Chapter 41

It was already past 6:30 in the evening, and the sky gradually darkened. The orange-red hues of the sunset blended with the blue tones of the night sky, creating an exquisite watercolor painting. Several people stood or crouched in the village cemetery at the entrance, but they were in no mood to appreciate the scenic beauty of the mountain village.

Upon hearing Lu Siyu’s words, Zhang Dahai furrowed his brows, organizing his thoughts. “So, you mean the child might have been the first victim? He was the beginning of this family murder case, and they all fell victim to the same killer. The killer killed the child first and, still unsatisfied, murdered the entire family a few months later?”

Silence fell upon the group as they reflected on the entire case. Many details that initially seemed unremarkable now triggered deep thoughts and fear. Although the strong stench of the decomposing body still lingered in the air, everyone had grown accustomed to it after spending a considerable time at the scene.

Lu Siyu, feeling a bit of stomach discomfort, stood up, leaning against a tree with a pale face, eyes closed, lost in thought. After contemplating for a moment and gaining some clarity, he spoke, “I think there are two possibilities. The first one is as you mentioned.”

“What’s the other one?” Zhang Dahai asked in surprise.

“The other possibility is that the child was killed by his own father,” Lu Siyu replied.

As he spoke, Lu Siyu lowered his head to look at the child’s body. The eyelids had partially rotted away, and the eyeballs protruded, making it seem as if they were staring into eternity.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on everyone’s faces, Song Wen realized the intricacies of the situation and explained on Lu Siyu’s behalf. “The child went out with Zhou Chuguo. What exactly happened can only be known from Zhou Chuguo’s perspective. I heard a detail from the villagers before; the people on both sides of the stream never heard the child cry. It might be because Zhou Chuguo was responsible for the child’s demise. The child didn’t cry for help, probably because he trusted Zhou Chuguo. Zhou Chuguo took the child out, and he was the one who informed the village about the child’s disappearance. He had the opportunity to commit the crime and obstructed the autopsy several times, possibly to avoid being discovered.”

Lin Xiuran also caught on, bowed his head in thought, and added, “If Zhou Chuguo killed the child, the chicken leg might have been a gesture of guilt. He might have bought it to pacify the child and led him to the stream.” With this interpretation, many things started making sense.

At first, this viewpoint seemed difficult to comprehend. However, considering Zhang Dahai’s earlier comments about the child’s father frequently mistreating him, and yet buying him a chicken leg before his death, it sent shivers down one’s spine.

Listening to Song Wen and Lin Xiuran, Zhang Dahai’s lips trembled. He almost didn’t recognize the village where he had grown up. They say a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs, so how could the killer of the child possibly be his own father? This seemed even more incredulous than the current electric gate case. “Zhou Chuguo is just a bit strict with the child; he isn’t crazy. Why would he kill his own son, especially a boy? What could be his motive?”

Turning back to look at the bones, Song Wen squinted his eyes, furrowed his brow, and his eyes trembled slightly. Suddenly, he understood some of the connections.

“As for the motive…” He paused, and his eyes narrowed further. “You noticed, right? In their home, they didn’t set up a memorial tablet for the child, and there are no signs of them visiting the grave. The villagers mentioned hearing crying by the stream, possibly Yang Li secretly mourning.” Song Wen looked at Zhang Dahai. “When I asked about the child in the village before, the villagers were evasive. At the time, I couldn’t understand, but now I finally do. Is there something questionable about the child’s origin?”

Zhang Dahai, under Song Wen’s gaze, lowered his head. “Well, there are some rumors in the village, but those are just jokes made by the villagers.”

“Make it clear.” Song Wen continued to press him.

Zhang Dahai swallowed and said, “Okay, I’ll tell you. You’ve seen Yang Li’s body; she looked quite attractive. People in the village suspected that Yang Li might have cuckolded her man. However, that’s just how the village is—always filled with idle talk and gossip. Whether it’s true or false, it spreads like wildfire. Most of it is just baseless gossip.”

“Regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, Zhou Chuguo believed them,” Song Wen’s pupils lit up, his black-and-white eyes seemingly seeing through everything. “He might have killed the child because he thought he wasn’t his son, or perhaps, whether he was his son didn’t matter. What mattered more to him was the doubt about the child’s paternity.”

Song Wen continued his analysis, “Zhou Chuguo is an accountant, conservative in thinking, a bit dogmatic. His house is kept extremely clean, with unchanging habits. Rumors can be deadly. Perhaps he developed suspicions about the child’s origin from everyday life details and some words from his wife, intensifying his doubts. Someone like him couldn’t accept his wife’s infidelity and, even more so, couldn’t accept that the child he had raised for years wasn’t his own.”

“Initially, Zhou Chuguo might have only doubted the child’s parentage. Gradually, as gossip spread, he took it as a personal issue, a thorn in his heart. The ‘green hat’ on his head became a stabbing pain, haunting him every time he saw the child.”

Song Wen continued to speculate on the case. “His attitude toward his family became increasingly hostile. This accumulated over the years as the child grew up. Zhou Chuguo didn’t have the courage to have the child’s paternity tested but, rather than facing it, he ruthlessly chose an extreme solution. That day, he took the child out, bought him a fast-food chicken leg at the village store, and then they went to the stream together…”

The tragedy unfolded.

The young police officer, Xiao Meng, asked in confusion, “If he suspected the child wasn’t his own, why not get a divorce?”

Zhang Dahai remembered something and said, “Probably felt that it would be difficult to find someone else if he divorced, and airing the family’s dirty laundry in public was not an option. I remember, after the child died, Zhou Chuguo comforted Yang Li, saying they were still young and could have more children.”

“Who the child belongs to can only be determined through a paternity test. Facial features and characteristics are not necessarily accurate,” Lin Xiuran said. The vehicle for transporting the body arrived, and they placed the child’s body into a body bag, transporting it to the funeral home for a more detailed examination. The final conclusion would have to wait for the DNA results.

Song Wen walked over, took out the room card prepared for Lin Xiuran, and Lin Xiuran waved his hand. “Forget it; I’ll definitely stay in town tonight. Whether I can sleep or not is another story.”

Once everything was settled here, Lin Xiuran and Lao Li rushed to the funeral home. Song Wen turned to Zhang Dahai, “Are there any other stories in this village that you haven’t told us? Who might be the man related to Yang Li?”

Zhang Dahai replied, “After your analysis just now, I recalled something. Regarding this family, there are indeed some old stories. Before Yang Li married into the Zhou family, she had a relationship with someone in the village named Xue Jingming. Interestingly, this person has some kinship with the Zhou family. Xue Jingming’s mother and Zhou Chuguo’s mother are cousins.”

“A few years ago, Xue Jingming and Yang Li fell in love, and they were an envied couple in the village. However, Xue Jingming’s father died early, and their family was poor, unable to afford the betrothal gifts. To make this marriage happen, Xue Jingming and his mother borrowed money from various relatives, even approaching the Zhou family. However, Mother Xue was just a widow, and the family ties had long been severed. In the end, they didn’t borrow much, and due to the insufficient gifts, the Yang family drove them away, and the marriage was canceled. Later, they didn’t expect Yang Li to marry Zhou Chuguo, missing the chance, and Mother Xue fell seriously ill out of anger and passed away within a few years.”

“As for the Zhou family’s side, Yang Li later married Zhou Chuguo and quickly gave birth to a son. At that time, the Zhou family’s patriarch was still alive, and they celebrated the child’s one hundredth day. However, later, everyone discovered that Zhou Chuguo had single eyelids, but the child had double eyelids. Zhou Chuguo had a long face, while the child had a round face and didn’t resemble him much.”

Song Wen said, “Listening to this, Xue Jingming is highly suspicious. Why didn’t you mention this important information earlier?”

Zhang Dahai shrank his neck after being scolded. “These two families had already cut ties. There might have been some grudges in the past, but even if Xue Jingming was resentful, would he wait for several years to take revenge? I thought the child’s death was an accident, so I didn’t think in this direction.”

Upon hearing this, Song Wen took off his disposable gloves, wrapped them up to discard, and turned to the still-dazed Zhang Dahai and Xiao Meng. “What are you standing there for? Since we’ve mentioned this Xue Jingming, who seems to be crucial, quickly confirm whether he is still in the village. Also, get some young folks from the village to fill this pit. Leaving it open is unethical.”

“Um, who is Xue Jingming?” Xiao Meng interjected, asking Zhang Dahai, “I’ve been in this village for so many years and never heard of this person.”

Zhang Dahai replied, “It’s Jiuzhi, the one who lost a finger, a well-known old bachelor in the village.” In casual conversations in the village, people more often use nicknames than real names. Xue Jingming and this young police officer were from different generations, so it was normal for him not to know the real name.

*Jiu Zhi – 9 fingers(coz  he lost one)

Xiao Meng exclaimed, understanding now, “Isn’t he the well-known filial son nearby? When his mother was seriously ill, he stayed by her side continuously. Moreover, he likes children a lot, often distributing candies to the kids near schools and kindergartens. I once saw him talking to Zhou Chuguo’s son.”

Upon hearing this, Song Wen furrowed his brows slightly. “Perhaps it’s his behavior, combined with village rumors, that made Zhou Chuguo determined to kill his own son.”

Lu Siyu interjected with a question, “What does this Xue Jingming do?”

Zhang Dahai said, “He used to help with carpentry and woodworking. However, during one job, he accidentally sawed off a finger with an electric saw and couldn’t work anymore, so he made a living collecting mountain products.”

Song Wen analyzed, “If he had experience in woodworking, he might have learned some electrical skills, so the professions match. If Xue Jingming thought the child was his own and accidentally found out that Zhou Chuguo intentionally killed the child, it’s very likely he would resort to extreme measures like the massacre with the electricity. This might be the motive for the electrical switch massacre.”

At this point, most of the evidence had been gathered, and the logic was clear.

Zhang Dahai on the side was organizing his thoughts, “So, the origin could be that Zhou Chuguo killed the child, and Xue Jingming killed their entire family?”

In these two cases, the drowning case came first, followed by the electric shock case. At first glance, they seemed unrelated, but in fact, the drowning case was the trigger for the entire event.

Song Wen: “The current clues lead to this conclusion. Perhaps there are details we are yet to discover. To confirm if it’s true, we need to catch Xue Jingming and ask him.”

Zhang Dahai asked again, “So, whose child is this exactly?”

Song Wen replied, “Wait for the DNA test results.” Until the results were out, their deductions were just speculations. Now that they had the cigarette butt left by the killer, the bodies of Zhou Chuguo and the child, they just needed to obtain Xue Jingming’s DNA. Then everything would become clear.

Zhang Dahai scratched his head and asked, “I understand your logic, but why would Xue Jingming kill Yang Li too? After all, she was once his good woman.”

Song Wen pondered for a moment, “After all these years, Xue Jingming’s initial unrequited love for Yang Li probably turned into resentment long ago. And after the child’s death, he felt that Yang Li also had some responsibility. As for Zhou’s mother, it’s probably related to the time he went to the Zhou family to borrow money and ended up not marrying Yang Li. However, these two were not his main targets. He mainly wanted to retaliate against Zhou Chuguo. Assuming that Zhou’s mother and Yang Li were cautious and didn’t rush to help when Zhou Chuguo was electrocuted, those two might have escaped.”

Zhang Dahai was convinced by Song Wen’s explanation and nodded, “The details all match up, and the person’s height also fits. Don’t be fooled by his usual hunched posture; he’s not short. Xiao Meng, call Xiao Zhang and have them bring him over.”

As they continued to analyze, they felt that Xue Jingming’s suspicion was increasing. Song Wen furrowed his brows and said, “Don’t bring him over; time is of the essence. Go directly to his house and check. We’ll head over immediately.” After a moment of thought, he added, “The people going to check must pay attention to safety, just confirm if he’s at home. If Xue Jingming is the one responsible for the family massacre, he’s probably already a fugitive, and approaching him recklessly might be dangerous.”

Zhang Dahai woke up like he was from a dream, made a call to send the faster ones to Xue Jingming’s house, and soon received a call. Xue Jingming’s house was tightly closed, and according to the neighbors, he left in the morning carrying a backpack without answering where he was going.

Zhang Dahai hurriedly led them into the village, crossed several streets, and arrived at the gate of Xue Jingming’s house. It was located to the south of the village, a bit secluded, and the entrance looked a bit old with peeling paint. At this moment, many households had lit up with lights, but this place was pitch black. The group stood outside the gate, and Lu Siyu turned his phone into flashlight mode, first shining it on the ground, then spoke, “Footprints are the same.” After that, he looked at a cigarette butt at the entrance, “The brand of the cigarette is also the same.”

“It’s probably him,” Song Wen said, pulling out a gun from behind and forcefully kicked open the locked courtyard door. With a loud bang, the door swung open. Song Wen looked inside, seeing no movement, and entered. He told Zhang Dahai, who was behind him, “Pay attention to preserving the scene. Call the forensic team, collect evidence, and seal off this area.”

Zhang Dahai sighed and hurriedly went to make a phone call.

Song Wen entered the house, and Lu Siyu followed him with his phone’s flashlight.

The bright white light cut through the darkness, gradually revealing the contents of the room.

It was a single man’s home, consisting of two rooms that were connected. The place was relatively tidy; in the room facing the entrance, there were two beds neatly arranged, indicating some effort to keep it orderly. Near the inner part, an old television was placed, and the wall was neatly decorated with some certificates, with handwriting that was no longer discernible. Song Wen noticed a dark green object hanging near the door and approached for a closer look—it was a long raincoat. Recalling the words of the villagers, he nodded toward Lu Siyu, indicating that the murderer was highly likely to be this person.

“Any discoveries inside?” Zhang Dahai’s voice came through. The room was pitch black, and after he had finished the call and summoned someone with a flashlight, he was about to turn on the lights. At this moment, Lu Siyu suddenly remembered something and whispered, “Be careful!”

In the darkness, Zhang Dahai hesitated for a moment and was then pulled away by Lu Siyu, somewhat puzzled by his actions.

In the dim light of the flashlight, Lu Siyu approached the light switch, carefully examined it, and then gently used a pair of wooden chopsticks on the table to lift up a segment of exposed copper wire. The lights in this room had been modified and turned into a trap.

Song Wen also saw the wire. If touched at night, it could easily lead to new casualties. Fortunately, Lu Siyu discovered it. He cursed softly, “Damn, that’s cunning.”

Zhang Dahai, thinking back to the gruesome scene of the corpses in the morning, felt like he had just recovered his life. He broke into a cold sweat and, placing his hand on his chest, said, “Scared the hell out of me. Young man, you saved my life. Once this case is solved, I’ll definitely treat you to a drink in gratitude.”

Lu Siyu coldly glanced at him and tersely refused, “I don’t drink.”

Zhang Dahai, initially prepared to shower him with praise, was rendered speechless by these four words. The police in this city had good professional skills, but why were they so devoid of human warmth…