The 80s Female Detective's Guide to Self-Preservation [Criminal Investigation] - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The suspect was caught. Although Xia Qiuyuan had knocked him unconscious, it didn’t stop Hou Ming from hoisting the man over his shoulder to carry him back.

Along the way, Xia Qiuyuan kept offering apologetic smiles. “Hehe, sorry for the trouble, Captain.”

“At least you know!” Hou Ming gritted his teeth, weighing the dead weight on his shoulder and feeling that today was simply cursed. He likely hadn’t checked the almanac before leaving the house.

Xia Qiuyuan fiddled with her handcuffs sheepishly. “It really wasn’t my fault. Who knew the handcuffs in the office were broken and wouldn’t open? If you don’t believe me, look—”

As she spoke, she flicked the handcuffs to demonstrate for Hou Ming.

Click.

With a crisp sound, the handcuffs popped open.

Xia Qiuyuan felt the low-pressure aura around her intensify, accompanied by a gaze from Hou Ming that was practically murderous. She silently clicked the cuffs shut again and said earnestly, “If I said I didn’t do that on purpose… would you believe me, Captain?”

“Heh.” Hou Ming wouldn’t believe her in a million years.

Hoping to escape this dangerous topic, Xia Qiuyuan quickly shifted the conversation back to the woman from the orchard. “Thanks to her help, I didn’t have to chase this grandson of a bitch into the middle of nowhere. Captain, do you know that girl?”

Hou Ming gave a muffled grunt. “Met her a few times. She’s the prized student of my neighbor, Professor Cui. I heard she came back from Hong Kong specifically to study the economics of fruit tree planting.”

“Impressive. She’s into real industry,” Xia Qiuyuan remarked. Hearing the village women call her a university student was one thing, but in this era, university students were rare gems.

“Yeah, real industry. Old Cui originally wanted to put her in his research group for medicinal herb cultivation to build some credentials and earn some ‘military merits’ before approving funding for her own project. Old Cui is collaborating with Lingnan University of Chinese Medicine on that. But she said Chinese medicine has its own specialists and she didn’t know anything about it. She insisted on studying fruit trees.”

“She hadn’t been back in Lingnan long before she headed to the countryside,” Hou Ming frowned. “Didn’t expect her to come to Xiatang.”

Xia Qiuyuan said, “Xiatang might get a bit chaotic after today. Captain, you should tell Professor Cui to send a few more people with her next time.”

“I know.”

“By the way, Captain, what was her name again?”

Hou Ming thought for a moment. “Qin Yu. ‘Qin’ as in Qin Shi Huang, ‘Yu’ as in Tulip (Yujinxiang).”

“Qin Yu?” Xia Qiuyuan froze in her tracks, her eyes widening. “Qin Yu?!”

“What’s with you and the theatrics? What did the name Qin Yu ever do to you? You know her?” Hou Ming asked irritably.

The sweat from the chase had soaked Xia Qiuyuan’s uniform, and as the spring breeze blew, the damp fabric clung to her back, sending a chill through her.

She didn’t just “know” her. In the history she knew, this person was the one who eventually discovered how “she” (the original Xia Qiuyuan) died. However, before the truth could be fully released, Qin Yu had died as well.

Xia Qiuyuan began to calculate. If my death in this body was due to an investigation, and Qin Yu’s death was caused by investigating my death… then if I just don’t associate with her, can I prevent her death?

She didn’t have any grand designs; she simply thought that if avoiding Qin Yu could change the woman’s fate, that would be for the best. After all, cases of retaliation against criminal police were a dime a dozen. Based on Xia Qiuyuan’s experience reading sci-fi novels, as long as Qin Yu crossed paths with her, she likely couldn’t escape the fate written in the diary.

As she pondered, she heard Hou Ming, who was still lugging the suspect up the slope, cursing under his breath. “This guy is heavy as hell, the road is garbage, and I only make seventy yuan a month. Why am I doing all the god-forsaken dirty work!”

Xia Qiuyuan rubbed her nose, too embarrassed to speak. She really didn’t mean it! Those handcuffs were truly “broken” a second ago!

As for Qin Yu, she was soon pushed to the back of Xia Qiuyuan’s mind. A more pressing matter was at hand: Whose intestines were those? Who is the killer? What is the logical chain?

And… Where is the food?

Wisps of smoke were rising from the village chimneys, and the aroma of cooking filled the air, making Xia Qiuyuan’s mouth water.

Back at the scene, evidence had been gathered. Because the scene had been heavily contaminated, Liang Guangqi was being scolded mercilessly by the forensic doctor, Wei Min.

“Why even call the forensics for a scene like this? Just go ask the killer to come back and explain it.”

“Heh. Just guts, blood, and pigs. Why don’t you stuff your own brains into the pig’s head? Was that lecture we invited the provincial expert for just a total waste of time?”

“Next time you give me a scene like this, I’ll dissect you and hang you as a specimen at the front door of the station!”

On the way back, Liang Guangqi mimicked Wei Min’s fury for the others, then looked piteously at Hou Ming. “I told Sister Min it was already like that when we got there, but she just sneered at me. I feel so wronged! A man of my stature!”

Hou Ming had an unlit cigarette in his mouth and gave a low grunt. “Yes, yes, a man of your stature. You ate four bags of red bean buns from the cafeteria today; your mouth certainly hasn’t been wronged.”

Xia Sui and Xia Qiuyuan couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“Anyway, I’m not going near the forensic lab for a while,” Liang Guangqi scratched his cheek. “I need to lie low for a month, otherwise she’ll treat me like dirt.” He looked at Xia Sui, who pretended not to see him. He then looked at Hou Ming, who smacked his lips.

“Don’t look at me. I have to cook dinner for your Sister Min when I get home. We see each other every day. I get scolded like a dog and still have to crawl back with a smile. Your situation is nothing compared to mine.”

Liang Guangqi: “…” Right. No wonder there are only three people in the forensics lab; no one in Team One dares to offend them. Their own Captain is at the bottom of the household food chain.

Feeling Liang Guangqi’s gaze turn toward her, Xia Qiuyuan quickly pressed her face against the van window, turning her neck ninety degrees. Can’t see me, can’t see me.

The gloom lasted until they returned to the station. In the interrogation room, the suspect had woken up. Outside, the team was holding tin lunch boxes, eating the cafeteria meal. Today’s menu was Preserved Vegetable with Braised Pork (Meicai Kourou), Scrambled Eggs with Green Peppers, and Poached Greens. The soy sauce soaked into the rice below; one stir with chopsticks, and the fragrance was intoxicating.

Not to mention the leftover red bean buns from the morning—Team One had claimed the last few bags. Helping with the food were the “old foxes” of the office: Qin Yi and Zhuo Yuanqing.

Xia Qiuyuan actually had a mentor, an old criminal investigator with more seniority than Hou Ming, but he had been sent to the province for training. He was a proud man who often clashed with the previous director, which was why he hadn’t been promoted. However, Hou Ming and the juniors respected him because he was genuinely talented.

As she ate, Xia Qiuyuan searched her memory for clues. She realized she had only exchanged a few words with this “mentor” and hadn’t spent much time with him. She felt relieved. If the “shell” of her body had changed, she was afraid a mentor might notice. She wasn’t afraid of him thinking of ghosts or gods—she was afraid he’d think she was a spy. In the eighties, that was a grave accusation.

Xia Sui slapped Liang Guangqi’s hand away from a paper bag and glared. “Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you do. You’ve already had a bag of buns. These last ones are for Xiao Qiu.”

Liang Guangqi pushed up his glasses. “Xiao Qiu isn’t eating them. Look at her; she’s been sighing ever since we got back. Her mind isn’t on the food.”

“If you ask me, if you aren’t enthusiastic about eating, there’s something wrong with your head.”

Xia Qiuyuan caught only that last sentence and immediately snatched up all the remaining buns. “You’re right, Brother Qi. You’re absolutely right. That’s why I’m going to eat all of these.”

Liang Guangqi watched longingly.

Farewell, my red bean buns.