The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 324 - 295 Another One Dead_1

Chapter 324: Chapter 295 Another One Dead_1

Qi Ling questioned around and recorded everything, feeling that the perpetrator was likely not Qi Fangfang.

As for Qi Shuli, who had opposed Village Chief Qi’s decision, although he had a motive, there was no evidence, so Qi Ling couldn’t say much.

Qi Ling returned to Second Leprosy’s house once more and searched again, hoping to find some evidence.

The house was dilapidated, yielding no results.

Qi Ling wandered around the yard and noticed some scraps of paper, torn into tiny pieces, on the inside of the gate!

Qi Ling picked them up and discovered that there were words written in fountain pen on the paper.

Qi Ling and two colleagues gathered all the scraps of paper on the ground, and had one of the policemen piece them together to see what was written!

Although incomplete, Qi Ling could tell it was a note asking Second Leprosy to go out.

Second Leprosy hadn’t gone out on his own accord but had been summoned by someone else, further confirming the fact that Second Leprosy was murdered.

Qi Ling pondered in Hujia Village’s branch office while smoking a cigarette.

"Captain Qi, what do we do now if we don’t have any leads?" Police Officer Old Wu asked, finding the matter very thorny.

After thinking, Qi Ling replied, "Then we can only use the dumb method, by questioning those who had recent contact with Second Leprosy to see if there’s anything suspicious."

"That’s the only way," Old Wu nodded. The primary crime scene where Second Leprosy died was a trap, but since so many people had come to gawk, the scene was compromised, and no useful evidence could be gathered.

Just when they were at their wits’ end, an old man led a young man in his twenties in, cursing as he entered, "You little rascal, you dare to take any kind of money! Aren’t you afraid Second Leprosy will come after you?"

"Old man, what’s the problem?" Qi Ling asked. They were investigating a murder case and didn’t have time to deal with family conflicts!

"It’s this foolish son of mine, just a debt collector," the old man explained upon being questioned by the police, "My son went with everyone to lift Second Leprosy out of the trap, and the boy found a ten-dollar bill in the trap—this one here. If I hadn’t seen him take it out, I wouldn’t have known. We’ve lived honest lives all our life; we can’t use this blood money, so I brought him here to hand it over."

Qi Ling was startled, looking at the money in the old man’s hand, he asked the young man, "Is it really from the trap?"

"Yes, officer, I got greedy for a moment. Please forgive us considering that we are turning it in voluntarily," Hu Damao nodded, pleading for mercy.

Ah, all because of my old-fashioned father at home. If he hadn’t turned it in, there would have been no trouble. Not only would we have money to spend, but we also wouldn’t be under police investigation.

Qi Ling picked up the ten-dollar bill, which was semi-new and missing a small corner.

"Ten dollars, quite a sum. Do you know about Second Leprosy’s financial situation?" Qi Ling asked, as these were people from Hujia Village and should know something about Second Leprosy’s family circumstances.

The old man frowned and said, "Normally, the deceased should be treated with respect, but everyone said that Second Leprosy was murdered. I am speaking now so that Second Leprosy can rest in peace. Ever since his mother died, Second Leprosy hasn’t been good, not working properly, living poorly. If he had a few coins, he would have spent them on alcohol, let alone this ten dollars. Furthermore, our village didn’t receive any money last year. Even those with good family circumstances might not have exactly ten dollars. Second Leprosy, who could never save money, would have even less chance of having it."

Qi Ling also felt that the old man had a point. Xiao Chen took notes on the side, read them back to the old man for confirmation, and the father and son signed their statements.

Qi Ling carefully observed the ten-dollar bill, which was somewhat worn and had clearly been used for a long period of time.

He picked it up and smelled it, but there was only the distinctive smell of cash, nothing unusual.

The only difference was the missing corner.

The young man said it was found on Second Leprosy’s stomach, and since the money wasn’t Second Leprosy’s, it belonged to the person who had lured Second Leprosy out or the one who killed him.

With no leads, the three men continued their investigation in the village.

The work was arduous and complicated.

He Tiantian was also very curious, who exactly was that masked woman?

Qi Ling had had a long day and visited Qijia Village in the evening to see Secretary Qi.

Secretary Qi invited Qi Ling to have dinner at his home and called He Jingyu over to join them for a drink.

He Jingyu learned about the "ten dollars" matter from Qi Ling.

That evening, He Jingyu went back and discussed it with his wife and daughter, who were enjoying the cool evening in the yard.

Money?

Again, ten dollars?

Aside from that masked woman, the ones with financial dealings with Second Leprosy included Accountant Hu and Liu Lingli.

Second Leprosy had caught Accountant Hu and Liu Lingli in their affair and had threatened Accountant Hu a few times. This time, he blackmailed Accountant Hu for twenty, but Hu only gave ten dollars at the moment, saying he would give the other ten later that night at a place they would arrange later.

In Second Leprosy’s memory, the ten dollars appeared repeatedly several times.

What was the relationship between Liu Lingli and that masked woman?

Could they be the same person?

If they were, why would you, Liu Lingli, do such a thing?

Although there had been some unpleasantness between her and Liu Lingli before, they had cleared the air, and previously, when Liu Lingli came to her place for water, He Tiantian didn’t refuse but agreed instead. Thus, Liu Lingli had even less motive to do such a thing!

He Tiantian realized she didn’t have the mind of a detective and, as she thought about it, she became more confused.

When she woke up, it was already seven o’clock in the morning of the next day.

Her mother, Wang Shuping, had already prepared breakfast and called He Tiantian over to eat.

Ever since her mom came over, He Tiantian had become lazy...

He Tiantian had to work today and didn’t have time to go to Hujia Village to gather information.

Moreover, with the police now in Hujia Village, it wouldn’t be a good look for a girl like her to go over recklessly.

Recently, Snake King had been very irritable, and He Tiantian didn’t want to bother it all the time.

Ah, stop thinking about it, just continue working, working...

The sabotage of the Peach Orchard by Second Leprosy was unfinished, and that masked woman surely wouldn’t just let it go; she was bound to take action again.

Without evidence, she would respond to every change by not changing at all!

However, He Tiantian had just returned home from working in the evening when she heard another explosive piece of news.

"Oh my, what kind of world is this!" Third Grandma Qi lamented, "We haven’t even cleared up one death, and now there’s another?"

He Tiantian was startled and asked, "Who else has died?"

"It’s Hu Goudan from Hujia Village!" Third Grandma Qi replied, "Hu Erlai and Hu Goudan, neither of them were good people, but to die like this is really frightening. Don’t know whom they offended to die just like that."

"Ah? Hu Goudan?" He Tiantian was shocked, "The one who came with Hu Erlai to sabotage our family’s Peach Orchard?"

Wang Shuping, carrying a plate of sliced cantaloupe, sighed and said, "Yes, now everyone knows that these two men once sabotaged the Peach Orchard in Qijia Village, Hu Erlai is dead, and now Hu Ergou is dead too; there’s a lot of wild rumors starting to spread outside!"