Chapter 48: White Mist in the Woods 13
Based on the timeline, the white-haired old man who was with Jiajia in the early stages, seen by the villagers, and accidentally photographed by the “lovesick” young man, was the good grandpa. But before Jiajia’s tenth birthday, for some unknown reason, the good grandpa left, and his replacement was the newly arrived bad grandpa.
Both grandpas had the surname Li, or at least a name that sounded like “Li.”
Zhuang Ningyu said, “According to the description of the seven riders from Jiangcheng, the old man they saw was ‘hale and hearty.’ After hearing the commotion in the courtyard, he ‘ran’ down the stairs, clearly in good physical condition. So, it was most likely the bad grandpa.”
“The riders met Jiajia at the end of October, and He Yu entered this building in mid-November.” Yi Ke did a rough calculation. “If the grandpa in late October had already become the bad grandpa, then from October to November, there was still a period of nearly twenty days. Why didn’t he make a move on Jiajia?”
“Because of the riders,” Zhuang Ningyu answered. “If the bad grandpa also moved in around October, he might not have had time to commit the crime before he ran into Zheng Yang, Sister Niu, and their group. Sister Niu, by a fluke, gave him a business card and also mentioned that she ‘would be coming back to Qingquan Mountain several more times.’ She even promised to celebrate Jiajia’s birthday with her. In the suspect’s eyes, this series of actions meant that seven worldly, ruffian-like adults with money, leisure, and status would be showing up at his house unannounced at any time before Jiajia’s birthday. With a guilty conscience, it was impossible for him not to be afraid.”
Furthermore, after Jiajia received the puzzle, she began to have anxious crying fits to the point of fainting. All these reasons combined forced the suspect to consider temporarily halting his criminal activities. Zhuang Ningyu said, “For him, the best choice at the time was, first, to appease Jiajia and get her to return to being the timid, quiet, and easily manipulated little girl he preferred as quickly as possible. Second, to take Jiajia away from Qingquan Mountain, move to a safer place, and once again cut off her connection with the riders and the outside world.”
The second step was simple, but the first was not easy to achieve. The “Wizard of Oz” puzzle was simply too large. Four able-bodied young men from the Order Maintenance Department, even with the help of an app, had stiff necks after finishing it. Not to mention the suspect was elderly and probably had some issues with his eyesight. For him, completing it was no different from torture. But not completing it made it difficult to soothe the frantic Jiajia, which was why He Yu was later brought in.
Yi Ke asked again, “Do you think He Yuanhua was in on it?”
“I’m inclined to believe she was,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “First, Jiajia had no ability to care for herself. He Yuanhua had to bathe her every day. Based on this alone, if the child had been assaulted, she would have definitely discovered it at the first opportunity. Therefore, the suspect had to first understand He Yuanhua’s stance before he could act. Second, the suspect once tried to assault He Yu. He Yu is different from Jiajia; she is fully capable of calling the police herself. But the suspect was still not deterred. So I reasonably deduce that he already saw He Yu’s second aunt, He Yuanhua, as ‘one of his own,’ and therefore paid no mind to He Yu at all.”
“If He Yuanhua was ‘one of his own,’ then her subsequent departure abroad and death might have been the price she had to pay for being ‘in the know.'” Yi Ke picked up the tablet from the table and handed it to Zhuang Ningyu. “A call request, it’s Brother Zhao from the investigation team.”
“Captain Zhuang.” The video call was quickly connected. The investigator was currently at the hospital. “We’ve confirmed it. There was indeed a ten-year-old deceased named Mu Rongjia at the First People’s Hospital of Xiaoguan County, Jincheng. The cause of death was an immune system disease. This child was abandoned at the Sunshine Home Children’s Welfare Institute in the Fifth District right after birth. At the age of eight, she was adopted by a single woman named Jiang Baimei. I’ve already sent you the detailed information.”
Jiang Baimei was a local of Jincheng with a fairly simple resume. After graduating from university, she joined Jincheng’s Jinkang Pharmacy. Unmarried, she adopted Jiajia at the age of thirty-one and was then sent by the company to be stationed in the United States, rarely returning to the country in recent years. According to the data, Jiang Baimei’s father had passed away early, so he couldn’t have been the good grandpa who took care of Jiajia for a year or two.
Zhuang Ningyu thought for a moment. Just as he was about to ask the investigation team to look into Jinkang Pharmacy, Yi Ke handed him the information he had just searched for on his phone. Jinkang Pharmacy: Chairman Sima Feng, General Manager Li Hong. The two were husband and wife, and Li Hong’s father, Li Degang, had once worked at Jincheng’s Fifth Middle School. Surname Li, retired teacher. Zhuang Ningyu asked Yi Ke, “Are there any photos?”
“Yes.” Yi Ke opened another webpage. The old teacher who appeared on the screen looked very similar to the grandpa holding Jiajia that the “lovesick” young man had photographed. He was the good grandpa. Because he was not a celebrity, there wasn’t much information available about him on the internet. The investigator said, “No problem, Captain Zhuang. Leave it to us, right away.”
After thanking them, Zhuang Ningyu ended the video call. He raised his hand to massage his throbbing temples. It was impossible for Li Hong’s father to take care of Jiang Baimei’s child. The most likely scenario was that Li Hong was the one who actually adopted Jiajia, and Jiang Baimei was just a tool for her boss to go through the legal procedures on the surface.
“I suspect,” Zhuang Ningyu said, “that Li Hong adopted Jiajia with the intention of raising her as a ‘gift’ to exchange for benefits with partners who have special predilections. Of course, the fewer people who know about such things, the better. So she rented this secluded building, arranged for her father and Jiajia to come here to recuperate, and could also supervise the nanny to take good care of Jiajia. When the time came, she would just find an excuse to take her father away.”
As for whether the “good grandpa” knew about his daughter and son-in-law’s private arrangements, Zhuang Ningyu was more inclined to believe that the old teacher was unaware. There was no need for Li Hong to tell her father everything, as it was not something to be proud of. She only needed to use her father’s kindness and love to desensitize Jiajia to similar groups of people, so that it would be easier for her to accept the “bad grandpa” in the future. That was enough.
Zhong Mu knocked on the door, coming to deliver dinner to the two of them. She said, “He Yu’s mood is relatively stable, but she’s clearly distracted, so I basically cooked the meal. You two, uh… just make do.”
Of course, no one would be picky at a time like this, but Ms. Zhong’s “making do” was truly “making do,” a statement based entirely on fact, with not a shred of humility. After she left, Yi Ke used his chopsticks to uncivilly rummage through the pile of dually suspicious-looking and -colored vegetables for a long time, trying to find some edible portion for Zhuang Ningyu, but failed. Zhuang Ningyu tapped his hand. “Eat properly.”
“Wait.” Yi Ke dropped his chopsticks, got up, and went out. A moment later, he came back with a bowl of bright yellow scrambled eggs. Combined with the remaining round bread from his action backpack, he could make two simple burgers. “You eat this.”
Zhuang Ningyu took it and had a bite. The soft, sweet bread with the tender, salty scrambled eggs was definitely a delicacy at a time like this. If compared with Sister Zhong’s stir-fry, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a state banquet. He said, “Eat the other one yourself.”
“I’m not eating.” Yi Ke tasted a couple of mouthfuls of the unknown mixture from the lunchbox, only to be so salted that he grimaced, grabbing a cup and crazily drinking water. Zhuang Ningyu pushed the burger in front of him, but Yi Ke, full of masculine virtue, resolutely refused to fight with his dear wife for food. He just stretched his head over. “Let me taste it for saltiness.”
Before Zhuang Ningyu could refuse, Yi Ke had already switched to self-service mode. He didn’t eat the half closer to him but turned sideways and, following Zhuang Ningyu’s previous bite, took a new crescent-shaped bite with the speed of lightning.
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
Yi Ke chewed a couple of times and gave his own cooking a thumbs up. “Good!”
Zhuang Ningyu was caught between laughter and tears, his head buzzing. Yi Ke retreated in time before getting hit. He rummaged through his action backpack for a pack of compressed biscuits and sat back on the edge of the bed, crunching away like a squirrel with ADHD. He had a high talent for “keenly perceiving Zhuang Ningyu’s emotions” and could always, when the other was slightly down, precisely stir up some unignorable commotion.
“Want some?” He offered the biscuit again.
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t refuse and took a piece. “The burger—”
Hearing this, Yi Ke immediately lowered his head and snatched the biscuit back from his hand, mumbling, “What burger? Both are yours, hurry up and eat!”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t push it further. While eating the bread, he asked, “Who do you think is living in 304, the good grandpa or the bad grandpa?”
“If Jiajia could decide, she would definitely want to see the good grandpa.” Yi Ke poured himself a glass of water to wash down the dry biscuit. “But based on the timeline, I guess it’s most likely the bad grandpa. And in this chain of logic, only after the bad grandpa appears would the ‘missing puzzle piece’ be triggered.”
“The missing puzzle piece should be in 304. By dealing with the bad grandpa, Jiajia can have the most perfect birthday,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “She didn’t get her dream birthday party ten years ago. Ten years later, we’ll make it up to her.”
“Are we acting tonight?” Yi Ke asked.
Zhuang Ningyu shook his head. “Let’s give the police and the investigation team some more time. There are enough clues about the deceased now; his specific identity should be confirmed soon.”
The night was already very deep. The light in room 304 across the way had not yet been extinguished. Through the thin curtains, only a blurry and distorted black shadow could be seen. The white fog quickly gathered again, thick and un-dissipating, in front of the window. Under the dim moonlight, it was like a piece of gray cotton soaked with water; one squeeze, and it would drip with unpleasant dirty water.
Because both He Yu and Zhou Huanchang were not considered “clean” at the moment, the two of them were left in Zhong Mu’s and Qing Gang’s rooms for the night.
Zhong Mu handed He Yu an apple. “Eat something. My cooking is what it is. I saw you both didn’t eat much tonight.”
“Thank you, Sister Zhong. I’m not hungry.” He Yu took the apple and forced a smile.
“You were a victim back then too. Don’t worry too much,” Zhong Mu comforted her. “In any case, let’s get out of here first.”
“I won’t get Boss Zhou in trouble, will I?” He Yu asked again. “He didn’t actually agree at first, so I… I exaggerated what happened back then a little, lied to him that the old pervert had assaulted me, and said that I was the one who killed him. Once you and Captain Zhuang found out, I would have to go to jail after getting out. He felt sorry for me, so he agreed. Boss Zhou is a good person. He first helped me find the puzzle piece. Later, in 202, he learned the truth and knew I had lied to him about some things, but he didn’t expose me to Captain Zhuang. Instead, he continued to speak up for me. I really don’t want to implicate him.”
“You won’t. Don’t worry, Captain Zhuang will help you too.” Zhong Mu patted her on the shoulder. “Be good, finish the apple, and get some rest early.”
In the next room. Zhou Huanchang took out a cigarette to smoke, but then saw the rabbit sleeping soundly on the table, so he put the cigarette back.
“I didn’t expect,” Qing Gang said while making the bed, “that you’re quite thoughtful.”
“I don’t really like smoking this stuff myself. It’s just… I’m really not sure what to do, and my mouth feels restless.” Zhou Huanchang sat leaning against a chair. “How about we go back to the Iron Pot Pit and look again? What if I didn’t dig it out?”
“Captain Zhuang will make arrangements,” Qing Gang said. “With him around, you can rest assured.”
In room 202, Zhuang Ningyu, on whom everyone had placed their hopes, was leaning against the headboard, working on his laptop. In between, he even took a video call from his dear mother. At first, the atmosphere was harmonious, a picture of motherly love and filial piety. But unexpectedly, Ms. Zhong Yu’s eyes were sharp as a hawk, and she noticed something was wrong after just a few sentences. “Wait a minute, why are there two pillows on your bed?”
Zhuang Ningyu’s face didn’t change color. “Standard for a farmhouse B&B. Bye, Mommy.”
The next moment, Yi Ke, having finished his shower, pushed open the bathroom door. He had no idea he had missed the chance to meet his mother-in-law and was still wiping his hair while asking, “The phone kept ringing. What did the investigation team send?”
“Brother Zhao took Li Degang’s photo and had the old residents of Nanping Road and the seven motorcycle riders from Jiangcheng identify it,” Zhuang Ningyu closed his laptop and rubbed his eyes with his palm. “The old residents all said the person in the photo was the retired teacher who lived in the small building. But the motorcycle riders were the complete opposite; they were all certain that the person in the photo was definitely not the rich grandpa of Jiajia they had spoken to.”
So, the one they had seen was indeed the suspect.
In a sense, the lost riders had, by a fluke, protected the little girl’s last moments in the human world.
Yi Ke tossed the wet towel aside and bent down to take out the first-aid kit. Seeing this, Zhuang Ningyu consciously sat up and bent his leg. He was already very used to having his dressing changed by him. Refusing was useless anyway, and it would end up looking like he was playing hard to get, so it was better not to refuse from the start. He had already torn off the old plaster before his shower. The bruised area was starting to feel slightly hot again, but fortunately, it didn’t look too serious. Yi Ke sat on the edge of the bed and, while tearing open the packaging, said, “This time, the three of us are here. Dealing with the old monster in 304 will be more than enough. You just don’t move, you understand? Give me all the painkillers in your bag later.”
Zhuang Ningyu said without thinking, “I don’t have any. I didn’t bring them in.”
Yi Ke’s hand paused. He continued to silently change his dressing, then covered it with both hands for a while. Although he didn’t know what use this technique had, he just had to cover it. After covering it, the entire dressing change process was complete. He packed up the remaining medical supplies and put them back in their original place, then casually reached into Zhuang Ningyu’s bag—
As, expected.
Zhuang Ningyu ignored the “clanging” sound from his hand and chose to lie down peacefully. An over-strong army will be defeated, an over-strong tree will break. When it’s time to play dead, one must play dead. Yi Ke stuffed that pack of NO.9s into his own bag and searched again just to be safe. Sure enough, he found another one from the inner layer. Captain Zhuang, so very cunning. Yi Ke mercilessly confiscated everything. Only after confirming that the suspect had absolutely no chance of reoffending did he wash his hands, turn off the lights, and go to bed.
Ten minutes later.
“At least leave me one.”
“Heh.”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
This is outrageous.
