Indeed, Li Yang's apology did not quell Yang Hua's fury. Before Yang Hua could unleash a second barrage, Li Yang and Luo Wenwu fled like startled birds. The bewildered villagers, who had anticipated some excitement, were instead treated to a farce.
"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a fool before?" Yang Hua slammed the broom to the ground and bellowed at the onlookers. Chagrined, they began to disperse, drifting away in twos and threes. Kuaishu Ge.
Under another large tree not far away, Ouyang Wen's gaze was sharp. "Well? Is it him?"
The person hiding with him nodded with certainty. "No mistake, it's him!"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Wen couldn't help but glance at Hu Jia on the other side, sighing inwardly, this kid is getting smarter and smarter.
Perhaps sensing Ouyang Wen's gaze, Hu Jia smiled faintly and patted Cao Yang on the shoulder. "Well done!"
Cao Yang was a little confused, *What did I do?*
*I was just responsible for the shouting.*
*Besides, I was the one who cursed the least offensively.*
Before Cao Yang could fully grasp Hu Jia's hidden meaning, he saw Hu Jia stride out boldly.
"Wait!" Hu Jia called out to Yang Hua, who was about to close the door.
Yang Hua glanced at him, her expression shifting slightly, and she unconsciously quickened the pace at which she was closing the door.
How could Cao Yang let her have her way? Since Hu Jia had stepped forward, he had no need to hold back any longer. With a sudden surge, he directly rammed the door open.
Hu Jia had said, one must be fiercer than the wicked!
All evil forces are paper tigers!
Dazed by Cao Yang's impact, Yang Hua blinked before recognizing the people who had entered. She immediately began to wail dramatically, "Oh my heavens, the police are trespassing! The times are changing!"
Hu Jia showed no mercy. At this moment, he just wanted to wrap up the case and go home to see Zhang Hangjiang.
"What are you wailing about? Wail any more and I'll drag you to the police station for a couple of days."
Yang Hua was so scared she shut her mouth.
This commotion drew the onlookers back. Seeing this, Ouyang Wen swiftly changed his demeanor. "Madam, please don't be angry. We are not here for your late husband's inheritance; we are merely here to inquire about a situation."
One played the good cop, the other the bad cop.
Yang Hua's face darkened. "What is it this time, officers?"
Hu Jia, without wasting time, informed Yang Hua that a murder had occurred in Tuwan Village two years ago. Zhao Jīwá had been found hanged from a beam. A witness had been found that night who identified Liu Hongrú as the killer, hence their visit to gather information and identify the person.
Upon hearing this, Yang Hua flew into a rage, crying out about injustice. She claimed her son had suffered for nearly twenty years, and now that he had finally made a name for himself, why couldn't they let him go? This honest and dull boy, how could he be involved in a murder case?
Hu Jia did not argue with her, only stating that letting the villagers see for themselves was also a way to prove innocence.
Meanwhile, he was also observing Liu Hongrú standing nearby. When they had first entered, Liu Hongrú had appeared somewhat nervous, instinctively trying to lower his head. However, when they mentioned the recent assault case, Liu Hongrú's expression visibly relaxed.
This puzzled Hu Jia. Logically, if Liu Hongrú were the killer, he should have been terrified. But before Hu Jia could decipher the intricacies, Yang Hua readily agreed. "Let them have a look. I want to see who's talking nonsense."
Hu Jia waved his hand, and soon a person entered. Cao Yang recognized him; he was one of the nine who used to squat by the wall and chat with Zhang Hanghai.
"See if it's him?" Hu Jia asked.
The young man stared at Liu Hongrú for a long time. "His build is similar, but I don't remember his face."
Hearing this, Yang Hua sneered from the side.
Hu Jia was not annoyed. He feigned awkwardness and scratched his head. "Ah, well, as police officers, we have to investigate personally. Since it's not him, then he's cleared of suspicion. After all, we've already discovered that the killer in the hanging case is connected to the killer in your Liu family's annihilation case, and it seems to involve Chen Zapi. We found some evidence at his place..."
At this point, Hu Jia fell silent. "Never mind, I shouldn't say more. The truth hasn't been uncovered yet, and we can't reveal too much about the case."
With that, Hu Jia signaled Cao Yang and the others to leave.
Yang Hua stood at the doorway, watching them go.
As Hu Jia and his group walked away, they chatted amongst themselves. Hu Jia even instructed the villager to glance back at the Liu residence from time to time.
...
Returning to Tuwan Village, Cao Yang expected Hu Jia to make his next move. However, Hu Jia instructed everyone to go about their business as usual, as if nothing had happened.
Thus, Cao Yang spent two full days in Tuwan Village. He was idle for these two days, so much so that he began to question his own existence.
He tried to find Hu Jia several times to ask what they should do next, but Hu Jia claimed to have a headache and needed to rest. Seeing Hu Jia's pale complexion and evident fatigue, Cao Yang could only give up.
He decided to treat it as paid leave.
"Do you want a sleeping pill? You can't keep staying awake like this," Ouyang Wen also noticed Hu Jia's unusual state.
"No need. I think the case will be solved soon. Just a little longer," Hu Jia refused the pill Ouyang Wen offered. His brain was already not functioning well, and taking sedatives might further damage it.
"You're something else. We can already confirm that Yang Hua and her son are lying, so why not arrest them directly instead of waiting for evidence?" Ouyang Wen knew his words were inappropriate for a police officer, but seeing Hu Jia pushing himself so hard, he felt distressed.
"No, we only have a witness. If we can't find physical evidence, then we can only wait. Wait for the killer to slip up," Hu Jia still disagreed.
"We found Chen Zapi's burial site, isn't that physical evidence?" Ouyang Wen tried to persuade him.
"But how can you prove that Chen Zapi was killed by Liu Hongrú?" Hu Jia countered. Ouyang Wen fell silent.
This exchange left Cao Yang utterly confused.
When was it confirmed that Yang Hua and her son were lying?
When was Chen Zapi found?
His body?
Did he die then?
No, I've been with these two captains for the past two days, and they haven't left the village. When did they investigate?
Cao Yang thought to himself: As expected, detectives are all mysterious.
Ouyang Wen naturally understood Cao Yang's confusion. He explained that after visiting the two villages where Yang Hua and her son had stayed, Hu Jia had become suspicious. People from Xiajiezhi Village said Liu Hongrú was honest and home-loving, but people from Jingkou Village said he was lively and sociable.
How could one person have two completely different reputations in two different places?
Even moving to a new place wouldn't cause such a drastic change in personality.
Furthermore, when Yang Hua and her son were in Jingkou Village, they slept in separate beds, but in Xiajiezhi Village, they slept together. This couldn't help but raise suspicions.
Adding to this, Ouyang Wen had investigated and found that at the same time Yang Hua and her son moved, a hooligan named Yuan Shan from a neighboring village disappeared. Crucially, this hooligan knew Chen Zapi.
"Therefore, we suspect that the real Liu Hongrú died in that brawl, and the one impersonating Liu Hongrú now is Yuan Shan."
"They are not mother and son, but lovers!"