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Murder Over a TV and DVD Player: A Shocking Crime
墨書 Inktalez
On February 15, 2007, just after the Lantern Festival, the festive atmosphere in Xiantan Town, Hejiang County, Sichuan, had not yet completely faded.
Liu Yuanbiao rode his motorcycle along the bumpy country road. Every year during the Spring Festival, he would return to visit his elderly aunt, Old Liu. This year was different; he had been too busy with work at the construction site and could only find time to come back after the holiday.
"Aunt must be feeling lonely celebrating the New Year all by herself at her age," Liu Yuanbiao thought as he rode.
As he rounded a bend in the road, he could see the familiar old house in the distance. Old Liu's home was at the edge of the village; although it was old and worn, it was kept very clean. According to tradition, at this time of year, the elderly woman should be sitting in the yard soaking up the sun and would greet him from afar when she saw him arrive.
But today, the yard was eerily quiet.
Liu Yuanbiao stopped his motorcycle and called out several times, "Aunt! Aunt! I’m here to see you!"
There was no response.
He pushed open the slightly ajar gate and began to feel uneasy. Old Liu was already 73 years old; while she was still relatively healthy, being a solitary elder raised concerns about what might happen if something went wrong...
"Aunt! Are you home?" Liu Yuanbiao shouted as he walked into the house.
Upon opening the door to the main room, he was completely taken aback by what he saw.
The floor was covered in dark red stains.
Those stains stretched from the main room all the way to the backyard.
"Oh my God... this is blood!"
Liu Yuanbiao forced himself to calm down and carefully examined the bloodstains. The density of the stains indicated a significant amount of blood loss. Moreover, it was clear that these stains had dried for quite some time; they were darkened and crusted at the edges.
"How long has this been here?" The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.
He cautiously followed the trail of blood toward the backyard.
The bloodstains were particularly dense at the kitchen door and then extended all the way to a corner of the backyard.
There lay an old-fashioned cesspit.
Liu Yuanbiao's heart raced in his throat. He dared not think further, but his intuition told him that the answer might lie in that cesspit.
"It can't be, it can't be..." he muttered to himself, yet his feet moved involuntarily toward the pit.
As he got closer, he saw that the lid of the cesspit was ajar. Liu Yuanbiao picked up a nearby stick, trembling as he probed downwards.
The stick quickly made contact with something. The sensation was unlike that of ordinary debris. Liu Yuanbiao's face turned pale instantly. He dropped the stick and stumbled back to the yard, pulling out his phone to dial 110.
"Police, I want to report a case!" His voice trembled. "My aunt Liu Cuihua... she might have been harmed! There's blood everywhere in her house, and she's missing!"
The dispatcher on the other end detected the panic in his voice. "Calm down for a moment. Please clearly state your address; we will send someone over right away."
"Hejiang County, Xiantan Town... it's that most remote village... my aunt lives alone..." Liu Yuanbiao was becoming incoherent.
After hanging up, he collapsed onto the stone steps in the yard, his mind a whirlwind of confusion.
What kind of person was Old Liu? In the village, she was known for her kind heart. Whenever someone faced difficulties, she would help without a second thought; if a stranger passed by with nowhere to stay, she would warmly invite them in for food and shelter. The villagers often said, "Old Liu is kind-hearted; even the Bodhisattva must protect her."
But now, this kind old woman...
"Who could be so cruel?" Liu Yuanbiao clenched his fists. "My aunt has never held a grudge against anyone; she wouldn't even harm a chicken. How could someone want to hurt her?"
Half an hour later, officers from the Hejiang County Public Security Bureau arrived at the scene.
"Are you the one who reported this?" the leading officer asked.
"Yes, I am Liu Cuihua's nephew, Liu Yuanbiao."
He made an effort to steady his voice. "Officer, you must help me find my aunt and catch the one who harmed her!"
The officer patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, we will investigate thoroughly. But right now, you need to cooperate with us and tell us everything you know."
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