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"Please accept my sympathies."
"Please be consoled."
Jiang Yuan followed his father to the coffin, bowed in silence for a moment, then quickly walked out.
Jiang Fuzhen sighed as he walked, "With the father gone and the mother imprisoned, it's the child who suffers most. And your elder uncles and aunts, too—they're going to have a hard time."
Aunt Seventeen's case had not yet been pronounced, but it was foreseeable to everyone that, even if Aunt Seventeen was not sentenced to death, she would spend a considerable amount of time in prison. Their son, Jiang Le, was still in school and now became both the most heartbroken and the most hurt.
Although the people of Jiang Village were wealthy, there was a limited amount they could do about such a situation. Jiang Yuan also could not bear to see such scenes. Leaving the hall, he felt his emotions settle a bit only once he returned to the kitchen.
"Your Seventeenth Uncle's problem was that he was too frugal," reminisced Jiang Fuzhen. "Back when the village wasn't doing so well, he was the type who wouldn't even skim the scum when boiling meat. Later, he even opened a small restaurant, which was really unnecessary. He said the restaurant earned quite a bit, but that didn't take into account the rent and the labor of both him and his wife, not to mention the initial costs and interest. Later on, he used the money from the demolition compensation to partner up and open another restaurant, invested more, and lost who knows how much... It was understandable when your Seventeenth Aunt lost her temper with him."
"I thought Seventeenth Uncle looked quite plump," said Jiang Yuan.
"He fattened up on the leftovers from the restaurant," Jiang Fuzhen curled his lip in disdain. "Being frugal is one thing, but acting like that even when he had money, it's no wonder your Seventeenth Aunt blew up on him."
Jiang Yuan didn't have much of an impression or understanding of his Seventeenth Uncle, but given the skill in making fried rice he had acquired, it was very likely that what his dad said was true.
"Try this." His father fished out a piece of beef for Jiang Yuan and sprinkled a little more salt on it.
Adding salt to the meat while cooking can make the meat firmer, chewier, and less tender. Therefore, people who prefer a stronger taste and a firmer texture, such as many Mongolians, would add salt before cooking the beef or mutton. In contrast, those who like soft and tender meat should do the opposite.
The beef cooked by Jiang Fuzhen was tender without falling apart, easily tearable by hand yet chewy when eaten. Jiang Yuan nodded as he enjoyed it.
"Bring a plate over to the young people there." After Jiang Yuan had a couple of pieces, Jiang Fuzhen loaded a large plate with the slightly yellowed fat beef and handed it to Jiang Yuan.
The freshly cooked beef was slightly bouncing in the plate, like a heart muscle when touched.
Jiang Yuan took the beef directly to the square, where it was indeed welcomed by the youngsters who didn't fancy formal dining.
"It would be even better with kebabs," Cousin A bit into a piece of meat, her appetite somewhat sated, and began to make new requests.
"I'll get some," responded one of her male classmates eagerly.
"Wouldn't it be great if we had some crab?" Cousin B looked at another male classmate who had come with her.
"I'll go," he said, wiping his mouth and running off.
In a short time, the group of youngsters surrounding Jiang Yuan was faced with a pile of plates, eating and chatting casually as if picnicking, quite relaxed.
That was, until Jiang Yuan's phone rang.
Watching Jiang Yuan pull out his phone, Cousin A quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth and asked eagerly, "Brother Jiang Yuan, is there another body?"
Jiang Yuan could only smile then got up and walked aside to answer the call.
"Jiang Yuan, did you find the suspect for that intentional assault case?" Captain Huang Qiangmin's voice, penetrating and rapid, filled Jiang Yuan's ear.
"Um," Jiang Yuan replied, "The fingerprints matched, and I've submitted them to the system for expert review..."
"The expert has confirmed it," Huang Qiangmin interjected. "It's good as long as you did it. Yeah, good work..."
As Captain Huang spoke, his voice seemed to drift farther away.
Jiang Yuan continued with "Yes," waiting for further instructions, but all he heard from the headset was the sound of chaotic orders:
"Get the second squad up and head to Qingbai City directly, to the suspect's house. The third squad, go search the suspect's parents' house carefully. I'll send a letter now, make a call ... If the person isn't found, the two teams should head straight to the power station. Be discreet, build a good relationship with the local police, be sweet-talked, and report back at any time..."
In the midst of those orders, Captain Huang ended the call with Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan pocketed his phone, looked up at the darkened sky, and sighed for the detectives of the second and third squads. Heading out now, if they caught the person, they would go straight to the interrogation, case work, and preparation of various pieces of physical evidence; if they didn't catch the suspect, as per Captain Huang's orders, they would have to stake out at the suspect's workplace and other potential appearances before going back to the previous cycle...
"Brother Jiang Yuan, are you going to your office?" Cousin A's best friend offered him two skewers, hopeful in her gaze.
Jiang Yuan accepted the skewers, took a bite, swallowed, and then said, "No need to go, it's none of my business."
Whether the criminal investigation squad needed to be involved in pure field work like catching suspects depended solely on whether there was sufficient manpower and whether the member in question was young and robust as an ox. For now, it seemed Jiang Yuan wasn't needed as basic labor.
Of course, the fact that capturing the suspect came with scene investigation, filming, and other roles was both reasonable and advanced. Taking photos and videos on the spot, and even collecting physical evidence, was very beneficial to subsequent case proceedings. However, in actual practice, such extensive scene investigation was often taken on by the detectives themselves—if necessary, they could also collect fingerprints, gather evidence containing DNA samples, and so forth...
This very practical operation was like using mules as oxen and oxen as donkeys, where everyone was a big draft animal, envious of none.
Evening.
The detectives from the second and third squads of the Criminal Police Brigade of Qinghe City Ningtai County Bureau rushed anxiously to Qingbai City, 200 kilometers away, flattering the local police as they prepared to lay out their surveillance and other tasks.
Jiang Yuan and the relatives and friends attending Seventeenth Uncle's funeral earnestly ate their skewers and scrolled through TikTok.
Before dawn.
Liu Wenkai, with his adrenaline surging, closely watched the suspect returning home and initiated the arrest operation with a firm shout.
The night sky twinkled with stars, a gentle breeze blew, grass swayed by the roadside, and occasional sounds of clinking glasses and chatter came through.
Nightfall.
Liu Wenkai and the officers from the second and third squads hurried back to Ningtai through the night, their weariness from the jolting journey goes without saying.
Jiang Yuan turned onto his side, pursing his lips and frowning as if he had encountered an insoluble mystery in his dream.
All in all, it was a calm funeral.
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