Chapter 50: Detective Xiao Shen!

Chapter 50: Detective Shen!

The name on the tombstone was clearly "Zhou Meihua," which confirmed to Shen Qingye that she hadn't mistaken the person.

She stopped a few meters behind him and hesitantly called out, "Lin Xiaofeng?"

Hearing his name, he visibly startled. He turned around and, seeing Shen Qingye, was momentarily stunned. Surprised, he said, "You are... the police officer from last time?"

He didn’t know Shen Qingye's name, and his words carried a hint of awkwardness and uncertainty. She smiled and introduced herself, "I’m Officer Shen."

"Oh, Officer Shen!" he quickly responded.

He seemed awkward in social situations, scratching his head and speaking a bit stiffly, "What a coincidence to run into you here..."

"It is a coincidence," Shen Qingye glanced at the nearby tombstone and asked, "Are you here to visit Zhou Meihua's grave today?"

Lin Xiaofeng nodded, his expression clearly downcast. "Yes. Zhou Meihua’s body was kept at the funeral home for some time before being cremated. It was only recently moved here. Since it’s Qingming Festival today, a time for honoring ancestors, I came to pay my respects and burn some offerings."

"That's good," she said, looking at the beautiful bouquet in front of the tombstone, her eyes slightly curved. "You brought flowers too?"

Lin Xiaofeng gazed at the clean lilies, his expression gentle. "Zhou Meihua loved lilies, but she was always frugal and never bought them for herself. She used to say that after we got married, we would plant many lilies at home."

His eyes lowered. "Now that’s no longer an option, so I try to fulfill her wishes as much as I can, so she can be happy even in the afterlife."

Shen Qingye said, "Such beautiful flowers, she would surely love them."

Lin Xiaofeng smiled, but his expression was tinged with sorrow. She suffered so much in her life, and even something as simple as a few flowers was something she rarely enjoyed while alive. Now that she's gone, who knows if she can even see them.

He pulled himself together and looked at Shen Qingye again, asking, "Officer Shen, are you here to visit a loved one too?"

Shen Qingye nodded. "Yes, I'm here to visit my father."

Lin Xiaofeng was taken aback, then quickly apologized, "I’m sorry for your loss..." He had assumed it was an elder like a grandparent, but it turned out to be her father...

Officer Shen looked so young, her father must not have been very old either, yet...

Shen Qingye smiled casually. "It’s okay, it’s been years, and I’ve made peace with it."

She looked at him and asked, "What about you? I heard that recently... Zhou Weipeng stole money from you?"

Lin Xiaofeng was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Yes."

Shen Qingye asked curiously, "Has the matter been resolved?"

Lin Xiaofeng replied, "It has."

He continued, "Shortly after they left, I realized the money was missing and immediately reported it. Since I knew their train information, they were quickly intercepted at the train station."

"Afterward, the whole Zhou family was brought to the police station, and the thousand yuan was found in Zhou Weipeng's bag. Zhou Weipeng was interrogated and, out of fear, confessed everything."

"Zhou Weipeng is sixteen, and stealing money from others is a criminal offense. The amount exceeded a thousand yuan, which is enough for a criminal charge. When Zhou Meihua’s mother heard this, she was terrified and begged me not to let her precious son go to jail. She kept pleading with me to issue a letter of forgiveness and pardon him."

Lin Xiaofeng scoffed. "At first, I was unwilling. I thought about how much Zhou Meihua had suffered, and why should her precious son live a good life under his parents' protection? Later, the police told me that since the amount he stole wasn't large and he was still a minor, even if he were sentenced, it wouldn't be too severe. Plus, I was a bit worried that if Zhou Weipeng really went to jail, the Zhou family might cause trouble. I didn't want to have any further dealings with them, so I said if they were willing to pay five thousand yuan, I would issue the letter of forgiveness."

He added, "She didn’t hesitate and agreed right away."

Shen Qingye was at a loss for words.

She had seen firsthand how extreme favoritism toward sons over daughters could be.

I remember during her university days, there was a girl in the same college who dressed in plain, unremarkable clothes and always chose the cheapest porridge and steamed buns in the cafeteria. Yet, this person was the most diligent student in their college. She was almost always seen in the library, sometimes as early as five or six in the morning, right after the dormitory opened, reading and memorizing vocabulary alone on the sports field, day after day, year after year. No one ever saw her take a break or have fun; she was always on the path of studying.

Someone couldn't help but ask her, isn't it tiring to study so much? She replied that if she didn't study, she would be waiting to die. Only then did everyone realize that she was the eldest sister in her family, with two younger sisters and a youngest brother. Their family's situation wasn't as bad as it seemed; at the very least, they could afford her normal meals.

But her parents were unwilling.

After the college entrance examinations, her parents didn't allow her to continue her education, demanding she stay home to take care of her brother, and later marry under their arrangements to save up a dowry for her brother. Even though her grades were excellent, good enough to get into the university of many people's dreams with a bright future ahead, they still refused to let her go.

They didn't let her submit her application, so she secretly contacted her teacher to do it for her; they tore up her admission letter, so she managed to contact the local education bureau for a special arrangement and successfully got enrolled.

For four years of university, her family didn't give her a single penny for living expenses. She survived on scholarships and part-time work, becoming someone praised by classmates and teachers.

Shen Qingye admired her.

Zhou Meihua's situation was quite similar, but in the end, Zhou Meihua couldn't escape the persecution of her original family, and at the age of twenty-one, she ended her life.

"I used the money from the Zhou family to buy the finest urn for Meihua and arranged the best tomb for her."

What she didn't have in life, he wanted her to have in death.

"This is what the Zhou family owed her..."

Shen Qingye looked at the tomb, silent for a long time.

She finally nodded and said, "That's good..."

...

After parting with Lin Xiaofeng, Shen Qingye didn't rush to leave but instead walked around the nearby tombstones.

Because of the Qingming Festival, the tombstones were very well-maintained, with paper offerings and tributes burned by family members in front of them. Shen Qingye thought that everyone buried here must have their own story.

After walking around, it was getting late in the day. Shen Qingye was about to leave when her gaze swept over a tombstone and suddenly paused.

Lv... Xiuqin?

Was it the Lv Xiuqin she was thinking of?

She couldn't help but look up and saw a middle-aged man with glasses, a handsome and gentle appearance, kneeling in front of the tombstone, holding a tissue, wiping the tombstone carefully.

The tombstone was quite new, probably recently made, with the inscription "Tomb of Lv Xiuqin," no name of the erector, only the erection date, March 17, 2003.

March 17... it must be the tomb of Cai Chengyong's mother.

Then the person in front...

She stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Hello, are you... Mr. Qiao?"

The man paused, slowly stood up, adjusted his glasses, and looked at the young girl in front of him, somewhat surprised: "If the Mr. Qiao you're referring to is Qiao Jingnian, then yes, I am."

Shen Qingye smiled: "Then it's correct."

Qiao Jingnian was somewhat surprised: "Do you know me?"

Shen Qingye shook her head: "I don't know you." Her gaze fell on the tombstone: "But... I should say I know her."

Qiao Jingnian was even more confused. Xiuqin had been dead for almost twenty years, and this young girl looked only in her early twenties, how could she know her?

Shen Qingye explained: "I was one of the officers handling Lv Xiuqin's case."

Qiao Jingnian suddenly understood, "So that's how it is."

Shen Qingye said, "I was also there when my colleagues called you for the investigation, so I have some impression of you."

Qiao Jingnian nodded, "What a coincidence."

Shen Qingye looked at him and couldn't help but ask, "Did you come back specifically to visit her grave?"

Qiao Jingnian smiled upon hearing this, "I haven't been back for a long time, so I took advantage of the holiday to visit old friends. And also... to see her."

He looked at Lv Xiuqin's tombstone, his expression distant, as if reminiscing about something.

How many years had passed since they last met? He had thought that perhaps after retiring in old age, he might return to his ancestral home. By then, both would have families of their own. If they met again, what would they say?

Perhaps they wouldn't recognize each other anymore, or perhaps they would greet each other like ordinary old friends, then go their separate ways.

But no one expected that their last meeting would be a final farewell.

He asked, "Has the trial result for that father and son come out yet?"

Shen Qingye paused, "Cai Chengyong's crimes are particularly heinous, and the prosecution is still going through the procedures... It might take a while before the trial results are out. As for Cai Limin, the procedures have already reached the court, so it should be soon."

Qiao Jingnian slowly nodded, "That's a relief."

As long as the murderer is caught, it doesn't matter if it's sooner or later.

Seeing him quietly gazing at the tombstone, Shen Qingye didn't want to disturb him further. After bidding farewell, she turned and walked away.

After leaving the cemetery, she waited in the car for a while. The first person she saw wasn't her mother, but Mr. Qiao Jingnian.

Shen Qingye quietly watched from the passenger seat as he walked straight to a low-key black car. The car door opened, and a well-dressed, elegant lady came out to greet him, her expression gentle.

They whispered a few words, then got into the car together.

Shen Qingye watched the car slowly drive away, paused for a moment, then slowly smiled.

Well, it's been over ten years...

After the Qingming Festival, work returned to normal. However, compared to the previous cold weather, it had gradually warmed up recently, and a light jacket sufficed for the commute.

The police station courtyard was in full bloom, colorful and exceptionally beautiful. Everyone coming and going was in high spirits.

Somehow, the details of the previous case had spread, causing quite a reaction in the team. It seemed almost all colleagues knew about this remarkable policewoman. Usually, Shen Qingye could avoid attention, but in her own office, facing the banter from her seniors, there was no escape.

Ms. Yun often said that the work here wasn't urgent, and if there was work at the Major Case Division, she should head over there first. To this, Shen Qingye could only feel helpless, firmly stating that she belonged to the clerical office and would never easily abandon it.

But this statement was proven false within two days.

That afternoon, while Shen Qingye was busy with work, Secretary Liao from the police station unexpectedly knocked on the office door, asking for Shen Qingye.

Under the curious eyes of everyone, Secretary Liao didn't hide anything and said with a smile:

"Comrade Xiao Shen, your transfer request to the criminal investigation unit has been approved. Come with me to the station office."

Shen Qingye was momentarily stunned, and the office burst into exclamations. Ms. Yun said, "Girl, when did you put in the application? You didn't even mention it to us."

Shen Qingye had already prepared herself to wait a few more days, but she didn't expect the procedures to be completed so quickly.

She felt a bit overwhelmed: "I... I didn't expect it either..."

Ms. Yun chuckled and gently nudged her out: "Okay, okay, let's not get into that now. The squad is waiting for you, hurry up and go!"

Shen Qingye followed Secretary Liao to the squad office.

As she pushed the door open, she saw both Song Lianfeng and Gao Zhengming inside.

On the large desk, a neatly folded dark blue police uniform and cap were laid out.

"Here comes Xiao Shen," Song Lianfeng waved with a smile: "Come, your transfer to the criminal investigation unit has been approved. Come and see, this is your uniform."

Shen Qingye blinked, her eyes slightly moist. She looked at the two senior officers: "Uncle Song, Uncle Gao..."

Gao Zhengming chuckled softly, reaching out to ruffle her hair: "Why the long face? You've finally become a detective, aren't you happy?"

Shen Qingye sniffled and said, "I am happy!"

Gao Zhengming smiled and didn't say much more. He gently picked up the uniform and handed it to her: "Alright, go ahead and change into the uniform."

Shen Qingye nodded vigorously, holding the clothes as she went to a small changing room adjacent to Song Lianfeng's office.

A few minutes later, Shen Qingye opened the door and walked out. Gao Zhengming turned around, his stern expression softening into a smile.

Shen Qingye stood tall beside Gao Zhengming and gave a solemn salute.

Gao Zhengming burst into laughter, patting her shoulder, and said with relief: "Good, good, well done!"

Looking at the face that bore a faint resemblance to his old friend, his eyes moistened slightly: "Good child!"

Shen Qingye pursed her lips and softly called out, "Uncle Gao." Gao Zhengming wiped his face and smiled: "It's nothing, it's nothing!"

He turned around and picked up the epaulettes and chest badge from the desk, his voice slightly hoarse: "Come on, Uncle Gao will show you how to wear these."

These should have been taught by her father, or at least by the academy. But now, it fell to him, her uncle.

"This is the epaulette, worn on the shoulder, displaying your rank."

"These two are collar pins, attached to both sides of the collar."

"This is the chest badge, worn on the right chest, indicating your origin and the province you're from."

"Finally, this is your badge number."

He looked at Shen Qingye and said: "I originally wanted to request your father's badge number to be reassigned, but since it's from a different place, the numbers can't be mixed. So we applied for a new one for you."

He attached the badge number to her left chest, smiling with satisfaction: "I believe you will make this badge number well-known throughout the police force."

Shen Qingye's expression was solemn: "I will."

Gao Zhengming stepped back, looking at the spirited policewoman before him, nodding continuously: "So good, so good..."

After so many years, he finally saw his brother's daughter walk down this path.

Was this the right thing to do? Gao Zhengming also had his doubts, but perhaps, for her, this was the best choice.

Song Lianfeng also said from the side: "You'll be assigned to the third team from now on, let Yue Lingchuan and the others guide you more. For all the office supplies and such, let them take you to logistics to get them."

Shen Qingye acknowledged with a "Yes."

Song Lianfeng continued, "Regarding your police-issued service weapon..." He glanced at Gao Zhengming, and Shen Qingye's expression changed as she heard Uncle Gao say:

"As for the service weapon, I'm still in the process of applying for it, and it hasn't arrived yet. It should be here in a couple of days."

Shen Qingye was puzzled. Why wouldn't the service weapon be issued with the uniform?

But she didn't have much time to dwell on it. She was so excited, her mind racing with one thought:

From this day forward, she was officially a criminal investigator!

She could now officially take part in those cases!