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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 6: Doubts
"Oh." I initially thought I could only take on jobs because of my grandfather's reputation, but I didn't expect Su Aizhen to be quite observant. When she came to Ma Wu Funeral Home, she had even inquired a bit. Considering our street has now become Funeral Street, she could have gone anywhere else, yet she specifically chose Ma Wu Funeral Home.
It shows she is a thoughtful person.
"My mom has cancer. I thought she would go before my dad, but unexpectedly..." Zhu Gang's voice choked up, his eyes reddening.
"Your mom has cancer?"
"Yeah, the kind that women get."
"Oh." She looked frail and bony; so she had cancer? A wave of inexplicable sadness washed over me. We fell into silence, walking a considerable distance without speaking. I felt it was time to bring up the matter with him. "Zhu Gang, your father's death was strange; there wasn't a single good spot on his body. I find it suspicious and want to uncover the truth behind his death, which is why the burial has been delayed. Additionally, there hasn't been a burial date set yet, so the burial is scheduled for the second of next month."
"Can't he be buried on July 30th?"
"No, even if it's not Ghost Festival, burials can't happen on the end day; that's Taboo Day."
Zhu Gang is a modern young man, and so am I; we just exist in different environments and hold different identities. He cannot compare to me. The things we are exposed to and the experiences we have are beyond his belief. What he knows are all textbook things; around him is clarity and knowledge that have nothing to do with life and death.
"What is Taboo Day?"
I asked, "Do you want to hear?" I thought he wouldn't understand this question. However, some things he should know; otherwise, how could I uncover the truth about his father's death?
"I want to hear." Zhu Gang gestured toward a Sister Shop by the roadside: "Do you smoke?"
"I do, but not regularly."
"Oh."
"I'll be right back."
When Zhu Gang reappeared in front of me, he had two bottles of water in his hands. He handed me one and opened the other, tilting his head back to drink deeply. I was thirsty too, so I took a sip and continued walking forward.
I said, "The concept of the Horizontal Vermilion Bird Day might be unfamiliar to you. It refers to the first and fifteenth of each month as the end days, and so on. When building a house, if the arrangements are not proper, even if you bury someone on the thirtieth day, it may still lead to misfortune. For your father’s passing, I can only schedule it at the best auspicious time since the exact date of his death is unclear."
"I really don't understand this, especially regarding my father's mysterious death."
"I think this matter is serious; I’m considering reporting it to the police."
"Report it? My mom thinks he died naturally; is it really necessary to involve the police?"
"It is."
I looked at Zhu Gang seriously, unwavering in my gaze. His brow furrowed as he lowered his head, appearing to struggle with inner turmoil. Then he bit his lip and said, "Fine, do what you think is best. I'll talk to my mom about it."
"Why is your mom so afraid of involving the police?"
"My mother is traditional; she fears that if the police get involved, there will be no complete remains left behind. She's worried about my dad being autopsied..."
"Got it." With Zhu Gang's consent, I took out my phone and dialed Qin Jian's number.
When Qin Jian received the call and heard about the mysterious case, he quickly rushed over.
The police arrived at the Zhu family home, causing villagers to retreat in shock. Those who were working stopped immediately and left quietly without saying a word. I never expected that involving the police would provoke such a strong reaction from the villagers.
Especially Su Aizhen, her eyes were hollow and sunken, looking as if she were on the verge of tears as she scolded her son Zhu Gang.
"You ungrateful son! Your father is going to be left without a proper burial! What am I supposed to do now?"
Qin Jian brought in a beautiful young female police officer, whose figure was stunning. With her neat short hair and a spirited face, she wore a uniform that accentuated her full curves, and her long legs were both elastic and powerful, captivating every man's gaze in the room.
The young police officer's name was Zhang Xian. The way Qin Jian called her "Xian" so affectionately suggested that their relationship was anything but ordinary.
Xian gently comforted Su Aizhen, softly holding her bony hand and asking about her well-being with concern.
I quickly opened the Ice Coffin with Qin Jian, unveiling the body in front of Zhu Gang. Despite warning them that they were about to witness something unsettling, I was still taken aback when I uncovered the corpse.
This was no longer the bloodied body I had seen before; now, the muscle tissue was rotting and emitting a foul odor. If it weren't for the Ice Coffin, I imagined the stench would have driven everyone away.
Zhang Xian, being a forensic doctor, displayed remarkable courage. Instead of shrinking back at the sight, she calmly donned a mask and used specialized tweezers to collect some of the decaying tissue into a special container for testing.
Upon seeing the corpse, Qin Jian remained silent, his expression tense and furrowed.
Zhu Gang couldn't handle it either; he pounded his fists against the wall and cried out in anguish. Thankfully, Su Aizhen didn't see him; otherwise, it would have worsened her condition.
I covered the body again.
Qin Jian explained to Zhu Gang that there was no need for an autopsy; they only needed to take some muscle tissue from the body for analysis. Afterward, I escorted them out. At that moment, Fatty approached me and asked, "Brother Qi, are we continuing?"
"We still have things to do. Once we arrange everything, we'll leave and come back on the second day of next month."
With my words, Fatty seemed to receive a reprieve and called over those who had been hiding but hadn’t left to get back to work.
Zhu Gang cried until he was exhausted, kneeling on the ground as he burned paper offerings silently, tears streaming down his face.
Fatty continued writing funeral wreaths or whatever else needed doing while I stayed by Zhu Gang's side for a while. My gaze fell on a rooster facing a portrait on a plate; it reminded me of the Night Bat. Unable to resist the urge to explore further, I stood up to see if I could find where the Night Bat might be roosting. Just as I was about to leave, Zhu Gang suddenly looked up at me and said, "Ma Qi, wait a moment."
Zhu Gang stood up respectfully and bowed before walking ahead toward the door.
I knew he must have remembered something and wanted to give me something, so I followed him.
Zhu Gang didn’t smoke, but I didn’t know when he had slipped a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes into his pocket. As I walked out, he handed it to me. "My mom worked hard all her life, never indulging herself. She doesn’t know I bought these Zhonghua Cigarettes for you, so don’t let her see you smoking."
"No, Zhu Gang, we’re about the same age. Friends are few in this life, and I consider you a friend, so don’t be so polite with me. You shouldn’t have spent money on this."
"Take it; this is a benefit you deserve. What I want to talk about has nothing to do with this pack of cigarettes."
"Well, I’ll accept it then." I took the cigarettes and tucked them into my pocket, reluctant to use them just yet.
Zhu Gang sat down next to a square table that was meant for placing things but was still empty for now. I sat down at the edge of the table and watched him as he seemed to be lost in thought. After a moment, he sighed softly. "My dad had an affair after my mom got sick. He would come home late at night, and when he did come back, he was always drunk and even hit my mom."
"That doesn’t sound right. I heard your mom say your dad was really good to her—hardworking and capable—and it was him who earned the money for your tuition."
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