Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Tang Qingqing's face changed; this was the last outcome she wanted to see.

"Could he really be the murderer? But why would he do such a thing? It’s too unworthy."

A promising future lay right before him, and doing this would undoubtedly lead to his own downfall.

Even if Sun Qin had a poor relationship with his family, it didn’t justify such an extreme action, which would result in mutual destruction.

If they couldn’t get along, they could have let Sun Qin join the military or live separately. If he truly is the murderer, he’s treating human life too lightly.

Qin Sa’s face also looked grim; this was an outcome no one wanted to see.

But based on the current situation, Miao Xiaohui was the prime suspect.

Both the motive and the method of the crime pointed directly at him.

"Where is Miao Xiaohui now?" Zhai Hongyi asked.

"He is still being investigated. The commune has already set up controls. Militia guards are stationed near the brigade, and the army has sent telegrams. As soon as he appears, he will be caught."

Tang Qingqing still found it hard to believe that someone with such a bright future would do something so foolish. Why couldn’t they just talk things out?

Although Miao Xiaohui had excellent anti-investigation skills and left no traces at the scene, deeper investigation would expose him.

If he cannot provide a credible alibi for the time of the incident and has no witnesses to vouch for him, he will be the biggest suspect.

He will lose everything he has and become a fugitive.

But when someone loses their mind, they can do anything unimaginable, even though it doesn’t fit Miao Xiaohui’s character traits.

Zhai Hongyi: "Although Miao Xiaohui is a major suspect, I don’t think he is the murderer."

Qin Sa: "Why?"

"Based on the scene, the murderer planned meticulously and tried hard to escape suspicion. In contrast, he was too careless about hiding his whereabouts."

Tang Qingqing: "Perhaps he overlooked something, or maybe he didn’t intend to kill his wife when he returned. The incident happened suddenly, so he didn’t hide well.

Moreover, he hasn’t been caught yet, so we can’t determine what excuse he might use to explain his alibi."

Qin Sa praised them: "Your deductions are reasonable. Once we catch him, these doubts will be clarified."

Qin Sa and the forensic team had already taken Sun Qin’s body away, along with Accountant Miao. They would notify Tang Qingqing if there were any updates.

The next day, news came that Miao Xiaohui had been caught at the commune bus station. He wasn’t trying to escape but had just returned from outside.

As for the specifics, Tang Qingqing, who was in the brigade, couldn’t know the latest developments and could only worry.

Tang Qingqing did not give up on investigating the murderer’s trail. She wanted to know where he had come from and where he went.

Before leaving, Qin Sa had instructed Tang Qingqing: "Although Miao Xiaohui has been caught, I hope you continue to investigate the surroundings. Wherever someone goes, they leave traces. Overcoming this challenge will increase our experience, even if it’s not useful this time."

Tang Qingqing agreed. She didn’t believe anyone could erase their traces under her watch.

"Brother, do you think the murderer could be him?"

Zhai Hongyi paused: "I hope not."

Tang Qingqing sighed: "I hope not either. He had no reason to take this step."

Sun Qin indeed had a poor relationship with her in-laws, but such situations were common both in rural areas and cities, especially between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Living together inevitably leads to friction.

Especially since Sun Qin was a city-educated youth, whose habits and views differed from those of her in-laws, conflicts were common.

Accountant Miao, as a village cadre, had to set an example. Therefore, although Aunt Luhua was dissatisfied, she only complained verbally.

Even the most gossipy Zhang Laotai, who was extremely dissatisfied with Sun Qin, wanted everyone to know her misdeeds and how disrespectful she was. She spent money on herself and was the most well-dressed woman in the brigade.

Being married and with her husband away, she dressed up every day, attracting attention. But even so, such talk about reputation was limited, as it made her younger son look bad.

She often criticized Sun Qin for spending money and deceiving men, making her younger son give her half his allowance despite her having a decent salary.

However, these criticisms were mostly behind her back, and no extreme actions were taken.

There was no fighting, even loud arguments were rare; they simply disliked each other.

Otherwise, Sun Qin wouldn’t have done nothing at home and waited for everything to be ready for her.

Tang Qingqing began analyzing: "In Sun Qin’s belongings, there was no evidence of correspondence with her former lover, indicating she had no ulterior motives, thus excluding this motive."

Wang Heizi interjected: "Maybe the murderer took those letters?"

Tang Qingqing shook her head: "Her old letters with that man were still at the bottom of the box, untouched."

Sun Qin and that man were classmates, and their conversations were about their lives, aspirations, and ideals, expressing admiration rather than explicit affection.

Each letter was thick. According to eyewitnesses, Sun Qin’s letters were always long, sometimes overweight, requiring extra stamps.

Although they were in different places, they had a lot to say, which was completely unlike Sun Qin's behavior when she was with the team.

Even though there was no reply from Sun Qin, it was clear from her letters that she was passionate and full of hope for the future with that man, making her usual demeanor seem like that of a withered tree.

"Perhaps she was just stimulated by those letters?"

Keeping letters from another man after getting married would definitely upset the current husband.

With the inciting words from Old Lady Zhang, it's possible he might have jumped to conclusions.

This possibility is quite high, as men cannot tolerate their wives cheating on them.

Wang Heizi and Tang Qingqing both sighed deeply; they did not want to believe that Miao Xiaohui was the murderer.

Doing something so foolish! Even if he disliked Sun Qin, he shouldn't ruin his own life.

Did he think he could cover everything up and escape detection?

Based on their understanding of Miao Xiaohui, he didn't seem like someone arrogant and overconfident.

Tang Qingqing couldn't understand what the murderer was thinking. Why couldn't they just talk things out? Her fate had changed, but even in anger, she never thought of taking revenge on Tang Jianjun and Zhao Dahua at the cost of her own life.

Since she couldn't figure it out, she focused on finding clues.

She refused to believe that the perpetrator could be so skilled as to leave no trace behind.

She started searching around the Miao family's home, examining every inch meticulously.

Her efforts paid off, and fifty meters from the Miao residence, under a tree, she found an unusual mark.

Wang Heizi approached to examine it: "What is this?"

The mark was rectangular with unique patterns, unlike any stone or wood block, and its edges were worn, making it barely visible.

If Tang Qingqing hadn't searched thoroughly, it would have been hard to spot.

Tang Qingqing felt a sense of familiarity, "These patterns look very familiar!"

"A towel?" Zhai Hongyi glanced at it and pondered for a moment, unsure.

"Yes, it's a towel!"

Due to the dry and hard ground, plus the friction, the mark wasn't obvious.

But once guessed, comparing it confirmed it was indeed a towel's mark.

Wang Heizi scratched his head: "A wooden block wrapped in a towel? What's it used for? It doesn't tell us anything."

Tang Qingqing's eyes were filled with excitement as she sat down to study the vague mark, ignoring everyone else.

Wang Heizi knew she wouldn't respond when spoken to, so he turned to Zhai Hongyi.

"Brother Yi, what do you think this is about?"

"This could be a footprint."

"What? How can this be a footprint? Whose shoes look like this, square and short? It can't be a child's, right? They wouldn't have the strength."

Zhai Hongyi thought for a moment: "What if the shoes were deliberately made to look like this as a disguise?"

"What kind of shoes?" Wang Heizi found it hard to imagine.

"In the past, Manchu women wore a type of shoe called a 'flower pot bottom' shoe."

"Flower pot bottom shoe?"

"Yes, basically a square block attached to the bottom of a shoe."

Wang Heizi grimaced: "Why wear such shoes? Wouldn't they be difficult to walk in and prone to tripping?"

"One theory suggests that Manchu women tied wooden blocks to their shoes to avoid snake and insect bites while gathering wild fruits, which later evolved into flower pot bottom shoes."

Wang Heizi still found it hard to imagine, "Wouldn't that make walking even harder?"

Zhai Hongyi didn't delve too deeply into the topic, knowing only that such shoes existed.

"If this is true, this person is quite cunning. No wonder we've searched everywhere without finding any traces."

Wang Heizi expressed concern: "Using flower pot bottom shoes and covering footprints with towels, what can we deduce from these footprints?"

Zhai Hongyi looked at Tang Qingqing, whose face was tense as she focused intently on the only trace they had found. This was a significant challenge for her.

"Let's search elsewhere to see if we can find more traces like this."

Wang Heizi rolled up his sleeves, ready for a thorough search.

Miao Xiaohui returned to the commune with a heavy yet excited heart, only to be apprehended by the police upon arrival.

"What are you doing?" Miao Xiaohui was confused, looking at Qin Sa with bewilderment.

Qin Sa: "Miao Xiaohui, you are suspected of murdering Sun Qin. Please cooperate with our investigation."

"What!?" Miao Xiaohui was stunned at first, then struggled fiercely, held down tightly by Qin Sa and another officer.

"Miao Xiaohui, calm down. Confess honestly, and your punishment will be lenient. Resist, and it will be severe."

Miao Xiaohui's eyes turned red: "Tell me clearly, who died?"

"Sun Qin, your wife Sun Qin. She was brutally murdered by you. Don't try to escape punishment; we have sufficient evidence."

Miao Xiaohui was extremely agitated but forced himself not to struggle.

He knew that he couldn't resist at this moment; he had to cooperate with the Public Security Bureau personnel.

He tried his best to stay calm, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"When did Sun Qin die? How did she die?"

Qin Sa had been closely observing his expressions. At this moment, Miao Xiaohui indeed looked like someone who had just learned that his wife had been murdered, trying hard to contain his anger.

If she had just joined the Public Security Bureau, she might have believed him to be innocent.

But having handled so many cases, Qin Sa knew all too well how skilled criminals could be at acting.

She often marveled that these people were wasting their talents by not becoming actors; they had such strong performance skills.

Even with solid evidence, many would still not admit it right away, continuing to act and blaming others for their crimes, always portraying themselves as innocent victims.

"She was killed in her home around two o'clock on the morning of October 23rd."

Miao Xiaohui clenched his fists, his whole body trembling.

If this was an act, the performance was too convincing.

Miao Xiaohui took a deep breath, his voice hoarse and low:

"On October 23rd, I was still in Yintang Commune's Changhe Team. You can investigate there. It takes at least ten hours to travel from there to our commune."