Chapter 17 (1)
"Comrade from the Public Security Bureau, comrade from the Public Security Bureau..." With the help of Lu Qing, Mrs. Lu, leaning on a cane, staggered to the front of the oxcart. She tightly grasped a police uniform and said, "My grandson is a good boy. He would not do such a thing. You must have made a mistake."
At her age, her grandson encountered such a thing again. The police felt sorry for her but had to act according to the law. They patiently said, "Auntie, I'm not saying that your grandson is definitely guilty now. We will investigate after we go back..."
Before the police officer could finish his words, he was interrupted by a shrill female voice, "The gangster is Lu Che. When I came home from playing mahjong that night, I saw him running on the road, all wet. He must have done something bad to be hanging out outside so late at night."
The person who spoke was Chen Shuanglian. She put one hand on her waist, pointed at Lu Che and cursed him loudly. Her expression was distorted with contempt.
"It's been more than a month, do you really remember it so clearly?" a villager questioned.
"Of course I remember. It was the night after we harvested the rice. How could I be wrong?" Chen Shuanglian argued.
"Okay, stop arguing. We, the police, will investigate who has committed the crime." A police officer said sternly, and no one present dared to shout anymore.
When everyone quieted down, the police officer said to Lu Che, "Let's go."
When Mrs. Lu heard this, she quickly reached out to pull Lu Che. Lu Che grabbed her hand and comforted her, "Grandma, it's okay. Those who are innocent will be innocent. I will come back after the investigation is clear. Don't worry about it at home. Eat well."
After saying that, he got off the ox cart, and before leaving with the police, he looked at Jiang Yao deeply.
He didn't say anything, but his meaning couldn't be clearer. He asked her not to tell anyone about what happened that night.
Only when Lu Che and the police disappeared at the end of the road did Lu Qing persuade the old lady to go home first.
Some people who believed in Lu Che walked up to comfort the old lady, but more people were instigated by Chen Shuanglian, and some cursed loudly, while others whispered in a roundabout way.
Jiang Yao gradually calmed down at this time. She did not argue with the mocking villagers. She reached out and held the old lady's hand, and said softly: "Grandma Lu, let's go home first. There will always be a way to solve it."
"My Cheche, why is your life so miserable..." Old Mrs. Lu was still unwilling to go back. After several villagers helped to persuade her, she went home with the help of Lu Qing and Jiang Yao.
Uncle Tian and Aunt Tian were there too. They did not take advantage of the situation but helped move the things on the ox cart back to the Lu family and helped lead the ox back to the cowshed.
The old lady could still hold on outside, but she couldn't hold on when she got home and almost fainted.
Jiang Yao and Lu Qing quickly helped her to the bed and poured her some water.
It happened that the hot water at home was out, so Jiang Yao went to the kitchen to boil some water. As soon as the stove was turned on, she heard a knock on the door. She walked out of the kitchen and listened carefully, only to find that someone was knocking on the back door.
She had never opened the back door in such a long time since she came to the Lu family. She walked over and opened the door, and saw a man with patches all over his body outside. He was about fifty years old, with glasses on his face, which looked a little vicissitudes, but it could not hide the temperament of an intellectual.
Jiang Yao remembered that the Lu family's cowshed was behind the house. She immediately guessed the other party's identity and said respectfully, "Hello, you should be Mr. Yue, right?"
Yue Yifang was a little surprised, and then responded: "Yes, you are Jiang Zhiqing, right? I heard about Lu Che's situation. I want to go in and see his grandmother. Is that okay?"
"Of course." Jiang Yao turned sideways, and Yue Yifang stepped into the room.
"Mr. Yue, what should we do now?" When the old lady saw Yue Yifang and mentioned Lu Che, she couldn't help but get emotional and tears fell down.
"His grandmother, don't worry. Lu Che is an upright child. I believe he won't do such a stupid thing." Yue Lao said, "I know that you as family members must be very worried, but worrying makes you confused, so I came here to remind you. We need to calm down and analyze this matter carefully."
Jiang Yao, who was standing aside, suddenly had an epiphany. She hadn't panicked for a long time, and instead forgot that at times like this she should stay calm so that she could find a solution.
"That's right." Jiang Yao said, "Let's sort things out first. No one said this case was related to Lu Che until yesterday. Why did they suddenly say today that he was the gangster? Sister Qing, do you know what happened today?"
"I'm not sure either." Lu Qing shook his head. "When I went to the paper mill to get the raw materials today, I didn't hear anyone say that this matter was related to Lu Che. After I came back, I didn't go out. In the evening, when dinner was ready and you guys hadn't come back, grandma said to wait a while, and then I heard Chen Shuanglian yelling outside."
"I walked out and saw two police officers saying that someone had anonymously reported that Lu Che was the one who raised the ducks, and they wanted to take him back to investigate the case. I said he was not there, so they came in to search."
"Chen Shuanglian?" Jiang Yao caught the key point. "Why is she here? She is neither the production team leader nor the women's team leader, so it is not her turn to receive the police. Oh, why don't I see Lu Dazhou?"
Lu Qing: "Doctor Zhang's family is from another province. Her husband is related to Lu Dazhou. He said there is a very nice girl on her side of the family and wanted to introduce her to Lu Dazhou. Lu Dazhou is not young anymore. His mother saw that he had dated many girls before but failed to find one. So she asked him to go on a blind date with Doctor Zhang during the slack season."
"Doctor Zhang is not here?" Jiang Yao frowned and exchanged glances with Lu Qing.
Even if she went to the police station to explain that Lu Che was with her that night, the police probably wouldn't believe her based on her one-sided statement and the fact that they were now in a landlord-tenant relationship.
This is really like adding insult to injury.
Yue Lao sat for a while and was about to go back. Before leaving, he said to Lu Qing: "Although I am useless now, if you really need anything, you can tell me. I will definitely help if I can."
"Thank you, Mr. Yue." Lu Qing agreed and sent Mr. Yue out.
When Lu Qing came back, Jiang Yao said, "Sister Qing, why don't I go to the police right now and explain everything clearly."
"Let's not talk about it for now." Lu Qing said, "Doctor Zhang is not here now, so it's hard to explain. Lu Che didn't do it, maybe after the matter is investigated, he can come back tomorrow."
Her words were not only to comfort Jiang Yao, but also to appease the old lady.
Jiang Yao understood her intention and said nothing more. She waited until the old lady fell asleep, then she pulled Lu Qing aside and said, "Let's wait overnight. If he doesn't come back before noon tomorrow, I will tell the police. I know my testimony is not strong enough, but I can't just sit there and wait for death."
"But..." As Lu Che's sister, Lu Qing certainly hoped that Jiang Yao would testify for her brother, but as a woman, she was a little hesitant. After all, if the truth was revealed, the impact would be no less than that of the duck-raising girl.
"Sister, don't say but." Jiang Yao said, her voice choking with sobs, "I don't know how he is now. I'm afraid that the longer he stays, the more likely he will be forced to confess through violence."
She knew she should trust the police, but there weren't many legal provisions regarding law enforcement, so she had to worry.
Looking at Jiang Yao like this, and thinking about her time with Lu Che, Lu Qing suddenly understood something. She patted her shoulder and said, "Okay, if you really want to go, I'll go with you. You've been tired all day, you want to eat, right?"
"No." Jiang Yao shook her head. "I'm not in the mood to eat. I'll go back to my room first."
"Okay." Lu Qing understood her mood and stopped forcing her, allowing her to rest early.
Jiang Yao took a shower and lay down on the bed, but she couldn't sleep.
But unlike the panic in the evening, she was now completely calm, her mind full of thoughts on how to handle this case.
After a sleepless night, Jiang Yao got up early. Although she didn't feel hungry, she cooked breakfast.
The next battle is likely to be a tough one, so of course we need to replenish our energy.
As expected, Lu Che had not returned by noon. Jiang Yao could not wait any longer and went to the Public Security Bureau with Lu Qing.
When I arrived at the Public Security Bureau, I asked for a long time before I found Public Security Officer Zhang who was in charge of this case.
Lawyer Jiang was a little annoyed by such work efficiency, and her face was not very friendly. Seeing her aggressive look, Public Security Officer Zhang said before she could speak: "It's not that we don't want to release him, but Lu Che refuses to cooperate with the investigation."
"Reject?" Jiang Yao said affirmatively: "Impossible."
"What do you mean by impossible?" Police officer Zhang was also troubled when talking about this suspect. "He said he didn't do it. I asked him why he ran out that night, and he said he didn't remember. Isn't this clearly a sign of unwillingness to cooperate? It's hard for us to believe that he is innocent."
"..." Jiang Yao was a little amused. How could this man be so stubborn at the critical moment? But after all, he wanted to protect himself, so she didn't despise him. She directly told the police, "He went to find a barefoot doctor for me that night."
"Help you find a barefoot doctor? Then why didn't he tell you?" the police asked.
Jiang Yao explained everything in detail. When the police heard that she was drugged, they frowned, but they did not believe her out of pity for her. They asked, "Besides you and Lu Che's family, are there any other people who can testify?"
"Yes." Jiang Yao said somewhat unsurely, "Doctor Zhang can testify, but she went back to visit her parents in another province."
Zhang Gongan: "...Are you kidding me?"
"No." Jiang Ran knew the public security process. She said, "We know you have your own rules. We can't release him before we have thoroughly figured it out. We just hope that Lu Che's personal safety can be guaranteed before Dr. Zhang comes back."
When the police heard this, their faces immediately turned cold. "What do you think our police station is? A place for torture and forced confessions?"
"Of course not." Jiang Yao said flatteringly: "Someone is slandering Lu Che now. I'm worried that someone wants to use him as a scapegoat and harm him through improper means."
"Alright." Zhang Gongan snorted coldly, "Anyway, we will ensure that the other witness is safe before he comes back. Alright, you guys go back first."
As he said this, Zhang Gongan was about to turn around, but was stopped by Jiang Yao.
"Anything else?" the police officer asked.
Jiang Yao: "Can you keep my testimony here a secret? If the real murderer finds out, it will alert the enemy. If he thinks Lu Che might be convicted, he will let down his guard and it will be easy for you to arrest him."
"Okay." Zhang Gongan looked at Jiang Yao seriously and said, "I didn't expect that a little girl like you would know so much."
"No... I still have to thank you, the police, for handling the case impartially." Jiang Yao thought that her sister had handled many more cases than her, but she flattered her sister without changing her expression.
"Of course, the people's police serve the people." Zhang Gongan couldn't help but straighten his back.
Seeing this, Jiang Yao took the opportunity to make a request, "I know the police are the best. It's hard to say how long Lu Che will be detained here. Can... we meet him?"
"You're really asking for more." Although the police officer had a sullen face, he still agreed to her request.
This side can be seen, but only one person can go in, and Lu Che specifically designated Lu Qing.
Jiang Yao had nothing to do with Lu Che, so it was understandable that he wanted to see his sister at this time, but she still couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Although he was allowed to visit, the time limit was ten minutes, and Lu Qing came out after a while.
"Sister Qing, how is he?" Jiang Yao grabbed Lu Qing and asked anxiously.
Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's fine. It's exactly the same as when I was taken away last night."
It seemed that he was not beaten, so Jiang Yao felt relieved and asked again: "Did he say anything?"
"He didn't say anything, just asked me to take care of the family." Lu Qing said, "He knew you told the police about what happened that night, so he asked me to keep an eye on you and not let you act impulsively again."
"How am I impulsive?" Jiang Yao said unhappily, "I am acting very rationally now, okay?"
But since he still cares about her, she should forgive him.
The two returned to the Lu family and first went to report their safety to the old lady.
The old lady felt relieved after hearing this and finally agreed to eat.
After lunch, Jiang Yao was not idle either. She pulled Lu Qing to her room.
"Yaoyao, do you have any new ideas?" Lu Qing asked.
Today at the Public Security Bureau, she was a little timid when she entered. If Jiang Yao hadn't been there, the negotiations with Public Security Officer Zhang wouldn't have been so smooth, not to mention being able to meet Lu Che.
She now knows that although Jiang Yao is young, she is a person with her own ideas and can be relied upon.
Jiang Yao nodded and said, "Normally, it's been more than a month since the duck-raising girl case happened, so it's hard to find evidence. So there was no movement in the first two days after the incident, because the police are currently helpless."
"If this case drags on, it will probably go unsolved. But yesterday, someone suddenly anonymously reported that Lu Che did it. It's obvious that they want him to be a scapegoat. After all, I heard that your father had committed hooliganism before, and people think he is very likely to do something like that."
Lu Che agreed with her and asked, "Who do you think did it?"
"Chen Shuanglian." Jiang Yao said affirmatively.
"Why do you think so?" Although Lu Qing felt that she was capable of such a thing, no matter how much she looked down on their family, she should not go to such lengths to kill them all. The crime of hooliganism is no joke.
"She was the loudest and spoke with such confidence, as if she had expected this to happen." Jiang Yao said, "Did you notice that when Chen Shuanglian said she saw Lu Che that night and concluded that he was the one who did it, the police did not deny her at the time."
"Not denying it is equivalent to acquiescence, which means that the anonymous letter mentioned what Chen Shuanglian said. If she was not the anonymous whistleblower, would she know it so clearly?"
Lu Qing was stunned after hearing this, and after a while he asked, "Yaoyao, how come you are so smart? Why didn't I think of this?"
"No, you didn't think of it because you were worried." Jiang Yao said.
Lu Qing: "What should we do next? Why did Chen Shuanglian do this?"
"I can't figure it out yet. Chen Shuanglian hates Lu Che. Lu Che and Lu Zhisen also had a conflict when they were transporting grain two days ago. But she didn't go to the trouble of writing an anonymous letter to kill Lu Che. It's enough to just talk."
Jiang Yao couldn't figure it out. If she could meet the duck farmer and understand the whole story, she could plan her next step.
"Sister Qing, do you know where the duck farmer is now?" Jiang Yao asked.
Lu Qing: "She and several other duck farmers are from our commune. To prevent their ducks from being stolen, they usually live in a house by the pond. It is said that someone in Shangshui Village was holding a wedding banquet that night, and the other duck farmers were from the production team. They went back to the wedding banquet and did not come back, so she was taken advantage of. After she reported it to the police, she went back home and stopped raising ducks."
Jiang Yao: "Can you find her home? I want to talk to her and see if I can find any clues. The information I heard from others is not accurate."
"This..." Lu Qing was a little embarrassed. "If it was before, I could ask a few kind villagers and I could find out. But now that Lu Che is like this, I'm afraid no one is willing to tell me."
"That's right." Jiang Yao thought for a moment and said, "I'll go find Zhu Xia and ask her to help me find out."
Jiang Yao did what she said. Before it was time to go to work, she went out to Aunt Tian's house to find Zhu Xia.
When Zhu Xia heard that she was looking for her, she quickly pulled her into her room and said, "I was just about to look for you. Go back and pack your things and move here. My room is small, but it's still okay. It's much better than you staying in that tiger cave."
"Zhu Xia." Jiang Yao said in a cold voice: "Lu Che is only under investigation now, and there is no evidence to prove that he is a gangster. I hope you will not be prejudiced against him because of his father."
Normally, Zhu Xia would listen to her, but not today. She argued, "There is no smoke without fire. The police's suspicion of Lu Che must not be groundless. My dear Yaoyao, I really want you to stay here because of my sister. I haven't told Uncle Tian and Aunt Tian about this yet. Letting you stay here is a decision made without consulting them first."
Jiang Yao softened her voice when she heard this and said, "Zhu Xia, you have been in Qingyuan Village for several years. Think about your impression of Lu Che. Is it just what you heard from others and not what you saw with your own eyes? In your perception, he is a bad guy, but have you really seen him do bad things?"
"..." Zhu Xia was choked, and after a while she said, "It seems... not."
"If there is no, then there is no such thing as if." Jiang Yao said with a smile: "I came to you today because I want you to do me a favor."
"What's the matter?"
"Help me find out where the duck farmer lives."
"What... do you want to do?"
"I want to talk to her about what happened that night."
"Are you crazy?"
"Just think of me as crazy." Jiang Yao said, "Anyway, you must help me today."
“…”
Jiang Yao kept nagging, acting like a spoiled child and threatening others, and Zhu Xia couldn't stand it anymore. She had to accept her fate and go out to find out for her.
Zhu Xia had been in Qingyuan for a long time and was a hard-working person. Although she was an educated youth, she was popular in the production team. After a walk, she found out the duck farmer's home address in Shangshui Village and that her name was Lin Fang.
Without further ado, Jiang Yao and Lu Qing set out to look for someone.
Shangshui Village is not far from Qingyuan Village, separated by three production teams, and it only takes half an hour to walk there.
After entering Sheung Shui Village, they could hear villagers discussing Lin Fang from time to time as they walked along the road. Some said she was pitiful, but most of them used hurtful and abusive language.
It was obviously not Lin Fang who made the mistake, but people just put all the blame on her.
After a while, they arrived at Lin Fang's house.
The person who came out to open the door was Lin's mother. Seeing that they were all strangers, she asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"We're looking for Xiaofang." Before Lu Qing could speak, Jiang Yao spoke first, "We are from Qingyuan Village. We heard about Xiaofang's experience and we know some things. We don't know if they can be used to help with the case, so we want to meet Xiaofang."
When Lin's mother heard this, she was delighted and quickly pulled them into the house, saying, "Thank you for helping Xiaofang. If we can catch that person, I will definitely thank you very much."
"Aunt, you're welcome. We don't know if we can help. We hope we can."
Seeing Jiang Yao lying without changing her expression, Lu Qing couldn't help but glance at her. She glanced back at him to reassure her.
Soon, Lin's mother took them to Lin Fang's room.
Lin Fang was lying on the bed, in a daze. When she sat up and saw that it was Lu Qing, she suddenly became excited and pointed at her and cursed, "You are the sister of that bastard, get out of here."
"You don't have to beg me. I won't let him go."
Mother Lin was confused at first, but she quickly realized what was going on and pointed at Jiang Yao and Lu Qing and said, "You two liars, get out of here right now. Don't you think you haven't hurt my daughter enough?"
As she said that, Lin's mother was about to get a broom. Lu Qing was shocked. Jiang Yao hugged Lin's mother and tried to stop her. But she had thin arms and legs and little strength. Lin's mother was not good at farm work. She was pushed to the ground in a few seconds, and her back hit the wall hard.
"Yaoyao, are you okay?" Lu Qing hurried over to check.
Seeing Jiang Yao's painful face, Lin's mother panicked and waved her hands, stammering, "It's none of my business. You carried her up here by yourself."
"I know, this matter has nothing to do with you." Jiang Yao put one hand on her waist, and stood up with the other hand supported by Lu Qing. She took the opportunity to say, "Lu Che has only been taken back for investigation. There is no evidence to prove that he is the bastard. We came here today just to talk to Xiaofang about what happened that day."
Seeing that Lin's mother was about to chase people away again, Jiang Yao cried out "Ouch" and said to Lu Qing anxiously: "Sister Qing, help me sit down quickly, my waist hurts."
When Lin's mother heard this, she was so scared that she dared not speak.
After Jiang Yao sat down, she took the opportunity to say to Lin Fang, "Xiao Fang, I know you feel wronged about this matter, but you have the courage to speak out about it because you want the criminal to be punished by law. If a good person is wrongly accused and the real murderer is allowed to go unpunished, would you be willing to do that?"
Lin Fang didn't say anything, but from her stubborn eyes, Jiang Yao could tell that she had taken his words to heart.
"You want to bring the real murderer to justice, and we want to clear Lu Che's name. In the end, our goals are the same." Jiang Yao guided him step by step and asked tentatively: "Xiaofang, can you tell me in detail what happened that night?"
Lin Fang was silent at first, but when she heard this, her emotions started to boil again. Jiang Yao knew that she didn't want to recall the pain of that night, so she continued, "To be honest, I was drugged that night, but luckily I met Lu Che, and he saved me. How could such a person be the real murderer?"
"You..." Lin Fang looked at Jiang Yao in surprise.
"Yes." Jiang Yao said, "He ran out that night to find Dr. Zhang for me, so he was seen and slandered by others. You may think that this is my one-sided story, but as long as Dr. Zhang comes back, everything will be revealed."
Having said that, Lin Fang couldn't find any point of doubt. Seeing Jiang Yao's frank expression, she recalled what happened that night with trembling lips.
According to Lin Fang's recollection, she fell asleep very early that night and was drugged. When she woke up, the beast had already done it and was trying to do it again.
Although she was weak, she still fought back desperately. The beast was so angry that he slapped her in the face, causing her forehead to hit the wall and bleed. He was probably afraid of beating her to death, so he hurriedly got up and fled the scene.
"Didn't you see what that person looked like?" Jiang Yao asked.
"No." Lin Fang shook her head. "My room only has one window, which is made of wood. I usually keep it open when I sleep, but it was closed at that time. The room was pitch black and I couldn't see."
Jiang Yao was a little disappointed, but she didn't give up. She asked, "What happened to you after that man left?"
"I was so dizzy that I couldn't get up. I didn't wake up until midnight. I was afraid of being laughed at by others, so I endured it." Lin Fang said, "By the way, not long after he ran out of the door, I heard a sound of falling into the water. I guess he was too anxious and fell into the pond."
Jiang Yao asked Lin Fang some more questions, but she probably didn't get many answers. After staying at Lin's house for nearly an hour, she got up and said goodbye to Lu Qing.
"Xiaofang, I hope you won't tell anyone about why we came to see you today. I'm afraid of alerting the enemy." Jiang Yao reminded her before leaving.
Lin Xiaofang nodded: "Don't worry, I know everything. When I went to the police station to record my statement, they reminded me not to talk about it. I haven't been out for the past few days, and my family hasn't told anyone else."
On the way back, Jiang Yao kept thinking about Lin Xiaofang's words, hoping to discover something from them.
But when she arrived at the door of the Lu family, she didn't find any flaws, but saw Zhao Pengfei coming to find her.
Jiang Yao usually doesn't want to pay attention to Zhao Pengfei, and now her mind is full of worries, so she doesn't even bother to look at him.
Seeing her about to enter the house, Zhao Pengfei grabbed her wrist with one hand and demanded sternly: "Jiang Yao, you move out of the Lu family right now."
"If I'm not moving, who are you? Why do you care about my business?" Jiang Yao shook his hand away.
Zhao Pengfei was about to explode with anger, and he shouted directly, "You and I grew up together, and you are my sister in my heart. Forget about other things, but now you are living in the home of a gangster, I absolutely do not agree."
"Who is your sister? Did my parents agree to have you as their son? Ridiculous! Also, who said Lu Che was a hooligan?" Jiang Yao's voice also rose several degrees. "The police couldn't convict him, so what right do you have?"
"Isn't this obvious?" Zhao Pengfei said, "He was hanging out outside late at night. Who else could it be but him?"
"It's ridiculous. If you go out at night, you're considered a hooligan. Who would dare to go out in the future? During the harvest season, people rush home at six o'clock and don't even cut the rice."
"It's a farce." Zhao Pengfei said firmly, "The person who reported him anonymously said that the gangster was soaked. That's what happened when Lu Che met Chen Shuanglian. Who else could it be but him?"
"What?" Jiang Yao was suddenly stunned. Zhao Pengfei thought she had figured it out. Just as he was about to slow down his voice and coax her to move out, he heard her say, "Sister Qing, let's go home. Remember to close the door and don't let anyone in."
As she said that, she slipped in swiftly. Lu Qing also moved quickly, and before Zhao Pengfei could react, he had already closed the door.
The door of a wealthy family was once of excellent quality, and it was impossible to kick it in.
Zhao Pengfei kicked a few times outside but to no avail, so he could only leave angrily.
Jiang Yao went straight back to her room. Lu Qing followed her in. When he was about to persuade her not to be angry, he found that she was smiling.
"You...what are you so happy about?" Lu Qing asked puzzled.
Jiang Yao: "This Zhao Pengfei is annoying, but his making such a fuss reminds me of something. After he leaves, we will go find Zhang the Public Security Bureau. I know how to solve this matter."
When Lu Qing heard her say this, she was immediately delighted. She didn't ask her how she was going to solve it. Anyway, seeing her confident look, she felt relieved.
That night, because Lu Dazhou was not there, the village party secretary Lu Caigui used a loudspeaker to announce: Dear members, tomorrow morning, the public security comrades will come to our production team to collect clues about the Lin Fang case. Please gather at the granary tomorrow. When the time comes, please tell the public security what you know to assist in solving the case.
People these days don’t have many entertainment activities, so when something as big as this happens, of course they rush to gossip. The next day, many people brought their stools to the granary early to gather, much more actively than going to work or attending a member meeting.
Jiang Yao and Lu Qing didn't arrive early. When they arrived, Zhang Gongan and two colleagues had just arrived.
When it was half past seven, Lu Caigui asked everyone to be quiet and handed the loudspeaker to Public Security Zhang.
"My fellow members, I believe Secretary Lu has made it very clear yesterday why we are here today. Now, if anyone went out that night and saw something, please tell us."
It was the day when the harvest had just ended. After half a month of hard work, everyone except those who were bored had a shower and went to bed early.
"I went out to play cards that night, but I didn't meet anyone."
"I went to fight too, but I didn't run into anyone."
“…”
After a few people spoke, Chen Shuanglian stood up and said with great momentum: "I saw Lu Che. He was running outside that night, all wet. It was obvious that he had done something wrong."
"Did you really see him?" Zhang Gongan asked impartially, "Then please tell me in detail, why you went out, where you saw Lu Che, and what you looked like when you saw him. Tell me everything clearly."
Zhang Gongan had a serious face, and Chen Shuanglian looked a little guilty. She looked towards Lu Zhisen unconsciously. Lu Zhisen glared at her, and she stood up immediately, stiffening her neck and said, "Just tell me, I went to play Pai Gow that night, and several of my friends can testify. When I almost got to my house, I saw Lu Che running on the road in a hurry. He was wet all over, and it was obvious that he had fallen into the water."
"There are no street lights in our production team. Are you sure you really saw Lu Che was soaked?" Jiang Yao suddenly asked.
Chen Shuanglian couldn't help rolling her eyes when she heard it, "There's no street light, but I have a flashlight, which can illuminate him clearly and see him clearly."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Jiang Yao nodded and asked, "Since you saw it clearly, you should know clearly what kind of shirt and pants Lu Che wore that night, and whether his hair was wet."
"I..." It happened so quickly at that time that Chen Shuanglian couldn't remember it clearly. She hesitated for a long time and began to panic.
Lu Zhisen finally couldn't bear it anymore and stood up and shouted, "The gangster fell into the pond and got soaked. Lu Che was like that at the time. It must be him."
"How do you know the gangster was wet all over? Did you see it with your own eyes?" asked Public Security Zhang.
Lu Zhisen was stunned by Zhang Gongan's cold eyes. He forced himself to calm down and said, "The anonymous whistleblower said so."
"How do you know that the anonymous informant said this?" Police Officer Zhang's eyes became more and more aggressive. "During our investigation, we only said that Lu Che was anonymously reported. As for the content of the report, we never revealed it."
"Lu Zhisen knows so much, he must have reported it anonymously!"
"That's right. He must be jealous that Lu Che can repair tractors and is slandering him on purpose."
“…”
The villagers started shouting, and Lu Zhisen got angry and said, "So what if I reported it? If Lu Che could do it, he wouldn't be afraid of others reporting him."
"You mean, this anonymous report letter was written by you?" Public Security Zhang took out the report letter and spread it out in front of Lu Zhisen.
Lu Zhisen gave up and snorted, "I wrote it, so can't I write it?"
"Yes, of course." Policeman Zhang then asked, "You just said that the gangster fell into the pond, so he was soaked?"
"Yes." Lu Zhisen said firmly.
Policeman Zhang suddenly sneered, "How do you know that the gangster has fallen into the pond?"
"..." Lu Zhisen realized belatedly that he had said something stupid and his face turned pale. Before he could explain himself, Zhang Gongan had already had him arrested.
It’s all thanks to Jiang Yao that Lu Zhisen confessed today.
Police officer Zhang thanked her again and again, and said, "I find that you are very sensitive in handling cases. You can consider joining our public security department."
"...No, thank you!" Jiang Yao was not interested in being a madam. She just wanted to know when Lu Che would be able to go home. "Will Lu Che be able to come back soon?"
"Okay, we can come back after we finish the formalities, don't worry." Public Security Officer Zhang assured.
After getting Zhang Gongan's assurance, Jiang Yao and Lu Qing finally smiled with relief. Lu Qing wanted to pick him up, but Zhang Gongan said that it would take some time to complete the formalities, so she didn't have to worry and that he would come back naturally.
In this case, Lu Qing went home to prepare the pomelo leaf water and asked Lu Che to come back and wash away the bad luck.
As for Jiang Yao, she was originally quite happy, but when she returned home, she suddenly became a little nervous.
Thinking of what Lu Che said to her that night, "Be good, it's okay, wait for me to come back", her heart began to beat wildly.
Will he say something to her when he comes back tonight? The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and the more nervous she became.
She looked at her clothes and found them somewhat ordinary, so she rummaged through her closets and pulled out her most beautiful skirts. She tried on several and finally found one she was satisfied with. But when she saw herself in the mirror dressed so formally, she felt she was being too ostentatious.
After an anxious wait, Lu Che finally came back in the evening.
When Jiang Yao heard the noise and ran out, he was standing over the fire pot at the door.
The door was closed and the old lady was muttering to herself, probably because she was afraid that her behavior would be criticized.
The moment Lu Che stepped over the brazier and looked up, he saw Jiang Yao at a glance.
She couldn't help but feel a little excited, but his expression was so indifferent that Jiang Yao's heart felt a little cold.
"Cheche, you can come back safely this time, thanks to Yaoyao." The old lady said to Jiang Yao, "Yaoyao, come to the main hall for dinner tonight, don't refuse."
Lu Che's expression didn't change much when he heard the voice. He said "thank you" softly, then walked towards the main room, keeping a distance of more than five meters from her.
Jiang Yao's heart was completely chilled, and she had no appetite to eat anything, but she couldn't refuse the hospitality, so she had to go and eat.
Lu Che took a long time to take a bath, but no one urged him to do so.
Everyone was in a good mood today, and the Lu family's main hall was filled with joy. Jiang Yao was in the middle of it and could only force a smile.
About twenty minutes later, Lu Che came out of the shower and sat down opposite her without even glancing at her.
The old lady quickly asked everyone to pick up their chopsticks.
To celebrate Lu Che's return, although there was no meat tonight, the meal was pure white rice and several fried eggs, which was considered quite sumptuous.
Jiang Yao found the food tasteless. After finally finishing her meal, she returned to her room without staying any longer.
When the door of the room was closed, Jiang Yao was so angry that her eyes turned red. She didn't know what she was angry about. After all, Lu Che didn't say anything.
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