Lu Qingqing's thinking was straightforward. In this era, it wasn't easy for any household to have a wedding dress; strictly speaking, only brides had wedding dresses, and they were usually possessed by brides from wealthier families.
Therefore, all they needed to do was check which household was missing a wedding dress, and that would lead them to their target.
However, after a thorough investigation, all the wedding dresses of the newly married brides were accounted for.
Later, Lu Qingqing even expanded the scope of "newly married brides" from the past year to the past two years, but still found no leads.
"This is strange. Could it be that the man brought the wedding dress himself?" Yu Yi'an asked, bewildered.
"There's another possibility: someone prepared a wedding dress, but we don't know about it," Lu Qingqing speculated.
Yu Yi'an was dumbfounded when he heard this. "Ah? Then what can we do?"
"It's simple, we have one more place we can ask," Hu Jia said.
"Where?" Lu Qingqing asked.
"Fabric stores and tailor shops," Hu Jia said, pointing to a ready-to-wear store on the street.
When Lu Qingqing heard this, she realized it was true. Regardless of whose wedding dress it was, they would have needed to purchase several yards of red fabric. In this era, red was only worn for joyous occasions, so by inquiring at the fabric stores, they could clarify everything.
It had to be said that Hu Jia's suggestion was indeed excellent.
There was only one fabric store in the small town, and soon the proprietress provided them with a list of red fabric purchases from the past two years.
At a glance, they had already visited almost everyone on the list.
However, there was one name that was somewhat surprising.
Yang Yuegu.
Why would Yuegu purchase red fabric?
"She's got a problem, a big one." Yu Yi'an's first reaction was to point at Yang Yuegu's name and declare her the prime suspect.
"Why? Isn't she just a frail woman?" Lu Qingqing asked in surprise.
"She shouldn't have bought red fabric. Her buying red fabric is the problem."
Hearing this, Lu Qingqing became somewhat unhappy. She had interacted with Yang Yuegu and found her to be a decent woman. Was it because she was a widow that she couldn't buy red fabric?
Yes, this era had prejudices against women remarrying, but why should a woman remain solitary for the rest of her life for a deceased man?
She also had the right to pursue her own happiness and choose the path she wanted to take in the future.
"Just because she's a widow? Remarriage among widows is common in the city. Officer Yu, your thinking is a bit too old-fashioned." Lu Qingqing knew this was a common mindset among rural folk and she couldn't change it, but she didn't want to say nothing.
"She can still get married? I doubt anyone in this town would have the guts to marry her."
Lu Qingqing heard Yu Yi'an's words and realized that Yang Yuegu seemed to have some notoriety in town, though not a good reputation.
"What? Officer Yu seems to know her well?"
"Hey, how could I not know her? She's the 'famous widow' of our town."
"Oh? Isn't it just a matter of misfortune? Who decreed that after getting married, one must remain solitary for life?"
Lu Qingqing actually disliked the term "famous widow" that Officer Yu had attached to Yang Yuegu.
This woman had already suffered enough, becoming a widow at a young age, and simply because she used her husband's money, she became famous in everyone's eyes.
"Hey, she's hardly living a life of solitary widowhood. If she were truly living a solitary life, wouldn't the town erect a chastity arch for her?" Officer Yu shook his head and chuckled.
Hu Jia narrowed his eyes. He could hear the mockery in Officer Yu's voice regarding Yang Yuegu.
After all, Yang Yuegu also called him "younger brother," so he was somewhat displeased. "Officer Yu, it's not very good to speak about a woman like this."
Yu Yi'an might have sensed the shift in Hu Jia's attitude. He looked at the two in front of him. "You know her?"
Yu Yi'an seemed to realize something. "Never mind, let's just say I was drunk and talking nonsense."
Lu Qingqing tugged at Hu Jia's sleeve, signaling him to remain calm. "Officer Yu, we do know Yuegu. But since she purchased red fabric, we must investigate. So, you don't need to hide anything from us."
Yu Yi'an looked at Lu Qingqing, then at Hu Jia. "Really?"
Hu Jia nodded. "As long as what you say is the truth and not mere gossip, then it's true."
Hu Jia had been a bit angry earlier, but after calming down, he realized something. Yu Yi'an wasn't someone who liked to stir up trouble.
Since he was so dismissive of Yang Yuegu, it meant that Yang Yuegu was indeed not as simple as he appeared.
"Actually, Yang Yuegu is truly not someone who will live a solitary life forever." Yu Yi'an felt that Lu Qingqing was right. Since they were going to investigate this person, he had to clearly explain her background and situation.
Otherwise, they would be hesitant and irrational when investigating the case, and it would be themselves who suffered.
Yu Yi'an said that when Yang Yuegu first came to town, she was a virtuous and proper woman. But after her husband died, she became restless.
People said that men become bad when they have money, but lonely women also become restless when they have money.
Gradually, Yang Yuegu's behavior became flirtatious, and strong, healthy men frequently appeared in her small courtyard.
To put it bluntly, she was keeping male companions.
Be it caravan guards, actors passing through town, good-looking young men, or loafers with money to spare, all had appeared in Yang Yuegu's courtyard.
This was common knowledge in town. Many women scorned her, but many men were eager to approach her.
"So it's strange that she bought red fabric. Can she even get married?" This was Yu Yi'an's conclusion.
Lu Qingqing never expected to hear a completely opposite portrayal of Yang Yuegu from someone else's mouth compared to her own impression.
Hu Jia's expression grew even more grim. "Officer Yu, you need to be responsible for what you say. How can you slander a woman's reputation like this?"
Yu Yi'an didn't back down this time. "Officer Hu, no matter how much of a scoundrel I, Old Yu, may be, at least I wear a police uniform. What I just said was already a euphemism. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone, and you'll find out what kind of person Yang Yuegu is."
Hu Jia fell silent. He wasn't entirely doubting the other's words; he just found it hard to accept.
Lu Qingqing, on the other hand, remembered Yang Yuegu's flirtatious glance at Li Han yesterday when she went out, and it seemed Yu Yi'an's words were not fabricated.
If that were the case, then Yang Yuegu's purchase of red fabric was indeed somewhat suspicious.
"Do you remember what happened on the street today?" Lu Qingqing asked Hu Jia.
Hu Jia had already thought of the scene. At the time, there was a rumor of a death in town. Although everyone was gossiping, they only reacted with curiosity.
Only Yang Yuegu had appeared unusually agitated, her eyes even showing a hint of fear and disbelief.
Could it be that she was indeed involved in this murder case?
...
Yang Yuegu did not expect Hu Jia and the others to return. When she saw Yu Yi'an standing behind Lu Qingqing, her face immediately lost all color.
"Xiao Jia, why are you here?" Yang Yuegu's reaction was clearly different from that morning.
Although she was surprised by Hu Jia's visit that morning, she still welcomed them in. But this time, Yang Yuegu leaned against the doorway, showing no intention of letting them in.
"Sister Yuegu, aren't you going to invite us in for a seat?" Hu Jia already had an answer in his heart. Although he was smiling, his heart ached.
"Ah? I'm just..." Yang Yuegu glanced back into the house, her fingers unconsciously tightening on the doorframe. "I was just about to take a bath. You've come at a very inconvenient time. It's getting late, you should go back first, lest my father waits at home for too long."
She herself likely didn't believe such an excuse, yet Yang Yuegu uttered it.
Lu Qingqing was about to say a few more words, but suddenly there was a loud crash from Yang Yuegu's room.
Someone was there!