Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Joy of Death (01)

The winter sky was like a piece of lead about to fall, and the roads in the town twisted and turned, making the navigation useless.

Hai Shu drove slowly, rolled down the car window, and asked how to get to the Yin family. The sharp smell of gunpowder and the scent of smoked meat instantly flooded in. Hai Shu smiled and thanked the woman giving directions.

Yin’s family was marrying off their daughter tomorrow, and the area outside the gate was filled with cars. Red lanterns and colorful lights were hung along the roadside, and children dressed festively ran around among the red firecracker scraps.

Hai Shu parked about half a kilometer away and walked over.

Yin Canxi spotted her from a distance and immediately ran over shouting, "President Hai, you really came!"

Hai Shu sized up the girl wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans, "It's been years, and you're even more beautiful."

Yin Canxi left home to find work after not finishing high school. She got involved with some dangerous people. Hai Shu had once saved her, and Yin Canxi turned her life around and became an informant for Hai Shu. They had worked together to solve several cases.

Over two years ago, Yin Canxi decided to return to her hometown—Zhouping Town in the city of Huiyong. After she left, she and Hai Shu had almost no contact.

A week ago, Hai Shu received a call from Yin Canxi, saying she was getting married and wanted to have the wedding before the Spring Festival in Zhouping Town. The invitation was clear from her words.

But when Hai Shu actually came, Yin Canxi was quite surprised. Her eyes were red, and she grabbed Hai Shu's arm, saying, "President Hai, you actually had the time!"

Hai Shu simply replied, "Last year was too busy, and my boss gave me a few extra days off. I happened to take them before the Spring Festival, so I decided to come see you."

Yin Canxi affectionately hugged Hai Shu and nuzzled her shoulder, "I'm so happy you could come. You have no idea, if it weren't for you back then, I would have been ruined."

Hai Shu patted her back and comforted her, "It's all in the past. The bride needs to look forward now. Also, stop calling me President Hai."

"Then... Captain Hai?"

"There’s no 'team' here, just the bride's sisters."

Yin Canxi beamed, "Okay, okay!"

A man, not very tall and looking a bit thin, came over. He had an ordinary appearance and a somewhat awkward smile, "Xixi, who is this?"

Yin Canxi wiped away her tears, linked her arm through his, and happily leaned on him, "Shushu, this is the man I'm marrying, Guangjun. His father is the deputy director of our glass factory! Honey, this is the friend I told you about, the one who helped me a lot when I was working in Bincang City."

Guangjun quickly nodded at Hai Shu, his shoulders slightly hunched, showing the usual awkwardness of small-town men, "Hello, thank you for coming. Xixi often mentions you..."

After some pleasantries, Hai Shu urged Yin Canxi and her husband to go inside to prepare for tomorrow’s wedding. Weddings were troublesome, though the ceremony only lasted a day, the preparation could be exhausting. Though Hai Shu had never been married, she knew a thing or two, and the more she knew, the more she disliked the idea of it happening to her.

Before Yin Canxi went off to work, she insisted on arranging a place for Hai Shu to stay—at her house for the night. Hai Shu had originally planned to stay in the town's guesthouse, as she often stayed there when investigating cases in rural towns.

Yin Canxi pouted, "I'm getting married, and you treat it like an investigation?"

Hai Shu thought about it. Staying in a guesthouse now might feel a bit inauspicious, so she gave in to Yin Canxi's arrangement.

After checking out the room she’d be staying in, Hai Shu planned to explore the town. Zhouping Town was one of the wealthier towns in Huiyong City, though it was far from the main urban area. She had just been transferred to Huiyong City and was supposed to report to the city bureau next week. Since she was already here, she might as well familiarize herself with the environment.

Yin’s house was in the town center, and to the east was the town's pillar enterprise—the Huiyong Glass Factory. Hai Shu stood at the dark gray factory gate and suddenly felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

Though it was called a town, Zhouping Town felt more like a semi-closed industrial area. Most of the townspeople worked at the factory, while the rest took on jobs to support the factory workers.

Hai Shu squinted her eyes. The scene before her slowly became worn-out. She had been eight years old at the time, sent to her aunt's house for summer vacation. Her aunt was a worker at the artillery factory. When Hai Shu arrived, she knew no one, and the factory children eyed her curiously. They never included her in their games. She didn’t bother chasing them and became friends with a thin little boy who looked like a stick. Used to city life, the factory environment left a deep impression on her.

As summer ended and she left the factory, she and the boy promised to meet during Spring Festival or at least the next summer vacation. Her aunt cheerfully saw her off. But the next year, and for many years afterward, she never saw him again.

Because of that incident, the case that still remains unsolved to this day.

The ringing of a tricycle bell snapped Hai Shu out of her reverie. A woman on the tricycle, carrying three large barrels, was protecting them so tightly that sausages and smoked meats kept falling out.

Hai Shu picked them up and returned them.

"Thank you, little beauty!" The woman spoke with a strong local accent, trying to use city slang. Seeing Hai Shu's good looks, she enthusiastically grabbed her hand and called her "little beauty," insisting that she come along and try some smoked meat.

"Little beauty, you’re from outside, right? The smoked meat here is amazing! If you pick up three pieces for me, I'll give you three in return!"

Hai Shu laughed, unable to refuse the warm invitation, so she went along to the smoked meat area.

The place the woman referred to as being outside of town was the southwestern corner of Zhouping Town, where it bordered the mountains. It was essentially a desolate area. The smoked meat smell Hai Shu had first smelled upon arriving in town came from this place.

There were many smoking barrels in the forest, and it was unclear which household they belonged to, but everyone could use them. The barrels were made of tin and taller than a person; the larger ones required three people to embrace. Young people no longer knew how to use these things; all around were middle-aged and elderly people. They chatted while adding branches to the barrels, the smoke thick and choking, making their eyes water.

Hai Shu followed the woman, looking at the tree trunks hanging above the smoking barrels, unable to stop herself from asking, "The smoking barrels are right next to the trees. Isn't it dangerous if they catch fire?"

The woman paused, clearly having never considered this, "Dangerous? Not dangerous. When I was a child, my mom used to smoke here. It’s been many years, and nothing’s ever happened!"

Hai Shu looked up worriedly, noticing that some of the townspeople had hung sausages and smoked meats on the tree trunks. It would be fine as long as nothing happened, but if there was an incident, it could lead to a serious fire. After thinking for a moment, she decided to report the situation to the local fire department.

Seeing Hai Shu’s serious expression, the woman chuckled, "Little beauty, you young people just love to worry. You even think we old folks talk too much! Nothing’s going to happen. Smoking here is an ancient wisdom passed down by our ancestors. We hang the meat on the branches before and after smoking—so convenient!"

As a guest, Hai Shu couldn’t argue with the older woman, and she wasn’t there to enforce the law. She jokingly reminded the woman to be careful of fires, but the woman didn’t take it seriously.

The sky grew darker, and the woman handed Hai Shu the smoked meat, "Little beauty, take this back and try it! I’m not lying to you!"

Having benefited, Hai Shu was also concerned about the situation, so she decided to stay and help the woman.

The woman continued chatting non-stop, asking where Hai Shu was from, what work she did, and whether she was married. Hai Shu avoided answering personal questions she didn’t want to discuss and only mentioned she was in town for a friend's wedding.

Zhouping Town was so small that when one household got married, the whole town celebrated. As soon as the woman heard, she said, "Is it the Yin family's daughter?"

Hai Shu nodded.

"Then you must eat more sausages and smoked meats tomorrow! Their family’s is better than mine!" The woman wasn’t shy about praising others, looking around and pointing to a group of people on the right, "There, those are the Yin family’s barrels! They’re having a wedding, so they’re smoking the most. They’ve spent over ten thousand on the meat!"

Hai Shu looked over. The atmosphere around the smoking barrels was lively, and there were even a few young men. One was wearing just a T-shirt in the cold weather, working hard and glowing with a flushed face, standing on top of the smoking barrel, shouting loudly for someone below to hand him a hook.

The woman laughed and called out, "Yuzi! How much is Yin family paying you? You’re working like crazy! Be careful you don’t fall in and get smoked into jerky!"

Everyone laughed. The young man, called "Yuzi," wiped the sweat from his face and laughed happily, "Stop saying that! What relationship do I have with Junzi? He’s getting married, how can I not help him?"

Hai Shu took another look at him. He was about the same age as Guangjun but much more robust and outgoing. The woman gossiped to Hai Shu, saying that Yuzi was the type to get along with everyone, calling everyone "brother" and "buddy." When he was young, he was mischievous and disliked by others, but as an adult, he had become an enthusiastic young man, always ready to lend a hand whenever anyone needed help.

While Hai Shu listened to the woman gossiping about others’ ancestors, she observed the townspeople around her. At that moment, another tricycle stopped, and a couple got out. They were dressed lightly since they had to work, and didn’t bring much sausage or smoked meat, heading toward a small smoking barrel at the edge of the forest.

"Ah, the model couple is here!" The woman stretched her neck to look, "Only smoking this little?"

Hai Shu spent just a little over half an afternoon and noticed that the townspeople had even formed a hierarchy based on their smoked meat—those who spent thousands on sausages and smoked meats would mock those who only spent a little over a thousand. At the top of the hierarchy were the big households who spent over ten thousand, though such families were rare. Besides the wedding feast, no one would smoke this much.

The couple only brought a plastic barrel, and it looked like the sausage and smoked meat inside was less than a thousand or so. They were pushing a small cart with the necessary tools, a cart that wasn’t quite like the ones used for grocery shopping. It seemed either modified or custom-made, lightweight and flexible.

After making fun of them, the woman began to sigh about others, "They’re fine like this, with a small family. If they made too much, they couldn’t eat it all. Just the two of them, that’s enough."

The couple seemed to be in their forties. Did they not have children?

Before Hai Shu could ask, the woman answered herself, "They have a good relationship, both working at the factory. Every year they’re nominated as model workers. But you know, sometimes things can’t go too smoothly. If everything goes too well, even the heavens won’t allow it. See, they don’t have any kids!"

The sky was darkening, and the townspeople who had finished smoking their meat were heading home. Hai Shu also left with the woman. The Yin family’s barrels were still smoking, and the young man called "Yuzi" was again leaning over the barrel. The "model couple" had arrived late, and there was still half a barrel to be smoked.

Hai Shu sighed inwardly. While the human joys of life were beautiful, the fire hazard needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

In the evening, the sporadic sounds of firecrackers grew more frequent, reaching a small climax. All the streetlights lit up, and the neon lights glittered. The night before the wedding, the Yin family, as usual, hosted a feast for their relatives and friends. Yin Canxi, exhausted and with dark circles under her eyes, still forced a smile and wandered between the tables.

Hai Shu saw Yuzi again at the table with the male guests. Guangjun was also there, and the group was drinking heavily, clearly marking the end of bachelorhood.

"Getting married is so tiring!" At midnight, the family feast still hadn’t ended, and Yin Canxi and Hai Shu returned to their room. Yin Canxi lay on Hai Shu’s bed, unwilling to get up. "Oh my god, I only have three hours to sleep!"

Hai Shu patted her hand, "Go back to rest, you’ll need to wake up in the middle of the night to do your makeup."

Yin Canxi suddenly sat up, "Shushu, how about you be my bridesmaid? You’re the most beautiful!"

Hai Shu froze for a moment, about to refuse, but Yin Canxi then crawled into her arms, "Shushu... I really consider you family. If it weren’t for you helping me back then..."

Hai Shu thought back to that time when she was still a naive newcomer. Yin Canxi had veered toward a dangerous path, and Hai Shu helped this lost woman, just as this woman helped her advance in her career.

How could they not be like mutual support?

Hai Shu smiled gently and coaxed, "Call me when you’re doing your makeup. I’ll stay with you."

Yin Canxi’s eyes brightened, her eyes glistening with tears, "Okay!"

The night was quiet. Hai Shu lay in bed, trying to fall asleep. Outside the window, the colorful lights were still flickering, resembling the ones she had hung on the milk delivery bicycle when she was eight years old.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and in the flashing lights, she returned to the last summer before growing up.

"Shushu! Get up!" At 5 AM, Yin Canxi, wearing her wedding dress, knocked on Hai Shu’s door.

Hai Shu suddenly sat up, a trace of panic still lingering in her eyes. Her limbs were cold, and Yin Canxi's voice sounded like it was underwater, muffled and unreal. She covered her eyes, and after half a minute, the numbness in her hands and feet finally faded, and she returned from the dream to the real world.

This was still a factory area, but not the artillery factory from her childhood. She was here to attend Yin Canxi's wedding, and had promised to be her bridesmaid.

The door opened, and Hai Shu, with a hint of fatigue, appeared at the doorway, brushing her bangs back with her right hand. "I'll be right there."

Waking up early to do makeup was perhaps every bride's dream and nightmare, and Hai Shu was now experiencing it. The morning light appeared on the horizon, and the sound of firecrackers had already started. The process of receiving the bride was especially complicated in Zhouping Town. The groom, Guangjun, hadn't even seen his wife yet but had already been hit on the head with a bunch of firecrackers.

Hai Shu found it uninteresting. Her professional instincts kicked in, and she began observing the people in the courtyard to pass the time. Guangjun's group of brothers included more than ten tall men, all over 1.8 meters, crashing into the bedroom door like tanks. There were also some kids still in school, busy picking up red envelopes, begging Yin’s family to open the door.

Suddenly, Hai Shu noticed someone was missing. The supposedly most enthusiastic Yuzi was not there?

The groom’s side was anxious about it, and Hai Shu kept hearing people shout, "Where is Yuzi? We can't do this without him! Who’s going to call him?"

"He’s gone, no one’s at home!"

"This is weird. We agreed to meet at 8. How could he forget something this big?"

After a morning of commotion, the groom finally got his bride. Hai Shu glanced at the other bridesmaids; some were fighting with the groomsmen, causing their makeup to smudge. She was fine; perhaps her natural aura when facing men prevented anyone from causing trouble for her.

The wedding was held at noon, and the entire town had gathered. Yin Canxi's eyes were swollen from crying, and the sound of laughter filled the largest restaurant in town.

Hai Shu, not used to heavy makeup, finished her bridesmaid duties and went to remove her makeup. Looking at the beautiful woman in the mirror, Hai Shu felt somewhat unfamiliar. She had large, round eyes, and when she first became a detective, these eyes, which could be considered cute, had detracted from her professional image. So, she learned a way to do her makeup to make her eyes look sharper. Gradually, she and her colleagues got used to the more piercing version of herself.

But this time, the makeup artist had emphasized her eyes to the extreme. With the heavy makeup, she looked like an immaculate beauty. The years and experiences had transformed the cuteness into charm and allure.

Hai Shu stared for a while, then smiled and casually removed the beautiful face.

The banquet continued. Many of the men were still drinking and playing drinking games, while the women went to the card room to play. Hai Shu planned to find Yin Canxi to say goodbye, as she was planning to leave.

But when she came out of the bathroom, she couldn't find Yin Canxi. She ran into some of Yin’s relatives, and on this joyous day, there was a look of worry on their faces. They said that something had happened to someone from the Guang family.

Guang family? Who had an accident?

Hai Shu went downstairs to the restaurant entrance and saw Yin Canxi, who had already changed from her wedding dress into a cheongsam. She was standing with three men, looking upset, and Hai Shu couldn’t hear what they were saying. She approached, "What’s going on?"

Yin Canxi frowned, "Shushu, Junzi’s brother mysteriously disappeared. Everyone’s looking for him."

One of the men reassured her, "Yuzi’s a big guy, he’s fine. He probably got drunk last night and wandered off. When he gets back, I’ll beat him up!"

Yin Canxi grabbed Hai Shu’s hand, "Shushu, thank you for coming. I’ll remember our friendship for a lifetime. If you ever need anything, you can always come to me! Are you leaving now?"

Hai Shu was planning to leave, and she nodded, "I’ll head back to the city tonight."

"I know you’re busy, I won’t keep you. Shushu, thank you."

Hai Shu gave Yin Canxi a hug, "If you can’t find your friend, report it to the police as soon as possible."

Upon hearing "report it to the police," the men exchanged glances. They didn’t have much awareness about calling the police, feeling that once the police were involved, it would become a big issue.

Yin Canxi, having been an informant before, had seen a lot, "I know what to do."

Hai Shu stayed with Yin Canxi for a while longer. Just as she was about to go get the car, she suddenly saw Guangjun rushing toward her, his voice trembling, "The forest, the forest... there’s a... there’s a body!"

Hai Shu’s expression tightened. Even though she had not yet officially started her work in Huiyong City, she immediately said, "Take me there!"

The "forest" Guangjun was referring to was the place where the sausages and smoked meats were being made. Since there was a wedding in town today, no one had gone to smoke the meat, and the smoking barrels stood alone. Yuzi had been missing for most of the day, and they had searched everywhere, at home and at the factory. He was not the type to just disappear without a word, especially since it was his brother’s birthday. After the banquet, everyone was uneasy. More than ten people had finished the meal but didn’t stay to drink. They went looking for him and finally found the forest.

But instead of finding Yuzi, they found...

Hai Shu stood by the smoking barrel, looking up at the branches above. The scene was chilling, and even she felt her scalp tighten.

The forest was filled with hanging sausages and smoked meats, so black and shapeless that the dismembered arms and leg bones hanging among them were not immediately noticeable.

Hai Shu’s pupils suddenly darkened. She had come to attend the wedding of a front-line informant, only to stumble upon such a brutal murder!