Family murder mystery (5)

The road in the mountains was winding and shrouded in mist. The car passed through the green woods. The air was particularly fresh. With the window open, Meng Siqi felt a little more comfortable.

After driving for more than three hours, the car finally arrived at Gaoxiang Town, which is located at the foot of Yangxi County. At a glance, there are many mud houses in the mountains, with smoke rising from the kitchen, the fragrance of rice, and the sound of cows.

This scene mostly eliminated Meng Siqi's discomfort. At the intersection, Zhao Leiting asked a fellow villager, who showed him the way. You Shenghua's house was next to a big pine tree on the side of the road.

The wheels bumped along the dirt road, and soon passed the big pine tree and came to a stop in an open yard on a muddy ground.

After getting off the bus, Meng Siqi was just about to go outside the playground to vomit when he heard a woman crying in the house, sobbing.

She squatted there and coughed a few times, feeling better. Zhao Leiting asked her if she was okay, and she waved her hands.

The crying inside was too disturbing, so Feng Shaomin walked into the house first. A little boy of seven or eight years old was standing by the dark door, looking at them warily.

The woman in the room was crying and cursing something in a thick dialect, and Meng Siqi couldn't understand what she meant at all.

Zhao Leiting asked the child: "Little boy, is this You Shenghua's home?"

The child's face was dirty, and his eyes were wide and bright, as if he recognized the person in front of him as a policeman. His expression was serious and timid.

Zhao Leiting must have asked the question in a questioning manner, Meng Siqi hurriedly stepped forward, "Don't scare me. Little boy, can you tell me, is your father's name You Shenghua?"

"My father didn't kill anyone!" The little boy's eyes suddenly turned red.

"No, who said your father killed someone?"

“They all said.”

The three of them looked at each other and probably understood what had happened here. The news that Zhu's worker You Meihua's family had been murdered had probably spread in the village. However, it was normal for such news to spread here, not to mention the newspapers fueling the hype.

"We are the police, and we are here to investigate the truth." Zhao Leiting assured the little boy.

After entering the house, it was even darker inside, and the sunlight outside seemed reluctant to shine into the house. In a slightly brighter corner, Meng Siqi found the crying and cursing woman sitting on the ground with her back against the wall. When she saw someone coming, she choked up.

Zhao Leiting showed his police ID and said, "Hello, we are police officers from the Jinyang City Public Security Bureau. We are here to talk to you about the situation."

The woman suddenly started crying louder, with a mixture of Mandarin and dialect, "He won't kill anyone. How could he kill anyone? Don't listen to what others say. He's even afraid of killing chickens..."

Faced with this situation, it seems that the investigation is somewhat difficult.

Meng Siqi walked to the door, bent down and asked the little boy in a friendly manner: "Little boy, can you tell me where your father is? We are here to help him."

"I don't know, he never came back!" The little boy's dialect was not heavy and could be understood.

Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting also turned to look at her, as if finding out from the child's mouth might be a good idea.

Meng Siqi was just about to ask the second question when, out of her peripheral vision, she saw a man appear at the gate of the yard. He took two steps forward, caught a glimpse of her police uniform and the police car, and suddenly ran away.

"Master!" Meng Siqi rushed over immediately, "Suspect!"

Behind, Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting followed closely.

Meng Siqi watched the other person run into the woods. She was afraid that she would lose her sight, so she rushed into the woods as well. Suddenly, her pants seemed to be pulled by something.

In an instant, a tall figure passed by her, and then another tall figure followed closely.

Zhao Leiting and Feng Shaomin had already surpassed her and were chasing forward like a gust of wind.

Seeing the speed at which the two of them were chasing, Meng Siqi breathed a sigh of relief and started to jog after the figure in front of her.

After running for a few minutes, two people ahead had already caught the suspect.

A tall, skinny man in his thirties was pinned to the ground. Zhao Leiting yelled, "Why are you running?"

"If you... aren't chasing me, why would I run away!" The man with the dialect accent panted and lay on the ground, choking on Zhao Leiting's elbow.

"I'm warning you, it's no use running away to the ends of the earth."

Feng Shaomin said, "Pull him up and take him back for trial."

The man suddenly howled: "Comrade police, I have done nothing wrong, I have done nothing wrong!"

Meng Siqi had just run over here, bent over and gasped for breath, and asked him: "You haven't done anything wrong, why did you run away when you saw the police?"

The man was dragged up by Zhao Leiting's arm. He gasped and said, "I know you are investigating You Shenghua. I'm just afraid that my affair will be discovered."

The three of them were stunned for a moment. Feng Shaomin asked, "Aren't you You Shenghua?"

"Of course not. My name is Gao Zhengguo and I'm his friend."

Feng Shaomin asked: "What are you afraid of being discovered?"

"Hua Zi borrowed a knife from me when he went to the city..."

As soon as the word "knife" came out, everyone's eyes became alert. Meng Siqi's mind had already emerged with the appearance of the weapon. She hurriedly asked: "What kind of knife is it? Do you remember the size of the blade?"

"It's just a fruit knife. Don't hold my arm. Let me show you how to use it."

Feng Shaomin nodded, and Zhao Leiting let go of his arm.

Gao Zhengguo loosened his joints and said, "You are really strong. Your arms are broken."

"Stop talking nonsense." Zhao Leiting shouted.

Gao Zhengguo bent down and picked up a wooden stick. During this process, Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting were very alert and even took defensive postures.

Gao Zhengguo broke the stick, measured it, and said it was about the same length as the blade.

"What about Kuan?" Zhao Leiting asked.

Gao Zhengguo gestured again.

"A single-edged sword?" Zhao Leiting asked.

"right."

Meng Siqi saw it and felt that the size of the murder weapon was not much different from what the forensic doctor had deduced: the blade was 13 cm long, 3 cm wide, and single-edged. Although fruit knives were relatively common, such a coincidence was unusual.

Feng Shaomin asked seriously, "Why did You Shenghua borrow this knife from you?"

"About two weeks ago, You Shenghua came to me and said he wanted to borrow a knife to kill someone. I thought he was joking, but he said seriously that he was going to the city to kill his sister. I laughed at that."

"Laughing?" Zhao Leiting asked puzzledly.

"No, no," Gao Zhengguo explained, "You Shenghua has said more than once that he wants to chop his sister down. The conflict between the two siblings is deep, and everyone in the village knows about it. I thought he was just joking, but I didn't expect..."

At this point, Gao Zhengguo's face suddenly turned pale and he swallowed. "I really didn't expect what he said was true... Police comrade, I'm not an accomplice, right? I really thought he was joking at the time. I thought he was just going to the city to scare people!"

After Gao Zhengguo finished speaking, facing several serious faces, his eyes suddenly turned red, "I'm not going to jail, am I?"

Feng Shaomin said coldly: "What is the conflict between You Shenghua and his sister?"

Gao Zhengguo spread his hands and said miserably, "I don't know either. I just heard that the two of them had a big fight over the demolition payment. Anyway, they just can't get along."

"Take him to the county police station to record a statement!" Feng Shaomin ordered.

"Comrade, I won't go to jail, will I?"

When walking out of the woods, Meng Siqi stepped on the soil with one foot deep and one foot shallow. The forest was not dense. If you look closely, you can see several small vegetable gardens planted with vegetables. The scenery is pleasant.

But as she was walking, she felt a sharp pain on the outside of her thigh. She touched it and saw blood on her palm. She was startled and bent down to check. She found that her pants were torn by something and sticky blood was seeping out. She guessed that she was not paying attention when she was running fast just now and was scratched by the thorns of the tree.

She only started to feel pain when she discovered the wound, but she was working on a case and was worried that if she told this to others, she would have to spend a lot of time in the hospital and delay her mission for today.

She walked behind and endured it. Fortunately, the bleeding was not big and the blood would clot automatically in no time.

The group walked out of the woods, took Gao Zhengguo into the car, and drove all the way to the county town. Meng Siqi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, found that blood had stained a small area of ​​her pants. Fortunately, the pants were black and the blood was not obvious, but the vibration caused by the car rolling over the rocks would make her wounds hurt bluntly.

The car finally arrived at the county police station, where the situation was explained and the man was handed over to record his statement.

While questioning Gao Zhengguo, Meng Siqi used the excuse of going to the toilet to simply clean the area around the wound. There happened to be a clinic nearby, so she asked for three Band-Aids. The doctor at the clinic said, "Hey, female comrade, you need disinfection and anti-inflammation! You, you wait a moment." By the time she turned around to get the iodine, Meng Siqi had walked out of the clinic.

An hour later, no more clues were found from Gao Zhengguo. It could only be proved that You Shenghua did go to the city two weeks ago to find You Meihua, probably because of money. After that, Gao Zhengguo and he never met again.

After leaving the county police station, Feng Shaomin said, "Let's go back to the village and find out the situation from the village chief."

Now it seems that this is the safest option.

After driving for half an hour, they returned to the village and went straight to the village committee.

As he was walking, Feng Shaomin stopped and couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Meng, where did the blood on your pants come from?"

I had just cleaned it, but I didn't expect that it still couldn't escape Feng Shaomin's sharp eyes.

At this time, Zhao Lei Ting also turned around, his expression suddenly froze, "What's going on, Siqi?"

In fact, the situation can be seen from this tear. The pants have a horizontal tear, revealing a red Band-Aid. The area around the pants has turned into a paste color due to the blood. Zhao Lei Ting immediately said, "Was it drawn in the woods just now?"

Meng Siqi pretended to be relaxed and said, "It's okay, I've already put a Band-Aid on it."

"Your wound is so big, can you just put a Band-Aid on it?" Feng Shaomin's tone suddenly became cold, his face serious, and he even looked angry.

"No, Master, it's okay."

"This cut is as long as my finger..." Zhao Leiting said with some heartache.

"Don't you know how to cry out in pain?" Feng Shaomin rebuked coldly.

In fact, Meng Siqi was holding on just now, and when Feng Shaomin suddenly yelled at her, she felt a little aggrieved.

"Go to the health center for disinfection, now!" Feng Shaomin suddenly gave the order.

"Let's go to the health center right away. There is one in this town." Zhao Lei Ting immediately urged, "Come on, get in the car."

After getting on the bus, Feng Shaomin sat in the back seat, next to Meng Siqi. He sat upright, looked forward, and said sternly, "When we set out this morning, didn't I tell you that you are not allowed to move without my order?"

Meng Siqi felt aggrieved. She had clearly seen the suspect, but who cared at that time and should she apply for an order? Perhaps the suspect had gone away because of her negligence.

Her eyes were red, and she felt uncomfortable for the first time because she was not understood by others. Zhao Leiting noticed her condition from the rearview mirror and said tactfully: "Brother Feng, actually at that time..."

Feng Shaomin interrupted him sternly: "What? You were young and thought you could do anything with your own impulsiveness. What if he had a knife, a gun, or dangerous goods? Do you think you would be so lucky every time?"

Feng Shaomin's words suddenly brought the atmosphere in the carriage to a low point. Meng Siqi's previous grievance disappeared in an instant. It turned out that Feng Shaomin was worried about her.

Feng Shaomin's tone darkened: "Police officers must stand at the front and charge into the battle line, but at any time, I hope you will protect your own safety. Sacrifice is a last resort. Your safety is the greatest protection for the people!"

Meng Siqi's original feeling of resentment turned into a deeper gratitude, and her eyes gradually became moist.

Looking back, this action was really not a big deal, and Feng Shaomin might have been making a fuss out of nothing.

However, if the other party is really a murderer who is in a desperate situation and has no way out, he might kill her. She is just a trainee police officer who has just entered this position. As an old criminal policeman, Feng Shaomin has his concerns, and Meng Siqi can understand.

Soon, the car arrived at the town clinic, and Meng Siqi's wound was disinfected immediately. The doctor said that if the wound was not disinfected, it might rot tomorrow.

After leaving the health center, Meng Siqi never heard Feng Shaomin mention this matter again. In fact, when she saw him for the first time, she was still very scared of Feng Shaomin. This man was in his forties and looked more like a strict father or a dean of education. He had sparse hair on his forehead, a square face, and small, triangular eyes.

No one knows what his experience was, but his face was coppery and wrinkled, and he looked bitter and vengeful. He was taciturn, had a cold expression, and didn't like dealing with people.

Later, as they got to know each other, she gradually discovered that he would take other people's feelings into consideration. To this day, she feels that this person cares about others, and she is grateful to such a master in her heart.

The car drove all the way to the village committee, and after explaining the purpose of the visit, Village Chief Gao accepted the three people's inquiries.

Village chief Gao said that when You Meihua and You Shenghua lived in the village, they were very close siblings. You Meihua later went to work in the city and used the money she earned to support the family.

You Shenghua had some skills and wanted to open a shop on the city's pedestrian street. At that time, You Meihua gave his brother a sum of money, which was considered half buying and half renting the shop.

Later, You Shenghua worked there for two years, which was equivalent to buying out all the storefronts. Unexpectedly, the business was not good later, so You Shenghua returned to the village. He was very motivated at first, but later he became a bit idle.

At that time, the performance of the steel company where You Meihua's husband Zhu Gongyou worked improved, and he had a strong ability to make money. You Meihua even quit her job to become a housewife and accompany her daughter to school.

Things started to change here. You Meihua's life became better and better, but You Shenghua's life became worse and worse. Until two years ago, when the land in the city was demolished and a developer wanted to build a big hotel, the storefront suddenly became valuable.

At that time, the brother and sister had a big fight because of the unequal distribution. I heard that the two people at the developer's office had a fight. As for the actual situation, no one in the village knew. They only knew that the two had a dispute over the demolition payment, and it even escalated to the point where the brother wanted to chop his sister.

Zhao Leiting asked: "Who can explain the demolition payment? Can You Shenghua's wife explain it to us?"

Village Chief Gao sighed and said, "Well, if you ask her, she will definitely say that the elder sister is overbearing and doesn't treat her younger brother as a human being. Every family has its own problems."

At the village committee, Zhao Leiting called the police station and briefly explained the situation. The information that You Shenghua had not returned to the village had been passed back to the county police station before, and this time it was about the conflict between the siblings caused by the demolition.

Before leaving, Zhao Leiting asked Village Chief Gao for a landline number, saying that it would be convenient for them to contact each other later.

On the way, Zhao Leiting said: "You Shenghua's home doesn't have a phone. I guess his wife doesn't know what he did outside. I even doubt that his wife doesn't know about the demolition payment."

Feng Shaomin said: "No matter what the situation is, we have to find out."

When I returned to You Shenghua's home again, it was already dusk. A dim light was on in the house, which was even brighter than during the day.

The little boy sat aside, eating boiled sweet potatoes quietly.

You Shenghua’s wife is called Xu Hongxia. She looked depressed and lowered her eyes. She said in a dialect tone: “His sister had connections in the city. She secretly took tens of thousands of yuan of demolition compensation and said that it was for our mother’s old age. They brought our mother to the city, but she died a month later. Huazi cried so much at the time. He went to the city to ask for money, but the sister said that the money could not be given just by saying so. For more than a year, Huazi went to the city several times, but the domineering woman just ignored him. They lived comfortably as a family and even bought a new house in the city…”

As expected, Xu Hongxia started crying and cursing afterwards, saying all the nasty things. But when asked about the demolition payment, she couldn't explain it and just said that You Meihua was domineering.

The general contradiction is understood, but if you want to know the details, you can only go back and understand the discussions between them and the developer at that time.

In the evening, the three of them rushed to the city with hungry stomachs. When they passed through the county, they finally succumbed to their hunger and bought three scallion pancakes from a stall. They ate them while standing at the intersection to fill their stomachs.

There was a phone at the roadside stall, and Feng Shaomin called the police station. They answered and said that the developer who had signed the compensation agreement with the You siblings had been found.

Feng Shaomin finished his last bite of biscuit, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said, "The developer is Longcheng Enterprises."

Longcheng Enterprise? Meng Siqi was startled. Jiang Sheng’s Longcheng Enterprise?

She had just received his business card last night, but she didn't expect to see it again today.

Feng Shaomin clapped his hands and said, "Tomorrow morning you two should go directly to their company to find out the situation."

Zhao Lei Ting bit his biscuit and agreed, his voice was unclear: "Don't worry, Brother Feng."

Meng Siqi also nodded slowly.

"Xiao Meng, you should take a day off tomorrow." Feng Shaomin glanced at the wound on her leg.

"No need for a master, really no need."