Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"The child is the heart's darling of Mother, and Wanwan's Mother seems a bit too heartless."
"This is exactly what makes us feel suspicious. For a mother with such a child, after something like this happens, she would either be filled with guilt and regret or be heartbroken, wishing to guard her child day and night, fearing that she might be scared alone in Yizhuang. But Wanwan's Mother seems somewhat indifferent; aside from crying tragically on the day of the incident, she hasn't come by at all these days."
"What about Wanwan's father?"
"His wife is heartbroken and cannot bear to see the child." Chang Tai shook his head. "In my years as a Constable, I've seen many ruthless individuals. Even those who kill without blinking often develop some good thoughts in their final days. What they most think about is their own Mother. Those who are mothers, as long as they are still alive, will work tirelessly to send off their children, hoping that in the next life, they can live honestly and peacefully. Wanwan's mother's words raise suspicion."
"If this Wanwan is the same one I heard about from Madam Chen this morning, and if Wanwan's Mother is indeed the same Madam Chen who came to my Xing to buy things this morning, then Wanwan's death must not be as simple as it appears on the surface."
Xing Ruyi wrote, gently blowing on the child in her arms. The child stubbornly pouted and rubbed her eyes but ultimately succumbed to sleepiness. The faint white light quickly shrank into a ball, and Xing Ruyi carefully tucked it into her clothing near her chest.
It is said that hearing the heartbeat will help the child sleep more soundly.
"Can we trust Brother Chang regarding the Fox Demon?"
"Of course I trust him; otherwise, why would I have invited the Fox Demon over?"
"Good! Then let me tell you, Brother Chang, this child was not burned to death by High Heat, but rather someone set the fire after the child had died."
"Was it an accident?" Chang Tai asked, his brows furrowed.
"It definitely wasn't an accident! If it were just an accident, why would they need to cover it up with arson? That person must have had another motive."
"Is it possible to uncover the truth?"
"It's not just possible; it's necessary. I truly cannot imagine how cruel that person must have been." Xing Ruyi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then opened them again. She lowered her head and cautiously examined the child's body inch by inch.
"If a body was burned alive, after death it would show various signs such as burns, redness, blisters, and inflammatory reactions at scabbed areas. If it was cremated after death, these signs would not appear. Additionally, if burned alive, soot particles can be found in her respiratory tract. Oh, by respiratory tract I mean the area below the throat."
Xing Ruyi said as she gently pried open the child's throat area with her nails. "Do you have any tweezers or similar tools?"
"Is this what you are looking for?" Gatekeeper handed over a cloth bag filled with items. "This was left by the previous Coroner, perhaps it will be useful when Lord Chang comes."
Gatekeeper This statement should not be taken seriously; an ordinary Coroner would not leave behind the tools they use for their work. Even if they did, they would not be left in such a complete condition. The bag clearly shows signs of age, with many areas worn and even patched up, but it has been cleaned thoroughly and has no unpleasant odor. The contents inside are all commonly used by Coroner, resembling the original versions of tools typically used by modern Forensic Experts. Although somewhat clumsy, they are functional enough.
Selecting a pair of tweezers, he used a blade to cut open the child's throat, exposing it for Chang Tai to see: "The child's airway is very clean; there are no traces of ash or soot. This indicates that the child was burned after death."
Chang Tai maintained a serious expression and said nothing.
Xing Ruyi set down the tweezers and removed the white cloth covering the child’s body, pointing at the corpse: "Furthermore, if this child was alive during the fire, with such a large blaze, even if they were asleep, they would have shown some reaction when the flames reached them. But Brother Chang, look at this child; does it seem like she struggled? She appears very calm, as if she were merely sleeping."
"That is indeed true!" Chang Tai turned his face away: "Over the years, I have encountered many cases, including those where individuals died in fires. It is quite rare to see someone so calm. No wonder I felt something was unusual upon seeing this body for the first time. I just didn't think deeply about it at that moment; I assumed that due to her age, she might have been overwhelmed by smoke before realizing what was happening."
"In any fire incident, very few actually die from burns; most succumb to smoke inhalation. So Brother Chang, your previous deduction wasn't entirely wrong. However, those who die from smoke inhalation usually have their faces turn black or gray. But Brother Chang, take another look; this child has burns all over her body, and her face is even more severely burned. Clearly, the point of ignition was very close to her, possibly starting right beside her."
"I will have Shengzi conduct another examination; I estimate we can find useful evidence from the burned house."
"There will definitely be something useful; however, even if Shengzi finds it, that person may not be willing to acknowledge it." Xing Ruyi sighed lightly: "May I meet Young Master Chen?"
Chang Tai hesitated for a moment but nodded in agreement.
Wanwan's father is named Chen Xuan. He once passed the Scholar examination but fell into hard times due to family misfortunes and his straightforward nature made his career prospects bleak. Thus, he sought a teaching position at a private school in town. The salary was modest but sufficient to support his family of three. Chen Xuan's wife, whom Xing Ruyi met earlier as Madam Chen, was originally a concubine in a wealthy household in town but was sold off as a slave after offending the Madam. Reduced from concubine to slave and likely sold into a Brothel, Madam Chen naturally did not want this fate. In the ensuing struggle, she was inevitably beaten by others. Chen Xuan, being a Scholar, embodied both compassion and sensitivity; thus he acted heroically and spent all his savings to buy Madam Chen's freedom.
In stories, when encountering a benefactor who isn't particularly appealing, the rescued woman often says: "I cannot repay your kindness; I will serve you in my next life." However, if the benefactor is handsome and cultured, she might say: "Your kindness is beyond repayment; I am willing to dedicate my life to serve you!"
Look at how formulaic this plot is; yet Chen Xuan happened to encounter it. He saved what would become Madam Chen, driven by passionate ideals of a Scholar, but winning her love also became a twist of fate.
From being a wealthy family's concubine to becoming a teacher's wife, Madam Chen completed her final transformation in life. To completely forget her past, she even asked Chen Xuan to help her change her name to Li Wan'er. The name of their daughter, Wanwan, was chosen not only to commemorate the time of her birth but also out of affection for his wife.
The man before them had an air of weariness in his eyes but otherwise fit perfectly into Xing Ruyi's impression of a Scholar. Even when he spoke, he exuded typical scholarly demeanor with many formalities. However, being polite is not a fault; Chen Xuan had no shortcomings.
"I would like to ask Young Master Chen, who usually takes care of Wanwan? On the day she went missing, were you home?"
Mentioning Wanwan, Chen Xuan's eyes turned red. He shook his head and explained, "Wanwan is usually taken care of by my wife. She is very well-behaved and obedient; she occasionally throws a little tantrum, but it's nothing serious. She's not the kind of child who causes trouble, so she's not difficult to manage. On the day Drifted Away happened, I was at the private school and only rushed back after hearing the news."
"Was there a situation that could be explained?"
"Does this relate to the case?" Chen Xuan's hands first clenched tightly and then relaxed. "Lord Chang has always forbidden me from seeing Wanwan and from bringing her home. It's strange how Wanwan died. But I don't understand how an ordinary Drifted Away incident involving an innocent child could be so suspicious. Could it be that someone wanted to harm my Wanwan?"
"We will address Young Master Chen's concerns shortly, but before that, please answer the question I just posed. What exactly was the situation regarding Drifted Away?"
"Well—" Chen Xuan's hands clenched again, and even veins appeared on his forehead, indicating that the experience was somewhat unbearable for him.
"When I left in the morning, everything was fine. Wanwan woke up early; I fed her some thin rice porridge and let her play in the yard by herself. It wasn't that I didn't care for her; it's just that my wife has not been well since giving birth to Wanwan. Wanwan is also good; as long as I make sure she doesn't get thirsty or hungry, she doesn't fuss. Usually, I would return home for lunch to check on my wife's condition and help look after Wanwan. When I left, my wife was awake and in good spirits, even making a pair of shoes for Wanwan. Recently, Wanwan hasn't liked wearing shoes; I asked my wife about it, and she told me it might be because Wanwan has grown quickly and her shoes no longer fit well. Just before I left, Wanwan smiled at me, and I thought that when she gets a bit older, she might even call me 'father.'"
Perhaps because of hearing Chen Xuan's voice, Wanwan, who had been soundly asleep, suddenly woke up at that moment. She clumsily stretched her body and crawled out from Xing Ruyi's clothing. Fortunately, being a spirit meant she wouldn't frighten Chen Xuan and Chang Tai.
While Chen Xuan was still immersed in his sorrowful memories, Wanwan wobbled down from Xing Ruyi and then unsteadily climbed onto Chen Xuan's lap. The sudden chill made Chen Xuan shiver; he looked down at his knees and reached out his hand to gently stroke the empty air.
Chen Xuan and Chang Tai could not see her, but Xing Ruyi could. She looked at Wanwan, reached out her hand, and hugged Chen Xuan's arm, trying hard to press her face into his palm. She smiled sweetly with a pleasing expression; unfortunately, her biological father couldn't see anything.
Turning away with some reluctance, Xing Ruyi's eyes also turned red.
Comment 0 Comment Count