Animal Detective

Chapter 52 Taking My Place to Keep Grandpa Company
The elderly people from all the neighborhoods came, filling the small courtyard to the brim.

Shen Xin gave a monetary gift, and while recording it, he noticed Chen Chao's name.

But once inside the courtyard, Chen Chao was not seen.

He must have come secretly and then left.

Since then, Shen Xin has never seen Chen Chao again, only hearing that the case has been submitted to the procuratorate and is going through the process.

It's said to be a bit troublesome.

Gao Jinrui is determined to plead guilty, but his large family, including his son, clearly do not want him to be sentenced to death. It seems they have hired a well-known lawyer to try to classify the case as a hit-and-run resulting in death, and then classify the act of burying the body as an act of desecration of a corpse.

The prosecutor's office will definitely charge him with intentional homicide, which means knowing that Wu Jiawang was not dead but still choosing to bury the body, which could carry a maximum sentence of death.

The complicated part is that after Gao Jinrui was terrified in front of the grave, Wu Jiawang remained motionless, making it difficult to determine whether he was still alive or already dead.

Emotionally, Shen Xin naturally hoped that Gao Jinrui would pay for his life and suffer the consequences.

But the law is supreme, so we can only wait for the court's judgment.

With a woof.

Shen Xin looked down and saw that it was Lele.

He was raised by the Wu family, so the best option is to return him to Wu Zhicun.

What's touching is that seven years later, he still remembers Wu Zhicun and wags his tail around Wu Zhicun as soon as they meet.

"good!"

Shen Xin patted his head and followed the crowd to pay his respects.

Many people came.

They used to be villagers from the same village, and Wu Zhicun had a good reputation in the village. When Wu Jiawang went missing, almost the entire village mobilized to help search for him.

Now, seven years have passed, and the dust has finally settled. Who can help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings)?

The coffin was placed in the main room.

Wu Jiawang did not choose cremation, but wanted to follow the old custom of burial and be buried next to his family's old graves.

Cremation followed by burial in a cemetery is a new practice that has only emerged in recent years.

When he and his family of three passed away, the traditional practice of burial had not yet been implemented, so they all chose to be buried in the nearby village's former communal cemetery.

Shen Xin saw Wu Zhicun.

Over the past two weeks, Shen Xin had considered visiting Wu Zhicun several times, but ultimately did not come.

Fearing that Wu Zhicun would be reminded of the past, he also felt it was difficult to face Wu Zhicun.

Looking at him today, Wu Zhicun seems to be in better health.

He changed into a clean, brand-new set of clothes and, accompanied by Director Li of the community, thanked each guest.

Soon, it was Shen Xin's turn.

Shen Xin bowed silently, then approached Wu Zhicun.

Wu Zhicun stared blankly at Shen Xin with his cloudy eyes.

"Old Wu, Officer Shen is here," Director Li reminded him from the side.

"Officer Shen?"

Wu Zhicun moved slightly and hurriedly reached out to grab it.

Shen Xin quickly grabbed his hand.

"Officer Shen, thank you." Wu Zhicun gripped Shen Xin's hand tightly, his emotions somewhat out of control. He stood up shakily and said, "I know. If it weren't for you, Jiawang wouldn't have come back. This old man should kowtow to you."

Shen Xin was startled and hurriedly went to help him.

"Sir, please don't think like that. We feel bad for you." Shen Xin said.

It is said that the branch office held a special meeting to discuss this case and learn from the lessons.

I could have tried harder back then, but I gave up because of insufficient conditions, and it dragged on for seven years.

Therefore, Chen Chao felt particularly sorry for Wu Zhicun in this case.

"No." Wu Zhicun shook his head, gently patted Shen Xin's hand, and said, "Officer Shen, you are a good policeman. I thank you on behalf of Jiawang."

The words "good policeman" touched Shen Xin a little. He comforted her with "please accept my condolences, I'll come to see you again later," and then turned and left.

As you walk out of the main room and turn your head, you can still see Wu Zhicun looking in your direction, a relieved and liberated expression on his face.

Shen Xin sighed deeply, dared not linger any longer, and quickly left.

I took leave to come here. I received a text message when I came in saying that something had come up.

Yesterday, a case of wage arrears broke out at a factory in our jurisdiction, and it may happen again today. The police station may have to be mobilized to maintain order.

With the help of the community and old neighbors, the funeral went very smoothly.

As everyone dispersed, the once bustling courtyard was now left with only the mourning tent and a blanket of white.

The village originally planned to leave two people behind to keep vigil for Wu Zhicun. The encoffining was yesterday, the memorial service is today, and the burial will take place tomorrow.

But Wu Zhicun refused.

He had nothing to be afraid of; that was his most beloved and only grandson.

He was used to quiet, and wanted to spend more time with his grandson on this last night.

As Zhang Jian said, people's joys and sorrows are not shared.

As night falls and the courtyard gate closes, a sense of loneliness and sorrow pervades.

Outside the courtyard gate, the nightlife had already begun.

The self-built house next to the courtyard was brightly lit, and a noisy commotion could be heard.

The streets not far away were also bustling with people, many of whom had just returned from get off work, creating a lively atmosphere.

Wu Zhicun sat alone beside the coffin, motionless, as if his soul had been taken away.

I don't know how long I sat there.

Anyway, it had become quiet outside the courtyard gate.

Late at night.

Wu Zhicun then took action. He groped his way up, found the coffin, and pushed the lid open with all his might.

He straightened his clothes, buttoned them up, and smoothed out his collar.

Then, he groped his way into the coffin.

He touched Wu Jiawang's remains and carefully lay down beside them.

"Just right."

He couldn't see, but he felt a peace he had never known before, as if his grandson were lying right beside him.

For so many days and nights, I spent every day with my grandson.

On a sweltering summer night, my family was poor and didn't have air conditioning.

One day, the fan broke down, and Jiawang was too hot to sleep, so Wu Zhicun sat down, fanning himself, and told his grandson the story of Journey to the West.

As he was talking, he ended up falling asleep himself.

When Jiawang woke up the next day, he even laughed at himself.

"Good child, don't be afraid, Grandpa is with you." Wu Zhicun sniffed and fumbled in his pocket to pull out a packet of medicine.

Zhao Shouchuan took some of the items, but he also secretly kept a few packets for himself.

Although it was fake, Officer Shen probably won't be coming to save me this time.

He once said that if his grandson died, he would dig a hole and lie down in it with him.

"Jiawang, Grandpa misses you so much, for so many, many years..."

Wu Zhicun muttered to himself, trembling as he opened the paper package.

These days, many people are advising him to think more positively, saying that he still has a long life ahead of him.

But they didn't realize that without their grandson, there was nothing left in this world for them to cherish.

Just then, a loud woof rang out.

It was Lele; he actually jumped into the coffin too.

This startled Wu Zhicun.

"Lele, do you want to see Grandpa off too?" Wu Zhicun couldn't see Lele, so he reached out to touch her.

Lele came over and licked Wu Zhicun's face, then barked and tugged at Wu Zhicun's clothes.

He seemed to have a premonition of something.

“My dear Lele, be good, Grandpa has gone to look for a home, you go out.” Wu Zhicun pushed him.

Lele wouldn't let go, and snuggled into Wu Zhicun's arms again, rubbing her head against him.

As he rubbed against her, Wu Zhicun suddenly burst into tears.

He held Lele in his arms.

For a fleeting moment, he suddenly understood.

Lele doesn't want to die.

This is Jiawang's favorite dog. Every time he goes to school, Lele always chases after him, and then Jiawang will stop and tell him that when he's not around, he should take good care of his grandpa.

"Jiawang, don't you want to see Grandpa?"

Wu Zhicun hugged Lele tightly and cried out.

(End of this chapter)