Chapter 21: The Mysterious Family Massacre (5)

The winding mountain roads were surrounded by misty clouds. The car weaved through lush green forests, and the fresh air from the open windows made Meng Siqi feel a bit better.

After more than three hours, they finally arrived at Gaoxiang Town, a village under Yangxi County. Looking out, they saw rows of mud-brick houses scattered across the mountains, with smoke rising from chimneys, the scent of ripe rice filling the air, and the occasional sound of cattle in the distance.

This tranquil scene helped ease much of Meng Siqi’s discomfort. At a road intersection, Zhao Leiting asked a local for directions. The villager pointed them toward a large pine tree by the roadside, saying that You Shenghua’s house was nearby.

The car rumbled along the dirt road, bouncing over uneven terrain, until it finally passed the big pine tree and came to a stop in an open courtyard with a dirt ground.

As soon as Meng Siqi got out of the car, she felt the urge to throw up again. But before she could, a woman’s cries came from inside the house, filled with grief.

She crouched down and coughed a few times, feeling a bit better. Zhao Leiting asked if she was alright, and she waved her hand dismissively.

The crying inside was loud and heart-wrenching. Feng Shaomin took the lead and walked toward the house. At the dark doorway, a seven- or eight-year-old boy stood cautiously, watching them.

Inside, the woman continued sobbing and cursing in a thick dialect that Meng Siqi could barely understand.

Zhao Leiting bent down slightly and gently asked the boy, “Hey, little guy, is this You Shenghua’s home?”

The boy’s face was dirty, but his eyes were large and bright. He seemed to recognize them as police officers, his expression serious yet timid.

Perhaps Zhao Leiting’s questioning came across as too stern, so Meng Siqi quickly stepped forward. “You’re scaring him. Hey, little guy, can you tell me if your dad’s name is You Shenghua?”

The boy’s eyes turned red in an instant. “My dad didn’t kill anyone!”

“No, no one said he did.”

“But everyone else is saying it!”

The three of them exchanged glances. It was clear that the news about Zhu Gongyou and You Meihua’s family being murdered had already spread through the village. Given the local rumors and newspaper coverage, it wasn’t surprising.

“We’re police officers. We’re here to find out the truth,” Zhao Leiting reassured him.

Inside the dimly lit house, the woman sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. She cried even harder upon seeing them, her sobs interwoven with broken Mandarin. “He wouldn’t kill anyone. How could he? He’s afraid of even killing a chicken…”

Judging by the situation, getting information from her was going to be difficult.

Meng Siqi turned back to the little boy and crouched down to his eye level. “Hey, can you tell me where your dad is? We’re here to help him.”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t come home!” The boy’s dialect wasn’t too heavy, and he seemed to understand them just fine.

Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting also turned toward her, as if considering that talking to the boy might be a more effective approach.

Just as Meng Siqi was about to ask a second question, she caught a glimpse of a shadow at the entrance of the courtyard. A man had just stepped in but, upon spotting her police uniform and the patrol car, he suddenly turned and bolted.

“Master!” Meng Siqi immediately gave chase. “Suspect on the run!”

Behind her, Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting sprang into action, running after the fleeing man.

Meng Siqi watched as the man darted into the forest. Fearing she would lose sight of him, she rushed in as well. Branches scraped against her pants as she pushed forward.

In a flash, two towering figures rushed past her, followed closely by another.

Zhao Leiting and Feng Shaomin had already overtaken her, chasing after the suspect like a fierce gust of wind.

Seeing how fast they were moving, Meng Siqi took a deep breath and switched to a steady jog, keeping them in sight.

After a few minutes, the chase ended. Up ahead, the two officers had tackled the suspect to the ground.

A thin, lanky man in his thirties was pinned down. Zhao Leiting glared at him and barked, “Why did you run?”

The man gasped for breath and muttered in a heavy dialect, “If… you didn’t chase me… why would I run?”

“You better listen up! Running won’t save you, no matter where you go!”

Feng Shaomin ordered, “Get him up. We’re taking him in for questioning.”

The man suddenly wailed, “Officers, I didn’t do anything wrong! I swear!”

Meng Siqi finally caught up, panting slightly. She asked, “If you’re innocent, then why did you run the moment you saw us?”

The man, now restrained by Zhao Leiting, struggled to breathe as he admitted, “I know you’re investigating You Shenghua. I ran because… I was afraid you’d find out about my own troubles!”

The three of them were momentarily stunned. Feng Shaomin asked, “You are not You Shenghua?”

“Of course not. My name is Gao Zhengguo. I am his friend,” the man replied.

Feng Shaomin pressed on, “What is it that you are afraid of being discovered?”

“Huazi borrowed a knife from me when he went to the city…”

As soon as the word “knife” was mentioned, everyone’s expressions turned alert. Meng Siqi immediately pictured the murder weapon in her mind. She quickly asked, “What kind of knife is it? Do you remember the size of the blade?”

“It was just a fruit knife. Let go of my arm, and I can show you,” Gao Zhengguo said.

Feng Shaomin nodded, and Zhao Leiting loosened his grip on the man’s arm.

Gao Zhengguo stretched his fingers and complained, “You guys are really strong. My arm almost broke.”

“Cut the nonsense,” Zhao Leiting snapped.

Gao Zhengguo bent down and picked up a wooden stick. Seeing this, both Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting tensed up, even assuming a defensive stance.

Gao Zhengguo broke the stick and used it to demonstrate the blade’s length.

“How about the width?” Zhao Leiting asked.

Gao Zhengguo made another gesture to indicate the width.

“Was it single-edged?” Zhao Leiting continued.

“Yes.”

Meng Siqi observed carefully. The measurements seemed to match the forensic report—blade length of 13 centimeters, width of 3 centimeters, and single-edged. While fruit knives were common, such a coincidence was suspicious.

Feng Shaomin asked sternly, “Why did You Shenghua borrow this knife from you?”

“Around two weeks ago, You Shenghua came to me and said he needed a knife to attack someone. I thought he was joking, but he was very serious and said he was going to the city to stab his sister. I laughed at that time.”

“You laughed?” Zhao Leiting asked, puzzled.

“No, no,” Gao Zhengguo quickly explained. “It’s just that You Shenghua had mentioned wanting to stab his sister many times. Their sibling feud was well known in the village. I thought he was just talking big. I never expected…”

At this point, Gao Zhengguo’s face suddenly turned pale. He swallowed hard and stammered, “I never thought he was serious… Officers, I am not considered an accomplice, right? I truly thought he was just joking. I thought he only wanted to scare her!”

As he finished, he was met with the serious gazes of the officers. His eyes reddened with panic. “I won’t go to jail, will I?”

Feng Shaomin said coldly, “What exactly was the conflict between You Shenghua and his sister?”

Gao Zhengguo spread his hands helplessly. “I am not sure. I only heard that they had a huge dispute over demolition compensation. Anyway, they just can’t get along.”

“Take him to the county station for questioning,” Feng Shaomin ordered.

“Officer, I won’t have to go to jail, right?”

As they walked out of the woods, Meng Siqi stepped carefully on the uneven ground. The forest was not too dense. If one looked closely, there were small vegetable gardens cultivated in between, adding to the picturesque scenery.

But as she walked, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the outside of her thigh. When she touched it and looked at her hand, she was shocked to see blood. She quickly checked and found a tear in her pants with fresh, sticky blood seeping through. It must have happened when she rushed through the forest earlier and got scratched by a branch or thorns.

Now that she noticed the wound, the pain became more pronounced. However, she was in the middle of an investigation and worried that mentioning it would delay the case by forcing a trip to the hospital.

She endured the pain and kept walking at the back of the group. Luckily, the wound was not too big and should stop bleeding soon.

After leaving the forest, they put Gao Zhengguo in the car and headed to the county police station.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Meng Siqi noticed that the blood had already soaked through a small part of her pants. Fortunately, the black fabric made it less visible. However, every bump on the road made the wound throb dully.

When they arrived at the station and handed Gao Zhengguo over for questioning, Meng Siqi took the opportunity to slip away under the pretense of using the restroom. She quickly washed the area around her wound and went to a nearby clinic to get three band-aids.

The doctor at the clinic frowned and said, “Miss, this needs proper disinfection! Wait here.” But as soon as the doctor turned around to grab some iodine, Meng Siqi walked out of the clinic.

An hour later, they had extracted all the useful information from Gao Zhengguo. He confirmed that You Shenghua had indeed gone to the city two weeks ago to see You Meihua, likely over money issues, but the two hadn’t met again since.

As they stepped out of the police station, Feng Shaomin said, “Let’s head back to the village and talk to the village chief.”

That seemed like the most reliable next step.

Half an hour later, as they walked towards the village committee, Feng Shaomin suddenly stopped. His sharp eyes landed on Meng Siqi’s pants.

“Xiao Meng, where did the blood on your pants come from?” he asked.

Even though she had washed the wound earlier, she still could not escape Feng Shaomin’s sharp observation.

Zhao Leiting turned back, his expression instantly stiffening. “Siqi, what happened?”

By now, the tear in her pants was visible, with a horizontal gash revealing band-aids underneath. The area around the wound had darkened into a brownish stain.

“Did this happen in the forest earlier?” Zhao Leiting asked immediately.

Meng Siqi tried to play it off. “It’s fine. I already put on some band-aids.”

“That cut is so big. You think a band-aid is enough?” Feng Shaomin’s tone turned cold, his face stern as if he was angry.

“No, really, Master. It’s nothing serious.”

“This wound is as long as a finger,” Zhao Leiting said, his voice tinged with concern.

“You didn’t even think to mention it?” Feng Shaomin scolded.

All this time, Meng Siqi had been holding it together. But being yelled at like this, she suddenly felt a bit wronged.

“Go to the clinic and get it properly treated. Right now,” Feng Shaomin ordered.

“There’s a clinic in town. Let’s go,” Zhao Leiting urged. “Come on, get in the car.”

In the car, Feng Shaomin sat in the back seat beside Meng Siqi, his posture straight and his gaze fixed forward. His voice was strict as he said, “Didn’t I say this morning that no one is to act without my command?”

Meng Siqi felt wronged. She had clearly spotted the suspect at that moment—who had time to request permission? A moment’s hesitation, and the suspect could have escaped.

Her eyes turned slightly red. It was the first time she had felt the pain of being misunderstood.

From the rearview mirror, Zhao Leiting noticed her expression and tried to mediate. “Brother Feng, actually, at that time—”

Before he could finish, Feng Shaomin sternly interrupted, “At that time, what? You young people think you can charge ahead relying on impulse, but what if he had a knife? A gun? Dangerous items? Do you think you’ll always be lucky?”

His words instantly silenced the car. The tense atmosphere pressed down, and Meng Siqi’s grievance slowly faded. She suddenly realized—Feng Shaomin was worried about her.

His tone softened slightly. “A police officer’s duty is to stand at the frontlines, to face danger head-on. But no matter what, I hope you all protect yourselves first. Sacrifice should always be the last resort. Your safety is the greatest protection for the people!”

Meng Siqi’s initial resentment melted away, replaced by deep gratitude. Her eyes grew misty.

Looking back, this incident wasn’t even that serious. Perhaps Feng Shaomin was making a big deal out of nothing.

But what if the suspect had truly been desperate? What if he had lashed out in a cornered rage? After all, she was just a rookie, newly stepping into this field. Feng Shaomin, an experienced investigator, had his concerns—and she could understand that.

The car soon arrived at the town’s clinic. Meng Siqi’s wound was quickly disinfected. The doctor warned, “If this wound isn’t cleaned properly, it might become infected by tomorrow!”

After leaving the clinic, Feng Shaomin never brought up the matter again.

When Meng Siqi first met him, she had been intimidated. He was in his forties, with the presence of a strict father or a stern school principal. His hair was thinning at the temples, his square-shaped face marked with deep lines. His eyes, slightly narrow and triangular, carried a weathered and serious look.

She didn’t know what he had been through, but his tanned skin and solemn expression made him seem like someone who had endured hardships. He spoke little, rarely showed emotion, and didn’t enjoy small talk.

But as time passed, she realized he was considerate of others’ feelings. And today, she finally understood—he genuinely cared. For a mentor like that, she felt nothing but gratitude.

The car drove straight to the village committee. After explaining their purpose, the Village Chief Gao agreed to be interviewed.

He told them that, years ago, You Meihua and You Shenghua had been very close siblings when they both lived in the village. Later, You Meihua moved to the city for work, sending money home to support her family.

You Shenghua had some skills and wanted to open a small shop in the city. At that time, You Meihua gave her brother a sum of money, which was considered half buying and half renting the shop.

For two years, You Shenghua ran his shop, eventually paying off the property. But later, business declined, and he returned to the village. At first, he worked hard, but over time, he became idle and unmotivated.

Meanwhile, You Meihua’s husband, Zhu Gongyou, had been working at a steel company that started thriving. With a strong financial foundation, You Meihua eventually quit her job to become a full-time housewife, focusing on their daughter’s education.

That’s when everything changed.

You Meihua’s life kept improving, while You Shenghua’s situation worsened. Then, two years ago, the land in the city was marked for redevelopment. A developer planned to build a high-end hotel, making the property value skyrocket overnight.

That’s when the siblings fell out. The fight over the compensation money became so intense that, according to rumors, they even got into a physical altercation at the developer’s office.

No one in the village knew the full details. But one thing was clear—the dispute over the compensation money had escalated to the point where You Shenghua had threatened to kill his own sister.

Zhao Leiting asked, “Who would know the exact details of the compensation agreement? Could You Shenghua’s wife provide any insights?”

The village chief sighed. “If you ask her, she’ll probably just complain about how overbearing his sister was, how she treated her brother unfairly. Every family has its own struggles.”

At the village office, Zhao Leiting made a quick call back to headquarters to report their findings. The county police had already confirmed that You Shenghua had not returned to the village. This time, the update was about the sibling dispute and the compensation issue.

Before leaving, Zhao Leiting asked the village chief for a landline number for future contact.

On the way back, Zhao Leiting commented, “There’s no phone at You Shenghua’s home. I doubt his wife even knows what he’s been up to. She might not even understand the details of the compensation money.”

Feng Shaomin replied, “Regardless, we need to speak with her.”

By the time they returned to You Shenghua’s house, the sun was setting. The dim yellow light inside the home made it feel even brighter than in the daytime.

A young boy sat quietly in the corner, nibbling on a plain boiled sweet potato.

You Shenghua’s wife, Xu Hongxia, looked weary and downcast. She spoke with a thick accent, her voice carrying resentment. “His sister had connections in the city. She secretly took a few extra thousand yuan from the compensation money, claiming it was for their mother’s living expenses. Then they took his mother to the city—but she died within a month. Huazi cried his heart out. He went to the city to demand the money back, but his sister said, ‘That’s not how money works.’

“He’s been going back and forth for over a year, and that heartless woman just ignores him. Meanwhile, her family is living comfortably in a brand-new home in the city.”

Sure enough, as expected, Xu Hongxia soon broke into tears and curses, throwing out every insult imaginable. But when pressed for specific details about the compensation money, she couldn’t provide any real answers—just repeated that You Meihua was unfair.

At least now, they had a clearer picture of the conflict. To get the full story, they would have to check with the developer involved in the compensation negotiations.

That evening, the three of them were starving as they made their way back to the city.

Passing through the county, they finally gave in to their hunger, stopping at a roadside stall for some scallion pancakes. Standing by the street, they quickly devoured their food to fill their empty stomachs.

Near the stall, there was a small convenience store with a public telephone. Feng Shaomin used it to call the station. Headquarters responded that they had tracked down the developer who had handled the compensation.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Feng Shaomin said, “The developer was Longcheng Enterprise.”

Longcheng Enterprise? Meng Siqi was taken aback. Jiang Sheng’s Longcheng Enterprise?

Just last night, she had received his business card, and now, she was encountering his company again.

Feng Shaomin clapped his hands. “Tomorrow morning, you two go to their company to gather information.”

Zhao Leiting, still chewing on his pancake, answered with his mouth full, “Got it, Brother Feng.”

Meng Siqi also nodded slowly.

“Xiao Meng, you should take a day off tomorrow,” Feng Shaomin said, glancing at the wound on her leg.

“There’s no need, Master, really,” she insisted.