Chapter 39

Song Wen reached into his pocket and only then realized that the phone had somehow switched to silent mode. He had been so worried about Lu Siyu that he hadn’t noticed, but Lu Siyu’s reminder brought it to his attention.

The call was from Lin Xiuran. Afraid of missing any important information, Song Wen didn’t dare to ignore it. With one hand supporting Lu Siyu and the other answering the call, he spoke with Lin Xiuran for three minutes, discussing various details about the autopsy. Song Wen responded absentmindedly.

After hanging up the phone and turning back, Lu Siyu had somewhat recovered from the intense pain. His complexion improved, and his lips regained some color. However, his eyes still seemed a bit watery, as if he had been crying.

Helping him stand up, Song Wen asked, “Is it still very uncomfortable?”

Lu Siyu shook his head, still holding his stomach. His slender figure seemed a bit shaky, and the pain had become more subtle but bearable. His stomach problems were severe, with ulcers present, and he usually treated painkillers as vitamins. Perhaps there was a spasm just now, but after a while, the medicine kicked in, making it much better.

Thinking Lu Siyu had a real difficulty breathing, Song Wen couldn’t help but scold him, “You’re too stubborn. Don’t force yourself next time; those ten minutes don’t matter.” He considered himself a workaholic who often sacrificed meals and sleep for work, but Lu Siyu seemed even more dedicated. Seeing Lu Siyu like this now made him both frightened and distressed.

“I was afraid someone would come up and destroy the evidence,” Lu Siyu took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice, “It’s really nothing.” He had overheard a few sentences when Song Wen answered the phone just now and knew it was Lin Xiuran calling. He tried to divert his attention and turned to ask Song Wen, “What did Dr. Lin say?”

“He’s examined the body, confirmed it was electrocution. There are some external injuries on Zhou Chuguo’s body, mostly consistent with what we know, matching Wang Yu’s confession just now. I asked him to come back as soon as possible,” summarized Song Wen. Looking at Lu Siyu, he still appeared a bit pale, with red eyes as if he had cried.

Worried, Song Wen asked again, “Are you really okay now?”

Not wanting to make him worry, Lu Siyu nodded and said, “I’m really fine, just that moment.” In fact, things had improved a lot now. He could endure the pain and go down the mountain.

Relieved, Song Wen hadn’t seen Lu Siyu like this before – complaining of discomfort one moment, almost kneeling, and then seemingly much better after a while. If Lu Siyu hadn’t been curled up just now and he hadn’t answered the call, he might have considered bringing him down the mountain and calling 120 for help.

Lu Siyu paid no attention to his own condition and said to him, “It’s better for Dr. Lin to come back as soon as possible. I think we should further investigate the drowning incident of Zhou Chuguo’s son.”

Song Wen was stunned, “You suspect it’s murder?”

Lu Siyu nodded, “Just a suspicion; I suspect there’s more to it.”

In this village, people live together every day, and it’s impossible to have no friction between them. However, when it comes to deep-seated enmity, there must be underlying and irreconcilable conflicts. Life, wealth, and emotions—all these things are worth investigating.

“According to the local customs, the body may not have been cremated. This situation probably requires exhumation for an autopsy,” said Song Wen, lowering his head in thought. With the evidence for the murder-suicide almost complete, they were still missing a breakthrough. The death of the child might provide them with new clues.

The two murder cases occurred too closely in time, and there seemed to be many doubts about the child’s death. Villagers were evasive when talking about the child’s incident. There must be a reason for the secrecy.

Making up his mind, Song Wen decided, “But I think you’re right. It’s necessary to re-examine it. There seems to be something wrong. Zhang Dahai is unreliable, and the forensic doctor in this town is even more careless. We need Dr. Lin to take a look at how the child died.”

Seeing that Lu Siyu was much better, they started walking down the mountain. It is said that going up the mountain is easy, but going down is hard. Although the small mountain wasn’t high, the path carved by people was a bit steep, especially since it had rained the day before, making the mountain path somewhat slippery.

After walking for a while, there was a small slope ahead. Song Wen turned back to help Lu Siyu, who was still in pain. Lu Siyu was still a bit sore, feeling occasional twinges in his stomach. He didn’t want to show it too obviously, biting his lip lightly and holding onto his waist with one hand. Walking unsteadily, he was about to go down the slope when Song Wen reached out to assist him and unintentionally grabbed his other hand.

Lu Siyu’s hand was cool, with well-defined joints and slender fingers resembling fine jade. It looked exceptionally beautiful. In contrast, Song Wen’s hand was warm, especially in the palm, feeling like a bundle of fire. Lu Siyu felt a bit scalded and instinctively moved his hand slightly. Afraid he might fall, Song Wen held on tightly.

Without resisting, Lu Siyu nervously licked his lips and obediently lowered his head. The two men descended the mountain hand in hand. The act seemed a bit ambiguous, but Song Wen was so straightforward that Lu Siyu felt he might have overthought it. Throughout the journey, his handsome face showed no signs of abnormality, but the tips of his ears, hidden in his hair, turned red.

When they reached the spot where the police car was parked at the foot of the mountain, Song Wen finally let go of Lu Siyu’s hand. After this short walk, Lu Siyu’s complexion had improved a bit. Song Wen went to the car to get a cup, fed him some warm water, and he finally recovered.

After resting for a while, Song Wen checked the time. After all this commotion, it was already past three in the afternoon. He had initially wanted Lu Siyu to take a break, but Lu Siyu insisted on following. The two of them went to find Zhang Dahai together, instructing the forensic personnel to collect samples of footprints on the mountain and send the cigarette butt for analysis at an institution in the county. Then, they inquired about the drowning incident of the boy.

Zhang Dahai didn’t understand why Song Wen was so interested in this matter, so he repeated the specific time and process.

Song Wen asked Zhang Dahai, “Was the child buried or cremated back then?”

“This…,” Zhang Dahai rubbed his hands, feeling a bit ominous but decided to tell the truth, “Although the trend now is cremation, in our village… we still follow the tradition of burial.”

Song Wen said, “Then take us to see where he’s buried.”

Zhang Dahai’s expression stiffened. “Captain Song, the body has already been examined. Your implication is that you don’t trust us.”

Song Wen replied, “Lao Lin has more experience than your local forensic team. We’re just verifying. If you’re proven right, we’ll reseal it as it was.”

Zhang Dahai, feeling uneasy, subconsciously didn’t want to escalate the matter. “Captain Song, I appreciate what you’ve done, but when you’re here, you should follow local customs. People say ‘rest in peace,’ and disturbing it is not a good omen. The body has been buried for several months, and digging it up again is inauspicious. Besides, your actions are a bit too sensational. How do I explain this to the villagers and leaders later…”

Seeing he was about to be evasive again, Song Wen got a bit annoyed. “It’s just an exhumation. The case has reached this point. Are you afraid of not being able to explain to the family, or are you afraid of repercussions from the higher-ups? Tell me, and I’ll handle it for you.”

Song Wen deliberately said this. With the direct relatives of the Zhou family all gone, there were no family members to object. Suspecting an unusual cause of death and requesting an autopsy were legal and reasonable. Authorities couldn’t intervene. He blocked all the reasons Zhang Dahai might use, waiting for his response.

Zhang Dahai knew his intentions had been seen through. Hesitating for a moment, weighing the options, the case was already complicated enough. He had tampered with evidence before, and another mishap might be too much for him to bear.

“According to Article 126 of China’s Criminal Procedure Law, investigators should examine or inspect places, objects, personal items, and bodies related to the crime,” Song Wen continued, his gaze sharp, firmly fixed on Zhang Dahai.

Song Wen’s words were logical, with an unmistakable hint of pressure. Zhang Dahai, still hesitating, shivered involuntarily, unconsciously taking a step back. He was a bit afraid of Song Wen.

Lu Siyu, listening to their conversation, kept his eyes on Song Wen. He couldn’t help but be drawn to this man who exuded a relentless determination, always ready to step forward in critical moments without retreating.

Song Wen looked at Zhang Dahai, continuing to exert pressure, “So, now you have two choices. First, assist us in exhumation. If the case is solved, you’ll share the credit. Second, you can stick to your opinion. I’ll report all the facts truthfully and follow the proper channels. Then we’ll see how the higher-ups respond. Our goal is to solve the case quickly. If we open the coffin and any issues arise, I’ll take responsibility.”

Zhang Dahai’s complexion became even more unsightly. Song Wen’s words were calm, but the potential consequences of the second option might mean he would lose his position. Still, refusing to open the coffin hinted at his fear that there might be a problem with the child’s body, and he had failed to detect it initially. Now that Song Wen had spoken so decisively, comparing the two options, opening the coffin and verifying might be the lesser of two evils, allowing him a chance to make amends.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Dahai smiled and said, “Captain Song, you’re too polite. I invited you here to cooperate with your work. Let me make a call to consult with the leaders.”

Two minutes later, Zhang Dahai called back and said to Song Wen, “The leaders fully support it. It seems my concerns were unnecessary. Since Captain Song is determined, I’ll go to the village, find a few strong men, and help dig up the coffin.”

The body was buried on a hill behind the village, next to a large graveyard. There was only one small soil mound for the recently deceased child, with a simple unmarked wooden board standing as a makeshift tombstone. It was easy to identify as it was a new grave.

While other graves had traces of offerings and burnt offerings, this one was clean. A few small grasses grew on the grave, with tiny white flowers blossoming. It looked neglected and desolate.

Zhang Dahai fetched a few strong villagers and handed them shovels. They began working immediately.

By five in the afternoon, when Lin Xiuran returned to Wentou Village, the coffin had been dug out by the young men.

Though they called it “opening the coffin,” there wasn’t an actual coffin. According to local customs, adults were buried in coffins, but for children, a wooden box was used, and the body was buried directly.

This region had frequent rainfall, and after over two months, the wooden box had become moldy, and the wood had decayed. Lin Xiuran wore gloves and a work suit, jumping down to inspect the condition of the body.

As soon as the wooden box was opened, a strong, putrid smell filled the air, resembling the odor of aged stinky tofu. The identifiable parts of the body were significantly darkened, indicating advanced decay. The entire body was immersed in a layer of greenish corpse water, emitting a foul smell.

A slight breeze blew, carrying the stench. Zhang Dahai felt he couldn’t breathe and rushed to the side of the road, vomiting. After a moment, he turned back, only to see the abdomen of the corpse slightly moving. He was terrified and shouted, “Something inside the body is moving!”

Hearing this, the villagers retreated, afraid something would crawl out of the coffin. The leader among them said, “You investigate first. Call us if you need us.” Without waiting for Zhang Dahai to agree, they all fled in panic, leaving only Zhang Dahai, police officer Xiao Meng, and forensic expert Lao Li.

Lin Xiuran calmly looked up, his face undisturbed. “I’ve dissected dozens, if not hundreds, of corpses. I’ve yet to see what a ghost looks like.”

Song Wen and Lu Siyu stood on the side, watching intently, their expressions unchanged.

It was the corpse of a six-year-old boy, curled up inside the large wooden box. Due to soaking in water, the corpse’s clothes were tainted with corpse water, and the box was now in complete disarray.

Over the two months, the body had undergone advanced decomposition but was still far from skeletal remains. The flesh on the child’s cheeks had decayed, revealing teeth, giving a somewhat eerie appearance. As Lin Xiuran’s gloved fingers touched the body, a few bubbles emerged from the corpse water below.

Wearing a blue forensic isolation suit, Lin Xiuran calmly explained, “It’s the gas formed from the previous autopsy and internal decomposition.”

These were the remnants inside the body that had terrified the villagers a moment ago.