Chapter 112: Investigating the Missing Educated Youth Case
Finally getting to the point, Wu Chunli said, "The brigade was on break that day, and we had nothing to do, so we decided to go to the commune to do some shopping and see a movie. The commune cinema..."
Jiang Nan interrupted with a smile, "Chun Li, don't jump. Tell me everything from the day we set out until He Ling disappeared. Don't be bothered by my nagging, and don't think it's trivial. There might be clues in the little things."
Wu Chunli nodded, then recalled the details of that day: "We got up early that day. Qin Gai had stolen my toothpaste again, and He Ling had a few words with Qin Gai. After breakfast, we packed up and headed to the commune. Luckily, we ran into the brigade's ox cart on the way. It was perfect that day, as the brigade leader was driving his cart to the commune to do some work, so we took the cart."
Lost in memories, she said, "Who knew we'd run into Auntie Da Mi on the way? She...she was unreasonable. She had her eye on He Ling and kept pestering her to be her daughter-in-law. He Ling didn't want to and kept avoiding her. I didn't want to go with Auntie Da Mi either, so I got off the oxcart and walked with her. There were about six or seven other educated youth on the oxcart at the time. Luckily, the brigade wasn't far from the commune, so we arrived soon."
She continued reminiscing, "After arriving at the commune, we first went to the supply and marketing cooperative to see if there was anything to eat. But they were all sold out of peach cakes and other goodies, so we didn't buy anything. We went straight to the cinema. But the only movie showing was 'Tunnel Warfare.' He Ling said she'd seen it many times and didn't want to see it, so we didn't go in. I... I love movies, so I went in and saw it. Who knew I'd never see Sister He Ling again after I left?"
Then he choked up and said, "If only I hadn't gone to the movies..."
Jiang Nan consoled her briefly and continued, "Who else wasn't watching the movie at the time?"
Wu Chunli: "Only the male educated youth Qi Lei, he..." Wu Chunli raised her eyes and glanced at Jiang Nan, hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "Qi Lei likes He Ling, he must be thinking that Sister He Ling doesn't want to see him, so he doesn't want to see her."
Jiang Nan understood: "In other words, the last person He Ling contacted before she disappeared was most likely Qi Lei?"
Wu Chunli nodded. Jiang Nan didn't rush to ask Qi Lei, but turned around and asked about Aunt Da Mi: "Can you tell me about Aunt Da Mi? You just said that she wanted He Ling to be her daughter-in-law. How many sons does she have? How did you, the educated youth, know that she wanted He Ling to be her daughter-in-law?"
Wu Chunli's eyes slowly filled with anger. She said, "Auntie Da Mi is the team leader's sister. She married the old branch secretary's eldest son. She gave birth to four sons. Because she was fertile and had many men in her family, she was very powerful in the village. No one dared to mess with her!"
She snorted as she spoke, "She wants Sister He Ling to marry her youngest son. But Sister He Ling is so beautiful, how could that be possible! Sister Xiaonan, you don't know, Auntie Da Mi's youngest son is a fool! The villagers say that he had a fever when he was a child and his brain was damaged, it's not hereditary. But even if it's not hereditary, he's still a fool, how can he be worthy of Sister He Ling! That guy can only eat by himself, he can't even count to ten! And he's already 26 this year and has grown fat. He Ling clearly said she doesn't want to, and she even told the team leader and the old branch secretary, but Auntie Da Mi still pesters He Ling!"
This was the local tyrant. Jiang Nan looked at Captain Wang, who had no choice but to say, "We've been aware of this situation. We've also been to Aunt Da Mi's house and searched every corner, even the cellar, but there's no one there. At least He Ling's disappearance has nothing to do with Aunt Da Mi."
Jiang Nan pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, "Okay, let's ask Qi Lei first."
With that, he stood up and went to the male educated youth dormitory on the other side. The layout of the two sides was similar, except that there were more male educated youth and the rooms were messier. This time, Zhou Zhixing was the one questioning. He glanced at Qi Lei and asked, "That day, you and He Ling were the only ones who didn't go in to watch the movie, right?"
Qi Lei was a spirited young man with a buzz cut, about 5 feet 4 inches tall—not tall, but definitely not short. Years of farm work gave him a nice muscular build, and his eyes were particularly bright. He looked at Zhou Zhixing as if assessing his ability to help. After a long pause, he replied, "Yes, I'm pursuing Comrade He Ling, hoping to pursue progress with her. That day, He Ling didn't want to go to the movies, so I didn't go either. I invited her to dinner at the state-owned restaurant. On the way, I..."
He paused and continued, "I went to the toilet, and when I came out, He Ling disappeared. I looked everywhere for her but couldn't find her. I thought she had gone back to the brigade on her own, but she wasn't even in the brigade. I ran back to the commune and looked for He Ling in cinemas, state-owned restaurants, and barber shops. As long as the places were open, I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find He Ling. I ran back to the brigade and mobilized everyone to look for her, but unfortunately, we still couldn't find her." At the end, his eyes were slightly red.
Zhou Zhixing continued to ask, "How long did you spend in the bathroom?" He pointed at the watch on Qi Lei's wrist and said, "You should remember the time, right?"
Qi Lei nodded: "I had diarrhea that day, so I was delayed for a while, about half an hour."
Jiang Nan frowned. It had been quite a while. Where could He Ling have gone? She looked at Captain Wang, who shrugged. "We've been squatting near the public toilet for three days, asking everyone who passes by. Some say they saw a girl who looked like He Ling, helping an old woman home. Others say they saw He Ling carrying a child. The accounts vary, but the common point is that they didn't see her clearly. We also followed the directions these passersby pointed out, asking door to door, but no one said they had seen He Ling. It's as if He Ling had vanished into thin air."
It seems that they have done a very detailed job. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing sighed inwardly, thinking that things were getting a little tricky. Jiang Nan said, "Captain Wang, could you please take us to Auntie Dami's house?"
Captain Wang nodded, but did not stand up. Instead, he remained silent for a long time and instructed: "Auntie Da Mi is not very reasonable. Don't get angry when you two ask questions."
Jiang Nan was mentally prepared and nodded, "Okay, we will control our temper."
The words were full of meaning. This Auntie Da Mi was not just unreasonable! Perhaps because she had a good life, Auntie Da Mi had put on some weight. She was less than 1.6 meters tall, but she looked like she weighed 160 kilograms. Perhaps because she was too fat, her small facial features were squeezed together, and she kept wheezing, as if her nose was too squeezed and she couldn't breathe.
Seeing Captain Wang in police uniform, Auntie Dami immediately grabbed her waist and cursed: "I was wondering why you're here again! What does the disappearance of that educated youth have to do with my family? Go away, do you hear me? Ask, ask, ask. If there's anything to ask, she must have eloped with someone! Shameless thing, my Si Gouzi is such a good child, how dare you look down on my child! Retribution has come, bah, it would be better if she disappeared..."
Before the three of them could even ask her any questions, she started to sing her own tune: "If it weren't for the fact that she's a high school student, I wouldn't be interested in her! She's from out of town, with no foundation, can't work, can't cook, can't even weave a basket. Tell me, what else can she do! She flirts with that guy named Qi Lei all day long. Even if she doesn't disappear, she'll be a hooligan sooner or later!"
Jiang Nan was completely stunned. They had just appeared at the door, and before he'd even said a word, he'd already been pointed at and scolded for two minutes. Not only was he scolding Captain Wang, but he was also scolding them, saying they were clearly not good people, that they were following Captain Wang around without knowing right from wrong, and that something was bound to happen sooner or later.
Although it was far from the truth, the words were still ringing in Jiang Nan's mind, and he couldn't lose his temper. Fortunately, He Ling's disappearance really had nothing to do with Aunt Da Mi's family. However, he still had to ask questions. When the woman finally tired of scolding and took a breath, Captain Wang finally had the opportunity to speak. He quickly interrupted, "Dami, even if you keep making trouble, I still have to ask questions! If you keep doing this, I'll go call the captain. With him here, I'll see if you can talk properly!"
Da Mi was most afraid of this big brother who was the captain of the team. He had killed people on the battlefield. Hearing this, he curled his lips and said dissatisfiedly: "If you have something to say, say it quickly. If you have to fart, fart quickly! I have to make dinner and don't have time to waste with you!"
Captain Wang breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan asked, "Hello, what were you doing on the day He Ling disappeared?"
Da Mi snorted, "Going to the commune to buy peach cakes? What's wrong with that? Humph, I'm not like those peasants in the village who may never have eaten peach cakes in their entire lives! My husband works at the commune's pastry factory and gets pastry tickets every month! Go ask around and find out which days of the month I go to buy peach cakes."
Seeing Captain Wang nod slightly, Jiang Nan rolled her eyes inwardly. "What do you mean, during those days of the month, I thought you were having your period?" she asked. "Did you meet He Ling that day?"
Da Mi also rolled her eyes. "It's the only road to the commune, so of course we met! My brother was driving an ox cart, and this girl was so ungrateful that she refused to get on the cart when she saw me. Humph, if she doesn't want to get on, then don't get on. I even begged her to get on, but she still refused! If she doesn't get on, the ox cart will be even lighter, what a fool!"
Jiang Nan: "Apart from when we were riding the ox cart, have you ever seen He Ling at other times?"
Da Mi spread his hands and said, "There's only one supply and marketing cooperative in the commune, so they must have met. But these educated youth were all very poor and couldn't afford to buy anything, so they could only go to the movies. Tsk, that He Ling and Qi Lei didn't bother to watch the movie, but went out on a date alone, humph, what a pair of bastards!"
Jiang Nan: "Have you been following them?"
Da Mi spitted, "Who followed them? You young man, do you know how to speak? I'm the team leader's sister, the old party secretary's daughter-in-law, and my husband works at the commune's pastry factory. Why would I follow those two idiots?"
Jiang Nan said seriously, "Don't change the subject. You didn't follow them, so how do you know they didn't watch the movie?"
Da Mi said stubbornly, "Can I go to the state-owned restaurant to eat? They say I'm the best in the village!"
Then she gave a thumbs-up and said, "I have money, so of course I have to go to the state-owned restaurant when I go to the commune."
He glanced at Jiang Nan with disdain again: "You look like a poor fellow too, you can't even guess this!"
Jiang Nan ignored the aunt's unreasonable demands and continued to ask, "Go on, what happened next?"
Seeing that Jiang Nan wasn't angry at all, Auntie Da Mi knew that he was a scheming person, so she didn't dare to make trouble anymore. She recalled, "What happened next? He Ling helped an old lady leave, and I went to eat at the state-owned restaurant. Who knows how she disappeared? It's none of my business."
Jiang Nan immediately asked, "Did you see clearly? He Ling was supporting an old lady? What did that old lady look like? Where did they go?"
Auntie Da Mi pinched her waist and glared at me: "Hey, how can you talk like that? I'm only in my forties, my eyesight is not blurry and my ears are not deaf, how could I not see clearly? You said you were helping an old lady, so you are helping an old lady! That old lady looked to be in her sixties, and she collapsed on the ground after coming out of the public toilet. He Ling, you are so nosy, go up and help her..."
She clapped her hands and said, "Oh, I see. It was this old lady who locked He Ling up, right? Old Wang, do you think that's the case?"
Captain Wang, also known as Lao Wang, looked helpless. He explained to Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, "We've investigated this situation."
Then he looked at Auntie Dami and said, "The case is still under investigation. Go on, which alley did He Ling take the man to?"
Auntie Da Mi curled her lips and complained quietly, "If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. What are you so arrogant about?"
He snorted and said, "Where else can we go? It's the alley east of the public toilet. I don't know which one to go to. I'm in a hurry to eat at the state-owned restaurant. Who has time to meddle in He Ling's business?"
Captain Wang looked at the two men and said, "That alley is called Goldsmith Alley. We went door to door and found the old lady. She's a long-time resident of the commune, having lived there for decades. All her relatives and friends are in the commune. She's never left the commune, so she definitely can't be a human trafficker."
Jiang Nan nodded. It was impossible for the traffickers not to leave the area. This alone ruled it out. "So, He Ling disappeared after sending the old lady back home?"
Captain Wang was delighted: "That's right. After we sent the old lady back, we asked every household in the alley about what happened, but we haven't found any witnesses yet."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance, and Zhou Zhixing asked a few more questions before the three of them departed. It was already late, so the two didn't stay at the brigade. They said a brief goodbye to Wu Chunli and returned to the commune with Captain Wang. They had a quick meal at the state-owned restaurant before going their separate ways, some going home, some returning to the guesthouse.
The next day, after breakfast, before eight o'clock, Captain Wang took the two to Jinjiang Hutong again. As they walked, he introduced the alley to them: "You can tell from the name that a goldsmith used to live here. But that's all old news. The goldsmith died a long time ago, and not many people know him anymore. But it's also a coincidence that the goldsmith and the old lady of He Lingfu are somewhat related. The old lady is the sister of the goldsmith's daughter-in-law."
He continued, "The old lady's surname is Han. She's 62 this year. She has two sons and two daughters, and six or seven grandchildren. Her two sons work in the commune's hardware factory and watch factory. Her two eldest grandsons work in the glass factory, and the others are still in school. Their family is well off, receiving a monthly salary. They wouldn't be tempted to become human traffickers."
The three of them walked and chatted for about 500 meters, then turned right, crossed an alley, and turned left again, onto another avenue. As they passed a public restroom, Captain Wang pointed to it and said, "This is it."
After walking straight for less than two hundred meters, I turned left and arrived at Jinjiang Hutong. The sixth gate on the right side of the alley was the courtyard where Old Lady Han lived. Although it was called a courtyard, it was actually more like a large compound, not a single-family house.
When the three of them arrived, four elderly women were sitting on small stools, drying vegetables. Su Province is located in the south, so even in winter, there's no shortage of vegetables, but some seasonal vegetables, like cucumbers and tomatoes, are still in short supply. They also traditionally dry preserved vegetables in the summer. The four elderly women were drying cucumber strips and tomato slices, preparing to dry and store them for later consumption.
Old Mrs. Han looked very kind, thin and pale, with silver hair and wrinkles all over her face when she smiled. When she saw Captain Wang, she stood up and said, "Little Wang is here, come in quickly. How is Xiao He? Have you found him?"
Captain Wang shook his head and introduced, "Grandma Han, this is the police officer from Xiao He's hometown. They're here to check on the situation."
Seeing Captain Wang shaking his head, the light in Old Lady Han's eyes visibly dimmed, and she sighed deeply: "Xiao He's life is so miserable. It's all my fault!"
Captain Wang hurriedly consoled her, "Grandma Han, don't say that! Xiao He's disappearance was an accident, no one wanted it to happen. Don't blame yourself. How about we go inside and talk? These two colleagues have something to ask you."
Old Mrs. Han wiped the corners of her eyes and said, "Look at me. I'm old and useless. I can't even entertain guests. Please come in." As she spoke, she slowly walked towards a room on the east side.
Jiang Nan glanced at the remaining three old ladies. Some had flickering eyes, some curled their lips, and some showed no reaction at all, simply flipping the dishes. Taking these reactions into account, Jiang Nan followed behind the old ladies.
The room wasn't large, with a square dining table against one wall and three benches beside it. A large cabinet stood against the opposite wall, but there was no sofa. Having lived there for so long, everything was cluttered with stuff, making it look messy. Even the dining table was covered in bottles and jars. For meals, I guess the remaining third of the tabletop was all I could use, making it quite cramped.
Old Lady Han invited the three of them to sit down, but when she saw there weren't enough stools, she hobbled out and brought in a stool. Captain Wang quickly stood up, held out his hand to take it, and said, "I'll do it, I'll do it. Grandma Han, please go sit down, no need to bother."
Only then did Old Lady Han sit back at the dining table. Jiang Nan took out a pen and paper and asked, "Grandma Han, what were you doing out there that day? How did you meet He Ling and He Zhiqing?"
Old Mrs. Han: "Our alley is not far from the public toilet. I went there to use the restroom. As you can see, I'm old and my legs are not very convenient. I squatted for a long time that day, and when I came out, I stumbled twice and fell to the ground."
She sighed, "He Zhiqing was a good person. He ran over to help me. He heard I lived nearby and helped me home. I poured her some sugar water, but she refused to drink it. She was in a hurry to go back, saying she had an appointment. My legs are not good, so I just watched her leave from the door. As for what happened next, I don't know."
She blamed herself, "If only I had sent her back. My family has lived in Jinjiang Hutong for decades, and we wouldn't have been wrong even if we closed our eyes. Sigh, how could a grown girl just disappear?"
Jiang Nan: "Which direction did He Zhiqing go?"
Old Mrs. Han nodded: "It's the direction we left. It's right there. I can see it clearly."
Jiang Nan: "Who did He Zhiqing meet when he brought you back?"
Mrs. Han recalled, "It was almost noon, and the children in the alley were returning home one after another. It was a mess, and I couldn't see who was there, but at least six or seven children saw it. When we passed the five houses in front, no one had locked the gates to the courtyard, so I guess those who were home could have seen it. When we got home, Sister Liu and the others saw it too."
Jiang Nan: "Are they the three people who were drying cucumber strips with you in the yard?"
Old Lady Han nodded. Jiang Nan began to worry. There were quite a few witnesses. Captain Wang said they had questioned all of them, and they only saw He Ling leave the alley and didn't know where she went after that.
The three of them asked Old Lady Liu and the other two, and even walked from the public restroom to Old Lady Han's house. Even with the elderly woman's support, it would take at most 20 minutes to get there. Qi Lei said he spent about half an hour in the restroom, so where did He Ling go for the remaining 10 minutes?
The three of them stood at the intersection of Jinjiang Hutong, looking around. They saw passersby hurrying by. When they saw Captain Wang in his police uniform, they glanced at him briefly before quickly walking away. Jiang Nan narrowed her eyes for a long moment, then pointed in a direction and said, "What's that place? I just observed, and it seems like a lot of people go there. Most of them keep their heads down, as if they're afraid of being seen."
Captain Wang looked over and said with a wry smile: "There..."
He lowered his voice and said, "It's a mess over there. Before liberation, it was where the secret gangs gathered. After liberation, although they were all banned, that street has a bad reputation and everyone avoids it."
He coughed twice. "That's where the commune's black market is. You know, places like that, with alleyways built like a maze, it's easy for someone unfamiliar with the area to get lost. But for someone familiar with the area, it's a great place to hide. The people in the black market are also very shrewd. That alleyway is the best place in the entire commune for a black market."
Jiang Nan's mind moved. "What do you think? Is it possible that He Ling went to the black market? Her family works in the oil fields. They live well and are certainly not short of money. She finally came to the commune once, is it possible that she went there to buy things? Besides, she went to the black market. Even if someone saw her, they would probably say they didn't see her. After all, no one is stupid enough to refuse to tell the truth because they don't want to expose their visit to the black market."
Captain Wang frowned, "But didn't she make an appointment with Qi Lei to go to the state-owned restaurant? Why would she turn off and go to the black market?"
Jiang Nan thought for a moment and said, "She might have waited for Qi Lei for a while, and since he didn't come out, she thought the alley wasn't far away, so she went to take a look first. If she didn't buy anything, she might just explore the area. After dinner, it wouldn't be too late for them to go there..."
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "It's possible. After all, it's boring to keep waiting."
As he spoke, he took the lead and said, "Let's go and take a look."
Jiang Nan and Captain Wang hurriedly quickened their pace to catch up. Captain Wang was in police uniform. When the three of them arrived, the alley was exceptionally quiet. The adults walked with their heads down, and those who were working unconsciously stopped talking. Everything seemed to be still, except for the children who were unaware of fear and ran around chattering.
Jiang Nan quickly grabbed a little girl who ran over. She looked about four or five years old. He squatted down and said with a smile, "Little girl, I'm a police officer. Can I ask you a few questions?"
The little girl had two small pigtails and a fair and clean face. She was very cute, but she didn't give Jiang Nan any face at all. She struggled and said, "Let me go. I want to go play and don't want to talk to you."
Jiang Nan had no choice but to take out two big white rabbits from his arms and tempted: "Look, little girl, as long as you answer a few questions of mine, I will give you both of these big white rabbits, okay?"
The little girl stopped howling instantly, and even slurped her saliva uncontrollably, her black eyes rolling around, looking extremely clever. Seeing that Jiang Nan hadn't retracted her hand, she reached out and grabbed the candy without hesitation, putting her hands behind her back and holding her head high, saying, "Everything you say is mine! Ask me, and I'll tell you everything I know."
Good guy, even at such a young age, he still knows how to hold back when talking. Jiang Nan laughed: "What's your name?"
"Xiao Mang, my name is Xiao Mang."
"Okay, Xiao Mang." Jiang Nan said, pulling out a photo of He Ling from his pocket and asked, "Have you seen this sister?"
Xiao Mang stared at the photo very hard, squinting her eyes like an adult. After a long while, she raised her hand and called out to her friend who was peeking in from the side: "Xiao Hu, come and look. Is this the sister who helped you that day?"
The boy called "Little Tiger" was a chubby, stocky little boy of five or six. Hearing Xiao Mang's call, he ran over in a hurry, his forehead dripping with sweat. Before he even looked at the photo, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his face. Suddenly, three black marks appeared on his forehead, making him look like a real "Little Tiger."
Xiao Hu also stared at the photo and nodded quickly, saying, "Yes, that's her. That day, Xiao Xiong pushed me when I wasn't paying attention, causing me to fall flat on my butt. My clothes were all dirty, and my mom spanked me."
He looked at Jiang Nan, his eyes wide open, pinched his waist and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
Jiang Nan suppressed a smile and lied, "This is it. I'm this sister's friend. She hasn't been home for several days, so I came out to look for her. So, Xiaohu, what happened to this sister after she helped you that day? Did you see where she went?"
Hearing that it was his sister's friend, Xiaohu stopped pinching his waist and scratched his head, saying, "Then? Then he went to the street where they sell goods. Don't everyone who comes here go to the street where they sell goods?"
Hearing this, Jiang Nan took out two more White Rabbit candies and said, "Xiao Hu, can you take us to the shopping street? If so, these two candies will be your reward, okay?"
Xiaohu looked at Captain Wang and shook his head: "He's a policeman, and my parents said we can't bring policemen there!"
Captain Wang tempted, "Xiao Hu, tell me, is the police officer a bad guy? Will he hurt you?"
Seeing Xiaohu shaking his head, Captain Wang smiled and said, "That's right, the police aren't bad people, so I'm definitely not a bad person either. Is it okay to go to the goods street?"
Xiaohu was confused. The temptation of the White Rabbit was too great. The little boy didn't hesitate for long. He grabbed the White Rabbit and said, "I'll take you there! Come on, follow me." As he said that, he waved his little hand, very heroic.
The three of them couldn't help but laugh; they finally had a clue. Following Xiaohu, they soon arrived at the black market's shopping street. It was still broad daylight, and there were no vendors inside. Only a few pedestrians passed by. Seeing Captain Wang in his police uniform, they didn't dare to speak, and just kept their heads down as they walked.
On the way there, Jiang Nan wanted Captain Wang to change into casual clothes, but Captain Wang whispered, "No, this outfit is for intimidation. With me there, they won't dare to do anything. If we don't wear police uniforms, who knows what they'll do. Don't think too highly of us."
This is a heartfelt statement, but one can also hear that the public security in Suzhou Province is really not as good as that in Chaoyang Oilfield.
After asking around, everyone said they had never seen He Ling. When asked more, they just kept their heads down and remained silent, looking extremely frightened. This really left Jiang Nan speechless. She was just asking normal questions, okay? Besides, she had already said she was a police officer from out of town, and was only handling He Ling's disappearance. She had no right to interfere with anything you did locally, so what was she afraid of?
Obviously, no one thought so, because Captain Wang, dressed in a police uniform, was following them. After asking for a long time, Captain Wang found a locked door in a yard and turned to ask Xiaohu: "Xiaohu, do you know who lives here? Why isn't he home?"
Xiao Mang quickly answered, "I know, this is Uncle Wei's house. My mother said that Uncle Wei's mother died and the whole family returned to their hometown."
Jiang Nan became interested. This was the first time the family wasn't here. She asked, "Oh, then where is Uncle Wei's hometown?"
Xiao Mang shook his head, and Xiao Hu also spread out his hands, looking like he didn't know either, and didn't know who he learned it from.
Jiang Nan suppressed a smile, looked around, and walked towards a house: "Sister, where is Uncle Wei who lives here?"
The old lady looked to be almost forty years old. She was startled when she saw Jiang Nan coming over and said hurriedly, "Um, Lianshan Brigade. Wei Gang's family is from Lianshan Brigade." After saying that, she glanced at Jiang Nan uneasily, afraid that she would be angry.
Jiang Nan remained calm and continued to ask, "Wei Gang is not at home? Where did he go?"
The eldest sister seemed relieved and whispered, "Auntie Wei is gone. Wei Gang has gone back to his hometown to handle the funeral."
Jiang Nan: "How many days has he been back?"
Eldest sister: "It's been more than ten days. There are many rules in his hometown. It's not easy for him to come back after the seventh day."
Seeing Jiang Nan's expressionless face, the elder sister said anxiously, "Really? Lianshan Brigade is very far from here. Suzhou is very mountainous, and people from the mountains rarely come out. Wei Gang said that the elderly there are very particular about their affairs after death. Not only do they chant sutras to pray for the deceased, but they also burn paper money."
Realizing she had said something she shouldn't have, the elder sister immediately shut up. Jiang Nan sternly said, "Go on! We're police officers, not members of the Revolutionary Committee. Don't be afraid. Keep talking."
The eldest sister shuddered for a moment, and it took her a long time to find her voice again. She said, "Really? I'm not lying. You don't have to be sneaky to do these things there. It's really too difficult to get there. There's no main road, only small mountain paths, full of ravines and gullies. You have to climb over three mountains to get there, and no one from the Revolutionary Committee even went to investigate."
Jiang Nan: "Did Wei Gang tell you all this before he left?"
The eldest sister shook her head. "No, he didn't tell me. He mentioned it to my husband and a few other people before we left. I overheard it."
Jiang Nan: "What does this Wei Gang do for a living?"
The eldest sister was a little embarrassed. Seeing that Jiang Nan was about to frown again, she stammered, "Well, they just sell goods. Although their hometown is far away, but..."
She glanced at the two children and fell silent. Jiang Nan understood that she was worried that the children would be careless and spread the news that she had said it.
Jiang Nan squatted down and said to Xiaohu and Xiaomang, "Xiaohu, Xiaomang, thank you both. You guys have been a great help today. Now that everything is fine, you can go back first. I'll find you when I have something else, okay?"
Xiaohu and the little girl had wanted to leave for a long time. Upon hearing this, they held hands and ran away.
The eldest sister then spoke again: "Well, the Lianshan Brigade can get meat! Wei Gang goes back every ten days or half a month, and secretly carries back a slaughtered pig at night. The pork on the black market is all provided by Wei Gang."
So that's how it is. They're secretly operating a breeding farm by exploiting their geographical advantage. The three of them asked a few more questions before leaving the shopping street. On the way back to the state-owned restaurant, Jiang Nan said, "Captain Wang, when do you think we should go to the Lianshan Brigade?"
Captain Wang pondered, "That side is remote, so people tend to stick together. So, I'll go to the police station this afternoon and tell the director that if we're going, we should bring along everyone who can. The more people we have, the less likely something will happen."
As they chatted, the three of them separated at the police station. Captain Wang went to apply for action, while Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, with nothing else to do, wandered around the commune. At that time, the disparity between north and south wasn't that great; the architecture was similar. However, Su Province had a particularly abundant supply of fruit, like mangosteens and lychees, all in season and available at the supply and marketing cooperatives.
Seeing these fruits for the first time in real life, neither of them was stingy, so they bought some of whatever was fresh, unknowingly buying too much. Holding a handful of fruits, Jiang Nan laughed, thinking that he didn't need to eat lunch, just eating fruits would fill him up.
After strolling around for most of the day, they returned to the guesthouse in the evening. Unexpectedly, Captain Wang was already waiting in the lobby. Seeing the two return, Captain Wang stood up and said with a smile, "Did you have fun?"
The two smiled but said nothing. Captain Wang didn't take it seriously and told them the police station's decision: "Tomorrow there will be thirteen police officers coming to the station. You two should put on your police uniforms and we'll go together."
Jiang Nan argued, "Captain Wang, we're in casual clothes, so it's easier to ask..."
Captain Wang shook his head. "No, you don't understand the situation. The mountain folk here are xenophobic and might be more polite to the police. If you two aren't wearing police uniforms, no one will bother you."
Jiang Nan stopped talking. Locals understood the local situation better, and since Captain Wang said so, she stopped being pretentious.
Seeing that the two men listened to his advice, Captain Wang gave them a few more instructions before getting up and leaving. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance and suddenly felt that there would be a tough battle tomorrow.
The next morning, the two changed into police uniforms and bought two steamed buns at a state-owned restaurant. They ate them as they made their way to the police station, arriving at exactly seven o'clock. Captain Wang, still leading the team, explained as we walked: "First, take the bus to the Suanli Commune over there, then walk to the Lianshan Brigade. We won't arrive until almost evening, so we'll have to spend at least one night there."
He whispered, "I've applied for a service gun, don't be afraid." As he spoke, he gave the two of them a reassuring look and patted Zhou Zhixing on the shoulder.
Jiang Nan swallowed hard and tried to ask, "Captain Wang, is there something wrong with this Lianshan Brigade?"
Captain Wang's face was a little heavy, and after a long while he said, "That was all before liberation. Lianshan Brigade was still called Lianshan Village back then. It's said that the custom there was to only raise boys, and drown all baby girls. When the boys grew up, they would go out and buy wives, and the wives would give birth to boys, and this was how it was passed down from generation to generation. A lot of things changed after liberation, and I haven't heard of such a thing in all these years. But this time..."
He said quietly, "Wei Gang is thirty-six years old this year and still unmarried."
Jiang Nan understood. It wasn't impossible that Wei Gang had been tempted by He Ling's beauty and reverted to his old ways. After all, Wei Gang was a familiar face at the police station. He'd been imprisoned twice for his dishonorable ways and remained unmarried. If it was Wei Gang who had done it, then, given the rural xenophobia, getting He Ling out would be a real struggle.
Jiang Nan was silent the entire way, not saying a word as the bus jolted for two hours. When she felt tired, she realized she was climbing a mountain. The surrounding rocks were thick, and the path was steep. Looking closely, she saw a branch in front of her, lifted high by a strong hand.
She looked up at Zhou Zhixing, who smiled, stretched out his other hand to hold her, and said, "Have you come to your senses? It's okay, we will definitely find He Ling."
He lowered his voice, almost whispering, "You have the system, what are you afraid of? At worst, we can buy some medicine and knock those people out. I don't believe we can't bring He Ling back!"
Jiang Nan nodded and finally started laughing again.
Seeing that the man had finally regained his composure, Captain Wang laughed heartily: "Comrade Jiang, you were so dazed all the way here. If it weren't for your comrade Zhou's caution, you would have gotten your eyes poked by a branch."
Jiang Nan let go of Zhou Zhixing's hand, scratched his head, and said, "Captain Wang, I won't be in a daze anymore. Hey, let's go."
The others laughed at this, wanting to tease the two, but being a woman, they couldn't bring themselves to speak. However, the atmosphere became much more relaxed, and the fifteen of them introduced themselves to each other as they walked, chattering and laughing. The climb didn't seem tiring at all.
After climbing the first mountain, it was already noon. Everyone stopped at a gentle slope, ate some steamed buns, and continued climbing the mountain. Finally, they arrived at Lianshan Brigade before the sun set.
The brigade was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. From afar, it appeared a verdant expanse, its fields neatly arranged in squares. The mud-brick houses nestled among the trees and hills, making them almost invisible without a close look. The rising smoke from the chimneys suggested the brigade was small, with only about twenty households.
Captain Wang pointed to the largest house and said, "Let's go there and ask." Then he walked ahead.
The brigade leader and the branch secretary must have known about the farm's operation, and they were likely the biggest beneficiaries. The largest house belonged to either the brigade leader or the branch secretary. Everyone agreed and quickly arrived at the door, knocking.
The person who opened the door was a snotty-nosed boy, about seven or eight years old. He was stunned to see so many policemen, but soon cheered up, clapping his hands and shouting, "Uncle policemen, you're here to recruit me to be a policeman, right? Every time we play cops and robbers, I become a policeman. Seriously, I know how to be a policeman."
The sound quickly attracted the male host, a sturdy man in his forties, shirtless in the hot summer. When he saw the police, his eyes darkened. He waved at the boy and said, "Niu Wazi, come in. I have something to tell the police."
Niu Wazi curled his lips and said, "Dad, the police are here to see me."
The man glared at Niu Wazi, who shrank his shoulders and quickly ran away with his head down. The man led the police into the yard, where there was a pair of stone tables and chairs in the middle. He offered them a seat while shouting, "Linghua, move some chairs out."
By the time everyone was seated, several minutes had passed. Jiang Nan paid special attention to the woman named Linghua. She kept her head down, but her face didn't show any fear or shrinking, unlike someone who had been trafficked. Jiang Nan regained his composure and listened to the conversation between Captain Wang and the host.
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