Chapter 60 Wen Liyuan: I always thought Wen Mo hated me
Liu Haoran was deeply impressed by the painting, and without any hesitation, he stood behind Lin Weidong and pointed at the blank drawing paper.
"Here, here is a setting sun, its color not deep, but a kind of orange-red."
"This area below is all reeds, withered and yellow."
"Water, water, water, the faint blue color in the middle is the river."
"The corners and edges, yes, right here, there are a few black birds here, all dark and gloomy. When they fly, they don't look graceful and charming at all, they just give people a feeling of panic."
Lin Weidong did not start writing immediately. While listening attentively to Liu Haoran's words, he conceived ideas in his mind.
Luo Yunchen chuckled as he watched from the side, standing next to Jiang Ling and whispering, "Your team members are really lively and adorable."
Jiang Ling glanced at him sideways: "That's called dedication."
Luo Yunchen found it quite interesting to encounter such a prickly female colleague for the first time, so he followed up on Jiang Ling's words, saying, "Yes, yes, she's dedicated. You know what, her description was quite vivid."
Jiang Ling, too lazy to pay any more attention to Luo Yunchen, took a few steps back and asked Li Zhenliang, "Did you call Wen Liyuan?"
Li Zhenliang: "I called, and she said she'd be right over."
Zhou Wei leaned closer: "Right away?"
Li Zhenliang was also somewhat confused: "I hadn't even had a chance to mention the watercolor painting and the jade pendant when she heard that we had some clues and wanted to ask her to help identify some items. She just said that and hung up the phone."
Jiang Ling: "When did you make the call?"
Li Zhenliang: "I took the taxi around four o'clock."
Jiang Ling glanced at her watch: "It's 4:30 now. I wonder when she'll arrive."
Zhou Wei: "It's more than 150 kilometers from the provincial capital to our Yan City. Even by the fastest train, it takes more than three hours. She said 'soon,' but 'soon' probably means some time."
Li Zhenliang smiled wryly: "Wen Liyuan speaks so fast, like crisply roasted soybeans, giving me no room to elaborate. As soon as she answered the phone, she said one word: Who is it? I introduced myself, and before I could finish, she impatiently replied with three words: What is it? I said there was some new progress in Wen Mo's case and I wanted to ask her about it. She immediately said: I'll be right there. Click! The phone hung up."
Li Zhenliang stretched out his arms exaggeratedly and looked up at the sky: "My God, talking to her is really tiring." He suddenly felt a little sorry for Wen Mo. Living with such a domineering mother for a long time, sensitive people might really become depressed.
Jiang Ling remained silent.
I heard that Wen Liyuan is a very successful businesswoman who runs an electronics business in the provincial capital. Perhaps it's because her time is so precious that she's developed a way of speaking that ignores nonsense and only focuses on key words?
Communicating with people like that is actually quite good; they're straightforward, focused on solving problems, and everyone saves time and energy. However… if you encounter someone who's introverted and reserved, the interaction might be quite painful.
As Liu Haoran spoke with such fervor that sparks flew from his throat, Lin Weidong finally began to write.
He didn't use a pencil to sketch; he picked up a paintbrush, mixed the paint, and began to apply the colors to the paper.
Sunset, reeds, river, startled birds taking flight...
As these drawings slowly appeared on the paper, Liu Haoran stood by, mouth agape, exclaiming in surprise.
"Yes, yes, that's exactly it."
"Wow, it looks so much like it."
"Yes, yes, that's the color, light and pale, always like it's covered with a layer of mist."
Luo Yunchen's ears hurt a little from listening. He glanced at Liu Haoran and said, "It goes without saying that the drawing is lifelike. The main thing is to find problems so that my master can make adjustments."
Liu Haoran then realized he was too excited, so he quickly shut his mouth and raised his hand to make a "zipping" gesture over his mouth.
Luo Yunchen's smile deepened.
He suddenly realized that the grassroots police officers were much more relaxed. He had worked at the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau for six years, where everyone was very busy, always had a tense expression, and the atmosphere was solemn and serious.
Perhaps staying in Yanshi and experiencing its relaxed and lively work atmosphere would be a good choice.
Lin Weidong is very focused on his work. He stood in front of the easel and painted for an hour without stopping.
The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, spreading from the backyard to the front.
After a busy day, Jiang Ling, who had only eaten a bowl of wontons for lunch, felt extremely hungry.
Xiao Wenjuan could tell that her daughter was hungry.
Even from this distance, she could hear Jiang Ling's stomach rumbling.
Xiao Wenjuan suggested with a smile, "The food in the cafeteria is ready, everyone go and eat first."
Lin Weidong didn't move. Whenever he started painting, he would enter a state of complete absorption, oblivious to all external noises.
Lin Weidong didn't move, and the others felt awkward leaving.
The big boss is still working, how dare anyone go out to eat?
Xiao Wenjuan looked at the crowd standing by and said in a gentle voice, "Old Lin is like this when he paints, don't mind him, go and eat."
Yao waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's go eat first."
Luo Yunchen, quick-witted and agile, grabbed Liu Haoran, who was about to run away at the smell of food: "You stay here with me and keep Master company."
You little punk, trying to run away?
They're incredibly lively.
Liu Haoran nodded with a worried look on his face: "Okay."
Li Zhenliang suppressed a laugh, patted Liu Haoran on the shoulder, and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll get you your food."
Upon hearing his words, Luo Yunchen turned to Jiang Ling pleadingly, "Junior sister, could you get me a meal too? I'm hungry too."
Jiang Ling glanced at him and left.
Zhou Wei felt a little bad and quickly replied, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll bring over three meals. Thank you for your help, Officer Luo."
Xiao Wenjuan walked at the back, watching the figures rushing away, and sighed, "It's so good to be young."
Walking beside her, Director Yao smiled and said, "Isn't that right? Places with lots of young people are lively. They're enthusiastic about their work, eat heartily, and eat a lot. They're all like little calves."
Xiao Wenjuan's smile was tinged with tears as she murmured, "It's good, it's good."
My daughter's back view resembles a slender bamboo, tall and resilient; I love her no matter how I look at her.
Xiao Wenjuan had initially felt guilty towards her daughter, whom she had been separated from for 21 years, and worried that without her parents by her side, her heart would be filled with anger and resentment. But seeing her with her own eyes this time, she finally felt at peace.
My daughter bears a striking resemblance to Lin Weidong, and she has a deep passion for the police force. She is brave, kind, strong, and independent—truly outstanding.
Xiao Wenjuan originally wanted to transfer her daughter back to Kyoto to make up for the years of maternal love she had missed.
But now, she has changed her mind.
My daughter has a job she loves and so many enthusiastic and lovely colleagues around her. She can shine anywhere. Why should I keep her tied down by my side?
The group finished their meal happily, but halfway through, the on-duty policeman ran into the backyard shouting, "Li Zhenliang, someone's looking for you!"
"Who is it?" Li Zhenliang stood up, holding his rice bowl.
The officer on duty shouted, "I don't know. They said they came from the provincial capital and drove a luxury sedan."
"Wen Liyuan!" Zhou Wei immediately stood up, his eyes filled with excitement. "It's not even six o'clock yet, and you've arrived in just two hours! That's really quick!"
Jiang Ling stood up and said, "Let's go take a look."
The three of them quickly finished their food, put down their lunchboxes, and hurried outside.
A black Toyota Crown was parked in front of the police station.
A middle-aged woman with a good figure, wearing a black long dress, leaned casually against the car door. She had short permed hair, revealing her slender neck, and wore large sunglasses, looking both fashionable and elegant.
Jiang Ling took a piece of paper out of her pocket.
A woman's silhouette was sketched on the paper with a pen; this was a hasty sketch Su Xinwan made in the car.
Su Xinwan was indeed very talented in painting. With just a few strokes, she accurately and vividly reproduced the small portrait she saw in the kitchen.
Li Zhenliang stepped forward and greeted her warmly: "Are you Ms. Wen?"
The woman nodded: "Officer Li? Was it you who called me?"
Li Zhenliang: "It's me, it's like this..."
Taking advantage of the brief pause in Li Zhenliang and Wen Liyuan's conversation, Jiang Ling circled around to her back.
A long dress, high heels, a slightly full waist, short hair, and a slender neck; she stood against the wind, exuding an aura of unwavering determination and resolute departure.
The figure in the painting, with her back turned, is none other than Wen Liyuan!
When they spoke face-to-face, Wen Liyuan fell silent for a long time.
She listened patiently to Li Zhenliang's explanation, her face expressionless, but her trembling voice betrayed her nervousness: "Where is that painting?"
Li Zhenliang led her to the office on the second floor.
Lin Weidong had just finished the watercolor painting; the tape was still attached to the edges, and the painting was slowly drying on the canvas. Luo Yunchen was tidying up his art supplies nearby. Lin Weidong and Liu Haoran stood a little further away, their eyes fixed on the landscape painting.
The color was indeed light.
Like a traditional Chinese ink painting.
But on top of that black and white, three more colors were added: ochre, orange-red, and light blue.
The whole scene has a poignant and desolate feel to it.
Liu Haoran sighed, "That's how it is. Seeing it gives me a sense of... a feeling of bleakness and frustration about my later years."
Suddenly seeing a group of people walk in, Liu Haoran excitedly went to greet them: "Look! It's finished!"
Upon seeing Wen Liyuan, Liu Haoran suddenly realized something, quickly shut his mouth, and made way for her.
As soon as Wen Liyuan entered the office, her eyes were fixed on the painting.
She seemed to have been drawn into the painting; her face turned pale, her eyes glazed over, and she staggered toward the painting like a floating duckweed.
As she drew closer, she raised her hand, lightly brushing it across the screen, a weak smile appearing on her lips.
"It was painted by Wen Mo. His paintings always look so depressing."
"Like his people, he said nothing, he said nothing."
"The teacher said he was a genius, but I would rather he was mediocre, an ordinary child who only knew how to play all day and whose laughter could be heard from far away."
Li Zhenliang asked, "Ms. Wen, are you sure this painting was painted by Wen Mo? This is a newly made copy; the original is in another location."
Wen Liyuan snapped out of her daze, her gaze finally focusing: "Yes! The painting styles are very similar, very similar."
After a pause, she pointed to the setting sun: "It's not hard to confirm. Wen Mo has a little secret when he paints. He doesn't like to sign his name, but he will secretly hide the initials of his name, WM, under the darkest part of the paint."
Wen Mo, WM.
It looks like water ripples.
It is his unique mark.
Jiang Ling took out the small portrait in her hand once again.
All the turns in the lines are subtle wavy lines.
If you look closely, you'll notice Wen Mo's little trick—he used countless WMs to draw a picture of his mother's back.
Jiang Ling silently handed the portrait in her hand to Wen Liyuan.
Wen Liyuan took it and looked at it quietly.
After a long, long time, two tears fell onto the paper.
Wen Liyuan's hands trembled incessantly, making a rustling sound as the paper shook.
In the end, Wen Liyuan could no longer suppress her grief. Disregarding her image, she squatted on the ground, hugged her arms, and began to wail loudly.
She spoke while crying.
"I never expected this, I never expected this!"
"I always thought Wen Mo hated me."
"But I had no choice. What would I do with him alone after the divorce? I could only let his father support him for the time being. Who knew that his shameless father would actually send him to the countryside to be raised by his grandmother?"
"I finally managed to get my business to start looking up, so I thought I'd bring him over. But by then, he'd been worn down by his grandmother, that old witch, and was so thin and small, and as timid as a sparrow."
“He doesn’t talk to me, refuses to communicate with me, and keeps everything to himself. I thought he hated me.”
“It’s my fault! I shouldn’t have left him with his dad; he was only six years old then.”
“From age six to thirteen, I was absent from his life for a full seven years! Why did I spend all my time making money instead of stopping to take a good look at him? I should have spent more time with him.”
Jiang Ling helped Wen Liyuan up and said gently, "He was most likely imprisoned before. We don't know if he's still alive, but we'll do our best to investigate. Don't be upset right now, just report it to the police."
Wen Mo's case falls under the jurisdiction of the Jiangcheng police. If the Yanshi police are to be mobilized, they will need a legitimate reason to act.
Wen Liyuan immediately stopped crying and gritted her teeth, saying, "Call the police! Call the police! We must call the police."
Imprisonment? Not death!
The thought that her son might still be alive after being missing for three years filled Wen Liyuan with boundless hope. She wiped away her tears and calmed herself down.
She grabbed Jiang Ling's hand: "You found the painting in Chu Jingen's villa, didn't you? Then I'll call the police, and you should send people there to search immediately. Wen Mo is still alive, he must still be alive!"
After confirming that the painting in Chu Jingen's living room and the back view that Hu Shuifen put away in the kitchen were painted by Wen Mo, Jiang Ling gathered the team members and quickly scanned through the case files of Zhang Lei and Zhao Rui.
"Ah! Here! Look here!" Li Zhenliang suddenly pointed to a line of words and exclaimed.
Everyone crowded around.
"When the body was found, Zhang Lei was still wearing the same sportswear he wore to school that day. His shoes and socks were still there, but he was missing a jade pendant of Guanyin that he had worn since childhood. Zhang Lei's parents said that it was passed down to him by his grandfather and could keep him safe."
Upon hearing Li Zhenliang's account, everyone exchanged glances, all thinking of the jade pendant that Hu Shuifen had given to her daughter as a wedding gift—a piece of clear, green jade.
For some reason, Li Zhenliang felt a little nervous and swallowed hard: "This jade pendant, it belongs to Zhang Lei?"
Zhou Wei nodded: "I'm afraid so."
Li Zhenliang took out the carefully stored evidence bag and placed it on the table. Four pairs of eyes stared at the jade pendant.
Li Zhenliang pointed to a passage in the case file: "This jade pendant is quite valuable, so a large group of people initially suggested that it might be a case of murder for money."
Zhou Wei looked at Liu Haoran, who had been silent all along: "Su Xinwan's mother seems to value you a lot, giving you such an expensive gift as soon as we met."
Liu Haoran smirked: "It seems that Hu Shuifen was at least aware of Zhang Lei's murder."
Perhaps it was because he felt indebted to others, but Liu Haoran was in a very bad mood.
Thinking of his mother, who, upon hearing that her daughter was getting married, immediately went to the kitchen to rummage through the kitchen, took out a small tin box, and presented it to him, Liu Haoran let out a long sigh.
Little did Hu Shuifen know that the gift she so happily gave away would become powerful evidence that landed her in prison.
Jiang Ling asked, "Wen Mo and Zhang Lei have both found evidence, but what about Zhao Rui?"
Li Zhenliang shook his head: "I didn't find anything useful."
Zhou Wei said, "It may or may not be related to Chu Jingen."
Jiang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Alright! Now that we have a plan, let's not wait any longer. I'll contact Captain Lei and have the First Brigade take over the case. Let's act quickly and apprehend Hu Shuifen and Chu Jingen. You guys organize the materials you have and prepare to join the case team."
Everyone shouted in unison, "Yes!"
After making the phone call, Jiang Ling and the others prepared to go to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Luo Yunchen quickly said, "I'll take you there, I have a car."
Lin Weidong also said, "Let your senior brother take him. It's getting dark, and it would be more convenient if he had a car."
Jiang Ling nodded and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Luo."
The moment Luo Yunchen heard the word "Senior Brother," he felt a surge of energy throughout his body, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face after starting the car.
Zhou Wei asked, "Where did Officer Luo get the car?"
Luo Yunchen smiled mysteriously: "Director Zhong assigned it to me. My transfer order has been issued, and I'm choosing an office today. Where would you like to work? I'll help you pick a big one with good lighting, how about that?"
Li Zhenliang and the others turned their attention to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling thought about it. When she went to see Director Zhong in the afternoon, he didn't mention it. She didn't know if he had forgotten or if the transfer had encountered difficulties.
Jiang Ling chose to tell the truth: "Our transfer order hasn't been issued yet."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yunchen immediately patted his chest and assured him, "Leave this to me, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly." His junior sister had to go to work at the Municipal Bureau, otherwise how could she fulfill her master's instructions?
His master had told him to cooperate well with Jiang Ling's work.
Jiang Ling found that Luo Yunchen's work ability was indeed quite good.
At least, he knows how to fight for his own resources.
No wonder his father sent him here to assist him. With someone who grew up in the public security system and is familiar with all sorts of rules by his side, his future path should be much smoother.
Luo Yunchen turned his head again and asked, "Who among you can drive?"
Zhou Wei immediately raised his hand: "Me!"
Luo Yunchen grinned: "Dawei, you can drive this car from now on. If I need a car, I'll ask you for one too, how about it?"
Zhou Wei's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked nervously at Jiang Ling: "Team Leader Jiang, what do you think?"
Jiang Ling nodded.
She could tell that Zhou Wei enjoyed driving, and her team sometimes did need a car. For example, going to Changhe Town this time was really inconvenient without one.
Zhou Wei smiled happily and said to Luo Yunchen, "Thank you."
Luo Yunchen looked straight ahead and casually said, "It's okay. If you have any problems in the future, just come to me."
The group arrived at the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Because the rope murder case is in its final stages, half of the team is working overtime today, and there are many busy figures in the office.
When Lei Xiao saw Jiang Ling come in, he immediately brought her to Fan Wei: "Old Fan, there's been a breakthrough in the case of the murder of a senior high school student in Changhe Town four years ago. Jiang Ling and her team have discovered new clues."
Fan Wei was extremely busy today and couldn't spare any attention for this case. He explained apologetically, "Teacher Jiang, you see, I really can't spare any time right now. We've obtained the suspect's confession and the evidence is basically secured. I have to work overtime tonight to organize all the materials."
Jiang Ling understood: "Then, Captain Lei, select a few people and re-establish the case team. All four of us can get involved. This case is significant; one person was murdered and another is missing."
Lei Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll have Zheng Yu go with you. We'll take four people from the whole team. How does that sound?"
Jiang Ling: "Okay."
Lei Xiao called Zheng Yu over, then selected three more young criminal police officers, gave them a few instructions, and went back to work.
Zheng Yu smiled at Jiang Ling and said, "We meet again."
Jiang Ling smiled and nodded as a greeting, and then began to coordinate the case investigation process with her.
With everything settled, everyone agreed to set off early tomorrow morning.
The sooner the better; everyone hopes Wen Mo is still alive.
By the time Jiang Ling returned to the police station, it was already past 10 p.m.
Lin Weidong and Xiao Wenjuan were still waiting there.
Jiang Ling hurriedly led the two to her room and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, this case is a bit urgent, I haven't had time to take care of you."
They had agreed to have dinner together, but Jiang Ling and her mother only stayed in the cafeteria for ten minutes, leaving her father, Lin Weidong, to draw alone in the office.
Halfway through the meal, Wen Liyuan arrived, and in the rush, there wasn't even a chance to say a kind word.
Xiao Wenjuan smiled, took Jiang Ling's hand and sat her on the edge of the bed. She reached out and gently stroked her cheek, her eyes filled with both love and relief: "Child, you are a policeman, Mom understands and is used to it. Your father is just like you, when he's busy with work he doesn't even have time to eat."
Lin Weidong looked around his daughter's room and sat down in the only chair: "It's alright, you go about your business, we just came to see you."
Jiang Ling said, "Today's case..."
Xiao Wenjuan smiled: "Weren't we supposed to keep it a secret? You don't need to tell us."
Jiang Ling met her mother's gaze, a smile appearing in her eyes: "You chatted with Wen Mo's mother for quite a while today, didn't you? You probably already know quite a bit."
Xiao Wenjuan chuckled and flicked Jiang Ling's nose with her finger: "You and your father are so alike, so observant, you can't be fooled at all. Yes, after you left tonight, Wen Liyuan and I chatted for a long time."
Wen Liyuan had already concluded that her son had been murdered and would go to Changhe Town every year to pay her respects.
Now that she had news of her son, and heard from Jiang Ling that he might be imprisoned, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in her heart.
The sudden surge of hope made her restless.
Wen Liyuan had no desire to return to the provincial capital. She simply grabbed the only woman in the police station who was about her age and started chatting with her.
And so, Wen Liyuan and Xiao Wenjuan became friends and chatted for a long time.
Xiao Wenjuan sighed and said softly, "We're both mothers, so I can understand how she feels. She cried and told me that she only hoped Wen Mo was still alive, even if he was crippled or disabled, it didn't matter, as long as he was alive."
Jiang Ling hummed in agreement. "That's why I'm racing against time."
In criminal investigations, the summons of suspects and the search of their residences must be conducted in strict accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law.
Jiang Ling was also anxious. But no matter how fast they acted, they had to wait until tomorrow morning to get the summons and search warrant before they could take the next step.
Xiao Wenjuan wanted to say something more, but Lin Weidong stopped her: "Alright, the child has had a tiring day, let's not talk too much, we'll be busy tomorrow."
Xiao Wenjuan looked at Jiang Ling with affection.
The weather in May was hot and humid, and coupled with the long journey, the crisp beige shirt that Jiang Ling wore in the morning was soaked with sweat, making it appear somewhat loose and faded.
The air turned cold at night, but Jiang Ling was still sweating.
Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, tracing winding wet streaks down her cheeks before disappearing into the depths of her neck, glistening thinly under the light. A few stray strands of hair at her temples were also stuck together by sweat, clinging tightly to her forehead and temples.
My daughter really had a tough day.
Looking at her daughter who had been busy all day, Xiao Wenjuan felt a pang of pain and tenderness in her heart, unsure how to express it.
Finally, she reached out and gently put her arm around Jiang Ling, patting her back: "Are you tired? Go take a shower and go to sleep. Mom is going home now."
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