He told me to be frugal and not spend your money, saying that you work hard to earn money..."
Lu Xiaoshuang kept on chattering, and Zhou Yi suddenly covered her mouth with his hand.
"Xiao Shuang, I know your father is a good man who doesn't want to trouble others and doesn't want to owe others anything. I saw it at lunch today and when we paid the bill this afternoon. So I also know that if I arrange for them to go back to Hongcheng to visit their relatives, they probably won't accept it."
Lu Xiaoshuang blinked her big eyes and looked at Zhou Yi.
"So it's not now, it's in the future." Zhou Yi said, letting go of her hand and said with a smile, "When my daughter gets married in the future, it's impossible for her parents not to come, right?"
Lu Xiaoshuang was stunned and her face turned red.
But there were no street lights outside the house, and there was only moonlight and starlight above, so Zhou Yi couldn't see her blushing face.
Lu Xiaoshuang hugged Zhou Yi, buried her head in his arms, and whispered, "Brother Yi, thank you. Meeting you must be a blessing from my past life."
…
The next evening, Zhao Liang drove the police car with the trunk open. The 28-inch truck from yesterday was half-stuffed in the trunk. Fortunately, it was tied with a rope, otherwise it would have flown out on the bumpy dirt road.
Zhou Yi, who was helping Lu Guohua fix the classroom door bolt, saw the police car coming towards them, so he put down the tools in his hands and walked to the intersection.
The police car stopped and Zhao Liang, dressed in police uniform, opened the door and got out from the driver's seat, greeting Zhou Yi enthusiastically.
Then the passenger door opened and a middle-aged man in police uniform got out of the car.
This middle-aged man was about fifty years old, fat, bald, and had a tanned forehead. If he weren't wearing a police uniform, he would look more like an old farmer.
"Zhou Yi, this is Director Chen from our police station." Zhao Liang quickly introduced.
Zhou Yi immediately stepped forward and stretched out his hands to shake hands with Director Chen, because he knew that since the police station director had come, it meant that he was related to the Xipinggou case.
"Comrade Zhou Yi, welcome to our Shacao Town." Director Chen's Mandarin accent is very heavy, and it is difficult to understand if you don't listen carefully.
Zhou Yi quickly made a few polite remarks.
Zhao Liang was busy untying the ropes of the bicycle in the trunk.
"Zhou Yi, I heard from Xiao Zhao that you are in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Municipal Bureau?" asked Director Chen.
"Yes, I am affiliated with the Third Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Hongcheng City Bureau. My direct supervisor is the captain of our detachment, Wu Yongcheng."
Director Chen nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, then, what are the responsibilities of your Third Brigade? What cases have you handled?"
This question made Zhou Yi a little confused. Was he doubting me, or did he want to test my investigative ability?
But Director Chen looks honest and doesn't seem like a scheming person.
He replied seriously, "Our Third Brigade is responsible for investigating major crimes throughout the city. As for the specific cases we've handled, I can't disclose them without permission from the leadership. However, in terms of the nature of the cases, they're generally homicide cases, including murder, dismemberment, and so on."
It was fine at first, but when he heard the last two words "dismemberment", Director Chen was obviously shocked. Zhao Liang, who had just unloaded his bicycle, was also startled. He looked at Zhou Yi and asked, "Have you been involved in dismemberment cases?"
Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, I have followed the leader to handle several dismemberment cases."
The word "several cases" scared the two of them again. Wow, they have so many cases.
"Director Chen, Officer Zhao, I do have some experience in investigating criminal cases. If there's anything I can do to help, please feel free to let me know," Zhou Yi said humbly.
Director Chen quickly waved his hand. "You're too polite. Xiao Zhao told me that you helped him with yesterday's analysis. I knew you were no ordinary young man."
Zhou Yi smiled modestly but said nothing.
Director Chen then added, "The main reason I came here today is to discuss the Xipinggou disappearance case with you."
Zhao Liang on the side nodded repeatedly: "This case is a bit strange now."
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