Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Red Flag Commune, by the riverside.

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the beginning-to-yellow leaves. A gentle breeze blew, carrying a chill.

Old Man Chang carried a small bucket and his fishing gear, finding a spot under the shade of a tree to sit down.

He hummed a tune as he set up his folding stool, arranging his bucket, bait, and other items neatly before hooking the bait and skillfully casting his fishing rod into the river.

Old Man Chang took out his thermos cup, already filled with tea leaves, and poured hot water from the thermos he had brought along.

Blowing away the floating tea leaves, he sipped his tea gently, officially starting his day as a fisherman.

Old Man Chang was patient. After a while, he noticed some movement on his fishing rod. He calmly observed for a moment, then gently jiggled the rod's end, reeling in the line slowly, his eyes fixed on the movements below to prevent the hooked fish from escaping.

Old Man Chang was confident, but when he saw what he had caught, he cursed angrily.

It turned out to be a lady's small leather shoe!

Old Man Chang loved fishing, but he often caught all sorts of miscellaneous items instead of fish.

Therefore, he particularly disliked fishing with other fishermen, not only because they would steal his luck but also because they would mock him.

Old Man Chang removed the small leather shoe. Although it had been soaked for a while, it still looked good. Who could be so wasteful to throw away such a nice pair of shoes?

"Have you just had a few full meals? The young people these days are getting worse and worse."

Even though it was only one shoe, Old Man Chang couldn't bear to throw it back, so he placed it aside.

Despite the unlucky start, Old Man Chang didn't lose heart. He rebaited his hook and cast again.

This time, however, he threw too hard, and the bait flew far away, almost causing him to lose his grip on the rod.

Looking around, he sighed in relief upon seeing no one nearby.

But when he looked back at the river, he noticed an indescribable object floating on the surface.

Rubbing his eyes and squinting, Old Man Chang tried to see what the large object was. When he finally saw clearly, he stumbled back a few steps and clutched his chest.

"A... dead... dead body!"

Upon receiving the report, Captain Hong Weiyi of the Red Flag Commune Public Security Bureau led his team to the scene.

Before they got close, the group smelled a nauseating stench of decay.

Intern Gao Pengyue felt a wave of nausea from the smell and couldn't help retching.

After a moment, he caught up with the team.

By then, the body discovered by the public had been retrieved and laid on the ground.

The body was abnormally swollen, with protruding eyeballs, enlarged and turned-out lips, and a protruding tongue, looking grotesque.

Even though Gao Pengyue had prepared himself, the sight made him run to the side and vomit uncontrollably.

"How can a body look like this?"

Another officer laughed at his reaction.

He patted Gao Pengyue on the shoulder. "Comrade Gao, you need more training. You can't handle even this small scene?"

Gao Pengyue's face twisted. "Is this called a small scene?"

"The dead always look like this. This is actually mild compared to bodies covered in maggots or dismembered."

Gao Pengyue felt dizzy. "Do people always swell up like this after death?"

"After death, the body begins to decompose, producing a large amount of gases, causing the body to swell and become bloated, a phenomenon known as putrefaction bloat."

Captain Hong Weiyi ignored his team member and approached the body for inspection. Due to the bloat, it was difficult to recognize the deceased's features.

He asked the forensic doctor conducting the preliminary examination, "What's the situation?"

"The body has entered the stage of putrefaction bloat. Based on the recent weather and the condition of the deceased, we estimate the time of death to be four days ago."

"Can you identify the victim?"

"The victim is female, approximately seventeen years old, 162 cm tall, and weighing 80 pounds. There are signs of strangulation on her neck, indicating the cause of death. She also has multiple bruises, suggesting she was beaten before her death."

"When the body was retrieved, her outer pants and underwear were pulled down to her knees, and the underwear was torn. Her hymen was ruptured, showing signs of sexual assault."

Hong Weiyi frowned. "Can you confirm her identity?"

"I found no identification on her," the forensic doctor said.

"The victim had calluses on her right hand, likely from writing. She was wearing a pair of leather shoes that cost over twenty yuan, suggesting she came from a well-off family. Such shoes are rarely sold, so the salesperson might remember them."

One of the officers whistled softly. "A pair of shoes costs as much as my monthly salary."

Gao Pengyue, now recovered, immediately identified the nature of the case: "This is a rape and murder."

Tang Qingqing received the news three days after the body was discovered.

Not only Tang Qingqing but everyone at the commune's high school was shocked, never expecting such a heinous crime to be so close.

In Tang Qingqing's class that day, no one could focus on their lessons, struggling to comprehend that Zhou Xiaoling was gone.

Many girls started crying, unable to accept this reality.

Ning Pingying, who received the news earliest, was so frightened that she trembled uncontrollably, unable to recover her composure.

"Qingqing, could there be a mistake? I saw Zhou Xiaoling just the other day, and she was showing off her new leather shoes. How could she be gone now?"

When Ning Pingying heard the news from her mother, she stood frozen for a long time, unable to regain her senses.

The Zhou family was already in tears, and they had been taken by the Public Security Bureau to identify the body and assist with the investigation.

Tang Qingqing herself was still in shock, remembering Zhou Xiaoling's radiant smile from that day.

Although the Zhou Xiaoling she knew had changed completely, compared to her previous struggles, this transformation seemed like a change of fate.

While Tang Qingqing did not agree with Zhou Xiaoling's path, if Zhou Xiaoling felt content, Tang Qingqing still wished her well, even though their paths were diverging, leaving her feeling regretful and melancholic.

But she never expected that Zhou Xiaoling would die so tragically.

Her body drifted down the river to the neighboring Red Flag Commune, where the Public Security Bureau found it. After investigating within the commune for two days without any leads, they realized the victim might not be from their commune and traced upstream, eventually matching the case.

"I'll go to the Public Security Bureau after school to check on the situation."

Ning Pingying nodded repeatedly. "I hope it's not her, I hope it's a mistake!"

Tang Qingqing was not as optimistic as Ning Pingying. The bureau wouldn't publicly announce anything unless they were certain of the identity of the deceased.

Now that it had been confirmed, it couldn't be a false identification.

Moreover, Zhou Xiaoling's family had already identified the body; they couldn't have mistaken their own daughter or sister.

Tang Qingqing wanted to know who killed Zhou Xiaoling and how far the investigation had progressed.

Ning Pingying also understood that the possibility of a mistake was slim but couldn't help saying:

"I was actually a bit envious of her before. She didn't have to struggle through school like me and yet lived such a good life. I never thought she'd lose her life in just a few days."

"Previously, we heard that Zhou Xiaoling's fiancé rarely had episodes anymore. I never imagined that when he did, it would be so terrible!"

Everyone almost unanimously believed that the killer was Zhou Xiaoling's fiancé, since the last person to see her alive was her husband, Shen Hewei.

Shen Hewei had mental issues, which everyone knew about.

Though he had never harmed anyone before, whenever he had an episode, he would start smashing things at home, becoming extremely violent and dangerous.

Sometimes he had to be restrained to prevent accidental injuries.

Tang Qingqing had always felt that this kind of happiness was precarious, but like everyone else, she nurtured a sense of wishful thinking.

She never expected that something like this would really happen.

Tang Qingqing, who usually remained unaffected by external matters during class, was distracted all day.

She asked her head teacher for half a day off to personally inquire at the Public Security Bureau.

Qin Sa, who was handling the case, was not surprised to see Tang Qingqing.

"Is she the classmate you mentioned before?"

Tang Qingqing nodded, feeling a mix of emotions.

Qin Sa patted her shoulder but said nothing to comfort her.

"How is the situation now?"

Qin Sa shook her head. "The main suspect is the deceased's fiancé, Shen Hewei. He was the first to report her missing six days after she disappeared. However, after questioning him all night, he insists he did not harm his wife."

Tang Qingqing looked displeased. "After being missing for so many days, didn't her family do anything?"

"According to her family, since the engagement, she often didn't return home and stayed in the newly renovated house prepared by her fiancé's family. So they didn't realize she was missing. The Shen family assumed she was at her parents' place, so no one noticed her absence."

Tang Qingqing was surprised. "Didn't Zhou Xiaoling live with her husband?"

Although they were only engaged, according to local customs, once the wedding banquet was held, they were considered married and could live together like any other couple, waiting until they reached legal age to register their marriage.

Some people registered late, even having children before doing so.

While this wasn't ideal, it wasn't considered a major issue.

Especially in Shen Hewei's case, having children early made sense.

"She didn't live with him. Even when staying overnight, she slept alone in the newly renovated house. The house was close to the Shen family's residence, both within the Machinery Plant."

Shen Hewei worked normally most of the time.

He was allocated a two-bedroom apartment for his upcoming marriage.

Given his background, he shouldn't have received such a large apartment, but his father was the plant manager and his mother the union chair, so he got it.

The two-bedroom apartment was in a newly built dormitory building, separate from the building where the Shen family lived, but very close, visible through windows.

"According to Shen Hewei, he thought the deceased was too young, like a child, so he wanted to wait until she grew up a bit more. The elders in the Shen family agreed, finding it reasonable and didn't oppose it. The autopsy confirmed that Zhou Xiaoling was indeed a virgin before being raped and murdered."

Tang Qingqing was somewhat surprised. "He seemed to care about Zhou Xiaoling."

"He said he felt marrying someone in his condition would be harming them, so he didn't plan to marry, which is why he delayed it. But seeing Zhou Xiaoling's pitiful state and her persistent pleading, he agreed. They decided to give each other two years, so he never touched her."

"He sounds like a pretty decent guy, based on what you said."

Shen Hewei was the first to notice Zhou Xiaoling's disappearance, and he did not touch her before they were officially married.

Considering how Zhou Xiaoling had been seen smiling brightly, Tang Qingqing almost believed that Shen Hewei was a good person, except for his illness which caused him to lose control and kill someone.

"Which criminal would admit to being extremely vicious? During interrogations, they all claim innocence, insisting they are honest and kind people."

Qin Sa laughed, noting that every criminal is an excellent actor.

Some even truly believe in the persona they present, which is why they can deceive others.

"Based on our years of observation, the probability that the person reporting a serious crime is the perpetrator has always been high."

Tang Qingqing asked, puzzled, "Why is that?"

"Some criminals think their methods are highly sophisticated and, after committing a crime, they are particularly keen on acting. Sometimes, the one who cries the hardest, acting as if they cannot live without the victim, turns out to be the culprit."

Qin Sa thought about how she had once been deceived and wished she could slap her past self.

"Therefore, during interrogations, we must never follow the lead of the criminal, or we'll be deceived."

Tang Qingqing gave a thumbs up; she excelled at tracking but was otherwise inept, especially in interrogations, where she might easily be fooled.

"However, according to current investigations, Shen Hewei and his family have indeed treated Zhou Xiaoling well. She got along very well with the Shen family, and they often praised each other in public. However, some say that Zhou Xiaoling was like a little maid in the Shen household."

After becoming engaged to Shen Hewei, Zhou Xiaoling frequently visited the Shen household, handling tasks such as buying groceries, cooking, and cleaning.

In this sense, Zhou Xiaoling did resemble a little maid in their household, but the Shens knew how to treat her well, often praising her diligence and obedience in public.

If it were anyone else, they might feel wronged; at least Tang Qingqing would not be pleased.

But for Zhou Xiaoling, this arrangement made her much happier than before.

Doing chores was inevitable, but at the Shen household, she did not need to take care of children, and she managed the household finances freely.

Her clothes and accessories were all provided by the Shen family, fresh goods from the supply store, and not cheap.

She ate the same food as the Shens, unlike at her own home, where she was not allowed to sit at the table after a day of hard work.

But what use was happiness at the Shen household if she couldn't enjoy it?

"Following Shen Hewei's episode of illness, does he retain any recollection of the events that transpired during that period?"

Qin Sa replied, "Sometimes he remembers, sometimes he doesn't, depending on the severity of the episode."

"Did he forget what he did because of his illness?"

"He clearly remembers that day when the victim was killed. They had planned to go fishing by the river together, but he never saw the victim until he returned home."

Shen Hewei loved fishing, finding it calming and rewarding.

The Shens never lacked fish, thanks to Shen Hewei's catches.

He preferred fishing alone, but after meeting Zhou Xiaoling, he occasionally took her along.

This was at Shen's mother's insistence, hoping the couple would spend more time together.

Zhou Xiaoling enjoyed accompanying Shen Hewei fishing, never feeling bored or disturbing him, so he was willing to bring her along.

Tang Qingqing couldn't help but ask, "When Zhou Xiaoling didn't show up and disappeared for days, didn't he worry?"

"Previously, the victim was often called back to her natal home to help with childcare, especially since her sister-in-law had another child. So Shen Hewei assumed she went back to help and didn't pay much attention."

"When the victim was missing for several days, Shen Hewei found it strange and went to the Zhou family to inquire if she had returned home. Upon receiving a negative answer, they realized she was missing and Shen Hewei promptly reported it."

Tang Qingqing looked displeased, finding it hard to sympathize with Zhou Xiaoling's family.

Despite all her sacrifices, they still relied on her labor even after her marriage.

"So Shen Hewei has no alibi?"

"Yes, the place where Shen Hewei fished is remote, rarely frequented by others, making it impossible for him to prove his whereabouts."

This increased suspicion on Shen Hewei, with most believing he committed the crime in a state of unconsciousness.

"I want to visit that place."

Qin Sa reminded, "No suspicious traces were found there; it is preliminarily determined not to be the primary crime scene."

"Nothing was found?"

"No, only Shen Hewei's footprints and traces of his previous fishing trips were found, nothing related to Zhou Xiaoling. We are currently investigating along the river to find the body disposal site."

Tang Qingqing felt something was off: "If Shen Hewei harmed Zhou Xiaoling due to his illness, the crime should have occurred at the fishing spot, making it easier to dispose of the body. Now that the fishing spot is confirmed not to be the primary crime scene, isn't this contradictory?"

If Shen Hewei did not commit the crime due to his illness, he had no motive to kill.

They were considered a married couple, even without official registration. If it were known they remained chaste, few would believe it.

If Shen Hewei wanted intimacy, he could have done so openly, without resorting to force.

Tang Qingqing had seen Zhou Xiaoling and was certain she genuinely wanted to marry Shen Hewei, showing no aversion to him. In fact, she had been proactive in pursuing the relationship.

Moreover, Zhou Xiaoling, now happy with her life, hoped Tang Qingqing could also find a good man, sparing her the hardships.

Shen Hewei wants to do something, and she will only cooperate.

As long as Shen Hewei is sober, he should know that if he did such a thing, he would be the prime suspect.

Under normal circumstances, he would not do such a thing.

"Indeed, which is why even though we suspect Shen Hewei, we haven't ruled out other possibilities. Our top priority is still to find the primary crime scene and the disposal site to reconstruct what happened."

The identity of the victim has just been confirmed, and the case was transferred from Red Flag Commune to Red Star Commune not long ago. The investigation time has been short, and there are no substantial leads yet.

Currently, the only suspect is Shen Hewei, who might have committed the act due to an illness. Apart from his lack of an alibi, there is no other evidence.

If Shen Hewei doesn't confess voluntarily, we'll have to search for evidence ourselves and conduct a thorough investigation step by step.

Upon hearing this, Tang Qingqing volunteered, "Comrade Qin, can I join in?"

Qin Sa sized her up, "You're already in your third year of junior high, preparing for high school. Would participating affect your studies? Our investigation could take an unpredictable amount of time; it's normal for it to last over ten days."

Sometimes even after ten days, nothing is found. There are still many unsolved cases at the bureau.

Tang Qingqing affirmed, "I will manage my studies well, and I promise not to let personal feelings affect my judgment!"