Song Xingzhi lebte während der Regierungszeit von Kaiser Huizong

Kapitel 19

I ran out into the garden, hoping to find Xiang Bing, but he wasn't there. I was afraid he'd overhear what my mother said about him. Although she didn't use any profanity, her words were truly awful. She said he was a born loser, and his face could be summed up in one word: "bitter." She added, "I'll give you one word too: 'cry.' You'll just cry from now on! This man only sees you as a pretty face." Xiang Bing is a very proud person, and I was terrified he'd hear me, so I immediately followed him out. But I couldn't find him. I saw the gate was open, so I chased after it. I walked around for a while but still couldn't find him. I was heartbroken and decided to talk to my mother. I don't know what time it was; I walked outside for a long time.

Later, I knocked on my mother's door, but she wouldn't open it. I had no choice but to go back to the living room. My older sister had just turned off the TV, and I was in a bad mood. Later, I went to the garden and saw Xiang Bing. He looked very upset and came in from outside. I asked him what was wrong, and he asked if I could go back immediately because he didn't want to stay there any longer. Of course, I wanted to agree, but if he left now, it would be very disrespectful to my mother, and I didn't want their relationship to worsen. I persuaded him for a while, then took him back to his room.

We ran into Fang Rouzhi in the second-floor hallway; she was bringing snacks to Xiaoxi. Unexpectedly, she came up from downstairs. That girl is so cunning; nobody knows what she's thinking. I dislike her and her mother completely; they're always trying to sow discord. Xiaoxi ignored me and Xiangbing, only telling Fang Rouzhi that she went to the study to find a picture book.

When we went to bed, I checked the time and it was 10 o'clock. That's all I know. I don't know anything else.

The storage room? I went there once, with my mom. I asked her to give me a painting to donate to a children's leukemia foundation, and she agreed, letting me choose myself. I saw a mural there then, but I've forgotten the others. Huang Yaliu's paintings were all there, but I actually wanted my maternal grandfather's paintings initially. He was more famous, and I asked a friend about the prices. My grandfather's paintings, by Shen Qianyi, fetch very high auction prices now, two to three times that of Huang Yaliu's. Unfortunately, my mom only agreed to give me Huang Yaliu's paintings, saying that my grandfather's paintings were all lost during the Cultural Revolution. I didn't believe her at all; I think my mom kept them in a bank safe deposit box. I know my mom once gave my sister, Fang Qi, a genuine peacock painting by my grandfather after she eloped with a man. But when I asked them both, they both initially denied it. Later, I found out that my mom once claimed my sister had miscalculated the accounts and took the painting back. My sister even defended my mom, saying she didn't care about the painting, as long as Mom was happy. I heard that afterwards, my mom gave her 20,000 yuan as compensation. What's 20,000 yuan compared to that painting? My sister is so honest; she's always being bullied by my mom.

I believe Fang Rouzhi killed my dog, Glass. If anyone in this family would kill Su Zhiwen, it's her. I have no proof, but that's just how I feel; my intuition is usually very accurate.

Fang Xiaoxi:

I didn't see anything. After dinner, I went back to my room and did nothing but draw. Later, I went downstairs to the study to find a sketchbook, but no one was there. It was probably around 9 o'clock, I don't remember exactly. I was there for about ten minutes. I have no sense of time; does that matter? When I went upstairs, my mom was looking for me. She's always so fussy; she makes me some kind of white fungus soup every night, but I don't like that sweet stuff. I also saw my aunt, but I didn't greet her. I can't stand her attitude; she's always lecturing people. Like my grandma said, she's not nice to anyone in the family.

I have no complaints about my great-uncle. He's very kind and sometimes quite humorous. Once, I was drawing, and he watched me for a while, saying a lot of things, which made sense; he's a cultured man. I enjoy listening to him talk, but he always seems a bit unhappy, except for one evening when he laughed a lot. Once, I asked him if he had a girlfriend, and he said he used to have many, but since marrying my grandmother, he hasn't had any. I don't quite believe him. He often goes out on Tuesday afternoons, when my grandmother is at work. I often see him taking a taxi. When I ask him where he's going, he says he's visiting a friend. I ask if it's a man or a woman, and he says it's a secret. I told my grandmother about it, but she didn't seem to care at all, just telling me not to tell anyone else in the family.

On the morning of May 6th, I went out with friends and didn't return until after lunch, around 2 PM, though I don't know the exact time. My aunt had already arrived. When I came back, she was talking to my other aunt (Fang Qi) in the living room. As soon as they saw me, they stopped talking, but I still heard my great-grandfather's name, Shen Qianyi. They didn't like me or my mother, and avoided talking to us. Later, I went to the study. My aunt's husband (we didn't know they were married at the time), named Xiang Bing, was reading there. He didn't greet me or acknowledge me, just kept reading. I didn't want to be in the same room with him; I thought he was scary and creepy, so I immediately went back to my room. I noticed a scar on his wrist. A classmate's mother had a similar scar on her wrist; she suffered from depression and had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists.

I didn't see any luggage in the study.

I went back to my room for a nap, and when I woke up it was already 5 o'clock. Then I prepared to have dinner. As I passed by my grandmother's room, I overheard her talking to Lawyer Jian. I only overheard a little, but it seemed like my grandmother was talking about giving my great-uncle money, and Lawyer Jian was trying to persuade her. But this wasn't exactly a secret; my grandmother later mentioned it herself at the dinner table, only the amount was a bit smaller. I heard my grandmother say 4 million, but it later became 3 million on the table, probably because Lawyer Jian persuaded her.

I went to the storage room once, one day in March, but I forget the exact date. My grandma went to the storage room, and I secretly followed her downstairs. Later, she found out and scolded me. What did I see? I saw boxes and vases, but I didn't look closely. However, there was a small bamboo box that was quite interesting; it had two little bears embroidered on it. I wanted to take it, but my grandma stopped me. And then? Later, I followed my grandma upstairs. My grandma said that if she saw me being so naughty again, she wouldn't give me any pocket money, and she didn't that month, so I never dared to think about the storage room again. Actually, there wasn't anything interesting there; only my aunt seemed to be most interested in it. I saw her sneaking around the storage room door at least twice. Twice before, she made an excuse that her dog, Glass, had run away and insisted on getting the key from my grandma to go to the storage room to look for it. Later, I discovered that when she went to the storage room, she locked Glass in her room. When I was talking to my classmate in the guest room, I heard the dog barking very clearly. My aunt's room was next to the guest room. If anyone killed my maternal grandfather, it was my aunt.

I think my aunt knew my great-uncle before. Once, they were in the garden, and I saw my aunt give my great-uncle a hard shove. My great-uncle smiled and said to her, "Don't do that, Yushan." Then he walked away. My aunt went over to push him again, but my great-uncle nimbly dodged and ran into the building laughing. They didn't know I was lying in the nearby bushes.

Xiang Bing:

May 6th was my second visit to Yushan's house and the third time I saw Su Zhiwen. I didn't have a good impression of him.

That noon, after having lunch with Zeng Yushan, I went back to her house. Yushan wasn't very friendly towards Su Zhiwen. Although I didn't like him either, I felt it wasn't necessary to be confrontational. I thought ignoring Su Zhiwen was the best approach. But no matter how much I tried to persuade her, Yushan would always argue with him whenever she saw him. Su Zhiwen had a pretty good temper; he usually just smiled and sometimes retorted, but most of the time, he avoided her. That afternoon, Yushan was making sarcastic remarks to Su Zhiwen in the living room. When he ignored her, she threw a newspaper at him. I couldn't stand Yushan's aggressive behavior, so I went to the Shen family's study. There, I ran into the young girl Fang Xiaoxi. She took a book and left; we didn't speak.

I don't like Fang Xiaoxi, and I can tell she doesn't like me either.

I found a book about stamp collecting there. I'm a stamp collector myself and love fiddling with stamps every day, so I was very interested in the book. I read it for several hours, during which time I received one or two phone calls, both about work. After 5 pm, Yushan came to the study to call me and asked me to go for a walk with her, so I went with her to the nearby supermarket. We bought some of her favorite snacks. We returned to the Shen family home before 7 pm. Dinner was served a little after 7 pm. Su Zhiwen had been talking non-stop that day, saying he was going to Hong Kong to meet friends and do business, and that he would be flying there frequently in the future. He asked if I could get him cheap plane tickets, and I said I could help him. I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying.

I received a phone call later and left the table, going out into the garden. I didn't check my watch, so I don't know the time. The call was from my colleague, a tour guide. He had run into some trouble out of town and urgently needed me to contact our manager, but he couldn't get through. I eventually got through to the deputy manager for him. I'm a quiet person, and I don't like the grand occasions at the Shen family's restaurant. Eating with so many unfamiliar people made me feel oppressed, so after the call, I hid in the shadows behind the house. I also took a short walk outside, not going very far, just browsing the nearby convenience store and small shops before coming back quickly. Later, Yushan came to find me, and we went upstairs together. I don't know the time.

How did I meet Yushan? It's related to a failed experience I had a year ago. I failed in my business venture, gambling away all the money my family had and my parents' savings. This hit me hard, and in a moment of despair, I did something foolish. Even after recovering, it took me a long time to recover from that experience. My parents were very worried about me, so they found me a volunteer counselor, and Yushan was one of them. She's cheerful, kind-hearted, and very caring. We gradually got to know each other and started dating. Yushan said she didn't care if I had money or not, and I'm very grateful for that. It was Yushan who insisted on getting married. Actually, I feel that our personalities aren't compatible, but of course, I love her very much. She brings vitality to my life. I won't take her money. I once swore to her that whatever money she has is her business. I just want to create my own life with my own hands; only then can I live with peace of mind. I'm not Su Zhiwen (a character from a Chinese folktale known for his cunning and ruthlessness).

I've never been to the storage room. I don't even know what a storage room is, and no one has ever told me. Yushan has never mentioned it to me, and of course, I haven't asked. Yes, Yushan's mother doesn't like me, which is normal. I've never known how to please others, which is probably why I failed in business. I don't know how to fool people; if I dislike someone, I'll show it. Yes, I don't like the rest of this family. I think they're all hypocritical and don't understand genuine feelings. Only Yushan is a good person in this family.

I spoke to Su Zhiwen alone once. It was probably a Tuesday; I had just taken a day off and was going home when I saw him standing alone on the street, lost in thought. I initially intended to pretend I didn't see him to avoid having to say hello, but as I walked past, he called out to me. We exchanged a few pleasantries, and I asked him why he was there. He said he was looking for a friend but couldn't find his way because the address his friend had given him was vague. He showed me a slip of paper with an address written on it, which I don't remember, only that it went something like "turn left three, turn right four, a bottle of 7UP..." I don't remember the rest. I briefly explained my guess to him, and he was very happy, thanking me profusely. We then said goodbye. I realized he seemed to have a terrible sense of direction. We met on Xincheng Road, where there happened to be a bus stop, and I bumped into him when I got off the bus. It was a chance encounter.

I don't know why Su Zhiwen was killed, and it has nothing to do with me. I hope you will not bother me again. He has nothing to do with me.

After reviewing the statements, we proceeded to Su Zhiwen's personal file and on-site investigation records.

Su Zhiwen's life, if viewed solely from his personnel file, couldn't be simpler. Born in 1969 into an ordinary teacher's family, the 38-year-old's father, Su Jian'an, was a math teacher at the Eighth Middle School, and his mother, Li Ping, taught Chinese at the same school. In 1983, they divorced due to irreconcilable differences, and Su Zhiwen was awarded to his mother. In 1984, after graduating from junior high school, Su Zhiwen was admitted to the only national key high school in the city, A Middle School. In 1988, he was admitted to the history department of H University, a major university in the city. He graduated in 1992 and became a history teacher at Qingfeng Middle School. In September of the same year, his mother, Li Ping, passed away from breast cancer. In 1996, Su Zhiwen resigned from Qingfeng Middle School, and his personnel file was transferred to the local street office for safekeeping. After that, his whereabouts were no longer recorded.

There is an appendix following Su Zhiwen's file, indicating that the police had investigated Su Zhiwen's past experiences.

He married in August 1993. His ex-wife is Zhu Lin. They divorced in April 1995 due to irreconcilable differences. In October of the same year, Zhu Lin went to the United States to study and currently resides there.

In 1997, he was criminally detained for two days and fined 2,000 yuan for gambling.

In 1998, he was criminally detained for three days and fined 3,000 yuan for gambling.

In January 2000, he invested in a small dance hall, which went bankrupt in August of the same year due to poor management. Afterwards, based on reports from neighbors, he started trading stocks and futures, but the specifics of his operations are unverifiable.

In 2004, I taught dancing at the "Spring" ballroom, working four days a week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the evening shift from 6 pm to 9 pm every day.

The on-site investigation record is as follows:

Date: May 24, 2007

Time: 9:15

Officers in charge: Lin Zhongjie, Dai Gong

Compiled by: Zheng Jian

Case Summary: Yesterday morning, a report was received to No. 28 Datong Road, where the body of the male homeowner, Su Zhiwen, was found in the basement storage room. The case has been formally opened for investigation.

On May 23, 2007, at 9:10 a.m., after receiving a report, the police were granted permission to enter the residence of Chen Biyun at No. 28 Datong Road. Lin Zhongjie, Dai Gong, Zheng Jian and forensic doctor Gong Zuming arrived at the scene immediately at 9:14 a.m.

The body was found in the basement storage room of the house. The entrance to the storage room was located opposite the kitchen, 2.5 meters away, separated by a staircase leading to the second floor. The storage room was 15 square meters in size and had two doors for entry. The male corpse was found lying inside an iron box measuring 2.4 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and 1.5 meters high. (Note: This iron box was actually a wooden box with an iron outer shell, a wooden lid, and iron edges; it was originally intended to hold a full-body statue of Huang Yaliu.)

The deceased was lying on his side with his right limbs facing upwards. According to the preliminary forensic examination, the only external injury to the deceased was a minor laceration on the back of the head, which was likely caused by an object. There were a few broken pieces of a vase around the iron box, which are suspected to be the murder weapon used to attack the deceased.

The deceased was wearing a beige XX brand T-shirt, dark trousers, black leather shoes, and a Rado watch and platinum wedding ring on her wrist. The metal box contained over ten newspapers, but no other items. Upon inspection, a line of small, blood-written words was found on the inside of the box. After careful examination, the words read, "Not Xiang Bing." (Note: Xiang Bing was the newlywed husband of Zeng Yushan, Shen Biyun's third daughter.) Appendix: The fingerprint of the blood-written message was identified as belonging to Su Zhiwen.

The metal box was unlocked, and a rolling pin was found next to it. The person who reported the incident, Zhang Yu, stated that the rolling pin was originally stuck in the box to lock it, but she removed it this morning when she discovered the body to see the contents of the box. The rolling pin had Zhang Yufen's fingerprints on it.

The storage room contained 14 boxes: three red camphor wood boxes (containing cheongsams and other clothing), four small black copper boxes (containing calligraphy and paintings), four small red wooden boxes (containing personal belongings and miscellaneous items), two black wooden boxes (containing calligraphy and paintings), and one empty green leather suitcase. There were also six large vases (with packaging), four small vases, several handicrafts, two display shelves, two large murals leaning against the walls on either side—one wrapped in white cloth, the other uncovered—and an air conditioner.

The scene was rather messy. Of the four small red wooden boxes, two had their openings wide open. One of them contained silk, scrolls, calligraphy works (by Huang Yaliu), and some old books, including 1995 editions of junior high school textbooks for all subjects. The other box was empty. In another red camphor wood box, one opening was wide open, and four cheongsams were scattered around it.

The storage room has two energy-saving pendant lights, each 40 watts.

9. Who is the thief within the family?

"Don't be shy, make yourself at home. I've already told my family, so you can stay here without worry. Oh, and my older sister even prepared your favorite rice wine for you." Zeng Yushan helped Ling Ge carry her simple luggage into the house while deftly opening the guest room door.

It seems I can't drink rice wine. I'm here on serious business this time, Ling Ge thought to himself.

"Thank you so much, Yushan. Is it really alright for me to stay here? Have you told your mother?" Ling Ge asked after entering the house. Although she had already made up her mind to infiltrate the Shen family, she was still a little apprehensive in this unfamiliar environment. She didn't know what Shen Biyun's attitude would be towards her arrival.

“My mom? Of course I told her. Don’t worry, she’ll welcome you. My mom is very close to Attorney Jian, and she likes Dongping a lot too. As soon as I told her about you, she agreed.” Zeng Yushan opened the door casually.

This is a small room of about 12 square meters. Although the room is not big, like the other rooms in this house, it is decorated in a warm and elegant style, full of the feel of a woman's boudoir.

"It's alright. This used to be my sister Fang Qi's room, but she thought it was too small, so she moved to the one next door." Zeng Yushan walked into the room, drew back the curtains, and revealed a panoramic view of the garden.

"Your house is really big," Ling Ge sighed.

"Actually, there's nothing good about it. My family is too complicated. In comparison, I would rather have been born into an ordinary, small family." Zeng Yushan's tone turned cold.

"Don't say that. I envy you. You must have had a lot of friends when you were little, unlike me. Nobody played with me when I was little. My dad always locked me at home." Ling Ge couldn't help but feel sad when she thought about her lonely childhood. She was so busy looking forward to growing up that she never experienced any childhood joy.

“Yes, we do have quite a few children, but…” Zeng Yushan didn’t finish her sentence, then suddenly smiled and patted her shoulder, “Ling Ge, you’re actually not from the phone company, you’re a police officer, right?”

These words startled Ling Ge. How did Zeng Yushan know about this? How could she know? It must have been Uncle Jian who told her, but Uncle Jian promised not to tell them. She felt her face flush and turn pale in turns, and she couldn't speak for a moment because of embarrassment and surprise.

“Don’t be angry. My mom investigated you. She seems to know someone at the police station. She asked them about you, originally wanting to check your file to see where you came from, since she was bringing someone home. But she didn’t expect that the person would say they knew you as soon as they heard your name.” Zeng Yushan relaxed her legs and sat on the bed in the guest room. “That’s when my mom found out that you were a policeman.”

"Um...yes, I'm sorry, because Jane...Jane doesn't like me telling others that I'm a policeman. You remember...he was the one who said it last time," Ling Ge stammered. Despite her nervousness, she felt that her excuse was pretty good.

Zeng Yushan laughed.

“He probably doesn’t want others to know that you’ve been suspended. Actually, I think it’s really not interesting for a girl to be a criminal police officer,” Zeng Yushan said.

She even knew about the suspension; Shen Biyun's investigation was truly thorough.

"I'm sorry, I should have explained it to you beforehand. Actually, at first, I just wanted to ask if there was anything the charity could do to help me with this TV explosion. But I didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic. Yushan, you're the kindest person I know." Ling Ge spoke from the heart. When she called Zeng Yushan, she hadn't thought about being undercover at all; she simply wanted to ask what kind of assistance was available. As soon as Zeng Yushan heard about her situation, she immediately invited her to stay at her home and even contacted several volunteers to help her clean up her wrecked little house in a few days. The thought of deceiving such a kind friend filled her with guilt.

“It’s okay, anyway, you’re not in charge of this case. Besides,” Zeng Yushan gave her a gentle look, “and don’t be angry when I say this, your colleagues at the police station all say you’re not a good detective, and they’re planning to transfer you to an office job.”

Ling Ge thought angrily, "I wonder which guy is talking about me behind my back," and his face immediately darkened.

"Why did they transfer me to an office job? I didn't do anything wrong! I just said a few extra words. They usually ignore what I say, so why is what I said recorded? It's so unfair!" After she finished speaking, she angrily told Zeng Yushan about her experience of arresting the female murderer.

After listening to her story, Zeng Yushan couldn't stop laughing.

“You’re so cute, Ling Ge,” she said, putting her arm around Ling Ge’s shoulder. “However, I don’t think you’re really suited to be a criminal investigator. Why don’t you join me in doing public service?”

"Actually, I'm quite willing to help others, but I'm afraid I won't have the time. Besides, if I keep spending time helping others for free, how will I have time to make money?" Ling Ge immediately regretted saying this. Why did she always speak such blunt truths without any sense of class? Especially in front of the noble Zeng Yushan, she felt even more ashamed.

"You're really honest," Zeng Yushan said with a smile.

“It’s okay, just call me whenever you have time. I’m willing to help others.” Ling Ge decided to change Zeng Yushan’s opinion of her, and she added, “As long as the donation isn’t too much, I can afford it.”

"Really?"

“Of course.” Ling Ge nodded emphatically.

“Recently, a child from the Third Primary School near us was diagnosed with leukemia. His parents are both laid-off workers and cannot afford the surgery. The neighborhood is currently raising funds. Would you like to contribute?” Zeng Yushan asked with a smile.

Wow, that came so fast! But words spoken cannot be taken back, and after thinking it over carefully, Ling Ge realized that the child with leukemia was indeed pitiful. Although she didn't know him, she was still willing to help him. She took out her wallet from her small cloth bag, took out 200 yuan, and handed it to Zeng Yushan.

“Okay, but I don’t have much money. How about I donate 200?” Ling Ge asked.

"Ling Ge, you're so generous!" Zeng Yushan cheered as she grabbed the two bills. Then, as if she had been expecting this, she pulled a donation list from her pocket. "It doesn't matter how much or how little you donate, as long as you've done your part. Every little bit helps. If everyone I met was as generous as you, I believe the child's surgery fees would be covered soon." As she spoke, Zeng Yushan added Ling Ge's name to the last line of the list.

"Sign your name here," Zeng Yushan said, pointing to the blank space after the 200 yuan amount.

As Ling Ge signed the donation list, she glanced ahead and noticed the names of two other family members: Fang Qi, who had donated 200 yuan like Ling Ge, and Zhang Yufen, who had donated 50 yuan. Ling Ge's gaze unconsciously continued upwards, and she suddenly realized that Zeng Yushan's name was at the very top of the donation list.

"Is it signed?" Zeng Yushan seemed to have thought of something, and as soon as Ling Ge finished signing, she immediately stuffed the list back into her pocket. But Ling Ge still managed to see the amount of Zeng Yushan's donation.

50,000 yuan. My goodness! She's so generous!

Every time Lin Zhongjie came, he would turn the Jian family's living room into a smoky, chaotic mess.

"Initially, Shen Biyun wanted to give Su Zhiwen 4 million, but later changed it to 3 million. Why?" he asked while smoking the Cuban cigar provided by Attorney Jian. To be honest, he quite liked the atmosphere created by the cigars; despite their different positions, they still had a tacit understanding.

“Don’t you think 4 million is too much?” Jian Qiming said. “I told Biyun that it was a complete waste. You can tell at a glance that Su Zhiwen is not cut out for business. I advised her to be more rational.”

“But 3 million is still a lot of money. The price should be negotiated down to 300,000 to be considered a success.”

“She’s only interested in pleasing her little man, what can I do? It took me ages to persuade her to give me that 1 million yuan,” Lawyer Jian said with a shake of her head and a sigh. “When a woman goes crazy, she’s capable of anything.”

What time did you get home that day?

"Old Lin, didn't I tell you last time that it would be around 8 o'clock?"

"Has anyone left the table before you?"

"Fang Qi went to the study to answer the phone. Fang Xiaoxi left a while ago, it seems she went to the bathroom." Jian Qiming seemed to realize that he was standing next to a landmine, and he glanced around cautiously.

Where is Xiang Bing?

“He went out with me to the park to answer a phone call. Someone called him.”

"Should Fang Xiaoxi leave first, or Fang Qi?" Lin Zhongjie asked calmly, watching him intently.

"First it was Fang Qi, and then Fang Xiaoxi immediately said she was going to the bathroom." Jian Qiming chuckled dryly.

"How long did Fang Xiaoxi stay before she came back?"

“A few minutes, old man! What do you want to know?” Jian Qiming exhaled a smoke ring.

Lin Zhongjie didn't answer him. He pondered for a few seconds, then asked, "Who saw you off when you left?"

“No one will see me off. Shen Biyun has difficulty walking, so I told her not to. She suggested that Su Zhiwen see me off, but I declined. I don’t want to have any more contact with that man; he makes me feel uncomfortable.” Jian Qiming exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.

Is there anything about him that makes you uncomfortable?