K《Hibiscus Noodles》

Chapter 3

five

Luo Xiuqing made the newspaper for the second time on her third day in Tianjin, and this time she made the front page.

The two bold lines, "The warehouse of Licheng Trading Company was robbed, and the watchman died mysteriously," made today's newspapers sell exceptionally well.

When Luo Xiuqing and Lao Wu arrived at the warehouse, although the scene had been cordoned off by the police, it was still crowded with onlookers who were discussing it animatedly.

The police had to brandish their guns to intimidate the onlookers and make way for Luo Xiuqing and her group.

“Hey, fourth brother, look, that’s the boss of this company.”

"Hey, it really is, exactly the same as in the newspaper."

The warehouse contained imported fabrics from Indonesia. Although the quantity was small, it was truly bizarre that they had vanished overnight. A man in his forties sat upright on a chair near the warehouse entrance, his expression very serious. He was Geng Liu, the person who reported the incident.

"Sir, do I have to say it again?" It seemed that Geng Liu was tired of repeating the frightening process he had experienced that morning.

"Just say it when I tell you to, stop rambling." Detective Zhang Zhi's eyes weren't big, but when he glared, they seemed incredibly large.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you." Geng Liu swallowed hard.

"Last night, I went to my old buddy's house to play mahjong, and I had a really bad night. I didn't win until dawn, but don't underestimate that one win; it was a big hand..."

"Geng Liu!" Zhang Zhi shouted, startling Geng Liu so much that he quickly shut up.

"Don't worry, I'm telling you. It was around four or five in the morning when I was walking home and I saw a bundle of cloth on the ground. I thought to myself, 'This guy's lucky. He fell down and found a gold ingot.'" Geng Liu pointed to the cloth on the ground, which was the pattern from this batch of goods.

"I was carrying the cloth and walking forward, thinking that maybe I could pick up another bundle later. After taking only a couple of steps, I actually tripped and fell. My legs felt all soft and yielding. I looked down and, oh my god, it was a dead person. Oh my, I was so scared that I sat down on the spot right away."

"Alright, alright," Zhang Zhi said, suppressing a laugh. "How were you so sure it was a dead person?"

"Do we even need to confirm? Those two big, white eyes are staring at you. Could a living person do that?"

"Who are you asking? Answer the question properly."

"Yes, sir, please don't be angry. Your eyes were wide open, which was quite frightening."

Luo Xiuqing roughly understood what was going on and pulled Zhang Zhi out of the warehouse. "Detective Zhang, can we go and see the body?"

“Okay, but we need to be mentally prepared.” Zhang Zhi gestured for Luo Xiuqing to follow him.

"Xiuqing!"

Luo Xiuqing turned around and saw Jiaming being stopped by the police.

"Detective Zhang, he's a colleague from the company, please let him in."

Zhang Zhi waved to the policeman who turned around and looked at him questioningly.

"Xiuqing, are you alright?" Jiaming was panting heavily, probably having run all the way here.

"A worker has died, and the newly delivered cloth has gone missing. Let's go check on the body now."

"I'll go with you."

The body lay in the shade of a tree behind the house, wrapped in a reed mat. The dead seemed to grow exceptionally long, with both feet sticking out. Perhaps because the dense shade blocked out the sunlight, Luo Xiuqing shivered.

When the forensic doctor, "Detective Zhang," saw Zhang Zhi stand up at attention, he immediately stood at attention.

“This is General Manager Luo from Licheng Trading Company. Open it and take a look.” Zhang Zhi pointed to the reed mat.

Unlike Geng Liu's description, the corpse's eyes were closed, but not truly closed; the bloodshot whites of the eyes, visible through the slits, seemed to still coldly gaze upon the world. Luo Xiuqing's stomach clenched, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He himself hadn't expected that seeing a dead body would evoke disgust rather than terror.

"Old Wu, who else is in his family?" Luo Xiuqing shifted her gaze from the corpse to Old Wu.

“There’s a whole family to support. His wife has been crying so hard she’s fainted several times.”

"Send the compensation as soon as possible, and the company will cover the funeral expenses. The company will do its best to assist the police in solving the case as soon as possible."

Old Wu nodded in agreement.

“Wait a minute,” Luo Xiuqing called out to Lao Wu, “How old is his child?”

"He has two sons, the older one is already 17. He's willing to spend money to send this kid to school, and he's already graduated from junior high and is looking for a job."

"Okay, take him to the clerk's office for a trial period. If he's capable, keep him."

"Yes, I'll go inform them right away. Mr. Luo, you're such a kind person..."

Luo Xiuqing waved to Lao Wu, indicating that he could leave.

Luo Xiuqing turned around and saw Jiaming and Zhang Zhi squatting on the ground, examining something with the forensic doctor. Luo Xiuqing wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and went over to join them.

"Have you found any clues?"

"Something's strange. It doesn't seem like a typical theft and murder." The forensic doctor examined the body's bones with gloved hands. "There are no signs of struggle, and there are no wounds on the surface."

"What do you mean?" Luo Xiuqing was a little confused.

"Further examination of the body is needed. However, judging from his eyes, the deceased was in great pain or fear before his death." The forensic doctor opened the deceased's eyelids and found that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

“Look at his hands,” Jiaming suddenly interjected.

The forensic doctor pried open the deceased's hand, revealing several dark brown fibrous structures in the large palm. Zhang Zhi looked down at them and gestured for the forensic doctor to collect the evidence.

"Mr. Luo, you can go back now. Further autopsy can only be conducted back at the station. We also guarantee to investigate the theft from your company thoroughly. If there are any issues or if we need your cooperation, we will contact you again." Zhang Zhi saw that the officers who had collected evidence had basically completed their task and were preparing to leave.

Sitting in the car, Luo Xiuqing suddenly felt extremely depressed. He had a premonition that this was just the beginning. He shook his head, trying to banish the thought from his mind.

“Xiuqing, isn’t it too late for me to accept your appointment now?” Jiaming suddenly spoke.

"Not leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm broke. I'll find a job to earn some money and then continue wandering." Jiaming took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled a round smoke ring.

Luo Xiuqing understood why Jiaming had stayed behind: he was worried about her, and even more so about Xiaoju. Beneath this homeless exterior lay the most passionate heart in the world.

six.

After dinner, Luo Xiuqing started reading the day's newspaper, but she couldn't concentrate at all. Her mind kept replaying the pair of feet sticking out from under the reed mat. The company's 30th anniversary was just ten days away, and this incident at such a crucial moment was truly disheartening.

"Xiuqing, guess who I saw today?" Xiaoju came in. Luo Xiuqing quickly put the newspaper under the coffee table.

"Going to school? Who did you see? Tell me." Luo Xiuqing took the teacup from Xiaoju's hand.

"You'll never guess. Do you remember Chen Fengxi from our class back in school?"

"Chen Fengxi? Is that the dark-skinned, flat-nosed, big-toothed girl from Southeast Asia?"

"Come on, that's so harsh. I don't think she's ugly at all. In fact, she seems like a completely different person now, incredibly beautiful. Xiuqing, what are you thinking?"

"I'm listening to you. Okay, now you have your best friend to keep you company. Have you talked to the school? When do you start work?"

"I can go tomorrow. There will be four classes every week. Uncle Lu will let me get used to it gradually."

"Don't overwork yourself, just treat it as a break. Xiaoju, the company's anniversary is in ten days, come with me to the company dance."

“The ball,” Xiaoju hesitated. Naturally shy, she really disliked socializing, but what was impossible for Xiuqing? “I’ll go get my clothes made tomorrow.”

Luo Xiuqing pinched Xiaoju's cheek. "Go to sleep. Jiaming and I have something to discuss."

"Did my brother agree to go to work?"

"Yes, he's not leaving. Don't worry. Go to sleep, sweetie."

Back in her room, Xiaoju looked at herself in the dressing table mirror. Her skin wasn't fair enough, her nose wasn't straight enough, her eyes weren't big enough, and her figure... well... Xiaoju disliked being looked up and down by others; the kind of place where men and women gathered, like a ball, was exactly what she feared most.

Lying in bed, Xiaoju couldn't help but recall the scene of seeing Fengxi during the day.

Xiuqing was right. Fengxi used to be the ugly duckling that everyone in school mocked. Now the ugly duckling has turned into a swan. If Fengxi hadn't called her name, she would never have recognized her. Tall, with a slender waist and full breasts, her skin was still chocolate-colored, but her features were much brighter, and her teeth were like pearls.

If only I could be completely changed after waking up, Xiaoju yawned and fell into a deep sleep.

Luo Xiuqing couldn't sleep. He felt uneasy, a feeling he couldn't forget. He remembered the night his parents had their accident, and how restless he felt at his grandparents' house. He was truly afraid. He knew he wasn't afraid of something happening at the company; he was terrified that disaster would befall Xiaoju.