Chapter 62: Interrogation

After a two-hour drive, they finally arrived at 18 Sunshine Road. It was an ordinary small courtyard filled with weeds.

Mu Nanhe took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A kindly woman in her fifties opened the door, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Who are you?”

Mu Nanhe quickly answered, “Are you the midwife from An County People’s Hospital? We’ve come to inquire about some past events.”

The midwife hesitated for a moment, her expression shifting slightly. “I am the midwife, but I don’t remember much about the past events; there are just too many births happening daily.”

Yang Qingyan quickly chimed in, “Auntie, please think hard! This is really important to us. We’ve traveled from afar just to understand what happened back then. There were two mothers, Aunt Xia and Aunt Zhu, who gave birth on the same day.”

Aunt Xia added, “Nurse, I remember I had serious hemorrhaging and my situation was critical. When my husband arrived, you were surprised that he was a soldier.”

Upon hearing this, the nurse’s brow furrowed, her expression becoming distant as she sank into deep thought. She slowly walked to a stone bench in the courtyard, sat down, and clasped her hands over her knees.

“I remember now. When your husband arrived, he was in a rush and kept asking me questions. It was a particularly busy day at the hospital; the delivery room was filled with medical staff and family members coming in and out. On that day, a baby girl had also died. When Mrs. Xia was experiencing heavy bleeding, the whole delivery room became tense. I was busy attending to another mother when I suddenly heard someone shout, ‘There’s heavy bleeding! Get the emergency equipment!’” The midwife paused, her eyes reflecting a hint of anxiety as if she were reliving that chaotic moment.

“I rushed over to help, all sorts of medical equipment were flashing by, and everyone was racing against time to save her. By the time I stabilized Mrs. Xia’s condition, quite a bit of time had already passed. It was then that I realized Mrs. Zhu and her child had already left the delivery room. Later, I heard from my colleagues that Mrs. Zhu had discharged herself. The situation was just too chaotic; I didn’t think much afterward,” the midwife said, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled, revealing a sense of regret.

“It wasn’t until later that I learned both babies were taken away for cleaning. I thought everything was occurring as it should,” the midwife lifted her head to look at Mu Nanhe and the others, a mix of confusion and guilt in her eyes.

Mu Nanhe pressed on, “Auntie, are you sure that the children taken away later were fine?”

The midwife showed a remorseful expression. “I… I thought everything was normal at the time. After I heard that both babies were taken away, I didn’t think much. Hearing you all say this now, could there be a problem?”

Mu Nanhe’s expression turned serious. “Auntie, we suspect that Zhu Li might have switched babies, exchanging the deceased girl for me.”

The midwife gasped in shock, covering her mouth. “How could this happen… I didn’t notice at all.”

Mu Nanhe continued, “Auntie, this matter might involve some important truths, and we will likely need you to testify for us.” He then took out his officer’s ID and handed it to the midwife, saying, “This is my documentation; I hope you can trust us.”

The midwife took the ID, examined it closely, and returned it to Mu Nanhe, speaking earnestly, “Alright, since this is such an important matter, I will do my best to help.”

With new clarity in their hearts, the group knew they had to dig deeper into the truth of the past. They decided to head to Officer Chen’s office, their friend and trusted comrade from the police force.

Upon meeting Officer Chen, Mu Nanhe revealed everything without reservation, detailing the events and their findings. Chen listened intently, his brow furrowed and his expression serious.

“Such an incident occurred! Don’t worry, I will get to the bottom of this,” Officer Chen stated firmly.

He quickly mobilized his police officers to head to Mu Village. As the police vehicles entered the village, they shattered its usual tranquility. Villagers began emerging from their homes; some were holding produce, while others were equipped with tools from their farming, curiously watching the commotion. Soon, the vehicles stopped outside the home of Mu’s father and Aunt Zhu.

It was well-known in the village that Aunt Zhu and Mu’s father had a terrible reputation. They were often selfish, taking advantage of their neighbors and treating the townsfolk harshly. At this moment, the villagers were not at all surprised to see the police outside their home; instead, they whispered and exchanged comments.

“I told you those two would get into trouble eventually; they’re always up to no good,” said a middle-aged man with disdain.

“Right? Everyone knows their shady business. Now that the police are here, they must have done something serious,” an older woman added in agreement.

Several police officers got out of the vehicles, swiftly and professionally forming a semicircle to surround the residence of Mu’s father and Aunt Zhu. The leading officer, with a stern expression, stepped forward and knocked on the door, declaring firmly, “Open up! We are the police.”

When Mu’s father answered the door, his complexion turned ashen, sweat beading on his forehead. Attempting to feign calmness, he stuttered, “What brings you here? You must have the wrong house. We haven’t done anything wrong.”

The officers ignored his questions. One officer stepped forward, serious, and explained their purpose: “After an investigation, you are involved in a major case, and we need you to come with us to the police station for questioning.”

Upon hearing this, Mu’s father’s face changed dramatically, panic flashing in his eyes as he tried to argue, “You must be mistaken; how could we possibly be connected to any major case? Do you have any evidence?”

Aunt Zhu burst out of the house, hands on her hips, shouting, “You’re abusing your power! On what grounds are you arresting us?”

The police were undeterred and swiftly took Mu’s father and Aunt Zhu into the police car. As they were escorted away, the murmurs among the villagers grew louder.

“I’ve always said they would face a day like this; look at them now, being taken away. Let’s see how arrogant they are after this,” someone commented smugly.

“Exactly! The police should’ve dealt with them long ago,” another villager concurred.

Amidst the gossip, the police car gradually pulled away from Mu Village. At the same time, another team of officers successfully located the midwife and brought her safely to the police station.

Inside the interrogation room, the lights were stark and cold. Mu’s father and Aunt Zhu sat in chairs, their eyes flickering nervously, expressions feigning calmness. When faced with the police’s inquiries, they flatly denied any involvement in switching the babies.