Chapter 58: Inquiry

Elder Gu’s granddaughter has news again?

At this time?

Lin Qiao’s first reaction wasn’t joy but to look up and meet Ji Duo’s gaze directly.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want Elder Gu to find his granddaughter, but the timing was suspicious. It had only been half a month since Elder Gu’s nephew caused a scene. They had just detained and sent him back to his hometown, and now there’s news about Shaozhen?

Lin Qiao saw that Ji Duo was also looking down at her, his eyes deep and clearly not joyful.

After meeting her gaze, his eyes softened slightly, and he quickly and concisely explained, “The local police found her three days ago and have already sent her over. I need to go now. It might be more convenient with you there. Do you have time?”

“Then get in the car.” Lin Qiao didn’t waste a single word, her decisiveness catching Ji Duo’s attention for a few seconds.

But only for a few seconds because he quickly stepped forward and opened the car door for her.

Regardless of their suspicions, they needed to see the person first. After all, even a one-in-a-million chance was still a chance.

The car didn’t head to the hospital where Elder Gu was but stopped in front of a quaint courtyard near where they had previously dined with Su Zheng.

“This is Su Zheng’s place. He’s been staying here for the past two years to avoid his family’s nagging about marriage,” Ji Duo explained quietly to Lin Qiao as he knocked on the door.

Su Zheng soon opened the door. Seeing Lin Qiao, he wasn’t surprised. As they walked in, he explained softly, “I was worried it might not be her and didn’t want to upset Elder Gu, so I intercepted her halfway and brought her here first.” Clearly, he shared their concerns.

“What have you found out?” Ji Duo asked in a low voice.

“Nothing yet,” Su Zheng replied unexpectedly. “I haven’t spoken a word to her.”

This surprised Ji Duo, who stopped to look at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. You wouldn’t get anything out of her either. Her condition… well, see for yourself,” Su Zheng said, unable to describe it.

Su Zheng’s courtyard wasn’t large, with three main rooms. The visitor was placed in the empty room on the west side. Outside the door sat a young man with a dark complexion and short stature, also in uniform, likely the one who had brought her for identification.

Seeing them approach, he stood up and greeted them in heavily accented Mandarin. They struggled to understand but didn’t show it. After a brief conversation, he knocked on the door and spoke in a dialect. Whatever he said was unclear, but after waiting a moment, he opened the door. Despite the advance notice and preparation time, the woman inside still flinched visibly when the door opened.

One glance was enough for Lin Qiao to understand why Su Zheng hadn’t spoken to her.

The woman inside was like a frightened bird, huddled in a chair that seemed too large for her. Her clothes were tattered, her hair disheveled, and only her overly sharp chin was visible. Any sound made her curl up and tremble.

This was not a normal reaction. Ji Duo took one look and closed the door, stepping back to ask in a low voice, “Has she been abused?”

Su Zheng nodded, “Her husband beat her. They found her because she ran to report him.”

“Scared like this, she never reported it before?” Ji Duo sharply identified the flaw in the story.

The young man who brought her scratched his nose, “I don’t know. She’s under the local police station’s jurisdiction. This was her first time coming to our public security bureau.”

But if he knew nothing, why scratch his nose?

Either there was some truth to her seeking help from the local police station, or he knew how such cases were typically handled—calling the husband for a talk and then sending them back to continue the abuse.

Even in the 1980s, domestic violence wasn’t always properly addressed, let alone in remote areas. If she hadn’t claimed to be from Yandu and mentioned her grandfather being relocated, they might not have connected her to Elder Gu. Without that connection, who knows if they would have helped her at all?

Ji Duo’s expression darkened, and Lin Qiao’s face grew colder. “Has she eaten dinner?”

“Yes,” the young man replied. “I brought it in. She didn’t move at first, but when I checked later, it was gone.”

That indicates an excessive stress response and a strong sense of vigilance. The fact that she can eat is better than completely rejecting the outside world. This can’t be rushed. The three of them took the officer to Su Zheng’s room and asked for detailed information about the situation.

The woman brought over was named Chen Zhaonan. She wasn’t a local and married in the area as a teenager. Because she never had children, she was frequently beaten and scolded by her husband and mother-in-law. This time, she ran away with injuries, traveling dozens of miles to the county public security bureau. She didn’t mention the beatings but immediately said she wanted to find her grandfather and asked him to save her. “She said her surname was Gu, her name was Shaozhen, and she used to be from Yandu. We checked, and everything matched. She even looked like it, so we brought her over.”

“Does she look like her?” Ji Duo asked Su Zheng, who was sitting nearby.

Su Zheng’s small house clearly wasn’t used to so many people. There weren’t enough chairs, so he had to bring two more stools from the storeroom. He smiled bitterly, “Since she arrived, I haven’t even seen her face properly. How would I know what she looks like?”

This made things difficult. Without speaking or seeing her face, how could they confirm her identity? They couldn’t just wait indefinitely.

The officer who brought her over looked embarrassed, “We didn’t do anything to her. She was like this on the way, scared of anyone who got close.”

After a moment of silent contemplation, Lin Qiao stood up, “I’ll go ask her. As a woman, she might be less guarded with me.”

Ji Duo immediately stood up as well, and Lin Qiao thought he would follow her, “You better stay here. You’ll only scare her more.”

That was true. With his military uniform and stern face, even Su Zheng’s friendly demeanor in his police uniform hadn’t provided any sense of security.

Ji Duo escorted her out of Su Zheng’s room and whispered, “I’ll be outside the door. Be careful.”

Was he worried she might get hurt by the woman’s reaction?

He had always been considerate, but recently, his care has become more meticulous.

Lin Qiao nodded and asked Su Zheng for an unused towel. She filled a basin with hot water and brought it into the room along with some soap.

Sensing someone entering, the person visibly tensed up. Lin Qiao didn’t mind and placed the water basin on the table beside her, then stepped back a few paces to a distance that felt safe for the other person. “It’s been a long journey. Why don’t you wash your face? The towel is new and hasn’t been used.” Her voice was gentle and soothing, but she stood by the wall, showing no intention of leaving.

Chen Zhaonan, let’s call her that for now, waited for a while but didn’t see Lin Qiao leave. She couldn’t help but lift her head slightly to sneak a peek at her.

Honestly, she was so thin that only her large eyes stood out, one of which had a noticeable bruise. She was like a timid snail, cautiously extending an antenna only to retract it quickly.

Lin Qiao pretended not to notice. “It should be warmer where you’re from than Yandu, right? I see you’re wearing someone else’s coat. When I get back, I’ll find you some thicker clothes.” She added, “If you’re still cold, I’ll have someone light a stove for you. Winters in Yandu are dry and cold. I don’t know if you’re used to it.” She spoke a lot, but her soft tone and mundane words seemed to ease Chen Zhaonan’s tension.

For someone as skittish as a frightened bird, the usual police interrogation methods were unsuitable, especially for someone who might be Elder Gu’s granddaughter.

Noticing her body’s signals, Lin Qiao asked, “Do you want to wash your face? The water will get cold soon.”

Chen Zhaonan tensed up again, so Lin Qiao didn’t press further and continued chatting about mundane topics.

After a while, the once-warm water had indeed cooled. Lin Qiao didn’t rush her and went to pick up the basin. “I’ll get you some hot water.”

This time, the woman lifted her head and quickly glanced at her before lowering it again, her eyes showing a hint of unease.

Lin Qiao pretended not to notice, took the basin, and left the room, immediately handing it to Ji Duo. He didn’t say anything, just pointed to a chair by the door, indicating she should sit. He took the basin, emptied it, and picked up Su Zheng’s thermos, finding it empty.

Su Zheng, who was also waiting outside, quickly took a kettle to boil water. Lin Qiao, who used to stand at the podium, wasn’t tired but still sat down.

After about ten minutes, the water was ready. Ji Duo mixed it with cold water and handed it to Lin Qiao. She stood up, took it, and returned to the west room.

This time, Chen Zhaonan didn’t react as strongly. Lin Qiao placed the basin on the table, and Chen Zhaonan’s toes fidgeted nervously.

Clearly, she wasn’t comfortable troubling others. Lin Qiao gently said, “Go ahead and wash your face.”

Chen Zhaonan’s fingers twisted anxiously, but eventually, she hesitantly stood up.

The room was filled with the faint sound of water as if any louder noise would frighten someone.

Lin Qiao continued chatting, letting her get used to her voice. She even pushed the soapbox over, and after a moment’s hesitation, Chen Zhaonan picked it up and used it. After washing her face, she turned out to be a pretty young woman, though her skin was somewhat dark and yellow, and her face was marked with several bruises.

Lin Qiao was taken aback for a moment. She felt something familiar about her face, but she couldn’t quite place it.

Seeing the woman wipe her face with a towel and whisper a soft “thank you,” Lin Qiao picked up the basin. “I’ll get you a comb.”

The woman moved her lips as if to say it wasn’t necessary, but Lin Qiao just smiled. “It’s no trouble. A pretty girl like you should look presentable.”

For some reason, this comment seemed to touch the woman, and her eyes reddened. She quickly lowered her head to avoid being seen.

Lin Qiao left the room and handed the basin to Ji Duo, then asked Su Zheng in a low voice, “Do you have a photo of Shaozhen?”

Su Zheng, realizing she had made some progress, nodded. “Yes, I’ll go get it.”

Ji Duo had just finished emptying the water when he heard this. He paused, placed the enamel basin on the washstand, and took the photo from Su Zheng, glancing at it. “This won’t do.”

“Why not?” Su Zheng was puzzled for a moment before realizing, “It’s a bit small, and you can’t see her face clearly.”

“Find a solo photo of Shaozhen,” Ji Duo said calmly, flipping the photo over and glancing at Lin Qiao from the corner of his eye.

Lin Qiao didn’t notice, as her attention was already on Su Zheng, who was searching for the photo. Ji Duo then tightened his grip on the photo. The reason Ji Duo said the photo wouldn’t do wasn’t because it was small and unclear. It was because the photo included not only Shaozhen but also him and Ji Ze.

It was taken before Elder Gu was relocated, with the Gu siblings, Ji Duo and Ji Ze, and several Su family siblings standing in two rows. Ji Ze was about seven or eight years old, similar to the photo given to Lin Qiao by the family. If Lin Qiao saw it, the truth would be revealed immediately.

“If you can’t find another, the previous one will do,” Lin Qiao suddenly turned to him.

Ji Duo’s heart tightened, but he showed no sign of it and asked the officer who brought the woman, “Didn’t you bring a photo this time?”

Reminded by this, the officer finally responded, “Yes, we did. We compared them carefully before bringing her.”

The photo he brought wasn’t a printed copy but one obtained from the authorities. Elder Gu had developed hundreds of photos in his search for her.

Lin Qiao took the photo and felt that familiar sensation again. The girl in the black-and-white photo had two braids and big eyes, looking like someone she had seen before.

“Does she look like her?” Su Zheng asked softly.

“A bit,” Lin Qiao nodded, pointing to the eyes and mouth in the photo. “These two features are similar, but the rest is hard to tell.”

The officer added, “The photo was taken when she was very young. After more than ten years, she has changed a lot.”

That was true. Girls change a lot as they grow up. Lin Qiao herself looked very different from her childhood, except for her phoenix eyes and the small mole at the corner of her eye.

“Should we ask her again?” Su Zheng looked at Lin Qiao.

No one expected that a military officer and two police officers would be useless, and it would fall to Lin Qiao to ask the questions.

Ji Duo also looked at Lin Qiao, his eyes seeking her opinion. Lin Qiao nodded, “Alright, I’ll try to get her to talk.”

She then asked the two men, “Is there anything only you know that outsiders wouldn’t? It would help me make a judgment.”

Su Zheng was still thinking when Ji Duo leaned in and whispered in Lin Qiao’s ear, “Su Zheng wet the bed at Elder Gu’s house when he was twelve.”

This old cadre seriously revealed an embarrassing childhood secret.

Su Zheng, who was close enough to catch some of the words, immediately clarified, “I didn’t wet the bed. I spilled water while drinking in bed.”

Ji Duo gave him a look that said: If you insist on saying that, there’s nothing I can do.

This made Su Zheng angry, but since he and Lin Qiao weren’t a couple, he couldn’t get close to her to talk. He had to call Lin Qiao aside, “I have something to tell you too.” Just as he was about to speak, he sensed something and turned to see Ji Duo quietly watching him from a distance. The words got stuck in his throat.

Lin Qiao noticed this and couldn’t help but laugh, “Go ahead, I won’t tell him.”

“That won’t work either. This guy has excellent hearing.” Su Zheng thought for a moment and then took Lin Qiao to the courtyard.

When they returned, Lin Qiao’s gaze at Ji Duo had become meaningful, and Su Zheng’s smile was clearly mischievous.

Ji Duo paused and asked Lin Qiao, “What did he say?”

“Nothing much,” Lin Qiao replied with a smile and then asked Su Zheng, “Do you have a comb? I need to borrow it.”

“Yes, I do,” Su Zheng said, finding a comb for her. He watched her enter the west room and turned to find Ji Duo looking at him again.

Ji Duo calmly put the photo back in Su Zheng’s drawer without saying a word, but his presence was intimidating. Su Zheng had to surrender, “I really didn’t tell your wife anything.”

Ji Duo still didn’t speak; he just gave him a look, offered a cigarette to the officer who had brought the woman, and returned to his post by the west room door.

Inside, Lin Qiao placed the wooden comb on the table next to Chen Zhaonan and sat on the other side, “Comb your hair. I also brought a mirror.”

This time, she was closer. Although Chen Zhaonan was still uneasy, she wasn’t as tense. Lin Qiao introduced herself, “My name is Lin Qiao. I’m the wife of Ji Duo, the man in the military uniform you saw earlier. I should be younger than you…” She hesitated, “I should be younger, right?”

“I… I was born in 1959,” Chen Zhaonan said softly, her head still lowered, but at least she spoke.

This matched Gu Shaozhen’s age. Lin Qiao smiled, “So you’re older than me. You don’t need to be nervous. Even if you don’t remember people, you should recognize their uniforms, right?”

She poured herself a glass of water, adopting a relaxed posture for the conversation. “We brought you here first and didn’t take you to see Elder Gu because he’s quite old and not in the best health. We need to confirm things first to avoid any emotional upheaval that might affect his health. You understand, right?”

Chen Zhaonan hesitated but nodded, not speaking or immediately asking about Elder Gu’s condition.

If she had been too eager, Lin Qiao might have been suspicious. After all, it had been over a decade since they last saw each other, and she was just a child back then. Who knew how much she remembered about Elder Gu?

Lin Qiao poured her a glass of water as well. “Do you remember anything from the past? My husband and…”

“Brother Su Zheng?” she whispered, having finished combing her hair and now awkwardly untangling the dry, yellow strands from the comb.

The name matched. Lin Qiao nodded. “What about the others? And your family? What do you remember about them?”

Chen Zhaonan was silent for a moment, as if thinking, then asked softly, “What about my brother?”

Lin Qiao didn’t respond.

Seeing this, she hesitated, “I… I should have a brother, right? I remember having a brother.”

“Well…” Lin Qiao looked at her, pausing as if unsure how to respond.

She grew anxious, even starting to pull at her hair. “I remember having a brother. Did I remember wrong?” In no time, her freshly combed hair was a mess again.

Seeing her distress, Lin Qiao quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry. Let’s take our time and think about it slowly.”

There was a knock on the door, likely someone outside hearing the commotion.

“It’s okay,” Lin Qiao called out, continuing to soothe her. “Let’s take our time and think about it.”

After another half hour, Lin Qiao emerged from the room. “It’s been a long journey. You should rest now.”

“How did it go?” Su Zheng asked quietly.

Lin Qiao gestured for him to enter the room first, then closed the door and said, “Not much. She said she had a head injury and can’t remember some things clearly.”

“She had a head injury?” Ji Duo raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.

“Yes,” Lin Qiao nodded, pointing to a spot on her forehead. “About here, there’s an old scar about an inch long.”

This complicated things. Shaozhen didn’t have any distinctive birthmarks for identification, so they had to rely on memories of childhood events.

Ji Duo pondered for a moment, “Where did she live before she got married? She should remember that.”

Su Zheng also considered this and asked Lin Qiao, “Did you ask where she was married?”

“I did,” Lin Qiao replied, naming a place. “She said she grew up there. At first, her parents treated her okay, but after her brother was born, they sold her. I don’t know the exact characters; she spoke in a dialect and is illiterate.”

At her age, being illiterate suggested she came from a remote rural or mountainous area with a strong preference for boys over girls.

Given her name, Zhaonan, it was clear her family favored boys. Su Zheng repeated the name of the place twice and asked the officer who had brought her.

The officer didn’t know either, but based on Chen Zhaonan’s accent, he gave a rough range. “Maybe you should ask her in-laws. They might know.”

She ran away to escape her in-laws. Some things are hard to shake off once you’re involved, making it difficult to break free later.

“Let’s keep investigating. This has been going on for years, so there’s no rush,” Su Zheng said, realizing they had no further progress.

To determine if Chen Zhaonan is Gu Shaozhen, the quickest and most accurate method would be a kinship test with Elder Gu. However, the first paternity test abroad was in 1985, and it was even later in China, in 1991. It’s only 1980 now, and it’s uncertain if such tests are even known or available.

Lin Qiao didn’t say anything. Seeing it was getting late, Su Zheng looked at her and Ji Duo, “Will you two stay here, or…?”

“We’ll go back,” Ji Duo said, glancing at Lin Qiao before standing up to leave. “Call me if anything comes up.”

Su Zheng’s place was small, and with the officer who brought Chen Zhaonan, it wasn’t convenient for them to stay, even though Lin Qiao and Ji Duo had the day off tomorrow.

“Then I won’t see you off.”

“Alright.”

Ji Duo also didn’t expect him to see them off. As they got into the car, he suddenly said to Lin Qiao, “Let’s install a phone at home.”

Lin Qiao had considered this before. It wasn’t ideal to keep bothering Commander Liang’s family, especially when Liu Cuiying had to come over late at night to call them. She hadn’t mentioned it because she wasn’t sure how big Ji Duo planned to expand his business and when he would officially leave the military. It would be a waste if they installed a phone and he left the military.

However, given their frequent issues, and since Ji Duo suggested it, Lin Qiao didn’t oppose, “Let’s install one. It’ll save us from borrowing the neighbor’s phone.”

They had a good relationship with Commander Liang’s family, but not everyone got along with their neighbors. Some, like Sun Xiuzhi, might even get into fights, and no one would want to deal with that.

Suddenly, Lin Qiao had a revelation, “I know why Elder Gu looks familiar!”