Chapter 46: Turtle
Gong Weiguo and Feng Xiaoyu could not answer the question about pets.
Xia Mufan decided to ask Gu Shaoqi directly.
After the five people returned to the Criminal Investigation Brigade, Feng Xiaoyu went to the archives room to handle the procedures for reviewing the files of the October 18 major case, while Xia Muchan went to the technical department on the first floor.
Gu Shaoqi has an independent office.
The desk is simple and tidy. There is a row of bookcases and a row of filing cabinets against the wall. Although there are many items, they are well organized and not messy.
Xia Mufan knocked on the door and went in, and Gu Shaoqi looked up from behind the table.
There is a window on the south side, and the desk is right under the window. The sunlight shines on Gu Shaoqi's right shoulder, making his face a little hazy and his expression unclear.
Xia Mufan stood straight with a serious attitude: "Forensic Doctor Gu."
Gu Shaoqi glanced at her and said in a gentle voice, "Is there something?" This was the first time that Xia Mufan came to his office on his own initiative. His eyes showed eagerness, and it seemed that he would not come here for no reason.
Xia Mushige asked: "Do you have a pet?"
Before Gu Shaoqi could answer, a black and gray figure jumped onto the windowsill, grinning through the glass. It was Coal Ash.
Gu Shaoqi smiled, stood up and opened the window.
"Meow~"
Meihui turned over and came in, squatting at Gu Shaoqi's desk as if he was familiar with the place. He found a book and lay down, curled up his tail, hung his head, and began to bask in the sun.
Xia Mushi looked at all this in disbelief, his eyes widened, and he lowered his voice and shouted: "Coal ash!"
Meihui is a wild cat and can't sit still. Usually when Xia Mufan is at work, it hangs around the Criminal Investigation Brigade. If Xia Mufan didn't call it, it would only come home at night, lie down in the cat bed to take a nap, and run away early in the morning.
Xia Mufan always thought that it caught birds and mice, played with wild cats and dogs, and rolled around in the grass, but she didn't expect it to come to Gu Shaoqi to bask in the sun.
Judging from its interaction with Gu Shaoqi, it is probably a repeat offender.
Meihui saw that Xia Mufan was still leisurely and didn't feel that there was anything wrong with his behavior. It basked in the sun lazily, its eyes slightly narrowed, and a very comfortable "gurgle, gurgle" sound came from its throat.
[The sun is nice here.] 】
[It smells good too.] 】
[Xia Xia, it’s great that you’re here too.] 】
Mei Hui has said more than once that Gu Shaoqi's place smells good. Forensic work inevitably involves dealing with formalin and disinfectant, which most people find pungent, but I didn't expect Mei Hui to like the smell.
Xia Mufan looked at Gu Shaoqi embarrassedly: "Forensic Doctor Gu, did the coal ash disturb your work?"
Gu Shaoqi waved his hand: "It's okay."
As if sensing Xia Mufan's discomfort, Gu Shaoqi raised his hand and gently stroked Coal Grey's head, his movements gentle and slow: "Coal Grey is very smart, it only comes here because it sees I'm free. If I were busy, it would go and play by itself."
Mei Hui enjoyed Gu Shaoqi's caress and raised his head to rub his palm.
[This person is good.] 】
[Xia Xia, come here and bask in the sun if you have nothing to do.] 】
[It’s so comfortable here.] 】
Hearing what Meihui said, Xia Mufan could only smile bitterly.
Meihui has excellent social skills and has quickly gained a place on Forensic Doctor Gu's desk. This is something that most people cannot learn.
There was no way. Although Xia Mufan was Meihui's master, Meihui had a strong personality and she could only show respect.
Thinking of this, Xia Mufan gave Meihui a warning look: "Behave yourself and don't destroy anything here."
Coal Ash flicked his tail and snorted twice.
【knew. 】
[I'll just bask in the sun and then leave.] 】
Gu Shaoqi looked at Xia Mufan and said, "The coal ash is very good, don't worry."
Xia Mufan turned his gaze to Gu Shaoqi and repeated the question: "Forensic Doctor Gu, do you have a pet?"
Gu Shaoqi: "I have a turtle."
This was the first time someone asked him such a question, and Gu Shaoqi did not hide it.
Xia Mufan's eyes lit up: "Turtle! How long have you raised it? What species?"
Gu Shaoqi didn't know why she asked so much, but seeing her eyes shining, as if she was very happy to know that he had a pet, he answered seriously: "I have had it for almost twenty years. I bought it when I was on a spring outing in elementary school. It was a Chinese soft-shelled turtle. It was only a little bit big at first, but now it has grown to the size of a bowl."
Xia Mufan suddenly thought of a possibility: "When you were in college, you didn't bring the tortoise to your dormitory, right?"
Gu Shaoqi was slightly startled, with a hint of sadness in his eyes: "No, I'm at home."
When the crime happened, Cao Gui was at the scene!
Grass turtles are very common. Xia Mufan had caught one or two in the village pond before. They are omnivorous, lazy, and hibernate. Their IQ is directly proportional to their lifespan. Some old turtles that have lived for over a hundred years are so smart and wise that they put ordinary people to shame.
If Caogui was there, he would probably be able to ask something different.
Xia Mufan clenched his fists, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and his eyebrows and eyes seemed to be shining, surprisingly bright: "Forensic Doctor Gu, can I see the tortoise you raised?"
Gu Shaoqi pondered in silence.
At first, when Xia Mufan came to ask him if he had a pet, he just thought that the girl was just curious and came to ask him because she had a cat.
After knowing it was a turtle, Xia Mufan asked in detail about its species and whether it had ever been raised in the dormitory. She also enthusiastically asked to see a grass turtle. Gu Shaoqi then couldn't understand her.
Maybe Xia Mushige really likes small animals?
Gu Shaoqi looked at her glowing eyes and couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm: "Then, after get off work..."
Xia Mufan's mind was now full of conversations with Cao Gui and searching for new clues to the case. He was completely unaware that his proposal embarrassed Gu Shaoqi: "Let's go now."
Gu Shaoqi looked at her in a hurry, lowered his eyes and pursed his lips: "Are you in such a hurry?" It was working hours now, and the two of them skipped work to watch Caogui together, which was inconsistent with his daily self-discipline and discipline.
If anyone else had made such a request, Gu Shaoqi would have long since sneered, "Sorry, it's working hours."
But the appearance of Xia Muchan in front of him made Gu Shaoqi hesitate.
From the first time I saw this girl, I felt like a dandelion with its branches spreading out in the fields, unrestrained, free, casual and full of vitality.
Since his parents were murdered, Gu Shaoqi has felt too much depression, pain, and unwillingness in his heart, and his life has become extremely heavy. But as soon as he saw Xia Mufan, he would be unconsciously infected by her and become relaxed.
Because of this, Gu Shaoqi was willing to get along with her, and when he saw her being depressed or unhappy, he always wanted to help her to the best of his ability.
Now, seeing Xia Mufan looking at him expectantly, Gu Shaoqi did not refuse directly.
Xia Mufan is a person who will act decisively once he makes a decision.
Seeing that Gu Shaoqi was still hesitating, she took a step forward and waved to Meihui: "Meihui, come here. Forensic Doctor Gu and I are going to his house to see the grass turtle. You come with us."
[Okay!] 】
Meihui was very good at reading people's expressions. He stood up swiftly, bent his back slightly, leaned forward and jumped onto Xia Muchan's shoulder.
Gu Shaoqi looked at the man and the cat in front of him.
The sun was shining brightly, and bits of sunlight were shining on Xia Muchan and Meihui.
The cat's eyes are amber in color and the pupil is a vertical line.
Xia Mufan's eyes are very big, with pointed inner corners and outer corners slanting upwards, with clear twists and turns and bright eyes, giving people a sense of dynamic gaze.
A man and a cat, both waiting for him.
For some reason, Gu Shaoqi's cold heart suddenly softened.
He stood up and tidied up the table a little: "Okay, then I'll take you there."
Gu Shaoqi opened the office door and saw Feng Xiaoyu waiting outside holding a familiar file bag.
He was very familiar with the label on the file bag.
——October 18th major case
Gu Shaoqi felt a slight pain in his heart, his eyes darkened and he looked at Xia Mufan.
Xia Mufan said to Feng Xiaoyu, "Forensic Doctor Gu and I will go find new clues. You go back to the office and wait for me."
When Feng Xiaoyu heard this, she straightened her back immediately: "Yes!"
She had just brought the files from the archives room, and now Xia Mufan said there were new clues, which was great. The more he thought about it, the happier he became, and Feng Xiaoyu started to jog excitedly.
Gu Shaoqi asked Xia Mufan: "You, want to investigate the October 18th case?"
Xia Mushige nodded: "Yes."
Xia Mufan originally planned to start with the pet to understand the situation, and then informed Forensic Doctor Gu after deciding to take over the case.
She had experienced the pain of her mother's sudden departure and knew how deep that pain was. For Gu Shaoqi, reopening old cases again and again is equivalent to opening old scars again and again. How cruel it would be if he experienced disappointment again and again.
Therefore, before she was sure that she could help Gu Shaoqi, Xia Mufan had no intention of alarming him.
But now that Gu Shaoqi has realized it, he has no choice but to tell the truth.
Gu Shaoqi asked again: "Why?"
Xia Mufan raised his eyebrows and said, "I'll help you."
Gu Shaoqi remained silent.
Xia Mufan felt sorry for him as he looked like his soul had been taken away from him. She raised her right hand in the air and shouted, "We will help you catch the murderer!"
Gu Shaoqi felt something invisible gently bumping into his chest which was growing colder day by day.
My heartbeat seemed to be a little faster than usual.
When he was 22 years old, he received a call at school and rushed home, but only saw two cold bodies.
His parents, the parents who loved him, passed away suddenly.
My father has a gentle temperament, speaks softly, likes reading and enjoys quietness.
My mother is a cheerful person who loves to laugh and be lively.
Two people with completely different personalities have always been loving and harmonious, and have never had a quarrel.
My father had always had a bad stomach, so my mother thought of ways to take care of his body. She learned how to make steamed buns, dumplings, noodles, and dumplings, and used all kinds of tricks to coax my father to eat more.
My mother received too little family warmth since she was a child, so my father always treated her like a little girl, buying her new clothes, new shoes, gold and silver jewelry, and praising her for being beautiful and capable from the bottom of his heart.
He was the only child his parents had and they gave him all their love. They fully respect Gu Shaoqi's hobbies and support him in doing what he likes. They are proud of Gu Shaoqi but never ask him for anything in return.
Gu Shaoqi is a man with great ambitions. He wants to become a famous doctor. He works hard step by step according to his own ideas and feels that he is very close to success.
Gu Shaoqi feels lucky to have grown up in such a warm, free and democratic family.
However, this luck ended at the age of twenty-two.
On October 18, 1990, Gu Shaoqi became an orphan.
His parents left him forever.
Gu Shaoqi hated the murderer of his parents so much that all his ambitions and ideas were condensed into one point: find him and kill him!
Gu Shaoqi no longer had any expectations about clinical medicine or famous doctors. He switched to studying forensic medicine, picked up a scalpel, and faced cold corpses. He determined the cause and manner of death, inferred the object of injury, and completed genetic marker testing and bone and hair testing. He wanted to speak for the dead!
Perhaps because he had seen too many corpses, Gu Shaoqi felt that he was becoming more and more indifferent.
He doesn't want to talk or socialize.
He felt like there was a big hole in his chest, and cold wind blew through him every day, making his whole body cold. He doesn't know what joy is, what fatigue is, and even less does he know what warmth is.
He wanted so badly to find the murderer.
Whenever he sees similar scars, he would wonder if it was that person?
Whenever he heard about a home robbery, he would wonder if it was that person.
As time went by and as he came into contact with more and more cases, Gu Shaoqi felt increasingly cold inside, and this coldness was compounded by anxiety and fear.
Others say that he is successful in his career and praise his outstanding abilities. Only he knew that he was always afraid.
What if this person never commits a crime again?
What if this person kills someone in the heat of the moment and then disappears into the crowd?
Is it possible that he will never find this person in his lifetime?
Gu Shaoqi received help from many people in the process of tracking down the murderer.
Instructors Liu Huangen, Ling Feng, Yue Yuan, and colleagues from the serious crime team...
Gu Shaoqi was very touched and grateful.
However, after repeated disappointments, Gu Shaoqi did not dare to face everyone's concern.
They reopened old cases every year, spending countless efforts, but found nothing.
In the past two years, they rarely mentioned this case in front of Gu Shaoqi, for fear of touching on his sad memories.
Today, Xia Mufan looked at him calmly and said so directly that he wanted to help him.
She was frank and straightforward, and she told herself that she was going to help him.
Help him and catch the murderer.
It was as if a touch of green suddenly appeared beside the desolate road ahead. A dandelion, with a brilliant yellow flower, swayed in the cold wind, trying to cheer him up.
Gu Shaoqi's eyes were as dark as ink, and he just stared at Xia Mufan steadily.
The girl in front of him had a peculiar charm that made him believe her involuntarily.
Maybe she could really help him?
The seed of hope sprouted in Gu Shaoqi's heart.
He nodded, his voice slightly hoarse: "Okay."
--
Xia Mufan has a simple mind, but Gu Shaoqi has concerns.
He called his apprentice Zhou Wei, and the three of them walked towards the city bureau’s family quarters together.
Gong Weiguo was not wrong, Gu Shaoqi's house was very big.
As soon as you enter the door, you will see a large living room. The light-colored wooden floor is very clean and spotless. Every item is placed neatly and harmoniously. It can be seen that Gu Shaoqi has a slight obsession with cleanliness.
There was only a pair of dark blue men's cloth slippers on the shoe cabinet in the entrance.
Xia Mufan stood at the door and observed, but didn't find any other slippers.
Gu Shaoqi bent down to put on his slippers and said calmly, "I don't usually have guests at home, so I didn't prepare slippers. You two can just come in."
Zhou Wei was so excited that he rubbed his feet on the carpet at the door again and again, for fear of dirtying the floor. He whispered to Xia Mufan, "This is my first time coming to my master's home."
Xia Mufan said "Oh" and thought that Gu Shaoqi was really a loner.
However, thinking about his life experience, he is quite pitiful.
Gu Shaoqi walked into the house and pointed to the large balcony to the south: "The grass tortoise is over there."
Xia Mufan walked quickly through the living room and came to the balcony.
There are many flowers and plants on the balcony, the grass is swaying and the fragrance of flowers is everywhere.
The grass tortoise has a large glass tank.
The sun was shining into the glass tank. The bottom was covered with mud and sand, and there was only a shallow layer of water. A grass turtle was lazily lying on a stone with its four paws immersed in the water, swaying back and forth intermittently.
The grass tortoise is ink-colored, with golden markings on its back. It sparkles in the sun and is very beautiful.
It can be seen that the grass turtle is well taken care of by Gu Shaoqi and it is living a good life.
Zhou Wei came close to Xia Mufan and took a look at the tortoise: "I never thought that my master would raise a tortoise."
Pets are generally cats and dogs. At the very least, they are fish and parrots. Who would keep a turtle for twenty years?
The grass turtle slowly stretched out its head and spat into the water.
[Where did this brat come from?] 】
[There are so many things you can’t imagine.] 】
[Xiao Gu and I are childhood friends, you don’t understand at all. 】
Xia Mufan's eyes curved and the smile on the corner of his mouth couldn't be hidden.
Great, this tortoise is a chatterbox!
Xia Mushi stretched out his finger and tapped the tortoise's back: "Hey, how old are you?"
The grass tortoise was used to a life of luxury, and when she poked it suddenly, it almost fell off the stone. It was so angry that it started spitting bubbles.
[Rude!] 】
[Don't be polite when you meet an old man.] 】
[When Xiao Gu and I met, you were not born yet. 】
Zhou Wei found it very interesting, but he didn't dare to try anything and could only watch from the side of the fish tank.
Xia Mufan stretched out his hand again and waved it in front of Cao Gui's eyes: "Hey, how old are you?"
The grass tortoise gritted its teeth and retracted its neck in resignation.
[I’m almost thirty this year.] 】
[There is not even an object.] 】
[Xiao Gu didn’t find a partner and forgot about me.] 】
Xia Mufan loved playing with turtles when he was a child. He poked its hard shell again and said, "You're almost thirty years old. You're really old."
Gu Shaoqi came out of the kitchen holding two cups of tea. When he heard this, he paused and almost spilled the tea in his hand.
I'm almost thirty. Is that old?
The grass turtle also heard what Xia Mufan said and curiously stuck his head out again.
【Who are you? 】
Do you understand what I am saying? 】
[You want Xiao Gu to find me a wife?] 】
Xia Mufan turned to look at Gu Shaoqi who was standing in the living room: "Forensic Doctor Gu, please find a wife for the tortoise. I think it's getting old."
Gu Shaoqi's face froze and he didn't know how to respond.
Zhou Wei wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, his face turned red.
The grass turtle in the fish tank became excited.
You understand what I am saying! 】
[Gods, Bodhisattvas, Tathagatas…]
[It’s happening, it’s happening!] 】
The grass turtle got so excited that it lost its balance on the rock and fell into the water with a splash.
It didn't care about anything else. It immediately paddled its feet and swam back to the stone desperately, looking up at Xia Muchan.
[Tell him, I want to eat the fruit!] 】
[Tell him not to feed him dead shrimps all the time. I want to eat snails and meat. 】
[Please, don't change the water too often, it smells. 】
Xia Mufan wanted to build a good relationship with the grass turtle, so he reached out and gently touched its hard shell, with a hint of smile in his voice.
"Forensic Doctor Gu, your tortoise said that you shouldn't change the water too often and that the tap water should be dechlorinated. It likes to eat fresh meat, snails, and fruit."
Gu Shaoqi calmed himself down, walked to the balcony, handed the tea to Zhou Wei, and gave Zhou Wei a warning look.
Zhou Wei took the tea, took a deep breath, and grinned silently.
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