Chapter 120 New Year's Eve in Beijing
Father Song was stunned for a moment. Seeing Jiang Nan in a police uniform, he assumed he was in charge of office work. He frowned, but still replied, "You're allergic. That's up to me. You can't eat any peanuts at all."
That's right, the cause of death has been found. Song Hai died of suffocation due to a peanut allergy. He was then burned, and the redness and swelling of his skin due to the allergy were burned away! No wonder Jiang Nan hurriedly asked, "Who knew Song Hai was allergic to peanuts?"
Song's father pointed at Jiang Nan impatiently and said to Wu Yun, "Comrade, is she also the officer in charge of my son's case? Why does she keep asking me questions? My son has been dead for so long, and I haven't seen this officer come to our house and ask a single question. I don't believe her and refuse to answer."
This... can't be blamed for being unreasonable, right? Jiang Nan had something important to ask, so he patiently explained, "Yes, I'm from the forensic team, one of the forensic doctors in charge of Song Hai's death case. Could you please answer my question? Who knows about Song Hai's peanut allergy?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as Jiang Nan finished speaking, Song's mother got angry and stood up to beat Jiang Nan: "Okay, you are useless. It's been almost ten days and the autopsy is not finished yet, right? I will let you dissect my son..."
Jiang Nan was wearing a police uniform, and in public, what could he do to the old lady? He could only snort and shrug as he dodged. Fortunately, just as he left the Criminal Investigation Department, he saw Xing Ming, Zhou Zhixing, and four others, scurrying into the Public Security Bureau.
Jiang Nan hurried over and explained the peanut allergy. "The body was burned, and many of the symptoms of an allergic reaction were burned away. However, he died of suffocation. No contents were found in his mouth or nose, and there were no strangulation marks on his neck. This is very telling. We need to investigate among those who knew about Song Hai's peanut allergy. The murderer should be among them."
Xing Ming's eyes lit up, and he patted Jiang Nan's shoulder fiercely: "Well done, I'll commend you when the case is solved!"
It's too early to ask for credit. Today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday, which also happens to be New Year's Eve. The holiday policy has changed, and the first day of the New Year is also a day off, so we can have two consecutive days off. Because today is the last day before the New Year, the Public Security Bureau is distributing New Year's goods. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing have received the benefits of reporting early. After only six days of work, they already have New Year's goods.
Three pounds of meat, a fish weighing about two and a half pounds, a pound of shaqi ma, a pound of five-spice peanuts, and five pounds of rapeseed oil were considered a very rich New Year's goods. When they returned home together, Jiang Nan asked, "Has the murderer decided on a range?"
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "We've locked down a few targets. We can't take a day off tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We're afraid the murderer will get away. Section Chief Xing is anxious to catch him."
Jiang Nan tutted his words twice: "So impatient? The New Year hasn't even begun yet?"
Zhou Zhixing sighed, "There's nothing we can do. Section Chief Xing said to get everyone back early for the New Year's Eve dinner. Stop complaining. Section Chief Xing has been doing this for years, and my sister-in-law hasn't said anything. You're both a colleague and a family member, so how can you be less aware than my sister-in-law?"
Jiang Nan squinted at him and said, "Alright, you've even tried to provoke me. I didn't say anything, but I'm afraid Chacha and the others will make a scene."
This was Jiang Nan underestimating him, and it was also Zhou Zhixingshan's own clever trick. This guy had secretly bought a bunch of firecrackers, double-kick firecrackers, sky-piercing monkeys, and even fairy wands, which kept the three children amused the whole time, without a single complaint.
Back when we were in college, the whole family would return to the Chaoyang Oilfield for New Year's celebrations. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, thanks to their pensions, had plenty of time off, and Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had winter break, so a trip back home for ten days or even a month wasn't a big deal. Now that they were working, their vacations were few and far between, so they couldn't go back. This was the first time they'd celebrated New Year's in Beijing since arriving, and the whole family was taking it very seriously.
Early on New Year's Eve, the busy work of writing and pasting Spring Festival couplets, cutting and chopping meat, and making dumplings was endless. Zhou Zhixing dressed, smiled awkwardly, and quietly left to continue working.
At this time, the atmosphere of the New Year is still very strong in the capital. The sound of chopping meat can be heard in every household. When people meet, they say "Happy New Year", and all the unhappiness of the year seems to have passed.
Wang Liansheng, an old neighbor in Qingyun Hutong, came over specially with gifts. Ever since the burglary, the two families have become close friends, visiting each other every ten days or half a month whenever they have time. Now, Old Mrs. Wang has moved to a larger house with her daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and her brother Quan. Wang Liansheng, a school principal, still lives in Qingyun Hutong. Now that winter vacation has begun, Wang Liansheng has moved there to reunite with his family. He came today with gifts, so what's going on?
Jiang Nan quickly stood up to greet him, "Principal Wang, please come in. I'm so embarrassed to bother you to come all the way here."
Wang Liansheng chuckled, put down the gift after entering the house, and said, "It's my duty. I heard that you and Xiao Zhou went to the Dongcheng Public Security Bureau, so I came to see you. How's your work going? Is it going well?"
Jiang Nan smiled, "It's going smoothly, but it's busy. Look, Zhou Zhixing has to work today and tomorrow, so he won't have a day off."
Wang Liansheng paused, sat down, and exchanged a few more polite words. He stayed for about half an hour before leaving. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua came in and exchanged a few words, then went back to the kitchen to make dumplings. It wasn't until Jiang Nan had seen them off and returned to the kitchen that Jiang Mancheng asked, "What's up, Wang Liansheng?"
Jiang Nan shook his head. "No, he probably went to look for Zhou Zhixing. When he heard he wasn't there, he left without saying anything."
Chen Jinhua smiled and said, "That's definitely not an urgent matter. Don't worry."
She patted Cha Cha's hand as she poked the dumplings, "If you poke any more, they'll burst! Okay, take your brothers out to play. Seriously, you're already a grown-up girl, and grandma wanted to teach you how to make dumplings, but you're not learning properly!"
Jiang Cha chuckled, "Grandma, if you want to teach, you have to teach my brothers too. I can't just be the only one learning, right? You're implicitly favoring boys over girls, thinking women should do housework. That's wrong. You're not as progressive as my great-grandfather."
Jiang Mancheng patted his granddaughter's head and said, "Didn't Grandpa teach his two younger brothers? Look, Xiaozhi and Xiaoye make dumplings better than you. Okay, if you don't like it, don't learn. There are so many small restaurants nowadays. I guess someone will specialize in selling dumplings in the future. Let's go out and play."
Jiang Cha stopped talking, stood up, and ran while cheering: "Let's set off firecrackers, set off firecrackers." Jiang Zhi and Zhou Ye also put down their dumplings, stood up, and ran out.
Jiang Nan shouted, "Be careful, don't get hit by the cannons thrown by other kids."
"Got it." Three voices sounded at the same time.
After the children left, Jiang Nan carefully bought some fruit from the system. Since having a child, the family rarely bought unusual food from the system. After all, the children were still young, and if they accidentally said something, it would be disastrous.
It was only because of the Chinese New Year that they remembered to exchange fruit. They only exchanged common apples and pears, but they were slightly better quality. They even only exchanged eight bananas, which was just right for one person for the eight people in the family. Bananas are still a luxury in the north these days, very expensive. Jiang Mancheng stood up and said, "Okay, that's all. I'll pretend to go out and say I bought them outside."
At lunch, Jiang Cha saw the bananas and cheered, "Great! I can eat bananas too! Mom, you don't know how annoying Lingling in our class is. She always brags about how her grandfather is a leader and can eat bananas every day. Humph, I can eat some today too. What's so great about that?"
Jiang Nan smiled and said, "That's right. From now on, Cha Cha, tell me what you want to eat and I will definitely buy it for you."
Jiang Cha smiled and nodded continuously.
Jiang Nan continued to pass out bananas, one to each child. The three children couldn't wait to peel the bananas. When it came to Aunt Wen, the old lady waved her hands and said, "Save them for Cha Cha and the others..."
Before she could finish, Jiang Cha hugged Aunt Wen's arm and said, "Grandma Wen, if you don't want to eat it, I won't eat it either." Then she put the banana on the coffee table and crossed her arms, looking determined not to eat it. Jiang Zhi and Zhou Ye followed suit, also looking like they didn't want to eat it.
Aunt Wen's eyes instantly turned red. She took the banana and said, "Eat it. I'll eat it."
Jiang Nan smiled: "That's right, we are all family. Aunt Wen shouldn't be like this."
The family chatted and laughed over lunch. The highlight was the New Year's Eve dinner. Soon after, everyone began preparing, slaughtering chickens and ducks. It was a lively scene. At five o'clock, Zhou Zhixing returned on his bike and quickly helped prepare the dinner. As he approached Jiang Nan, he whispered, "The murderer has been caught. Chief Xing will give us a day off tomorrow."
Jiang Nan asked quietly, "Where's Section Chief Xing? Is he on vacation too?"
Zhou Zhixing shook his head: "He and Director Qin of the State of Qin want to interrogate the prisoners and will not give us a day off."
I didn't expect Qin to come forward at this time. It was not easy. Jiang Nan didn't say anything and told Zhou Zhixing about Wang Liansheng's birth. Zhou Zhixing said, "I know. I'll ask you about it when I pay New Year's greetings tomorrow."
The Jiang family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was very sumptuous. Not counting the dumplings, there were ten dishes, and the whole family ate their fill.
Just after dinner, before eight o'clock, there was a clatter of firecrackers outside. Chacha and the other two were full and couldn't stay still, so they grabbed the firecrackers and rushed out like little human cannonballs.
On New Year's Day, as we visit every household with our children to wish them a happy new year, the gap between the rich and the poor becomes apparent. Those who are better off can be seen by the children's attire: new cotton-padded jackets, bright red hairbands, neatly-knitted trousers, and wide-toed cotton boots—everything is present. The children's new clothes bring out the sweetest smiles, and their greetings seem louder than anyone else's. Those who are less well off, however, have their children's clothes, which are dull and gray. This is fine for young children, but once they reach the age of comparison, their expressions become a little timid, and their greetings are less cheerful.
Jiang Nan quickly checked on her three children, all wearing new clothes, and finally felt relieved. Chen Wanli's villa had a telephone, so the whole family used the public phone at the newsstand to call and wish him a happy new year. The phone bill alone cost two yuan.
Du Hehua and Grandma Cao had both sent New Year's gifts before the Lunar New Year, but since they didn't have phones at home, there was no need to call them now. Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Nan made a special trip to Wang Liansheng's house. Wang Liansheng had nothing serious to ask about, just asking about buying a house.
Wang Liansheng's father, Brother Quan, had followed Young Master Zhang to Country M and made some money doing business. Now that he was old, he wanted to return to his roots and buy a courtyard house in the capital to live there in his old age.
Since Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were the only neighbors who had moved in from outside, and since they'd already bought other houses, they'd gone there. Zhou Zhixing didn't mention Yan Hui directly, only offering to help him inquire. Yan Hui had been assigned to the economic department, a high-ranking government office with strict rules. His parents, watching him, didn't dare resign, and they didn't know if he could still work as a broker. They'd have to ask Yan Hui before deciding.
The first day of the New Year is spent paying New Year's greetings, so on the second day, we have to go back to work.
Arriving at the police station, they had barely finished greeting each other when they received bad news. During the two days leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday, Dongcheng District alone had received five reports of home invasions, resulting in the death of an elderly man, three serious injuries, and two minor injuries.
The Public Security Bureau quickly returned to work mode. No one was talking about New Year's greetings, let alone gossip. Didn't you see that Director Qin's face turned green? What leader could have a good face after encountering such a thing during the New Year?
I don’t know what’s wrong with people lately, it’s so chaotic.
Just now, I was saying it was a mess. But at lunch, Zhou Zhixing's hat was slashed, and Jiang Nan's tray almost fell to the ground. He actually dared to attack the police? Has he gotten that arrogant?
Zhou Zhixing hurried over, turned around and said, "It's okay, those people can't hurt me, don't worry."
Wu Yun trotted along, scratching his head and saying with a smile, "Well, Sister Nan, it's all my fault. Brother Zhou got stabbed while trying to save me. But it's okay, Brother Zhou wasn't hurt and even helped catch the wanted criminal. Section Chief Xing said he wanted to commend Brother Zhou for his achievements. You and Brother Zhou are really amazing. You've both made contributions not long after arriving."
Jiang Nan's timely discovery of the peanut allergy allowed Section Chief Xing to quickly identify the case. True to his word, Section Chief Xing solemnly noted Jiang Nan's contribution in the case report and highlighted Jiang Nan in his report to Qin Guo, effectively making a contribution. With Zhou Zhixing's performance today, Xing Ming would surely not overlook his contributions in the future. This made Wu Yun extremely envious.
Xing Ming took a few steps forward, grabbed Wu Yun's shoulder, and walked out. "What a tactless person! The couple has something to say, and you're nagging them non-stop. You really don't understand what they're saying."
Xing Ming looked at Wu Yun and suggested sincerely: "Yun Zi, get a girlfriend, really." Get a girlfriend, and after seeing her cold face for a few days, you will understand everything.
After they left, Jiang Nan asked Zhou Zhixing, "What's going on? Aren't we going to arrest a burglar? How did you get involved with a wanted criminal?"
Zhou Zhixing carried the tray for Jiang Nan and found a seat. After he sat down, he said, "Yes, we went to arrest a burglar. Someone said they saw the suspect, so we went to arrest him. Unexpectedly, the guy was playing mahjong with someone. We rushed in to arrest him, and before he could do anything, a big man playing mahjong next to him took off running. I saw that something was wrong, and I chased him without saying a word. Wu Yun and Section Chief Xing also reacted quickly and caught up with him immediately."
He whispered, "That man wasn't a pushover. He had a knife on him, and when he saw we were getting close, he pulled it out and tried to fight us. Wu Yun's kung fu wasn't very good, and he was almost stabbed. I threw my hat out and blocked it. Section Chief Xing recognized the man. He was a suspect in a murder case he was previously in charge of. He had been on the run for five years. He didn't expect to catch a robber, and by some strange coincidence, he caught this guy."
I see. I'm glad you're not hurt. Jiang Nan nodded. "Shall I get you some food?"
Zhou Zhixing stood up quickly and said, "It's okay. I'll go. I'll be right back."
When he returned, he was already carrying a tray. In a short while, the braised pork was gone, leaving only the stir-fried pork and shredded radish. Jiang Nan took a piece of the braised pork and asked, "How's the case with Song Hai going? Has the investigation been completed?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "The investigation is clear. The murderer is Song Hai's uncle. He was jealous because Song Hai was going abroad, so he killed him."
Jiang Nan opened his mouth wide: "Jealous? He's someone's uncle, what is there for him to be jealous of?"
Zhou Zhixing was disdainful: "He was jealous that his sister lived better than him, that his son had to stay in China while his nephew had to go abroad, and that his brother-in-law had become rich while he was still a farmer."
Damn, Jiang Nan couldn't help but curse. What kind of relatives are these? They are more cruel than wolves! They are simply evil spirits.
Zhou Zhixing changed the subject, saying, "The public security out there is terrible these days. A few days ago, Xicheng received a case involving a fifteen-year-old female middle school student who was walking past Hutong after evening self-study when she was raped and her body was dumped at her doorstep. It's a truly heinous crime. I heard the Xicheng Public Security Bureau has set up a special task force to investigate this case."
Jiang Nan couldn't help but sigh: "The economy is thriving, and some people's petty thoughts are also thriving. I'm afraid there will be more things like this in the future. We'll be even busier."
Indeed, even Jiang Nan worked until 6:30, let alone Zhou Zhixing, who only got home at 9 pm for the first half of the month after the Lunar New Year. Despite such a busy schedule, Zhou Zhixing had lost seven pounds. Before going to bed that day, Jiang Nan muttered to herself, "This isn't a solution. Haven't the Director and the others thought of a solution?"
Zhou Zhixing closed his eyes and replied weakly, "They say they're setting up study sessions at the subdistrict office, and the corresponding police station will send people to give lectures every day. Enterprises and institutions will also have to study the law, and they'll have to take exams. Only if you pass can you stop studying."
Jiang Nan pulled back the quilt, got in and asked, "Public Law?"
"Yes, popularize the law," Zhou Zhixing said. "The situation is so chaotic, perhaps because the concept of the rule of law hasn't taken root among people. We need to learn and tighten everyone's belt. We can't just continue to do things the way we did before. Everyone needs to know this."
It was a solution. Jiang Nan remained silent, but he couldn't help but worry. This method might only work for those with a conscience. For those who lacked conscience and only wanted to gain something for nothing, even if they passed the exam, it would be useless. However, at that time, they would be breaking the law knowingly, and if they were caught, their sentences should be increased.
Within two days of this, even Cha Cha's school had opened a legal lecture hall to teach the children about the law. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua's workplaces also organized legal study classes to teach them about the law.
After a month of this, I can't say there's no effect. At least there are fewer guys flirting with girls on the street. It's already April in the Gregorian calendar, and the willows are turning green, and everything is full of vitality.
After get off work that day, Jiang Nan went home first. As he was riding his bike, he saw a middle-aged man with a wretched appearance holding a young girl in front of a stall not far away, yelling, "Thief, you stole something! You can't leave! You must be searched..."
The old man next to him looked a little weak, but he firmly pushed away the tall middle-aged man's hand and protected the little girl behind him: "My granddaughter didn't steal, you are wrongly accusing her. You are not a policeman, you can't search her..."
The middle-aged man squeezed the little girl's hand provocatively and shouted, "Tsk, you didn't steal anything, so why are you afraid of a body search? If you don't allow the search, then you must have stolen something! Everyone, please judge for yourself. I had a tin frog toy here just now. That toy cost over three yuan, it's not cheap! This is the only one I have left, and now it's gone. Only this little girl is buying things in front of my stall. Who else could it be if not her? You are protecting her like this, are you an accomplice?"
The old man was so angry that his face turned red, but it was obvious that he was a gentleman and would not curse. He just kept emphasizing: "I didn't steal it. My daughter said she didn't steal it, so she didn't steal it!"
Someone in the crowd murmured, "Since you didn't steal anything, just let them search you. It's a toy worth over three dollars, who wouldn't be worried about losing it? It won't hurt to let them search you!"
"That's right, he's obviously scared."
The little girl was behind the old man, lowering her head and wiping her tears. She looked so pitiful. Jiang Nan was furious. What was the intention of this stall owner? Looking at that look, it was so disgusting. Do you want to search me, or what do you want to do? People like this need chemical castration. Let's see how you can do evil in the future!
Jiang Nan hurried forward. This place was not far from Nanluoguxiang. Someone who knew Jiang Nan immediately said, "The police are here. Don't worry, the police are here."
Jiang Nan stared at the stall owner. Sure enough, he flinched when he heard the police were coming. Feeling guilty, Jiang Nan mentally pouted, parked the car, and asked aloud, "What happened? Why all the noise?"
The old man and the stall owner hadn't spoken yet, and the onlookers chatted back and forth, and soon the matter was made clear. Jiang Nan looked at the stall owner and said coldly, "Do you want to take out the toy, or should I find it? Everyone just said that there was only one frog toy left on your stall. If I find one, it would prove you're lying."
No one expected Jiang Nan to start firing at the stall owner. The stall owner's eyes flickered, and he chuckled twice, clearly trying to fool the situation: "Well, officer, you can't wrongly accuse a good person. My things are really lost, and they're not with me. Forget it, I won't search you, I just consider myself unlucky..."
Jiang Nan snorted, took a few steps forward, and with a swift swipe, knocked the stall owner's baseball cap off. With a thud, the tin frog fell to the ground. The crowd erupted in excitement.
"Goodness! This guy is trying to extort money from us. He's trying to accuse a young girl of stealing and then extort her money! Look carefully, everyone! This guy isn't honest. Don't buy anything from him anymore!"
"Exactly. I was just speaking up for you, but I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"
Look, everyone thinks it's a scam. After all, we're all normal people, so how could we possibly know what these bastards are thinking? Jiang Nan sneered inwardly, and as he backed away, he pretended to kick the stall owner's cup. With a cry of "ouch," he apologetically squatted down and picked up the cup.
Since you have such an unforgivable thought, you should be chemically castrated in your next life!
It wasn't until she got home and saw the vendor finish the water in his cup that Jiang Nan finally smiled from the bottom of her heart. Even when the little girl and her grandfather thanked her, Jiang Nan hadn't smiled so happily.
This incident also served as a wake-up call for Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing. In the past, their family had been lax about their three children's martial arts training, simply anticipating future careers and allowing them to pursue whatever they desired, without being bound by police service. But in today's world, it's not easy to intervene; it's uncertain whether they'll survive.
From then on, the family kept a tighter eye on their three children. Whoever left work early would watch them practice martial arts, day and night without interruption. Of course, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua usually left work first. They were the idlers in the department. It wasn't that they didn't work, but they only did their assigned tasks and didn't interfere with anything else. They acted like they were just waiting for retirement, and no one could do anything about it.
After dinner, if Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had time, they would practice boxing with the children again. After a good sweat, they would shower and go to bed, often sleeping even better than usual. This continued for the entire semester, until summer vacation. While the three students' grades improved in other subjects, none were as noticeable as their physical education. This physical education exam, all three achieved their highest scores ever.
It was a scorching summer day, and Jiang Nan rode his bicycle home, drenched in sweat. The temperature was a staggering 38 degrees Celsius, unbearably hot. The thunderstorms of the previous two days hadn't helped the heat; it remained scorching. Fortunately, there was a well at home. Aunt Wen had hung a watermelon in a bucket at the bottom of the well, where it had been bubbling. Now, when she took it out and ate it, it still had a hint of coolness.
Jiang Nan munched on a watermelon and said to his parents, "Dad, Mom, there was a fight last night near the Route 13 bus stop. Four or five people died. Come home early from get off work next time. Don't be late. The security situation is getting worse these days."
As the weather warms up, people's tempers are rising. The previous training sessions are still going on, but the results are clearly not as good as they once were. Now, even brawls have broken out. They're showing a disregard for police officers. At work today, Chief Qin Guoqin was furious. He said the case must be solved within three days and the ringleaders arrested. Otherwise, where would the police be able to save their dignity? It's shameful! This is a disgrace to the police!
Look, Zhou Zhixing has gone to the scene, and it’s hard to say whether he can come back tonight.
Jiang Mancheng nodded: "Okay, don't worry, I'm with your mother and will leave as soon as I get off work. Nothing will happen."
Chen Jinhua patted her chest and said, "Don't you know my skills? I was the one who taught you that martial arts."
Jiang Nan smiled and looked over at Chacha and the other two practicing martial arts in the yard. Because the weather outside was bad, the three could only play outside during the day, and at night they had to do their homework and practice martial arts. In the middle of summer, they could only go out in the morning and around dinner time, leaving little time for play. The three children looked listless, clearly unhappy.
Jiang Nan smiled: "Okay, it will be fine after this period. It won't be this chaotic forever."
As the sky slowly darkened, Zhou Zhixing had indeed not returned tonight. The next morning, when I arrived at the Public Security Bureau, I found nearly twenty field officers from the Criminal Investigation Division, all slumped over their desks, asleep. Had they been on an overnight operation to arrest someone?
The fight was a big one, but those people didn't try to hide it. A quick investigation revealed who the leader was. So, catching them was a matter of swiftness, and it was estimated that these people acted overnight.
Seeing Zhou Zhixing also lying on his seat, Jiang Nan did not disturb him and went straight back to his department to work.
Just when everyone thought the chaos was over, something even more chaotic arrived. Around 10:30, a middle-aged woman, covered in blood, stumbled and crawled into the police station, shouting, "Murder! Dead! All dead! Help! Murder!"
The people from the Criminal Investigation Department jumped up from the table one after another and ran out.
The middle-aged woman was sitting on the ground. Seeing so many police officers coming out, her body, which had been shaking with fear just now, immediately stopped shaking. She pointed outside and shouted, "Murder! My daughter, my in-laws, my grandson and granddaughter are all dead. And my daughter's brother-in-law, they're all dead. Not a single one is left alive!"
Xing Ming immediately said to everyone, "One by one, anyone who can go to the scene, follow!"
"yes!"
Xing Ming then went to help the man and whispered to the woman, "Auntie, can you lead the way? Let's go take a look."
The middle-aged woman looked less than fifty years old, short and fat. She nodded dumbly upon hearing this, and stood up with the help of Xing Ming. After a while, she reacted and said, "Yes, lead the way. My daughter's home is..."
Xing Ming nodded, and as he helped the old lady back, he tried his best to comfort her, "Don't worry, we'll follow you, and everything will be fine. Who did you say died just now?"
The middle-aged woman blinked and said instantly: "My son-in-law, my son-in-law is gone. Without my son-in-law, everyone else is dead!"
Xing Ming didn't say anything. He had felt something was wrong earlier, and that was the reason. If he was dead, why hadn't he heard the aunt mention her son-in-law? It turned out he wasn't dead.
While he was still thinking about how to ask politely, the old lady immediately grabbed Xing Ming's hand and said, "You must find my son-in-law. He must have been captured by bad guys. Please save him..."
Xing Ming opened his mouth, but ultimately held back his suspicions. What could he say? He was a police officer, accustomed to seeing evil people, and he'd seen enough evil in the world to assume the utmost malice. But who would have thought someone would kill their parents, their wife, and their children? It wasn't that this person had to have done it, but everyone else was dead, and yet the son-in-law had vanished. Wasn't that suspicious?
Zhou Zhixing, standing nearby, felt a chill run down his spine. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs, so this guy was being too cruel, wasn't he?
The group walked in silence down the street. The aunt introduced her surname, Zhen, and the incident took place in a nearby alley called Tianshuijing Hutong. Her in-laws, surnamed Feng, were officials, and had been allocated a house with its own entrance and courtyard. Although it had only one entrance, it contained a main room, east and west wing rooms, and nearly ten rooms, making it a rare wealthy family in Beijing. After their marriage, the couple struggled financially, and since their work unit hadn't allocated them an apartment, they continued to live with their parents. The son-in-law, Feng Geming, had a younger brother who was unmarried and lived in the west wing.
The peaches at home were ripe now, and my mother, thinking that my daughter loved to eat them, picked a basket of fresh peaches early this morning and brought them over. But after knocking on the door for a long time, no one opened it.
The neighbors said someone must be home, as they hadn't seen anyone leave this morning, which was odd. Luckily, my in-laws had left a spare key in the office, and a helpful colleague went to get it. When they opened the door and went in, they found the entire family dead.
Zhen's mother was so frightened at the time that she collapsed on the ground and couldn't get up. It was her neighbor who reminded her to call the police.
As they walked, they listened to Zhen's mother's explanation of the situation. When they arrived at the scene, a crowd of people had already gathered outside. An old man with a very stern face was guarding the gate. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the police. "Comrade police, you are finally here. Don't worry, I am guarding it and won't let any more people in."
Xing Ming frowned, looked at Aunt Zhen, and asked, "Excuse me, besides you, has anyone else entered the scene?"
Aunt Zhen shook her head: "I don't remember. I was terrified at the time and shouted that I had killed someone. Many people came to see..."
The policemen cried out inwardly that it was bad and could not help but look down at the shoes of the onlookers. They saw blood stains on the soles of more than a dozen people's shoes. They all sighed in their hearts, fearing that the scene had been destroyed.
Indeed, the destruction was complete. Bloody footprints were everywhere, making it look horrific. The cement floor was covered in half-dried bloodstains, sending even the experienced Xing Ming into a chill.
The dead were concentrated in the main house. The main house had three rooms, with a main hall for entertaining guests and two side rooms on each side, which could be used as bedrooms. At this moment, an elderly couple lay on the floor in the main house, lying cross-legged, their blood already dried. Their eyes were wide open, as if they couldn't believe they were dead. In the side room on the left lay Zhen Lian, Aunt Zhen's daughter, with two smaller bodies lying nearby.
"Dabao was only six years old, and Xiaoni'er was only three years old. They are both dead, both dead..."
Aunt Zhen's suppressed sobs rang out, and everyone felt uncomfortable. Xing Ming's face was extremely serious. He took a few deep breaths before walking towards the right side room. To the right, the family's youngest son, Feng Hongwei, lay in a pool of blood.
Everyone was silent. It had been a long time since they had seen such a horrific scene. Xing Ming returned to the main hall, took a few deep breaths, and ordered, "Zhou Zhixing, Wang Feng, lead the team to interview the surrounding neighbors. Li Shan, your team will stay behind to take pictures and continue searching for clues at the scene."
"yes."
Zhou Zhixing walked out of the room, his eyes blinded by the 38-degree sun, only then did he stop feeling the chill. It was so tragic. He took a few deep breaths and walked towards the crowd of onlookers outside the courtyard. The key point was the ones with blood on their shoes. They were so concerned about this family, so they must know them, right?
"Yes, they are the Feng family. The old man is the deputy director of the nearby cotton mill, and the old lady is the vice president of the factory labor union. The eldest son went to the countryside. I think he came back in 1975, and was later arranged to work in the cotton mill."
An old man in a white old man's shirt said, "The youngest son is eight years younger than the eldest. He didn't encounter the Down to the Countryside Movement and successfully got a job at the cotton mill. I heard he's now preparing for the university entrance exam. Who would have known something like this would happen! Police comrades, are they all dead? Who is the murderer? And where is the Feng family's eldest son? Why haven't we seen him?"
What a gossipy old man! Zhou Zhixing didn't answer and continued to ask, "What's the relationship between this family?"
"Hey, it's all noisy, isn't that how everyone lives their lives? What's there to say?"
"You don't know, do you? If you don't know, get out of the way. I know! Officer, let me tell you."
A nearby woman in a red jacket quickly interrupted, "I'm a colleague of Deputy Director Feng's and his wife, and we're both members of the cotton mill union. Let me tell you, Mrs. Feng is deeply dissatisfied with her eldest son. He's been a troublemaker since he was little. Back then, when there was a movement, he jumped around in unison, and yet the Fengs joined in the chaos, too, even on different sides. Isn't that bizarre? For their own futures, his parents signed up for Feng's revolution and went to the countryside, where they were gone for seven or eight years. They weren't transferred to the city until 1975."
The woman in the red shirt spread her hands and said, "Feng Revolution was not even sixteen when he went to the countryside, and he was already twenty-three when he came back. He's got a lot of bad habits, and the eldest sister-in-law of the Feng family can't stand it. She scolds him every day. If you don't believe me, ask the neighbors around; they scold him every day."
The old man in the khaki short-sleeved shirt next to him snorted, "That's a bad habit! He doesn't work hard, but hangs out every day, either at a disco or a dance hall, and even goes to those filthy places! He's already married, but he still doesn't live a good life. What a jerk!"
Zhou Zhixing knew that Feng Geming had a bad relationship with his parents. He nodded and asked, "What about Feng Geming's relationship with his wife and children? How did they meet?"
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