The numbers don't add up!
Who didn't show up?
"There was someone not from our village, just a peddler passing through, selling rouge and powder," someone replied.
Hu Jia looked up at the village. It was neither by the main road nor a prosperous village, yet a peddler had come to sell goods. Fine, even if there was, why would a seller of rouge and powder avoid the women and mingle with men?
Suspicious, Hu Jia asked a few more questions about this peddler, but strangely, everyone couldn't describe his appearance. This was because the peddler wore a fur hat that covered his ears and face, completely hiding his features.
Later, Ouyang questioned the person who first discovered the body alone, and there was nothing unusual.
Hu Jia and Ouyang Wen exchanged blank stares. How could it be so difficult to find out the cause of Zhao Jiva's death?
"I think there's one more person who could be a breakthrough," Cao Yang said, breaking their silence.
One more person?
"That Chen Zapi."
Chen Zapi? Wasn't he missing for a year before the incident?
"There's a story behind this, involving another case." As he spoke, Cao Yang handed Hu Jia a case file. "I suspected these two cases were related from the beginning, but I was just an ordinary police officer and had no say."
Hu Jia opened the case file and after a brief look, his expression froze.
"Involving two lives, how could it be so sloppily handled?"
Cao Yang smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
Hu Jia understood immediately from his earlier words, "This was the verdict of your patrol station chief?"
Cao Yang nodded. "Yes, I thought this case wasn't closed back then and wanted to review it, but I was insignificant."
Ouyang was surprised and took the case file to look at it. After only a few glances, he was so angry that he cursed "Waste!" twice.
The case file recorded an incident from the 16th year of the Republic of China, three years ago. It was an extremely brutal and heinous serial murder case.
In the neighboring Xiatusan Village, there was a family named Liu, named Liu Shenyue. His two sons were murdered one after another, one decapitated and the other with his chest cavity pierced.
The police concluded that it was a thief who broke in and raped them, so they set their sights on this thief as the culprit.
And this thief was none other than Chen Zapi.
"Didn't Chen Zapi disappear? Anyway, the patrol station didn't catch him, so the case was declared closed," Cao Yang said.
Heh, this was getting interesting.
Chen Zapi was suspected as the killer in a serial murder case, and then Chen Zapi disappeared.
Jiva's hanging case suspected Zhang Hanghai as the killer, and Zhang Hanghai disappeared.
And Zhao Jiva, after claiming to have seen Chen Zapi murdered, was himself killed. He died neither earlier nor later, but precisely after saying these words. Who killed him?
Could it be that the killer was silencing witnesses?
With this thought, Hu Jia and Ouyang Wen stood up simultaneously, having reached a tacit understanding to go and see Chen Zapi's house.
However, Cao Yang stopped them. "The Liu family is extinct. You won't find anyone there."
"What about Liu Shenyue? Isn't he still alive?" Ouyang Wen asked.
"I heard he was bedridden after his two sons died and passed away within two months," Cao Yang replied.
With the main family gone, the case was indeed difficult. But giving up halfway was not Hu Jia's style; his nature was to face difficulties. "Let's go. The Liu family is gone, but the villagers are still here."
The journey between Xiatuwan and Shangtuwan was only an hour's walk. Soon, the three arrived at the village entrance.
"What are you doing here?" Hu Jia and Ouyang Wen, as usual, were not in uniform. As soon as they entered the village, someone stopped them.
"Uncle Wang, it's me," Cao Yang stepped forward with a smile.
Uncle Wang clearly recognized Cao Yang. "Ah, it's Officer Cao. I heard you were promoted to the city, I didn't expect to see you again."
Uh, Cao Yang's face showed embarrassment. "Not promoted, just went to study." Cao Yang clearly didn't want to elaborate. "Uncle Wang, why are you guarding the village entrance?"
"Ah, it's because of that Liu family murder case. It was too terrifying, so everyone organized a group to guard the village entrance and question strangers."
Cao Yang cupped his hands. "Uncle Wang, your integrity is admirable."
Old Man Wang waved his hand. "It's just to earn some hard-earned money."
Cao Yang was stunned. He thought it was a spontaneously organized effort by the villagers, but he didn't expect there to be wages. "The village is willing to pay this money for serving everyone."
"Where would the village have such spare money? This is all from the Liu family," Uncle Wang said with a smile.
The Liu family? Which Liu family? Cao Yang thought for a moment. There was only one Liu family in this village, and they were all wiped out.
"It's Liu Shenyue's family," Uncle Wang was lonely guarding the village entrance, and since people had finally arrived, he definitely wanted to chat. "You don't know, do you? Everyone thought the Liu sister was childless, but he actually had a concubine outside, and even an illegitimate son who is over twenty."
Ah?
Cao Yang was genuinely unaware of this matter, his face filled with shock.
"Uncle Wang means that Liu Shenyue's property was taken over by his illegitimate son? And he hired people to guard the village entrance?" Hu Jia seized the key point.
"This is?" Uncle Wang looked at Cao Yang.
"These are police officers from the city, specifically here for the Liu family's massacre case," Cao Yang quickly introduced.
Upon hearing that they were police officers from the city, Uncle Wang's demeanor immediately softened. He was about to ask a question, but Hu Jia interrupted him. "Tell me about this illegitimate son."
Uncle Wang dared not hide anything and quickly recounted everything that happened after the Liu family massacre.
Uncle Wang said that after Liu Shenyue's two sons died, Liu Shenyue made a will, stating the name and address of his concubine, and declared that all his property would be left to that illegitimate son.
But at the time, he was worried that the police would misunderstand that the illegitimate son had killed his two half-brothers out of greed for property, so he never made it public.
After the case was closed and the police left, Liu Shenyue brought the illegitimate son back. However, even so, Liu Shenyue died of illness a month later.
But everyone was quite familiar with Yang Hua, as she was the one who went out for purchases. However, they were very unfamiliar with the illegitimate son. He seemed to know that his status was not honorable, so he rarely showed himself.
Hearing this, Hu Jia and the others frowned.
Not a single member of the Liu family was left, yet this person inherited all the property. Who benefited the most from this entire serial murder case? Naturally, it was this illegitimate son.
Could the killer be him?
Or was Chen Zapi instructed by him?
If that were the case, Chen Zapi's disappearance would make sense; he was silenced.
Of course, these were just speculations, and the actual situation still needed to be investigated in person.
Soon, Hu Jia and the others arrived at the Liu family's residence.
The door was opened by a woman with her hair in a bun. She was past her prime, but it was evident that she had been a beauty in her youth.
Upon learning the purpose of Hu Jia and the others' visit, the woman's face immediately darkened. She bypassed Hu Jia and shouted towards the village, "I told those gossips to stop bothering us! It's just taking over the old man's property. This one says this, that one says that. First, they suspect us of being murderers, then they question our origins, and now they've even attracted the police. If you don't believe us, go ask Liu Shenyue in person!"
Hu Jia and the other two clearly did not expect such a strong reaction from the woman. However, in retrospect, it was understandable. The illegitimate son had wandered for nearly twenty years and suddenly inherited a large fortune after others were massacred. It was bound to attract criticism.
Looking at her current demeanor, she had clearly been the subject of much gossip, hence her anger.
"Madam!" Cao Yang stepped forward. "We are just here to inquire about the Liu family murder case from back then."
The woman turned and glared fiercely at Cao Yang. "I don't know, I don't understand, I don't have time, I don't have the energy. Go ask below yourself."
Uh...
Cao Yang was furious...
Go below?