Chapter 53

Chapter 53

After Tang Qingqing finished her meal, Zhai Hongyi took her to the crime scene.

Wang Heizi wanted to follow, but Zhai Hongyi stopped him.

"You haven't completed your studies for today. Finish them first."

Wang Heizi pouted. "Didn't I study this morning? Why do I have to study again in the afternoon?"

"You ate breakfast this morning; why do you need to eat dinner?"

"But when I go to school, I don't need classes in the afternoon."

Zhai Hongyi glanced at him, and Wang Heizi fell silent, reluctantly opening his workbook to complete the assignments Zhai Hongyi had given him.

"If you finish early, you can come find us. But if you rush through it, you won't be allowed to join us anymore."

Hearing this, Wang Heizi cheered up and quickly got into the groove of doing his homework.

Leaving Old Liu's house, Tang Qingqing asked curiously, "Why didn't you let Heizi come along? He has already learned quite a bit today."

"His focus is not strong enough, so he must complete his tasks before anything else. He cannot be easily distracted by external factors. Emergencies happen often, and we cannot let them disrupt his study plan, or it will always be 'tomorrow.'"

"Brother, you think things through so thoroughly," Tang Qingqing marveled.

Zhai Hongyi was far from being as cold as he appeared on the surface. Not only did he teach Wang Heizi knowledge, but he also taught him how to be a person and temper his character.

Zhai Hongyi remained silent and continued walking forward.

Tall and with long legs, each of his steps equaled two of Tang Qingqing's, but he always controlled his pace to ensure she wouldn't fall behind.

Arriving at the crime scene, Tang Qingqing spotted a familiar face.

"Sis Sa!"

Qin Sa waved at her, sizing her up:

"It's been a while. You've grown into a young lady."

Qin Sa was very busy, often traveling outside. Tang Qingqing rarely saw her whenever she visited the commune.

However, this was partly because the commune seldom called on her. It wasn't easy for Tang Qingqing to visit the commune, so they wouldn't call her lightly.

Now, it was mostly the town brigades that invited her over because they lacked manpower and expertise. Many cases were beyond their capabilities, so they preferred to seek Tang Qingqing's help.

"Sis Sa, are you in charge of this case?"

"How about it? Want to get involved?"

"Of course!" Tang Qingqing nodded vigorously. "The victim was my teacher. I want to know who could be so cruel to kill her."

Qin Sa patted her shoulder. "The deed is done; we can't undo it. The priority now is to catch the murderer and bring peace to the deceased."

"Have you found any leads yet?"

Unlike Chief Zhang, who was cautious not to scare Tang Qingqing, Qin Sa believed she had the mental fortitude. Initially, it might be uncomfortable, but she would adapt over time, just like Qin Sa did.

Women in this field were often underestimated, and without strong mental resilience, they could easily be marginalized.

Since Tang Qingqing would eventually pursue this career, she might as well start training now.

"According to the preliminary autopsy, the victim died between two and three o'clock in the morning. The blunt force trauma to the head was not fatal; the victim was smothered first, then sexually assaulted, and finally struck on the head with a metal object."

"Based on the wound, the weapon appears to be an axe, which has not been found at the scene."

Tang Qingqing was incredulous. "If she was already smothered, why did they still brutally smash her head? How deep must the hatred be?"

"Do you know of any conflicts the victim had?"

Tang Qingqing shook her head. "Although Teacher Sun was careless with her work and often gave lackluster lectures, she never hit or scolded students. She had little presence in the brigade and preferred to be alone."

Qin Sa nodded, confirming the information matched what they had gathered.

"However, I heard that Teacher Sun didn't get along well with the Miao family. They originally favored Jiang Pei'e, but due to circumstances, it ended up being Sun Qin instead. So they didn't like her much."

Even after the incident with Jiang Pei'e, relations did not improve. According to Wang Heizi, they became even more strained.

Despite living in the same courtyard, Sun Qin cooked separately.

Qin Sa noted this down. They were still investigating the scene and hadn't had time for detailed inquiries.

There were too few people, and she had just arrived, so the information was limited.

"There were no signs of struggle. The murderer entered through the window while the victim was asleep and killed her in her sleep, then desecrated the body."

Tang Qingqing was puzzled. "When I looked inside from the door earlier, everything was in disarray. Wasn't that caused by a struggle?"

"No, based on the evidence, the murderer was searching for valuables, causing the mess. Sun Qin hid her money well, in several different places."

"Did the murderer find all the money Sun Qin had hidden?"

"We didn't find a single cent at the scene. The entire house was ransacked. The murderer stole Sun Qin's radio, watch, flashlight, and other valuable items. The Miao family doesn't know exactly how much money Sun Qin had saved, so they can't provide an exact amount. However, it's clear she had saved a considerable sum."

Zhai Hongyi added, "The murderer had a clear target and knew where Sun Qin hid her money. This suggests it was someone familiar."

"The possibility is high. The murderer was very familiar with the Miao family and extremely calm. He removed the stick propping open the window to enter, and upon leaving, he replaced the stick, restoring it to its original state. After committing the crime, he wiped away all traces of himself."

Qin Sa led Tang Qingqing to the window. From the thin layer of dust, it was evident that the stick propping the window had been moved before.

Tang Qingqing: "Since the murderer touched this stick, there should be fingerprints on it, right?"

"The forensic team checked earlier; the murderer was wearing gloves. You've seen the wall too—the most likely place for footprints has been deliberately wiped clean."

Tang Qingqing exclaimed, "This is a well-prepared attack! The murderer is definitely not an ordinary person. Teacher Sun rarely leaves the team; where could she have encountered such a person?"

Zhai Hongyi: "The murderer is extremely familiar with the victim's situation and possesses strong anti-detection skills and physical strength."

"Initial investigations have not yet found anyone in Sun Qin's social network who fits this description."

Accountant Miao is quick-witted but physically average. Moreover, he was indeed very drunk yesterday and was brought back by villagers using a donkey cart.

When entering the house, two strong men carried him in.

If not for today's events, he would have slept at his in-laws' house.

Given his alcohol tolerance, he couldn't have sobered up so quickly to kill Sun Qin, so he is currently excluded as a suspect but remains important.

"There is one person."

"Who?"

Tang Qingqing and Qin Sa both looked at Zhai Hongyi.

"Sun Qin's husband, Miao Xiaohui."

"Him? Isn't he still in the military? I haven't heard anything about him coming back. Besides, he and Teacher Sun had a good relationship. Why would he kill her?"

As soon as Tang Qingqing finished speaking, she remembered Wang Xianghong's case.

To outsiders, Wang Xianghong and Cao Liang seemed to have a good relationship, and Cao Liang had always had a good reputation.

People now speak of him as a kind and gentle person, making it hard to imagine that he could do such a thing.

No one could tell that Cao Liang was not only abusive but also killed his wife.

Qin Sa stroked her chin, "If it's Miao Xiaohui, he could indeed do all this. I'll send a telegram to the military to check where Miao Xiaohui is now."

Standing by the window, Tang Qingqing could faintly smell the blood inside.

Thinking of Sun Qin lying there, just imagining the scene made her feel nauseous.

Seeing her pale face, Qin Sa did not force her to enter and investigate immediately.

"Go look around nearby and see if you can find any clues. The murderer was very careful and didn't leave any footprints inside, so your entry won't help much."

Tang Qingqing pursed her lips, "Sis Qin, am I useless?"

"Everyone goes through this. I want to train you, but I didn't mean to shock you too much. Take it step by step. Honestly, in my years as a police officer, I've rarely seen such a brutal crime scene."

The brain matter splattered everywhere, and the skull was twisted. Anyone would feel physically uncomfortable seeing it.

Even the forensic doctor frowned tightly when entering the room for examination.

Tang Qingqing still felt uneasy. The crime scene is the key, and if she can't overcome her psychological barrier, how will she continue as a police officer?

Zhai Hongyi: "Don't think too much. Since the murderer has anti-detection skills and knows you well, he must have planned to avoid your pursuit. It's difficult to find relevant clues nearby.

But he couldn't possibly erase all traces along the way; it's too much work and easy to get caught. So he must have left some traces somewhere."

Tang Qingqing stopped feeling dejected and walked to where the murderer had climbed over the wall, squatting down to examine the area.

As previously determined, this spot had been cleaned thoroughly, leaving no trace.

Tang Qingqing was not discouraged and observed the surroundings.

The climbing spot was between the western annex and the main house, a corner on the side and quite hidden. Even if someone were up late, they wouldn't stumble upon it.

Although everyone was asleep at that time, exceptions always exist.

The Miao family's neighbors live close by.

"Given the murderer's caution, he wouldn't take the main road but rather a less noticeable path."

Tang Qingqing first determined what a meticulous murderer might think and then deduced his route.

Squatting on the ground, she searched bit by bit. Although this was a small path, many people passed through here regularly, leaving numerous footprints to identify.

Tang Qingqing took out her notebook and meticulously recorded and annotated the footprints.

Zhai Hongyi saw that her notebook clearly listed every person's name and matched them with the footprints on the ground.

Zhai Hongyi was surprised, "You remember everyone's footprints in the team?"

Tang Qingqing identified each footprint almost instantly without hesitation.

"To become a disciple, I spent a long time observing every sheep and every person's footprints in the team, understanding their movement patterns and habits.

Even after becoming a disciple, I continued this habit, so I remember them very clearly."

It's merely a matter of practice, and Tang Qingqing didn't think it was a big deal, explaining calmly.

Zhai Hongyi asked curiously, "How long can you remember?"

Tang Qingqing tilted her head, "Once I remember something, I never forget it."

Zhai Hongyi sighed, "You're naturally suited for this line of work."

Tang Qingqing was unperturbed. "As long as everyone works hard and carefully, they can do just as well as me. It's not a big deal."

"Sometimes being too modest isn't necessarily a virtue."

Tang Qingqing looked up at him. "I really don't think it's a big deal."

"I can assure you that this is remarkable, something not everyone can achieve. You must remember, no matter what others say, you are the strongest."

Tang Qingqing laughed, not understanding why Zhai Hongyi was so serious.

Zhai Hongyi had a stern expression. "This is very important."

"Why?"

"Women are often belittled in life, so you need to be extremely confident to avoid being misled."

Tang Qingqing laughed even harder. "When did you become a life coach?"

"I'm being serious here."

"I got it! I'm not belittling myself. Besides, diligence is also a skill. It seems simple, but not everyone can do it, and even fewer can maintain it."

Tang Qingqing meticulously recorded all the footprints on the ground, all of which belonged to people from the brigade, with no strangers among them.

Each footprint appeared normal, with nothing out of place. All the footprints had clear origins and destinations.

Tang Qingqing conducted thorough investigations one by one, continuing until nightfall without finding any leads.

"This person is too cunning and very cautious. The murderer must have studied me and has been targeting me to erase the footprints."

Tang Qingqing straightened her aching back, feeling frustrated.

It seemed that having a high reputation brought not only benefits but also made criminals more careful when committing crimes, making it harder for the Public Security Bureau to investigate.

Feeling defeated, Tang Qingqing slumped in dejection.

The feeling of finding no clues was truly distressing for her.

Tang Qingqing, who had always been successful, now felt a sense of failure.

Qin Sa comforted her, "Criminal investigation requires patience. It's never about a single person's effort but often involves collaboration across multiple departments. Not finding clues right away shouldn't discourage you; sometimes unexpected breakthroughs occur."

Tang Qingqing had previously felt the limitations of her abilities while investigating Jiang Pei'e's case.

However, after handling several other cases, she had started to feel overconfident again.

Tang Qingqing couldn't help but laugh. Did Qin Sa and Zhai Hongyi coordinate? One loosening the reins, the other tightening them.

"Sis Qin, have you made any progress?"

"Would you like to hear about it?"

Tang Qingqing nodded vigorously.

"This case needs your help to verify the information I've provided. Oh, and don't forget about the footprints. I don't believe that person could cover everything perfectly; there must be some oversight."

There had been many incidents recently, including a mass murder in a nearby town, leaving the entire commune in chaos.

Thus, the number of personnel sent here was limited, requiring local assistance.

As an outsider affiliated with the Public Security Bureau, Tang Qingqing was naturally involved.

"We have conducted preliminary investigations into Sun Qin's social relationships, and the most suspicious party is still the Miao family."

Sun Qin's social relationships within the Rongshan Brigade were simple. She didn't interact much with others or the educated youth, making her primary conflict with the Miao family.

Not only did Sun Qin have a poor relationship with her mother-in-law, but she also had a terrible relationship with her sister-in-law, Aunt Luhua, who was much older than her.

"Besides Sun Qin's introverted personality, which makes her unpopular, the fact that her husband, Miao Xiaohui, directly sends money to her plays a significant role."

Before Miao Xiaohui married, his allowance went to his parents.

As the eldest son, Miao the Accountant had the duty to support his parents and lived with them, effectively using the money for himself.

Although Miao Xiaohui contributed part of his savings when he married, much of it was spent on daily expenses.

Miao Xiaohui owned part of the family home, but given his current prospects, he wouldn't return.

Even if he decided to leave the military, he would likely find a job in a government office or factory, not returning to the Rongshan Brigade.

Therefore, the house belonged to Miao the Accountant's family, and Miao Xiaohui's marriage was merely temporary.

Accustomed to Miao Xiaohui's contributions, both the elderly couple and Miao the Accountant's family became uncomfortable when he began sending part of his allowance to his wife. They believed Sun Qin was taking their money.

Despite Miao Xiaohui's explanations, everyone thought Sun Qin was influencing him, leading to his actions.

Moreover, after marrying, Sun Qin took no responsibility for household chores.

This greatly displeased Aunt Luhua. As a Miao family member, she worked tirelessly, while Sun Qin only taught classes and retreated to her room.

She even cooked separately, eating better than the communal kitchen, tempting the children.

When questioned, she replied, "I spend my own money on whatever I want," infuriating Aunt Luhua.

Sun Qin frequently bathed and washed her hair, always using water she fetched and firewood she chopped. Yet, she never mentioned spending her own money then!

After the Jiang Pei'e incident, the Miao family lost face, and Sun Qin became even more assertive.

"As long as you ask around, everyone says the Miaos have a particularly strong grudge against Sun Qin."

The Miaos feel she took all the advantages after marrying into their family. If it weren't for marrying into their family and using connections to facilitate things, how could Sun Qin have gotten a teacher's position?

Most teachers in the brigade are substitute teachers and generally find it difficult to get a permanent position.

Not only did Sun Qin not show gratitude, but she also felt that everything was what she deserved.

After marrying in, she even convinced her husband to split his allowance with her.

She does no work at home but still takes every opportunity to benefit herself.

Moreover, after so many years of marriage, she hasn't borne a single child and still acts arrogantly, thinking she's something special just because she has a permanent position. Who wouldn't be angry?

Aunt Luhua once said publicly, "If our family weren't so decent, we would have torn her apart long ago. So what if she has a permanent position? Does that mean she can ride on the heads of the poor peasants?!"

As a mother-in-law, Old Lady Zhang has repeatedly complained outside, saying that she must have been blind to think of finding an educated youth for her son who had become an officer.

Thinking that marrying a city girl would bring more propriety.

In the future, if there were a chance to follow the military, it wouldn't tarnish her younger son's reputation and could help him manage the household affairs.

Otherwise, a country girl from afar would be timid and unable to be a good wife, let alone not be a burden.

Unexpectedly, they ended up with such a troublesome person. It would have been better to marry a local girl who is simple and hardworking and wouldn't compete for her son's allowance.

Qin Sa then shared a very important piece of information:

"The neighbors say that the Miaos couldn't tolerate Sun Qin's behavior anymore and that Accountant Miao even sent a telegram to Miao Xiaohui in town, hoping he could return soon."

Tang Qingqing and Zhai Hongyi both felt a jolt, looking at each other.

Could it really be Miao Xiaohui?

Tang Qingqing: "Has there been any response from the military yet?"

Qin Sa: "Not yet, but usually, Miao Xiaohui sends a telegram before returning. According to the Miaos, Miao Xiaohui hasn't sent a telegram recently. I've confirmed this with the brigade leader and nearby neighbors; no postman has delivered a telegram to the Miaos recently."

Most people in the brigade were born and raised here, with little contact with the outside world. Only those with family members serving in the military occasionally send telegrams back to report safety.

After the educated youths arrived, the postman came more frequently, but mostly to the educated youth camp.

Occasionally delivering letters to local families, news spreads quickly throughout the brigade.

Tang Qingqing secretly sighed with relief. She didn't want the murderer to be Miao Xiaohui.

Miao Xiaohui was one of the few successful individuals from their brigade, having fought hard to achieve his current status, and was the pride of the entire Rongshan Brigade.

If he were such a violent person, it would truly be a pity.

However, as a public security officer, personal feelings should not interfere with the investigation, or it could easily lead to misdirection.

Although Tang Qingqing didn't want him to be the culprit, she wouldn't exclude him from suspicion and would focus on investigating him further.

According to Zhai Hongyi, in many cases, victims are often killed by acquaintances, with random killings by strangers being relatively rare.

For a premeditated murder like this, it's unlikely to be committed by a roaming criminal.

A stranger entering the village would be noticed quickly.

If it were a roaming criminal, it would likely be random, without much knowledge of the homeowner.

Since it was inconvenient to track footprints at night, Tang Qingqing went to chat with the locals in the brigade, asking about Sun Qin's situation.

After asking around, the information matched what Qin Sa had found: the Miaos had the most significant conflict with Sun Qin.

Meanwhile, Zhai Hongyi learned something at the educated youth camp.

Sun Qin used to have a sweetheart in the city, and they often corresponded. She was determined to return to the city.

But fate intervened, and she ended up marrying Miao Xiaohui, leading to a falling out with Jiang Pei'e.

Few people knew about this, and the only person who did didn't reveal anything during the incident involving Jiang Pei'e.

After all, Sun Qin was already married, and revealing such information would seem inappropriate and might be seen as trying to disrupt a marriage.

Now that Sun Qin has met with an accident, the educated youth finally revealed the truth.

Tang Qingqing suddenly understood, "No wonder she always looked unhappy. It turns out she wasn't able to marry the person she loved?"

"Probably."

They headed to the crime scene, where Qin Sa looked grave.

"Sister Sa, what happened?"

"The military responded. Miao Xiaohui left the base five days ago and should have arrived at the Rongshan Brigade two days ago."