Chapter 136 13

Chapter 136

The next day, He Lin and Li Shang rose early. That morning, they met with Officer Zhang to finalize Jiang Waner's case, taking her statement and completing the necessary detention procedures.

Today, the suspect was surprisingly cooperative, confessing to all charges without hesitation.

Soon, a police car took him away.

After lunch, the two officers went directly to Jiang Shanren's home.

He Lin knocked on the door for a while.

A moment later, a silver-haired man opened it. Perhaps due to the previous day's exhausting work in the kitchen, the old man's face was etched with fatigue.

He looked at He Lin, then at Li Shang: "You're the police officers investigating my daughter's disappearance, aren't you?" He opened the courtyard gate. "Come in."

He Lin entered the yard, followed by Li Shang. The layout was similar to Jiang Jingde's and Jiang Chongli's homes, but this one was clearly neglected.

The yard was cluttered with miscellaneous items, and the snow in the corners remained uncleared. Many areas in need of repair had been left untouched, and even the windowpanes looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in ages.

Inside, an elderly woman with white hair sat hunched over, shelling beans. Even sitting seemed to require considerable effort.

If not for their stated ages, He Lin would have suspected the man before him was the eldest of the Jiang family, judging solely by their aged appearance.

One piece of information Jiang Waner had provided was indeed accurate: Jiang Lai's disappearance had profoundly impacted the elderly couple.

The entire house felt like a vast, suffocating vortex, heavy with an air of desolation.

The old man led them into the room, and the four sat facing each other at the table.

He Lin cleared his throat and began with the initial questions.

Jiang Shanren answered each one, while the old woman remained silent.

Li Shang listened, jotting down only a few lines before stopping.

There was no point in recording these answers. While other testimonies might have minor discrepancies, this old man's responses were like a perfectly rehearsed script.

When the old man mentioned his daughter leaving home in a red down jacket and a crimson hat, He Lin finally interrupted: "Uncle, if you don't tell us the truth, we may never find her."

Jiang Shanren visibly tensed: "I... I am telling the truth."

He Lin cut straight to the chase, his gaze sharp: "Where was Jiang Lai on the night of the fourth day of the lunar new year?"

As soon as he asked, both elders' expressions changed dramatically.

He Lin knew his deduction was correct. He continued: "Was Jiang Lai's disappearance truly on the morning of the fifth day?"

All previous police investigations, deductions, and search directions had been based on this premise.

But what if this premise was fundamentally flawed?

It could be a lie fabricated by the missing person's family to conceal the truth. With a false premise, pursuing the wrong direction, how could they ever hope to find her?

The old woman sitting beside them suddenly burst into tears, trembling all over: "Stop investigating, I beg you, please don't! Our daughter is gone; we've accepted our misfortune. It's been so long, we know she won't come back!"

Jiang Shanren also covered his face, weeping: "We've already endured the pain of losing a daughter. We had almost forgotten, so why are you forcing us to relive it, to tear open those wounds again?"

In previous missing persons cases, families invariably hoped their loved ones would be found and the reason for their disappearance uncovered. This was the first time He Lin had encountered family members who were clearly lying and actively wished for the investigation to cease.

Faced with such accusations, He Lin detected even more unusual elements.

It was now almost certain: either the two elderly people were involved in Jiang Lai's disappearance, or they possessed crucial information.

Regardless, they were the key to a breakthrough in this case.

Despite the elderly couple's tears and pleas, He Lin remained resolute: "We investigate missing persons cases not just for the families, but for the missing individuals themselves! Have you never considered this from your daughter's perspective? She was so young, with a bright future ahead, yet she disappeared at this critical time."

He Lin paused before continuing: "As police, we are here to investigate this thoroughly and uncover the truth. If this isn't a missing persons case but a murder, then apprehending the perpetrator is the only way to close the case."

His tone was firm. The old man across from him wiped his tears and fell silent, while the old woman continued to sob softly.

He Lin waited for them to compose themselves before returning to the pivotal question: "So, was Jiang Lai's disappearance on the night of the fourth day of the lunar new year?"

Jiang Shanren sat with his head bowed for a moment before finally speaking: "It was late on the fourth night. That night, she was outside and encountered a man wearing a mask. She was frightened and came back crying. I asked her who the man was, but she said she didn't know. I was angry and anxious, and I said a few harsh words to her about not being married yet. We argued. She went back to her room to rest, and I thought everything was fine. But later, in the middle of the night, I heard the door open. When I checked, I realized the girl had run out on her own. We rushed out to look for her but never found her."

Finally, after the old man's confession, many previous ambiguities were resolved.

However, new questions immediately arose.

How strikingly similar was this to what happened to Jiang Waner the previous night?

Li Shang, standing nearby, added a question: "What was Jiang Lai doing out that night?"

Jiang Shanren replied: "She was taking food to her grandfather. The old man lives alone, and our families take turns delivering meals. It was our turn that day, so I sent Jiang Lai. She chatted with her grandfather for a while, and on her way back, that incident happened."

Allowing their daughter to walk alone at night in the village was inherently dangerous. Shouldn't normal parents feel remorse for such a decision?

He Lin sensed they still weren't telling the whole truth, or at least not the entire truth. He asked: "What exactly did you argue about?"

Jiang Shanren said: "I probably said that if she were married and had someone with her, this wouldn't have happened. It's been a year, and I was angry at the time, so I don't remember the specifics."

He Lin pressed further: "Why didn't you report it to the police when your daughter went missing?"

Jiang Shanren frowned: "It was pitch black, and we didn't get a clear look at who it was. The local police station wouldn't handle something like that." He added, "If you hadn't been here last night, Jiang Waner's incident would have been swept under the rug too."

He Lin didn't bother arguing with the old man about these misguided beliefs. He continued: "Even so, why didn't you report it when Jiang Lai ran out?"

Jiang Shanren looked troubled: "It was the middle of the night, and we're in a remote, impoverished area. The local police station has limited manpower—what good would reporting do? By the time they mobilized, it would be dawn. We had over a dozen family members searching and found nothing. A few more police officers certainly wouldn't have made a difference."

He seemed convinced that reporting to the police was futile and believed their handling of the situation was appropriate.

"Besides, we wanted to find her as soon as possible. If the whole village found out the reason, how could she face people or get married? Something like this would follow her for life, with people gossiping about her." Jiang Shanren sighed. "The next day, while we were still searching, Waner called. We improvised a story on the spot, but who knew she'd report it to the police in Xincheng?"

The old woman also cried, saying: "We only told the police that to protect Jiang Lai's reputation. And we were afraid the police wouldn't believe us, so we asked our relatives to back us up. We were just foolish in the moment."

Hearing this, Li Shang connected the various clues. So Jiang Lai disappeared on the night of the fourth day of the lunar new year, not the morning of the fifth as documented in the case file.

And it was only because they could no longer keep it hidden that it was reported.

If the Missing Persons Investigation Unit hadn't gotten involved, Jiang Lai's disappearance might never have been known.

The story about sending Jiang Lai to the bus stop was a lie they told Jiang Waner. But after she reported it and the police came to investigate, they turned it into a coordinated false statement to cover up the truth.

They claimed it was to protect their daughter's reputation, but it caused them to miss the critical window for investigation.

But was this the whole truth?

He Lin's brow furrowed slightly; even now, he still found it hard to believe these explanations.

He Lin continued, "What did she take with her when she left?"

Jiang Shanren thought for a moment. "Just her phone and backpack. She didn't take the suitcase. There were some clothes inside. We already searched it earlier."

At this point, the old man glanced at his wife. She then stood up and retrieved a suitcase from under the bed in the inner room—its color and size matched exactly the one previously described as being carried by Jiang Lai when she left.

Li Shang crouched to search it. Indeed, it contained only some clothes.

He Lin asked, "So, Jiang Lai didn't head toward the bus station in front either?"

Jiang Shanren nodded, his voice choked. "She went toward the Northward Gaze Peak behind us. That area is very dangerous." His voice trembled as he spoke. "I don't know why the child was so strong-willed. She might have been in despair and considering suicide. As soon as Jiang Lai ran out, I hurriedly rallied relatives to chase after her. We searched for a full day and night. There are many ice caves at the foot of Northward Gaze Peak. I think she might have fallen into one of them, which is why she was never found…"

At this point, they finally had a sorrowful answer.

The police's previous line of inquiry had been entirely misguided…

He Lin then fired off a series of questions, striving to address each doubt in the case one by one.

The questioning lasted for several hours. By the end, the couple was nearly broken.

It was almost dusk by the time He Lin and Li Shang finally left Jiang Shanren's home.

Instead of eating first, the two went straight back to their accommodations.

As soon as they entered the room, Li Shang quickly closed the door. "I think there are still doubts about this matter."

"Mm, there are still doubts," He Lin nodded, his expression serious. "The parents are still hiding something about their daughter's sudden departure. But pushing them further now might be counterproductive. We'll investigate slowly."

He had questioned them repeatedly that afternoon, but the elderly couple stubbornly stuck to their story.

No matter how much he pressed, he could only get the same answers—it was like hitting a wall, trapped in a dead end.

Just as they had previously fabricated lies, He Lin judged that they were still deliberately hiding something.

But relying solely on questioning would hardly advance the case; they needed to find a better way to break the deadlock. They were investigating in unfamiliar territory and couldn't just arrest everyone—that wasn't realistic.

Li Shang suggested another angle: "Another part of their answer is designed to misdirect us. I don't think Jiang Lai was suddenly distressed and wanted to end her life. When she ran, she took her backpack, phone, and documents. She slipped away while her parents weren't paying attention—it might have been planned."

As he spoke, he called up a map on his device to show He Lin.

Li Shang zoomed in on the map and drew a line between two points with his finger, stating a startling conclusion.

"She might have been fleeing."

He Lin followed Li Shang's finger and, judging by the map's orientation, saw that cutting through the foot of Northward Gaze Peak would take about thirty minutes to reach the other side of the mountain—the nearby second-largest village, Liujia Village.

But this was only an ideal scenario. The path was treacherous and hard to navigate, and attempting to cross the foot of the snow-covered mountain was fraught with danger.

He Lin frowned. "What was she trying to escape from? That man? Her parents? Or someone else? If she wanted to run away, why didn't she head toward the village entrance instead of the snow mountain? And what urgent situation made her unable to wait until daylight, forcing her to choose the middle of the night? And during the New Year period, no less? Also, since she had her phone, why didn't she call for help?"

Li Shang recalled, "When we came here by bus, the area in front of the village was a vast plain with nowhere to hide. Walking in that direction would take at least an hour to reach another village."

He Lin followed his train of thought. "So, despite the dangers, the path at the foot of the snow mountain was the fastest way out of the village."

"Maybe Jiang Lai judged it was a risk worth taking…" Li Shang added. "As for why she didn't call for help, it might have been due to spotty service."

At this, he took out his phone and waved it. "I've noticed the communication here is quite unstable. Sometimes the signal suddenly drops, only to return after a while. According to the weather report, on the fourth day of the lunar new year last year, there was a major snowstorm during the day. That snow could have affected the cell tower equipment."

Li Shang continued his analysis, "Also, Jiang Shanren said something earlier: he claimed that if a girl is violated, the local police wouldn't handle it. So, I sent a message to Officer Zhang and asked him to check if there were any similar reports in Hanhua Village."

He handed his phone to He Lin to see.

He Lin took it and saw Officer Zhang's reply.

Over the past five years, there had been three similar reports in Hanhua Village. However, due to insufficient evidence, the suspects were only given warnings and education, with no substantial penalties.

Now, adding the incident that happened to Jiang Lai…

And what they witnessed happening to Jiang Waner yesterday…

Perhaps there were even more similar cases.

Li Shang requested more detailed records from Officer Zhang, who said he needed to verify and would provide them later.

Summarizing, Li Shang said, "Perhaps if we find the man who assaulted Jiang Lai, we can get to the bottom of this. But that person might be tough to pinpoint. The village has a permanent population of over 1,500, and there are at least a hundred or two hundred men of the appropriate age…"

He Lin said decisively, "Even if it's hard, we have to find him. This could very well be the key to solving the case. Let's go over that surveillance tape again."

Li Shang had copied the surveillance video and sent a copy to Cheng Xiaoyi for processing, hoping technical means could make the video clearer.

After a while, Cheng Xiaoyi sent them the enhanced video.

The video was indeed clearer, allowing them to see the details of the two people's movements. The woman in the footage was undoubtedly Jiang Lai, but the man was wearing winter clothing, a hat, and a mask, all bundled up, making it extremely difficult to identify who he was.

After watching for a while, He Lin's eyes brightened. "I found a clue."

After saying this, he sat down next to Li Shang.

Li Shang turned to look at him, his eyes full of confusion.

Instead of answering directly, He Lin laid his hand over Li Shang's slightly cool one, guiding his fingers to manipulate the laptop's touchpad and rewind the surveillance video by a few seconds.

In the footage, the man and woman were engaged in an intense struggle.

Then He Lin asked him, "Do you see it now?"

He Lin's low, magnetic voice sounded in his ear, almost enveloping him.

But Li Shang was laser-focused on the screen, imagining the man's movements. After watching the segment again, he finally caught the detail and realized aloud, "This man is left-handed."

In the act of pulling the woman, he clearly led with his left hand and put his strength into it.

He Lin nodded. "Left-handed people account for roughly ten percent of the population. Combined with eliminating by build and other factors, this can help us narrow the suspects down to fewer than ten people. But it might take some effort to identify this person in the village."

Jiang Lai had been missing for a year.

The specific circumstances of her disappearance had been concealed by her parents for so long.

Trying to find out which men in the village in this age group are left-handed might not be easy.

After all, they were unfamiliar with the place, and the villagers seemed reticent about these matters and weren't very cooperative.

Just as they were discussing this, someone suddenly knocked loudly on the door.

The two immediately fell silent, and Li Shang quickly closed the laptop.

He Lin opened the door to find several little girls standing at their doorstep. The one leading them was the same girl who'd given He Lin directions that night, accompanied by a few other children they hadn't seen before.

He gently asked the girls, "Kids, is there something you need?"

Village Head Ding's granddaughter looked up and said in a clear, bright voice, "Grandpa asked us to call you for dinner."

He Lin checked the time and realized they had been so engrossed in their discussion that they had unintentionally missed mealtime. He Lin quickly replied, "Thank you, we'll head over right away."

The girl didn't leave but stretched out her fair little hand, saying in a little-kid voice, "Uncle, candy."

It seemed this notification wasn't just a simple message—even though it wasn't Halloween, they were already hitting him up for candy.

He Lin had casually given her a piece of candy before, but he couldn't remember which kind it was.

He Lin pulled out some brightly wrapped candies from his bag and asked the children, "Which one do you want?"

The girl pointed to a green-wrapped preserved plum candy.

He Lin picked out the preserved plum candies (huamei) and gave one to each of the girls.

A girl nearby, with wide, curious eyes, asked, "Uncle, what is this candy called?"

An older girl beside her answered, "It's called huamei—preserved plum candy."

He Lin looked down at the candy with writing on it, which had both characters and pinyin. Suddenly, he realized something and knelt down, asking the girl who had spoken in surprise, "You don't know how to read?"

The girl appeared to be around ten years old, an age when she should already be in second or third grade. How come she couldn't read such simple words?

The girl didn't answer, only looking at him quietly with her eyes.

Li Shang also walked over, sensing something was wrong, and asked the children, "Are there any among you who aren't attending school?"

The girls looked innocent, and eventually, three of them nodded.

One girl spoke up directly, "My dad says there's no point in girls going to school. It's tiring and boring. He says it's better to play more, and he'd rather save money to buy me pretty dresses and tasty snacks."

Li Shang's brow furrowed slightly.

Another child shot the speaking girl a warning look and made a "shh" gesture.

The girl immediately changed her story, saying, "I shouldn't say more. My dad doesn't like me talking about these things with others."

Then, all the children ran off.

After they had gone, He Lin stood up looking serious.

What century are these ideas from? How could there still be parents keeping their daughters out of school at this time? And Hanhua Village wasn't some poor, remote, or backward place. Wasn't receiving compulsory education the most basic thing?

Faced with this strange situation, He Lin turned to discuss it with Li Shang. In the end, they decided to continue observing for now.

This matter was unrelated to the case. As investigators from out of town, it wasn't appropriate for them to immediately approach Village Head Ding for details. They could only wait until the investigation was nearly complete and ask about it briefly before they left. They needed to determine whether this was a common problem or just a few cases. If the situation was serious, they would report it up the chain and let the relevant departments handle it.