Chapter 31 Meeting
After saying goodbye to Lao Chai, Xia Mufan came out of the woods and immediately found Yue Yuan to report his work.
This time, the serious crime team selected five people from the serious crime group six to participate in the visit and investigation near Zheng'an Station. Yue Yuan personally dispatched and directed the work, and used the large conference room of the Zheng'an Town Police Station to complete the daily work handover and reporting.
Yue Yuan was promoted to deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Hui City Public Security Bureau, and everyone's way of addressing him changed from "Team Leader Yue" to "Captain Yue".
Seeing Xia Mufan striding into the conference room, Yue Yuan, who was standing by the phone, raised his head and asked, "How is it? Did you find anything?"
The case of Xia Mufan looking for his mother has the support of the entire Public Security Bureau. This time Yue Yuan was in charge personally. All the members of the serious crime team who participated in the investigation showed a high degree of unity and cooperation. From the Xinzhang Town Police Station, Rongyang Town Police Station to the Zheng'an Town Police Station, they all gave the green light to this case.
This kind of atmosphere made Xia Mufan deeply moved.
Without everyone's help, she would never have been able to track down the clue of Lao Zou so quickly.
"Captain Yue, I want to adjust my investigation strategy."
Yue Yuan noticed the excitement in Xia Mufan's voice, nodded, raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling her to take a breath and speak slowly. Having been in contact with Xia Mufan for such a long time, Yue Yuan knew that she was perceptive, quick-witted, and daring to think and act. Now there was a gleam of eagerness in her eyes, and it was obvious that she had a good idea.
"I checked the place where Yao Yanfei abandoned my mother. The slope there is steep and long. If someone falls down, they are very likely to get hurt. If it was just a leg injury, my mother could call for help, but if it was a head injury, she might fall into a coma."
Yue Yuan confirmed Xia Mufan's speculation: "Yes, it is possible."
There is a high probability that Xu Shumei is still alive.
Precisely because of this speculation, the current focus of investigators is to visit nearby elderly residents with Xu Shumei's photo, hoping to find eyewitnesses. It’s a pity that it’s very old, and Zheng’an Station has fallen into disrepair, with people from the surrounding area constantly moving away. After two days of asking, I didn’t get any results.
However, as long as people are alive, they will definitely leave traces.
Through on-site investigation, Yue Yuan found that the missing location was seven or eight minutes' drive from the train station and there was a railway track passing nearby. He focused his investigation on the railway workers.
He had already contacted the Archives Center of the Railway Administration and had just obtained the information of the railway employees at Zheng'an Station in the two years around 1980. He was planning to look for suspicious points among these employees when Xia Muchan, who had been traveling outside, came back.
"Yao Yanfei saw my mother at around 12:30 p.m. and drove for two or three hours before dropping her off at around three o'clock. At this time, people were either at work or working, so few people walked this road. If my mother was unconscious, I'm afraid it would be difficult to find her for a while."
According to the information provided by Lao Chai, the workers at the train station hammer and bang on the rails with a wrench every day. This type of work should be track maintenance workers. What she had to do now was to draw out the clue of the road maintenance worker through on-site analysis.
After a pause, Xia Mushige continued.
"I noticed that this road is parallel to the railway track. Although there is a gap of more than ten meters in between, I should be able to see people at the bottom of the slope from where I stand. I wonder if the first person to discover my mother would be a railway employee? A railway employee who is still working at this time..."
Sun Xianbing, who was following behind Xia Mufan, spoke quickly and immediately added, "Road maintenance worker!"
Railway maintenance workers are engaged in high-intensity physical labor. To ensure the safety and smooth operation of trains, they work outdoors all year round, inspecting and maintaining the rails regardless of whether it is extremely cold or hot, or sunny or rainy.
We are indeed good comrades who have worked together for nearly a year and have a tacit understanding. Xia Mufan glanced at Sun Xianbing and said, "Yes, so I suggest narrowing the scope of the investigation and focusing on the railway maintenance workers who were in office in the spring of 1980."
Yue Yuan immediately stood up and handed the list of railway employees and resumes he had just taken from the table to Xia Mufan: "Okay, let's start with the track maintenance workers."
When he had previously focused his investigation on the railway workers, countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
The train enters and leaves the station at a slow speed. A passenger on the train may accidentally find someone fainted on the roadside not far away, but instead of calling the police, he or she quietly runs over and takes the person away. This movement may be noticed by the conductor.
It is possible that a train conductor or track maintenance worker discovered someone fainted while on patrol, went over to check, became sexually aroused, and hid the person.
Now that Xia Mufan has locked on the road maintenance worker, he might as well give it a try. At least it can narrow the scope of the investigation. The plan is indeed feasible.
Taking the information, Xia Mufan began to browse it quickly. When the name Zou Jianzhang appeared before her eyes, her eyes lit up and she began to carefully check his relevant information.
Born in 1948 in Y Province, he is gentle, hardworking and began working in 1966. He has a very good opinion from his superiors and colleagues. The work of a road maintenance worker is too hard and most people cannot stay in this position for long. However, Zou Jianzhang worked diligently and only sold his job and returned home in 1980.
In that era, the railway system was a stable job with a guaranteed income. Children and relatives could take over your job, and work quotas could be bought and sold privately. All you had to do was announce to the public that the person taking over your job was a relative.
Xia Mufan pointed at the name and asked, "Returned to his hometown in 1980? How could it be such a coincidence? My mother disappeared in 1980, and he sold his job and returned to his hometown in 1980."
Next, members of the serious crime squad began looking for old residents nearby to inquire about Zou Jianzhang.
After asking around, I actually got some useful information.
Zou Jianzhang was living in an old dormitory for platform staff at the time. One day in 1980, he brought back a pretty young wife with a wound on her head. According to him, this young wife was arranged for him by his parents in his hometown. She originally worked in the city and came to the town to find him because she was injured.
The young wife was very well-behaved and sensible. She followed Zou Jianzhang closely but didn't say a word.
When others asked her about it, Zou Jianzhang said she was a mute.
Zou Jianzhang is an honest and dull person. Although he looks ordinary, he is at least a formal employee. However, he has been single in his thirties, and others shake their heads when they talk about him.
Firstly, he was from another province and had shallow roots; secondly, his hometown was a notoriously poor mountain village in Y Province. His parents had seven or eight children and relied on him to send their monthly salary back home to support the family. He was extremely frugal and had no savings, so no girl was interested in him.
Now we heard that he has got engaged in his hometown. Although he is mute, he looks like a virtuous man. Everyone who knows Zou Jianzhang is happy for him.
Zou Jianzhang took his wife to the infirmary to bandage her wound. Within two days, he sold his work quota for more than 100 yuan and took her back to his hometown.
Because Zou Jianzhang's wife had only appeared in public twice, and her head and face were bandaged, no one recognized her when the serious crime team took her photo and asked around. If Xia Mufan had not focused on investigating Zou Jianzhang's social relationships, such as his old colleagues and neighbors, this clue might have been overlooked.
When they discovered this part, everyone was very excited.
If Zou Jianzhang brought Xu Shumei back to his hometown to get married, then Xu Shumei should still be alive!
No matter if she has amnesia or intellectual impairment, at least she is still alive!
The entire crime squad was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Yue Yuan immediately arranged a convoy of three police cars, carrying all the members of the serious crime team involved in the investigation, to Zou Jianzhang's hometown.
The mountain road was rugged and muddy, but it could not stop Xia Mufan from moving forward.
The scenery outside the window kept changing, and Xia Mufan's mood became uneasy.
——Is mom okay? Did she suffer there?
——Mom, do you still remember me? Do you still recognize me?
As soon as Sun Xianbing saw her staring out the window with a dazed look in her eyes, he knew she was in a bad mood and hurriedly comforted her: "Don't be afraid, you will definitely see your mother this time."
Feng Xiaoyu stretched out her hand and gently placed it on the back of Xia Mufan's slightly trembling hand: "Xia Xia, don't worry, Captain Yue has already sent a request for assistance to the Y Province Public Security Bureau, and the comrades from the Public Security Bureau have already left in advance, so there will be no accidents."
Because it involved a case of women being abducted, and sixteen years had passed, Xu Shumei might have married, had children, and settled down in that mountain valley. If Xu Shumei was forcibly taken away at this time, the villagers might clash with the police.
In order to avoid this passive situation, Yue Yuan contacted the Provincial Department of Y Province and Pan County Public Security Bureau, and dispatched a number of police officers to communicate in the village in advance.
Yu Jing drove very steadily, even the steep mountain roads were as smooth as flat ground.
He looked at the mountain road in front of him and said, "Don't worry, even if we have to rob you, we will help you get your mother back!"
There was a gleam in Xia Mufan's eyes.
After her mother disappeared when she was six years old, she was filled with anger due to the sudden change. She has been fighting but has been isolated and helpless.
But today, countless police officers are working hard for her.
The serious crime squad, criminal investigation brigade, public security bureau, and now even the police force from the Y Province Department have been involved to help her find her mother.
The people’s police serve the people.
There has never been a moment when Xia Mufan realized this so clearly.
Finally arrived at Zou Jianzhang’s hometown.
It was already 1996. With the rapid economic development, cities were changing with each passing day and the appearance of rural areas had also changed greatly. But because of the inconvenient transportation, this place remains simple and unpretentious.
The dirt road is narrow, and weeds are swaying on the walls outside the rammed earth brick houses.
Seven or eight police cars parked at the entrance of the village, attracting onlookers from the villagers.
Xia Mufan jumped out of the car immediately.
Yue Yuan waved at her, motioning her to come closer.
Xia Mufan suppressed his excitement and ran over quickly: "Captain Yue."
Yue Yuan pointed at a middle-aged police officer in front of him and said, "Xiao Xia, this is Li Yongyan, the captain of the criminal investigation team of Pan County Public Security Bureau."
Xia Mushige stood still and saluted: "Captain Li!"
Li Yongyan looked her up and down with admiration in his eyes: "Good job! You are a determined police officer."
Xia Mufan knew that Li Yongyan arrived first and must be aware of the situation. His heart was pounding and he wanted to ask how his mother was, but for some reason the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a word.
Fortunately, Yue Yuan understood her feelings and didn't make her wait too long.
"Xiao Xia, your mother is still alive."
These words made Xia Mufan's eyes sparkle with great brightness, his chest was filled with great joy, and he felt like he was about to explode with happiness.
Ah, my mother is still alive!
Just be alive!
Li Yongyan took over Yue Yuan's words and tried to explain the situation he had learned in advance as concisely as possible: "Xu Shumei's current name is Song Zhenbao. She is mentally impaired. She married Zou Jianzhang in 1980 and has no children. Zou Jianzhang died of illness two years ago. Now Xu Shumei is the only one living in the old house."
Xia Mushige tried to calm himself down and asked in a hoarse voice: "Where is she?"
Li Yongyan pointed to a house in the village: "There."
A mud house.
There is a bluestone slab in front of the door.
A bunch of dried wild flowers hung on the wooden door.
The door was open, and in the yard a woman with her back to the door was sorting out dried bamboo shoots that were drying in a winnowing basket.
Although they were more than ten meters apart, Xia Mufan could see it clearly.
That figure was the mother she had been thinking about for sixteen years.
It is already April.
She was wearing a blue cloth jacket, her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head, and her slightly plump figure gave people a warm feeling of years of accumulation.
There were so many police cars coming to the village, and the villagers all rushed to the entrance of the village to watch the excitement, but she seemed unaware and was busy with her work.
Crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, it took sixteen years.
Xia Mufan finally found his mother.
She wanted to go over.
She wanted to hug her mother's waist and snuggle in her mother's arms and act coquettishly like when she was a child.
But for some reason, Xia Mufan's legs seemed to be filled with lead and he couldn't move a step.
Li Yongyan did a very good job in the preliminary work. Several leaders of the village committee stayed with the police and explained the matter carefully.
"When Uncle Jianzhang brought Aunt back home, he said that it was pitiful for a fool to beg outside, so he took her home as his wife."
"It wasn't that difficult to get a hukou in the countryside at that time. The name Song Zhenbao was given by Uncle Jianzhang."
"The village held a wedding banquet and later even issued a marriage certificate. We didn't know she was abducted."
Zou Jianzhang has a relatively high seniority in the village, and the current village committee leaders have to call him uncle. Now that he has passed away, Xu Shumei's life has become a problem. Now that the police are looking for someone, the villagers are happy to see it, so naturally there are no disputes or conflicts.
Because they were worried that Xu Shumei's family would cause trouble, the village committee leaders all spoke well of Zou Jianzhang.
"Uncle Jianzhang is a good man. She didn't suffer much."
"When I brought her back, my aunt was dumb and couldn't even speak. It was Uncle Jianzhang who patiently taught her how to speak, wash her face, dress herself, and light a fire and cook."
"She has never had a child, but Uncle Jianzhang has been very kind to her over the past decade. If he doesn't see her for a while, he'll look for her all over the village. The women in the village are so envious."
"Before Uncle Jianzhang died, the one he cared about the most was her, so he asked us to take care of her."
Yue Yuan didn't want to listen anymore, frowned and said: "No matter how good it is, it's still kidnapping!"
Several village committee leaders looked at each other and dared not say anything. When a person dies, it's like a light goes out. I just hope the police won't hold them accountable.
Amid the villagers' mixed discussions, Xia Mufan finally moved.
Step by step, slowly walked towards the half-open wooden door.
The sunlight poured down, and the simple courtyard in front of me was covered with a layer of faint golden light.
Xu Shumei basks in the sun.
Xia Mufan held his breath, stepped over the threshold, and walked slowly closer.
Getting closer.
She heard her mother humming a song softly.
"Little swallow, dressed in flowery clothes, comes here every spring..."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
This song accompanied my best childhood.
In the years that followed, it became a melody that Xia Mufan dared not touch again.
"mom."
"mom."
"Mother……"
Xia Mufan called softly.
Xu Shumei seemed to sense something and slowly turned around.
In the sunlight, the face that had gone through sixteen years of wind and frost had some light fine lines, but her eyebrows were gentle, her eyes were clear, and her hair was thick, and she was still beautiful.
Eyes met.
Xu Shumei looked at Xia Muchan steadily, with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Seeing Xia Mufan's face full of tears, Xu Shumei wiped her hands on her apron, tentatively reached out her hand, gently touched Xia Mufan's hair, and asked timidly: "You, why are you crying?"
Mother's touch is as warm as the sun.
Xia Mufan couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
This is my mom!
I lost my mother for sixteen years.
Seeing her face full of tears, Xu Shumei didn't know what to do, so she shouted to the room, "Jianzhang, Jianzhang..."
There was no response in the room.
She suddenly seemed to remember something and sighed in annoyance: "Oh, Jianzhang is gone."
Xia Mufan's eyes remained on his mother.
Her every smile, every move, every little action can touch Xia Mufan's heart.
——She lost all her memories.
——Her intellectual ability is impaired.
——She didn’t remember Xia Muchan, but she remembered Zou Jianzhang.
Feelings of joy and sadness intertwined together, Xia Mufan stood blankly in front of Xu Shumei, half an arm's length away, but never stepped forward.
A circle of villagers gathered outside Zou Jianzhang's old house.
The buzz of discussion has never stopped since the beginning.
"So many policemen came here just to look for Jianzhang's stupid wife?"
"It's been more than ten years, right? How can she still recognize people?"
"This fool is so lucky. Her family is still looking for her after such a long time."
Xu Shumei looked up and saw so many people at the door. She was obviously a little scared. She raised her hands to cover half of her face and said, "Go home, go home." As she spoke, she began to slowly back away, wanting to return to the familiar little house.
After searching for sixteen years, how could Xia Mufan bear to be separated from his mother again? She finally took a step forward and held Xu Shumei's raised elbow with both hands: "Mom!"
This call finally made Xu Shumei move.
She stopped and looked over quietly from between her elbows, staring fixedly at Xia Mufan's tear-stained oval face.
"Mother--"
Xia Mufan's voice was choked and trembling.
Xu Shumei's eyes were blank and she slowly lowered her hands. Her lips moved slowly, uttering some unclear syllables.
Xia Mufan pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
“Touch…”
"hug……"
There was a sound of discussion outside the door.
"When the silly wife first came to the village, she couldn't even speak. When she saw a girl, she would shout "touch, touch, hug". If it weren't for Jianzhang's protection, she would have been beaten a long time ago."
Xia Mufan suddenly understood!
What are the touches and hugs? That's clearly her mother calling her by her nickname.
Wood wood.
Baby.
Mom always remembers me!
She always remembers me!
Even though she lost her memory, she always cared about me!
Even after being separated for sixteen years, she has never forgotten her daughter Xia Mufan!
The ultimate joy exploded in my chest, like colorful fireworks blooming in the sky at night.
After a moment of amazement, stars scattered everywhere.
Xia Mufan's eyes shone brightly. He stretched out his arms, hugged his mother, and shouted, "Mom, I'm Mumu!"
Xu Shumei was hugged by Xia Mufan and was a little flustered for a moment.
However, the warm touch and familiar smell made her stand there in a daze, unable to move.
Tears unknowingly flowed down her cheeks and dripped onto Xia Mufan's shoulders.
Countless fragments flashed through my mind.
A little girl with pigtails snuggled in his arms, sweetly and softly, nodding her head against his chest, blinking her eyes and acting coquettishly.
"Mom, I want to hear your story."
"Mom, Dahua from Grandma Jiang's house caught a mouse yesterday and showed it off to me proudly."
"Mom, did you know that dogs can talk? Xiao Hei from Grandpa Hai's house next door said that Shan Yazi wet the bed at night, hehe."
Mom, mom, mom…
All of Xu Shumei's memories are filled with this sweet, crisp sound.
It seemed like something was awakened.
Countless fragments of memory came flooding out.
In the cradle, the chubby white baby twisted his head and moved his lips, looking around for her breath.
In the rice field, a little girl followed her barefoot and picked up rice ears: Mom, let me help you.
In the kitchen, a little face was stained by stove ash like a little cat, but it was grinning like a flower: Mom, please make a rice ball for me.
Xu Shumei asked in a trembling voice: "Mumu, where is my Mumu?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
