Chapter 110 There is a new case
Zhou Zhixing was also hearing about a mass wedding for the first time, but after thinking about it, he could understand it. He said, "The news of the new residential complex must have spread, and everyone must be rushing to get married and divide up their own houses. It's understandable."
Jiang Nan suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders. The increase in dual-income couples meant more competition for housing, which meant a decrease in the chances of her and Zhou Zhixing getting separate rooms after marriage...
She pumped her fist. "I'll continue to sort out the case tonight. I have to get that article published in a major journal!"
Zhou Zhixing also felt the pressure. He silently got on his bicycle and followed Jiang Nan, ready to continue fighting for the house.
Actually, the two of them were a bit behind the times. Rumors of a mass wedding at the oil field started circulating around the 26th day of the 12th lunar month before the Lunar New Year, but they were too busy shopping at the black market to catch up on the gossip. While not many people from Building 4 showed up, quite a few from the police station attended. Shao Yong, his girlfriend, and even Wen Qiang, who had just had a successful blind date, signed up.
During work in the afternoon, Wen Qiang heard the two of them mention this and whispered, "Director Lan's daughter and the Cheng family boy have also signed up!"
These are the three couples who know each other. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing looked at each other and felt a little nervous. If they don't participate in the group wedding, will they be criticized by people with ulterior motives?
Seeing this, Zou Li smiled and said, "Don't worry. There are quite a lot of people not attending. This group wedding is mainly for newly hired workers. You two don't count, so don't feel pressured."
Wen Qiang laughed out loud. "So that's what you two were worried about. It's okay. I didn't want to sign up, but my partner said we could get group wedding insurance, and it's cheaper, so I relented. It's okay, it's on the second day of the second lunar month, the day when the dragon raises its head, after the New Year."
Jiang Nan smiled. The oil fields really knew how to pick dates. She'd turned eighteen that day, and according to current law, they could get married. But why rush? Old Lady Cao had already set the date years ago. All they had to do was follow her wishes.
Time flew by in the hustle and bustle of June, and the weather warmed up. As soon as June arrived, wedding preparations became the order of the day. Jiang Nan smiled as she thought of the mass wedding she had witnessed on the second day of the second lunar month. Secretary Tu officiated, and thirty young couples, facing a portrait of the great man, collectively recited quotations from the Great Master and became husband and wife. It was a truly spectacular scene. Even reporters from headquarters arrived to cover the mass wedding. Everyone was thrilled, and no one complained about the collective nature of the ceremony.
Jiang Nan ran around the family compound. In the evening, the summer breeze was blowing gently, and everyone was enjoying the cool air or chatting.
Having been a police officer for so long, she naturally knew the importance of physical strength. Hadn't she just run away when Zhou Zhixing was caught and questioned about wedding details? Thinking of the article published two days ago, where Director Shen and Director Lan promised to do their best to secure a larger house for the couple, Jiang Nan's run became even more energetic. Listening to the tone, they said they were arguing for a larger house, not a separate room. What does this mean? It means they will definitely get a separate room; it's just a matter of size.
Jiang Nan couldn't help laughing again. She was going to become a homeowner again.
Seeing this, Old Lady Liu couldn't help but tease Zhou Zhixing: "You're getting married, aren't you happy? Xiaoxing, why don't you go and keep her company?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled and spread his hands: "Grandma Liu, you just dragged me here to ask about the wedding. Do you think I want to stay here?"
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Liu threw a punch and scolded with a smile: "You naughty boy, are you making fun of your Grandma Liu? I won't ask you anymore, Grandma Liu will ask you something else." As she spoke, she coughed lightly and looked around. Seeing that everyone had gathered in a circle and were looking at her curiously, Old Lady Liu curled her lips and simply pulled people up to go aside and talk in private.
Old Mrs. Qiu held her great-grandson in her arms, her eyes flickering as she deliberately raised her voice, "Sister Liu, what are you doing? Why are you sneaking around like that? Are you trying to do something bad? This is not okay. If it's something bad, we should listen to it, don't we?"
Others echoed, "That's right, we can't avoid people."
Old Lady Liu said perfunctorily, "What can you do about my Dazhuzi being the chef for the wedding? Just stay away. I have serious business to discuss with Xiaoxing."
As he spoke, he pulled the person to a corner, lowered his voice, and asked, "Xiaoxing, tell Grandma Liu the truth. Is Chief Engineer Chen coming back?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "Of course. As a grandfather, he has to come back for his granddaughter's wedding."
Old Lady Liu chuckled twice, and the smile on her face became even more flattering. She said, "Well, Xiaoxing, you see, Grandma Liu has always been good to you, right? When you got married, your Uncle Cheng was your chef for free. But when it came to those hard-to-find ingredients, did your Uncle Cheng ever stutter? He still tried his best to get them for you, right? These days, even if you have money, you can't get anything without the right channels, isn't that the truth?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled. "Grandma Liu, just say what you want to say. Why beat around the bush? You already said what our relationship is, right? I'll definitely do what I can, but don't embarrass me if I can't. I'm just a small police officer. I don't have that much power."
Old Lady Liu nodded repeatedly: "It can be done, of course it can be done. Being too modest is hypocritical. Haha, the thing is, Qingli is pregnant, you know, her body is not very good, and this time she has been pregnant, her appetite has been poor, she can't eat anything. Now she is so thin, it's unbearable to look at, almost like a skeleton, tell me, it makes people feel distressed? Chief Engineer Chen is the leader after all, right? Well, can you help get some milk powder tickets? Grandma is also doing this for Qingli's own good. I can't let this girl keep getting so thin. You guys in the Lan Office are worried about it, and it's not good for your and Xiaonan's work, is it?"
Zhou Zhixing understood. Lan Qingli and Cheng Kantan also got married at a group wedding. They're already three months pregnant, and almost two months pregnant. She's had severe pregnancy reactions and can't eat anything. She's become a bag of bones. Lan is so worried about her that he hasn't been in the mood for the past few days. He nodded and said, "That's no problem. You don't need my father-in-law. I'll take care of it. But Grandma Liu, you can't tell anyone. It's hard to find a partner these days. If the news gets out, it will be even harder to find milk powder..."
Old Lady Liu repeatedly assured him, "I won't tell anyone about this. I'm not that idiot. How could I possibly tell anyone about this? Xiaoxing, I'll leave this matter up to you. You must pay attention to it. Grandma Liu is counting on you."
Zhou Zhixing gave her a reassuring look and asked, "Grandma Liu, do you have anything else to do? If not, I'll go and exercise with Xiaonan. Police officers can't catch thieves without exercise."
Old Lady Liu laughed and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Go ahead, just go. You are such good children. You are good at everything you do. Grandma Liu really likes people like you two."
As he spoke, his face was filled with relief, and his amiable eyes almost gave Zhou Zhixing goose bumps. He quickly smiled and trotted over to Jiang Nan, and the nausea he felt all over his body finally disappeared. Seeing Jiang Nan, he couldn't help but tease, "Okay, now you've learned to sneak away. Let me deal with the old ladies while you exercise and rest on your own, right?"
Jiang Nan quickly flattered Zhou Zhixing: "Who are you? You're even more eloquent than my dad these days, and you're always sure to coax the old ladies. I'm not running away, I'm leaving because I trust you. Comrade Zhou Zhixing, you've done very well and stood up to the test." As he spoke, he patted Zhou Zhixing's shoulder in a serious manner, "Well done, I'm very optimistic about you."
Zhou Zhixing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Okay, now that you've finished running, let's do some boxing. Do you still remember the boxing techniques from the other day?"
Jiang Nan nodded repeatedly, and the two of them started fighting each other with punches and kicks. The young wives on the other side kept watching with smiles, but their facial expressions were much more colorful.
Some were genuinely happy for the couple, like Wang Jian, who smiled as she watched while teaching her daughter Nana to walk. Others, like Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er, were jealous or resentful. Some, like Qiu Pan'er, who was pregnant again, held their bellies in triumph. Others, like Tong Lili, who was already over seven months pregnant, simply glanced and looked away.
Tong Lili's belly was already quite large, but being pregnant meant she couldn't skimp on activity. Every day after dinner, she'd go for a walk or sit outside to relax. Her current concern was who would take care of her after the birth. "Lin Youliang?" A father-in-law could help with childcare, but I'd never heard of him helping his daughter-in-law with confinement! With the baby almost due, she was so worried she had no time to be jealous of Jiang Nan.
But some people were incredibly jealous, like Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er, who hadn't gotten pregnant yet. Their faces were grim, their dejected demeanor radiating from them, and you could tell from a distance that they were unhappy. They couldn't be blamed, and no one would be happy about it! Ever since their plot failed, they'd been through a rough few months. They'd thought they could get pregnant quickly, but they still hadn't gotten pregnant!
Even more infuriating was that Yuan Dali's wife had given birth to a son! There was no way this uncle, with a son, would adopt Yuan Jianshe. His plan to wipe out the entire family had failed. Now, Yuan Jianshe and Ye Chunping were renting in a glass-and-steel complex, occasionally coming to No. 1 Courtyard for free meals under the pretext of visiting Grandma Wang. I had dinner today and came for a walk, and who knew I'd see this?
Not to mention Qiu Sheng'er, they've been married for over half a year and still haven't gotten pregnant! Sui Qiang is the only male child in the Sui family, so how could Old Lady Sui not be anxious? She kept giving Qiu Sheng'er the secret recipe for having a child, until her face turned pale. A girl who was only 20 years old now looked over 30. With this kind of life, how could Jiang Nan not hate her?
But the person Qiu Sheng'er hated the most was her cousin Qiu Pan'er. In Qiu Sheng'er's heart, if it weren't for Qiu Pan'er's instigation, she wouldn't have gotten sick years ago! She believed that the illness was 80% of the reason she hadn't gotten pregnant yet!
Qiu Pan'er had no idea that she was being hated. She was pregnant again now, and her life was so good that she didn't have to do any work all day. Tao Meiyu and Old Lady Qiu took care of all the housework. Qiu Pan'er just had to take good care of the baby. She lived like an old Buddha and was even gaining weight.
Of course, Dong Tingting was faring the best. She had moved into the small building behind the Revolutionary Committee and became an official's wife. She'd come over from time to time to check on the rest of the Dong family, carrying bags and swaggering through the streets. She didn't even have to carry the bags; the young members of the Revolutionary Committee followed her, bowing and scraping along the way, looking incredibly impressive. Everyone was downstairs enjoying the cool breeze, and Dong Tingting, accompanied by her two younger brothers, was walking towards the back, looking very proud, her chin held high, and ignoring everyone.
After the people had gone far away, someone murmured softly, "Pooh!" and muttered something like, "If a villain succeeds, he will get his comeuppance sooner or later."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing must have noticed Dong Tingting's high profile. However, they'd seen this kind of scene so often over the past six months that they didn't mind it. Wan Hu had lost his former arrogance, and Dong Tingting had taken over. If she wanted to be arrogant, she could be arrogant. It would be abnormal for someone in that position not to be arrogant, right? Dong Tingting was a measured person, always putting her own interests first, and she wouldn't do anything that would harm others or herself.
From what's happened over the past six months, it's clear that Dong Tingting's schemes are all driven by money or power. She'll do whatever benefits her, but she won't take anyone's life for nothing. That's enough. It's not that their demands are low, but in today's climate, saving their lives is a blessing; the rest can be dealt with later. Mountains remain green, rivers flow. Don't want everything. Too much greed often leaves you with nothing.
The two of them were in a good mood, but they didn't expect that there was someone with a bad attitude over there. Yes, it was Cheng Meijuan. She retracted her gaze and carefully placed her son on the mat at her feet. The fat boy broke free from his shackles and scrambled to the other end of the mat. He still stuck out his little butt and turned his head to smile at his mother.
Cheng Meijuan's heart softened instantly, and her body, tense at the sight of Dong Tingting, relaxed. She would avenge this woman sooner or later. She had seduced her father, and now she was even trying to seduce her man. Did Dong Tingting think marrying Wan Hu was the end of it? That was she, Cheng Meijuan, being completely disrespectful. In Cheng Meijuan's heart, this matter would never be over.
Whether it was over or not was a matter for the future. Now that Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had finished their exercise, they had returned to the Jiang family home to rest. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua hadn't come down from their homes. What were they busy with?
It’s not just about the wedding, we have to decide in advance who to invite and who not to invite.
There were so many people including relatives and friends of the Jiang family, the Chen family, the Zhou family, as well as colleagues and friends from the police station that it became a problem to arrange the seats.
If the wedding is held in June, the wine, cigarettes, and candies must be prepared in advance. You won't know until you try. Once the busy work starts, there are so many small tasks that the couple will be so busy that they don't have time to go for a walk downstairs.
Seeing the two of them coming back, Chen Jinhua raised her head with an unhappy look on her face: "Xiao Nan, is your wedding dress ready? Your grandmother Cao sent the red cloth last week. Are you going to make it into a skirt or something else? Decide on it as soon as possible. And what does Xiao Xing want to wear? Do you want to make it, or should we go to the department store to buy it someday? You have so many things to do, how do you still have time to exercise..."
Chen Jinhua's current symptoms seemed like anxiety about her only daughter getting married. Jiang Nan immediately cracked a smile and said, "Mom, why are you so anxious? The wedding is still two weeks away. There's no rush. I'm very fast at making clothes. I can have them done in one day tomorrow weekend. There's no rush. Zhou Zhixing can just wear a Zhongshan suit. I'll make it. No need to buy it."
Seeing his wife getting anxious again, Jiang Mancheng quickly said, "Jinhua, when will Dad be back? Has he sent a telegram? We should go pick him up. Where will Dad stay then? It's not that I don't want him to stay, it's just that he doesn't like staying at home. If he wants to stay at a guesthouse, do we have to book it in advance?"
Chen Jinhua's attention was indeed diverted. She groaned, patted her head, and said, "Look at my brain, I can't remember anything. Dad sent a telegram a few days ago saying he would come over next week. He's been exploring in Xinjiang Province and has been very busy. He finally asked for leave and said he wanted to bring back some local specialties. As for the guesthouse matter..."
She pondered for a moment and said, "Well, let's go to the guesthouse tomorrow and see if we can book a room in advance."
Jiang Mancheng clapped his hands and said, "Alright, let's go out tomorrow. Let's go to the department store and buy some candy. We'll need it for the wedding."
Chen Jinhua nodded. Seeing Jiang Nan about to speak, she tapped his forehead. "You're not going anywhere tomorrow. Make your wedding dress first! Your dad and I will take care of the candy. Just focus on preparing the wedding dress. Don't be lazy. Do you understand?"
"I heard it." Jiang Nan pouted, quickly skipped over to Chen Jinhua's side, took her arm and said, "Mom, don't be sad. I'm still living at home after getting married. Nothing has changed, really."
Chen Jinhua's eyes suddenly turned red, and tears fell down in big drops. This scared everyone. Who had ever seen Chen Jinhua cry like this? Jiang Mancheng immediately jumped up, rubbing his hands in bewilderment: "Jinhua, what's wrong with you? If you feel uncomfortable, just..."
Jiang Nan was also startled and said hurriedly, "Mom, please don't be like this. If you don't want to let me go, I won't marry you. Really, I will always be with you and won't marry anyone else!"
Chen Jinhua chuckled. The daughter she had raised for eighteen years was getting married. It seemed as if she was still nursing in her arms yesterday, so small and soft, and in the blink of an eye, she was going to be married. Even if she still lived at home, the feeling was different. Seeing her daughter like that, she felt that she had so many things to worry about. What was the point of being so pretentious? She said angrily, "What nonsense! If you don't marry me, I won't agree."
She wiped her tears and smiled at Zhou Zhixing: "Xiaoxing, don't feel burdened. I don't have any objections to you, I'm just feeling emotional at the moment. Don't worry, Aunt Chen is very satisfied with you. It's Xiaonan's blessing to marry you."
Zhou Zhixing didn't dare to respond and waved his hands repeatedly: "Aunt Chen, please don't say that. Being able to marry Xiaonan is the greatest virtue I have ever had in my previous life. I am also very happy."
Chen Jinhua finally opened up to her true joy. She glared at the man and daughter, waved her hand, and said, "Alright, everyone, get back to your work. By the way, Xiaonan, when will your interview report appear in the major newspapers? Is this 56-square-meter house safe?"
Jiang Nan chuckled: "If it's in the newspaper, then be careful. If it's not in the newspaper, then it's 45 square meters."
Jiang Mancheng quickly said, "Forty-five square meters isn't bad either. Our house is fifty-six, so that's over a hundred square meters in total. It'll only cost a little more to exchange it later, so it's easy. Jinhua, don't worry, I'm here for you. I have the final say in the construction team now, so I'll keep an eye on it. Don't worry."
The family chatted back and forth, recounting the trivialities of the past six months. It was slowly getting late, and Zhou Zhixing was about to leave when he suddenly remembered Old Lady Liu's request to buy milk powder. He whispered the story to Jiang Nan, who said, "Then I should exchange some in the system. I've had quite a few cases in the past six months, and I still have 30,000 or 40,000 points."
Not only are there more cases, but there's also less money to spend. We used to be able to sit in a row and enjoy fruit, but since the Revolutionary Committee's inspection of food, this beneficial activity has been canceled. We only eat fruit when we go on picnics, away from others. Otherwise, we can't spend our points.
Zhou Zhixing nodded and said, "Put it in the space after you exchange it. I'll come get it in a couple of days and give it to Grandma Liu."
After chatting and laughing, Zhou Zhixing soon said goodbye and left. Jiang Nan got up to wash up. The summer night gradually became darker, and it was time for rest in No. 1 Courtyard. The surroundings became quiet.
No one expected that on a quiet summer night, a bloody murder was happening in the distance.
The next day, Jiang Nan was sleeping in when her door slammed like drums. She sat up, jumped out of bed, opened the door, and rushed out. In the living room, Jiang Mancheng had just opened the door. Before she could see who was standing outside, the sound of the slamming sounded.
"Sister Xiaonan, hurry up! There's been a bloody incident in the Fiberglass Residential Complex. Inspector Lan wants us to go there quickly!"
It was Wang Zili, sweating profusely and his face flushed.
Jiang Nan immediately regained consciousness. She walked towards the bathroom, saying, "Wait a minute, wash my face, change my clothes, and then leave. Has Zhou Zhixing been notified?"
Wang Zili panted and nodded, "I've notified you. The team leader will be here soon."
"Okay," Jiang Nan said, stopping asking questions and jumping into action. "That's what being a police officer is like. No matter what else you're busy with in life, as long as a case comes up, you have to compromise for it." "I can't finish the wedding dress today, but I'll do it later. There are still two weeks left. I can work overtime tonight and I'll definitely be able to finish it."
After quickly packing up, the three of them met downstairs. Without saying a word, they hopped on their bikes and headed back to the FRP residential complex. On the way, Wang Zili explained the situation: "The deceased is Sun Min, the man with whom Shi Weimin had an affair. There was also another man. A suicide note was found at the scene. Based on the contents of the note, it seems this man wrote it after he killed Sun Min. We'll have to get to the scene to find out the details."
The two nodded. Investigations rely on evidence. Just because there's a suicide note doesn't mean the person committed suicide. One needs to examine the scene, investigate the person's social connections, any past grudges, and verify the authenticity of the suicide note. All of this needs to be verified. A single suicide note isn't enough to make a final conclusion.
When the three of them arrived at the scene, sweating profusely, they found a crowd of people outside. Before entering, Wang Zili whispered, "The scene is extremely bloody. Sister Xiaonan, be prepared."
Jiang Nan rubbed the guy's head and said, "Good boy, when will it be your turn to take care of me? You're dating now, do you know how to take care of a girl?"
Wang Zili's face flushed red. "Sister, what are you talking about? I... I'm only seventeen. I'm not in a hurry to find a partner."
Zhou Zhixing watched the two men's quarrel with a smile. As he walked forward, he blocked the crowd for them and entered the scene smoothly. As soon as he entered, he frowned at the strong smell of blood. The walls of the room were splattered with blood. With that amount of bleeding, it would be strange if someone didn't die. The three of them walked slowly into the crime scene with serious faces.
Inside the room, Lan Qingshan, Shao Yong, Zou Li and Wen Qiang had already arrived and were squatting on the ground checking for clues bit by bit. There were also colleagues taking photos at the scene, snapping away and collecting evidence.
The two deceased were one, Sun Min, known to both Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing. He lay on the ground, swaying east-west. A clear wound pierced his neck, likely a major artery, which was why there was so much blood on the surrounding walls. The other deceased, a thinner man than Sun Min, wore glasses and lay quietly on the bed, his hands folded across his chest. His death was remarkably peaceful.
Lan Qingshan heard the noise and looked up to see three people coming. He raised his chin and ordered, "Shao Yong, show the suicide note to these two people."
"Hey." Shao Yong agreed and stood up with difficulty. He had been squatting for a long time and stumbled twice when he stood up. After the dizziness passed, he found the suicide note from a pile of evidence bags nearby and handed it over, saying, "See if you can find any clues."
Jiang Nan took the evidence bag and carefully read the suicide note. The contents of the note suggested a murder of passion. The man who wrote it was Haijian, Sun Min's lover. The note was filled with accusations of emotional deception, accusing Sun Min of abandoning him and exploiting their relationship to coerce Haijian into giving him money. Repeated blackmail not only drove Haijian's father to death, but also robbed him of the courage to live. Determined to die, Haijian summoned Sun Min and, taking advantage of his absence, killed him with a single knife before committing suicide.
Jiang Nan looked at the signature "Haijian" and asked, "Has Haijian's unit been notified? We also need to compare the previous handwriting to determine if this suicide note was written by him."
As she spoke, she looked at the suicide note again, feeling that something was wrong.
Across from him, Shao Yong replied, "I've already notified him. The suicide note says he was a loader at the grain station. We've already sent someone to ask the station's leader. As for the handwriting, here's Hai Jian's old diary. You can take a look."
Jiang Nan nodded. Shao Yong was also an old hand, and he had thought of everything. She looked at the suicide note again, finally understanding what was wrong. She whispered to Zhou Zhixing, "Do you think this suicide note is too coherent? There's not a single stutter in it. It doesn't seem like it was written by someone who was emotionally agitated."
She added: "What I mean is, if someone is very emotional, wouldn't their handwriting be different than usual? For example, if they put too much pressure on the paper, it would wrinkle. But look at this suicide note. The handwriting is very regular and the paper is very flat. It definitely doesn't look like it was written by someone in a fit of rage."
Zhou Zhixing nodded. He used to be a calligrapher, so he had a deeper understanding of this. Lan Qingshan heard this and beckoned, "Let me see it."
Jiang Nan handed the suicide note to Lan Qingshan again. Lan Qingshan squatted down and read it again. He said happily, "Very good. This is a big doubt. When the handwriting expert comes, we will focus on asking questions about this aspect."
"Handwriting expert?" Jiang Nan became interested. "There's also this matter, Chief Lan. When did you invite him? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"
Lan Qingshan waved his hand: "There are some at headquarters. I'll make a phone call when I get back and ask the old man to come over. Okay, let's go check out other clues."
Jiang Nan shrugged and went back to work with Zhou Zhixing. A short time later, Xiao Zhao brought a middle-aged man over to confirm Haijian's identity. Zhou Zhixing then looked at Haijian's old diary. From his observations, the handwriting in the suicide note matched the handwriting in the notebook, meaning it was Haijian who wrote it. This was evident from the subtle habits he used when starting and ending his strokes.
This is interesting. Jiang Nan asked in a low voice: "Is the body going to be sent for an autopsy?"
Lan Qingshan nodded: "After taking the photos, Forensic Doctor Xie will take people to do it. The results should be out before leaving get off work."
He stood up and nodded at Jiang Nan: "Go ask the onlookers and see if there are any clues that can be provided."
Jiang Nan nodded, picked up a notebook and pen, and went to ask questions to the crowd.
"Auntie, do you know the person living in this house?" Jiang Nan smiled and said, "I can tell from looking at you that you are well-informed. You must be the type of person you are in the fiberglass community!"
She gave a thumbs-up and complimented him, "That's right, I immediately thought of asking you. Auntie, don't be shy. Just tell me what you know. Don't worry about whether it's useful or not. We, the police, will handle this. Just tell me."
The old lady didn't dare to say anything at first. After all, someone was killed and who would dare to meddle in such trivial matters? But when the female policewoman started talking, she was so talkative. After just a few words, the old lady quickly laughed out loud.
"Then I'll tell you. The person living in this house is Haijian, everyone knows him. He must be thirty this year, and he's still unmarried because of his bad class background. His family used to be landlords, but they were overthrown. But he was lucky, his family is from Yangjiawa, and oil was discovered in the land, so he lost a job. Because of his bad class background, he was reported, and he went from being an oil worker to a loader at the grain station. He hasn't been given an apartment for all these years and has been living here all the time. He was a quiet person, but he was a good person. How could he die so suddenly? I really didn't expect it."
Jiang Nan finally grasped the key point. Landlord. Hai Jian was a landlord. How could he be related to Sun Min from the Revolutionary Committee? What kind of relationship? Impossible, unless he didn't know Sun Min's true identity? She scratched her chin and asked again, "Is Hai Jian a landlord?"
The old lady nodded and said, "Yes, everyone knows this. Otherwise, people would give up their good jobs as oil workers and become stevedores instead. Isn't it all because of the ingredients?"
Jiang Nan stopped asking about this and started asking other questions instead: "Who is Hai Jian usually close to? Has anyone come to see him?"
Before the old lady could say anything, a woman in her thirties next to her said, "Hey, that kid from the Wen family, doesn't he come here often?"
The aunt sighed, "Wenling is a warm-hearted guy. He's friendly with everyone. It's normal for him to come here often..." As she spoke, she turned around, looked around at the crowd, and suddenly stretched out her hand and shouted, "Wenling, Wenling, come here, let's talk."
Jiang Nan looked up and saw a young man of about twenty-six or twenty-seven. He looked strong and powerful, about 1.8 meters tall, with a square face and sharp edges. He had a smile on his face, but he didn't look very approachable. Jiang Nan frowned. What did this man have to do with the case?
"Auntie Fang," Wen Ling greeted and nodded to Jiang Nan. "Officer, do you have any questions?"
Jiang Nan regained his composure, tried to smile, and asked, "Hello, everyone says you had a good relationship with the deceased Hai Jian and often came to see him, is that right?"
Wen Ling nodded. "Although Haijian's background is not good, he went to school for a few years and is a good person. I come here often. I can't read, so Haijian taught me everything."
Jiang Nan: "Do you know Sun Min?"
Wen Ling shook his head: "I don't know him, and I've never seen him before."
Jiang Nan narrowed her eyes for a long moment, then nodded at Wen Ling. She stood up and walked over to Lan Qingshan. "Officer Lan, there's someone I think it's best to bring to the station for questioning. There are so many people here right now, it's inconvenient to ask him."
Lan Qingshan stood up, holding his waist. He had been busy for most of the day and had no other clues to look at. He nodded and said, "Okay, pay attention to the method and don't cause unnecessary gossip for the informant."
Jiang Nan nodded and walked over to Wen Ling and Aunt Fang again. He smiled at Wen Ling and said, "Brother Wen, this is what's going on. Since you're the one who goes to Hai Jian's house the most, we found some evidence at the scene. We need you to go to the police station with us to see which of these evidence belongs to Hai Jian and which were brought in by outsiders. Okay? It won't take long. We'll have everything identified by tonight at the latest."
Before Wenling nodded, Aunt Fang and the elder sister next to him made repeated assurances.
"That's nothing. Wenling has been a kind-hearted person since he was a child. You, little policeman, are too polite."
"That's right. No one else in the community is familiar with Haijian, except Wenling. Don't worry, Lingzi. I'll tell your mom. Just go and consider it a good deed."
Wen Ling chuckled twice, and Jiang Nan, seeing he had no objection, walked side by side with Wen Ling, behind the group. Zhou Zhixing deliberately slowed down his pace, waiting for Jiang Nan to catch up before walking together.
Zhou Zhixing said, "I've seen murders between men and women, but this murder between men is truly eye-opening."
Jiang Nan chuckled. "I've been a police officer for so long, this is nothing special. I've seen even stranger cases before."
Wang Zili, who was standing in front of them, heard the two people's discussion and was about to join in the conversation when Lan Qingshan put his arm around his shoulders and said, "Zili, why isn't Gengsheng with you today?"
Wang Zili scratched his head. "He went to mail a package to his elder brother. I got up late today, so you found me. Otherwise, I would have gone to the post office too."
Zou Li said, "How's that guy Fendou doing when he cut in line? Did the team have a good harvest?"
They chatted and laughed all the way to the police station. Wenling was taken to the interrogation room, and Lan Qingshan personally questioned him. He asked, "Can you tell me about your relationship with Haijian?"
"Good friend." Wen Ling sat on a chair with a sad look on his face. "Although Haijian is a stevedore, he's in poor health, so I often help him with his work."
Lan Qingshan raised his eyebrows: "Oh? You also work at the grain station?"
Wen Ling nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm also a stevedore. We're colleagues and we both live in a fiberglass residential complex, so we interact a lot. He doesn't like to talk much, but he's full of knowledge and can tell stories, and I love listening to his stories."
Lan Qingshan said nothing. He handed the suicide note to Wen Ling. After he finished reading it, he asked, "Can you tell me more about your relationship with Haijian?"
Wen Ling smiled, looking very relieved: "You guessed it? I have nothing to hide. It's true that I like Haijian. But Haijian doesn't like me."
He shook the suicide note and said, "It's clearly written here. He liked this girl called Sun Min."
Lan Qingshan laughed: "Really? But Sun Min is from the Qingjiang Commune Revolutionary Committee. How did he meet Hai Jian? And how did they become lovers?"
Wen Ling shrugged and handed the suicide note back to Lan Qingshan: "I don't know either. I just like Haijian. I only go to see him when he is at home. I don't know much about these things."
Lan Qingshan nodded at the table and said with a smile, "So, you don't know Sun Min, right?"
Seeing Wen Ling nod, Lan Qingshan didn't ask any more questions and gestured to Jiang Nan or Zhou Zhixing to ask. Jiang Nan thought for a moment and said, "You..."
She considered her words carefully and said, "How did you and Haijian know for sure that you both liked men? I mean, things like this aren't tolerated these days, right? You wouldn't casually reveal secrets like this. But you two just happened to find a companion, and they happen to be colleagues. Isn't this a bit too much of a coincidence?"
Wen Ling leaned back, folded her arms, and looked at Jiang Nan, not wanting to speak. It was obvious that Jiang Nan's question had upset Wen Ling. But she continued, "Don't worry. I'm not trying to convict you of this, nor do I think it's wrong. This is your freedom, right? As long as you don't hurt others, we won't interfere. But..."
Jiang Nan pointed at the suicide note. "Hai Jian, Sun Min, and you are here. You three met each other. That means there must be a place where you all meet, and the people who go there are all people like you. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense that Sun Min from Qingjiang Commune would meet Hai Jian from the Operations Office, right? The two people clearly have no intersection. The only intersection should be the place I mentioned, right?"
Wen Ling was silent for a long time, and finally said, "Go up the mountain opposite the black market, go straight up for two miles, you will see a big locust tree, turn left about 500 meters, there is a big green pine tree that three people can hug, turn right again, you will see a small pine forest, we...we will go there after 8 o'clock in the evening."
Jiang Nan breathed a sigh of relief: "So, you and Hai Jian, and Hai Jian and Sun Min, all met there?"
Wen Ling nodded and stared at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan quickly said, "Don't worry, we won't say anything. This is your privacy, we won't interfere."
After confirming that Wen Ling didn't know Sun Min, the interrogation ended. Closing the door to the interrogation room, Lan Qingshan ordered, "Go to that woods tonight."
He pondered for a moment, glanced at Zhou Zhixing, then at Shao Yong and Wang Zili, then turned away and said, "Alright, stop being awkward and go. Don't wear your police uniforms, or everyone will be scared away and we won't be able to get anything out of you, understand? We're going to question people, not arrest them."
Seeing Jiang Nan raise her hand, Lan Qingshan nodded at her and said, "Okay, you are a woman, you can't go."
He instructed everyone, "Just ask about Sun Min and Hai Jian's situation. Don't get involved in anything else. There are a lot of people like this, and we can't lock them all up. The detention center doesn't have that much money to feed them. Do you understand?"
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