Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 505 He Lied to Me (Vote for Monthly Tickets and Win Red Envelopes!)

When Zhou Yi learned the basic facts of the Xipinggou case from Zhao Liang, he noticed a problem.

Miao Genhua's mother and younger brother both confessed that Ma Weichang treated Ge Fangfang exceptionally well, and even did things that went beyond the normal stepfather-stepdaughter relationship.

For example, bathing the child!
At the time, he suspected that Ma Weichang might be a pedophile.

However, this analysis does not explain the reason for Ge Fangfang's disappearance.

In addition, whether it was the interviews and investigations of the villagers of Xipinggou or Ma Weichang's own mention of it, the focus of suspicion shifted to Shi Jianshen.

Therefore, this speculation was not pursued further.

However, the shoe and the bloodstained underwear found at the quarry made the matter even more perplexing.

Zhou Yi began to suspect that Ma Weichang might have done something to Ge Fangfang that led to the child's disappearance.

Could it be that someone is avenging the child's death?
Miao Genhua's suicide last night was highly unusual.

It has the feel of a rural woman arguing, crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide.

He stole someone's sleeping pills in the hospital, and the dosage was not large. He even managed to get caught and require emergency treatment.

It looks like he's deliberately trying to create an alibi.

This certainly confirms that she did not have the opportunity to kill Ma Weichang.

However, even with an alibi, it does not mean that one was not involved in the crime.

The fact that Miao Genhua knew Ma Weichang was dead is not enough to explain the situation.

But before Miao Genhua could explain any of this, Li Linglong brought over a lab report.

The underwear found in the quarry office not only tested positive for blood but also for semen residue.

“We now suspect that the bloodstains are Ge Fangfang’s. As for the semen stains, they are very likely Ma Weichang’s,” Li Linglong said.

"Director Li, does Ge Fangfang have any blood test records?"

Li Linglong shook his head: "I checked, there's nothing there."

Zhou Yi stared at the words on the test report in silence. There was no blood type record and no body was found, so it was impossible to prove that the blood on it belonged to Ge Fangfang.

In legal terms, blood type testing is considered "exclusionary evidence" rather than "conclusive evidence," especially since even blood type comparisons are currently impossible due to a lack of control samples.

Li Linglong said that Miao Genhua's mother and younger brother had already identified the shoes and underwear. Miao Zhuang said he couldn't recognize them, but Miao Genhua's mother confirmed that both items belonged to Ge Fangfang.

"I think it's now basically certain that Ge Fangfang has been murdered," Li Linglong said somberly. "I've already organized a large-scale, comprehensive search operation centered on Xipinggou."

Zhou Yi knew that tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

"How's the investigation going on your end?"

"It's still under investigation, but we've just made some progress," Zhou Yi briefly reported to him.

After listening, Li Linglong said, "Thank you for your hard work. I'm going to Xipinggou to oversee the search. If you need anything here, just tell Yang Chuan, and he will cooperate fully."

Back in the interrogation room, Zhou Yi noticed Yang Chuan staring at him with great curiosity, so he handed him the report he was holding.

Yang Chuan glanced at it twice, and his expression suddenly changed.

"This..." He was about to speak when he realized that now was not the right time.

Zhou Yi gently pressed his hand down, signaling him not to get excited.

Throughout the entire process, Miao Genhua kept her head down until Zhou Yi called her name, at which point she raised her head again.

“Miao Genhua, let’s continue,” Zhou Yi said calmly.

Yang Chuan was surprised. How could this young man be so calm? If it were their Captain Zhou, he would have exploded by now.

"How many times has Ma Weichang said something like this?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Very...many times..."

"Don't you feel disgusted that he said such things to your six-year-old daughter?"

Miao Genhua picked at her fingers as she answered, "Of course I'm disgusted. Fangfang is so young. I've scolded him a few times, but he explained that it was just a joke, and that it was to... to make it more psychologically stimulating. He said he would never do anything to Fangfang."

"So you didn't pursue the matter further after he said that?"

Miao Genhua hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

But he immediately added, "However, I warned him that if he dared to do anything to my daughter, I... I would cut off his manhood."

"So, besides the frivolous and insulting words, did Ma Weichang commit any actual indecent assault, violation, or rape against Ge Fangfang?"

Miao Genhua tentatively asked, "Does...do taking a bath count?"

Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat. Didn't this match the information the Miao family had provided before?

"You are the child's mother, do you think that counts?" Zhou Yi asked rhetorically.

"I……"

"You're not going to tell me that when you cried and said Ma Weichang harmed Ge Fangfang, you were referring to these things, are you?"

"Officer... I... I don't know if he did anything to Fangfang. He warned me not to say anything carelessly, or he would sue me for... illegal..."

Yang Chuan added: "Defamation?"

"Yes, defamation. He said he would put me in jail."

"Miao Genhua," Zhou Yi questioned, "do you love your daughter, Ge Fangfang?"

Miao Genhua blurted out, "Yes, I love it."

"You keep talking about love, but whether you're here now or in the hospital room yesterday, you don't seem worried at all. Your daughter has been missing for a week! Neither alive nor dead! Don't you know that?"

"No...no, I was very worried, you see, I even went to the hospital...I..."

Zhou Yi coldly interrupted, "Yes, you were so anxious that you went to the hospital, yet you still had the mind to meet with your old flame."

These words terrified Miao Genhua, turning her face deathly pale: "You...how did you know?"

Zhou Yi slammed his hand on the table and launched into a series of stern questions.

Who went to the hospital to look for you the day before yesterday evening?

What exactly did Ma Weichang do to Ge Fangfang?

"When and how did you find out that Ma Weichang was dead?"

What exactly is your relationship with Shi Jian?

Miao Genhua trembled with fear, her voice trembling and choked with sobs as she said, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything..."

Her very first words startled the two interrogators.

She said: Ge Fangfang is not Ge Hongqi's daughter, but Shi Jian's.

She and Shi Jian were each other's first love. They started dating when they were in middle school, but Shi Jian dropped out of school later.

Back then, I was young and just thought Shi Jian was a cool guy—good-looking, good at fighting, and good at acting cool.

The two had been together for several years, but they had broken up and gotten back together many times. This was mainly because Miao Genhua was starting to mature and hoped to have a stable life and future.

But Shi Jian remained the same, spending his days doing nothing and idling around.

For someone like him, if his family has some money, then it's not a big problem.

After all, in rural areas, when it comes to marriage, the bride price is more important than a job. As long as the family can afford the bride price, it's not a problem.

But you could say you have a bright future and are working hard, but you just can't afford the bride price right now.

Even if you break a girl's legs, she still won't marry you.

Unfortunately, Shi Jian had neither of these things, and he was struggling to make ends meet, while his family was practically extinct.

Therefore, Miao Genhua's parents strongly opposed the two of them dating. The old lady even attempted suicide several times because of this, while the old man locked his daughter at home and wouldn't let her go out, etc.

As for Miao Genhua herself, she did not act like the heroines in those love stories, going crazy for love, breaking through all the shackles, and being with Shi Jian without hesitation.

She chose a very pragmatic path, going on blind dates while remaining entangled with Shi Jian.

Then I met Ge Hongqi.

She said that at first, she didn't think much of Ge Hongqi because Ge Hongqi was much uglier than Shi Jian and was very dark-skinned, like charcoal.

But her parents were quite satisfied because the Ge family could afford the bride price, which was better than anything else in their eyes!
She and Ge Hongqi met only twice, and both times, with their parents and the matchmaker present, they decided to finalize the marriage.

Although she was unwilling, she had no choice, so in a fit of anger, she told Shi Jian that she was about to get engaged, hoping to provoke him.

As a result, Shi Jian was indeed provoked.

First, they found out where Ge Hongqi was working, went there and made a scene, uttering a bunch of harsh words and threats.

This almost made Ge Hongqi back down, but Miao's parents asked a matchmaker to mediate, saying that this bad boy was just a toad trying to eat swan meat, which was why he kept harassing Miao Genhua, and that the girl didn't even like him.

Finally, thanks to the matchmaker's persuasive words, the Ge family was convinced that the girl they were going to marry was a good one.

This infuriated Miao Genhua's father, who grabbed a hammer and searched the world for Shi Jian, threatening to beat him to death.

Strangely, after causing a scene at Ge Hongqi's workplace, Shi Jian suddenly vanished without a trace.

Not only could Miao Genhua's father not be found, but even Miao Genhua herself couldn't find Shi Jian.

She thought Shi Jian had chickened out and run away after making those threats, so she simply chose to marry Ge Hongqi.

It wasn't until later that she learned that after Shi Jian made those harsh words, he decided to raise money for a bride price to marry her. So he and some friends went to a neighboring big city to steal things, but they got caught.

Because he confessed to his crimes well and revealed other crimes committed by his accomplices, he was released after a short sentence.

When the two met again, everything had changed.

Of course, when flirtatious men and women meet, things are bound to get heated.

Miao Genhua's description of this memory was vague, and Zhou Yi and the others were not interested in it.

I just let her continue.

Miao Genhua swore that she and Shi Jian only cheated on each other once, but soon after, she discovered that she was pregnant.

The problem is, she can't be sure whether the child is Shi Jian's or Ge Hongqi's.

So, in a state of fear and trepidation, she gave birth to Ge Fangfang.

Fortunately, Ge Hongqi did not find anything unusual.

Life went on in a daze. Sometimes when she looked at Ge Fangfang, she felt that her daughter looked like Ge Hongqi, and sometimes she felt that she looked like Shi Jian.

Later, Ge Hongqi had an accident at the construction site. She had a big fight with her in-laws over the compensation, and eventually returned to her parents' home with her daughter.

When she became pregnant, Shi Jian did try to contact her, but because she was pregnant, she made a clean break and cut off all contact with him.

Later, she became a widow and returned to her parents' home. When Shi Jian found out, he came to find her again.

At first, she said she had some psychological burden, so she kept avoiding Shi Jian.

But gradually, the two got back together.

However, they always met secretly. Firstly, her family looked down on Shi Jian, and secondly, after the incident of fighting for Ge Hongqi's pension, she had realized that men could not be relied on, and men without money were even less reliable!
So the two maintained this clandestine relationship.

Or to be more precise, there is no "affection" involved; a later term would be more accurate: friends with benefits.

This relationship between the two lasted for a long time, and it didn't end even after she and Ma Weichang got their marriage certificate.

Shi Jian even threatened that if Ma Weichang tried to sleep with her, he would kill him!
She initially took it as a joke, but later, the words came in handy.

After she got together with Ma Weichang, she naturally had to clean up her past mess.

Because Ma Weichang is indeed capable, and he is very generous to her and her family.

First, she reinstated her brother Miao Zhuang's job, not only not pursuing the theft but also giving him a raise.

She bought her mother a big gold bracelet, which made the old lady so happy that she would show it off in the village all the time.

The monthly allowance of one hundred yuan was increased to three hundred yuan, which is almost the same as the salary of a state-owned factory in the city.

It can be said that the Miao people in Xipinggou experienced a complete and sudden rise in status.

In addition, Ma Weichang promised that when Ge Fangfang reached primary school age, he would bring her and her daughter to live in the city and let them attend primary school there.

Miao Genhua admitted that the things Ma Weichang gave her were very attractive to her.

Because these are things that men like Ge Hongqi and Shi Jian cannot provide, she and her family even felt that this was the life of the elite.

Therefore, Shi Jian became like a piece of shit on a butt that hadn't been wiped clean in the past.

She broke up with Shi Jian after a big fight, arguing that he was almost thirty and still homeless, with nowhere to live, which made her see no hope for the future.

But secrets can't stay hidden forever, and Shi Jian soon found out that Miao Genhua had found a new lover and that their fake relationship had become real.

So they went to the quarry to cause trouble, saying they wanted to settle scores with Ma Weichang.

Instead, Ma Weichang ordered the workers to beat them up and kick them out.

With the cooperation and testimony of the Miao people, Miao Genhua once again portrayed Shi Jian as the toad who wanted to eat swan meat and the persistent first love boyfriend.

Shi Jian's matter passed by without any real danger.

Miao Genhua said that there was another thing she was worried about, which was Ma Weichang's first wife, Zhang Guifen.

But Ma Weichang assured her that he would solve Zhang Guifen's problem and told her not to worry.

The two then enjoyed a relatively harmonious "honeymoon period" until Miao Genhua gradually discovered that Ma Weichang seemed to have different intentions towards his daughter, Ge Fangfang.

She said that Ma Weichang is very good to the children, which is obvious to everyone in the village.

She was very happy about this, thinking that Ma Weichang loved her because of her love for Ma Weichang.

It wasn't until Ma Weichang suddenly said those words one day that she realized something was wrong, even though he later explained that he was joking.

This reminded me of how Ma Weichang had kissed and hugged Ge Fangfang before, and even offered to bathe the child.

She became more cautious and began to prevent Ma Weichang from being alone with the children.

But after observing for a while, I didn't find anything wrong, so I thought I was just overthinking it.

Just a few months ago, when she was changing her child's clothes, she noticed that the child's genitals were red and swollen. The child said it was very itchy and it hurt when touched.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she quickly asked Ge Fangfang if anyone had touched her body.

The child answered with two words: "Uncle."

She knew what had happened.

She stormed off to the quarry, determined to settle accounts with Ma Weichang.

But Ma Weichang wasn't there at the time, so he had to go back first and wait passively at home for him to come.

Her mother saw her secretly wiping away tears and asked her what was wrong.

She was afraid that if the matter got out, it would ruin her daughter's reputation for life, so she gritted her teeth and kept quiet.

But the old lady thought she had quarreled with Ma Weichang, so she advised her not to argue with her husband. Besides, he was a city dweller and a big boss, so she told her daughter to take good care of Ma Weichang.

The old lady's words silenced her.

For the Miao people, breaking ties with Ma Weichang meant the end of their good days.

She herself didn't care, but her mother and brother would definitely hate her, and then she would be caught in the middle.

After thinking about it all night, she could only swallow her anger and pretend that nothing had happened.

However, from that day on, she kept her distance from Ma Weichang, trying her best not to let him touch her daughter, and not to give Ma Weichang any opportunity to be alone with her daughter.

Until July 22nd, Ge Fangfang suddenly disappeared.

The whole village mobilized, but they couldn't find it no matter how hard they searched.

She was terrified. The villagers gathered together, each offering their own opinions.

Some said the child was naughty and ran away, falling into some ravine; others said she might have been abducted by human traffickers; still others told her to think about whether anyone hated her.

This sentence suddenly reminded her of someone: Shi Jian.

Finding Shi Jian was not easy, because he didn't even have a fixed place to live.

The next day, she went to the town's arcade, intending to try her luck.

But after searching around, she couldn't find Shi Jian. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a familiar figure on the street.

She immediately chased after him and found that it was indeed Shi Jian.

She rushed over and questioned him about where he had put her daughter.

Shi Jian was completely baffled, and the two immediately started arguing. Only then did Shi Jian realize that Ge Fangfang had gone missing.

Shi Jian denied doing it, after all, the two hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Miao Genhua didn't believe it, because she couldn't imagine anyone else would want to harm her daughter.

In order to force Shi Jian to tell the truth, she revealed that Ge Fangfang might be Shi Jian's daughter.

Shi Jian became very agitated and immediately swore an oath using his deceased grandfather as a witness.

Miao Genhua finally believed it, because she knew that her grandfather was the only person Shi Jian cared about.

Shi Jian was both excited and angry, saying that if anyone harmed his daughter, he would make that person pay the price.

He told Miao Genhua to think carefully about who else might be after the child.

Then, Miao Genhua thought of Ma Weichang.

But she didn't dare to draw a conclusion rashly, so she called Ma Weichang.

Upon learning of the child's disappearance, Ma Weichang became extremely anxious and immediately returned to Xipinggou, halting work at the quarry and organizing workers to search again.

But still, nothing was gained.

Seeing his anxious look, Miao Genhua began to doubt whether she had made a mistake.

And so time passed day by day, and Ge Fangfang disappeared without a trace.

Ma Weichang stayed with her the whole time, comforting her.

Until the evening of July 25th, her brother Miao Zhuang suddenly said something to her that made her realize that Ma Weichang might be lying.

"What did Miao Zhuang say to you?" Zhou Yi asked hurriedly.

“He said… On the day Fangfang disappeared, Ma Weichang was supposed to go to Antong to take inventory. But Ma Weichang suddenly said he wasn’t feeling well, so he didn’t go and just asked my brother to go and get the warehouse ledgers.”

Miao Genhua said through gritted teeth, "He lied to me. He said he went to Antong that day, but he didn't go at all!"

(End of this chapter)