Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Grim Joy (40)

The car was speeding on the highway back to the city bureau from Zhou Ping Town. New buds had started to sprout on the trees by the roadside, and the cold air was already carrying a hint of spring.

Hai Shu gripped the steering wheel, her expression serious, as the information she had learned at the Yin family’s house replayed in her mind over and over.

As Yin Canxi had said, the Yin family had three daughters and one son. Before the son was born, they had been trying for a boy, and it was clear that they had a preference for sons over daughters. However, their conditions weren't poor enough to the point where their daughters had to wear torn clothes. Each year, the three daughters had new skirts to wear, and the younger brother would save his pocket money to buy hairpins for his sisters. Those hairpins were still kept at home.

Yin Canxi's eldest and second sisters were lively and outgoing, but Yin Canxi, when she was young, was very introverted and appeared rather unlikable in comparison. She didn’t like being in crowds, always preferred to be alone. Whenever there were group activities, she would keep her head down. She also didn’t like wearing skirts, and Yin's mother had lectured her many times, saying that as a girl, she should act like a girl, but Yin Canxi never listened. Before middle school, she looked like a tomboy.

Yin Canxi's only friend who she brought home was Zhou Jiajia, a classmate from the same grade but a different class. The Zhou family truly didn’t treat their daughter well, giving everything to the younger son, and the parents often scolded and beat Zhou Jiajia.

Yin Canxi and Zhou Jiajia both liked playing Five-in-a-Row, and they both disliked talking to others. They became friends through this game, often spending entire afternoons in silence. But occasionally, they would chat, and Yin's mother had overheard them talking about Xu Qiao.

At that time, Xu Qiao was already in middle school. Zhou Jiajia said she had been bullied, and Xu Qiao saved her, even lending her a beautiful dress. It was the first time she had ever worn a skirt.

Yin Canxi said, "I also have skirts here. You can wear one."

Zhou Jiajia shook her head, saying it was different.

Yin Canxi didn’t understand. "What’s different?"

After entering middle school, Yin Canxi became increasingly rebellious. She often went to internet cafes, reading news about dysfunctional families. Already dissatisfied with her parents’ preference for a son, she now felt that her and her two sisters’ births were tragic. If she stayed in that family, her fate would be to become a “supporting sister” for her younger brother.

Yin’s father and mother had backward views and couldn’t understand her. There were frequent family conflicts, and Yin’s mother would sometimes vent her frustrations to neighbors and coworkers, complaining about her daughter’s behavior. By the time Yin Canxi was in her third year of middle school, she had already earned a reputation as a rebellious and unfilial daughter.

Xu Qiao’s disappearance caused quite a stir in the town, but everyone had their own lives to lead, and before long, it died down. But Yin Canxi became restless again, declaring she wouldn’t study anymore and wanted to leave the family.

Yin’s mother was both angry and anxious, but even with the entire family trying to persuade her, they couldn’t stop Yin Canxi from leaving. Zhou Jiajia also left Zhou Ping Town with her.

Zhou Jiajia’s parents had been older when they had her, and they had been in poor health. This was also the reason why the Zhou family’s conditions were so bad, with their daughter receiving nothing. When Zhou Jiajia left, her parents had already passed away, and her two older sisters had married far away, leaving only a younger brother.

Zhou Jiajia, unwilling to tie her life to her younger brother, made up her mind to seek her own future.

During the first year or so after they left, Yin’s mother still knew what Yin Canxi was doing. Yin Canxi would call her sisters, telling them how she and Zhou Jiajia had gone to big cities, learned to cut hair, do makeup, and were planning to study fashion design.

But it didn’t last long before the bad news came: Zhou Jiajia had been in a car accident and died.

After that, Yin Canxi didn’t return home for several years. Later, the family heard that she had settled in Bincong City. A few years ago, her elder sister had helped her reconnect, and since Yin Canxi had grown older and matured, she surprisingly said she wanted to come back home to develop. The Yin family was overjoyed, but when Yin Canxi actually returned, her mother felt that her daughter had changed.

A gap had already formed between them. As a family, the only thing they could do was yield and get used to each other.

After returning, Yin Canxi opened a cosmetics shop, and business was good. She often sent money home, but when it came to family affection, it seemed lacking. Yin’s mother tentatively urged her to marry, fearing that Yin Canxi would leave again. Yin Canxi said she had already found someone and was preparing to get married.

When they found out that this person was Guang Yongguo's son, Yin’s father and mother were overjoyed.

"Ah—who would have thought that this marriage would turn out like this!"

Hai Shu looked at the album that Yin’s mother had found. It was a thick book, filled with photos of the Yin family’s four children when they were young. Yin Canxi was small and thin with short hair, while her two older sisters had ponytails and wore skirts, looking vibrant and energetic. It was clear that she wasn’t excluded, but rather, because of her personality, she had been detached from the family.

The photos showed that everything Yin Canxi had told Hai Shu was a lie, at least not in the way she described it. Her family had a preference for sons, but her childhood was ordinary, not filled with the suffering she had claimed.

Before leaving the Yin family, Hai Shu inquired about Zhou Jiajia’s younger brother. Yin’s mother said he was also a pitiful child, named Zhou Feihang. When Zhou Jiajia left, he was only 12 years old, unable to live on his own, and was sent to a welfare institution in the county. But for some reason, he later went missing.

The Zhou family had once lived in a village, but their house had already been demolished. Hai Shu found a former neighbor of the Zhou family, and their story was similar to that of Yin’s father and mother—Zhou’s family had only wanted a son, doting on him while treating Zhou Jiajia badly. So, when Zhou Jiajia left and stopped caring for her brother, everyone understood. Zhou Jiajia’s two older sisters had married far away and had severed ties with the family, never returning. Everyone knew about Zhou Feihang’s disappearance, and most thought he had been trafficked.

"Even with parents, it’s hard to find a kidnapped child, let alone an orphan. Who’s going to look for him? Forget it..."

Hai Shu was lost in thought, the more she pondered the situation, the more she felt something wasn’t right. She decided to park the car by the side of the road.

Whether Zhou Feihang had been trafficked wasn’t something she needed to look into, but why had Yin Canxi lied to her?

It was Zhou Jiajia who had been saved by Xu Qiao, Zhou Jiajia who wore Xu Qiao’s skirt, and Zhou Jiajia who was nicknamed Xiao Xiao. After growing a few years older and becoming less self-conscious, Zhou Jiajia had become friends with Yin Canxi. She had told Yin Canxi all about her time being "transformed" at Xu Qiao’s house, saying that Xu Qiao was her role model and her goal.

In that process, Yin Canxi must have been moved, and Xu Qiao became her goal too?

But Yin Canxi was definitely not an emotionally driven person. She spent many years searching for the truth about Xu Qiao’s disappearance, even going as far as marrying Guang Jun. The most important precondition was—during her difficult childhood, Xu Qiao had been the light that shone through, Xu Qiao had given her hope!

But that precondition no longer existed.

That was Zhou Jiajia’s story. Even if she and Zhou Jiajia had been the best of friends, Yin Canxi knew all the details about Zhou Jiajia’s relationship with Xu Qiao, but she was not Zhou Jiajia. She didn’t have the emotional drive to search for the truth.

Why did she return to Zhou Ping Town? Why pretend to be searching for the truth? What was her real motive?

Hai Shu’s head throbbed with pain as she muttered to herself, "Because of me?"

Looking back carefully, when she met Yin Canxi, Yin Canxi had no other friends around. Zhou Jiajia had already died by then. Yin Canxi wore makeup that closely resembled Xu Qiao’s. Yin Canxi wasn’t Zhou Jiajia, so why would she wear makeup like that?

Hai Shu felt like she was caught in a whirlpool, stuck in the middle, unable to clear her thoughts.

At that time, she was still the squad leader of the Guiyun Branch in Bincong City, with no connection to Zhou Ping Town. Yin Canxi couldn’t possibly have known that she would later be transferred to Guiyong City. She couldn’t have been deliberately pretending to be a Xu Qiao fan in front of her back then.

During those years in Bincong City, Yin Canxi had been a competent informant, and their relationship was quite good. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have accepted Yin Canxi’s invitation to attend a wedding in Zhou Ping Town.

This series of cases started at the wedding, and while the case had been solved, Yin Canxi, the key person, had fabricated her history and quietly disappeared just when the police were on the verge of cracking the case.

Hai Shu could make sense of Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue's motives, but she couldn’t understand why Yin Canxi had returned to Zhou Ping Town and pretended to be Zhou Jiajia.

Perhaps there was an explanation: Yin Canxi didn’t care about Xu Qiao, but about Zhou Jiajia. They both left home, wanting to make a life for themselves. However, Zhou Jiajia met a tragic fate and died just as hope was within reach. Yin Canxi was sad and blamed herself, feeling that it was her fault for not taking care of Zhou Jiajia.

At that time, Xu Qiao had already gone missing. Zhou Jiajia must have told Yin Canxi that she wanted to find out the truth about Xu Qiao's disappearance. Perhaps it was Zhou Jiajia’s final wish. So after Zhou Jiajia's death, Yin Canxi did everything she could to uncover the truth.

...Was it like this?

Hai Shu got out of the car to clear her head. This was indeed one explanation, but she couldn’t even convince herself because it felt too far-fetched. Yin Canxi had completely transformed into Zhou Jiajia, but that didn’t fit Yin Canxi’s nature.

Did Yin Canxi return to Zhou Ping Town for some other purpose, with the search for Zhou Jiajia’s truth being just a side task?

Hai Shu couldn’t imagine what that purpose might be.

The most suspicious thing was that Yin Canxi had now disappeared.

After taking a moment to clear her thoughts, Hai Shu decided to continue driving but suddenly remembered that the county town wasn’t far, so she drove directly there.

It was just after the Spring Festival, and the streets of the county town were still decorated with colorful lights and red lanterns. Hai Shu found the welfare home that Yin’s mother had mentioned. Firecrackers were being set off at the gate, and the residents inside were holding a Spring Festival celebration.

Hai Shu bought a bag of apples and as soon as she entered, she was surrounded by children. The teacher came over and asked, "Ma’am, who are you?"

Hai Shu introduced herself, and the teacher seemed surprised, immediately escorting her to the director's office.

The children, having received apples, shouted, "Thank you, police sister!"

The director was kindly smiling. Upon learning that Hai Shu wanted to know about Zhou Feihang’s situation, a trace of guilt appeared on his face. "It’s our responsibility that he went missing."

Zhou Feihang’s family situation was special; he was sent here by a police officer. The teachers knew that he was the pampered youngest child, and they had expected him to be difficult to deal with, but he was unexpectedly gentle and understanding. Since he was older than many of the other children, he even took on the role of helping to care for them.

Each month, some children were adopted, but Zhou Feihang was older, and adoptive families were a little hesitant. He would even comfort the director, saying that he would stay here to keep his younger siblings company.

His sister never came to visit him, and no one mentioned her in front of him. But the news of Zhou Jiajia’s death had to be told to him. The director called him into his office, preparing him for a long time before finally breaking the news. He lowered his head in silence, and after a long while, he said, "I know."

After that, he didn’t change much and remained as diligent and well-behaved as ever. Soon, the welfare home organized a field trip, and he went along with the group, but he didn’t return.

The welfare home immediately reported it to the police, but they couldn’t find him.

Hai Shu bade the director farewell and drove past the county high school that Xu Qiao had attended. Watching the vendors preparing for the new semester at the school gate, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. This was such a small place, yet every tiny individual’s grievances could lead to a catastrophe.

Visiting the welfare home didn’t answer the questions in her heart. In fact, it raised more questions. Did Zhou Feihang leave on purpose because of Zhou Jiajia’s death? Where did he go afterward, and what did he want to do?

Back at the city bureau, the sun hung in the sky, and Hai Shu made an effort to calm herself, separating the irrelevant details from the current case.

The cases of Wan Zeyu and Yuan Zhong were clear, as was the case of the university student serial murders.

What was unclear were the motives of Yin Canxi, Guang Yongguo’s silence, and the mysterious email sender.

Hai Shu made herself a cup of coffee and continued organizing the case report, but suddenly, she noticed a person who seemed both key and not-so-key.

The old factory manager, Li Yun.

He had passed away ten years ago and originally had nothing to do with the case, but he had appeared at some crucial turning points. The old workshop was in good condition, but human bones had appeared in the furnace, and he had not reported it to the police. Instead, due to superstition, he had moved the factory to the east side of the town. The basement where Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue hid the bodies had been secretly built by him, and he had brought Liang Lanjun there. Had he brought anyone else there? It was also him who had brought Liang Lanjun and Zhao Yue to Zhou Ping Town. According to Zhao Yue, if it weren’t for his persuasion, they might have reported everything much earlier.

Hai Shu felt that this old man was very mysterious. If he were still alive, she would really like to meet him.

After her thoughts had taken a detour, Hai Shu suddenly felt sleepy. From the moment she had discovered Wan Zeyu’s body until now, she hadn’t stopped thinking. The sleepiness overtook her, and in the few moments she closed her eyes at her seat, she fell into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes in a dream, she thought she had returned to Zhou Ping Town. The slanted roads, the buildings built on the hillside, the ringing of bicycles, and the factory broadcast echoing in the air.

She ran with the crowd, and as she passed a shop, she saw her own reflection in the glass door.

A little girl, with pigtails, wearing a bright yellow dress.

This was not Zhou Ping Town, but Wan Du Village, a large community in Qiyun City, which, despite being located in the big city, was named a village.

Wan Du Village resembled Zhou Ping Town, which was why Hai Shu felt a sense of familiarity when she arrived at Zhou Ping Town. Zhou Ping Town was the base for a glass factory, while Wan Du Village produced ammunition and was much larger. There were reportedly many ammunition depots on the mountain behind Wan Du Village, with workers stationed there. Any operational errors could lead to explosions that could level the entire mountain.

Hai Shu's own home was in the most prosperous area of Qiyun City, by the river, with the summer breeze making it quite comfortable. However, she didn’t want to spend this summer at home and insisted on following her aunt.

Aunt had married a worker from the ammunition factory a few years ago and often talked about how great Wan Du Village was. Compared to the ever-changing city, Wan Du Village felt like a paradise.

Once the holidays began, she packed her bags and waited for her aunt and uncle to take her to this paradise. But after the excitement wore off, she realized that it wasn’t as great as her aunt had described. Wan Du Village was nestled on the edge of Qiyun City, whereas Qiyun City was flat. Here, however, there were mountains everywhere, and after walking two steps, she had to climb stairs. In places where there were no stairs, the roads were sloped.

Wan Du Village didn’t have a supermarket, only two slightly larger shops, and the freezer didn’t have any good ice cream. There was a cinema, though, built by the ammunition factory, and it seemed to show pirated movies.

Aunt and uncle worked during the day, and there were no other children at home, so Hai Shu was left to entertain herself. She wrote a few pages of her summer homework, barely putting in any effort, and skimmed through her aunt's martial arts novels.

“Aunt, you lied to me. This isn’t a paradise.” While eating the cold noodles her aunt made, Hai Shu complained.

Aunt laughed. "The key’s around your neck. I’ll let you out for a day. Do you think you’ll get lost?"

Hai Shu was surprised. "How could I? I’m already 8!"

Aunt continued, "Then, back home, would your mother let you go out and play like this?"

Hai Shu thought for a moment. During her summer and winter breaks at home, she had no freedom. Her mother always said there were bad people outside and would only allow her to play in the neighborhood. If she couldn’t see her for ten minutes, she would start searching everywhere. The primary school she attended was said to be the most expensive in the city, and one semester, a student had gone missing. The kidnapper demanded money, and if it wasn’t paid, they would kill the child.

But Wan Du Village was different. Most of the people were factory workers, and outsiders couldn’t get in. The kids ran wild, and as long as they didn’t leave the village, no adult would go looking for them.

Hai Shu smiled. "It’s like being set free."

Aunt asked, "Of course, the house here is not as good as yours, but do you want to go back?"

Hai Shu made a quick decision. Though life in the village was tough, it was still better than being locked up at home. How could it not be a paradise?

“Aunt, I’m not leaving!”

Just then, a shout for the milk delivery came from outside, and Hai Shu hurriedly grabbed her enamel bowl and ran downstairs. Aunt chased after her, "You didn’t grab your ticket!"

Many children were already rushing down, and Hai Shu anxiously ran back up, “Ah, there’s only Jiojio left!”

Aunt laughed. "Who told you to be so careless?"

The milk delivery was something Hai Shu discovered after arriving at Wan Du Village. The ammunition factory even had its own dairy farm. Instead of going to a store to buy milk, the workers delivered milk directly from the farm. They rode bikes and delivered milk through the streets every evening. Anyone who needed milk would take an enamel bowl downstairs to get it. Usually, it was the children from each household who were sent by their parents to get the milk.

When Hai Shu first saw the scene, she was shocked. The children were crowded, three layers deep, holding up their bowls, looking like refugees fighting for food.

Hai Shu thought to herself, "I would never go."

But after just watching for one day, Hai Shu became curious. And the milk here was so much better than the store-bought kind. It was much richer, with thick milk skin after boiling. The red bean milk ice her aunt made with it tasted better than the 3-yuan ice cream.

Hai Shu fell in love with the factory’s milk, and she also grew fond of the milk collection process. When the milkman shouted, she rushed ahead of everyone to get the first bowl, just like a hero breaking through the enemy lines—like in a martial arts novel.

But today, because she forgot her ticket—each bowl of milk required a mark on the ticket, and after 30 marks, a new ticket had to be bought—Hai Shu wasn’t able to get in the first batch. She anxiously jumped, "Uncle Xiao Long, save some for me!"

The chubby boy turned around and shouted, "No! If I save some for you, I won’t have any left! I ran so fast today!"

Hai Shu glared at him. "If you drink more, you’ll turn into a big fatty!"

The children all laughed, and the chubby boy turned red. "I won’t give you any!"

"Everyone gets some, everyone gets some. Uncle brought extra today." The milkman, Xiao Long, was under 30, dark-skinned and healthy, wearing only a tank top, with sweat soaking his chest. He looked like he could easily punch any kid, but when he smiled, he was gentle. He had never been harsh with the children.

With his reassuring tone, Hai Shu stopped being anxious and patiently waited outside the crowd. After everyone had received their milk, she walked over to the barrel, "Uncle Xiao Long, is there really more?"

"Yes, pass me your bowl."

Seeing the milk poured into her enamel bowl, Hai Shu exclaimed, "It’s more than usual!"

Xiao Long drew a line on the ticket and smiled. "Are you coming to find Xiao Yu later?"

Hai Shu nodded happily. "Yes!"

The sun melted into the magnificent sunset, casting golden light as it sank behind the mountains. Hai Shu ran from Aunt’s house in the Seventh Village to the Fifth Village, where the dairy farm was. Xiao Long and Xiao Yu lived in the Fifth Village too.

"Xiao Yu, is your mask ready?" Hai Shu called out in front of the bungalow.

Her voice was loud, but at home and school, she didn’t dare shout like this. However, in Wan Du Village, where all the other kids had even louder voices, she felt like she had finally become the "wild kid" she had always wanted to be.

The door of the bungalow opened, and a little boy, shorter than her, stood in the doorway wearing slippers and holding a bag. "Come on, let's go to the river," he said.

Xiao Yu was the first friend Hai Shu made in Wan Du Village, and also the best one. When Hai Shu first arrived, she ran all over the village and ended up getting lost in the Fifth Village. She wasn’t in a hurry, though, and wandered around the bungalows like she was in a maze. Suddenly, she was drawn to the sound of "swish swish" in the wind. Turning a corner, she found a little boy practicing with a staff under a tree.

After finishing a set of moves, Hai Shu clapped enthusiastically. "Wow, you’re so good with that staff!"

The little boy immediately scowled. "What staff? This is the Golden Cudgel!"

Hai Shu clapped again. "Wow, you’re so good with the Golden Cudgel!"

The little boy: "…"

Later, when Hai Shu recalled the little boy’s expression, she realized he must have been thinking: "Where did this idiot come from?"

The little boy was Xiao Yu. Unlike the other kids in Wan Du Village, he didn’t have parents. He was a child Xiao Long, the milkman, had found somewhere.

The main workforce of the ammunition factory were the production workers, like Hai Shu’s aunt and uncle, who lived in apartment buildings. Each building had six floors. The workers at the dairy farm, however, had lower status and earned less. They lived in the bungalows in the Fifth Village. Xiao Long was cheerful, while Xiao Yu was quiet and didn’t like playing with other children. Over time, others stopped trying to play with him.

But when Hai Shu first arrived, she didn’t know Xiao Yu didn’t like playing with others. She thought his staff moves were great, and when he helped her find her way home after she got lost, she decided to form a one-sided friendship with him.

Xiao Yu had never rejected her.

The two of them arrived at the riverbank, where some children were swimming. Hai Shu had been taught not to go into the river, so she began lecturing Xiao Yu like a teacher. "Look at them, they’re doing it wrong. You can’t go in the river, understand? Otherwise, you could drown."

Xiao Yu, annoyed, said she was nagging and began rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a mask.

"Wow!" Hai Shu exclaimed.

The base of the mask was made of cardboard. Xiao Yu had shaped it to fit the contours of a face and then painted it with watercolor paints to resemble the Monkey King.

This was the task Hai Shu had given him a few days ago—he couldn’t just be good with the Golden Cudgel.

Hai Shu took the mask, looked at it from all angles, then held it up to his face. "Put it on quickly!"

"You’re so troublesome," Xiao Yu mumbled, but he obediently put the mask on.

Hai Shu woke from her dream, the dream and reality blending together for a moment, making her feel a sense of disorientation. During the Spring Festival, at the amusement park, she had also seen someone wearing a Monkey King mask.

At that moment, her phone rang, and Sui Xing’s urgent voice came through. "Captain Hai, Guang Yongguo is dead."