Chapter 16: I’m Just Curious

Chapter 16: I'm Just Curious

"Comrade Zhen Guohua, you..." Liu Ming, the deputy village head, emerged from the Zhao family's house with a look of deep sorrow and hesitation, as if it were Zhen Guohua's fault that Zhao Daguo had died.

Zhen Grandma felt thoroughly disgusted. She glanced at her husband, conveying with her eyes: "Look, this is what a politician looks like. They never miss an opportunity."

Zhen Guohua didn't say anything, just furrowed his brow and looked at Liu Ming, making him falter under the gaze. Guohua felt he had made a mistake too. Perhaps the Zhao family really wanted to use his hands to see if Zhao Daguo could still be saved. But he had given up on him prematurely.

No matter what, Zhao Daguo was a life.

But he was also rational. After everything that had transpired, he realized that Zhao Daguo might have already been dead before he even arrived. So, he didn't act. It wasn't because he didn't care, but because he had a family. Given his understanding of the Zhao family's nature, if he had entered their house, no matter what capacity he was in, the Zhao family would have found a way to blame him and destroy his family.

He was indeed selfish, Zhen Guohua thought.

"...Even if we have some issues with Daguo, you can't just stand by and watch him die! Daguo, Daguo..." Liu Ming eventually chose to protect his own interests, turning away with red eyes and bursting into loud sobs.

His cries were so loud that they brought tears to everyone's eyes, and many soft-hearted people immediately felt their own eyes well up.

"...Comrade Daguo, he might have made some mistakes, b-but human life is precious..." Liu Ming continued to cry, not forgetting to put on a performance.

Zhen Grandma knew that if she spoke now, people would think she was cold-blooded. But she couldn't stand by while someone smeared her family's name. She said calmly, "Let's call the police. If it's really our fault, the Zhen family will take full responsibility."

Liu Ming's cries halted for a moment. Since he was looking down, no one saw the hidden glee in his expression. Today, whether or not there was an error on Zhen Guohua's part, Liu Ming believed that Zhen Guohua would lose his position as village head.

Once Zhen Guohua was no longer village head, and with the Zhen family losing both the financial director and village head positions, Liu Ming would be promoted to village head. Once he became village head, it would be much easier for him to deal with the Zhen family.

Thinking back to the humiliation of when his apologies were dismissed, Liu Ming thought to himself: "Zhao Daguo, rest easy in your death. For the sake of our brotherhood, I'll make sure to sell your life for a good price."

The roar of a motorcycle engine caught the attention of many in Dashan Village.

"Comrade police, this is the Zhao family's house..."

The villagers gathered at the Zhao family's front gate turned around to see two police officers in uniform, one middle-aged and one young, arriving on a sidecar motorcycle led by a young man in a white coat.

The older police officer got out of the sidecar and, looking at the crowd of onlookers, said sternly, "Confess freely and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll face strict punishment. We are the police stationed in Xiema Town. We received a report that a villager with a government official background has been involved in improper sexual relations, resulting in the death of the male party. Is this the house of Zhao Daguo?"

What? The villagers, who had been confused just moments before, were now stunned. Those who had been crying with Liu Ming were now stunned into silence.

An improper sexual relationship? And it led to the death of the male party?

"Comrade police, what are you saying?" someone asked dumbly.

"Isn't this the place?" the two police officers said seriously as they walked into the crowd.

"...?"

"...Police comrades, you must avenge my son. These fake doctors killed my son." As soon as the police officers entered the yard, Meng Shi, having been informed, rushed out of the house and knelt on the ground, her disheveled hair and oversized, patched clothes making her look like a beggar ghost.

The older police officer frowned and stepped aside, about to scold her, when a woman next to him said, "Meng Aunty, are you lying to the police comrades? I heard that lying can also get you sentenced. Doctor Zhen never even stepped into your house. How did he become a fake doctor, and how did he kill your son?"

Meng Shi, ignoring her, wailed loudly, tears and snot flowing as she occasionally pointed at the Zhen couple, accusing them: "It's them! If it weren't for them wasting time, how could my son have died?"

"Hey, your old man spent half the day arguing with my grandson at the clinic. Here, your daughter-in-law had time to quarrel with others. How did we cause any delay in saving your son?" Zhen Grandma retorted fiercely.

"What does my daughter-in-law arguing with others have to do with you?" Meng Shi shot back.

"It has nothing to do with us, yet you cursed our entire family for generations! Should we thank you for inviting us to treat your son after cursing our ancestors?" Zhen Grandma replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What's wrong with cursing? The curses float in the air; they don't hit you physically. Your grandson is just a second-rate person anyway. Your family has always taken advantage of the state. Are you saying we can't even talk about it?"

"Meng, think before you speak," Grandma Zhen said angrily. "Don't throw mud at our family. When have we ever taken advantage of the state? The police officers are right here. Do you want me to lay out all the facts for you? We have an extra public position, but we don't get paid for it. Instead, we have to pay the government. There are records of this. If you can't see it, don't make false accusations. Even if my eldest grandson is forced not to work by you, we still earn our living through labor. As for your family, despite being strong and robust, how many days do you actually work full shifts? Even when you do work, how often do you really put in effort? Yet, you always have full attendance records. Do you think everyone is blind?"

"Can your good-for-nothing grandson even be called a grandson? How can he compare to mine? He's half-man, half-woman. Letting him work would defile the land of our Daxi Village. Does he want to work with men or women? Not letting him work was a decision made by everyone. And even without working, he hasn't starved to death..."

The two police officers, who were stationed in the village long-term, were used to the harsh arguments that often occurred in rural areas. They listened quietly as the two old ladies rambled on, quickly piecing together the details of what had happened. Then they looked at Dr. Zhen Guohua, who was carrying a medical kit. They sidestepped Meng, who was spitting out insults, and entered the Zhao family's house.

When they came out after about ten minutes, the older officer looked grim. He approached Dr. Zhen Guohua and asked, "Doctor Zhen, I have a question. How long have you been here?"

"Not more than half an hour," Dr. Zhen Guohua began, but someone else interrupted, "Police officers, we came with them. After they went inside, we were arguing with Zhang Huahua, so they didn't enter. But it was only about two minutes later that we heard Zhao Daguo's mother shouting that her son was dead."

"Tao Yuanyang, may you die a terrible death," Meng spat venomously at the speaker.

Tao Yuanyang sneered, "Even if I'm struck by lightning today, I will say it. How much grain has your Zhao family taken from mine? Who deserves to die? The heavens have eyes. Police officers, I'm just speaking the truth. Several of us came with the village chief, and we can all testify." You old hag, how much grain did you take from my family? You've fattened up your sons like pigs, yet you call me stingy and incapable of raising children. Why haven't you all burst from overeating? I curse your family every day, and now I've finally seen the day.

"No need," the older officer said sternly. "If Doctor Zhen hasn't been here for more than two hours, then he has nothing to do with this."

Two hours, or more? The villagers instantly understood. This meant that Zhao Daguo had been dead for several hours!

Meng paused, tears welling in her eyes, and said pitifully, "Police officers, you can't protect each other, can you?"

"What are you talking about?" the younger officer scolded. "We enforce the law impartially. Everything depends on evidence. You tried to soften the body with a blanket, thinking you could frame someone? Wait until the county sends a forensic doctor this afternoon. We'll conduct an autopsy then."

To accuse someone of protecting their own at this moment would only push things further! The young officer thought. Indeed, those who can frame others, no matter how pitiful they look, have evil hearts.

"Oh, no, no, my son can't die without a complete body..." Meng said, then suddenly added, "Police officers, why don't you let Dr. Zhen Guohua compensate us a bit, and we'll drop the matter."

The two police officers: ... Although they had seen this kind of thing before, it still made them uncomfortable. Indeed, as a certain leader once said, knowledge changes destiny, and knowledge is what makes our society develop more harmoniously.

The veteran police officer no longer bothered to listen to the Meng family’s nonsense, signaling the young officer to directly inquire about the situation from the Zhen Guohua couple and the crowd nearby.

Zhen Guohua did not hold back. He immediately recounted what he knew and suspected.

"… So, it was your grandson who saw it?" the veteran police officer asked, "Where is your grandson? Could you ask him to come over?"

"It's me," Zhen Mier, in a white lab coat, squeezed through the crowd.

He was a rare beauty, someone whose presence left a lasting impression at first glance. The clean and neat white lab coat on him added an indescribable purity and sanctity.

"It's you," the veteran police officer smiled, "Beautiful people really do stand out anywhere. Can you describe the situation in more detail?"

Zhen Mier nodded, "Sure. I'm not sure of the exact time, but I remember the sun had just risen, so it was probably around seven o'clock based on my usual estimate."

The veteran police officer glanced down at his wristwatch.

"It's 10:25 now. What were you doing at that time?"

"Uh!" Zhen Mier hesitated for a moment, scratching his head sheepishly with a smile, "I, I hid some wine on the hill behind, made from wild grapes from the mountain. I got caught sneaking a drink yesterday, and my grandfather made me fetch some for him. Last night, he said it was good and wanted to share it with my grandmother and mother. This morning, he woke me up early to go running and bring back the remaining wine."

The veteran police officer pursed his lips, speaking firmly and sternly, "When you found the victim, was there anyone else around?"

"Um, the village women's affairs director."

"Are you sure?"

"… I, I was curious and took a closer look…" Zhen Mier finished, lowering his head as if embarrassed.

The corner of the veteran police officer's mouth twitched, ignoring the suppressed laughter around him, and asked the other villagers, "Where is the women's affairs director?"

"Early in the morning, I saw her heading to town," someone said.

The old police officer looked at the person. "Do you remember what time it was?"

"I’m not sure. I just know we were already out in the fields, and the sun was high up."

"Hmm, I saw her too. She had a yellow shoulder bag."

The old police officer’s brow furrowed, his heart sinking.

Those standing nearby began to murmur.

"Could Liu Xianglian have run away?"