Chapter 77: A major case during the New Year
Hearing the suspect had moved away, Lan Qingshan's features knitted together. Human trafficking cases are inherently difficult to investigate, let alone one from four years ago. Even worse, it wasn't certain the trafficked woman was still around. Even if she was, how could he find her, even from such a faraway place?
By the time everyone finished giving their statements, it was already four in the afternoon. In the middle of the day, Chief Shen even went to the cafeteria to get everyone some food to eat while they took their statements. After sending everyone away, Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan convened a meeting with the two groups, their expressions more serious than ever.
"As everyone can see, this isn't a small case," Lan Qingshan sighed. "It involves the trafficking of six or more women. Everyone must take this seriously. I'll assign the following tasks: Team 5 will revisit these six addresses and identify all residents within the past three years to determine whether those 'sons-in-law' have truly moved away, or if they've never lived there at all."
"Team Six, go to Zaohua Commune and Shan'aozi Brigade. Focus on investigating Matchmaker Huang's social connections and all the marriages she's brokered. Also, investigate how many families in Shan'aozi Brigade have arranged marriages through Matchmaker Huang. Matchmaker Huang is the key to this case. Zhou Zhixing, your team has a large staff and a heavy workload. Be sure to conduct thorough investigations."
He clapped his hands and encouraged, "Being able to handle major human trafficking cases will benefit everyone's future careers, so everyone must keep up the good work. Okay, each group should arrange their detailed division of labor. Tomorrow is Sunday, and many comrades didn't return home for the Lunar New Year, so we won't have overtime tomorrow. But everyone must work even harder the day after tomorrow. Before leaving get off work, we'll have a meeting to discuss the results of our respective investigations. Adjourned!"
Another reason they were able to rest so quickly on Sunday was that this was an old case. The traffickers had moved away, and the abducted women had long since vanished. A day earlier or later wouldn't have made much of a difference. If the traffickers were still around, they'd have to stay up all night to catch them, even at one or two in the morning.
Jiang Nan hadn't expected that, these days, there were still people using marriage as a pretext for trafficking women. Such a crude scam was so easily believed, and people even dared to marry off their daughters without even visiting their son-in-law's home. She felt bad, and after her first day off work, she felt listless and dragged her feet. You know, in the past, Jiang Nan was always the first two people to leave.
After leaving the police station, Zhou Zhixing raised his lips and said loudly, "Don't you want to buy corduroy fabric? Let's go."
Jiang Nan had asked Zou Li the last time, but the corduroy fabric at the textile factory had been cleared out before the Lunar New Year. Her wish to gather at least six feet of fabric for Jiang Tong's coat had fallen through. Hearing Zhou Zhixing had a solution, Jiang Nan perked up a bit and asked, "Do you have a way to find some corduroy? Where?"
Zhou Zhixing said helplessly, "Have you forgotten the Dacron-smoked Grandma Lan we bought last year? She's the aunt of the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. The textile factory can't do anything about it, but the supply and marketing cooperative gets its goods from all over the country, so it's not short of fabric. Let's go and take a look."
Jiang Nan smiled, and the two rode side by side towards the fiberglass residential complex.
As they passed Bai Shun, Wang Liu, and others returning home from work, they glanced at each other and hurried on their way. After the gambling house case, the well repair team members involved in the gambling were demoted, their monthly wages reduced by more than ten yuan, and they were also banned from working at the brigade. But they were thankful they hadn't been jailed or expelled. Seeing the two policemen now, they were still a little apprehensive, fearing they would be taken in for questioning again, which would be truly humiliating.
Even before the Lantern Festival, the two of them greeted Grandma Lan warmly, only daring to offer auspicious words once they entered the house. These days, the Spring Festival has become revolutionary, with "Congratulations and prosperity" no longer a norm; instead, everyone wishes the other "greater success in the new journey." But even the elderly, after all, prefer auspicious words like "May you see good fortune upon your opening day" and "May you live a long and prosperous life."
After all the blessings, Grandma Lan smiled broadly. When she heard that Jiang Nan wanted corduroy fabric, her smile became even brighter: "Yes, Grandma has everything here."
As he spoke, he rummaged through the bags on the ground, found a smaller sack, and pulled out a roll of brown corduroy fabric. He smiled and said, "This is from the provincial capital's fabric factory. It has some flaws, but it won't affect the making of clothes. This roll is ten feet long. If you can take it all, I'll give you a discount..."
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up. This is coffee color! After all these years of rebirth, this is the first time she has seen corduroy in this color. She nodded vigorously: "Yes, I want it all, Grandma Lan, please give me a discount."
After some haggling, Jiang Nan spent thirty-five yuan on a ten-foot roll of brown corduroy. This was almost as much as the price of good cloth at the supply and marketing cooperative, but Grandma Lan didn't want cloth coupons, and the color of the cloth was rare. Jiang Nan negotiated for a long time before finally getting the price down to thirty-five yuan.
She remembered the brown corduroy fabric Du Hehua had traded at the market. She needed to design something carefully, preferably with a patchwork design. Thirteen feet in total, she should be able to make two dresses: one for Jiang Tong and the other perfect for Chen Jinhua's birthday.
Chen Jinhua's birthday is on the 20th day of the first lunar month, so it should still be in time.
Jiang Nan was overjoyed. She suddenly felt that the women trafficking case wasn't that difficult after all. She was sure she could solve it and deal a fatal blow to the traffickers! She didn't want to worry about it for nothing.
With a new pastime after get off work, Jiang Nan devoted himself to the task of returning to Xihe'an to pay New Year's greetings with great enthusiasm the next day.
Because they'd given gifts before the Lunar New Year, the four of them didn't bring much after the Lunar New Year. They each took a pound bag of pastries to give to Jiang He and Jiang Song to sweeten their mouths. Yes, Zhou Zhixing went along again, and even Old Lady Cao couldn't help but complain about how extroverted boys are.
Because it snowed heavily on the third day of the Lunar New Year, the four of them had a hard time riding their bikes. They were sweating by the time they reached the Jiang family's yard. Aunt Yin Wenjuan made ginger soup for the four of them, which helped them to recover.
Although Jiang Nan had a job and was engaged, she wasn't married yet, so she didn't need to give out red envelopes during the Lunar New Year. However, since Jiang He was the only child in the family, Jiang Nan was very considerate and gave him a large red envelope with a full dollar inside. She squatted down, dangling the red envelope, and tempted him, "Little Jiang He, do you know what this is?"
The little guy was wearing red clothes, a tiger-head hat, and tiger-head shoes. He was chubby and very cute. He jumped for joy when he saw the red envelopes: "Red envelopes, red envelopes for the New Year."
It’s obvious that he received a lot of red envelopes during the Chinese New Year.
Jiang Nan raised the red envelope maliciously and said with a smile: "What should I say if I want a red envelope?"
Zhou Zhixing followed suit and took out a red envelope, waving it towards the little guy with a smile, like the Big Bad Wolf tempting Little Red Riding Hood.
Little Jiang He was clearly well-trained. He cupped his chubby little hands and said crisply, "Happy New Year! Here's the red envelope."
Jiang Nan was so shocked that she almost thought Little Jiang He had been pierced. It was her new sister-in-law, Ms. Luo Tao, who smiled and explained, "I learned this from watching Tang Xi and Tang Zhiqing greet Grandma in this way."
Jiang Nan was puzzled: "When did Tang Xi become so close to Grandma? And she even came to visit us for New Year's greetings?"
Ma Honghua rolled her eyes. "Which family in the village hasn't she visited for New Year's greetings? They're so cunning! You should avoid these educated youth in the future, especially Tang Xi. She's incredibly evil and won't settle down peacefully in the countryside. That Tian Jiaguang has tricked Pan'er from the Qiu family into losing her way. I think Tang Xi is about the same. She's tricked that kid Ren from the cowshed into being completely devoted to her."
Jiang Nan was puzzled and asked the system, "Is Tang Xi and Ren Pinglan's relationship public?"
[No, they were secretly dating, but there are no secrets in the village, so everyone knew about it.]
Well, the countryside is just a big tube-shaped building. Jiang Nan stopped teasing little Jiang He, gave him a red envelope, and went into the house to chat with his grandmother Du Hehua.
Because they wanted to visit Lan and Shen's homes to pay New Year's greetings, the four of them had lunch, rested briefly, and then hurried back. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had both just started working, and as juniors, visiting the homes of the two directors and their colleagues was essential.
These days, job mobility is low, and these colleagues may have to work together for decades, but it's important to manage relationships well. After all, interpersonal relationships are also an important factor in promotion assessments.
The two of them didn't bring any gifts, just some simple canned yellow peaches. This kind of obvious gift that would not cause misunderstanding is the most appropriate.
Lan Qingshan is forty-one years old. His wife, Guo Cuizhi, works in the Women's Federation of the Operations Department. Her work is relatively easy, and she takes care of the household. They have a son and a daughter. Their son, twenty-one, has inherited his father's career and is now the head of the field team at the oilfield headquarters, specializing in criminal cases. He's so busy he's never home. Even today, Sunday, he didn't come home. It was his daughter-in-law who came to visit him with their one-year-old grandson. Their daughter, eighteen, is a math teacher at the Tenth Operations Department's elementary school and is still unmarried.
When Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing arrived, the daughter-in-law and grandson had already gone back, and there were only three people left in the Lan family.
Seeing the two people coming with gifts, Lan Qingshan's face became very serious. He glared and said, "You are so young, why are you trying to flatter me?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled, shook the six cans of yellow peaches in his hand, and cried out in protest: "Officer Lan, how can anyone give canned yellow peaches as flattery?"
Lan Qingshan's wife, Guo Cuizhi, was a straightforward woman. When Lan Qingshan glared at her, she gently hit him. Now she smiled kindly, "Xiaonan and Xiaoxing, right? Qingshan often mentioned you two, saying that you are better than your father and have a bright future ahead of you."
Jiang Nan was foolishly happy. She had never been very good at handling situations like this, so Zhou Zhixing took over with ease, "Oh, I finally heard the truth. Auntie, you don't know, Lan was hiding things so deeply. Xiaonan and I always thought he was unhappy with us. Thank goodness you came today, otherwise we would have been carrying this feeling in our hearts forever."
Guo Cuizhi was amused and laughed: "Don't worry, your Lan police officer has this face. He doesn't like to smile at home. In fact, he is very satisfied with you."
Lan Qingshan kept a straight face, pretending he hadn't heard anything, and chatted with Zhou Zhixing about work. Tomorrow they had to investigate the women's trafficking case. These traffickers were ruthless and needed to be solved quickly. If so many people hadn't had relatives visiting or going to relatives today, he wouldn't have wanted to give them the day off.
Guo Cuizhi also knew that her husband worked hard, so she listened with a smile the entire time and didn't say anything else. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing listened to the investigation instructions for half an hour, and it was only when Guo Cuizhi saw them glance at the wall clock that she interrupted Lan Qingshan and said, "Oh, it's New Year's Day, you don't need to go out and about. Young people have to visit other leaders. Okay, Xiaonan, Xiaoxing, Auntie knows you're busy, so I won't keep you two here. Come over and play when you have time."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing nodded obediently. Lan Qingshan coughed, picked up the teacup and said, "Alright, if you have something to do, go ahead. We'll talk tomorrow."
After coming out of Lan's house, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief. Chief Lan was good in every way except for one thing: he was a workaholic. He would talk endlessly about work. The two of them were talkative enough and they couldn't get a word in.
The two looked at each other and burst out laughing, both feeling like they had escaped death. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores were open, but the two did not go home. Instead, they bought six more cans of yellow peaches and went to Shen Mingguang's house.
Most of Shen's family were at the oilfield headquarters, leaving the elderly couple alone. Seeing them arrive, Shen Mingguang didn't engage them in a work chat; instead, he asked about their wedding. Jiang Nan wasn't even eighteen yet, so she definitely couldn't have a wedding this year. She didn't have the shyness of a girl her age, so she openly said she'd hold the wedding at eighteen, much to the amusement of Shen and his wife.
Coming out of Shen's house were Zou Li, Wen Qiang, Wang Zili, and Wang Gengsheng. Because they had helped Zou Li's child in the hospital, the two were warmly received at the Zou family's house. When they left, they were given a bag of gifts that they couldn't refuse.
In Wen Qiang's family, except for Wen Qiang, everyone else is a cook. They fed the two of them so well that they didn't even need to eat dinner.
It would be fine to just sit with Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng. Wang Fendou had already returned to the countryside, and the two young men were living a rough life on their own. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were too embarrassed to stay for long; the house was too messy to even step foot inside.
The leader and his close colleague visited their homes, and when they returned to Courtyard No. 1, it was dark.
The two of them never expected that Dong Jiaojiao would actually be waiting at the door, apparently waiting specifically for them. As soon as they appeared, Dong Jiaojiao crossed her arms and snorted, "You two police officers haven't solved such a serious case of human trafficking yet, and you still have time to take a day off? You really don't care about your jobs and your dedication to serving the people."
Jiang Nan pointed at himself and asked curiously, "Are you talking to us?"
Dong Jiaojiao stamped her feet and looked at Zhou Zhixing with a coquettish look: "Who is talking to you! Brother Zhou, look at her, she can't speak at all!"
Zhou Zhixing shook off the goose bumps on his body and hid silently behind Jiang Nan. Dong Jiaojiao was so angry that she stomped her feet again, and her eyes were filled with resentment when she looked at Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan was helpless: "Sister, what's wrong? It's getting late, and we have to go to work tomorrow."
Dong Jiaojiao snorted, raised her head, and looked at Jiang Nan with disdain: "I'm here to provide clues. I know where human traffickers usually like to be. They..."
Jiang Nan interrupted her and couldn't help asking, "Do you know human traffickers?"
Dong Jiaojiao twisted her body and accused, "How can you be so rude! How can you interrupt me when I'm talking? What kind of character is this?"
She looked at Zhou Zhixing, her eyes filled with resentment and anger: "Brother Zhou, you have suffered a lot. Why did you marry a woman like this? She is really not worthy of you." That look was more stringy than cheese.
Jiang Nan ignored her and pretended to leave: "If you have nothing else, let's go."
"Wait!" Dong Jiaojiao stretched out her arms and said reluctantly, "What's wrong with me knowing about human traffickers? I'm so beautiful, so why would it be strange that I was abducted by human traffickers? I'm a girl of luck, and the traffickers were caught before they could sell me off. Is that okay? Humph, don't think you're the only one who's amazing, I'm pretty good too."
Jiang Nan raised his eyebrows, gave a thumbs-up, and said seriously, "Since you provided a clue, I have to ask you a few serious questions."
Dong Jiaojiao held her head high, looking arrogant: "Ask."
Jiang Nan: "How do you know the police station received a report from a human trafficker?"
Dong Jiaojiao scoffed, "Does your police station still have secrets? Old Lady Liu, Old Lady Sui, and so many other people in Courtyard No. 1, everyone knows about it. What's so strange about it?"
Jiang Nan shrugged and continued, "How old were you when you were abducted? Why were you abducted? How were you rescued?"
Dong Jiaojiao: "Thirteen. I was still in junior high school at the time. The man said he was a colleague of my brother-in-law, so I went with them. Who knew they were human traffickers? They were a gang that specialized in abducting women aged thirteen or fourteen, saying they were selling them to a village in the south to be wives for bachelors in the village. I was locked up in the cellar at the time, and there was another person in the same situation next to me. I guessed the traffickers wanted to abduct a few more people to send out together, and there shouldn't be any danger for the time being, so I kept quiet. After I was taken out, I left my hair ornaments, hairbands, buttons, etc. in the yard as clues. I'm very smart, huh."
Jiang Nan was impressed by Dong Jiaojiao. Regardless of whether what she said was exaggerated or not, her ability to handle it calmly proved that Dong Jiaojiao was no fool. He also felt a little sorry for her. She was already thirteen when she was abducted. Although she was later rescued, there must have been a lot of gossip about her. It was understandable that she had become like this now.
The traffickers Dong Jiaojiao encountered and this time's matchmaker, Huang, likely aren't from the same criminal organization. Their methods are vastly different, and they're likely not part of the same group. Furthermore, Dong Jiaojiao's rescue suggests the group has likely been apprehended. Cases are handled with rigor and severity these days, so their release is unlikely.
Dong Jiaojiao didn't care. She chattered away, "There were three traffickers, ostensibly a family. An old woman, probably the leader, and a young couple, who said they were her son and daughter-in-law. I was deceived by the son. Humph, they wanted to abuse me, but when I bit them, they screamed like pigs being slaughtered. It was disgusting."
Jiang Nan, however, was more interested in the "southern village" she mentioned. She asked, "You just said they were going to sell you to a village in the south. Do you know which village it is?"
Dong Jiaojiao glanced at Jiang Nan and said, "Are you stupid? They said the South, so you believed the South? Besides, I want to escape. Why would I care where I'm sold to? All I want is to escape, okay?"
Seeing Jiang Nan's seriousness, she thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "Su Province? Oh, I didn't ask about that. Go check it yourself."
She said confidently, "You must carefully check those alleys, especially those with complicated crowds. I was imprisoned there in the beginning."
After saying that, Dong Jiaojiao looked at Zhou Zhixing again, with that sticky look that could be stretched to a thread, mixed with anger and resentment. Then she stomped her feet, snorted, and turned away.
This look made Zhou Zhixing break out in a cold sweat and he kept rubbing his arms in the middle of winter.
Jiang Nan teased, "Why, is it the hardest to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman?"
Zhou Zhixing was speechless: "Goodbye, you alone are enough for me to bear, I can't afford anyone else."
Jiang Nan snorted, stepped forward, and changed the subject: "What do you think of Dong Jiaojiao's words?"
Zhou Zhixing quickly followed up and spoke frankly, "Aside from the Su Province clue, the others aren't very valuable. Many southern provinces are extremely patriarchal, and before liberation, drowning baby girls was a common phenomenon. Now that boys have reached marriageable age, buying them wives has become a necessity."
Jiang Nan gnashed with hatred: "It wouldn't be a pity if this kind of village disappeared. I don't know what's wrong with their brains. They gave birth to a baby girl and didn't raise her. When she grew up, they wanted to buy another girl. Damn it."
Zhou Zhixing: "Okay, calm down. It's better not to understand this kind of person's thinking."
As he spoke, he suddenly slapped his forehead and whispered, "Is the province where Wu Chunli went to the countryside Su Province?"
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment, then said in surprise, "No way? A village like that wouldn't be a good place to go to the countryside, right? Chunli wrote to me last time and said the people in the village were nice."
Zhou Zhixing: "It could be another village nearby. Don't worry, see if the probability has changed. If not, it means she's doing well and nothing will happen to her."
Jiang Nan nodded, opened the mini program in his mind, and breathed a sigh of relief: "Great, no changes."
The two of them relaxed and chatted, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Building 4. They had to go to work tomorrow, so they separated early. As soon as Jiang Nan got home, he couldn't help but tell his parents, "Dad, Mom, you would never believe that when Dong Jiaojiao was thirteen, she was..."
Chen Jinhua listened very carefully and couldn't help but sigh, "Dong Jiaojiao's life is not easy. No wonder her parents indulge her so much. She hooked up with her brother-in-law, but her sister didn't care."
Jiang Mancheng punctured his wife's lament, "Jinhua, don't be so kind. Dong Jiaojiao's parents probably think she's unmarriageable, and they think she can hook up with a man and get some benefits, which would be considered a contribution to her family. Otherwise, what mother would watch her daughter ruin herself like this?"
Chen Jinhua scratched her head: "Is that so?"
Jiang Nan nodded in agreement: "Dad, you make sense."
Jiang Mancheng was very pleased with himself. He had been in the harem before, didn't he? "Of course. Now, go wash up. You have to go to work tomorrow and get up early."
"Oh." Jiang Nan jumped up from the sofa and walked towards the bathroom. Before he had taken a few steps, he turned back and asked, "Dad, why do some people prefer to drown their baby girls to buy wives? They keep their daughters and use them as betrothal gifts in the future. They don't have to drown them."
Jiang Mancheng sighed. "Think about it. If a bought wife doesn't have a family, won't there be all those troubles? They can treat her however they want, and no one else can interfere. The more vicious ones might even find a way to kill the child after it's born. You know, before liberation, many villages didn't treat women as human beings. Well, these things are in the past, don't think about them anymore. Go wash up."
Jiang Mancheng rubbed his daughter's head as he spoke. He had been a eunuch in his previous life, and although he was a normal man in this life, he wasn't so obsessed with continuing his family line. But that didn't mean he didn't understand a man's obsession with offspring.
Some men have no real ability at all, and they can only find a sense of accomplishment in having a son.
Not to mention the countryside, aren't the Sui family in the building, the Yuan Dali family, the Su family on the second floor, and several other families like this the same? This is in a relatively affluent place like the oil fields.
He shook his head and urged his daughter again: "Okay, stop looking so sad, be obedient and go wash up."
Jiang Nan nodded bitterly, washed up, and lay down on the bed. His dreams were filled with the cries of drowned baby girls. When he woke up the next day, he had very noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
Jiang Mancheng sighed as he watched, "Are you going to drink that damn coffee again?"
Jiang Nan chuckled, opened the system mall, bought a can of coffee, and drank it in one gulp.
"Dad, don't worry, this thing is not harmful to the body."
"You see, I believe it or not." Putting the porridge on the table, Jiang Mancheng called out, "Eat breakfast!"
Early in the morning, after gathering at the police station, the six groups went directly to Zaohua Commune to begin investigating the human trafficking case.
Through their visits, the six people discovered that Huang the Matchmaker was no ordinary matchmaker. She had retired four years ago and moved away! It was said that she had married someone from another province, but no one knew where she had gone.
According to the captain of Kaoshantun Brigade, Matchmaker Huang lived in Liuxiang Hutong, Zaohua Commune, in the north of the commune. When Group 6 went there to look for her, the house was already empty.
The six people looked into the yard. The wall was not high. Because no one had lived there for a long time, the yard was empty. It was cold at this time, and the weeds growing wildly had not turned green yet, giving off a sense of desolation.
Jiang Nan felt strange. How could the house be empty at this time? The yard was not small, and there were three large tiled houses. Wasn't there anyone coveting such a big house?
The noise of six people knocking on the door was quite loud. The neighbors all looked out, and seeing six people wearing wide-brimmed hats, the timid ones immediately retreated, closed the door and went into the house in one go. The brave ones shouted, "Comrade police, this house is unoccupied. You don't need to knock."
Jiang Nan shouted: "Such a big house, why is no one living there?"
"Why else? It's haunted."
Jiang Nan crossed his arms and challenged, "Really? I don't believe it."
Well, it’s very much like Luyu’s appointment.
When the neighbor saw the police doubt her words, she immediately gave up and shouted, "Why don't you believe it? Everyone in the alley knows that this house is filled with the sound of a woman crying at night. It's so scary. Huang the matchmaker lived there for a year before she was scared and moved away. Two other families moved in after that, but they also heard the crying in the middle of the night and left after just two days. That's why it has been empty ever since. Otherwise, why would everyone leave such a big house empty when they are so short of housing? It's haunted and uninhabitable."
Jiang Nan blinked. Hearing the neighbor mention Huang the Matchmaker, he explained his purpose, saying they'd received a report from Kaoshan Village that none of the six wives Huang had arranged for had been found, and so he came to inquire about her. Zhou Zhixing leaned over to whisper something in Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng's ears, and the two brothers trotted off.
Neighbors didn't know much about Huang the Matchmaker. They said she had only lived in the commune for a year and didn't interact much with anyone. They only knew she was a matchmaker.
"What kind of matchmaking has she done? Neighbors, have you ever asked her for matchmaking?"
"I don't know. We can just ask relatives to introduce us. Why do we need a special matchmaker?"
Jiang Nan couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think it's strange that she doesn't act as a matchmaker for you?"
Someone whispered, "She goes to the countryside specifically to act as a matchmaker. Is it any wonder she didn't tell us? Besides, she has a bad reputation."
Jiang Nan: "Bad reputation? What kind of reputation? Can you elaborate?"
The woman, who was being questioned by the police, blushed, perhaps out of excitement or fear, for a moment before she whispered, "Everyone says she specifically targets rural families who sell their daughters, or old widowers in the city who beat their wives. We don't like talking to her. Besides, there are always men coming in and out of her yard, so we can't keep staring at her."
“Who are the people coming in and out?”
"I don't remember all of this."
"It's okay. Tell us whatever you can remember. We will investigate."
The woman thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "I remember there was a short man with a crew cut, a square face, and I think he came twice. There was also a tall man with a crew cut, a square face, but I remember he had a big nose. I don't remember anything else."
"Yes, yes, I also remember there was a big nose, I think his name was Brother Tiger, he seemed to be a leader, I saw Matchmaker Huang come out to greet him."
It seemed like this Tiger Brother was no ordinary person. Jiang Nan quickly wrote it down and continued to ask for other details: "Do you remember what matchmaker Huang mentioned?"
"I remember that the young wife of the Hu family in Liuye Hutong was found by matchmaker Huang. I heard that she was married from the countryside."
"Can you tell me about the Hu family's situation?"
The person being questioned curled his lips with a look of disdain: "The Hu family is just gigolos, not a good thing. Their eldest son married into the oil field. It is said that his father-in-law is a leader. After that, the father-in-law helped the eldest son of the Hu family find a job in the oil field. I think it was a meat processing plant. It's very respectable. This family is just taking advantage of the eldest son and living off the father-in-law. The youngest son of the Hu family is doing nothing in the commune all day. He couldn't find a wife in the city, so he asked Huang the matchmaker to find him a wife from the countryside."
At this point, she let out a "Pah" sound and continued, "The young wife of the Hu family is also a nobody. She's just a punching bag in the Hu family. All day long, she's either scolded by her mother-in-law or beaten by Little Hu. The neighbors couldn't stand it and tried to help her, but she even scolded those who spoke up for her. What a mess! Since then, no one has bothered with her anymore. Police officer, you see, matchmaker Huang only talks about such foolish marriages. That's why no one wants to marry her."
Jiang Nan wrote quickly, recording what everyone was saying. Besides this marriage, three other families mentioned young wives arranged by Huang the matchmaker, and their situations were generally similar to the Hu family's.
It had been so long, and other than this, there was no other valuable information. The four of them stood up and returned to the house where Huang the Matchmaker had rented. It wasn't long before Wang Zili arrived with a female official from the Housing Management Office. The official smiled and said, "Comrades from the Operations Office Police Station, right? Hello, my name is Wang Na. Here, please let me see your work ID."
She was a little embarrassed. "I...I'm in charge of the houses on the street. I can't just take you in without seeing your ID. Please understand."
Jiang Nan didn't think anything of it and took out his ID to show her. However, Zhou Zhixing glanced at Wang Na and took out his ID as well.
Wang Na finally put on a smile again and said enthusiastically, "I'll take you into the yard and have a look."
Wang Na pulled out her key and unlocked the gate. Several people entered, one after another. Wang Zili stood at the door, stopping any neighbors who wanted to join in the fun. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing each explored three rooms. Uninhabited for three or four years, the rooms were already lifeless and covered in a thick layer of dust.
There were no clues for the time being, so Jiang Nan walked out of the room and asked the neighbors who were watching the fun: "Is there a cellar in this yard?"
When Wang Na heard this, her eyes flashed and she looked towards the wellhead unconsciously.
"Yes," a neighbor shouted. "Matchmaker Huang hired someone to clean a well, hoping to continue using it. But the well has dried up. We have no choice but to use it as a cellar. My husband is still helping with the work."
"Yes, my man did it too, over there."
Jiang Nan followed the direction her neighbor pointed and finally saw the wellhead. It was no wonder she didn't see it; the weeds were so thick that they completely blocked the wellhead. She walked over, leaned over to look down, then straightened up and asked, "Does anyone have a ladder? Please lend it to me. Thank you."
These days, everyone loves to join in the fun, so Jiang Nan didn't think her words would go unanswered. Look, there were those enthusiastic people who rushed home without a word.
When the ladder was brought in, Wang Zili rushed down. Not long after, he was heard shouting, "The cellar is quite large, it can accommodate about ten people."
The neighbor who had carried the ladder enthusiastically replied, "I know. Matchmaker Huang said she was a matchmaker. She had a lot of guests coming to her house during the weekdays, and she had to prepare more food in the winter, so she had to dig a bigger cellar."
Wang Zili turned around, came up and said stupidly, "There's nothing in there."
No one else said anything. Four years had passed, so what could truly be a lucky charm? The four of them waited a moment longer before Wang Gengsheng arrived with a commune police officer. Zhou Zhixing hurried forward, introduced himself, and requested the commune police station's assistance in cordoning off the room, temporarily preventing anyone from approaching.
The policeman was the deputy director of the commune police station. When he heard that several people were from the oil field police station, he readily agreed to Zhou Zhixing's request.
Zhou Zhixing thanked the police for their cooperation, and left Liuxiang Hutong with Group 6 and went to the Hu family in Liuye Hutong to inquire about the situation.
On the way, Jiang Nan poked Zhou Zhixing: "What were you looking at Wang Na for? Is there anything suspicious about her?"
Zhou Zhixing was helpless and pointed at his police uniform. "We're in uniform. When we're questioning people, have you ever seen anyone ask to see their ID? Isn't this suspicious?"
Jiang Nan said "Oh" and realized that she had fallen into a misconception.
When she was a child, watching TVB, the first thing the police asked passersby was to show their ID. She had always thought that asking for ID was normal. But then she thought about it. In all her years as a police officer, she had never seen anyone proactively ask to see their ID. It wasn't a good habit, but it was the reality. Perhaps these days, few people dared to impersonate police officers.
Zhou Zhixing smiled: "Okay, even if she has a problem, it shouldn't be a big deal. She'll probably ask about it soon. Don't think too much about it."
The six of them chatted until they arrived at the Hu family's home. The young wife of the Hu family, surnamed Wang, was from the Shan'aozi Brigade. When asked how she knew Matchmaker Huang, she opened her large, murky, and weathered eyes and asked, "Who is Matchmaker Huang?"
Jiang Nan pulled out a portrait of Matchmaker Huang. It had been drawn by a clerk at the police station yesterday, based on the descriptions of the people in Kaoshantun. She said, "That's her. We heard from the people that Matchmaker Huang arranged your marriage to Hu Yuejin, so we came here to inquire about the situation."
Mrs. Wang shook her head and said, "Yuejin and I are in a free love relationship, without any matchmaker."
Old Lady Hu squinted her eyes, carefully examining the portrait for a few moments, then slapped her thigh and said, "I remember now. She was a matchmaker, to be sure, but my Yuejin and Xiaojia were in a free relationship and didn't hire a matchmaker. You're mistaken. When we went to the Wang family to propose marriage, we invited many neighbors to accompany us to make our proposal more appealing. She must have gone along to join in the fun."
Jiang Nan understood that Huang the Matchmaker was probably accompanying them on a survey of the countryside. He asked a few more questions and visited three more families to inquire about their circumstances, but there was no immediate progress. Although the latter families had been introduced by Huang the Matchmaker, they were all legitimate matchmaking arrangements, with no connection to trafficking.
It was already noon, and the six of them found a state-owned restaurant and each ordered a bowl of vegetable noodles. They planned to eat before heading to the Shan'aozi Brigade. Although no one in Shan'aozi had reported the crime, they still needed to verify whether anyone had married into the oil field through Huang the matchmaker.
Wang Zili ate noodles with a huff and puff. After he had recovered from his hunger, he spoke up, "Captain, Matchmaker Huang doesn't sound fake. She mentioned at least three serious marriages. Could it be that those families really moved?"
Zhou Zhixing shook his head. "Only truth and falsehood can deceive people. If it were all fake, Matchmaker Huang would have been exposed long ago. This matter is not simple. Don't jump to conclusions easily. Everything must be based on evidence."
"Did Matchmaker Huang really go to another province? Where did she get the letter of introduction?"
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "There are tons of blank letters of introduction on the black market. As long as you can afford it, you can buy anything. Okay, let's eat. We still have to go to the Shan'aozi Brigade this afternoon."
Zaohua Commune had seven production brigades under its jurisdiction, including Kaoshantun, Donghe'an, Xihe'an, and Shan'aozi. As their names suggest, Kaoshantun and Shan'aozi were relatively isolated brigades, and Matchmaker Huang had put considerable effort into selecting these two brigades.
Zou Li said pessimistically, "I guess Shan'aozi is similar to Kaoshantun and can't provide any useful clues."
Zou Li was right. Shan'aozi Brigade was even worse than Kaoshantun. Kaoshantun even went to the oil fields to look for their daughters, but the families in Shan'aozi Brigade still hadn't noticed their daughters were missing. When questioned, they insisted that their daughters had married off to the oil fields.
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