Zhang Gu was not tall, but he was quite sturdy and looked like a very taciturn person. Even though there were so many officials in his house, it didn’t make him frown. Zhang Gu walked in and only glanced at Mother Zhang, then lowered his head. Madam Cen glared at him.
Upon seeing this scene, Song Que called Xiao Bing and whispered something in his ear. Xiao Bing responded, turned around and walked out. Madam Cen and Mother Zhang glanced at Xiao Bing as he walked out, while Zhang Gu remained with his head lowered and showed no reaction.
Song Que then asked Zhang Gu and Mother Zhang to lead the way, saying he wanted to visit the place where Mother Zhang had collected firewood that day.
Zhang Gu, who had been silent since he came in, spoke up: “Sir, let me take you there alone. My mother is old and shouldn’t be overexerted.”
Song Que said, “That won’t do. I want to see if both of you point to the same place.”
His suspicion was almost clearly laid out, but this sentence was very effective. As soon as Song Que said it, he noticed that the two of them suddenly became visibly anxious.
Song Que pretended not to notice and stood between the two. Several officials stood nearby, keeping watch and ensuring that the two of them had no opportunity to coordinate their stories.
When they reached the river bank where the women often did their laundry, Song Que’s mood became visibly darkened. Xiao Bing, the only one who knew the reason, was not there. The officers of Changlin County were surprised at the strange temperament of this famous inspector.
Song Que stood by the river bank and observed for a while. There were several large stones on the shore that were so suitable for washing clothes that one wouldn’t even need a washing stone. The stones were higher than the river water, which made it easy to draw water without the risk of being submerged. This meant that it would be difficult for the river water to reach the stones, and since the stones were flat but not smooth, it would be hard for someone to slip and have an accident on them.
Song Que picked up a few small stones from the ground and threw them into various spots in the river, estimating the depth of the riverbed and the speed of the current. This section of Changshi River was not very swift, but the riverbed was quite deep. If someone who couldn’t swim were thrown in, they wouldn’t be able to touch the bottom no matter how much they struggled. Judging from the direction of the water flow, there was also a tendency for it to push towards the shore.
Song Que took a few steps back and saw a few discarded bamboo poles nearby. Although they were not arranged neatly, they were still stacked together, except for one that was lying scattered on the side.
Song Que stepped back and asked Mother Zhang to lead the way.
Mother Zhang was quite evasive. First she said she was so busy collecting firewood that she didn’t pay much attention to the road. Then she claimed she had hurt her back and was in so much pain that she was dazed.
Song Que didn’t care at all and said, “It doesn’t matter, we’ll see as we go. You usually come here to collect firewood, so you must be familiar with the way up the mountain, right? Let’s go up and have a look.”
Mother Zhang had no choice but to lead him up the mountain. While it was easy to find the spot where she collected firewood, she was unsure how to identify the exact same place to Zhang Gu.
Song Que accompanied Mother Zhang around for a long time, and asked her if she had hurt her back at every steep place. Mother Zhang was quite cooperative, saying that this place resembled the spot and that place did too. In the end, she patted her head and said it was because she was getting old and confused.
Song Que had already confirmed that something was wrong with her, and his expression became increasingly stern. With his imposing demeanor, he became quite formidable when serious. Mother Zhang had initially intended to say more, hoping to take advantage of the situation, but seeing his sudden shift in demeanor made her feel a chill down her spine, and she was instantly afraid to speak.
After Mother Zhang, Song Que took Zhang Gu up the mountain alone. Facing Zhang Gu, Song Que was much more direct: “Do you still want to go? You don’t seem to know where to say, do you?”
Zhang Gu still kept his head down and said, “Sir, my memory is not very good. Maybe I can remember it after walking around.”
Song Que asked, “Why do you always keep your head down? Is it because you did something wrong and are too ashamed to face others?”
Zhang Gu said in a muffled voice: “I have had a stiff neck recently and I can’t lift my head properly.”
Zhang Gu had a very good attitude and answered every question. Even when Song Que asked something provocative, treating it as if he had only heard the more neutral part of the question.
Through these questions and answers, Song Que gradually understood Zhang Gu’s character.
Song Que stopped talking. He pondered the existing information and gradually pieced together the most likely scenario in his mind. Although some details had not been confirmed, it was the most likely scenario based on the performance of these two people.
As expected, Zhang Gu did not point out any specific place. He attributed it to being anxious at the time, focusing solely on carrying his injured mother back and not paying attention to the exact spot on the mountain.
Song Que did not comment on this. Instead asked him what he thought of Cheng Li as they walked down the mountain.
Zhang Gu had previously been very smooth in his responses, but he suddenly got stuck on this question and fell into a rare silence. After a long while, he said, “He is a good person.”
Song Que asked, “Are there any people in your dyeing workshop who don’t get along with him?”
Zhang Gu said: “He is skillful, and the cloth he dyes is particularly beautiful. The manager values him a lot, and other people have a good relationship with him on the surface. As for privately, I can’t say for sure, but Cheng Li has a kind personality, and it is difficult for others to dislike him.”
Song Que asked: “If it’s hard for others to dislike him, what about you?”
Zhang Gu touched his forehead and said, “Of course I don’t dislike him. I’m older than him, but I’m not as capable as him, which is a bit embarrassing. But he is generous, open-minded, and doesn’t hold grudges. If you’re upset with him for a couple of days, he might not even realize it. How can you bring yourself to dislike someone like that?”
Song Que said, “He was a very good person, but it’s a pity that he passed away at a young age, isn’t it?”
Zhang Gu: “…Yes.”
Song Que could clearly feel the man’s steps getting heavier, and he continued, “Do you know? The child in his wife’s womb already has fully developed features and even has some hair. It’s a boy, and though he’s still small, he already resembles a child. What kind of future would it have been if he could be born?”
Zhang Gu’s footsteps came to a halt. Sensing this, Song Que turned around to look at him. His mouth opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something but was afraid to actually speak. He looked extremely distressed.
Song Que waited patiently for a moment, but Zhang Gu ultimately remained silent. Though not exactly disappointed, Song Que couldn’t help but feel a touch of irony, thinking that it was precisely because of this behavior that Zhang Gu would act in such a way.
When the two of them came down the mountain, Xiao Bing was already waiting by the riverbank. He had been sent by Song Que to gather information, and now he returned with the information that Song Que wanted to confirm.
The manager of the dyeing workshop checked the records and confirmed the timeline. On the day when Su Xiuxiu and Cheng Li went missing, the workshop had let Cheng Li and Zhang Gu leave work early. The two of them left together.
Xiao Bing also inquired with others at the dyeing workshop and found that no one spoke ill of Cheng Li. When asked who had conflicts with Cheng Li, no one could name anyone after thinking for a long time. Cheng Li usually stayed in the dyeing workshop or helping out at home, making it difficult for him to get into conflict with others. Like Su Xiuxiu, he had little social interaction, and his closest connection was with the Zhang family across the street.
Xiao Bing also went to inquire about other neighbors’ opinions on the Zhang and Cheng families. The two families had a long-standing feud, mainly Mother Zhang and Mother Cheng. Neither was willing to give an inch, always trying to outdo the other. Following them were Madam Cen and Su Xiuxiu, but this was more of a one-sided issue after Madam Cen was influenced by Mother Zhang. Su Xiuxiu had a gentle temperament and couldn’t bring herself to argue, no matter how much she was targeted. Madam Cen, who was used to direct confrontation, found it futile to argue with Su Xiuxiu, who would simply avoid conflict. It was like punching a pillow —there was no real impact. Although Father Zhang and Father Cheng did not didn’t cause as much of a stir as the two mothers, they would still quarrel when they met. Despite their squabbles, they were seen as minor issues by the neighbors, who treated them as mere entertainment and conversation fodder.
In the ongoing feud between the two families, the Cheng family had been subtly gaining the upper hand, but it was still a back-and-forth battle. What broke the balance was Su Xiuxiu’s pregnancy.
Previously, the Cheng family would boast that their eldest son was more outstanding than the Zhang family’s eldest son, and that their eldest daughter-in-law was more cultured than the Zhang family’s eldest daughter-in-law. In response, the Zhang family could counter that their younger son was studying and would become an official with a promising future. Although the Zhang family’s second son’s academic achievements were not particularly remarkable, his attendance at the academy still gave the Zhang family a bit more confidence, weakening the Cheng family’s position.
Sometimes when Mother Cheng got angry, she would say she wanted to send the eldest son back to school. However, Cheng Li was already past that age and had skills that could support himself. He would never actually go back to studying just because Mother Cheng was upset.
At this point, Su Xiuxiu was pregnant. Although she was not exactly the quickest to get pregnant, she was much better compared to the family across the street. Madam Cen had been married for more than five years, but she had not shown any signs of pregnancy. In the first two years, she was pressured by Mother Zhang to see doctors and take medicine. Later, Madam Cen suddenly became assertive, and while Mother Zhang publicly claimed it was out of concern for her daughter-in-law, everyone privately speculated that it was Zhang Gu who was at fault. Otherwise, with Mother Zhang’s character, she would never have been the first to back down. In any case, the prospect of having a grandchild had become an obsession for Mother Zhang. It was a source of great distress to her that, despite her efforts, her own family could not conceive, while the family across the street was expecting.
Although Mother Zhang often felt disdain for Cheng Li’s wife, thinking of her as delicate and incapable of much physical labor, things changed once Su Xiuxiu became pregnant. Su Xiuxiu clearly had a background in literature, so how could the child she was carrying not be intelligent? Additionally, after Su Xiuxiu became pregnant, she craved sour foods, which Mother Cheng intentionally or unintentionally mentioned in front of Mother Zhang numerous times. With the saying that sour cravings indicate a boy and spicy cravings indicate a girl. Mother Zhang, who had two sons and craved sour foods during her pregnancies, was a firm believer in this. At that time, whenever the Zhang family mentioned their second son, the Cheng family would bring up the unborn grandchild, effectively silencing the Zhang family and making them despondent.
After Xiao Bing finished reporting the information he had obtained, the blank space in Song Que’s mind was finally filled with the last piece of the puzzle.
He had Mother Zhang and Zhang Gu stand by the riverbank, on the stone ledge, while he looked at the river: “That day, Su Xiuxiu came to the riverbank to help Mother Cheng get the pestle, but the pestle was in the hands of the perpetrator. During their interaction, the murderer suddenly harbored malicious intent and hit Su Xiuxiu on the back of the neck with the pestle. When the perpetrator realized Su Xiuxiu was not breathing, they panicked and pushed her into the river, intending to stage it as a drowning. However, Su Xiuxiu’s body was too close to the shore, so the perpetrator used a bamboo pole to try to push her body further out, hoping it would drift away with the current. Unexpectedly, Cheng Li came to look for Su Xiuxiu and saw the scene. He immediately pushed the perpetrator away and tried to pull Su Xiuxiu back. Upon discovering that she was already dead, Cheng Li might have intended to seek revenge or report the crime, but the perpetrator held him back tightly. At this moment, a fourth person appeared—an accomplice. This accomplice helped restrain Cheng Li, while the perpetrator used the pestle to strike Cheng Li’s back, forcing him into the water. Cheng Li couldn’t swim, and struggled in the water, trying to grab the shore. The perpetrator used a long bamboo pole to jab at him. Cheng Li struggled several times but was ultimately unable to succeed, gradually losing strength and drowning with the two people on the shore watching helplessly. ”
The mother and son both turned a deathly pale. Mother Zhang clenched her teeth tightly, showing no intention of confessing even at this point.
Song Que turned and gave them a chilling smile. In a ghostly tone, he whispered, “Do you know how I found out? The souls of those two corpses and three restless spirits came through the three towns and appeared before me. They said, ‘Tonight, vengeance will be served.’”
