Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Old Cases

Du Cheng was wearing a blue and white hospital gown, sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, watching the leader and colleagues standing silently around the bed with solemn expressions, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What the hell are you doing?" Du Cheng lifted his foot off the bed, "Don't stand still, just sit down." "Don't move, don't move." Chief Duan Hongqing hurriedly pressed his shoulder, "Lie down and rest." "Take a break." Du Cheng was annoyed and funny, "Have those two drug dealers been put down?"

"It's all down, it's all down." Duan Hongqing almost pushed Du Cheng down on the bed, "You can rest at ease, and don't worry about medical expenses. If you have any requests, just ask the bureau." Du Cheng was still struggling, but he didn't move when he heard the last sentence. He blinked and asked, "Can you really mention it?" "Yes! No problem!" Duan Hongqing waved his hand, "I'm in charge." "Then give me a cigarette first." Du Cheng got up and stretched out two fingers. Duan Hongqing was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed and cursed: "Fuck you!" He turned around and pointed casually.

"You, go out and watch!" Gao Liang responded, and walked away, just took two steps, then turned back, took out half a bag of Zhongnanhai from his pocket, and threw it beside Du Cheng. "I'll notify you if a doctor comes over." Gao Liang pointed to the pack of cigarettes, as if he didn't know what to say to Du Cheng, "Old Du...you... smoke two more." "Okay." Du Cheng agreed with his mouth, and he couldn't wait to pull out one in his hand and put it in his mouth. Zhang Zhenliang rushed over to help Du Cheng light the cigarette. "Damn, I'm suffocating." Du Cheng took a long breath beautifully, "Thank you, Team Zhang."

"Master, you can call me Zhenliang." Zhang Zhenliang's voice was already crying, "It's all my fault, I should have brought you to see a doctor earlier." "Where did you go?" Du Cheng waved his hand nonchalantly, "What does it have to do with you? At this age, it's normal for you to have some physical problems." "No, Master..." Zhang Zhenliang's lips trembled, "I didn't take good care of you... I even asked you to climb up and down the 15th floor." "Okay, okay, you control your emotions." Duan Hongqing glared at Zhang Zhenliang, "Your master is alive and well - beat me."

He saw Du Cheng finished smoking a cigarette in two gulps, threw the cigarette butt into a mineral water bottle, reached for Zhongnanhai, and hurriedly took out a pack of Su cigarettes from his pocket. Du Cheng was not polite, took out one and lit it, and waved to his colleagues: "Don't stand still, find a place to sit." The colleagues readily agreed, and sat down on the other two beds in the ward.Duan Hongqing pulled a plastic stool and sat beside Du Cheng's bed.Zhang Zhenliang didn't sit down, leaned against the head of the bed, and looked at Du Cheng eagerly. Someone took out a cigarette to smoke, and soon the ward was filled with smoke, and someone got up and opened the window.

Duan Hongqing pondered for a while, then asked in a low voice: "Old Du, what are your plans?" Du Cheng finished smoking another cigarette, smacked his lips contentedly, put his hands on his knees and tapped lightly: "Discharged, go home." "No, master." Zhang Zhenliang was the first to object, "Let's treat the disease well, if it doesn't work here, go to Beijing, go to Shanghai...don't worry about the medical expenses, I'm here." "Haha, I am so grateful, Zhenliang." Du Cheng patted him, "The doctor made it very clear - I have diabetes, and this time the problem lies in the liver. If you treat the liver, the kidney will die; if you treat the kidney, the liver will die ——Both sides are not pleasing."

"No!" Duan Hongqing shook his head, "You stay in the hospital honestly and prepare for the operation, and the expenses will be paid by the Bureau." "Pull it down, it's meaningless." Du Cheng gesticulated on himself, "At this age, he still needs to be stabbed, and he has undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A good person is also useless. Besides, it's a waste of money." "Then just stick to it?" Duan Hongqing narrowed his eyes, "Don't fucking argue, listen to me." "The problem is that I'm fine." Du Cheng spread his hands, "Didn't I still be able to run and jump a few days ago? I've been a criminal policeman all my life, and you made me stay in the hospital. I can't stay!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Duan Hongqing waved his hand, "Let me rest for a few days before we talk." Du Cheng still wanted to argue, so Gao Liang barged in. "The doctor is here to make rounds." The police acted quickly, opening windows and throwing cigarette butts. In less than half a minute, the doctor walked into the ward.As soon as he entered the door, he sniffed and frowned. "Why are there so many people?" He glanced dissatisfiedly at the policemen in the ward, "Still smoking, Du Cheng, are you dying?" "I just smoked one." Du Cheng chuckled and winked at Zhang Zhenliang.

Zhang Zhenliang understood, got up and hid the mineral water bottle with cigarette butts behind him. "Get out, get out." The doctor waved his hands impatiently. Duan Hongqing stood up and smiled at the doctor: "Doctor, please take care." After that, he turned to face Du Cheng: "You have a good rest - if you dare to run away, I will put you in confinement." Du Cheng rolled up his sleeves and was about to ask the nurse to measure his blood pressure: "What's the difference between being in the hospital and confinement?" Duan Hongqing didn't speak, but stretched out his hand to give Du Cheng a warning.

"All right, all right." Du Cheng said helplessly, "I'm obedient, is it done?" Duan Hongqing's face softened slightly, and he turned around to signal everyone to go out.The policemen bid farewell to Du Cheng.Zhang Zhenliang came over again and said, "Master, I will come to see you again tomorrow." "Don't come here." Du Cheng waved his hand, "Let's finish the case first, get out." Zhang Zhenliang patted him on the shoulder and followed Duan Hongqing out of the ward. Du Cheng lay back on the hospital bed, honestly at the mercy of the doctor.

After measuring blood pressure and body temperature, start infusion.The doctor ordered a few more words, and Du Cheng listened absent-mindedly, agreeing from time to time. After the doctors and nurses left, Du Cheng was the only one left in the huge ward.He retracted into the quilt, staring intently at the gurgling liquid medicine in the infusion tube. After lying down for a long time, he felt something hard under his right shoulder. He took it out and saw that it was the half bag of Zhongnanhai.Du Cheng raised his body and glanced at the door, then took out a cigarette and lit it. Smoke curled up.Du Cheng half-closed his eyes, watching the light blue smoke swirl and dissipate before his eyes. dying. The news was abrupt, but it didn't frighten him. I have been in the police force for more than 30 years, and I have not faced life and death once or twice. In 1988, when dealing with domestic violence, the abusive husband suddenly ignited gasoline. In 1997, he encircled and suppressed the city's largest underworld organization, and was shot by five consecutive shotguns. In 2002, a robber was arrested and fell off the viaduct in the arms of the suspect. In 2007, he rescued hostages in a commercial bank and faced kidnappers wrapped in explosive bags. ... This time there is no escape. The corners of Du Cheng's mouth rose slightly.Death is not terrible.He died twenty-three years ago. For him, it was a long-awaited journey home. Entering the classroom, Wei Jiong chose an inconspicuous place to sit down, and secretly took out a cup of soy milk that was still warm and drank it.Just after eight o'clock, a pudgy female teacher with short hair around her ears stepped onto the podium.With a straw in his mouth, Wei Jiong took out the land law textbook from his backpack. The moment he saw the cover, he suddenly thought of something. He looked around in the classroom, but he really didn't find Yue Xiaohui. Really skipping class.Wei Jiong secretly laughed.Professor Wang, who teaches land law, is dubbed "grandmother of the land" by the students. He is one of the "famous arresters" of the law school. Not only is he ruthless when failing students, but he also has to roll his name in every class. Students who are absent three times are immediately cancelled. Qualified for the exam. Sure enough, "Land Grandma" took a sip of tea, slowly took out the teaching manual, and began to roll the roll. Responses echoed in the classroom one after another, and Wei Jiong became nervous for no reason.Yue Xiaohui once said that she asked her roommate to help with a cover, but she didn't know how to use this "cover". Soon, "Grandma Land" called Yue Xiaohui's name, and a muffled "arrive" sounded from the back row. Wei Jiong was very surprised and followed the prestige.A long-haired girl hid her face behind an open textbook and just put down her hand covering her mouth. "Grandma Land" raised her head, seemingly hesitant: "Yue Xiaohui, stand up." The long-haired girl didn't dare to answer any more, and bowed her head in silence.There was a small roar of laughter in the classroom. "Grandma from the land" put on a straight face: "Who answered for Yue Xiaohui just now?" The long-haired girl looked innocently and looked around with her classmates.Wei Jiong tried his best not to look at her, thinking what kind of cover is this, it sucks. Seeing that no one came forward to surrender, "Grandma from the Land" didn't intend to investigate further, so she took out a pen and put a cross next to Yue Xiaohui's name. "Yue Xiaohui, skipped class once." "Grandma Land" stared from above the glasses, "Anyone who helps to answer the question will be punished as an accomplice!" After roll call, the class begins.The land law is inherently boring, and the "grandmother of the land" is almost reading textbooks, making it even more difficult to arouse interest.Wei Jiong barely listened for more than ten minutes, and then began to lose his mind. Thinking of Yue Xiaohui's absence first, I don't know how many times she has been caught by the "grandma of the land" and whether she is still qualified for the exam. Then I thought of the cat food that Yue Xiaohui would buy even if she skipped class, and the cats and dogs in the stray animal rescue station. Then it is my social practice class homework. Immediately afterwards, there was the three-story building and Lao Ji. Thinking of Lao Ji, Wei Jiong rested his chin on one hand, fiddled with the ballpoint pen with the other, and looked out the window.Today's weather is slightly gloomy, there is no sunshine, and everything outside has lost its color, like a black and white photo.The trees with fallen leaves and the gloomy teaching buildings were all shrouded in a thin layer of smog, looking lifeless. It is said that for the elderly, the most difficult thing to endure is winter.Firstly, it is the season of high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; secondly, there are desolate and desolate scenes everywhere, which will always make people feel that they are entering their twilight years and coming to the end of their lives.Even a young man like Wei Jiong couldn't cheer up, let alone a helpless old man like Ji Qiankun. I don't know if Lao Ji's hut is also dark and dreary at this moment? Wei Jiong sighed softly, turned his head, and looked at the "Grandma of the Land" who was holding the textbook and reciting on the podium, but he couldn't get back his thoughts. He felt sorry for Lao Ji from the bottom of his heart.Lao Ji basks in the sun, reads, smokes, cooks for himself, and unnecessarily inquires about a legal issue, all in the little time he has left, struggling against fate.He tried to cultivate a flower of hope in a prisoner-like life, let it grow alone and bloom happily, and in the bright colors and subtle floral fragrances, he convinced himself: I am not old.Even though I can't walk, I can only watch the secular fireworks behind the iron gate, but I still belong to the world. Yue Xiaohui disappeared for a whole day, and Wei Jiong didn't see her in the cafeteria until dinner. Although physically exhausted, Yue Xiaohui looked in good spirits.While queuing up for dinner, she saw Wei Jiong and waved to him with a smile. A few minutes later, Yue Xiaohui walked over carrying a few plastic bags and sat down opposite Wei Jiong. "worn out." "Going to take care of cats and dogs?" Wei Jiong raised his head to see Yue Xiaohui unscrew a bottle of iced black tea, and gulped down half the bottle. "Yes." Yue Xiaohui took out another bottle of iced black tea and handed it to Wei Jiong, "Please." "Thank you." Wei Jiong moved the plate away, "Have you eaten yet?" "I've eaten it." Yue Xiaohui giggled, "I ate it with the kitten." "Haha." Wei Jiong also laughed, pointing to her cuff, "I can tell." Yue Xiaohui looked down, and took off a few strands of gray and white cat fur from her cuffs. "An American shorthair cat, very cute and clingy." Yue Xiaohui curled her lips, "The master is too cruel." "How many times do we have to go?" "Once." Yue Xiaohui sighed, "The social practice class is almost finished. What about you?" "Almost, I need to go again." "The nursing home is boring, isn't it?" Yue Xiaohui took another sip of the iced black tea, "Talking with the elderly or something?" "I don't think so." Wei Jiong thought of Lao Ji, "It's interesting to have an old man." "Oh?" Yue Xiaohui became interested, "Tell me." Wei Jiong thought for a while, and briefly described all kinds of things about Lao Ji.Yue Xiaohui listened very carefully, laughing while listening. "At such an advanced age, he still has a thirst for knowledge. The old man has too much personality." Yue Xiaohui blinked, "Isn't he handsome?" "It's okay." Wei Jiong replied truthfully. "Haha, I really want to see him once." "Okay, come with me in the next social practice class." "No." Yue Xiaohui shook her head, "I still have to go to the relief station—I have to buy medicine for Xiaodouzi, it has skin diseases." "Little bean?" "That beautiful short." Yue Xiaohui smiled, "I call it Xiaodouzi." "Skipping class again?" Wei Jiong also laughed, "You have already been caught by 'Grandma Land' today." "It's okay." Yue Xiaohui tossed her hair, "There are still two more chances, but Yueyue was frightened today." Wei Jiong thought of the long-haired girl: "Haha, I almost became an accomplice." "Yes." Yue Xiaohui patted a big chicken leg in a plastic bag, "So comfort me." "Those cats and dogs are so hard for you to let go?" "Yeah. You didn't see their eyes, looking forward to being petted and hugged." Yue Xiaohui's eyes were full of steam, "There is a puppy who has been abandoned three times and pleases everyone. I left At that time, it chased it far away." For some reason, Wei Jiong suddenly remembered Lao Ji sitting in front of the iron gate. "Pitiful." "Yes." Yue Xiaohui fiddled with the plastic bag at hand, "After the social practice class is done, I still want to go." "why?" "To be needed, to be relied on." Yue Xiaohui turned her head to look into Wei Jiong's eyes, with a slight smile on her lips, "It feels good." Wei Jiong also looked at her: "You will be a good mother in the future." "Hey! It's so far away." Yue Xiaohui unscrewed the iced black tea and shook it slowly, "They are gentle and innocent. They have been abandoned and hurt time and time again, but they still have absolute trust in humans. I would rather be with them—— " She raised her neck and drank the brown-red liquid in the bottle. "How scary the people are." Du Cheng knocked twice on the door of the director's office, pushed the door open and entered.Duan Hongqing was sitting at the table, on the phone.Seeing him coming in, Duan Hongqing was taken aback for a moment, then pointed to the sofa by the wall, motioning him to sit down. Du Cheng sat down unceremoniously, picked up the cigarette on the table, lit one and smoked it.Duan Hongqing finished talking on the phone in a few words, hung up in a hurry, frowned and looked at Du Cheng, and suddenly said, "I can't fix you anymore, can I, old Du?" Du Cheng didn't speak, just smiled.Duan Hongqing got up and left his seat, went to sit next to Du Cheng, and punched him on the shoulder. "Go, lock yourself up!" Du Cheng dodged with a smile, took out a cigarette and handed it to Duan Hongqing.The two sat and smoked in silence.After smoking one, Duan Hongqing got up and made a cup of tea for Du Cheng, and put it in front of him. "Old Du, I just contacted a classmate in Beijing, who works in a big hospital, to find a way." Du Cheng picked up the teacup, blew open the tea leaves, and took a sip cautiously: "Duan Ju, how long have we known each other?" "Twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven years and four months." Duan Hongqing replied immediately. "Hey! Remember so clearly?" Du Cheng was a little surprised. "Nonsense!" Duan Hongqing scowled, "I've been fucking missing you for the past few days." Du Cheng laughed again: "We've known each other for so long, you still don't know me?" "Old Du, now is not the time to be brave." Duan Hongqing's tone softened, "Go and find a way, now that technology is so advanced..." "It's useless. The doctor made it very clear, at most one year." "Then you can't be tough, can you?" "I don't have a long time to live anyway, why should I suffer that crime?" Duan Hongqing stared blankly at Du Cheng, and suddenly smiled: "You old bastard, are you really not afraid of death?" "It's useless to be afraid." Du Cheng sat comfortably on the sofa, sipping tea, "It's better to do something you want to do." "Let's talk." Duan Hongqing sat up straight and stared at Du Cheng, "What do you want to do?" "Investigate a case." Du Cheng put down his teacup and turned to face Duan Hongqing, "You know that." Duan Hongqing was stunned, his expression was surprised at first, and then annoyed. "Fuck! It's fucking again." He waved his hand vigorously, as if trying to drive away an annoying object in front of him, "Old Du, you can't stop." "It's not over." The smile on Du Cheng's face gradually faded, "If you don't find out about that case - it won't be over." "Are you sick?" Duan Hongqing raised his voice, "How old are you this year?" Du Cheng didn't speak, but looked at him fixedly. "Don't say? Okay, let me answer for you. I'm fifty-eight, and I have two years left to retire." Duan Hongqing looked towards the door, as if he was trying to suppress his voice, "You have been working for so many years, and the disciples are all fucking captains. You didn't even get a section chief, why, don't you know?" "It's clear." Du Cheng raised his eyebrows, "So I want to solve a big case and get promoted before I die." "Fuck you." Duan Hongqing became impatient, "The case has been closed for more than 20 years, and everyone has been killed. Why do you want to investigate?" "I still said the same thing, not him." Du Cheng looked at Duan Hongqing calmly, "We arrested the wrong person." "It's worth it. I won't argue with you about this." Duan Hongqing waved his hand and stood up, "From today on, you give me a long vacation, just stay here!" "Okay." Du Cheng didn't bother, and put out his cigarette, "Anyway, I'll come to you again." Duan Hongqing frowned and looked at him: "The salary and bonus will be paid as usual, let Zhenliang and the others arrange a shift to take care of you." "No need." Du Cheng shook his head, got up and walked towards the door, "It's almost the end of the year, and there are a lot of things to do, let the monkey cubs take care of their own. Besides, I'm used to it by myself." Just as he opened the door, Duan Hongqing stopped him again. "Old Du," Duan Hongqing said with a complicated expression, "Be well and finish this year happily..." Du Cheng looked at him for a few seconds and smiled: "Got it." After leaving the director's office, Du Cheng went straight to the elevator, carefully avoiding acquaintances, lest he have to state his illness again and listen to a bunch of comforting words. Half an hour later, Du Cheng returned home.The moment the door was opened, there was a musty smell mixed with dust.Du Cheng cursed in a low voice, sniffed, and went straight to the kitchen. In the iron pot on the gas stove, half a pot of egg noodles has grown green hairs.Du Cheng poured the noodles into the trash can and cleaned the pot.Then, he opened the refrigerator, took out a shriveled green onion, chopped some chopped green onion, heated up the pan, put oil, and the moment he put the chopped green onion into the oil pan, there was a sound of "嗞啦", and the oily smoke rose and filled the air. There is life in the dusty little house. Du Cheng stir-fried a few times, added water, and covered the pot. While waiting for the water to boil, Du Cheng picked up a rag and began to clean. As soon as he wiped the table clean, his liver began to ache.Beads of sweat appeared on his face, and after trying to wipe a picture frame on the chest of drawers clean, he threw away the rag and sat by the table panting. After sitting for a while, there was a gurgling sound from the iron pot on the gas stove, and a big puff of steam came out from the edge of the pot lid.Du Cheng took out an egg from the refrigerator, cracked it, threw it into the pot, opened the cupboard, took out a small handful of dried noodles, and boiled it in the pot. After eating a simple lunch, Du Cheng smoked a cigarette, and his face became rosy.He walked into the bedroom, pulled out an old-fashioned canvas suitcase from the closet, and carried it to the dining room with difficulty.Putting the noodle bowl aside, he laid the suitcase flat on the dining table, wiped the dust hastily, and unlocked the suitcase. Inside the box were several yellowed kraft paper portfolios with frayed corners, as well as piles of photos and photocopies of documents, also covered in dust. Du Cheng picked up a file bag, shook his wrist, and a large cloud of dust fell down.The afternoon sun shines into the room through the iron window bars, forming a mottled beam of light.The fine dust spreads and floats in the sunlight, and gently scattered on the dining table. Du Cheng calmly looked at the faded black ink writing on the file bag. "11.9" series of rape, homicide and dismemberment cases, 1990.