Chapter 20 Chicken Soup
The winter in Hui City is damp and cold.
Early in the morning, Xia Mufan, wearing his newly bought light blue long cotton-padded jacket, was walking in a narrow alley in the west of the city, with the cold wind blowing straight into his neck. She shrank her neck and reached into her bag.
“Meow——”
The coal ash in the bag made a faint sound.
Cats have high body temperature, soft fur, and warm tentacles, making them suitable as hand warmers.
Sun Xianbing also shrank his neck and turned up his collar: "Xiao Xia, how are you going to deliver the coal ash to his house?"
Xia Mufan took the coal ash out of the bag and patted its head: "Don't worry, the coal ash is very smart, it knows what to do."
Coal Gray has been wandering outside since he was young. He can climb trees, catch birds and mice. He looks small and cute. After being raised by Xia Mufan for a while, his fur has become shiny and oily. There is no risk of being exposed if he lets him follow the enemy. Isn't it better than Wei doing it himself?
As the saying goes, those who are involved are often the most confused.
Obviously he is an experienced veteran criminal policeman, but since it is related to the death of Xun Yangzhou, Wei's eagerness for revenge is bound to leave traces. Wei had dealt with Wu Dameng's parents too many times. He would keep an eye on Wu Dameng's home at the end of every year. Even if he disguised himself, he would be recognized. It was no wonder that Wu Dameng did not dare to come back.
This time, if Coal Ash can "infiltrate the enemy", all the police will retreat, which may paralyze Wu Dameng's parents and allow Wu Dameng to emerge.
Hearing what Xia Mufan said, Mei Hui half-closed his eyes in enjoyment and made a happy gurgling sound in his throat.
[Xia Xia, don't worry, I will ensure that the task is completed.] 】
[Isn’t it just about adoption?] I know. 】
Are you good at seeking adoption? Xia Mufan lifted it to eye level and stared at it with a smile.
Coal Ash stuck out his tongue and started to act cute.
[You are my only master, Xia Xia.] 】
It is a two-year-old kitten with intelligence. It has a natural affinity for humans. Living without a stable place for a long time makes it long for a stable life. It hopes to have an owner who will take the initiative to feed it and a warm home.
After being adopted by Xia Mufan, Meihui's dream came true and he was so happy that he wanted to fly. However, because it has seen too many stray cats and dogs, it has a strong sense of crisis and is always worried about being abandoned.
Xia Mufan knew what was bothering it. Even though Meihui was a little petty when getting along with her, had a strong possessiveness, couldn't stand other pets around her, and would occasionally act wild, she respected and tolerated him.
"Then, show us your ability to be adopted."
Xia Mufan's tone was very flat. Meihui could tell that she was not angry, and she didn't care how many times it had asked for adoption. He immediately smiled and meowed.
[Don't worry, I'm the best.] 】
[If you find anything, you must report it immediately.] 】
The further Xia Mufan walked inside, the more desolate he felt.
The alley is called Blacksmith Alley. It was a gathering place for early craftsmen in the west of Hui City. At the entrance of the alley, there are several old iron shops with slow business, selling knives and ironware.
Taking a deep breath, the air smells like rust.
Wu Dameng's parents live deep in the alley, in a remote location. The courtyard wall is not high, the low bungalow is very old, and the alley electric wires are stretched in a disorderly manner, looking a bit dilapidated.
Anyone who has some ability has moved out early, and the remaining elderly, weak, sick and disabled have no funds or energy to renovate the alleys.
As he walked, Xia Mufan recalled Wei Yong's analysis of Wu Dameng.
Wu Dameng was born in 1956. He is 40 years old this year and is the only son in the family. After graduating from junior high school, he refused to continue his studies and followed a man named Yao Ge to hang out in society. He was ruthless, cunning and smart, and gradually made a name for himself in the outside world.
However, he has two different faces outside and at home.
He is very filial to his parents. Whenever he makes money, he will buy various health products for his parents. When he has time, he will accompany his mother to buy groceries and play chess with his father.
He was also very polite to his neighbors and once made a bold statement: when he made money, he would renovate the old house, pave the floor of Datie Lane with blue bricks, and improve the lives of the 16 households in the lane.
Ten years have passed and there has been no news from Wu Dameng. The big promises he made in the past have become a joke. However, the neighbors who watched Wu Dameng grow up only had an impression of the past. When they heard that he was involved in drug trafficking and killing a police officer, they did not believe it at first. Everyone says that this shouldn't be the case. Although Da Meng is not good at studying, he is a good boy. When he sees us old neighbors, he always smiles and is polite.
To this day, Wu's father, Wu Boqian, suffered a stroke and suffered hemiplegia, making it difficult for him to walk; Wu's mother, Liu Aizhen, has severe rheumatoid arthritis, her hands are deformed like chicken claws, and it takes her half a day to cook a meal. The couple are the epitome of "old, weak, sick and disabled". In addition, Wu's mother had no job, Wu's father had a very small pension, and his only son committed a crime and ran away, so their life was extremely difficult.
The Public Security Bureau and the police station came here to conduct countless investigations and tried their best to persuade them to provide useful clues so that Wu Dameng would surrender himself, but they returned empty-handed every time.
I don’t know whether Wu Boqian and Liu Aizhen were tight-lipped or really didn’t know the truth, but in any case, in the past ten years, Wu Dameng was like bubbles rising from the sea, afraid to see a single ray of sunlight.
Wei Yong has been searching for Wu Dameng for ten years and has a clear understanding of his past experiences. After listening to them, Xia Mufan, Sun Xianbing and Yu Jing roughly sorted out the following points.
First, Wu Dameng is an only child and has a good relationship with his parents.
If such a person were still alive, it would be impossible for him to abandon his parents and have no contact with them for ten years.
According to information obtained by the community police, Wu Dameng's parents have rarely interacted with others since their son was wanted, and have cut off contact with relatives. In addition, due to their old age and illness, they have been living in seclusion.
If Wu Dameng were still alive, how could he resist visiting such parents?
Second, Wu Dameng came from a humble background and had a special attachment to Datie Lane.
Since he threatened to transform the alley, it means he really wants to change the past. If such a person does well outside, returning home in glory would be his dream. However, he would be very miserable if he had to travel at night in glory.
It is precisely because of these two points of analysis that Wei Yong has always asked the community police to keep a close eye on Wu Dameng's parents. At the end of the year, he personally stayed near Datie Lane, because he firmly believed that as long as he waited, he would be able to catch Wu Dameng.
After listening to Director Wei Yong's words, Xia Mufan realized that what Wei was betting on was Wu Dameng's "psychological constraints."
Wu Dameng is a drug trafficker and a police murderer, and his crimes are extremely serious. He is wanted nationwide. Anyone with a little common sense will not be able to return to his homeland.
However, because he has feelings for the place where he grew up, and is attached to the parents who raised him, and because he has a strong inner connection, as long as he is alive and as long as he is doing well, he will definitely find a way to come back.
Perhaps this is the complexity of human nature.
Young people are active in thinking. As soon as Director Wei Yong finished speaking, Xia Mufan, Sun Xianbing and Yu Jing began to discuss and finally made a plan to track down the murderer.
——Since Wu Dameng couldn't bear to leave the place where he grew up, he should announce to the public that the government has plans to demolish Datie Lane to lure out the snakes;
——Since Wu Dameng is worried about his aging parents, he should keep a close eye on the two elderly people. However, this time, Xia Mufan suggested to relax on the outside and tighten on the inside, and not to send anyone to follow, but to send Meihui to take action and wait for the opportunity to tire out.
Wei Yong had no objection to the plan of luring the snake out of its hole. He quickly contacted the relevant government departments, temporarily set up a west city demolition office, started to spread the word, and began to conduct research under the leadership of the community neighborhood committee staff.
However, Wei Yong felt that the plan of waiting for the enemy to tire out was a bit ridiculous. This is the first time I heard of sending a kitten to spy. How does it work? It’s just a cat. How can it detect abnormalities and convey messages?
Finally, under Xia Mufan's insistence, Wei Yong nodded.
When he reached the second-to-last house in the alley, Xia Mufan stopped and looked at the old wooden door whose paint was almost falling off.
Sun Xianbing looked around.
There was no one around and the alley was quiet.
Xia Mufan bent down and put the coal ash at the door, rubbed its little head, and said softly: "It's up to you."
Meihui tilted his head and looked at Xia Muchan.
[Okay~]
“Chirp, chirp…”
A gray shadow passed overhead.
Sun Xianbing looked up and saw a beautiful gray magpie with a colorful tail. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Looking up and seeing joy is a good sign.
Xia Mufan recognized it immediately. This gray magpie was the same one as Huihui, who lived on the locust tree in the backyard of the Anning Road Police Station. It was also one of her pets, and she came specially to help keep watch.
She pointed at the gray magpie squatting on the courtyard wall and raised her chin towards the coal ash.
Coal Gray curled his lips and meowed twice in dissatisfaction, not forgetting to bare his teeth at Magpie Hui Hui.
[You annoying guy!] 】
[I know, I know. I’ll listen to Xia Xia.] 】
[Tell it what you have to say, it flies fast, I know——]
Xia Mushige nodded.
After arranging everything, she took Sun Xianbing and hid in a secluded place.
Sun Xianbing lowered his voice and asked her, "If you send the coal ash over, will they accept it?"
Xia Mufan did not answer and turned his gaze towards the door of Wu Dameng's house.
Meow… meow…
Soot began to paw at the door.
Its cry is cute and adorable, with a sweet taste.
Seeing this scene, Xia Mufan's eyes showed a hint of smile.
Someone from the Chengxi Police Station provided a piece of information: the Wu family had been having problems with rats recently, so they bought rat poison and mousetraps at the market, but the rats were very cunning and they failed to catch any. A few days ago, Wu Dameng's parents and neighbors said they wanted to get a cat. If you send the coal ash over at this time, wouldn't it be like falling asleep and hitting the pillow?
Squeak——
The door opened and a white-haired old woman walked out.
The old woman was Liu Aizhen. The cotton-padded jacket she wore was patched and the cotton slippers on her feet looked dirty.
Coal Ash immediately half stood up, put his front paws on her calves, and called out twice in a delicate voice.
“Ouch!”
When Liu Aizhen saw that it was a cat, her eyes lit up and she shouted into the house, "Old Wu, there's a cat."
There was a cough in the room: "Cough cough——"
Without waiting for Wu Boqian to express his opinion, Liu Aizhen bent down, picked up the coal ash, looked at it curiously for a long time, looked around, and began to talk to herself.
"Whose cat are you? Why are you in my house?"
"It's so cold, are you frozen?"
"Can you catch mice? I don't want a cat that can't catch mice."
As soon as he finished speaking, Coal Ash's ears twitched.
It moved as fast as lightning and rushed into the house.
Liu Aizhen hurriedly followed into the house.
After a while, the sound of clanging and banging came from the house.
“Meow——”
"Oh, I caught a mouse!"
"This cat is very energetic, Lao Wu, let's keep it."
Hearing this, Xia Mufan turned his head and looked at Sun Xianbing, smiling with satisfaction: "How is it? It's done."
Sun Xianbing sighed, "Mei Hui is really capable. He has already infiltrated the enemy?"
The two smiled at each other, then turned and walked towards the alley.
Sun Xianbing still had a question: "Do we really not need to set up a small stall and stay nearby?"
Xia Mushi shook his head: "No need."
Sun Xianbing glanced at the deserted alley behind him with concern: "If Wu Dameng just brought back a message, would Coal Ash be able to tell it?"
Xia Mufan's lips curled slightly: "Don't worry."
By placing coal ash at Wu Dameng's parents' home for 24-hour surveillance and letting the gray magpie deliver the message, no clues will be missed.
Ten years have passed, and the murdered policeman Xun Yangzhou has gradually been forgotten, and Wu Dameng's vigilance should have been relaxed.
Back at Anning Road Police Station, Xia Mufan was very relaxed and continued to learn driving from Yu Jingxue.
Seeing the relaxed look of the three members of the case team, and hearing that they delivered the coal ash to Wu Dameng's house and were waiting for a cat to give feedback, Wei Yong's eyebrows twitched, a little confused.
Over the past ten years, every December he would borrow a car from the Public Security Bureau and wait at the entrance of the iron alley. When he was hungry he would eat the dry food he brought with him, and when he was tired he would take a nap in the car.
Wei Yong was extremely tired physically and mentally, and this almost self-abuse tracking made him feel that Xun Yangzhou had not been forgotten.
Although he didn't understand the young people's way of doing things, Wei Yong didn't say much, just nodded: "Okay, if there is any news, let me know in time."
Since you have chosen to let them take responsibility, let them do things in their own way.
Three days later.
Xia Mufan was agile, bold and careful, and had a talent for driving. He mastered the skills in just a few days and could drive a jeep around the small road in front of the police station.
As soon as the jeep was parked in the backyard of the police station, the gray magpie Huihui landed on the hood.
[There is news, there is news!] 】
[Five mice were caught.] 】
Xia Mufan's mood went through ups and downs.
When I first heard the news, I thought Wu Dameng had finally contacted his family and I was so happy. But what followed was a report on the results of the battle on coal ash, which was simply ridiculous.
Xia Mufan walked out of the cab and waved his hand.
Huihui flapped its wings and flew up, landing in her palm.
When Sun Xianbing and Yu Jing saw this scene, they felt that Xia Mufan was extremely magical - she seemed to have a unique charm and had a very harmonious relationship with small animals.
Whether it was Doudou, Coal Ash, or the gray magpie in front of her, they were all particularly close to her.
Sun Xianbing stared at the gray magpie with a spotted tail for a long time and asked doubtfully, "Did you raise this magpie?"
Xia Mufan smiled and said, "Aren't these the magpies that built their nests on the old locust tree?"
In Sun Xianbing's eyes, all gray magpies look the same: "Oh, you usually just feed them some leftovers, why are they so close to you?"
Xia Mufan signaled Sun Xianbing to stretch out his palm, and with a wave of his right hand, Huihui landed steadily in Sun Xianbing's palm.
Huihui lowered his head mischievously and pecked Sun Xianbing's palm lightly.
Sun Xianbing didn't feel any pain, he just felt his palm itchy. He couldn't help but grin and laugh. The more he looked at Huihui, the more he found it rare and cute: "This magpie is so smart!"
Xia Mufan looked at Huihui and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Sun Xianbing laughed even more happily: "You are really interesting. If you ask it, will it answer you?"
Gray chirped a few times.
[Buy a chicken to eat.] 】
[Bought it at the market.] 】
[While stewing, she shed tears and kept repeating Dameng's name. 】
Huihui is not as smart as Meihui. He lacks a subject and his speech is illogical, but Xia Mufan understands it.
After Wu Boqian suffered a stroke, the corners of his mouth became crooked, he often drooled, and his heels dragged when he walked. He was afraid of being disliked, so he seldom went out. Liu Aizhen was responsible for buying groceries and shopping.
Because of their low income, the old couple usually don’t want to spend money on food and clothes. They always choose cheap vegetables when buying vegetables, and only eat meat twice a month at most. There’s no festival or birthday these days, so why are you suddenly buying chicken?
Just stew the chicken, why are you crying and muttering your son’s name while stewing it?
There is a problem.
Thinking of this, Xia Mufan said to Yu Jing and Sun Xianbing, "Shall we go to Datie Lane to take a look?"
Yu Jing walked down from the co-pilot's seat, glanced at the gray magpie standing on Sun Xianbing's palm, and then looked at Xia Mufan: "Is there any news?"
Xia Mufan shook his head: "I just want to go and take a look. I'm a little worried about Coal Ash."
Although the cafeteria was about to start serving food, Yu Jing chose to trust Xia Mufan and immediately turned around and opened the driver's door: "So what are you waiting for? Get in the car."
After parking the car at the entrance of Datie Lane, Yu Jing sat in the car and waited.
It was almost noon. Xia Mufan and Sun Xianbing were wearing their daily cotton clothes, walking side by side, looking like two young people visiting relatives.
A strong aroma of chicken soup wafted in.
Sun Xianbing sniffed and said, "Whose chicken soup is this? It smells so good."
He was a country boy. The chickens he raised at home were usually for laying eggs. They were reluctant to stew them, so they would only kill a hen that didn't lay eggs to eat as a meal during the Chinese New Year and other festivals. The smell of chicken soup successfully aroused Sun Xianbing's appetite. He almost drooled. He stretched his neck and looked around, trying to find which yard the smell came from.
Xia Mufan pointed accurately to the third house from the end of the alley: "The Wu family is making chicken soup."
Sun Xianbing said casually: "Life is pretty good."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized something, turned to look at Xia Mufan, with an excited light flashing in his eyes: "Where did they get the chicken? Could it be..."
Xia Mufan understood what he meant and immediately said, "Yes, let's go ask."
Boom! Boom!
The knock on the wooden door sounded dull.
Liu Aizhen came over to open the door and saw the two young men, Xia Mufan and Sun Xianbing. She immediately became alert and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Xia Mufan took out the credentials he had prepared in advance: "Auntie, we are from the Demolition Office of the Municipal Construction Committee, and we want to find out more about the situation from you."
Liu Aizhen's eyes lit up: "Relocation Office?" I've always heard that these old alleys are going to be demolished and rebuilt. A few days ago, staff from the Relocation Office came to conduct research, but they didn't enter the house. Now seeing the ID in Xia Mufan's hand, Liu Aizhen didn't have any doubts at all.
Xia Mufan smiled and said, "Yes, the leader asked us to find out about the residents' situation."
Having lived in this old and dilapidated alley for decades, Liu Aizhen had long wanted to leave. She smiled and made way for Xia Mufan and Sun Xianbing to come in, with a very enthusiastic attitude.
Meow——
Coal dust flew towards me.
Liu Aizhen was worried about scaring the distinguished guest, so she quickly stretched out her foot to stop the coal ash and looked at Xia Mufan to explain: "Don't be afraid, this is a cat I keep to catch mice. I hope I didn't scare you."
"It's okay." Xia Mufan waved his hands and signaled the coal ash to stay away with his eyes.
Coal Ash squatted in the corner of the room humming and groaning. He did not come close to Xia Mufan again, but began to report his work excitedly. To others, it was just a few "Meow meow meow..." but to Xia Mufan's ears, they were extremely clear words.
[Xia Xia, I miss you so much.] 】
When can I go back? 】
[If you arrest Wu Dameng, can I go back? 】
While Liu Aizhen stood up to pour water, Xia Mufan bent down and touched Meihui's little head as a reward.
Coal Ash narrowed his eyes and rubbed Xia Mufan's palm, feeling satisfied.
Liu Aizhen had just been stewing soup in the kitchen, and the aroma of chicken soup wafted through the house.
Xia Mushige took the hot tea and asked, "Did you stew chicken at home today? It smells so good."
Liu Aizhen wiped her mouth embarrassedly. Her stiff and deformed hands looked like chicken claws, which was a bit creepy. "My old family gave it to me. It's a rare opportunity for me to eat meat."
Soot interjected.
[Xia Xia, don't listen to her. The chicken was given to us by the people at the market.] 】
[The chicken seller asked her to go back the day after tomorrow.] 】
[She and the old man chatted behind closed doors for the whole morning, all in a mysterious manner. 】
After hearing what Meihui said, Xia Mufan became even more suspicious.
This chicken of Liu Aizhen was given by someone from the market. Who was that? Why let her go the day after tomorrow? Has Wu Dameng already sneaked back to Hui City?
Sun Xianbing pretended to take out his notebook and began to ask routine questions: "How many people are there in your family? How is your income? What are your requirements if you want to relocate?"
When Liu Aizhen heard him asking about the demolition requirements, she became very excited and told him everything about her family's situation. When she mentioned her son, she was silent for a while, her eyes seemed to be happy and sad: "Alas, my son hasn't been home for ten years."
Sun Xianbing asked knowingly: "Ah, why?"
Liu Aizhen shook her head and did not continue the topic. She began to talk about her relatives in her hometown.
"After my mother passed away, my brothers and sisters didn't interact with me much. They all thought I was poor and shameful."
"My husband's family is even more snobbish. For so many years, not even one of them showed up during festivals."
"If we have to demolish the house, you should report it to your leaders. You should make sure that we, the old couple, have a place to live and money to live on, right?"
Sun Xianbing and Liu Aizhen were chatting with each other, while Xia Mufan was listening attentively to the information provided by Meihui.
[Wu Dameng asked someone to contact them two years ago.] 】
[They told their son that the police were keeping a close eye on him and he should never come back. 】
[I got married and had children, and worked as a contractor in the provincial capital. 】
Coal Ash is a very good monitor, because Liu Aizhen and Wu Boqian will not shy away from talking about it. However, in just three days, he has found out so much information, which is really great.
Xia Mufan held up three fingers towards the coal ash and mouthed two words: "Dried fish."
When Coal Ash heard this, he stood up with a start. Three dried fishes, wow!
After coming out of Wu's house, Sun Xianbing asked Xia Mufan anxiously: "How is it?"
Xia Mufan did not answer immediately, and hurried to the alley entrance. After getting in the car, she said to Yu Jing, "Dayu, report to Wei, and have someone keep an eye on the chicken stall in the market. When Liu Aizhen goes out to buy vegetables again, set up a trap and arrest her."
When Yu Jing heard this, he sat up straight and said, "Okay!"
Sun Xianbing's eyes widened: "Xiao Xia, what did you see?"
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