Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Six
The old man with the red armband looked at the vegetables for a while, and the fish and shrimp for a while, but he didn't have a basket in his hand.It seems that he must be the old film policeman Fan Dezong.
In fact, Chen Chao had just seen a similar scene not long ago. Yu Guangming's father, Lao Yutou, often inspected another market.It's just that Van der Zong has different responsibilities.In this era where everyone looks at money, small businesses and hawkers can be seen everywhere, but some hawkers will be short of money and short for money.Now their methods of deceiving people are not limited to water-filled meat and the like, but have turned to more "smart" methods such as dyes and waste oil.These behaviors will endanger the health of consumers. It is Lao Fan's duty to supervise and stop these unconscionable behaviors.
Right now he was checking out a prawn vendor's stall.Chen Chao stepped forward and asked politely:
"Are you Uncle Fan?"
"Yes, you are?"
"Can I talk to you alone?" Super Chen took out his business card and handed it over, "There is something very important."
"Okay." Fan der Zong turned to the peddler and said, "You, don't make an example!"
"Let's go over there and drink a pot of tea." Super Chen pointed to the snack bar next to the yellow croaker fish stall. "Let's sit down and chat."
"That shop doesn't sell tea. But I can ask them to help make a pot." Fan Dezong said, "Call me Comrade Fan, I like this title. Every time people call me that, it reminds me of the old The passionate years of building socialism with one heart and one mind."
"Okay, Comrade Fan." Chen Chao thought to himself that the word "comrade" has become synonymous with homosexuality among young people in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maybe the old man in front of him doesn't know that this word has such a meaning now.Language always evolves with the evolution of people's consciousness.
There is a pair of couplets pasted at the entrance of the snack bar.The upper line is "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the meals are like this", the second line is "Last year, this year, next year, the same year after year", and the horizontal line is "Eating is the truth".
Chen Chao calculated that the money left in his pocket should be enough to buy Lao Fan a breakfast here.The waiter brought a pot of tea, and by the way, recommended to them the special breakfast in the store-mutton steamed buns.
"Old Comrade Fan, I offer you a toast with tea instead of wine." Chao Chen picked up the teacup.
"As the saying goes, if you have nothing to do, go to the Three Treasures Hall. I know Captain Chen, you are also very busy. The old man who came to see me today must not be to treat me to a mutton steamed bun."
"Yes, I would like to ask you a few things. I heard from comrades in the neighborhood committee that only you can help me."
"Really, then tell me."
"We're investigating a murder case recently. Teacher Mei used to live near here, right? I want to ask about her. She was the daughter-in-law of the Ming family at the time, and you were a policeman nearby."
"Ms. Mei? Oh, yes. But she has passed away long ago. What can she have to do with the case you are investigating?"
"At the moment, I can only say that her information may be helpful to our investigation."
"Oh. I was transferred to this community as a police officer two or three years before the 'Cultural Revolution' broke out. How old were you at that time, and you were still in elementary school, right?"
"That's right." Super Chen nodded.
"Pian police may not be a big deal nowadays," Lao Fan broke the steamed bun into the soup bowl, "but in that era of class struggle, the responsibilities of the film police are not light. Anyone may be a class enemy who is trying to sabotage the construction of socialism , especially in this kind of place. Many nearby households have 'problems' of origin. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many such families were expelled from their homes because of their historical connections with the Kuomintang, and were replaced by some worker families. However, some families have ties to both the new regime and the old regime, so they kept their property. The Ming family is like this."
"What's the situation in the Ming family?"
"The old man of the Ming family once publicly issued a statement condemning Chiang Kai-shek's rule in the late 1940s, so he was classified as a 'patriotic democrat' after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and his family property was not confiscated. His son was a teacher at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and married Teacher Mei, who teaches violin at the college, is his wife. The couple gave birth to a son, who seems to be called Xiaozhen or something. The family lives in that big house, and their life is very good. The poor neighbors around are very fond of the Ming family. There is an opinion, as a film policeman, I have to pay special attention to the Ming family. Then the "Cultural Revolution" broke out, and everything changed dramatically. The old man of the Ming family had a heart attack and died, so he was not criticized. Teacher Mei's three members did not die. So lucky. Her husband was quarantined as a British spy because he secretly listened to the English broadcast. Their house was also taken by others. Mrs. Mei, who was orphaned and widowed, had to live in the attic where the servants used to live. "
"Is there no one to talk to Teacher Mei's mother and son? Are they all watching?" Super Chen asked.But he soon realized that his question was ridiculous. After the 'Cultural Revolution' broke out, their family was also driven out of their three-bedroom apartment by the rebels.
"Have you forgotten Chairman Mao's words? 'Marxism has many principles, and in the final analysis, it is just one sentence, rebellion is justified.' In the eyes of those rebels, revolution is to steal things from the rich."
"Yes. I remember. The Red Guards also ransacked my house back then. Sorry to interrupt you, please continue."
"In the third year of the 'Cultural Revolution', a series of counter-revolutionary slogans were somehow written on the wall of the Ming Mansion. In fact, the 'slogan' was composed of two words, one word was 'Down with' and the other word was 'Chairman Mao '. It is likely that two different children wrote it at different times. Because it was written on the wall of the Ming Dynasty, the object of people's suspicion easily fell on the person who lived in that mansion. Because at that time The concept of class struggle, the focus of suspicion finally fell on Mrs. Mei’s mother and son, especially her son. No one can prove that he did it, but no one can prove that he did it. Therefore, the Mao Zedong Thought of the neighborhood committee and the Conservatory of Music The propaganda team organized a joint investigation team and locked the little boy in a small dark room alone in the name of quarantine inspection. At that time, this was considered the best way to deal with class enemies. In fact, Teacher Mei’s husband was quarantined and inspected at the beginning A week later, she hanged herself. Teacher Mei was very afraid that her son would follow in the footsteps of her husband and beg for help everywhere. She even came to me to beg, but I couldn’t do anything. At that time, the police stations were basically controlled by the rebels, and I was alone. What can the small police do? Guess what, her son was released suddenly one afternoon, and it is said that there was no evidence that he wrote those counter-revolutionary slogans. Also, he developed a high fever during the quarantine inspection. The guard on duty did not want to take responsibility. So he went home. It is said that he turned and ran as if he had seen a ghost as soon as he opened the door, and then Teacher Mei chased him out naked, and rolled down the stairs. He fell to his death. The child didn’t know if he heard his mother fall down the stairs, but he just kept running like crazy without looking back. He kept running back to the small dark room where he was locked up.” After saying so much in one breath, Lao Fan stopped and took a sip of tea.
"It's so strange," Chen Chao said, "Have you asked the residents inside and outside the Ming Mansion about what happened that afternoon?"
"Of course I asked. I asked several people to find out about the situation," Lao Fan said, "especially Lao Zhang who lived in the next house. He happened to be sleeping at home after the night shift that afternoon. He ran out after hearing a scream. I saw Teacher Mei naked, calling his son's name while running. Lao Zhang didn't see Teacher Mei's son, so he thought she was frightened by a nightmare. He wanted to stop Teacher Mei to ask what happened, but in his heart He was also afraid. Because if his newly married tigress wife saw him with a naked woman, he would definitely have nothing to eat. So Lao Zhang finally didn’t dare to go out. It was not until several hours later that people discovered that Teacher Mei had passed away. He fell to his death. Her son was sick for a week and had a high fever. Later, some kind neighbors sent him to the hospital. The child did not know that his mother had died until he was discharged from the hospital. He was still very young at that time, and it was difficult He understood everything that happened before him. But he didn't ask anything, probably because he knew it would be useless to ask."
"Did the neighborhood committee and the police station investigate Mei's death?" Chao Chen interjected.
"No. At that time, no one cared about the death of a woman from a bad background like Teacher Mei. The conclusion of the neighborhood committee was accidental death. I tried to communicate with Teacher Mei's son, but he refused to say anything."
Having said that, Lao Fan sighed, threw the last piece of bun into the bowl, and rubbed his hands.
Lao Fan's description allowed Chen Chao to have a more detailed understanding of the process of Teacher Mei's death, but there were not many valuable new clues in it.
Chen Chao felt that Lao Fan's words were reserved.An old policeman like him knows what to say and what not to say.Juniors like Chen Chao have nothing to do with them.
Did Lao Fan also have a crush on Teacher Mei back then?Chen Chao didn't immediately draw a conclusion.He quickly broke the buns, and the waiter brought the bowls for the two of them to the back kitchen.An old woman walked past them, the rosary in her hand rustling.
"I heard that Teacher Mei was a beautiful woman back then," Chao Chen said, "Is anyone chasing her? Or does she have a lover?"
"That's an interesting question," Lao Fan replied. "In those days, how could a woman from such a bad background like her have a secret lover. Sometimes even husband and wife would divorce because of political factors. How can I say the old saying? ?'Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest, they fly separately when disaster strikes.'”
"Yes. Comrade Fan, can you tell me about Teacher Mei's son?"
"Then he moved away and went to relatives. I heard he went to university after the 'Cultural Revolution' and got a good job. That's all I know."
Chen Chao did not mention that Teacher Mei's son might be suspected of committing the crime.At present, there is no conclusive evidence to prove this point, at least after consulting some archives, we can draw conclusions.
"It's such a tragedy," said Super Chen, "Sometimes it's hard to imagine what happened back then."
"It's a matter of the world, don't care about the past or the present, and don't care about right or wrong, just chat at the wine table," Lao Fan said with a smile, "Without wine, tea is fine."
Like a bridge in a classic story.
At this moment, Chao Chen's cell phone rang.It was Yu Guangming who called.
"What's the matter, boss? Did you call me last night?" asked the other end of the phone.
"Yes, but it was too late yesterday. I was planning to call you in the morning."
"What's the matter? Boss, where did you go? I've been looking for you everywhere these days, where are you..."
"I know, I'll tell you later. I'm with old Comrade Fan. Before he retired, he was a policeman on Hengshan Road. I'm looking for his help."
"The police near Hengshan Road?"
"That's right. What are you doing now? Don't do it. Go to the No. 1 Steel Plant to investigate Laotian. The more detailed the investigation, the better. Especially what he did when he was the captain of the Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team during the 'Cultural Revolution' period. Call me if you find something..."
"Wait a minute, boss. Secretary Li said that an emergency meeting will be held this morning. Today is Thursday."
"Leave him alone, if he wants to ask you, just say that I gave you an order."
"Okay, is there anything else?" Yu Guangming asked.afternoon.book club.
"Oh, that's right. Let Uncle Yu call me back. I have something urgent to talk to your old man. As you said just now, today is Thursday."
At this time, the waiter brought a plate of peeled garlic cloves.This is a kind of condiment when eating mutton steamed buns.
As soon as Chao Chen hung up the phone, Lao Fan asked, "Uncle Yu? Are you talking about Mr. Yu?"
"Yes, his son Yu Guangming is my old partner. Old comrades like you and Uncle Yu have a much wider network than us juniors. His old man is doing a great job in the transportation association now."
"I remembered. You were the head of the traffic police team at the time. You introduced him to work as a traffic assistant. Boss Yu mentioned it to me." Lao Fan put down his chopsticks as he said, "You seem to have mentioned Who has gone to the No. 1 Steel Plant?"
"Well, Lao Tian from the No. 1 Steel Plant," Chen Chao said, "I will tell you about my current investigation. Teacher Mei died many years ago, but the whole truth of her death has no impact on today's A big case has far-reaching consequences. And this case involves many people who are still alive, including Lao Tian."
"But what else can you do about the 'Cultural Revolution' period? Who wants to talk about that now."
"Confucius said 'Do it when you know what you can't do'."
"You don't see many young police officers quoting Confucius like you, you mean..."
Before Lao Fan finished speaking, Super Chen's cell phone rang again.This time it was the old man.
"What's the matter, Xiao Chen?"
"Uncle Yu, I want to ask you one thing," said Super Chen, "It's going to be the same as last time. Please come and help me. I don't want you to be troubled, but I just feel that those people in the bureau are really serious." unreliable."
"Is there a new case?"
"I will explain this case to you in detail later. I will take responsibility for anything that happens."
"It's all right. Xiao Chen, you don't need to explain anything. I understand very well that as long as it is something you explain, it will definitely not violate my conscience as an old policeman. Come on, what do you want me to do this time?"
"You help me prepare a traffic ticket and get a tow truck. Also, you'd better stay in the office today so I can come to you anytime. Oh, by the way, I'm talking to an old acquaintance of yours Comrade Lao Fan is chatting, do you want to talk to him?"
"Hey, Old Yu!" Lao Fan took the phone, "Yeah, I'm chatting with him right now. Have you ever worked with him?"
For several minutes, Lao Fan listened carefully, occasionally nodding his head and saying "Yes".The volume of his mobile phone has been turned up to the maximum, and others can almost hear the voice of Boss Old Yu on the phone, probably telling Lao Fan his personal views on Super Chen.Probably all positive reviews.Lao Fan just kept listening carefully, occasionally uttering a word or two.
Finally, he finally said a complete sentence: "Of course, I will. Old Yu, I owe you a big favor in this life."
The waiter brought back two steaming bowls of steamed mutton buns.The golden steamed bun is soaked in the fragrant mutton soup, which contrasts with the green onion leaves.This delicacy beats the chill of the morning away.
"Boss Lao Yu has been working as a policeman all his life," Lao Fan picked up his chopsticks, "He has been fighting for thirty years, but he is still at the grassroots level. You should know Boss Yu very well, he is a good policeman. Ability and heart are also good. Such a great talent is buried. Hey. Although I am not as good as him, I am also very principled."
"Confucius also said that 'a gentleman should do something and not do something'." Chao Chen said.
"Boss Old Yu told me just now that your father is a Confucian scholar." Lao Fan put a piece of steamed bun into his mouth, "Many years ago, Boss Old Yu and I worked together on a murder case. That time I I got into a lot of trouble because I insisted on principles. In the end, he helped me. Although I said that I did not regret my choice at the time, I was transferred from my job and became a police officer. This is a huge blow to a young police officer. , if old boss Yu didn't help me, I might have been punished to death long ago. So, after learning about your character and style from him just now, I don't think there is anything to worry about."
"Thank you for telling me this. But what are you worried about?"
"Ms. Mei's death has some doubts. I didn't go into details just now because—" At this point, Lao Fan cleared his throat, "Because my poor old man's memory may not be reliable, after all, it was decades before."
Saying that I have a bad memory is probably to save face.Chen Chao thought to himself, it seems that mentioning the boss Yu really worked.
Lao Fan continued: "Besides, I don't know what you want to investigate. I don't want to casually bring up those past events."
"I understand." Chao Chen recalled that Professor Xiang said the same thing at that time.
"Did I just mention a man named Lao Zhang?"
"Yes, you said that old Zhang was afraid of his wife, so he didn't dare to go out to save Teacher Mei."
"Before he closed the door, he saw someone sneaking out of Teacher Mei's room. He suspected that the person was Lao Tian, but he couldn't be sure."
"Old Tian? Is that the head of the Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team?"
"That's right, it's the old Tian you asked your colleagues to investigate." Lao Fan nodded.
"Did anyone ask Lao Tian about that afternoon?"
"According to Lao Tian, he was planning to talk to Teacher Mei at that time, but the woman's mental state was very bad, so he left. But this argument is not tenable at all. Lao Zhang said that he saw Lao Tian leaving. After Teacher Mei fell to his death, not before that. However, in those days, who would dare to interrogate a person of his status? In short, the conclusion is that Teacher Mei died in an accident, and no one should be held responsible."
"Didn't the police station find any clues?"
"I was about the same age as you are now," Lao Fan took a sip of soup, "I rushed to the scene soon after receiving the report, took some photos, and asked nearby residents including Lao Zhang Some situations. According to another resident’s description, two or three days before the incident, he heard strange noises in Teacher Mei’s room, but he didn’t want to meddle in his own business, so he didn’t report it to the neighborhood committee and the police station. I think this It's a very important clue. That Lao Tian couldn't have entered and left Mr. Mei's house for no reason; besides, if Mrs. Mei wanted to ask for help, he would definitely go to Lao Tian. The poor woman was already desperate, and the only way to save herself was to ask Lao Tian. son."
"You are right. Moreover, as a member of the No. 1 Steel Plant, Lao Tian appeared in the propaganda team of the No. 3 Steel Plant in the Conservatory of Music. This is not normal in itself, not to mention that he later participated in the joint investigation team " said Chen Chao.
"Teacher Mei's son was released very suddenly. I also discussed this issue with a comrade from the neighborhood committee. I heard that Lao Tian personally issued the release order. He did not set a specific release time, because at that time the child sent High fever, so he was released that afternoon."
"That's enough to explain the boy's behavior at his own door—he must have seen something he shouldn't have seen."
"That's right. That scene was very unacceptable to him, so he turned around and ran, so his mother chased him out. It's just that Teacher Mei forgot that he was naked, slipped down the stairs and fell to his death."
"That child loves his mother very much, that's why he ran away without looking back," Chao Chen said, "Indeed, this can all be explained."
"But the problem is that the Public Security Bureau and the police station were useless at the time, and the real power was held by the Red Guards and rebels. I told the leader about this, but he ignored it at all."
"Old Comrade Fan, I have a question. Are those photos still there? I mean the ones you took at the scene."
"It's still there. It's all in my house. But I have to spend some time looking for it."
"If only I could see those pictures today."
"Wait for me for a while, I'll go back and look for it." After saying that, Lao Fan left the snack bar.
Chen Chao sat alone at the dining table and called the waiter to pay the bill.As expected, the money left in his pocket is more than enough for this meal of mutton steamed buns.Two bowls add up to only a dozen dollars.If he came to eat once a day, then the consumption at the nightclub last night was enough for him to eat at this snack bar for two or three months.
The rich ladies in the village can eat a casual meal in the Grand View Garden, and the cost is enough for a farmer's rations for a whole year.These gaps still exist today.
After paying the bill and walking out of the snack bar, Super Chen looked up at the couplet at the door again.The horizontal batch of "eating is the truth" is both humorous and thought-provoking.
"Actually, the mouth is not only used for eating." The owner seemed to see what he was thinking, and said with a smile, "the two major functions of the mouth are eating and talking. As a human being, there are good and bad meals every day. There are truths and falsehoods in what you say.”
"Well. Your words remind me of a pair in the movie..."
"I know what you're talking about, it seems to be from some illusory realm?"
"When the fake is real, the real is also fake, and there is nothing to do if there is something to do." Chen Chao said.
"That's right, that's right. You are really knowledgeable, you must be a barrister or something?" The shopkeeper saw the wallet in Chao Chen's hand.
This wallet is Italian, a gift from Mr. Gu.It's ironic, at the nightclub yesterday, Biyu must have seen this wallet before thinking he looked like a lawyer.
"There are a lot of puns in many places," said the shopkeeper, "even the names of people there are like this. Take Jia Baoyu for example, Jia Baoyu, fake Baoyu, is not a fake gem. There is Zhen Shiyin, Zhen, isn’t it true..."
Hearing this, Chen Chao was suddenly startled.
He hurried back to the store and sat down, opened his wallet, and took out some documents.Before he went to the resort, he had collected some materials about the real estate case in the West Ninth District, and put them together with the case about the red cheongsam.A few days ago, he rushed back to Shanghai in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to take a closer look.
He took out a piece of material about lawyer Jia Ming and read it carefully.
The material is very brief, mainly focusing on Jia Ming's actions against the government.There is very little actual evidence provided in it. It only mentioned that Jia Ming had an unfortunate childhood and his parents died during the "Cultural Revolution", and his parents' names were not even mentioned.
But these were enough for Zhong Baoguo to believe that he took over the West Ninth District case for revenge.
Chen Chao turned his attention to Jia Ming's personal life in recent years, and the content was still very brief. Although the cases he took over were very controversial, it may be the reason why he has always kept a low profile.According to the material, his grandfather left Jia Ming with millions of dollars worth of American stocks, making him one of the famous diamond kings in this city.Therefore, his marriage and love affairs have attracted much attention.Some even questioned his sexuality.He actually had a girlfriend, a model, but they had broken up.The model's surname is Xia, fifteen years younger than Jia Ming.
Seeing this, Chen Chao took out his mobile phone and called Bai Yun.
"Baiyun, do you know a female model named Xia?"
"Xia, are you talking about Xia Tian? I don't know her, but she is quite famous in Fengyuechang. She has stopped being a model for a long time. It is said that she has shares in the Golden Age Bathing Center. She should be counted in this industry It’s doing well here, so I’ve heard of it.”
"Bath center?"
"Are you really ignorant or are you pretending to be ignorant? The little things in the bath center and massage room...but this summer should only be involved in the operation."
Chen Chao remembered where he seemed to have heard the name "Xiamen".By the way, at the beauty pageant organized by the New World Group.In that competition, Chen Chao was invited by Mr. Gu to join the jury because he had published a collection of poems.At the time this summer was also a member of the jury.The two didn't speak a few words during the competition review process, and they didn't even know each other before that.
"Thank you, Baiyun. I'll call you later." Super Chen hung up the phone.He saw Lao Fan running back panting with an envelope.
"Old Fan, can you tell me the name of Teacher Mei's son again?"
"What? Oh, it should be Xiaozhen. His name may be Mingzhen, or Ming Xiaozhen. It seems that Teacher Mei sometimes calls him Xiaojia, but I can't remember exactly. You know, parents call themselves When I was a child, I usually added the word 'small' in front of the name."
"Yes, my mother often calls me Xiaochao."
"What do you want to say?" Lao Fan was a little puzzled.
"Our Chinese names usually have some special meanings. For example, 'Mingzhen' is reversed to 'real name'. If someone is called Jia Ming, maybe he means that his name is fake."
"Captain Chen, what exactly do you want to say?"
"Will that little boy named Mingzhen or Mingjia change his name to 'Jia Ming'?"
"We Chinese rarely change our surname when we change our name. But if you say that Mr. Mei's son did this, I really believe it. For him, everything in the past is a painful memory. Maybe he changed his face to forget the past, Maybe it will be changed to a name that no one else can recognize. But who is that Jia Ming you mentioned just now?"
"I'm just guessing at this stage." Super Chen decided to change the subject, "Oh, you brought the photo."
Lao Fan took out a stack of photos from an envelope and handed them over.This is a stack of black and white photos, shooting the scene of Teacher Mei's death from different angles.But some photos are clearly out of focus and don't look very sharp.But everything in the photo is still shocking.A pale female corpse lay naked on the dirty concrete floor.Chen Chao couldn't help but think of the photo of Teacher Mei wearing a cheongsam with his son...
Just like writing poetry, once the two images are combined into one, it often brings a new revelation to people.Although he has not fully comprehended this revelation for the time being, Chen Chao is sure that he is going in the right direction.
"Comrade Fan, I really don't know how to thank you."
"I took these photos as a policeman," Lao Fan's tone suddenly became serious, "but I soon realized that no one would intervene in the investigation. Who would want to spend time to investigate such a background? How did the woman die? Besides, I don’t want her nude photos to be publicized. You can definitely understand my painstaking efforts.”
"You are an old comrade with principles," Chen Chao said, "It is my honor to meet you today."
"After the 'Cultural Revolution', I also thought about re-investigating that matter. But there is no physical evidence, and no witnesses, so what can I do? Although it is said that Mr. Mei's death cannot escape the responsibility of Mr. Mei, technically speaking It's not murder at all."
"You're right." Super Chen responded.But he couldn't figure it out, why did Lao Fan say these things?
"You said that Teacher Mei's son might have changed his name. I think you might be right. He wants to forget everything about the past, which is why he sold the old house in the Ming Mansion and never came back." Old Fan paused, Then he said, "I didn't help Teacher Mei at that time, if the things I told you were not good for her son..."
"Everything at the moment is just speculation. The situation you told me will not be used against Teacher Mei's son," Chao Chen said, "That is not a crime, but what happened to him at that specific age."
"Thank you, Captain Chen."
"Old Comrade Fan, I have a request. Can I borrow these photos? I promise not to show them to anyone who has nothing to do with them. I'll return them to you as soon as I'm done."
"Just take it."
"Thank you, you really helped me a lot."
"No, you don't have to thank me," Lao Fan said, "This is what I should do. The one who should really say thank you is me."
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