Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I looked at the dozen or so middle-aged women sitting around me, each of them inching closer. They were all cracking sunflower seeds, and in no time, I felt that the shells beneath my feet had piled up into small mountains. The sound of "crack crack" echoed in my ears like a tractor roaring by, and the women’s bright eyes seemed to bore into me, their large, watery gazes as if trying to see right through me.
Glancing at their expressions, I realized that it was nearly impossible to find out why Zhang Zijun had committed suicide. These people likely wanted to extract information from me, but it seemed they were coming up empty-handed. However, we did learn one thing: Zhang Zijun had indeed taken his own life.
If these three women were correct, then the possibility of Zhang Zijun being a victim of homicide was slim. In such a situation, for someone to commit murder in front of three pairs of watchful eyes would require the kidnapper to act with precision, ensuring that Zhang Zuocheng made no sound. Additionally, the murderer would need to possess a strong psychological fortitude.
Meeting both of these criteria was quite difficult, and fulfilling them simultaneously was even more challenging. Therefore, it was practically impossible for homicide to have occurred; natural death and accidental death were even less likely. Thus, from every angle, it appeared that Zhang Zuocheng's death was indeed a suicide.
This naturally led to the question: why did Zhang Zuocheng choose to end his short life in such a tragic manner?
What kind of horrific experience could lead an eight-year-old child to make such a devastating choice? The person who likely understood this best was Zhang Zuocheng himself. However, he was already dead, and those who might have clearer insights were Zhang Zijun and Ha Li Min.
At this moment, Zhang Zijun was playing dumb and wouldn’t reveal any information to us, while Ha Li Min had vanished without a trace. This left us at a dead end in our investigation. Understanding why Zhang Zijun had killed someone was crucial; however, without concrete evidence proving that Zhang Zijun was the murderer, he would remain untouchable.
When we arrived here, Chen Bo was absent; he had assigned this task to us and seemed to be off searching for new leads. Although the clues we had were fragmented, I clearly sensed that the truth was already on the verge of surfacing.
I glanced at the still-watchful women around me and quickly spoke up: “Alright, here’s the situation: you’ve all done well so far. Our next step will be to use the clues you provide to catch the murderer. In the meantime, just keep an eye on your surroundings while you continue cracking seeds. Now, one of you needs to take me to see Zhang Zuocheng’s original home.”
The woman sitting across from me, known as Spitting Aunt, didn’t disappoint; she spat on the ground and said, “Sure thing! Our Sunset Red Dance Troupe is about to head out for some square dancing too. I’ll take you there first before joining them.”
Up until now, there was one crucial piece of information: if Zhang Zuocheng had died, he must have left behind a body. Where had this body been buried by Zhang Zijun and his wife? After Zhang Zuocheng's death, what events transpired that compelled them to cover it up?
I thought this was the answer we needed to seek.
Spitting Aunt continued: “After Zhang Zuocheng died, everyone in this area knew about it. According to local customs, when a child dies young and it’s ruled a suicide, the body can’t be left out for too long; otherwise, vengeful spirits may arise. Since Zhang Zuocheng was only eight years old at the time, he could easily become a restless ghost.”
“They didn’t waste any time; they moved the body that very night without even holding a funeral,” she added. “Before long, they just packed up and moved away.”
The darkness had settled in, and the Spitting Aunt was muttering about ghosts and deities, which felt a bit unsettling on this unlit road. However, despite her eerie talk, there was no hint of fear in her demeanor. She continued, "But ever since Zhang Zuocheng died, this house has been empty. It's not that we want to scare others into thinking it's haunted; it's just that his parents never rented it out, so it has remained vacant."
As she spoke, the old woman led us to Zhang Zuocheng's former home.
From the outside, the house had an ominous feel to it. It was located at the very end of an alley, clearly a place where few ventured. Weeds had grown abundantly in the middle of the brick path, a sign that no one had walked here for years.
The front door was locked, rust covering it from years of disuse. It seemed that Zhang Zijun's family had not returned.
Gu Chen spoke up, "Could this be the place where Zhang Zijun abused those children? There are no streetlights around, making it seem like the perfect spot to avoid detection. Have you ever seen any unfamiliar cars come through here? Weren't you all frequent visitors?"
He turned to look at the Spitting Aunt.
She shook her head and replied, "We used to play cards here; now we dance. Who knows if any cars have come by?"
I waved my hand and slowly said, "There definitely haven't been any vehicles here. Looking at these weeds, there are no signs of tire tracks or broken branches; it's clear that no cars have passed through. And look at the lock on this door—there are no signs of it being opened. Zhang Zijun couldn't have climbed over the wall with the children; this indicates that this isn't a place where he kept or abused anyone."
Gu Chen reached out to touch the lock and pulled on it forcefully, but it didn't budge.
"Should we still go inside?" Gu Chen asked me.
I nodded and replied, "Let's take a look. It's only been half a year; who knows what surprises might await us."
Gu Chen agreed. The height of the courtyard wall was about three meters; I knew I couldn't climb over it myself. Fortunately, Gu Chen was with me. He stepped back and took a few running strides in the narrow alley before launching himself against the wall with a powerful kick. He reached up with his hands and effortlessly hoisted himself onto the top of the courtyard wall.
Mary and I were momentarily stunned by his agility as Gu Chen sat on the wall with one leg dangling down. He looked at me and said, "Even if you jump low, you should be able to grab my leg. Just hold on tight; I'll pull you up."
I nodded and rubbed my hands vigorously, mimicking Gu Chen's actions, finally managing to grasp his leg. Just as I felt my whole body trembling, on the verge of giving in, we finally reached the top of the wall. When I climbed over, I felt utterly exhausted.
Gu Chen glanced at me and said, "You rest for a moment. I'll go down and see if there's anything we can use as a foothold."
I nodded. Previously, when watching dramas, we often saw scenes like this—where characters collaborated to scale a wall, and in the next shot, they were already in the yard. But now I realized that descending from this three-meter-high wall wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Gu Chen found a few wooden planks in the yard and propped them against the wall, allowing me to climb down along them.
It was already dark outside, and the yard was pitch black. Fortunately, both Gu Chen and I had the habit of carrying gloves and flashlights with us. It had been half a year since anyone lived here, so the situation inside must be one of no water and no electricity.
The door to the house was naturally locked, but the windows on either side were already in tatters, making it easy to get in and out.
In the darkness illuminated by our police flashlights, it didn't seem particularly dark after all.
From what I could see in the living room, chaos was the only word to describe it.
It looked as if the Eight-Nation Alliance had just left; there were fragments of various cups and plates scattered everywhere. The tea table and chairs were overturned, and there were quite a few clothes on the floor. The furniture inside was still relatively intact; cabinets and tea tables were present, indicating that when Zhang Zijun and Ha Li Min left, they did so in haste.
Over the past six months, Zhang Zijun's home had likely been robbed multiple times. Every room was in disarray; it appeared that anything movable had been taken away to be sold, while anything that couldn't be stolen had been smashed. Graffiti covered the walls, suggesting that people treated this place like a tourist attraction.
After rummaging through several rooms, all that remained were some clothes; anything useful had probably been taken long ago. Even a notebook would have been removed. There was nothing of value left; it seemed that when Zhang Zijun and Ha Li Min departed, they took with them whatever was most useful to them. What remained were items they had discarded.
This indicated that from the very beginning, these two had no intention of returning. This house must have been abandoned by them.
As I pondered this, I suddenly heard Gu Chen exclaim "Oops!" I turned to see him stumble slightly; however, he reacted quickly and managed to regain his balance.
"Damn it," Gu Chen cursed at that moment.
"What's wrong?" I quickly asked.
Gu Chen rubbed his shoes against the scattered clothes nearby and said, "Damn it, I don't know where this stray dog came from to leave its mess."
I frowned and shone my flashlight around, then said, "Haha, this is awkward. Do you really think a stray dog could jump in here?"
Gu Chen grumbled, "Who knows what kind of trouble they were up to while sleeping here."
Just as I pointed the flashlight toward that spot, I noticed something. I didn't expect to find this here. While shining the light, I walked over to investigate.
"What’s so interesting about poop?" Gu Chen remarked.
I sighed and said, "I'm looking at that thing behind you. Don't you think it looks familiar?"
Gu Chen turned around and, after confirming that the toy was clean, picked it up.
"Is this yours?"
I nodded.
Comment 0 Comment Count