"Are these human bones?" Zhan Ruoxuan asked, looking at the pile of bones in front of him and then measuring himself. "These ribs are too big, aren't they?"
Lü Qingqing calmly surveyed the scene. "Detective Chen, are all the bones here?"
"Yes, these are all the bones we've collected, barely enough to assemble a human skeleton." Although he was unsure of the origins of this group, Detective Chen was pleased that superiors had sent them.
"These likely belong to two different skeletons. Since they were all found around the dry toilet, they got mixed up," Lü Qingqing stated.
"Two skeletons? That's too hasty. Just because this skeleton is a bit peculiar, you conclude it's not from the same person?" A student from the senior group spoke up.
"Detective Chen, do you have someone in your village named Li Yu? Could you call him?" Lü Qingqing didn't argue with the senior student but instead asked for someone else.
"Li Yu?" Detective Chen looked puzzled. "Officer, I don't know you know anyone here, but Li Yu is a villager."
Detective Chen assumed Lü Qingqing knew Li Yu and secretly looked down on her for thinking of meeting an acquaintance instead of focusing on the case. He pointed out Li Yu's villager status specifically to remind her that non-police personnel could not be involved in the investigation.
"It's alright, please call him for me," Lü Qingqing said, understanding Detective Chen's implied message. A hint of admiration for him surfaced. After all, few people still remembered to abide by investigation procedures and regulations. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Lü Qingqing, if you have a friend you want to see, you can do it during your free time," the same male student spoke again.
"Don't worry, I, Lü Qingqing, know the rules," Lü Qingqing said. She had noticed this student throughout their journey, paying close attention to Tong Meng. She guessed he was speaking up for Tong Meng. Hearing Lü Qingqing's assurance, the student, though looking displeased, said no more, as if anticipating what she would do next.
Soon, the man named Li Yu arrived. He was dressed plainly, with an apron tied around his waist. He stood nervously. "What do you need from me, Detective Li?"
"I'm the one who needs you," Lü Qingqing stepped forward. "Mr. Li, could you please examine these ribs and tell us where they are from?"
The assembled bones on the table had already been disturbed. Lü Qingqing had deliberately removed the skull, leaving only a pile of scattered ribs and scapulae.
Li Yu didn't recognize Lü Qingqing, but seeing her police uniform, he bowed respectfully and stepped forward to examine the fragments. After a short while, he declared, "These look like the skeleton of a calf."
What?
Everyone was stunned.
"You're saying these are cow bones?" Detective Chen exclaimed in disbelief. Only Lü Qingqing looked as if she had expected this.
"That's right, these are cow bones. I wouldn't mistake them," Li Yu stated with certainty.
"Ridiculous! Who is this person? Just by glancing, he turns human bones into cow bones?" Hearing the skepticism from the senior students, Detective Chen felt embarrassed. "He's our village butcher."
Butcher?
Someone chuckled, then quickly covered their mouth, realizing the absurdity.
How silly.
Who would be more familiar with animal skeletons than a butcher?
"Qingqing, how did you know these weren't human ribs?" Guan Jinsong recalled Lü Qingqing asking for Li Yu as soon as she arrived, indicating she had inquired beforehand.
"Because I've eaten beef bones," Lü Qingqing giggled. She wouldn't admit Ouyang Wen had told her.
"Don't lie!" Zhan Ruoxuan pouted. "I know your autopsy skills. You're holding back."
Zhan Ruoxuan's remark immediately piqued everyone's interest. They hadn't expected this young woman to be skilled in autopsies. Most of the students from the academy who accompanied them had grown up in the city and lacked the knowledge to identify such things. Lü Qingqing, having been forewarned by Ouyang Wen and possessing extensive autopsy experience, was able to immediately discern that the ribs were not human. Meanwhile, Detective Chen and his colleagues felt somewhat frustrated. They should have been able to recognize cow bones, but because they had initially assumed they were human, they had overlooked the obvious.
"Sister Qingqing, you're amazing! Only someone who has worked as a coroner can handle such old cases. It looks like I have a leader for this operation," Tong Meng said leisurely from the side.
Upon hearing this, Lü Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes. This woman, on the surface, was praising her, but in reality, she was pushing her into opposition with everyone else. This was the senior class's graduation project, and Tong Meng had volunteered to be their leader. Was that appropriate?
Appropriate!
"Alright, I'll help as much as I can if it helps everyone. But let me be clear, I'm just running errands for the senior students and recording the case details. I wouldn't dare take on important tasks," Lü Qingqing shifted her tone. "However, I will definitely mentor Tong Meng and strive to be a good assistant to everyone."
By keeping Tong Meng close, she felt she could manage the situation regardless of what happened. Lü Qingqing had long suspected Tong Meng had an ulterior motive for being there, whether it was to disrupt the investigation of the "Er Jiu Liu" case or to find something at the scene. But either way, she wouldn't allow her to act alone.
Looking at Tong Meng, she still had a smile on her face, as if she had received great favor. However, in her heart, she was cursing Lü Qingqing. This woman was too good at seizing opportunities. Moreover, she was intelligent. Knowing the bones were animal remains, she specifically called a butcher to examine them, preventing potential conflicts arising from others disbelieving her.
Finally, with the combined efforts of the butcher Li Yu and Lü Qingqing, the fragmented remains were fully cataloged. Unfortunately, apart from the skull and leg bones, all other bone fragments were from different human skeletons.
"This is bad. What do we do now? Without a pelvis, we can't determine the sex," everyone looked distressed at the sorted human bones. Generally, the best way to determine sex from skeletal remains is by examining the pelvis. For example, a male's pubic arch angle is acute, while a female's is close to a right angle. Additionally, a male's pelvis is heart-shaped, while a female's is more oval. However, with the most crucial part, the pelvis, missing, they were at a loss.
"Qingqing, can you tell anything?" Tong Meng asked, seeing Lü Qingqing fiddling with the skull.
Lü Qingqing smiled inwardly. This woman never missed an opportunity to seek attention for herself. Now that she bore the title of the sole "coroner," it wouldn't be too embarrassing if she couldn't answer. What was worrying was that Tong Meng might use this as an excuse to leave her side.
"This is a male!" Lü Qingqing directly gave the answer.
Huh?
"How can you tell? Are you just guessing?" It was Tong Meng's admirer, the "fat senior." Lü Qingqing was annoyed by his constant targeting and refused to remember his name, simply calling him "Fat Senior." He wasn't actually very fat, just appeared somewhat plump among the group.
"Fat Senior, how can you guess? Do you solve cases by guessing? If outsiders heard this, wouldn't they laugh at us?" Who couldn't stir up trouble? Lü Qingqing added, "Fat Senior, please don't do this anymore. We need to solve cases diligently. If you truly don't know, you can ask the senior students here. If you're too embarrassed, ask me. I'll teach you." Using the sweetest voice to say the most stinging words to provoke the person she disliked the most!