Chapter 082 Police Station Accusation Division
It was mid-March, a chilly spring season, and the river was gradually thawing. The fields on either side of the road were tinged with green. The spring breeze caressed his face, the air was fresh, and as he rode along the country road, Jiang Nan felt a joyous mood he had never experienced before.
She cheered loudly a few times and asked Zhou Zhixing, who was also enjoying himself, "Well, you've met the original male and female protagonists. What do you think?"
Zhou Zhixing raised an eyebrow and said, "Ren Pinglan is a gentleman, he can't escape Tang Xi's control."
"Oh?" Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a good impression of Tang Xi?"
Zhou Zhixing wouldn't answer such a damning question. He said, "I don't care about other women, but Ren Pinglan is a good person. The original text doesn't distort the facts."
Jiang Nan shrugged. She didn't mind talking about it. She had a good impression of Tang Xi anyway. "Tang Xi knows what she wants. Some people dislike this kind of person, while others admire them. From what I've observed, most of those who dislike her are men. They don't like women who are too assertive or too driven by their own goals. But I think Tang Xi is a clear-headed person. So what if she's driven by her own goals? As long as she doesn't harm others, she has the right to strive for the life she wants."
She had read the original novel. Although Tang Xi's connections were purposeful in the book, she wasn't the type to just use them and then discard them. She took the trouble to maintain these relationships, helping others when they needed help, and even visiting them during holidays.
Don't assume that maintaining interpersonal relationships is easy. In the information-rich world of later generations, it might be done with the flick of a finger, but in this day and age, it requires a huge investment of time and energy.
Moreover, after several interactions with Tang Xi, she felt that the real Tang Xi was not much different from the one described in the book. She was kind-hearted, so she didn't think there was anything wrong with Tang Xi's behavior.
But others might not think so. Especially Zhou Zhixing. As a person who traveled through time and space from the ancient times, his attitude towards women might naturally be different from that of modern people. She said this to make her attitude clear. Even after marriage, Jiang Nan would not become the kind of woman in ancient times who regarded her husband as her heaven.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhixing nodded and said, "If you like her, just spend more time with her."
Jiang Nan was surprised: "Aren't you from the past? Shouldn't you think that women who are too strong are a threat to men? Or that they are not conducive to your men's careers in the front line?"
Even in this era, when great men coined the slogan "Women hold up half the sky," it was only because discrimination was so pervasive that the slogan seemed particularly inspiring. These days, the common perception among both men and women is that women are primarily responsible for the family. A good woman is one who cares for the children, serves her husband and parents-in-law, and manages the home front. Men, on the other hand, are expected to focus solely on their careers, free from any worries about household matters.
Zhou Zhixing snorted, "Don't be so mean, you think I'm the same as those ordinary men? A bunch of sore losers."
He raised his eyebrows and said with a playful smile, "Is that the word? I heard you tell the system about it."
Seeing that Jiang Nan didn't smile but was looking straight at him, Zhou Zhixing said sternly, "Don't worry. I've been bound by the system before, so of course I know what happens in the future. Besides, I used to be in the harem and served as a guard. I've seen many powerful women, so I naturally know that when a woman gets ruthless, a man has no chance. Don't worry. If you want to get in touch with Tang Xi, go ahead. I fully support you."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan shook his head. "No, the plot master is too powerful. Tang Xi is surrounded by too many top-notch people. If we get close to her, we'll be implicated. We should just be spectators and watch the show. We don't need to act on stage."
Zhou Zhixing remained noncommittal. He changed the subject, saying, "Why would Ye Chunping want to have an affair with Wei Lao San? Her man, Wei Fengnian, looks much more handsome than this uncle."
Jiang Nan glanced at the channel in the system and explained, "At the beginning, my parents and I only took the things hidden by the eldest and second sons of the Wei family. We didn't take the things hidden by the third son. We did this because we wanted to prevent internal fighting among the brothers. Ye Chunping may have noticed that this uncle was rich, so she wanted to use her beauty to cheat some money out of him."
As she was speaking, she didn't look at the road for a moment. The front tire of the bicycle may have run over a stone, and it started to leak air, and soon it was deflated.
Jiang Nan quickly jumped out of the car, parked it, and leaned down to take a look. He couldn't help but wonder, and whispered to Zhou Zhixing, who had also come to check the tires, "I wonder if it's because of my contact with the heroine that I'm unlucky again."
Zhou Zhixing raised an eyebrow. Jiang Nan told him about the previous times he met the heroine, when she had diarrhea or fell. Zhou Zhixing said with a smile: "It's not that weird. I didn't expect you to be so superstitious."
Jiang Nan was dissatisfied: "How can this be considered superstition? We're both here, isn't it strange? I think this world isn't normal. If we can avoid contact with Tang Xi in the future, it's better not to. Who knows what will happen."
"Okay, okay." Zhou Zhixing stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and said, "The front tire is flat. How about this, you sit in the back seat while I hold the bike with one hand and the other on the handlebars?"
Jiang Nan thought about it, shook his head and said, "Forget it, it's too dangerous. It's not far anyway, let's walk back."
Zhou Zhixing did not comment. The two pushed the car all the way to the work site, where they came across a repair shop. They went in to get the car repaired and then returned to the police station.
Zou Li, Wen Qiang and others who came back earlier asked about the murderer. Because he had promised the team leader and the old branch secretary, Zhou Zhixing didn't say much, just that it was not Ren Pinglan who did it.
There wasn't much to do that afternoon. When Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing got off work, before they even entered Courtyard No. 1, they saw from afar Sui Qiang and Dong Jiaojiao chatting and laughing, their behavior very intimate. Jiang Nan's mouth twitched. Dong Jiaojiao hadn't changed her nature.
The two of them sped up, trying to overtake Sui Qiang and Dong Jiaojiao, but were frightened by Sui Yun's sudden appearance and made to swerve sharply, nearly crashing into a roadside tree. They braked suddenly, and the front of the car stopped just a centimeter in front of the tree.
The two men were frightened and broke out in cold sweats. They turned the car around and were about to open their mouths to scold her, but they saw Sui Yun's face flushed red. She raised her arm high and wanted to slap Dong Jiaojiao, but her brother stopped her.
Sui Qiang said impatiently: "Sister, what are you doing? You've been eating white rice at home for so long, and I've been polite enough to you, please don't push your luck!"
Sui Yun found it incredible. She glared at Dong Jiaojiao and said angrily, "Xiao Qiang, how could you associate with such an unruly woman? She's already married, yet she's still chatting and laughing with you. How can she be a good person? You're being so blatant with her, how can you still have a good reputation? Do you still want to get married?"
Dong Jiaojiao scoffed, crossed her arms, and sarcastically said, "I may be dishonest, but I'm not divorced and living off the fat of the land. Do you think I'm willing to hang out with a mama's boy? Sui Qiang, you can't even manage your family, so don't mess with me."
He rolled his eyes and walked away.
Having lost face in front of the woman, Sui Qiang shook off Sui Yun's arm and said angrily, "Are you satisfied? What else can you do besides making trouble all day long? You can't even handle that idiot Wu Dachui, and you're still staring at me? Get out of here and stay out of my business!"
Sui Yun suddenly panicked. She grabbed Sui Qiang's arm and pleaded, "Little brother, don't be angry. I'm doing this for your own good. Dong Jiaojiao is not a good person. Even if you want to find a wife, you can't find someone like this. Besides, she's already married..."
Sui Qiang ignored him and walked straight forward. Sui Yun followed him in small steps, nodding and bowing, as if she was coaxing a child.
Jiang Nan curled his lips: "This is too selfless."
Zhou Zhixing steadied his bicycle and whispered, "Alright, forget about them, let's go home."
But the situation clearly wasn't over yet. During dinner that evening, the Sui family erupted in another argument, and Sui Yun was berated by two elders, who called her useless. She hadn't dealt with Wu Dachui for so long, yet she still had the time to meddle in her brother's affairs. No matter how capable a man was, could he afford to be wronged in such a matter? If Sui Yun didn't marry again by the end of the month, they would find an old widower who offered a high bride price and marry her off.
Although the Sui family tried to keep their voices down, the tube-shaped building was a strange place. When you tried your best to hide something, everyone could hear it. Everyone in the building kept their eyes peeled, waiting to see when Sui Yun would marry into the Wu family.
This made Wu Jianguo and Wang Yanji very angry. At night, Wu Jianguo comforted his wife, saying, "Yanji, you are already pregnant, don't worry about these things. Tomorrow I will take Dad on a long trip. Even if the Sui family has all the clever tricks, it will be useless if they don't see him." After the marriage, Wu Jianguo was transferred from the statistics team to the driver team, and now he has started driving around in the car.
Wang Jianyi nodded. She didn't want to have another mother-in-law out of nowhere. Not only was she only a few years older than her, but she also had a lot of things to do in her family. It made her upset just thinking about it.
Wu Dachui had always enjoyed the attentions of young women, but being so blatantly plotted against, he wasn't stupid, so how could he not know the consequences? Furthermore, his father had a history with a spy, and his family had always been low-key. If he married a troublesome wife, his family would once again become the focus of attention, and the father's affairs would be exposed.
Therefore, the next day when he heard that his son wanted to take him to work as a driver in another place, Wu Dachui agreed without saying a word.
When Sui Yun found an excuse to knock on the Wu family's door, Tong Lili, who came out from next door, saw her and sneered, "Don't bother. She went out with her son early in the morning. You, just wait to marry an old widower with a bunch of burdens."
Tong Lili thought of something and warned, "If you dare to hit on my father-in-law again, you'd better wait for my soldiers to smash your house, hum." After that, she locked the door and went downstairs unsteadily.
Because his daughter-in-law was at home, Lin Youliang, to avoid suspicion, would always go downstairs after breakfast on crutches, hanging out with Old Cheng, Old Lady Liu, Old Lady Sui, and the others. He had become the new gossip king of Building 4. The Sui family had considered Lin Youliang, but he wasn't there on several occasions, and Sui Yun wasn't thick-skinned enough to seducing an elderly man in front of a group of elderly men and women. After a few attempts, no matter how unwilling they were, they had to give up.
Tong Lili knew what kind of person she was. Widow Qin had taught her since she was a child, and she saw right through Sui Yun's plans. Her father-in-law hadn't been shy about showing off before, but at the wedding, he let go and revealed his strength. Now, he was very popular. The more this became, the more Tong Lili became wary, fearing that the shameless person might try to hook up with her father-in-law.
After all, no young wife wants to have another mother-in-law out of thin air.
The open and covert infighting within the building had no effect on Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing. They both went to the police station early to begin their workday. For some reason, they had received another report from a brigade. Previously, the police station only handled disputes within the oil fields, but now that new oil wells had been built and several brigades had hired oil workers, the station had begun receiving reports from the brigade.
Here, I'd like to discuss the issue of oil well development occupying arable land. When the Chaoyang Oilfield was first developed, due to immature technology, there was a problem of oilfield contamination. However, thanks to technical research, this problem is now avoidable. As long as the mined land is not contaminated, it can still be cultivated. Furthermore, not every piece of arable land is worth mining. Production teams would continue to cultivate land that was not worth mining, and the arable land remained under the jurisdiction of the local government.
Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan had previously discussed the responsibilities of the Oilfield Police Station. Logically, the affairs of the rural production brigade were under the jurisdiction of the commune. However, many people reporting crimes claimed that their family members worked as laborers, and the Oilfield Police Station could not ignore them, which put the two directors in a difficult position.
This is the case today. The person who reported the case is Meng Zhengang, a newly recruited worker from the Donghe'an Brigade. He is only 20 years old now, with a muscular body and a resolute look. He took leave specifically to come and report the case.
As soon as he entered the police station, he excitedly said, "My sister Meng Zhenfang is missing!"
Lan Qingshan, who was always the first to arrive, asked Meng Zhengang to sit down. Meng Zhengang had seen this Chief Lan before and knew that he was the one who could make the decision. He sat down, breathing heavily, and gave a detailed introduction to the situation.
"My sister is five years older than me. She married into the commune seven years ago. My brother-in-law is Zheng Guohua, a commune official. As you know, my family is from the countryside, and marrying into the family of a commune official was a sensation in the village at the time. Everyone envied us. But then..."
He looked a little frustrated. "After seven years of marriage, my sister still hadn't given birth to a child. Life in the Zheng family became increasingly difficult. Not only was she bullied by her mother-in-law every day, but she was often injured when she returned to her parents' home. My family was worried and said that if she couldn't get a divorce, she could marry a widower with children. But when we went to the Zheng family to discuss it, they disagreed, saying that divorce would affect Zheng Guohua's work and that they could adopt a child. Although my sister didn't return home injured after that, I could see that she was still not doing well."
Meng Zhengang's expression was gloomy as he continued, "A few days ago, I went to the commune to buy something and heard rumors that my sister had eloped with someone. I didn't believe it, so I went to the Zheng family to inquire about the situation. They beat me out and said my sister was fickle. They were lucky they didn't come to my family to settle the score, but they had the nerve to come. But I know my sister would never do such a thing. She wouldn't elope."
He said it with absolute certainty: "My sister is very stubborn. Even when her family supported her divorce, she was reluctant. How could she elope with someone? Besides, my sister has a soft personality and doesn't like to talk to her family when she encounters problems. But she is very popular. When the villagers go to the commune to find her when they have problems, she will help. Last month, when she came home, she said that the cherries in the village were almost ripe and she was looking forward to eating more. Comrade police, do you think she would say these things if she elopes? She must have encountered something. Comrade police, you must investigate thoroughly. I suspect my sister was murdered by the Zheng family!"
The last sentence made everyone frown. Lan Qingshan said seriously, "Comrade Meng Zhengang, murder is a serious accusation. May I ask why you have such a suspicion?"
Meng Zhengang said anxiously, "Zheng Guohua is injured. I went to Zheng's house that day and saw a bandage on his forehead. Tell me, how could he, a small civilian official in the commune, be injured? Maybe he got into a fight with my sister and accidentally killed someone, which is why he got injured."
Lan Qingshan nodded without commenting on this inference. He beckoned Zhou Zhixing over and instructed him, "Come here and listen. Take someone to Zheng Guohua's house later."
After that, Lan Qingshan continued to ask Meng Zhengang: "Have you ever reported the case to the commune police station before?"
Meng Zhengang nodded. "I did report it, but Zheng Guohua is the commune secretary. My colleagues from the police station came to ask around and said my sister eloped with someone. I don't believe it. They must be afraid of the Zheng family's power and dare not investigate. I took leave and came to the Oilfield Police Station specifically to seek justice for my sister."
Lan Qingshan asked calmly, "What power does the Zheng family have that could make the commune police station afraid of them?"
Meng Zhengang said indignantly, "The nephew of that old woman from the Zheng family serves on the commune's revolutionary committee. I heard he's an official. He must have put pressure on the police station."
Lan Qingshan nodded, signaling Zhou Zhixing to take over. He then stood up, ready to discuss the division of responsibilities at the police station with Shen Mingguang. But halfway through, he turned around and ordered, "Don't rush to Zheng Guohua's house yet. Wait until I come out, and then we can go together."
Zhou Zhixing nodded, and asked everyone in Group 6 to gather around, signaling Jiang Nan to ask for details. Because Jiang Nan was a woman, the group usually asked her to handle these kinds of questioning, after all, women were more likely to get close to people.
Jiang Nan: "Your sister can't have children. Has she gone to the hospital for a checkup? What about Zheng Guohua? How is his health?"
Meng Zhengang said angrily, "My sister went for a checkup, and the doctor said that as long as she takes good care of herself, she can have a baby. My family once asked Zheng Guohua to go for a checkup, but the Zheng family refused to agree, so the situation has remained at a standstill."
Jiang Nan understood: "So your inability to have children isn't necessarily your sister's fault?"
Meng Zhengang nodded. "Yes, but when it comes to infertility, everyone's first impression is that there's something wrong with the woman. My sister hears this all the time, and she feels completely listless."
Jiang Nan: "You just said your sister was injured. Was it Zheng Guohua who beat her?"
Meng Zhengang shook his head. "I don't know. I asked my sister, but she refused to tell me and kept crying. I don't know who hit her."
Jiang Nan: "How is your sister's relationship with her parents-in-law?"
Meng Zhengang: "Zheng Guohua's father died two years ago, and they currently live with their mother-in-law. That old woman is sweet on the outside, but cruel on the inside. She appears kind in front of outsiders, but curses behind closed doors. Everyone in the commune knows she's not a good person."
Jiang Nan asked a few more questions, and when Lan Qingshan came out, everyone got up and prepared to go to the scene. However, Lan Qingshan took everyone to the commune police station first and explained the situation to the commune police station director Hu.
"Captain Hu, I'm so sorry. When Comrade Meng reported the case, we didn't know he had already filed a complaint with your office. We've already filed a case, so we have no choice but to come here and investigate again. Please don't mind."
Director Hu was a middle-aged man in his forties. His battlefield experience gave him a solemn, stern look. He waved his hand and said simply, "It's okay. We're all here to do our job. Field Team 2 has investigated this case before. I'll have their leader brief you on the situation."
"Thank you so much." Lan Qingshan held Director Hu's hand and shook it vigorously.
Director Hu's expression did not change at all, and he still had a serious face. He waved and called Shi Zhanpeng, who was previously in charge of the case.
The commune police station was much busier than the oilfield police station where Jiang Nan worked. Shi Zhanpeng was completely overwhelmed. When he heard they were asking about this case, he didn't have the patience to explain everything one by one. He called over an intern who had helped organize the case files and instructed, "Xiao Tang, put aside your work and take them to visit the area near Zheng Guohua's home. Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. No matter what we say, they will definitely investigate again. It's better to take them there to investigate everything first. Everything will be clear."
After saying this, he left without caring about the others' reactions. If you ignore Shi Zhanpeng's pickled-vegetable uniform and unshaven face, just hearing these few words would really make you furious. But seeing him rush to the scene without stopping in the blink of an eye, Jiang Nan felt that she couldn't get angry anymore. Alas, with the police force so tight these days, it's not easy for anyone.
Chief Hu didn't speak up for Shi Zhanpeng. Seeing Xiao Tang approach, he nodded and left. Lan Qingshan was amused. He'd expected some scorn from the commune police station, but they were far busier than they were and had no time to bother with them. Alas, his trip wasted.
Lan Qingshan cleared his throat and said to the people in Group 6, "I won't be accompanying you on the investigation. Go ahead and pay attention to your work methods. Okay, I'm leaving now."
Group 6 watched Lan Qingshan leave and followed Xiao Tang towards the Zheng family in the commune.
Xiao Tang was a young man, barely twenty, and his thoughts were all visible on his face, which was why he hadn't been in a good mood the entire time. He had almost been involved in a murder investigation, and now he was assigned to be a guide, so it was no wonder he wasn't angry.
He said, "The police station's conclusion that Meng Zhenfang eloped is well-founded. She had been seen flirting with strange men many times before, and several neighbors had seen her. I'll take you there to ask, and you'll know after your own investigation."
Meng Zhengang's face flushed with anger. He said, "Impossible! My sister isn't that kind of person."
Xiao Tang curled her lips and said, "We're speaking based on evidence. Someone saw her sneaking out at night and having intimate interactions with other men. There are witnesses to all of this. You'll find out when you go ask around."
Meng Zhengang was about to say something else when Zhou Zhixing stopped him. He panted heavily, his eyes red as he followed the others in silence.
The group hurried through several blocks and arrived at Hongqi Street, where the Zheng family lived. Most of the people living here were commune workers. The streets were much wider than Liuxiang Hutong and Liuye Hutong they had been to last time, and most of the houses were brick and tile, and were kept exceptionally clean.
Xiao Tang led everyone to a house and knocked on the door. He introduced: "This family's surname is Zhang. His wife saw Meng Zhenfang having an affair with another man. You can ask him."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing nodded. Zhou Zhixing signaled Zou Li to lead the team to other residents' homes to inquire about the situation. If what the woman said was true, it was impossible that she was the only one who saw it. Others should have seen it as well.
A figure soon appeared in the Zhang family's courtyard. It was a young woman in her mid-twenties, with a round face and a plump figure. She came to open the door, holding a one-year-old boy. She smiled and said, "Officer Xiao Tang, what brings you here?"
Xiao Tang said seriously, "Mrs. Xu, these are colleagues from the Oilfield Police Station. They came here to ask about Meng Zhenfang."
Xu Qingqing groaned, her face full of disdain: "What's there to ask? Meng Zhenfang had affairs with other men before, and now she's eloped with someone. What's there to ask?"
She looked at Meng Zhengang with disdain in her eyes. "You're Meng Zhenfang's brother, right? Really, with a sister like that, how dare you keep calling the police? You've completely disgraced the Zheng family. Country people are just thick-skinned. You shamelessly married into this family, and after just a few years of good life, you've become so fickle and shameless."
Meng Zhengang clenched his fists in anger, his chest heaving, veins visibly visible on his face. He said viciously, "You!"
Xu Qingqing was startled, and the child in her arms burst into tears. She ignored her fear and hurriedly hugged the child to comfort him. She also asked Xiao Tang for help: "Officer Tang, I only told you this because you asked me. Look, this is too scary. He wanted to beat me up in front of you. Who knows what would happen if you left. If I get beaten up, you can't just ignore it."
Xiao Tang stopped Meng Zhengang who was about to rush forward and said sternly, "Comrade Meng Zhengang, this is how police investigations work. They can hear anything. If you're interfering with the police investigation, please go back."
Meng Zhengang finally calmed down, but he was still angry. The group fell into a moment of silence.
Jiang Nan coughed lightly, breaking the awkward silence, and said, "Comrade Xu Qingqing, may I ask what evidence you have for claiming Meng Zhenfang is a fickle woman? You must know that if you defame someone and are found to be lying, the police have the right to take you back for re-education. They will also notify your husband's workplace and ask the leadership to come and collect you."
Seeing the potential violent elements being suppressed, Xu Qingqing snorted loudly. Although she still tried her best to appear righteous and confident, she dared not be so arrogant anymore. She said angrily, "I saw Meng Zhenfang and other men fighting with each other with my own eyes. Seeing must be believing, right?"
"How many other men are there? What do they look like? Do you know them?"
Xu Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Three, maybe. One is a street urchin from Liuye Hutong, but the other two are wearing cadre uniforms and obviously have jobs. Meng Zhenfang is arguing with them, so there must be something fishy going on."
"Please describe in detail what they look like."
Xu Qingqing tried hard to recall the man she had met. After she finished her questioning, the group said goodbye and left. Jiang Nan said to Meng Zhengang, who had been following them, "Comrade Meng, look, with you here, we can't ask a lot of questions. How about you go back first, and we'll let you know if there's any progress on the case? Today is a workday, and you only took half a day off, right?"
Meng Zhengang nodded in frustration. He hadn't expected his sister to be criticized like that on the street. He didn't know what he'd hear if he continued following her. So he said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. I'm working with the West River Bank Drilling Team right now. If you have any updates, you can come to me."
Seeing several people nod, he left, looking back every few steps.
Xiao Tang sighed and led Group 6 to another house. It was said that the mother-in-law of this house had seen Meng Zhenfang sneaking out of the Zheng family's house late at night, carrying a bag. It was because of this mother-in-law's testimony that the commune police station concluded that Meng Zhenfang had eloped with someone and that there was no disappearance or even murder involved.
Grandma Sun was less than sixty years old, with a very stern temperament, a shaggy haircut, and a formal tone. She said, "Comrades from the Oilfield Police Station, right? Can I see your ID first?"
Jiang Nan raised his eyebrows and took out his ID along with the others.
After checking everything, Granny Sun said with a serious face, "I'm sorry, you may not know this, but ever since the rumor spread that Meng Zhenfang eloped, many strangers have appeared on Hongqi Street, pointing and talking about us all day long, causing trouble for everyone. I was asked so many questions that I wanted to see the ID."
Jiang Nan: "It's okay, Grandma Sun. Have many people come to ask you about this before? Do you remember who they were?"
As if provoked, Granny Sun hurriedly said, "Of course I don't remember. People from the commune's revolutionary committee, from the Red Star Street next door, and even leaders from Zheng Guohua came to ask about it. I remember it all clearly."
Jiang Nan took a few notes and asked, "The comrades at the commune police station said you saw Meng Zhenfang leaving with a bag on his back at night. Please describe the scene."
Grandma Sun recalled: "It's been three or four days. That night, I drank too much porridge and got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I heard a noise next door. Not long after, I saw Comrade Meng next door carrying a bag, sneaking out of the house and running out. I thought the couple was arguing and Comrade Meng had gone back to her parents' home, so I didn't take it seriously. But the next night, the Zheng family said that their daughter-in-law was missing and her clothes and other things had been taken away. Then I remembered this. The Zheng family even went to Comrade Meng's parents' home to check, but she didn't come home. Doesn't this mean she eloped?"
Granny Sun said with some regret, "Comrade Meng is a good person on weekdays. She's hardworking, quiet, and most importantly, beautiful. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to marry into the city from the countryside. You don't know, when she first got married, our Hongqi Street was a sensation. Many young men would come here just to see her."
Jiang Nan followed up by asking, "Really? Then what's the Zheng family's reaction? Are they happy or unhappy?"
Granny Sun curled her lips. "Well, we were happy to see it, but the Zheng family didn't seem to be very happy. Granny Zheng was afraid that Comrade Meng would be unfaithful and cheat on her son, so she kept her daughter-in-law away all day and didn't let her go out. Later, Comrade Meng didn't have children for several years, and Granny Zheng treated her even worse. She was often heard scolding Comrade Meng."
Jiang Nan: "What about Zheng Guohua? What's his attitude?"
Granny Sun: "He's just like that. He's 26 or 27 and still childless, and he always has a sullen face. But I don't know what they were thinking. When the Meng family came to discuss a divorce, they actually disagreed. It's strange. Don't you think it's a bit strange that they complain about Comrade Meng's infertility every day, but they don't want a divorce. Is there really something wrong?"
Jiang Nan followed up the topic and asked, "Oh, why do you say that?"
Granny Sun thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "I can't really explain it, but I just feel like the Zheng family is weird. Zheng Guohua seemed pretty good a while ago, saying he might get a promotion, but just a few days later, his wife eloped with someone else. Comrade Meng was about to become the wife of a leader, so why would she elope now?"
Jiang Nan grasped the key point and asked, "Zheng Guohua is going to be promoted? Is the news accurate?"
Granny Sun waved her hand. "How would I know? I just heard it from everyone. But Sister Zhang and Sister Fang both saw Zheng Guohua's leaders drinking at his house, so that should be the case."
Jiang Nan nodded. She seemed to have nothing else to ask and looked at Zhou Zhixing.
Zhou Zhixing thought for a moment and asked, "What does Zheng Guohua's boss look like? Does he often go to Zheng Guohua's house for drinks?"
Granny Sun recalled the man's appearance and said, "He has a square face, a flat nose, a short flat head, and is short and stocky. Standing next to Zheng Guohua, he looks like a twin. He's said to be very capable. About six months ago, he suddenly started going to Zheng Guohua's house frequently. I had never seen him there before."
Zhou Zhixing nodded and said goodbye to Granny Sun. Jiang Nan whispered, "Comrade Xu Qingqing mentioned the three men who were involved with Meng Zhenfang, including Zheng Guohua's leader. And it seems they met half a year ago. Granny Sun just said that he came to ask about Meng Zhenfang's elopement. What do you think..."
Seeing Zhou Zhixing looking at her encouragingly, Jiang Nan boldly asked, "Could it be that Meng Zhenfang has a relationship with Zheng Guohua's boss, which is why Zheng Guohua got promoted?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my God, could it be that Zheng Guohua instigated his daughter-in-law to sleep with his boss? Is there really a man who would actively cuckold someone?"
Zhou Zhixing said quietly, "As long as the compensation is large enough, people would be eager to commit even murder, not to mention cuckoldry. Let's go to Zheng Guohua's house and see what's going on."
Zou Li led his men to reunite with Zhou Zhixing and summarized the situation he had just been asked about. Simply put, others had also seen Meng Zhenfang flirting with other men, but most of these reports were based on hearsay, and the descriptions of the men varied widely, requiring further investigation to be reliable. The more reliable one suggested that the man they saw was Zheng Guohua's supervisor. As for those who saw Meng Zhenfang leaving the house with a bag at night, no one had done so.
Several people came to Zheng's house together. At this time, only Grandma Zheng was at home. When she heard that they were here to investigate her daughter-in-law's elopement case, she was so disgusted that she almost chased them out of the yard with a broom. It was only after the neighbors persuaded her that Grandma Zheng calmed down.
The old lady was fifty years old this year. She had droopy eyebrows and triangular eyes, and a mean look. She stood in the yard with a sullen look, turning a deaf ear to Jiang Nan's questions and crying to the neighbors: "What sin did our Zheng family commit to marry such a jinx? Not only did she not keep her husband's promise, but she also eloped with someone else! How can my Guohua live his life? My good son was going to be promoted to deputy section chief, but now it's all gone. Oh, God, why don't you send down a thunderbolt to kill that fickle woman?"
She was crying and snotting. If Jiang Nan hadn't been so experienced, she might have been fooled by this old lady. But even though Granny Zheng was complaining, her eyes were always focused on them, as if observing whether they believed her or not.
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly checked with the system. Sure enough, just as he'd suspected, this son of his hadn't behaved like a human being. To get a promotion, he'd actually had his wife sexually bribe his boss! Meng Zhenfang hadn't eloped; she'd clearly been unable to bear it and secretly escaped! But there was no sign of her, alive or dead, and no one knew where she was.
Jiang Nan was anxious, but she still had to ask questions. She couldn't just go looking for someone out of thin air. When Grandma Zheng finally stopped crying, Jiang Nan got straight to the point. "Grandma Zheng, we've asked the neighbors before, and everyone says they saw Meng Zhenfang and Zheng Guohua's boss being affectionate. How did they meet? What's their relationship like?"
Granny Zheng's sobs stopped abruptly, but she quickly came to her senses. She slapped her thigh and sobbed, "Meng Zhenfang is such a shameless man! He can't even walk when he sees a high-ranking official. Half a year ago, the commune was digging a canal, and Meng Zhenfang went to deliver food to Guohua. She ran into Guohua's boss, and that's when they got entangled. My Guohua has such a miserable life! He met a daughter-in-law who's so confused that she ruined his chances of getting a promotion. My Guohua has such a miserable life."
After watching the new round of singing, reciting, and acting coldly, Jiang Nan asked calmly, "It's said that Zheng Guohua's boss often comes to our house for dinner. Is that why you said he's getting a promotion? After all, who can say for sure about organizational matters, right? If you say this before it's finalized, people will think your family is operating behind the scenes."
Granny Zheng burped, angered by Jiang Nan's words, and blurted out, "What nonsense are you talking about? My Guohua is so outstanding, it's only a matter of time before he gets promoted. Don't talk nonsense about shady dealings."
She snorted and said impatiently, "What do you want to ask? Ask quickly. My Guohua is about to get off work, and I still have to cook. I don't have time to pay attention to you."
The distance from the oil field to the commune was quite a distance, and having asked others before, it was indeed almost time for lunch. Jiang Nan quickly asked, "You haven't answered my question just now. Do Zheng Guohua's leaders often come to your house for dinner? What time do they usually come and go?"
Granny Zheng's eyes flickered as she forced herself to remain calm. "Guohua works diligently and his boss appreciates him, so it's no big deal for him to come over for dinner. He's only been here two or three times, so how can that be too much? He just had dinner and left around nine. Oh, why are you all so obsessed with my Guohua? Have you found out who Meng Zhenfang's mistress is? She eloped, so the Meng family has to compensate us for the betrothal gift, right? You can't just let it go, can you?"
One of the neighbors looked at him with disdain. Zhou Zhixing secretly took note of that person, then listened as Jiang Nan continued, "It still doesn't prove that Meng Zhenfang eloped, let alone that she had a mistress. Also, the betrothal gift and other matters are family matters between your two families, so it's not for us at the police station to get involved. Currently, we're investigating Meng Zhenfang's disappearance. May I ask what you were doing the night Meng Zhenfang disappeared? When did you discover she was missing?"
Seeing that her unreasonable complaints were futile, Granny Zheng secretly curled her lips. "I was sleeping that night, what else could I do? The next morning, I woke up and saw that no one had made breakfast, so I went to her room to call for help. But her room was empty. I looked and saw that all the clothes she usually wore were gone from the closet. I thought she had gone back to her parents' home, so I immediately went to the East River Bank to look for her, but she wasn't there either. When she didn't come back that evening, I was sure she was missing. What's the point of saying she's missing? She must have eloped with someone."
Jiang Nan ignored the last complaint and continued to ask, "From what you said, it seems that Meng Zhenfang has a private room?"
Granny Zheng was stunned and stammered, "She...she has been unable to have children. My Guohua doesn't want to sleep with her. Is that not okay?"
The neighbors all started whispering to each other when they heard this. No one had expected that the Zheng family couple actually slept in separate rooms.
Jiang Nan ignored everyone's comments and continued to ask, "Someone said they heard a loud noise in your room that night. Do you know what that noise was?"
Granny Zheng was a little panicked, feeling that the more she spoke, the more wrong she was, so she simply said, "No...I don't know. I fell asleep and I don't know anything."
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