(1) Body Parts

In recent years, a new department store has been built in Xu Zhou, standing four stories high. It has a huge sign on the rooftop, and the walls are brand new. In a small town like Xu Zhou, there aren’t many new buildings, and the department store is the most eye-catching one.

The first floor sells various daily necessities. There are no walls between the shops, just neatly arranged shelves and old-fashioned glass display counters, dividing the space into several squares.

Large ceiling fans are installed above, and in the summer, they spin with a creaking sound but don’t feel too noisy.

The second floor is where Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo are headed — the clothing area.

Clothes from the 1990s are saturated with color, and they are arranged from low to high in a rainbow of patterns. Glass counters are still there, equipped with hanging rods for clothes.

Today is not a public holiday, so there aren’t many customers in the department store. The shopkeepers are chatting and snacking in small groups, and several stalls are empty.

There’s no need to worry. Everyone knows each other, so if a customer arrives at a stall, someone will naturally go to call the shopkeeper back.

Shen Wanwan found the women’s clothing store that the foreman mentioned.

Fortunately, the store was near the stairs, or it would have been hard to tell it apart from the others.

The shopkeeper seemed to enjoy life, with a 14-inch black-and-white television set up in the shop, playing a variety show. The shopkeeper was watching it with great interest.

Cui Luo knocked on the counter and took out a black-and-white photo she had prepared earlier. “Do you recognize this person?”

The shopkeeper sat up from his comfortable lounge chair. “I don’t recognize him.”

“He might have been a customer in your store. Think carefully, have you seen him before?”

The shopkeeper started sizing up Cui Luo. “Who are you?”

Cui Luo took out her ID.

The shopkeeper glanced at it, not fully understanding, but he probably guessed that Cui Luo wasn’t just an ordinary person.

“There are so many people who come and go every day… Ah, him! I do remember him. He came often, but I sell women’s clothing here, and I thought he was strange. How many big men would come to browse women’s clothes? Even married men don’t want to go shopping with their wives! Hey, I don’t even want to go shopping with my wife. If she didn’t insist, I wouldn’t have to help her run the shop…”

Dealing with uncooperative crowds is troublesome, but sometimes dealing with overly cooperative ones is just as bad.

Cui Luo politely interrupted, “Did he come to buy clothes?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “No, he didn’t buy anything.”

“Then what did he come for? Just to wander around? What kind of clothes did he like? Were they for young women?”

The shopkeeper gave a strange chuckle. “They were for young women, especially the really young ones.”

Cui Luo looked confused.

The shopkeeper pointed to the opposite side. “He was buying things over there. He looks okay, I guess. My wife was the first to notice him. She kept saying he was a good man, always thinking about the kids, unlike me who comes home and doesn’t even look at the children. Pfft, what’s the big deal about buying a few things? Anyone can do that!”

Shen Wanwan looked behind her, and it was… a maternity and baby store.

Cui Luo was stunned. “You mean, he was buying baby products?”

The shopkeeper waved toward the opposite side. “Lao Zhang, these two beautiful police officers have some questions for you.”

A middle-aged woman peeked out from behind the glass counter. “What? Who’s in trouble? Is it that Xiao Li on the first floor? I told you, he doesn’t look like a good person. Is he stealing things or deceiving girls? He…”

Shen Wanwan didn’t stop her, and Lao Zhang might just come up with a whole new story if she didn’t intervene.

She walked over and handed the photo to Lao Zhang. “We’d like to ask you about this person.”

Lao Zhang glanced at it and looked disappointed. “Him? He’s come here a few times to buy things for his kid. What’s the problem?”

From their earlier investigation, no one had mentioned that Cheng Li had any children.

Lao Zhang continued, “His daughter is two years old. He comes here almost every month to buy clothes or toys. He’s generous and has been a loyal customer. He pays quickly, doesn’t haggle, but since he comes so often, I lower the price a little for him to keep him as a regular. But I’ve never seen him bring his daughter here. Even when he buys clothes, he just buys them and leaves, never returns them. Anyone who can buy clothes for their kid must be well-off, but he dresses all raggedy. Doesn’t seem like a wealthy person… I don’t get it.”

Children grow quickly, and most kids from ordinary families wear hand-me-downs from others. Shen Wanwan, for example, is this old, and the clothes in her closet are all from her cousins.

Families with sewing machines often repurpose old clothes from adults into clothes for the kids, or just buy fabric and make their own. It’s cheaper than buying finished products.

Cui Luo asked, “Do you know his wife’s or child’s contact details? Can you get in touch with them?”

“I only know they live in the family compound of the affiliated elementary school. In the last couple of months, he’s bought things and had me deliver them. I’ve seen his wife. She’s quite pretty but doesn’t talk much, has a bit of a temper. What’s wrong with him? Is there a problem?”

The family compound of the affiliated elementary school used to be home to the school’s teachers.

The storefronts along the street had a row of shops, with a metal gate in the middle. Above the gate, the words “Family Compound” were written.

Several uncles and aunts sat outside, fanning themselves with paper fans. This was the standard setup for every neighborhood.

Before Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo could even get close, they were noticed. Several people started discussing them. “These two girls are really pretty. They look like they should be working by now, why are they out wandering at this hour?”

“Probably not good people. I hope my son doesn’t marry one of them.”

Cui Luo walked up to them and showed her badge. “Excuse me, does Lu Qian live here?”

“Ah, a female police officer,” the uncle who had earlier said he didn’t want a daughter-in-law praised them. “Impressive, impressive, a true heroine.”

The others gave him a dismissive look. “You’re looking for Lu Qian? The third building on the left, the first unit. The west-facing unit. Girl, is Lu Qian in trouble? I always thought she was a bit rebellious, and now she’s finally been caught…”

As for the case, of course, Cui Luo and Shen Wanwan couldn’t reveal any details.

Shen Wanwan asked, “Why do you say she’s rebellious?”

The aunt pouted, “She had a kid before getting married. How good could she possibly be?!”

With the help of the residents, Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo easily found Lu Qian’s home.

It was Lu Qian’s parents who opened the door. Both were retired, and Lu Qian’s mother was holding a child in her arms.

The house had a color TV, a radio, and Shen Wanwan even heard the sound of a refrigerator running. It seemed like they were living comfortably.

Cui Luo identified herself and asked, “Is Lu Qian not home?”

“She’s at work,” Mother Lu cautiously glanced at her husband before replying, “She’s a teacher at the affiliated elementary school, just like my old man. What do you need to talk to her about?”

Cui Luo asked, “Can we talk about her, and about the child?”

Father Lu’s face suddenly darkened.

The elderly couple fell silent.

“Is there a problem?”

Father Lu waved his hand roughly, trying to shut the door. “This is our family’s business, it’s none of your concern. Go on, go on, there’s nothing more to say!”

Not wanting to upset the elderly couple, Cui Luo didn’t resist and was pushed outside.

With the door shut, they lost their opportunity to enter.

Shen Wanwan said, “Their reaction is quite strange, it seems like it’s something hard to talk about.”

“Yes, the people outside just said Lu Qian had a child out of wedlock. They probably feel embarrassed about it. But what’s the big deal? As long as you’re not guilty, who cares what others say? Still, it’s tough for them, this kind of thing is indeed rare.”

In a small community like the family compound, everyone knows each other, and being gossiped about behind your back certainly doesn’t feel good.

Since Lu Qian’s parents weren’t cooperative, Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo had no choice but to go straight to find Lu Qian.

They were lucky—Lu Qian didn’t have a class, and when they arrived, she was in her office preparing her lesson.

Lu Qian wasn’t very old, around twenty-five, with a clean and proper appearance. Her features were well-balanced, but her attire was quite plain, even somewhat aging.

She poured two glasses of water for them and found chairs for them to sit. “What can I help you with?”

While drinking the water, Shen Wanwan glanced around Lu Qian’s desk.

Her desk was neatly organized, with only two photographs alongside her lesson plans.

One was a picture of Lu Qian and her daughter. In the photo, she looked the same as she did now. The other was an old photo of Lu Qian, where she was smiling brightly, wearing a colorful dress, looking very fashionable—quite different from her current style.

Cui Luo clarified their purpose, “We want to ask about Cheng Li. Do you know him?”

Lu Qian fell silent.

Considering the attitude of Lu Qian’s parents and her own changes, Shen Wanwan began to piece things together. She spoke softly, “Don’t be nervous. We’re here to investigate Cheng Li’s case. He may have harmed you, but he won’t do so again.”

Cui Luo hadn’t thought of that possibility, but as soon as Shen Wanwan said it, she immediately understood. “Cheng Li may have hurt other women and even be suspected of murder. Would you be willing to cooperate with us?”

With both Shen Wanwan and Cui Luo being women and their attitudes gentle, Lu Qian didn’t feel as resistant.

After a brief moment of internal turmoil, she nodded slightly. “Okay, what do you want to ask?”

“What is your relationship with him?”

“I… three years ago, he assaulted me.”

“Is the child his?”

Lu Qian hesitated before nodding, “I’m timid, I didn’t dare tell anyone. He had the audacity to come back to me a few times, even brought a camera and showed me film negatives… He came about three times, and then he didn’t come anymore. I don’t know what happened to him, I just feel lucky. But not long after, I found out I was pregnant…”

“Did you choose to keep the child?”

“I don’t know, really, I don’t know. I didn’t dare tell my parents, I secretly tried many methods but couldn’t get rid of her. Over time, I developed feelings and couldn’t bear to let her go. My dad is a retired teacher, very dignified. He never lowered his head, and those few years, he didn’t want to mention it, but still helped me raise the child. I feel like I’ve let them down.”

Shen Wanwan couldn’t bring herself to ask why Lu Qian didn’t report the assault. “Did Cheng Li come looking for you again?”

“Yes,” Lu Qian’s tone suddenly turned cold. “He saw me and Yingying when we were out. Probably heard those people say I had a child out of wedlock, and so he decided the child was his. He came to me many times, saying we should raise the child together, and that he wanted to be with me. It’s laughable. I never want to see him again in my life. I… I wish I could kill him!”