(2) Hiding

There are doubts about Fang Qinghua.

Just the fact that Shen Wanwan had turned into a mouse in her house is enough to confirm something is wrong.

Liang Sao had confessed everything she needed to, anxiously watching Shen Wanwan, unsure of what she would face next.

She wasn’t afraid of being punished, she was afraid of being taken away by Shen Wanwan and locked up in prison.

If she really went to prison, her life might actually be easier than it is now, but who would take care of her entire family?

Her husband was honest and capable, her three sons were well-behaved and sensible, and even her in-laws treated her like their own daughter, pampering her all her life. She couldn’t bear to give them up.

But she knew she had done wrong—breaking into a crime scene and trying to steal… Liang Sao didn’t understand the law, she just felt like she’d be locked away for a long time.

Shen Wanwan looked around the messy house for a long time, thinking.

The mess in the house wasn’t because Liang Sao didn’t like cleanliness, but because they didn’t have decent furniture. The family was frugal, and they couldn’t bear to throw anything away. As things piled up, no matter how often they were tidied up, it would still appear chaotic.

The door leading to the bedroom had a colorful beaded curtain, and directly in front of it was a single bed less than a meter wide. Shen Wanwan could even see a withered, aged hand hanging down.

Shen Wanwan said, “Don’t mention this to anyone. If anyone in the team asks you about Fang Qinghua, just say that you remembered it and thought it might be useful, so you reported it to us. Also, in your situation, you can apply for assistance. Gather the necessary materials, and I’ll go with you.”

Liang Sao looked up in confusion.

Shen Wanwan stood up, “My name is Shen Wanwan. Come find me once you’re ready.”

Liang Sao nodded, but it seemed she couldn’t fully understand what Shen Wanwan meant. She stood there, staring at her foolishly.

Shen Wanwan knew she had understood and turned to leave.

Just as she reached the yard, Liang Sao ran out after her, tears welling up in her eyes. “Um, thank you.”

—

Although Fang Qinghua’s home was simple, it was arranged warmly, as if she was living a proper life.

Other colleagues had already searched Fang Qinghua’s home, and Shen Wanwan had called the team to ask. They didn’t find the gold necklace.

Shen Wanwan had no choice but to continue searching Fang Qinghua’s house. The gold necklace was valuable, so it wouldn’t be left out in the open. People had many ways of hiding things, such as installing hidden compartments in drawers or wrapping them in a specific piece of clothing.

Shen Wanwan had a clear goal: to find the gold necklace. But after spending the entire afternoon in Fang Qinghua’s house, she still couldn’t find it.

Perhaps Fang Qinghua, due to financial struggles, had already sold the necklace? Or maybe she never brought it here in the first place?

Shen Wanwan also realized she still didn’t know where Fang Qinghua had kept her daughter’s ashes.

As she was pondering her next move, the shopkeeper from a nearby store poked his head inside. “Are there any police officers here? Your team called. They said they found the thing you mentioned earlier!”

The key physical evidence found at the crime scene is usually taken back to the station. Sometimes, when there is a lot of evidence, it is placed in a box.

The gold necklace was found in the box.

The gold necklace was in an evidence bag and showed signs of being scorched, but it should have been far from the fire’s origin, it was only blackened.

Finding the gold necklace should have been a cause for celebration, but Shen Wanwan couldn’t bring herself to feel happy. The necklace was found in Zhang Yingming’s house.

Cui Luo looked at the pendant on the necklace and said, “This pendant is quite beautiful, it’s heart-shaped. But I find it strange. Zhang Yingming is a gambler, and his family lost everything. How could he still have a gold necklace? The pendant’s weight isn’t small.”

Shen Wanwan said, “This isn’t Zhang Yingming’s.”

“Could it be the murderer’s? The murderer killed someone and wore a gold necklace? Or maybe Zhang Yingming just stole it?” Cui Luo asked.

Shen Wanwan asked, “Where was the necklace found?”

“Under the bed in the small house. It must have fallen through a crack. Oh, right, it was near the weapon.”

Shen Wanwan’s expression grew serious. “Sister Luo, I think we need to thoroughly investigate Fang Qinghua.”

All of Fang Qinghua’s relatives had passed away.

She lived in a remote village at the foot of a mountain. Tao Jiang had previously contacted the village head to inquire about Fang Qinghua’s situation. The village head only said she was pitiful, that her daughter died of illness, and that her husband died in a bear attack while hunting. By the time they found him, only half of his body remained.

When Shen Wanwan brought in new information, Tao Jiang made another call to the village, asking the village head to find any old acquaintances of Fang Qinghua to talk to, but the village head hesitated and tried to delay.

Tao Jiang realized something was wrong, and after several attempts, managed to contact a reliable police officer, asking him to visit the village personally.

At six o’clock in the evening, the police officer reported back.

Fang Qinghua’s daughter, Song Yuanyuan, did not die from illness, she was raped and murdered.

It was said that Song Yuanyuan encountered an injured man on her way to school. She kindly brought him home to take care of him. The next day, while Fang Qinghua and her husband were away, the man raped and killed Song Yuanyuan, then disappeared without a trace.

At the time, there was an inspection by a high-ranking official. The village head, fearing repercussions and criticism, persuaded Fang Qinghua to say that her daughter had died of an illness, as gossip would spread if the truth was known.

Fang Qinghua agreed. She had no choice.

Her husband truly died in an accident, and during the days after the incident, Fang Qinghua didn’t shed a single tear. After taking care of her husband’s funeral, she packed up and left the village with only a sack, never to return.

Tao Jiang specifically asked the police officer to inquire about the whereabouts of the gold necklace. The village head said the murderer had stolen the necklace.

This result shocked everyone.

Cui Luo said, “The gold necklace has appeared again, which proves that Fang Qinghua found the person who killed her daughter. Was it Zhang Yingming? But she clearly knew Zhang Yingming. She should have recognized him a long time ago. How could they be neighbors for over ten years and still be kind to him?”

“If Zhang Yingming harmed Fang Qinghua’s daughter, her suspicion would be too high. But we still don’t know why she didn’t leave the scene. Could she have committed suicide?”

Cui Luo disagreed, “Fang Qinghua collapsed in front of the window, she must have been trying to call for help.”

“Then why didn’t she just go out the door directly?”

Shen Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat. “I remember Liu Fanrong went to the scene and closed the door.”

“The high temperature of the fire may have caused the door to warp, so Fang Qinghua couldn’t leave even if she wanted to.”

“Exactly. The weapon was left on the bed in the small house, the necklace was under the bed, and the bed was in front of the window. Fang Qinghua most likely found that the door wouldn’t open and tried to escape through the window. But since she couldn’t open the window, she collapsed in front of the large house window.”

Tao Jiang concluded, “Right now, everything is just speculation. Once we extract Fang Qinghua’s fingerprints and check everything again, we’ll have results.”

The progress of the case made Shen Wanwan feel both happy and emotional.

She could understand why Fang Qinghua would leave her home, but how did she travel through so many cities, how did she find Zhang Yingming, and with what mindset did she care for him for over ten years? All of that remained unknown.

Shen Wanwan got on her bicycle and headed home.

As she approached the old factory area, she saw two unfamiliar men, one carrying a rare-looking camera. Both men had work badges hanging on their chests.

The neighbors in the old factory area had never seen a camera before, so several of them gathered around to watch them curiously.

Shen Wanwan wasn’t curious about the camera and didn’t wonder why the men were there. As she rode her bike, she planned to pass by them, but the neighbors called out to her, “Wanwan is back! These two reporters have been waiting for you for a long time!”

“Wanwan is making a name for herself! I heard from the reporters that you saved several girls and even captured the criminal trying to escape by yourself? Incredible, really incredible! The old Shen family is shining now!”

Lin Yuying was also in the crowd, and the more she listened, the happier she felt.

Look at these people, when Wanwan first started working, they all said she couldn’t do this or that. Now they’re all here praising her. Hmph.

A large crowd surrounded Shen Wanwan, as if she were some big celebrity.

The two reporters were even more eager. “Comrade Shen Wanwan, can we interview you about today’s situation? We just need to ask a few questions.”

Shen Wanwan remembered that they had already been to the station today, but the Zhang Yingming case hadn’t been solved yet, and Tao Jiang had sent all the reporters away.

Yet they managed to find Shen Wanwan’s home.

Since they were already here, Shen Wanwan felt it would be rude not to acknowledge them, so she gave some casual answers to the questions.

The two reporters understood the rules of the police station, so they only asked about things related to Shen Wanwan personally, like her school grades. Shen Wanwan answered a few questions, and the reporters left satisfied.

Shen Wanwan guessed that she would end up in the newspapers.

After the reporters left, Shen Wanwan and Lin Yuying returned home surrounded by the neighbors.

Lin Yuying’s smile was as bright as a flower.

Since she married Shen Heping, she hadn’t heard so many people praise her child. She used to think the children of other families were the little stars of the alley, but now her own family was finally shining!

Shen Wanwan didn’t care much about such trivial matters. For her, what mattered most was whether she could really help a few girls.

As soon as she entered the house, she pulled Lin Yuying to the dining table. “Mom, did you make the list?”

Lin Yuying snapped back to reality from her excitement. “I made the list, but…”

Lin Yuying shyly took a piece of paper from her apron pocket and handed it to Shen Wanwan.

Shen Wanwan opened it and saw that there were over a dozen types of noodles listed, but Lin Yuying had barely managed to write the full names.

Some of them were written, but still contained misspellings.

Lin Yuying had only attended school for a couple of years, so being able to write a few words was already considered impressive.

Shen Wanwan could roughly figure out what kinds of noodles Lin Yuying had written. “Mom, I’m thinking of setting up a small stall for you. You can try selling it, alright? I’ll cover the costs for the stall. If it doesn’t work out, it’s fine.”

Lin Yuying didn’t quite believe in herself. “Don’t waste your money. I can’t do something like that. It’s not easy for you to earn money.”

Shen Wanwan casually replied, “There are rewards for success. Our family needs to find a way to make money. In the future, I’ll get married, and Xiao Zhuo will need to get a wife. Right now, you’re healthy and don’t feel it, but if some disaster or illness strikes, we won’t have enough money to cover it.”

Shen Wanwan managed to convince Lin Yuying.

Money was, of course, important. Who didn’t envy the life of the wealthy?

If it was just setting up a small stall, it really wouldn’t take too much money…

Lin Yuying gritted her teeth and said, “Then I’ll do as you say. You get everything ready, and I’ll give you the money.”

If it were before, Lin Yuying wouldn’t have thought it was wrong to use her daughter’s money. She even wanted her daughter to save her wages for the future, so that it could be used for Shen Zhuo to marry a wife.

But after hearing Shen Wanwan’s words, she didn’t dare think like that anymore, nor did she dare to bring it up.

Shen Wanwan picked a few types of noodles that were convenient to serve and planned to test the waters first.

She even thought about having Lin Yuying sell spicy hot pot skewers. Hot pot skewers were popular in every city, and they were easier to make.

However, all of this still depended on how well the noodle stall worked out.