Chapter 122: Follow-up to the Family Massacre
Jiang Nan was about to curse, but luckily the system had just said that the probability of infection through daily contact was not high. She looked at Zhou Zhixing opposite her.
Zhou Zhixing nodded. He'd naturally heard what the system had said, but he hadn't expected this man to be so shameless. He skipped lunch and immediately went to find Xing Ming, whispering, "Xing Ke, I just realized that Feng Geming often goes to the secret passage. Well, could he have contracted some kind of disease? We're constantly around him, so we have to make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
Xing Ming was eating with the rest of the team. Upon hearing this, he exchanged glances with everyone and cursed inwardly. What the hell was going on? He immediately got up and went to find Qin Guo, asking him to send a doctor, or for them to send someone over for an examination. He couldn't possibly get sick from this. Seriously, such a shameless suspect was truly remarkable.
That afternoon, upon hearing he was being sent to the hospital for a checkup, Feng Geming burst into laughter in the interrogation room and finally uttered his first words since being arrested: "No need to go. I have a contagious disease."
He looked at the police officer who was about to lead him out with malicious intent and said provocatively, "What? Are you scared? I asked the doctor, and he said I can live for another two or three years even if I get sick. I won't die for the time being."
Xing Ming cursed inwardly, but seeing that Feng Geming had no intention of going to the hospital, he gritted his teeth, put on a mask, and went in for interrogation. Zhou Zhixing, Wang Feng, Li Shan, and the others saw this and also put on masks, closed the door, and began interrogating Feng Geming.
After sitting down, Xing Ming said, "Tell me, did you kill your parents, Zhen Lian, Feng Hongwei, and your two children?"
Feng Geming nodded with a grin: "Yes, I killed them, so what? I'm about to die, so shouldn't I let them wait for me downstairs? They owe me this, they deserve it."
Xing Ming deliberately provoked Feng Geming and said, "According to the neighbors, your parents treated you very well. They married you a beautiful wife and helped you take care of your children..."
"fart!"
As expected, veins bulged on Feng Geming's face. "That old couple are just selfish! They're so old, and they're still arguing about revolution! They're even on a different side from me, and they don't care about me at all. I haven't done anything yet, and they signed me up to go to the countryside. Pah! They think I'm embarrassing them! A pair of bastards, going to the countryside, right? Fine, but if you don't pay me enough, you can dream on."
He laughed heartily, rocking back and forth, spit flying everywhere, making everyone frown. Feng Geming continued, "I went to the countryside with 800 yuan, hahaha. 800 yuan! Even in the countryside, I lived like a god! You don't know, but if you pay the villagers 10 yuan a month, anyone will do any job you want, and even girls will crawl into my bed. If you want me to suffer, wait for my next life. Even if I'm going to die, I'm going to die comfortably."
Xing Ming ignored the guy's outrageous words and said calmly, "Tell me about that time you bullied the village captain's daughter and your parents asked for leave to go back and help you deal with it."
Feng Geming's face showed disdain. "You know all this? Haha, what little girl? She's just a bitch who wants to marry into the city! She relies on her father being the team leader to try to control me, but I won't pay any attention to her. It was the team leader who sent a telegram to those two old guys, saying that if I didn't come over, they would send me to jail. They came here because they were afraid of having a son in jail."
He let out a spitting sound and saw the policeman opposite him frowning so hard that he could kill a fly. He laughed even more wildly. After he had laughed enough, he said, "I would never marry such a cunning bitch! The old man saw that I didn't agree and was afraid that I would get into trouble, so he stuffed that damn girl into the small factory in the commune, and that's how the matter was settled."
Xing Ming asked the key question: "Why kill people?"
Feng Geming was nonchalant. He glanced at Xing Ming with disdain, "Kill them if you want. Why? The old guys don't like me, and I don't like them either. Besides, I don't have many years left to live, so why should they? They're all going to die anyway, so I'll just send them off first."
Xing Ming pressed on: "What about your wife and brother? You have a conflict with your parents, why do you want to kill your wife and brother too?"
Feng Geming snorted, "These two aren't good people either. Just kill them."
Xing Ming: "Did you hear rumors from the neighbors?"
Feng Geming shrugged. "What does it matter whether I heard it or not? Why are you asking so many questions? I've already said I killed them. I killed all six of them. Ask, ask, ask. What's there to ask?"
Xing Ming slammed the table: "Pay attention to your attitude, this is the normal procedure for police investigations, please cooperate."
Feng Geming didn't care: "Alright, go ahead and ask. I'm going to die anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Xing Ming said sternly, "Then let's get back to the question. Did you believe the rumors from the neighborhood and think that Zhen Lian and your brother were having an affair, and that's why you killed her?"
Feng Geming laughed out loud: "What adultery? That's nonsense. I know Feng Hongwei. He's the one who despises me the most in my family. He won't touch anything I own, including my woman."
Xing Ming stared at Feng Geming: "Then why did you kill them?"
Feng Geming shrugged. "Didn't I just say that? If you want to kill them, just kill them. We've already killed the old couple, so killing two more won't be a big deal."
Xing Ming: "What about the two children? Why kill them too?"
Feng Geming's face was dazed for a moment, and he quickly said, "They have a murderer like me as their father. What are they doing in this world? To be laughed at? They might as well be dead! Then they can accompany me in the underworld. Really, they are suffering in life. I love them."
Everyone stared at Feng Geming and found that his expression was surprisingly calm. He really was thinking this! It was horrible, such a perverted mentality, ordinary people really couldn't understand it.
With Feng Geming's confession, the forensic report, and all the physical evidence and testimony, the case of the murder of the entire family was solved. Solving the murder of the entire family within ten days made the Dongcheng Public Security Bureau a household name in Beijing.
The aftermath of the case was quite significant. These past two days, all I saw and heard on my way home were people discussing the case. One person declared, "Those two children definitely aren't the eldest son's. Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. If they were his biological children, how could he have killed them?"
The other one swore, "Yes, I think so too. I can't say who it belongs to. I remember when the police were questioning the case, several people said that the young wife and the old man had done something or other. Who knows if it was true... Anyway, you know."
Everyone was spitting out foam as if they had seen it happen in person.
Jiang Nan frowned. She'd asked the system, and Feng Geming hadn't even considered his wife's relationship with his brother or father, so how could these people have assumed it? They had to find a reason for the murderer, the pervert, to kill, right? Was it just to prove the victim was guilty and deserved death?
There are some people in the world who are born evil. They are born with malice and do bad things simply because they want to do bad things. There is no reason, they just want to do evil. Is this difficult to accept?
"Right. Rather than believing someone is simply bad, it's better to believe they have their own reasons." Zhou Zhixing whispered, "If someone is simply evil, you'll suffer. There's no way to avoid it, and everyone's afraid. But if they have their own reasons, they'll think they're good people and can avoid being harmed. Who doesn't want to live an easier life? Do you have any ideas about how to make their lives easier?"
He smiled and said, "Okay, let's go home. I finally have a normal commute. I'll go home early. After dinner tonight, maybe I can go out for a walk. Cha Cha and the others haven't been out for several days, right?"
Jiang Nan came back to his senses and said with a smile, "That's right, we all want to go out and play, let's go."
As he spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up and he pointed to a fruit stand not far away and said, "Peaches and apricots! Let's go buy some."
Summer was the perfect time to eat these two fruits, so the two of them jumped out of the car and bent over to pick them out at the stall. In the past two years, these small stalls selling agricultural products had become increasingly numerous, and the fruit and vegetable counters at the supply and marketing cooperatives were already deserted.
Think about it, it's all about spending money, but the stall owners here are all smiling, while the salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative over there is so angry that he wants to lift his chin to the sky and speak to everyone in a rude manner. Who wants to endure such an insult? Anyway, the goods at the stalls are not bad, so it doesn't matter where you buy them.
Seeing the two men paying, a neighbor next to them spoke up: "Officer Jiang, Officer Zhou, have you two participated in the investigation of the family murder case? What's the truth? Is the young wife having an affair with the old man?"
Unexpectedly, even when buying things, this question was inevitable. Zhou Zhixing took the change from the vendor and said seriously, "The details of the case will be announced in a few days, so don't worry. But if anyone hears these rumors and reports you, don't blame me for not warning you in advance. Spreading rumors is also a crime, remember this."
He walked back to his bicycle and walked side by side with Jiang Nan. The crowd behind him was silent for a moment, and then quickly choked. What kind of rumor-mongering is this? Just a few idle words. He's a police officer, but he only knows how to scare people.
When Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing returned home, Aunt Wen had already prepared the meal. The peaches and apricots she bought were very popular. Jiang Nan, Cha and the other two started eating them immediately and kept talking around their parents.
The family had eaten early and went out for a rare stroll. Jiang Cha, Jiang Zhi, and Zhou Ye were delighted, chattering along the way, buying snacks and small shoes. But the shoes looked pretty, so Zhou Zhixing only let the children take a few glances before letting the three of them put them down. The shoes at the stall were just for show; they'd probably break after just one day of wear.
Seeing the three children pouting, Zhou Zhixing waited until they were far away before saying, "Just buy some food from the stalls. For expensive items, it's more reliable to go to the supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores. Remember the shoes that Grandma Niu bought a few days ago?"
Jiang Cha, Jiang Zhi, and Zhou Yegang, who were still pouting, suddenly burst into giggles and rushed to answer, "I remember, I remember."
Niu Nainai is the old lady who lost her money that day. Although she called the police, her wallet was never found. Since then, the old lady has found an excuse to live a more frugal life and still wears patched clothes.
A frugal old lady, feeling the pinch, snagged the last pair of leather shoes from a street vendor two days ago for just two yuan. It was raining the day she put them on, and before she'd even taken two steps, the shoes suddenly split apart at the front, nearly sending the old lady careening off. She looked down and saw the soles had already separated.
That stall owner was the last of his kind, and he never set up shop there again. Grandma Niu waited for three days, but no one showed up. She was so angry she nearly had a heart attack. Fortunately, her husband, Grandpa Niu, didn't take advantage of the situation, or else he would have been sick with anger.
This story spread widely in the neighborhood, otherwise Zhou Zhixing wouldn't have known about the poor quality of the shoes. Jiang Nan shook his head. Going from one extreme to the other was nothing more than this.
Just as she was lost in thought, she spotted a stall selling fried stinky tofu not far away. Jiang Nan's eyes lit up; it had been years since she'd tasted it, and she quickly dragged her entire family over. There were plenty of food stalls these days, but stinky tofu was rare. Jiang Nan ordered six cups straight away, so everyone could try some.
Jiang Cha was impatient and tasted it right after she got it. The chili sauce was quite spicy, but the little girl was very happy: "It's delicious, Mom, this is the stinky tofu that the great man once praised, right?"
"Yes." Jiang Nan couldn't wait to dig in. She wasn't afraid of spicy food; she thought the dipping sauce was just right. Jiang Zhi and Zhou Ye also loved it. The two little ones shared a bowl and almost started fighting over it. Only when Jiang Mancheng passed his bowl over did they stop. Chen Jinhua and Aunt Wen thought it was okay, but Zhou Zhixing was picky and refused to eat such smelly food.
What to do? The whole family can't eat it while he just watches. Okay, let's look for it again. I don't believe I can't find something he can eat. After walking past a few stalls, I saw a stall selling jujube cakes. I could smell the aroma of jujube cakes from a distance. There were quite a few people buying in front of the stall. One asked why I didn't come yesterday because my child wanted to eat it but couldn't find it. Another said that you can't get the authentic ones anywhere else. It seems that this stall has a good reputation, which makes me feel relieved. Jujube cakes are durable. Jiang Nan simply bought a pound and a half. When he was too lazy to cook, he would just eat this. It was full and tasted good.
Zhou Zhixing wasn't picky anymore; he liked the soft, glutinous, and sweet jujube cake. The family was happily enjoying their snacks when Jiang Cha suddenly jumped up and waved her hands left and right, "Sister Qinqin, here, Sister Qinqin, are you here to see me?"
Yao Qin, the girl Jiang Nan had kindly rescued that day from being frisked by the stall owner, was now following behind Grandpa Yao, carrying a basket. She waved happily and trotted over, saying, "Cha Cha, these apricots are from the apricot tree in my yard. They're delicious. You love them, so I thought I'd bring them over to you. Look, they're all ripe and sweet."
Jiang Cha chuckled, "Oh, my parents even spent money to buy it today. If they had known you were giving it to them, they wouldn't have wasted their money." After laughing for a while, she hurriedly asked Yao Qin, "Do you want to eat stinky tofu? It's quite delicious."
The two chatted and laughed as Grandpa Yao strolled over, his smile on his face. He was most pleased that his granddaughter hadn't been affected by what happened that day. Grandpa Yao, a retired professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, was a somewhat renowned painter. After that day, he even gifted Jiang Nan a painting.
Unfortunately, Jiang Nan lacked artistic talent, but Zhou Zhixing was quite fond of Mr. Yao's paintings, and the two of them surprisingly hit it off. Yao Qin and Cha Cha also got along well, and the two families gradually became close friends. Knowing that Yao Qin was learning painting from Grandpa, Jiang Cha shamelessly sneaked in classes, and later even brought his younger brothers along, which was unbelievable. Fortunately, Grandpa Yao was magnanimous and didn't take it seriously, teaching him anyway. Otherwise, Jiang, Cha, and the other two would have been stealing her skills.
When the Yao family's grandfather and grandson came to visit, the entire family led their group home and warmly welcomed them in. The four children chattered in the yard, looking now at the grapevines, then at the family's date tree, looking up to count the dates on the tree, seemingly having endless things to say. Mr. Yao, with a serious expression, sat in the main hall and explained the purpose of his visit.
"It's a family matter involving one of my apprentices," Old Master Yao sighed. "My eldest apprentice, Zhang Younian, lived with me in the cowshed when I was sent down to the countryside. His wife ran away, abandoning their daughter, who was less than six years old. As you know, she didn't have a good life in the village during those years. She couldn't study properly, so she was delayed. Now she's twenty. It's been two years since the ancestral property was returned, and the two courtyards of the Zhang family have been returned. But before she could even get through two days, her mother showed up."
Old Master Yao's face was extremely grim. "She came back with a son, claiming he's Younian's child, and asked to remarry. The child's age matches, but we haven't been in touch for fourteen years, and we don't know if what the woman said is true. You're police officers, and I'm just asking if there's any way to verify whether the child is Younian. Back then, when life was so difficult, Younian never said he wouldn't care about me, a teacher. Now that his family is in trouble, I can't watch him work so hard to raise someone else's child."
Jiang Nan was in a dilemma. DNA technology wasn't yet widespread. It wouldn't have been widely adopted in China until around the turn of the millennium at the earliest. Currently, they could only compare blood types. If the blood types matched, the woman could insist it was the man's child, and there was no way to deny it. Jiang Nan confirmed, "Have you done a blood type test?"
Old Master Yao nodded, understanding Jiang Nan's implication. He sighed, "Younian is a man who values friendship and has never blamed his ex-wife. But I don't want to see him being schemed against. If that woman can abandon him once, she can abandon him a second time. I don't agree to remarry, but I'm old and can't control her for much longer. Alas."
Perhaps because he had been holding it in for too long, the old man sighed and continued, "Remarriage is fine, but the two houses must be in Younian and Fangfang's names. It must be in both of their names. If one person becomes confused, the transfer of ownership will be impossible. If both of them become confused at the same time, there's nothing I can do."
Jiang Nan glanced at Old Master Yao, thinking that being a master was quite a worry. Zhou Zhixing pulled Jiang Nan's hand, and after sending the grandfather and grandson back, Zhou Zhixing whispered, "Old Master Yao wanted Zhang Younian to be his son-in-law. Old Master Yao's daughter was widowed, so she should have been a good match for Zhang Younian. Who knew his ex-wife would show up?"
He shook his head, thinking that things must be complicated. How could it be such a coincidence that he didn't come back earlier or later, but they fell in love and came back. Zhou Zhixing said, "Let's go home and sleep."
Okay, Jiang Nan won’t comment anymore. No matter how coincidental it is, it’s someone else’s business. I still have to work tomorrow.
After the murder, public security improved for a while. However, as the case was solved, petty theft began to resurface. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing began investigating other cases, such as burglaries and disappearances, none of which were minor. Fortunately, the pressure was not as great as the murder, and they resumed their normal work schedules.
That day, the field agents were in the office, discussing the details of a home invasion robbery, when they heard an argument outside: "Your Zhen Tao beat my son so badly that he seriously injured him. Shouldn't he pay compensation? Three thousand, not a cent less!"
A familiar voice rang out: "Bah, your son deserves it. What compensation is there? Not only will I not pay, I will also sue you! My Xiao Lian is dead, what rumors are your son making up! Let me tell you, my Xiao Lian has never liked your son! The police who investigated the case said that spreading rumors and causing damage to others' reputation is also a crime. I will sue you, I will sue you!" As she spoke, she burst into tears, her voice was very shrill, as if filled with infinite grievances.
It was Zhen's mother. Xing Ming, Zhou Zhixing, Wang Feng and the others exchanged glances and stood up to see. Another woman's curse echoed in the air: "What a rumor! Your daughter married into the Feng family because she climbed up the social ladder. Do you think we don't know? What do you mean she looks down on my Xiaofeng? My Xiaofeng looks down on her. Bah, a slut that even a shorty can't look down on, my Xiaofeng can't look down on her either. Go ahead and sue me if you have the guts! I'm not afraid of threats..."
Zhen's mother was about to retort when she looked up and saw a familiar police officer. She quickly shut her mouth, wiped away her tears, and trotted over as if she had found a relative. She asked loudly, "Officer Xing, Officer Zhou, what do you think? Is spreading rumors a crime?"
Xing Ming and Zhou Zhixing nodded. The woman across from them was visibly panicked for a moment. Zhen's mother's voice grew even louder. She pointed at the woman across from her and shouted, "I'm going to sue her son Guo Feng! Her son said... that he did something with my daughter. Bah! My daughter rarely comes back to her parents' home after getting married. How could that coward Guo Feng have anything to do with my daughter! I'm going to sue Guo Feng. I want everyone to know that my daughter is not doing anything improper!"
The woman being pointed at blushed crimson, and she quickly retorted, "You... no matter what, your son shouldn't hit anyone. Hitting is wrong. My little Feng was beaten so badly that he couldn't get out of bed. What? You think you're right? We... our family just let it go, huh, let it go..."
No matter what, when people in the countryside hear about a lawsuit, they immediately become timid and rush out in a hurry, as if they were being chased by a dog. Zhen's mother jumped up and ran after them, unyielding: "Even if you don't care, I will! Just wait, I'm determined to file this lawsuit. And besides, my Xiao Tao didn't use such harsh means at all. Your Guo Feng is just blackmailing him. Do you think my family can't see it? Pah!"
After yelling, Zhen's mother took a few deep breaths before turning around again and walking towards Xing Ming, Zhou Zhixing, and the others. She asked, "Officers, um, do you know any lawyers who can handle this case? I...even if it's just for show, I have to hire a lawyer to come with me! You have no idea what kind of reputation my daughter has become."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, impossible to wipe away. "I just don't understand. My daughter was clearly murdered, so why are people blaming her? That damn Feng Revolution, and anyone still feels sorry for him? He killed six people, even a three-year-old. People pity people like him, but why can't they tolerate my little Lian? My family lives in the village, and we're gossiped about every day. My granddaughter is only thirteen, and hooligans come to harass her after school. At night, people even throw stones at our windows. Life is unbearable."
Xing Ming and Zhou Zhixing's faces were grimacing. They'd heard the rumors, of course, but they hadn't expected someone to actually come to their house to cause trouble. Zhou Zhixing hurriedly said, "Aunt Zhen, don't worry. I'll ask your classmates for you. There's definitely a lawyer willing to take this case." He and Jiang Nan hadn't gone to college for nothing. Jiang Nan even shared a dorm with the women from the law school. Finding a few lawyers willing to help wouldn't be difficult.
Xing Ming thought for a moment and said to Wang Feng, "Wang Feng, take two people to escort Aunt Zhen back, and then go find the team leader. It would be best if we could hold a village meeting and explain the consequences of spreading rumors and harassing the Zhen family, which will lead to their downfall and even legal consequences."
"Yes." Wang Feng nodded to Zhen's mother, pointed to two people, and went back to the house to get the hats.
Zhen's mother's eyes were red and she kept expressing her gratitude.
Everyone felt bad watching the man leave. They knew it wasn't right, but if they really wanted to make a fuss, who would have the financial resources or energy to fight it out? Zhen's mother was simply relying on the power of lawyers and the police to keep her life going. The man was gone, but the living still had to live their lives.
Just as we were getting off work and having dinner, Jiang Cha brought us some mysterious news: "Dad, Mom, you can't believe it, can you? Sister Zhang Fang's mother suddenly came back. It was Sister Yingying who wrote to Zhang Fang's mother, asking her to come back!"
It took Jiang Nan a while to figure out the connection. Yingying was Mr. Yao's granddaughter, Ji Ying. Zhou Zhixing said that Mr. Yao wanted to match his daughter with Zhang Younian, but was his granddaughter unwilling to do so?
Jiang Nan asked directly, but Jiang Cha just shook her head and said, "Yes, and no. You wouldn't guess. It was Sister Yingying's grandmother who instigated this. They were worried that after Yingying's mother got married and had another child, Sister Yingying would have less to share. That's why they pushed Sister Yingying to do this."
This is true. When Elder Yao was sent down to the countryside, his daughter married into a poor family. After the birth of only one daughter, her husband died. Life in her husband's family must have been difficult. Furthermore, Yingying was raised by her grandmother, so she must have trusted her more. Even if Elder Yao had achieved so much, he couldn't match the love he'd received from raising her since childhood. The little girl clearly favored her grandmother's family.
Then this is a family matter, involving three families, which is not something she and Zhou Zhixing can deal with.
Jiang Cha was still talking: "Sister Yingying is also confused. Grandma Ji is not a good person. Her uncles and aunts are not good either. They have been coaxing Yingying not to live with Aunt Yao and they also want to divide Grandpa Yao's property. I heard that when Grandpa Yao found out about this, he was furious. Qinqin said that Grandpa Yao almost had to be hospitalized."
Oh, I have to go and see it.
Jiang Mancheng hurriedly said, "Xiaoxing, Xiaonan, you two should finish your meal early and go see the old man. He's so old, why is he still so angry?"
Chen Jinhua echoed: "Children are all debts, and Mr. Yao also feels sorry for the Yao family's daughter."
Back then, there were countless such muddled marriages. At the time, it wasn't a big deal; just survived. But as children grew older, and changes occurred, how many divorces, abandonments of wives and children, and husbands and children have there been in recent years? Even the educated youth along the west bank of the river heard plenty of such cases, let alone in the vast capital. Sometimes, many conflicts arise from this.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing nodded, it was time to go and see. They ate their meal quickly and finished it in no time. Jiang Cha, Jiang Zhi, and Zhou Ye insisted on going with them, and they didn't refuse. They bought some fruit at a stall and went to see the people.
The Yao family's courtyard has three entrances and is located near Nanluoguxiang. As soon as they entered the courtyard, Jiang Cha and the other two started playing with Yao Qin.
Mr. Yao was lying on the bed. Seeing the two of them coming, he smiled bitterly and said, "I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself."
Jiang Nan laughed, "What are you talking about, Uncle Yao? Every family has its share of problems, right? It's nothing." She noticed upon entering that Ji Ying wasn't there, only Old Man Yao's daughter was waiting on the side. Was this supposed to piss off Grandpa? The Ji family wouldn't let anyone in to see him?
Old Master Yao knew it all and hated her in his heart, but he had no right to hate his granddaughter. He could only grit his teeth and pointed at his daughter and said, "I told Yuanchun that the family will give her a courtyard at most, but it must be in her name. If she dares to transfer it to Ji Ying before she dies, I will not recognize her in this life!"
Yao Yuanchun lowered her head and wiped her tears without saying anything in rebuttal. Only then did Old Man Yao calm down.
His daughter hadn't lived a good life these past few years because of him. He didn't feel bad about giving her a house, but he was angry. He was angry that his tough daughter had become like this! He made concessions without principles again and again. As a result, not only did the Ji family capture Ji Ying, but now the child was taught like this and caused such a big disaster. It was all the result of her failure to discipline her daughter! As a result, Younian's future life would not be easy. He, as a master, was a disaster to Younian. The more Mr. Yao thought about it, the more he felt sorry for Younian, and his heart became more determined.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance. The old man was decisive, having come up with a solution so quickly. However, Zhang Younian's problem would take years to fully resolve. As long as the woman insisted on staying and insisting that the child was Zhang Younian's, Zhang Younian would have to raise the child. The child was only fourteen, a minor. If Zhang Younian couldn't prove he wasn't the child's father, he would have to fulfill his obligation to raise the child.
The family didn't stay at the Yao family's house for long. After visiting Old Man Yao, they left in less than an hour. On the way, Jiang Nan sighed, "There's a lot of gossip in Beijing."
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "There are plenty of them everywhere. The capital has many wealthy people, so it must be more lively."
Indeed, there was more activity and more cases. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing stopped caring about the Yao family. They just listened to Chacha say one day that someone from the Ji family had come to cause trouble, and the next day that the Yao family's aunt was going to sever ties with Sister Yingying. They didn't ask what happened in the end. From Chacha's expression, they knew that the Yao family hadn't suffered any loss, and that was enough.
The two of them had been busy again recently. What were they busy with? It was the last few days of summer vacation, and for some reason, a number of robberies and rapes had occurred at night, and public security had suddenly become chaotic again.
In particular, there's a sudden surge of bullies around Beijing! The incident started one night when a truck driver on a business trip to Beijing called the police. He was driving late at night and encountered a toll booth. If he refused to pay, a whole village of people would block his way and prevent him from passing. What should he do?
The driver had no choice but to offer fifty, but the man who blocked the road wouldn't budge. He then offered another fifty, but still no budge, until he raised the price to two hundred before he let the man pass. But once he got into the city, the driver grew increasingly angry. He drove this route year-round, at least once a week. Did he have to offer two hundred every time? No amount of money would be enough to throw in. Impulsively, he called the police.
This involves cooperation with other departments, at least the road administration department cannot be circumvented. Be busy, this matter alone is enough to toss around, this is a village, at least 200 to 300 villagers.
Besides the road bullies, there are also those who run dance halls and video parlors. These places have been popping up in droves over the past two years. It's easy to tell that the movies shown in those parlors aren't good! Many young men, full of impetuous behavior, have done the wrong thing after watching them. Do you think they should be shut down? But these are just cottage industries. When they're shut down here, another one opens there. They're like weeds, and there's no way to clean them up.
After working day and night for over half a month, Zhou Zhixing couldn't stand it any longer. At a regular meeting, he simply suggested: "How about picking those troublemakers and opening a full-time training class? Two months of intensive study would be a way to improve their reputation."
Director Qin tapped the table lightly and asked, "What's the reason? You know, those troublemakers are very slippery. How can we be sure they will participate?"
Zhou Zhixing had already thought about this. He said, "How about testing the results of the study sessions we held a while ago? Organize an exam to ensure everyone attends. Those who fail will be put on a centralized learning schedule. If they don't come, their winter coal, winter vegetable storage, and other benefits will be put on hold."
Qin Guo glanced at the boy twice. He was trying to get everyone to monitor him. The hooligans in the alleys were quite thieves. They usually didn't mess around near homes, but if a neighbor was in trouble, they might even help. So no matter what outsiders said about these hooligans, the neighbors still had a good impression of them.
If we were to deal with these people out of thin air, the neighbors wouldn't be happy, and sometimes they'd even tip them off. But if we tie it to welfare, it would be fatal. Just think about it: in the cold winter in Beijing, with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius, how could we survive without honeycomb coal? How could we survive without winter vegetables? This is the way to strike the snake at its weakest point.
Qin Guo smiled and said, "Write a report and I will present it at the city-wide meeting." In two years, Qin Guo would definitely recommend this matter to a higher level. By then, Xing Ming would be the deputy director, and Zhou Zhixing might even become Section Chief Zhou.
Everyone started talking, adding details. Zhou Zhixing wrote them down, and the meeting quickly ended. Xing Ming stood up, patted Zhou Zhixing on the shoulder, and praised him, "Good boy, you thought of that."
Zhou Zhixing laughed, "Xiao Liao and the others have been incredibly busy lately, and all of us in the Criminal Investigation Department have had to go help out. I saw how exhausted everyone was, so I came up with this lazy trick. I was a grassroots police officer for nine years, and I know these trivial matters are the hardest to handle."
Xing Ming nodded, and the two walked out of the conference room side by side, quickly beginning their investigation into the new case. Zhou Zhixing had to finish a report before bed, and was hunched over his desk, writing. Jiang Nan, patting herself in front of the dressing mirror, noticed him and asked, "Did you bring it up at the meeting?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded. "Yes, Director Qin asked me to write a report and submit it. If the public security in our area improves before the crackdown, a promotion and salary increase will be just around the corner."
Jiang Nan couldn't stop laughing. "Forget about a raise. Being a police officer, the salary is just like that. You can still hope for a promotion, at least a raise in rank. As for the money, forget it. But Mom will retire next year, and she'll definitely be busy. She'll set up a stall and sell things, and slowly she'll make some money. Besides, we're not short of money. We have four courtyards now, so we don't have to worry about money."
Zhou Zhixing nodded, "Yes, Dad might apply for early retirement. Then the two of us will be together, and maybe even want to visit the Special Administrative Region."
可不是，那天晚上的話言猶在耳，八三年夏天就這麽猝不及防地來了。先是孩子們放暑假，陪着玩了沒兩天，陳金花辦理了退休手續。
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