Chapter 55: Old Matters

Lin Qiao had long harbored this suspicion, but Elder Gu’s nephew’s sudden arrival had left her without an opportunity to ask.

After all, why did Elder Gu’s nephew show up only when he fell ill? It seemed too coincidental.

Moreover, it was clear that they knew about Elder Gu’s poor health and intended to inherit his estate upon his death. But Elder Gu hadn’t been in contact with his family for years. His nephew, with a distinct regional accent, didn’t seem like someone from Yandu. How did he know about Elder Gu’s illness?

After Lin Qiao finished speaking, Su Zheng’s previously casual demeanor turned serious. He looked at her for a moment before suddenly turning to Ji Duo.

Lin Qiao was puzzled. Did she say something wrong?

It couldn’t be that they thought she was meddling, right?

A more domineering, chauvinistic type might resent Ji Duo’s wife for interfering in matters between childhood friends, but Su Zheng clearly wasn’t that type.

Su Zheng was mainly surprised. Lin Qiao had given him more surprises today than in all their previous interactions combined. When he first heard that Ji Duo was getting married to a woman nine years younger, from a rural background, arranged by his parents, he was shocked.

After all, Ji Duo seemed determined not to find a partner, refusing all introductions. None of these points seemed like something he would accept.

However, Ji Duo not only accepted it; the first time Su Zheng heard about Lin Qiao from him was when Ji Duo wanted to help her find smuggled goods. This made Su Zheng pay more attention, and his impression of Lin Qiao was that she was poised, interesting, and didn’t seem like a typical nineteen-year-old girl.

Today, seeing Lin Qiao for the first time, she unhesitatingly slapped someone and then arranged for the nurse to block them, showing calmness, boldness, and sharpness. After doing all this, she could still calmly think things through and come down to remind them.

If she were like this, Ji Duo’s acceptance of the marriage would seem much more understandable.

Su Zheng withdrew his gaze and nodded at Lin Qiao, “Ji Duo already mentioned this to me before you arrived.” His expression was solemn.

Ji Duo had already told him?

Lin Qiao looked at Ji Duo and found him looking back at her. With the light behind him, most of his handsome face was in shadow, making his eyes appear especially deep. This was the second time they had thought of the same thing without discussing it, the first being when they helped Old Zhou cover up the scratch marks.

This made Lin Qiao feel a bit peculiar, as she grew up seeing disagreements and people sticking to their opinions. It was rare for someone to think of the same thing she did. But the moment passed quickly. A car had already pulled up downstairs, and Elder Gu’s security team had arrived.

“You two go up first. Someone needs to be with Elder Gu,” Su Zheng said, adjusting his hat and stepping forward. “I’ll keep an eye on things here.”

Ji Duo understood his meaning. Even Elder Gu’s long-time nanny couldn’t be trusted until they had more information, and they didn’t want to leave Elder Gu alone. He nodded solemnly, “Leave a few to help you question them. I’ll take the rest upstairs.”

The well-trained security guards stood at the entrance, ensuring no one could cause trouble. Lin Qiao and Ji Duo knocked on the door and found that Elder Gu had finally fallen asleep after all the commotion. However, he was uncomfortable, his breathing weak, and his brows furrowed even in sleep.

Sister Du had taken good care of him, tucking in the blanket carefully. Seeing the two enter, she sighed softly.

“If you’re tired, you can rest for a while. We’ll watch over him,” Lin Qiao said with a smile.

Sister Du shook her head, “This is my job. What’s there to be tired about? But you two have work tomorrow.”

She sighed again, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have let them in. They looked so much like Elder Gu, I thought… Who knew they would be like this..” She struggled to find the words and finally just looked down at Elder Gu in the bed, saying nothing more.

Lin Qiao chatted with her for a bit and found that she spoke even less than Aunt Zhang and seemed a bit slow. Clearly, she wasn’t well-educated and hadn’t interacted with many people.

Lin Qiao exchanged a glance with Ji Duo and shook her head slightly, indicating she didn’t think Sister Du was involved.

Ji Duo didn’t show much reaction. Instead, he furrowed his brows, grabbed Lin Qiao’s wrist, turned her hand over to look at it, and then let it go as usual.

“What’s wrong with my hand?” Lin Qiao looked at her hand but saw nothing unusual. Just then, someone knocked on the door, interrupting Ji Duo. He walked over to open the door and found Su Zheng standing there.

Su Zheng stood at the door, saw Elder Gu asleep, and lowered his voice, “We’ve already found out.” He glanced at Lin Qiao inside the room.

This glance clearly indicated that he intended to inform Lin Qiao as well. Ji Duo noticed and looked back at Lin Qiao before closing the door and stepping out with Su Zheng.

They talked somewhere for a while and then returned together. Su Zheng urged Ji Duo and Lin Qiao, “I’ve got this covered. You two should head back. The ward is small, and there’s no need for so many people here.” He probably thought it was inconvenient for them to stay far away.

Ji Duo didn’t refuse, “Alright, we’ll go. Call me if anything comes up.”

As they left the hospital building, the night was deep, and the autumn air was chilly, making Lin Qiao shiver. She instinctively looked for Xiao Fang’s car, but Ji Duo took off his military jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He wore only a thin shirt and walked over to knock on the Jeep’s window.

In the night, his broad shoulders and upright posture made him look as if he didn’t feel the cold at all, just like when he had rescued someone in the rain.

Lin Qiao pulled the jacket tighter around her. The car quickly arrived, and they got into the back seat. Ji Duo remained silent the entire time.

Once they were home and had washed up, preparing for bed, Ji Duo finally spoke while wiping his face with a towel, “They didn’t come suddenly. Someone wrote them a letter saying Elder Gu was seriously ill.”

“Someone wrote them a letter?” Lin Qiao paused her brushing, thinking about this answer. It wasn’t surprising, “An anonymous letter, I assume?”

In those days, letters could be delivered as long as the address was correct and the postage was paid. Lin Wei had been sending letters home this way for the past few months. However, anonymous letters were harder to trace, and the sender likely didn’t use their usual handwriting.

Sure enough, Ji Duo said, “Elder Gu’s grandnephew said the sender warned them not to leak the information. Otherwise, the sender had ways to deal with them. After reading it, they burned the letter.”

Su Zheng and the security guards had questioned the three people separately.

Elder Gu’s nephew and niece-in-law, being older and more experienced, insisted they were just worried about their uncle’s age and wanted to visit. However, the younger and less worldly grandnephew spilled everything when scared.

It’s unclear whether this family is too foolish or greedy, but they believed such an obviously suspicious matter and traveled to Yandu.

Lin Qiao placed her toothbrush in the holder, her voice calm and even cold, “Did this person bring them here to anger Elder Gu to death?”

She’s incredibly perceptive, needing only some information to unravel the truth.

Ji Duo, who rarely spoke so freely with anyone, had a glimmer in his usually deep and calm eyes as he looked at Lin Qiao, “It’s possible that Elder Gu’s recent search for Shaozhen brought up old matters from over a decade ago, making someone anxious.”

Lin Qiao immediately understood his implication, “Are you saying there’s something suspicious about Elder Gu’s granddaughter’s disappearance, or…”

“Shaoping’s death is suspicious.” Ji Duo confirmed her guess, taking the items from Lin Qiao’s hands and putting them away before leading her into the room.

Lin Qiao was about to head to the desk, but Ji Duo had already pulled a chair to face the bed and gestured for her to sit by the bedside.

This time, they changed locations. She thought it would be like the last meeting, with the two of them sitting on either side of the desk.

Ji Duo also remembered the last meeting and instinctively didn’t want to go to the desk. Instead, he chose the bedside so there was no distance between them. “Shaozhen disappeared on July 13, 1967. Shaoping went out to look for her and went missing on the night of the 16th. He was found on the 18th in the mountains, already dead.”

So, Gu Shaoping met his end while searching for his sister…

Lin Qiao pondered, “Where was he found? Wasn’t there a thorough investigation at the time?”

If it had been an accident, Ji Duo wouldn’t have said there was something suspicious. But it shouldn’t have been dismissed so easily if it wasn’t an accident.

After a moment of silence, Ji Duo’s gaze turned from calm to grim.

“When Shaoping was found, he was hanging from a tree with a belt.” His words were concise, but his voice was filled with coldness, like a sword drawn in winter. “Elder Gu fainted upon hearing the news. Our parents were in a difficult situation at the time, so Su Zheng and I reported it. The investigators came, checked, and said it was suicide.”

“Suicide?” Lin Qiao could tell something was off.

Ji Duo sneered, “Su Zheng and I reported it in the morning. The investigators came in the afternoon and closed the case the same day. As for the reason for Shaoping’s suicide…”

“Because he couldn’t find his sister, felt ashamed to face Elder Gu and his deceased parents, and couldn’t take it anymore?”

If they insisted it was suicide, it wasn’t hard to guess. But even saying it out loud felt absurd to her. Any normal person, no matter how sad or guilty, would know that with his sister already missing, Elder Gu’s only grandson couldn’t also disappear.

Moreover, staying alive was the only way to continue searching and hoping to find her. Hanging himself with a belt made no sense.

Ji Duo didn’t believe it either. “Shaoping had injuries on his body and blood on his clothes. Su Zheng and I pointed it out, but they said he got hurt while looking for Shaozhen and accused us of causing trouble, kicking us out. Su Zheng refused to leave, argued with them, and got beaten up.”

That era was chaotic, and they were undergoing labor reform with their parents. If someone died, there was no place to seek justice. Thinking darker, if someone was beaten to death, it was hard to say who did it and whether it was related to those people. Some things weren’t thoroughly investigated then, and it was impossible to investigate them now, given the time passed.

Ji Duo harbored resentment about this matter. He lit a cigarette, his gaze drifting to the deep darkness outside the window. “I’ve been wondering all these years whether it was those people or someone undergoing reform with us. I used to lean towards the former, but now…”

Ji Duo didn’t usually smoke much except after certain events. He never smoked in the bedroom while reading or watching the news.

Today, he needed something to calm his emotions. Lin Qiao didn’t say anything, continuing to think along the lines he had just mentioned.

Without that letter and Elder Gu’s nephew causing a scene, even Ji Duo would have suspected those people more. After all, those people acted with impunity, while those undergoing reform were in a similarly bad situation, struggling to survive. But so many years have passed, and Elder Gu has long returned to Yandu. Those people would find it harder to know Elder Gu’s current situation than his nephew. However, the locals in Yandu could easily find out about Elder Gu’s hospitalization.

Considering what Elder Gu did before his hospitalization, someone might have seen him still looking for his granddaughter and feared it would uncover other past events, leading them to act desperately.

If Elder Gu were to die from anger or become bedridden, no one would continue investigating those past events. But writing a letter was a big mistake, likely to alert others. If they truly wanted to stop Elder Gu from investigating, there were many ways. Angering him was the dumbest. If they could cover it up back then and for so many years, they shouldn’t be so foolish now.

As she pondered, she looked up to find Ji Duo had shifted his gaze from the window and was watching her intently.

Lin Qiao thought he had something to say and quickly showed she was listening. Instead, he asked, “Is your hand okay?”

Hand?

Lin Qiao was momentarily confused, then realized he meant the hand she used to hit someone. She remembered his glance in the hospital corridor and his action of looking at her hand in the ward. So he wanted to ask about this. His face usually showed no emotion, so she hadn’t thought about it.

Lin Qiao simply showed him her hand, “It was a bit red at the time, but it’s fine now. I wasn’t the one who got hit…”

Before she finished speaking, Ji Duo’s large hand grasped hers.

Ji Duo was over twenty centimeters taller than Lin Qiao. When they stood together, she always had to look up to talk to him, and his hands were naturally much larger than hers.

Under the light, her slender, fair hand was enveloped by his strong, tanned one, with distinct knuckles and visible veins.

Lin Qiao felt slightly surprised, and Ji Duo instinctively looked away before his deep gaze returned to her. “I want to investigate Elder Gu’s situation further. Even if we can’t find anything, the guilty party might act again as long as Elder Gu is well and continues searching.”

Some things aren’t about what the other party does but about them doing nothing. Only actions leave traces.

Given the involvement of Gu Shaoping’s death, Ji Duo’s emotional turmoil was normal. Didn’t she comfort him by placing her hand on his in the car?

Lin Qiao didn’t mind and firmly grasped his hand in return. “Since they’ve shown their hand, they’re not invincible. I believe you can find the truth.”

The small hand in his palm was soft, and when it grasped his, it had no strength, making it hard to believe that just a few hours ago, it had fiercely slapped someone.

Ji Duo tightened his fingers, realizing that this time, after mentioning Shaoping, he calmed down faster than ever before despite the anger and coldness.

If he hadn’t looked back today, hadn’t pulled her into the car…

Ji Duo was always calm, never dwelling on useless emotions. The thought flashed by, and he said, “I was the one who acted.”

Acted? On whom?

The topic shifted too quickly and without context, leaving Lin Qiao a bit lost.

“Regarding that matter at your school, I was the one who dealt with her husband.”

“It was really you?”

Lin Qiao was shocked. After all, she had only mentioned it to him in passing.

Ji Duo flicked the ash from his cigarette, leaning back in his chair as he looked at her. “His wife messed with my people, so why can’t I mess with him? If he has nothing to hide, why fear an investigation?”

As he spoke, his military uniform was still impeccably worn, but his tone was reminiscent of that day when he, disheveled, leaned against the table and said, “Why shouldn’t I sleep with my lawfully wedded wife?”

It was the authoritarian side hidden beneath his usual stern demeanor, making Lin Qiao instinctively avoid his gaze.

Ji Duo noticed but said nothing, his grip on her hand unwavering.

Lin Qiao quickly returned her gaze, her eyes sincere as she said, “Thank you.”

Although she sensed a slight change, Ji Duo had just finished talking about Shaoping, and his emotions still fluctuated. It was no different from a man speaking in bed; as everyone knows, words spoken in bed can’t be trusted. Once they get up, they might forget everything.

Seeing Lin Qiao’s attitude, she was clearly the same as before. However, Ji Duo’s emotions had completely settled after this hospital visit.

Going back to being superior and subordinate?

Not a chance.

If necessary, he would take it slow. After all, they were married, and they had already slept together. She couldn’t return him. But it was already late, and they had to work the next day. It wasn’t the time to dwell on these matters. Ji Duo let go of her hand, “Let’s sleep.”

Lin Qiao would have already been ready to sleep if he hadn’t brought it up. Hearing this, she went straight to turn off the light. However, too much had happened that night, and she rarely couldn’t fall asleep quickly. As she turned over in bed, Elder Gu’s face resurfaced in her mind.

“Can’t sleep?” the man beside her asked, his voice clearly showing no signs of sleepiness.

Lin Qiao responded, “A little.”

The man said nothing more but turned over, pulled her into his arms, and patted her head as he usually did after such moments.

The gesture was somewhat like comforting a child, but as the nights grew colder, it was more comfortable to snuggle in his arms than warm the bed alone. As Lin Qiao leaned against him, she gradually felt sleepy. When she opened her eyes again, daylight was streaming through the window, and the man was standing by the bed, wearing his military jacket. “Time to get up.”

In the following days, Ji Duo visited the hospital several times, but Lin Qiao couldn’t find the time because the school had started midterm exams.

As both a subject teacher and a class teacher, she was busier than others. She worked nonstop for four or five days until the results for the second-year classes were finally out.

Qi Huaiwen maintained his momentum, advancing more than ten places to rank forty-third in the grade.

The teachers were prepared for this but didn’t expect even Junzi’s grades to improve significantly, moving from the bottom of the grade to the lower middle.

Lin Qiao knew a bit about this because Qi Huaiwen had just returned two review materials and notebooks from the first semester of the first year, and Junzi had borrowed them, even more than Qi Huaiwen. The boy scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, “Sun Tiejun left, and Qi Huaiwen started studying; if I don’t read, it feels like I’ve wasted this year.”

Because Lin Qiao was attentive, the class atmosphere improved, and the other subjects in Class Four also progressed.

Group Leader Gao was somewhat relieved that, thanks to his efforts, Class One hadn’t been overtaken by Class Three this time, avoiding being at the bottom and getting closer to Class Four’s average score.

“It seems these efforts weren’t in vain.” He patted the teaching aids on his desk, sighing, “Since Lin Qiao came, not only the students but even I have to start studying.”

Lin Qiao was like a catfish in a tank, running so fast and chasing so fiercely that anyone who didn’t want to be caught had to keep improving.

Unfortunately, Group Leader Gao’s relief didn’t last long. After two days of classes at the party school, he returned with a face as long as his stature.

This time, the second-year group leaders for both arts and sciences went, and Lin Qiao didn’t know what had happened. Seeing him drinking water with his head down, she couldn’t help but ask.

“This time, I ran into people from No. 21 Middle School,” Group Leader Gao said. “You should know their school. Besides a few affiliated schools and the No. 14 Middle School, their science scores are the best, always in the top ten in the city exams. But they weren’t included in the first batch of national experimental pilot schools this time.”

Lin Qiao understood, “They were pressing us out?”

“More than just pressing, they almost pointed at our noses, accusing us of relying on connections. They even openly said they’re waiting to see us make fools of ourselves in the end-of-term city exams.”

Because the college entrance exams are held in the second semester, the city-wide middle school exams are scheduled at the end of the first semester each year. All middle schools in the city take the same exams, rank together, and calculate average scores, making it clear which schools teach well and which don’t.

Their school was selected as one of the first national chemistry experimental pilot schools because of Lin Qiao, which was an honor but also drew a lot of attention.

If they could produce good results, it would be fine. If not, Lin Qiao’s statement that experiments enhance students’ learning enthusiasm would become a joke.

As the first batch of experimental pilot schools, if their chemistry scores were not satisfactory, it would be uncertain whether there would be a second or third batch.

At that point, it wouldn’t just be a matter of being laughed at; the schools waiting for national funding to build laboratories would also blame them. This was Group Leader Gao’s main concern.

Lin Qiao understood this and asked, “What was our school’s chemistry ranking in the last city-wide exam?”

“Our grade was 78, and the previous second-year grade was 74.”

That was indeed quite low, not much better than some remote rural schools. No. 21 Middle School, which consistently ranked in the top ten, certainly had the grounds to mock them.

Group Leader Gao was frustrated, but Lin Qiao wasn’t too discouraged. “Can we get a copy of their midterm exam papers?”