Chapter 185: Desperate Situation
“After throwing it down, we went to meet him, and he only then told us that the person wasn’t dead and still had a breath left. The murderer who killed and dumped the body… became us…”
“Woo woo woo, how were we supposed to know that city folks are so insidious, cunning, and scheming, pulling this trick to make us take the blame? You have to believe me, we really, really didn’t know she was still breathing, just unconscious!”
“We had no grudge against her, if we really didn’t know, how could we possibly have killed her!”
It was originally just thinking of turning a blind eye to help clean up and get some hush money, who would have thought it turned into actually being the murderer!
They were also wronged, and also wanted to find someone to reason with.
But that person did it flawlessly, only they saw him push the person, and with the victim dead, there’s no proof against him, no one would choose to believe a murderer’s words.
At the hospital, he gave enormous benefits to that doctor and nurse, had the person transported out and taken to the crematorium for a stroll, secretly handed the real person over to him, while casually picking up two urns himself; the brother-in-law followed all instructions to the letter.
The ones who threw her off the cliff to her death were those three, and even the benefits they got were obtained from the bag the woman was carrying, following that person’s words.
As for his wife, it was an accident that caused premature birth and massive bleeding, resulting in one corpse with two lives lost; the doctor and nurse who received benefits would testify for him even if caught.
He was completely unaware of the truth, grieving excessively and fainting for two days before waking up, and upon waking, only had a large and small two urns; the devoted husband kept in the dark.
Motive, human evidence, physical evidence all there and all pointing to them, what do they have to fight back with?
Whether to go in themselves and take the peanuts or take the money and benefits and grit their teeth to admit it, anyone would choose the latter.
“I…”
“Pfft~”
Zhang Ze tightly gripped that fair hand, not letting her push the knife in her hand even half a bit further.
Meeting her pair of blood-red frenzied eyes, his heart tightened, followed by a dense swelling pain, “He’s not worth you dirtying your own hands.”
“Leave it to me, believe me!”
Slowly releasing her hand, Su Ning turned her back and walked out of the room first.
Taking a few deep breaths, Zhang Ze looked at the wound she had stabbed, very deep but not fatal.
Casually bandaging it for him, then getting up and following after her.
“Ning Ning, I’ll first send you back and then come take them all to the station.”
Although those three were directly related to Su Jinglei’s death, the real culprit was Xu Zixin.
With current criminal investigation methods and procedures, the facts might really turn out as Zhou Wei said, with suspicions but completely insufficient for conviction.
“Ning Ning…”
“I know, I absolutely won’t let him go.”
Even if he can escape punishment, so what? Even staking this life, she has to send him to hell!
Before that, he still has to destroy everything he wants and cares about, ruthlessly trampling him into the mud.
……
Returning to the guesthouse room without a word, Zhang Ze opened his mouth but still felt those comforting words couldn’t be said.
He had speculated and guessed before, but when the facts were laid bare, anyone would feel bad inside.
She was still just an eighteen-year-old little girl, maintaining surface calm was already very rare.
Hearing the slight sound of the door closing by her ear, Su Ning, sitting with her back turned on the edge of the bed, could no longer hold back and slid to the floor.
Tears streamed down, like a string of pearls that had snapped, soaking her collar in no time.
Slowly drawing up her legs and hugging them with both arms, burying her head into her knees.
Until a long time later, so long that her eyes were red and swollen, sore and unable to shed another drop, she finally stopped venting and stabilized all her emotions.
……
The next day, Zhang Ze came out from the station, packed two meals from the state-run restaurant, and returned to the guesthouse.
The person inside the house had already returned to her usual appearance, except for those eyes that revealed some traces.
“Ning Ning, everyone has been locked up, but the incident happened thirteen years ago. After checking and searching that year’s time period, no one reported a case, and no one discovered the sack corpse, so…”
If those three inside react and refuse to confess, things will be tricky.
First and foremost, they must find Su Jinglei’s corpse, otherwise everything is empty talk.
“Ning Ning, do you think there’s any possibility?”
Suddenly seeming to think of something, Zhang Ze abruptly lifted his head, a glint flashing in his eyes.
“Aunt Su isn’t dead?”
So no report was filed, so there’s no so-called corpse.
But if she really didn’t die, why didn’t she go back?
Even if afraid of her husband wanting her life, there was her father and daughter at home, how could she endure not going back for a look all those years?
Or maybe she couldn’t go back, and couldn’t return.
“Brother Zhang, do you mean my mom might still be alive?”
She abruptly stood up, but because she had maintained one posture too long, her body was numb and powerless, making her fall forward hard.
“Careful!”
“Are you okay? Did you bump anywhere?”
Quickly shaking her head, Su Ning gripped back the hand he was using to grab her arm, “Brother Zhang, let’s set off now!”
Even if they have to scour every small fishing village in that sea area, she wants to see her alive, or see the corpse if dead.
Helping her sit down at the small table, Zhang Ze nodded and agreed without a word, “Okay, we’ll go find Aunt Su, but before that, you have to eat first.”
……
Centering on that cliff at Blue Lake Bay, Su Ning and Zhang Ze tirelessly and arduously searched and inquired along the way.
Almost done with all the small fishing villages, still no useful news, Su Ning visibly became anxious and irritable.
Stopping at the entrance of the last Little Pearl Village, hesitating to take that step, the expectation in her heart gradually turned to disappointment and now to despair, making her heart seize and hard to breathe.
“Ning Ning, why don’t you wait here, I’ll go ask.”
Forcefully pinching the tender flesh of her palm, Su Ning slowly but firmly shook her head; no matter what, she had prepared for the worst scenario.
She took the lead and walked into Little Pearl Village.
Same as before, the two’s outsider clothing and attire stood out, especially one with skin so fair it seemed to glow, impossible to ignore.
“You two comrades, who are you looking for in our village?”
“We want to find the brigade leader, old man, do you know where he is?”
After carefully sizing them up a few times, the pitch-black old man with a mouth of big yellow teeth, missing two front ones, finally nodded and pointed the direction.
“Today there’s a big high tide, everyone’s at the beach tide pooling for seafood, just follow this path.”
Nodding in thanks, the two quickly left toward the direction he indicated under the gaze of a crowd of old folks.
After walking about twenty minutes, the blue sea horizon and soft golden beach finally appeared in view.
People were carrying back baskets, holding wooden basins and water buckets and tools, bending over quickly picking through the shallows and reefs.
“Who are you two, not from around here?”
“We’re looking for the brigade leader, is the brigade leader here?”
“Uncle, Jiang Uncle, some outsiders looking for you!”
“Coming, who is it?”
Jiang Dahai handed the things in his hand to his young son nearby, hands behind his back, striding toward the shore.
Upon discovering the ones looking for him were two unfamiliar faces he’d never seen, he was immediately puzzled.
“You two comrades, who are you?”
“Brigade leader, we want to ask you about something.”
“What is it?”
“Thirteen years ago, did anyone in the village pick up a big sack by the seaside, or save anyone?”
Sack, save people?
Jiang Dahai raised an eyebrow, though puzzled, he seriously thought about it; over ten years ago…
Whether sack or not he didn’t know, but saving people…
“What are you two, police in plain clothes?”
Quickly exchanging a glance, Su Ning and Zhang Ze immediately sensed the unusual implication in his question.
The dim light in her eyes suddenly brightened, “Brigade leader, we’re not bad people. We just recently got news that thirteen years ago my mom went missing around here, so we came all the way from afar to see if we could find useful information.”
“Yes, brigade leader, if you really know, please tell us, we beg you!”
“I see.”
Nodding in understanding, but out of caution he still asked to see their proof. Seeing they indeed came from distant Xiangnan, and the proof had no issues, he pointed toward not far away, indicating to talk over there.
Coming to a place away from the crowd, quite quiet, Jiang Dahai then told what he knew.
“Over ten years ago, our village’s fishing boat was out fishing at sea, and Fumin’s family did save a mother and child.”
“Mother and child?!”
“Yes, a pretty woman and an infant not full term.”
“Then where are they? Are they in the village?”
