Chapter 90 Another Vicious Case
Zhou Zhixing understood what had happened, pondered for a moment, and said, "There's no evidence. As you know, with current technology, forensic doctors can't even accurately determine the time of death to the minute. There were only two people in the room at the time. Jing Zhiyuan said his mother was already dead when he returned, so no one can accuse him of lying. And he really did go to buy medicine. It's impossible that he didn't meet anyone along the way. It's even more unlikely that anyone would believe he just stood by and watched someone die. Otherwise, why would they buy medicine, right? It's not cheap."
Jiang Nan was unwilling to accept it: "Just let it go like this?"
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "Let's observe for now. We can't arrest someone for no reason. Don't overthink it. Let's see what he does next. Keep an eye on him. If he doesn't do anything bad again, we'll leave him alone. If he does something wrong again, we'll take action immediately."
Jiang Nan nodded: "Okay, that's all we can do. Then let's change that..."
Without waiting for Zhou Zhixing's answer, he shook his head. Isn't this stupid? Jiang Nan quickly sighed, "I didn't expect Secretary Jing to be this kind of person. I used to think he was quite nice. That time when his mother had a seizure and pried up the tiles in the park, he even knelt down to talk to her. I didn't expect..."
Zhou Zhixing declined to comment. Jing Zhiyuan was filial, but doing so in public made him look like a show. After all, being a filial son is a double-edged sword. If used well, it would be very beneficial to one's career.
But if his reputation as a filial son threatens his career, filial piety will become a stumbling block, and he will take action sooner or later.
The test results came out very quickly, and Wang Ze still failed. However, he took over his uncle's job and became an oil worker, which was a blessing in disguise.
Zhou knew that he had passed the exam and became an oil worker. He was so happy that he almost lost his mind and smiled foolishly for three days in a row.
All four members of the Jing family failed the exam. According to Cheng Gaigai, Jing Aihua failed to persuade them, so the two families went to Jing Zhiyuan's house and made a scene. Unfortunately, the elder brother is not the mother, so no one would say that the younger brother has to support the older one. The two families were in the wrong and left in disgrace.
After the exams, time quietly arrived at the end of April. Chen Jinhua proposed to the union that the Operations Department contact the Kaoshantun and Shan'aozi brigades to purchase peaches and apricots. The union was busy counting the number of buyers and the quantity, collecting deposits from each household, and began to place fruit orders with the two brigades.
Jiang Nan had originally considered Kaoshantun because he felt uneasy about the unsolved human trafficking case and wanted to offer some financial compensation. Now that the two families were connected, Jiang Nan felt relieved of the slight guilt he felt.
During this period, something happened that no one expected.
Sui Yun actually married Shi Qing!
Moreover, he ran away secretly and moved directly into the Shi family.
The Sui family didn't know about it at first and thought she had gone back to her ex-husband's house to see the children. By the time they found out and came to the house, the two had already gotten together and couldn't be separated.
The Sui family wanted a betrothal gift, but the Shi family simply gave up and told the Sui family to take whatever they wanted. Anyway, their house had already been smashed twice, so they had nothing to ask for.
Take it, just take it.
The Sui family was helpless and fearful. After all, the Shi family was the home of a murderer, so how could they dare to make a scene? They had no choice but to swallow their loss and spread the word that the Sui family had no daughter named Sui Yun. The whole family left in anger.
Jiang Mancheng commented on the Sui family with disdain: "A bunch of people who only know how to bully others in their own home."
Jiang Nan also scoffed. Although Sui Yun was confused, the Sui family was the worst. They didn't treat women as human beings. Anyone who came to their family would be worse off than having eight lifetimes of misfortune!
Since Sui Yun left, the happiest people are Tong Lili and Wang Jianyi.
Wang Jiankang, for her part, was simply happy to not have another mother-in-law for no apparent reason. Tong Lili felt much the same way. She had been worried that if Sui Yun failed to scheme against Wu Dachui, she would turn to her father-in-law. Now that he was gone, Tong Lili finally felt relieved.
As for Dong Tingting, she had observed her for a few days and found her to be quite ambitious and looked down upon ordinary people. She had never seen her flirting with anyone other than the Deputy Director of the Revolutionary Committee, Wan Hu, or the old man in the leadership compound.
Thinking of the leadership compound, Tong Lili hummed a song and felt very happy. Her home was in the leadership compound and there were people living there!
Tong Lili was extremely cautious and secretly went to the leadership compound to find her mother, Widow Qin. Two nights ago, her mother had secretly come to see her. Yes, it was the day when the Dong and Yuan families had fought. Widow Qin asked Tong Lili to follow Tian Fang carefully, saying that she felt something was wrong with Tian Fang. But she couldn't explain what was wrong, just told Tong Lili to follow Tian Fang for a few days to see who she was in contact with.
Tong Lili was naturally very careful. Her mother was trying to hook up with Deputy Secretary Tian, so she had to help. If her mother married Deputy Secretary Tian in the future, she would also benefit from it.
Tian Fang is the only daughter of Deputy Secretary Tian. Although she's married, she hasn't settled down and is having a lot of fun outside. During the two days that Tong Lili has been following her, she's seen at least four of Tian Fang's so-called "good friends." It's no secret that she's the queen of the sea.
Of course, that term doesn't exist anymore, but Tong Lili's eyes were opened. She had originally thought her mother was quite capable; not only had she hooked up with Qiu Xiangdong, but she also had several other lovers in the village, so the mother and daughter had never had to endure hardship. Then, through some cunning, her mother secretly gave birth to Qiu Xiangdong's "son," and life improved. Not only did she often eat meat, but she didn't have to work in the fields. Tong Lili's ambition to marry into the oil fields since she was little was also influenced by her mother.
But now, after meeting Tian Fang, Tong Lili realized that there were always people better than her. Her mother, too, had been flirting with other men after becoming a widow. As for Tian Fang, her husband was still with her. Although he was a son-in-law, there were always some constraints. But Tian Fang took it all for granted and acted so brazenly that it was truly unacceptable.
She wanted to find Widow Qin to explain the situation. She hadn't yet verified the identities of the four people, so she needed more time. But after waiting for a long time at the agreed location, Widow Qin didn't show up. She had to go back to make lunch, so Tong Lili couldn't wait any longer and had to leave. But after two or three days, Widow Qin still hadn't appeared, and Tong Lili couldn't help but feel anxious.
Meanwhile, the police station received a major case: someone found mutilated body parts in a trash can!
In the Tenth Operations Office, or Baishui City, a brutal murderer who kills and dismembers people appeared!
It was still a bit chilly that early morning in late April, and those who were not in good health were still wearing thick cotton-padded jackets.
On the way to Courtyard No. 1, a shivering figure staggered forward.
This is Old Yang, who is responsible for the sanitation of Courtyard No. 1 and several nearby public toilets.
As usual, Old Yang got up early, carrying a large sack, and started cleaning the toilet and picking up trash.
He lives in a fiberglass-clad residential complex. His son was paralyzed in a drilling accident. Although he receives a pension, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the exorbitant medical bills and living expenses. His daughter-in-law stayed with him for two months before running away, abandoning their three children under the age of six.
Old Yang didn't blame her. His daughter-in-law wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't very old. What could she do while she was taking care of a son who could no longer stand up? Let her remarry. At least his daughter-in-law didn't have any complaints. She might still feel guilty about the three children, but when they died, there would be someone to take care of them.
Now, he and his wife are still able to move. His wife takes care of the family, and he carries a large sack every day. After cleaning the toilet, he wanders around picking up scraps to supplement the family income.
What else could he do? He was illiterate, and the fact that he had a job sweeping toilets was because the oilfield leaders saw that his family was in great difficulty and took special care of him.
Old Yang tightened his tattered cotton jacket, revealing the cotton inside. Hunched over, he arrived at Courtyard No. 1. After cleaning the public restroom, he began rummaging through the trash cans. The residents of the tube-shaped buildings were relatively well-off, often having access to good things. Sure enough, Old Yang didn't search long before he found a popsicle wrapper, which he chuckled and put into his sack.
No matter what kind of paper it is, it can be sold for money.
After searching the trash can in Courtyard One, he stumbled toward the Leadership Courtyard. There was another trash can between the two courtyards, and he didn't miss it, hunched over and began searching. Old Yang was overjoyed to find a large black cloth bag. It was cloth! He hurriedly picked it up, only to find it was heavy and dripping with water. He sniffed. Why did it smell like blood?
He opened the cloth bag and looked at the meat inside in disbelief.
Who would throw away meat these days?!
Old Yang shook it over. This piece of meat must be at least five pounds. He chuckled twice and wanted to wrap it in a cloth bag and put it in the sack, but he found that next to the big piece of meat, there seemed to be a small piece that didn't look like meat.
He blinked, stretched out his hand to pick it up, and put it in front of his eyes for a closer look. This look was not a big deal, but Old Yang was so frightened that he screamed "Ah Ah Ah" and threw away the black cloth bag. He collapsed on the ground, shaking like a sieve.
That little thing is clearly a piece of finger!
Human fingers!
Old Yang's screams were so shrill that they quickly attracted a crowd. In the early morning, the neighborhood was already quiet, so any movement was particularly noticeable, let alone such a shrill scream. Lights began to flicker in the nearby tube-shaped buildings, and people hurriedly threw on their clothes and pushed open their doors to exit. Fortunately or unfortunately, this place was quite far from Building 4, so the only people out to watch the excitement were residents of the tube-shaped buildings who had moved in after the 10th.
"What's going on? It's so early in the morning. What's going on? Can't I sleep?"
"That's right, one by one, if you don't go to work, I will. We are glorious oil workers, we must be dedicated to our work."
"Who says it isn't?"
Everyone gathered around noisily, and when they saw what was in the black bag, they shouted louder than Old Yang.
By the time I thought of calling the police, the trash can was already surrounded by people.
Zhou Zhixing brought everyone from Group 6. Yes, it was him again, but he wasn't the lead officer. For such a major case, Lan Qingshan personally led the team, bringing along Groups 4, 5, and 6.
When everyone arrived at the scene, Old Yang had not yet recovered, but he could already understand what people said.
Lan Qingshan asked the only female field worker, Jiang Nan, to be responsible for questioning, while the others divided the work and cooperated to search through the trash can, trying to find all the body parts as quickly as possible.
But things clearly weren't going so smoothly. By the time Jiang Nan finished questioning Old Yang, they'd only found three packages. Given the current situation, they didn't even know if the victim was a man or a woman, making it impossible to conduct an investigation.
Lan Qingshan's face darkened as he expanded his search area. None of the garbage from the operation center could be removed today. They had to wait until they had reviewed it. Wang Zili trotted off to find Shen Mingguang, who would be responsible for explaining the situation to the municipal government.
Jiang Nan took a deep breath, put on her mask, and trudged over to the trash can, rummaging through it despite her nausea. For the first time, she regretted becoming a police officer.
Alas, although it was satisfying and fulfilling to solve a case, she didn't want to go through the trash.
Of all the people, the calmest was undoubtedly forensic pathologist Xie Yongping. He went about his business as if he were rummaging through a closet at home, expressionless and cold. His movements were impeccable, and he showed no hesitation at all, even in the midst of the mess.
Jiang Nan admired him very much. He was indeed a famous forensic doctor in Chaoyang Oilfield and even in Baishui City.
She looked Xie Yongping over. Hmm, he wasn't bad-looking, and his figure wasn't out of shape. He held a technical position, and was a pre-sports university graduate. His salary alone was over a hundred, not including various benefits. He was still single at twenty-nine, so his career must have held him back. Was this what later generations called a golden bachelor?
Unfortunately, Xie Yongping's bachelor life will most likely continue.
I guess after today, no young girl in the entire Chaoyang Oilfield would be willing to go on a blind date with Xie Yongping, let alone the Operations Department.
When everyone heard his profession, they all collapsed. Even the women working at the crematorium, upon hearing that their blind date was Xie Yongping, hurriedly said that they usually worked there to collect fees and didn't come into contact with the dead. They also said they were afraid that meeting Xie Yongping would attract dirty people from the crematorium.
Listen to what they are saying!
Oh, the above information was all given to Jiang Nan by He Lin, the elder sister. As the leader and sole member of the police station's labor union, He Lin was well-informed about the marital status of the twenty-odd personnel working outside the police station. When Jiang Nan first arrived, He Lin had wanted to introduce her to Xie Yongping. If Jiang Nan hadn't gotten engaged so quickly, she would have likely gone on a blind date with Xie Yongping.
Jiang Nan's thoughts drifted a bit, and he lowered his head and continued to search through the garbage. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jiang Nan didn't find any body parts. But it was still disgusting enough, rummaging through the trash can, just thinking about it made him sick.
Because they were so busy, Shen Mingguang and his men brought lunch over. Everyone washed their hands at the public tap, disinfecting them thoroughly before eating listlessly.
Shen Mingguang was a veteran police officer, so he naturally knew what to eat at this time. All he served were leafy greens, not a single scrap of meat. Xie Yongping was the only one who frowned, while everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, no one wants to eat meat.
"Yongping, what's wrong? Do you also have times when you can't eat?" Shao Yong used a steamed bun to pick up some vegetables. Seeing Xie Yongping frowning, he spoke in a sly tone.
Lan Qingshan glared at Shao Yong fiercely upon hearing this. "Come on, why are you teasing this living devil for no reason? Everyone knows Xie Yongping loves meat, but at this hour, who else can eat meat besides him? Can you? I think you, Shao Yong, are just bored!"
Shao Yong was baffled by this look. He was merely curious about the frown on Xie Yongping's face, but why was Chief Lan reacting so strongly, glaring at him? He knew, ever since that pretty boy Zhou Zhixing arrived, he was no longer Chief Lan's favorite field team leader.
Yes, Shao Yong is such a person, a strange man with a pink girlish heart and a muscular appearance.
But soon, the strange man regretted flirting everywhere.
Xie Yongping said calmly, "It's times like this, the more you need to eat meat."
He glanced at Shao Yong and said with great disdain, "You're already the team leader, but you're still so useless. How are you going to train the team members in the future?"
Shao Yong's eyes widened, and he pointed at himself, somewhat incredulous: "I, am useless?"
Xie Yongping turned his face away, obviously not wanting to pay any attention to this idiot.
"Alright." Lan Qingshan said, "Eat quickly. We still have to work after we finish eating."
Jiang Nan lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. Xie Yongping had a certain dry sense of humor. She looked at Shao Yong again, wondering why she hadn't noticed before that there was such an amusing person in the police station!
Zhou Zhixing gave Jiang Nan a meaningful look. Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow, smiling with a smug smile. "Shao Yong is just funny, what's wrong?"
Looking at Jiang Nan's provocative expression, Zhou Zhixing smiled helplessly and lowered his head to continue eating the steamed bun.
After a day of searching through trash cans across the entire workplace, Jiang Nan thought the garbage was about to start smelling like garbage, but she finally found five more bags. Except for the head, all other body parts had been found.
Medical examiner Xie Yongping pieced together the victim's rough outline and mechanically began, "The deceased is a female, preliminarily estimated to be between 35 and 40 years old. Judging by the degree of decomposition, the body has been dead for no more than three days. An autopsy will be required to determine the cause of death and other details."
It was already dark, the moon high in the sky. The news of the body parts found in the trash can at the workstation had spread far and wide, and everyone, both frightened and excited, gathered in three layers to watch the excitement. Although the moon was not dark and the wind was not strong, no one dared to speak loudly. The crowd gathered in twos and threes, whispering to each other, and the hum of the crowd continued.
"Oh my god, someone really dismembered the body. What a huge vengeance this must be."
"Who says he's not? Hey, you say, that guy, the one who pieced together the corpse, he must be Forensic Doctor Xie, right? My God, no wonder he can't find a partner. Dealing with this thing all day long is so disgusting."
"That's right. I heard he was transferred from the provincial capital. He couldn't find a partner there, so he wanted to come to a small place like ours to work and find a partner. But I think it's difficult. Think about it, he touches these things all day long. Who would dare to sleep with him?"
The discussion inevitably went off topic. Lan Qingshan, who was not far away, acted as if he didn't hear anything and kept a frown on his face the whole time.
If word got out, the pressure on the police station would only increase. He sighed inwardly and waved his hand, urging everyone to hurry up, clear the scene as quickly as possible, and return to the meeting.
Inside the police station, fourteen field officers, fresh from their scene, sat in a row, their faces heavy with worry. Groups one, two, and three remained silent, waiting for the director and deputy director to assign them tasks.
Lan Qingshan and Shen Mingguang exchanged a glance. They were both exhausted, but work still needed to be done. Lan Qingshan coughed lightly and spoke first, "Alright, don't put too much pressure on everyone. I'll be the team leader for this case, and I'll shoulder the pressure. You just need to do your best."
He clapped his hands. "Tomorrow, Groups Four and Five will go to the Fiberglass Community and inquire about any missing women between the ages of 35 and 40. Group Six will split into two groups, one each to Courtyard One and Courtyard Two. If we have time, we'll go to the Leadership Courtyard and ask around to confirm the victim's identity as soon as possible. Group Three will continue searching for the victim's head. Furthermore, the Director and I will contact headquarters and place an ad in the newspaper looking for recently missing women. With this multi-pronged approach, we'll definitely find the victim. Everyone, have faith."
Lan Qingshan looked in the direction of Groups One, Two, and Three, pondered for a moment, and then spoke: "A murder and dismemberment incident has occurred at the operation site. To avoid causing panic among the public, the police station has decided to patrol at night. Lao Liu, you will lead Group One today, and Lao Li will lead Group Two tomorrow. We will take turns until we reach Group Six. This way, each group will have a turn in a week. I know everyone is tired, but with such a vicious criminal appearing at the operation site, we must go all out and not slack off. This is our responsibility as police officers, do you understand?"
The field agents all nodded. Groups one through three stayed put, having guessed they were on patrol. It was their responsibility; it was just a matter of who started.
When the crowd quieted down again, Shen Mingguang stopped making empty promises and said directly, "We've been quite busy these past few days. Labor Day is coming soon. This time, our police station will give out some extra holiday benefits so that everyone can have a good holiday. Okay, don't overthink it. Leave the matters above to Qingshan and me. Just handle the case well."
He clapped his hands and encouraged everyone: "Okay, it's time to get off work. Go home and wash up. Don't worry, you've been working so hard that your brains are all messed up. It's better to go home and get a good night's sleep. Come to work tomorrow with a clear mind and get twice the result with half the effort. Go directly to the family compound tomorrow to investigate. No need to report to the police station."
Everyone nodded. Zhou Zhixing asked Zou Li to take Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng to Courtyard No. 2 tomorrow, while he took Jiang Nan and Wen Qiang to start from Courtyard No. 1.
On the way home from work, Jiang Nan felt a chill. Such horrific cases, something she had only seen on television before, had never imagined that after traveling through time, she would have to personally investigate a murder and dismemberment case! Although she hadn't come into direct contact with the body parts, Jiang Nan still shuddered.
"Are you scared?" Zhou Zhixing slowed down the car and turned his head to look at Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan nodded hesitantly, "It's a bit scary. What kind of hatred or grudge are you talking about? Killing someone and then dismembering the body? How perverted is that?"
Zhou Zhixing thought for a moment and said, "I used to be in the harem, you know that, right?"
Seeing Jiang Nan nod, Zhou Zhixing smiled and said, "You may not imagine how miserable the lives of the concubines, maids, and eunuchs who have lost their power in the imperial palace are. Eunuchs are the most cruel to the maids who have lost their power because they are inhumane. I have seen them use sticks to clean toilets..."
He paused, then amended his tone, "I've even seen victims being tortured with each cut, and even when they fainted, they still sought treatment from imperial physicians. They simply didn't give them the best of pleasure. However, the more arrogant they were in front of their victims, the more servile they became in front of those in higher positions. I'm telling you this: no matter how perverted the people behind this are, they're just like those disgusting eunuchs, rats in the gutter. There's no need to be afraid of them."
Thinking of something, Zhou Zhixing said seriously, "Of course, I've also seen kind-hearted eunuchs and even been saved by one. But those with psychopathic tendencies are most likely the rats in the gutter, only daring to harm others behind their backs and being more cowardly and inferior than anyone else in front of others."
Jiang Nan knew he was being kind and comforting, so she nodded. "Okay, I understand. Let's go. We have to work tomorrow. This is such a big case, it's going to take a lot of time."
When she got home, Jiang Nan looked at the fresh green vegetables on the table and smiled sweetly. She couldn't help but share her afternoon experiences with her parents. It wasn't that she didn't know how to keep it a secret. They were surrounded by onlookers while they were rummaging through the trash can. The case must have spread a long time ago. You can tell from the dinner her father made. He must have been worried that she wouldn't be able to eat.
Jiang Nan happily bit into some greens and asked, "Dad, Mom, who are you talking about who would think of dismembering a body? How horrible that would be."
Jiang Mancheng was curious and irritated, and analyzed for his daughter: "We have to wait until the investigation is thorough to know the truth, but what you should focus on now is the act of dismemberment, right? What tools were used to dismember the body? How skilled was the dismemberment? Was it professional? But..."
Jiang Mancheng scratched his chin and said, "Your forensic doctor Xie is a professional. He must know more than me."
"Forensic Doctor Xie is a graduate of the Public Security University, so he must be amazing. But you're amazing too, Dad," Jiang Nan couldn't help but flatter him. She had never been favored in her previous life, but in this one, she was the only one doted on by her parents, feeling incredibly blessed.
She nudged Zhou Zhixing beside her and said threateningly, "Don't you think so?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled: "Yes, Uncle Jiang is very powerful."
Jiang Mancheng glanced at Zhou Zhixing with a sidelong glance and raised the corner of his mouth.
The four of them finished their dinner with smiles on their faces and quickly parted ways.
The next morning, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing waited for Wen Qiang at the compound gate, ready to start their questioning with Building No. 4, the place they were most familiar with. Such a horrific case frightened even old ladies like Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Cao.
Old Lady Liu asked in a trembling voice, "Xiao Nan, is it true... someone really dismembered a body? Why, why is it so scary? You must find the murderer quickly, otherwise none of us old folks will be able to sleep."
"That's right, Xiaonan, Xiaoxing, you guys better hurry up, this is such a weird thing, what do you think, should we..."
The person who was speaking fell silent, and the people next to him couldn't help but get anxious: "Oh, what's that? Why don't you finish what you're saying? You're just talking halfway through. It's really frustrating."
"Well, this isn't about prohibiting feudal superstitions. I told you, don't go to the Revolutionary Committee and sue me."
"No, no. Oh my god, I can't sleep just thinking about what was found in the trash can next to our community. Tell me, what should we do?"
The woman hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Jiang Nan and the other two officers remained silent, she whispered mysteriously, "Shouldn't we buy some paper money to pray for her soul? You said she died such a tragic death. If we don't pray for her soul, what will we do if she keeps wandering around our neighborhood at night and refuses to leave?"
Several uncles and aunts looked at each other, not saying a word, but their eyes betrayed them. These uncles and aunts all came from the old society and believed in these supernatural things very much. They decided to go out at night to burn paper secretly.
Jiang Nan ignored all this. She still wanted to burn some paper. Although she didn't really believe in it, there were four people who had traveled through time in this world, and only three in her family. Who knew if this was a normal world? Strange things could really happen.
She coughed lightly and changed the subject, "Uncle and Auntie, let me ask you again, do you know if anyone has gone missing recently? A woman around 35 to 40 years old, who has been missing for at least three days?"
Old Lady Liu shook her head: "No, everyone in our courtyard is safe and sound, no one is missing."
Old Lady Cao agreed: "That's right, Xiaonan. I can't tell you about other buildings, but I know everyone in our building is here. No one is missing."
"There's nothing in our building either. I know everything, and nothing can be hidden from me."
It was just a routine question in Building 4. After all, she and Zhou Zhixing knew the people in the building, and no one was missing. Jiang Nan and the other two nodded, turned around, and started to head to another building. But before they took two steps, Tong Lili called out to them.
Unexpectedly, Tong Lili, with a pale face, hurried downstairs and asked with trembling lips, "Jiang Nan, you, you just asked about a woman between 35 and 40, right?"
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat. How could she have forgotten that Tong Lili's mother, Widow Qin, was of the same age? She nodded, and Tong Lili's body staggered, and was quickly supported by Old Lady Liu and Old Lady Cao.
Tong Lili's father-in-law Lin Youliang's face also became extremely ugly, and he stared at Tong Lili.
Tong Lili wailed and cried, "My mom, my mom is missing. I've been looking for her for several days, and Tian Fang said she went back to her hometown. I'm going back to my hometown to see her today. Can you, can you go with me? I'm scared..."
Upon hearing this, the others looked at the three men. Tong Lili's hometown brigade was called the Duzishan Brigade, the same brigade where the footprint identification expert was stationed. It was one of the first brigades in the operation department to discover oil. Drilling Team 2, where Qiu Xiangdong was stationed, was stationed there year-round. The Duzishan Brigade was quite far from Yard No. 1, requiring an hour by car and at least three hours by bike.
However, this clue was crucial, and Jiang Nan, Zhou Zhixing, and Wen Qiang didn't want to give up. Without a second thought, they nodded and immediately rode their bikes with Tong Lili towards the Duzishan Brigade.
The Duzishan Brigade no longer belonged to the Zaohua Commune, but was instead under the jurisdiction of the neighboring Qingjiang Commune. However, the group only wanted to confirm the whereabouts of Widow Qin and did not need to deal with the commune. With Tong Lili's guidance, they took a detour to the Duzishan Brigade.
The area where the 10th Operations Office is located is mountainous, part of a large mountain range. The Pian Duzi Mountain Brigade is quite unique; the mountains here appear to have been severed by some external force, leaving a single, isolated peak standing beside the brigade. It's a place with no village or shop nearby, hence the name "Duzi Mountain."
The oil wells in Duzishan Brigade were concentrated at the foot of the mountain, leaving little impact on arable land. Therefore, during the initial negotiations, the oilfield offered little compensation, and there was no compensation program. Instead, each household contributed a small sum as compensation for developing the wasteland at the foot of the mountain. Consequently, the Duzishan Brigade remained relatively poor, leading to envy of the oil workers.
Tong Lili married into the oil field and was well-known in the Duzishan Brigade. As soon as they appeared, the four were surrounded by enthusiastic villagers. When they heard that Tong Lili had come to see Widow Qin, everyone was puzzled.
"Lili, didn't your mother go with you to the oil fields to enjoy life? Why did you come back looking for someone?"
Some people who were jealous of Tong Lili said something sour: "Now that you have a good life, don't you want to support your mother? Let me be honest, your brother is already twelve years old, you can't always leave him to the Sun family to help take care of him, right? If he stays any longer, he will look more and more like a member of the Sun family."
The crowd erupted in laughter. Tong Lili's younger brother, Tong Baohua, looked increasingly like a member of the Sun family, and the villagers knew it all. The posthumous child was probably the illegitimate child of Widow Qin, though no one knew which Sun brother it was.
Tong Lili acted as if she hadn't heard anything. Her face turned pale and she felt dizzy. She struggled to stand and asked, "Is it true that my mother hasn't come back?"
"No, the oil fields are so good, why would I come back?"
"That's right. Widow Qin is not stupid. Why would she come back? Working in the fields every day is not tiring enough."
Jiang Nan supported the man and said to the villagers, "Sorry to bother you. We're fine. Aunt Qin and Lili had a fight this morning, and Lili came back to ask about it because she was anxious. We'll be leaving now."
The villagers suddenly realized something, and a kind-hearted person offered some advice: "Go to the supply and marketing cooperative or department store in the oil field and have a look. Widow Qin loves to be coquettish, so maybe she went there."
"That's right, it's not lunch time yet. Don't worry, we'll go back when we're hungry."
The four nodded, turned around with a stiff smile, and rode away. Tong Lili sat in the back seat of Jiang Nan's car, tears streaming down her face: "My mother, my mother is..."
Jiang Nan had a hunch that the victim was most likely Widow Qin. But she continued, "Does your mother have any distinctive features? For example, did she have any broken bones? Any injuries? These could help identify the body. Think about it."
Tong Lili nodded, and the air fell silent, with only Tong Lili's sobbing remaining.
After crying for a long time, Tong Lili said in a hoarse voice, "My mother...my mother once said that during those difficult three years, she once fought with someone for tree bark and broke her left leg. Later...later she had a good relationship with the village barefoot doctor, who helped her with her treatment. She didn't become disabled, but my mother said her leg hurts when it rains, so she must have left a root cause of the disease."
Jiang Nan nodded and asked softly, "Where on the left leg specifically? The knee? The thigh, calf, or ankle?"
"It was my mother's left ankle. The man pushed her and she twisted her ankle. She was in poor health at the time and her bones were brittle, so she broke it on the spot."
Jiang Nan continued to ask: "Okay, think about it again, are there any other injuries?"
Tong Lili choked up and groaned, lost in thought. After a long pause, she shook her head and said, "That's all I remember. My mother didn't mention anything else."
"Has Aunt Qin ever been hospitalized? Has she ever had a blood transfusion?"
Tong Lili choked up and said, "Yes, I have. My mother had a difficult labor when she gave birth to my eldest brother. She was sent to the commune hospital. I think she even had a blood transfusion at the time."
Jiang Nan stopped the car suddenly, glanced at Zhou Zhixing and Wen Qiang, and said, "Lili, we need to go to the hospital to verify this situation. You..."
Tong Lili wiped her tears and said hurriedly: "I will go with you, I don't want to go back alone, I won't make trouble, I..."
Before she could continue, Jiang Nan nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together."
Without delay, they rushed to the obstetrics and gynecology department of the commune hospital. Doctor Wang, the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department, received them.
Zhou Zhixing: "Doctor Wang, does the hospital still have the maternal files from eleven years ago? We'd like to review Qin Yufeng's birth records. Her daughter said she received a blood transfusion during childbirth, and we'd like to see her blood type."
Doctor Wang was a wealthy woman in her forties, smiling throughout the entire visit and very good-tempered. She said, "Yes, the hospital will keep the hospitalization records for at least thirty years. Xiao Liu."
She turned her head and called out, "Xiao Liu, take these police officers to the archives to check the materials."
Xiao Liu sighed. He was a young man in his twenties, with a baby face and a very likable appearance. He smiled and led the four people to the archives room. As they walked through the outpatient lobby, they happened to encounter Qiu Xiangdong, whose arms were covered in blood.
Qiu Xiangdong was also unlucky. While working in the well, a rusty steel bar pierced his right arm. The wound was deep, and he was afraid of tetanus, so he rushed to the hospital to treat the wound and get a tetanus shot.
Seeing Jiang Nan, he wanted to say hello with a smile, but seeing Tong Lili next to him with a look of despair, his interest waned a bit, but he still said, "Xiao Nan, are you here at the hospital to handle a case? Why did you come to Qingjiang Commune with Lili?"
Tong Lili was now completely confused. Seeing Qiu Xiangdong, she excitedly stepped forward, grabbed Qiu Xiangdong's arm, and cried, "Uncle Qiu, please help me, my mother...my mother is missing. It's been three days. She hasn't been seen for three days and can't be found anywhere. As if to blame, another dismemberment case has happened in the homework department. I...I'm scared..." As she spoke, she trembled and lost her voice.
After all, they had been together for more than ten years. Qiu Xiangdong's expression changed from impatience to solemnity. Finally, he asked solemnly: "It shouldn't be. Didn't your mother go to Secretary Tian's house?"
Tong Lili raised her eyes and cried, "She's gone. I asked Tian Fang, and she said she passed away three days ago. Uncle Qiu, where could my mother have gone? Please help me, you know, my mother..."
Qiu Xiangdong coughed heavily, glanced awkwardly at Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, and quickly interrupted, "Lili, don't be impatient. First, tell me why you came to the hospital. I will definitely help if I can. We are all neighbors in the tube-shaped building. I won't stand idly by, don't worry."
He emphasized the words "neighbors in the tube-shaped building," and it was obvious that he didn't want Tong Lili to continue speaking.
Tong Lili was interrupted and burped. She glanced around and saw Qiu Xiangdong's warning look. She quickly lowered her head and began to sob.
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow. Qiu Xiangdong and Qin Yufeng had completely broken up. Amazing! But she didn't know about the child. Did he know about it?
Seeing that Tong Lili stopped talking, Qiu Xiangdong smiled and greeted Jiang Nan: "Xiao Nan, why are you coming to Qingjiang Commune?"
Jiang Nan's face was serious, and he said in a businesslike manner, "Oh, let's check Qin Yufeng's hospital records. Uncle Qiu, are you injured?"
Qiu Xiangdong covered his arm and said helplessly, "It's okay, I got hurt while working. If you need help, just tell me. Our oil field has a cooperation with the hospital in Qingjiang Commune."
"I know, we just need to check Aunt Qin's blood type. It's not a big deal."
It wasn't that Jiang Nan was deliberately revealing this; she also wanted to remind Qiu Xiangdong to pay attention to his blood type. According to a system scan, Qiu Xiangdong had his blood tested and found he was type O, while the legendary older brother was type AB. Qiu Xiangdong had at least attended junior high school, so he should have known that someone with type O blood couldn't give birth to an AB-type child, right?
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