The End of the Night (3)

Meng Siqi was picked up by Zhao Leiting, and with his support, the two returned to the car again. Meng Siqi silently shed tears in the car. Zhao Leiting was heartbroken and drove all the way to her residence, which was an old building. Meng Siqi lived in 302.

When the car arrived downstairs, Zhao Leiting reminded: "Siqi, 302 is the house you rented, go back and have a good rest, you have to take a day off tomorrow."

Tomorrow? Tomorrow there will be news about Lu He. Meng Siqi nodded. She glanced at the old house outside the car window and asked, "Zhao Leiting, didn't my father leave me an inheritance? Why am I renting a house here?"

She remembered that Meng Hui had told her that he would leave the mall shares to her, and Guo Zhaohong was the guarantor lawyer at that time. Given the size of the mall, leaving the shares to her would be a huge sum of money even if it had been for the past thirty years. It was impossible for her to continue renting such an old building, which was even older than the Tianlong Community thirty years ago.

There was no way she could be so stupid as to ruin such a huge industry.

Zhao Leiting said: "It's like this. After Lu He disappeared, you rented his room 302 and lived there. A few years ago, Tianlong Community was demolished, so you moved here. The people living opposite you were Meng Xinghai and his family."

So that's how it is. Meng Siqi seemed to remember that Meng Xinghai lived here in his later years. But she lived on campus at that time and went home on weekends. She lived at home for a while until she graduated from college. It felt like a lifetime ago to return here. Fortunately, her memory of this place gradually returned. She asked, "Did I buy a house somewhere else?"

Zhao Lei Ting licked his lip and sighed: "In fact, since your parents passed away, you have been living in poverty. Your brother once wanted to buy a house for you, but you refused."

This shouldn't be the case. Meng Siqi wondered how the inheritance Meng Hui left her could have made her live in such poverty for thirty years without even a house of her own.

Zhao Leiting said: "You may not remember that after your parents passed away, the custodian announced the will, which stated that all the shares of the shopping mall would be left to your brother, and you and your mother would jointly inherit a house."

It was like a blow to the head. Meng Siqi simply couldn't believe such an outcome. It was simply impossible. She clearly heard Meng Hui say that he would give the shares to her to inherit. At that time, Meng Hui's comrade-in-arms' son Guo Zhaohong also testified, and Guo Zhaohong's colleague Tang Yong from the law firm also testified. Why didn't she get a penny in the end?

She was very confused. Could it be that Meng Hui in this world had different feelings for his daughter? No, she didn't think so. People's hearts should be the same in every world and that would not change.

"Siqi, go back and have a good rest. Okay." Zhao Leiting comforted her, "I suggest you go see a psychologist with me tomorrow, okay?"

"Zhao Leiting, you should go back and have a good rest too." Meng Siqi pushed open the car door, stood outside the car, turned around and found that Zhao Leiting had also gotten out of the car.

"I'll take you upstairs," he said.

"Go back, I'm fine. Minjia is waiting for you at home." Meng Siqi smiled faintly.

"Okay, go upstairs slowly."

Before going upstairs, Meng Siqi looked back at him again. She was quite moved. She had nothing left in this world, but fortunately she still had Zhao Leiting's help.

She walked heavily up the stairs to the third floor and stood for a while at the door of Room 302. Because 302 was Lu He's former room number, Meng Siqi in this world had always rented a house with this number, but this was no longer the place where Lu He had lived.

She remembered that Zhao Leiting said that the reason she rented a house here was because Meng Xinghai lived in Room 301. She wanted to knock on the door and go in to see Meng Xinghai, but then she thought that Meng Xinghai should be bedridden at this time, so she decided not to disturb him so late.

She took out her key and opened the door. After turning on the light, she found that everything inside was very simple, even simpler than the place she lived in thirty years ago. The furniture was all old, and the refrigerator seemed to be a classic item from more than ten years ago. It only had an LCD TV, which was not common in that era.

It turns out that Meng Siqi in this world is so poor. She couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. She walked into the bathroom where there was a mirror. After washing her hands, when she looked up, she realized that she had really changed. The appearance in the mirror scared her and she backed away.

It turned out that the once snow-white and translucent face was now covered with wrinkles, there was no light in the eyes, and the lips were bloodless and dry, which was heartbreaking.

The only thing that has not changed is that this face is still as thin as when I was young. The shape of the face has not changed much, but it is a little thinner. But compared with my younger self, I seem to be a different person.

She really had a hard life. She had spent the past thirty years like this. Zhao Leiting asked her to let go and live her own life. She finally understood what she had been thinking about.

The house was too quiet, so Meng Siqi walked into the living room and turned on the TV to hear some sound. A program from Jinyang City's local channel started playing. She was surprised to see a familiar face, but that face was also old, but even at that age it was still radiant.

It was a piece of news, and the news anchor was announcing: "Mr. Meng Tingzhe, a famous entrepreneur in our city, launched the development plan of Times Cultural Tourism City today. This will be the most eye-catching development project in our city, and the development funds are expected to reach 1 billion..."

Meng Siqi's fingers holding the remote control trembled, and she silently turned off the TV.

She walked towards the bedroom again. It was an extremely simple room. It was terribly quiet inside. There was nothing on the walls, not even a calendar. It really looked like a bare home.

If there was a hint of life in the room, it was the small table next to the bed, with a small warm-colored table lamp and an old notebook on it.

She recognized the notebook, as it was the one she used to take notes in. She slowly sat down at the table and opened the notebook. The moment she opened it, tears welled up in her eyes. The handwriting on it was her own, recording the case records she had participated in in the 1990s. The handwriting was neat and tidy, and there were red markings.

She recalled those unforgettable past events, her mind was filled with confusion. As she slowly flipped through the pages, suddenly a photo appeared in the notebook, and her tears immediately fell.

That was thirty years ago, when Lu He, she, Zhao Leiting and Cai Shuangxi went to the beach during a business trip to Shanghai.

At that time, Zhao Leiting took this photo of her and Lu He. She and Lu He turned around at the same time. She looked at the camera, while Lu He was looking at her.

The photo has long turned yellow, and the details are blurry, but Lu He's appearance is still clear, as if he is right beside me and has never left.

Meng Siqi felt very sad and slowly closed his notebook.

In fact, she was not unfamiliar with this room. She was not unfamiliar with it at all. In her memory, she grew up with Meng Xinghai and had always lived in 301 opposite.

When she graduated from high school, a new tenant moved into room 302 across the street. Meng Xinghai told her that it was her Aunt Meng. At first glance, she thought Aunt Meng was very sad, as if she had been through a lot. Later, her relationship with Aunt Meng became better and better. Aunt Meng told her many stories about cases, all in this room.

Aunt Meng always looked at the notebook and told her about the past. She also remembered the photo clipped in the notebook. She also asked Aunt Meng: "Aunt Meng, you and I look like we were young. Who is this man?"

Later, one day after she graduated from college, she suddenly heard the news of Aunt Meng's death when she returned home. It was said that she jumped into the Sujiang River from the Sujiang Lighthouse and committed suicide.

——I never thought that the former Aunt Meng has become who she is today.

She lay on the table and rested for a while. She wanted to empty her mind and not think about the past. Maybe it was just like what Zhao Leiting said, what should be let go should be let go. She was over 50 years old, what else could she do?

Gradually, Meng Siqi seemed to have returned to thirty years ago, where she saw familiar faces again. She was so happy, it turned out that everything here was just a dream.

"Aunt Meng, Aunt Meng..."

She heard a girl's voice. The voice was so familiar, as if it came from her own voice. Meng Siqi woke up and found that it was daybreak.

The girl's voice was still outside the door shouting, "Aunt Meng, something seems to have happened to my dad, come and have a look, Aunt Meng!"

Meng Siqi stood up suddenly. She remembered that Meng Xinghai's family lived opposite her. This girl should be little Meng Siqi. Her nickname was Qiqi.

She immediately walked towards the door, but was stunned the moment she opened it. The girl standing outside the door was about twenty years old, but she was really beautiful. Wasn't that her when she was younger? They looked almost exactly the same. It turned out that there really were two people in this world with the same name and the same appearance, but their age difference was at least thirty years.

"Aunt Meng, I don't know what's wrong with my dad. Please help me."

Little Meng Siqi was very anxious and grabbed her old hand.

Meng Siqi followed him in immediately. As soon as she entered the door, she felt like she was back home. This was where she used to live.

In the bedroom, she saw the elderly Meng Xinghai, lying on the bed, his whole body stiff, like a zombie. That was how she remembered him. Meng Xinghai was sick again. Meng Siqi immediately sat on the bedside, lifted up his sleeves and trousers, and found that his joints were swollen. She hurriedly said, "Qiqi, hurry up, pour a basin of hot water and get a few more towels."

It must be a severe rheumatism. I have severe morning stiffness when I wake up in the morning.

Qiqi quickly brought a basin of hot water with a towel soaked in it. She and Qiqi applied the towel to Meng Xinghai's stiff and swollen joints. With the joint efforts of the two, Meng Xinghai finally felt better.

"Is that Xiao Meng?" Meng Xinghai drooled, "You're here."

"Meng, how do you feel?"

Meng Xinghai shook his head slightly, as if he had no strength to speak.

"Aunt Meng," Qiqi asked worriedly, "Is there any way to deal with my dad's situation?"

In fact, there is nothing we can do, because Meng Xinghai will die soon. However, recently he can still sit in a wheelchair and speak a few words, because he still tells Qiqi.

"On the day I went to the Municipal Bureau to report, I met Lu He, the captain of the Criminal Police Team 1. He is a very remarkable person, and I am honored to be his subordinate... That day, I also met your Aunt Meng..."

News about Lu He will be out today, and Qi Qi will definitely know about it. She will definitely be interested in Lu He, and she will definitely ask Meng Xinghai many questions. She will also definitely ask her if she knows Lu He.

She said calmly, "This is the symptom of rheumatism. Cook some vitamin-rich food for Lao Meng and make sure he drinks enough water. He should be fine... Spend more time with him recently."

"I understand, Aunt Meng." Qiqi nodded seriously.

Meng Siqi even remembered that when she lived here, she found that Old Meng suddenly became stiff one morning. Aunt Meng came over to help her treat Meng Xinghai's morning stiffness. Aunt Meng told her to cook some food rich in vitamins. She also learned some ways to regulate diet during that time. She also learned how to make yam porridge during that time.

She felt that all of this was so emotional. While sitting, she looked around the room again. She was very familiar with this room. It was exactly the same as she remembered. On the wall hung a photo of Qiqi wearing a beige dress and taking a photo with Meng Xinghai. She even remembered that she had specially chosen a beige dress for herself during the photo shoot.

Meng Xinghai slept for a while. Qiqi pinched Lao Meng's palm and rubbed it gently. Then he said to her: "Aunt Meng, I don't know why, but recently I always hear someone calling my name in my dreams. It's a man. He always calls me Meng Siqi Meng Siqi. I don't know if he is calling me or you."

Meng Siqi lowered her eyes. Wasn't that the dream she had before? That dream would appear again and again. She smiled and said, "It's okay, Qiqi."

"Aunt Meng, are you going to work today?"

Where should she go today? The news about Lu He will be out soon. Where should she go? She thought for a moment and said, "I'd better go back to the bureau." Go to the archives. There, she might not feel so bad.

In the morning, Meng Siqi went to the Municipal Bureau.

Qiqi helped Meng Xinghai up, put him in a wheelchair, fed him some porridge, and turned on the TV for him to watch the news.

"I am a reporter from Jinyang City TV. Today is August 13, 2024. There is an urgent news. At 10 o'clock this morning, when the unit under the Urban Planning Administration Bureau was demolishing the residential area near the Sujiang Lighthouse, human bones were found in an oil drum filled with cement. What is the truth behind this? It is thought-provoking. We will switch the report back to the scene..."

The scene was filled with noise, clamor, and panic. "Drive the dump truck away!" "Didn't you hear me? This is a criminal scene, why are you still demolishing it?" "Protect the scene, the comrades from the Municipal Bureau are on the way now!"

"Boom! Boom!" The sound of the dump truck was loud, crushing little Meng Siqi's eardrums.

She was shocked and curious. What kind of person was that who was hidden in a cement barrel? What kind of person was he?

*

At the Municipal Bureau, Zhao Leiting and his colleagues lined up at the door. A black car stopped in the yard, and a man in his fifties got out of the car. He had dark hair, a tall stature, and an imposing gait. His straight white police uniform fit him tightly, and the police badge on his shoulders shone brightly in the scorching sun.

Zhao Leiting stepped forward and shook hands enthusiastically: "Welcome Director Liang to come to the Municipal Bureau to inspect our work!"

"Mr. Zhao, what are you doing? I told you not to welcome them, why do you always welcome them?"

"Mr. Liang, you are here to give us instructions on our work. How can we not welcome you?"

"Where's Siqi?" Liang Ting looked at the welcoming colleagues and asked, "Where is she? I want to see her."

"It should be in the archives."

Song Yu, who was standing in the welcoming team, stood at attention. He swallowed hard. He originally thought that his mentor would mention him when he came to inspect the Municipal Bureau, but he completely ignored him and actually mentioned the archive manager Meng Siqi first. He felt more and more uneasy and regretted the outrageous words he had said.

Liang Yunfeng and Zhao Leiting walked towards the hall together. At this time, a policeman suddenly ran over, stood at attention and saluted, and reported: "Director Liang, Director Zhao, human bones were found in the cement barrel by the river, and a police badge was also found!"

"What?" Liang Yunfeng was stunned.

Zhao Leiting was also stunned. After thirty years, he seemed to see hope. Was that Lu He?

Liang Yunfeng's eyes suddenly turned red. For the past thirty years, he would come to the Municipal Bureau on August 13th every year to check on Meng Siqi and look at Lu He's photos. Could it be that today, clues about Lu He really appeared?

"Old Zhao, hurry up and set off!" Liang Yunfeng shouted.

Zhao Lei Ting was so excited that he shouted, "Send the police immediately!"

In a blink of an eye, sirens blared and police cars drove to the riverside in a long line. In the car, Liang Yunfeng said, "We left Siqi behind."

"Mr. Liang, Siqi should have let it go long ago. She can't go to the scene. I'm worried about her."

"You're right. Lu Dui's death hurt her too much."

Zhao Leiting said: "It's not just Team Lu, but also her parents and Aunt Chang. On that day, she almost lost everything. It's not easy for her to survive until today. If she hadn't found the truth, she wouldn't have survived until today."

"Ah." Liang Yunfeng sighed, "I hope the truth can be revealed this time. This is also the biggest regret of my life. I don't believe that justice has such an ending..."