Po Sir's Police Affairs: The Hunter

Xiuying started arranging blind dates for Jiang Bo on the tenth day after Tangyuan's death.

That morning, when Jiang Bo went out, he saw Xiuying sitting on the sofa, holding her phone and scrolling through it. Her reading glasses had slipped down to the tip of her nose, her eyes were squinting, and the phone screen was almost touching her nose. She saw him, looked up, and hesitated, as if she wanted to say something. He asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing. When he came home that evening, she had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, making three large plates of dumplings, pork and cabbage filling. The refrigerator was full, and there was even a table full of dumplings. When she saw him come in, she had an indescribable expression on her face, both excited and nervous, as if she had done something wrong, or as if she had done something remarkable.

"Xiao Jiang, come here and sit down." She patted the sofa. "I have something to tell you."

Jiang Bo took off his coat and went over to sit down. Tangyuan was gone, and the sofa floor was empty. His gaze unconsciously glanced there before looking away. Xiuying noticed, her eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly brightened again.

"You're not young anymore," she said, her voice a little tense. "Thirty-eight. When I was thirty-eight, you were already in junior high. When your dad was thirty-eight, you were almost ready for high school. If your dad were still alive, he would have been frantic with worry. He would have been nagging you every day until you got annoyed."

Jiang Bo remained silent. He knew what she was going to say. She had been building up to it for a long time, starting from the moment Tangyuan died. She said that Tangyuan was gone, and he had no one to talk to. She also said that her husband was old and wondered how many more years he could stay with her. She said she couldn't expect her husband to stay with her forever, could she? He was over eighty, and he still had to write those names; he didn't have time to spend with her. She had given every reason she could think of, waiting for this day to reveal her true colors.

"Mom, tell me."

Xiuying took a deep breath and pulled a piece of paper from under the coffee table. The paper was crumpled, with curled edges, and covered with dense writing. Names, ages, workplaces, phone numbers. Some names were circled, some were crossed out, and some were marked with question marks. Her handwriting was poor, crooked and uneven, but every stroke was forceful, as if carved into it.

"These girls are all nice. This one is a teacher, a Chinese language teacher, thirty-two years old, beautiful and with a good personality. Your dad used to like teachers, saying they are cultured and good at teaching children. If your dad were still alive, he would definitely still like her. This one is a doctor, a surgeon at the First People's Hospital of the city, two years younger than you, with a stable job and a reliable person. This one works at a bank, five years younger than you, pretty, but a bit picky. And there's a civil servant, working at the district government, thirty-four years old, divorced once, no children. She's also quite well-off and doesn't mind that you're busy."

Jiang Bo picked up the paper and looked at the names: Li Fang, Zhang Min, Wang Xue, Chen Jing. He didn't recognize any of them, and he didn't want to recognize any of them. But he knew that if he didn't go to see them, Xiuying would keep nagging. She would keep calling, keep checking her phone, keep staying up all night writing up lists, keep asking around among relatives and friends if anyone had a suitable girl. She would treat this as the most important thing in her life. She had lived for over fifty years, waited for his father for over thirty years, and searched for him for twenty-two years. Now she didn't want anything else; she just wanted to see him get married, have children, and live a normal life.

"Mom, I'll see her. You can make the appointment. This weekend. Let's find a place to have some tea."

Xiuying was overjoyed. The wrinkles on her face smoothed out instantly, and her eyes brightened, making her look ten years younger. "Okay. I'll make the appointment. A female teacher, a Chinese language teacher, Li Fang, thirty-two years old. I think this one is the best. Your father used to like teachers, saying they are cultured and good at teaching children. If your father were still alive, he would definitely like her too. He said that a policeman needs to find a teacher to complement him. One is active, the other is calm. One is fierce, the other is gentle. One is out there catching bad guys, the other is at home teaching children. How wonderful!"

Jiang Bo stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the night view of Jiangcheng stretched out, the car lights on the distant Yangtze River Bridge forming a river of light. Those names, those apologies, were all in his heart. Those people standing at the door watching were also in his heart. He thought of his father, his husband, and Tangyuan. They were all gone. He was still here. He had to continue. He wanted to get married, to have children, to tell those names to his children, to tell them those apologies. He wanted those names, those apologies, to be passed down. It couldn't be interrupted.

On Saturday afternoon, Jiang Bo went to the coffee shop Xiuying had arranged to meet him. It was located in a quiet alley in the old town. A small wooden sign hung at the entrance, reading "Old Times." Pushing open the door, he saw old black-and-white photographs on the walls, all depicting old scenes of Jiangcheng: Zhongjiang Pagoda, the old pontoon bridge, the Qingyi River, and the ten-mile-long main street. He knew all those places well. Some had been demolished, others remained. He found a seat by the window and ordered an Americano. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warm and gentle, casting a soft glow on the wooden floor.

He waited, waiting for the female teacher. He didn't know why he had come, nor what he wanted to say. He had handled hundreds of cases and interrogated hundreds of suspects, and had never been nervous before. But now, his palms were sweating. He glanced at his watch; it was five minutes to three. She should be arriving soon.

She arrived. Right on time, at three o'clock. She wore a light blue sweater, her hair in a ponytail, and black-rimmed glasses. Her skin was very fair, almost poreless. Her lips were a natural pink, without lipstick. She stood in the doorway, glanced around, saw him, smiled, and walked over. Her smile was clean and bright, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

"Are you Jiang Bo? Officer Jiang?"

Jiang Bo stood up. "Yes. Are you Teacher Liu?"

She nodded. "Liu Ya. Just call me Xiao Ya. No need to call me teacher, it feels awkward." She sat down opposite him and ordered an Americano as well. She looked at Jiang Bo for a long time. "You look younger than in the photos. The photo your mom showed me was of you when you were little. Round face, big eyes, and a particularly cute smile. She said you were good-looking since you were little, and even more handsome as you grew up. She wasn't wrong."

Jiang Bo was taken aback. "My childhood photos? My mom showed you pictures of me when I was little? When did she give them to you?"

Liu Ya smiled. "Last week, she specially brought it to my school. She told me a lot about you. She said you've always wanted to be a policeman and catch bad guys since you were little. She said you work very hard on cases and often don't eat. She said you had a dog named Tangyuan, which passed away a few days ago. She started crying as she was talking. I cried too. She said Tangyuan was a good dog and had been with you for over ten years. She said you cried for a long time when it passed away. She said she had never seen you cry like that before."

Jiang Bo almost burst into tears. He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and tried to hide his emotions. "What else did my mom say? She didn't say anything bad about me, did she?"

Liu Ya shook her head. "No. She only said good things about you. She said you were the best person she had ever met. She said you were a good policeman, just like your father. She said you solved many cases, caught many bad guys, and saved many good people. She said you were her pride. She laughed as she spoke."

Jiang Bo looked at her. Her features were gentle, and her voice was soft, as if afraid of waking something. She had a faint fragrance about her, not perfume, but the smell of laundry detergent. He thought of those women who jogged at night; they also wore sportswear, wore ponytails, and loved to laugh. They were all dead. He sat there, silent for a long time. A complex feeling welled up inside him, he couldn't tell if it was sadness or something else.

Liu Ya looked at him. "What's wrong? What are you thinking about? You seem preoccupied. You've been spacing out since earlier."

Jiang Bo shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some cases. Cases from before. Those women who jog at night. Have you heard of them? A few years ago, several women who jogged at night in Jiangcheng were murdered. Fang Min, Li Hongmei, Xu Yanran, Lin Xiaoxue, Zhao Xiaoyun, Wang Xiaochen. They're all dead. The cases were closed, the killers were caught. But I still think about them often."

Liu Ya didn't press further. She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and put it down. "I've heard about it. During that time, our school didn't dare let female teachers go out at night. Later, that night running group disbanded, and no one organized it anymore. My mom also doesn't let me go out alone at night. She says it's too dangerous."

Jiang Bo looked at her. "Do you go out alone tonight? For a run? For a walk?"

Liu Ya shook her head. "I won't run. I'm afraid of the dark. I only go out during the day. On weekend afternoons, I go for a walk along the river. I soak up the sun, feel the breeze, and look at the river. Sometimes I bring a book and sit by the river to read. An afternoon passes by in no time. The wind is strong by the river, making my hair fly wildly, but it feels very comfortable."

Jiang Bo thought of Tangyuan. Tangyuan also loved the riverbank, loved running around there, darting in and out of the reeds, sniffing around along the riverbank. It was always happy to go to the riverbank, its tail wagging like a windmill, running faster than him. After a few steps, it would stop and look back at him, as if saying, "Hurry up, you're too slow." Now it's gone. It can never go to the riverbank again.

"How many years have you been a police officer?" Liu Ya asked.

"Sixteen years. I was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division after graduating from police academy. I've always been in the Major Crimes Unit. I've never been transferred. I've solved some cases, and sometimes I couldn't. Sometimes I was so busy that I didn't even have time to eat. My mom says I've lost weight, but I've always been like this. I just can't gain weight."

Liu Ya nodded. "My cousin is also a police officer. She works at a police station as a household registration officer. She said that being a police officer is very hard, especially being a criminal investigator. They work day and night, sometimes not even having time to eat. They have stomach problems and take medication all year round. She said that one of her colleagues had a stomach hemorrhage and was hospitalized. After being discharged, he went back to work and still didn't have time to eat. She said that many people in their station have stomach problems."

Jiang Bo looked at her. "What's your cousin's name? Which police station is she from?"

Liu Ya laughed. "You're checking household registration? Your name is Lin Xiao, and you work at the Zhongshan Road Police Station. She said she knows you; you've handled cases at their station before. She said you're her idol. When you came in through the door, she was on duty. You asked to borrow her key to check the surveillance footage. She said you looked especially handsome in your police uniform and were very polite. She poured you a glass of water, and you said thank you. She was happy for days."

Jiang Bo thought for a moment. Zhongshan Road Police Station, Lin Xiao. He couldn't remember. He'd seen too many people, handled too many cases; he couldn't remember every face. "Your cousin saw me? When? Which case?"

Liu Ya thought for a moment. "About two years ago. It was a theft case. She said you came to their station to check the surveillance footage to investigate someone. She poured you a glass of water, and you said thank you. She was happy for days. She said you were the most handsome policeman she had ever seen. She even secretly took a picture of you and kept it on her phone. She said that was her motivation."

Jiang Bo almost burst into tears. He thought of Tangyuan. Tangyuan had been happy for days because it had bought him a new toy: a green rubber ball. It carried the ball around the house. It was so happy that it didn't sleep all night, carrying the ball to his bed and placing it next to his pillow. The next morning, when he woke up, he saw the ball lying at his feet, its tail wagging like a windmill.

Liu Ya looked at him. "What's wrong? Your eyes are red. Are you thinking about the dog again?"

Jiang Bo shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about my old colleagues. They were all quite lovely. Although they were busy, they were all very interesting."

Liu Ya was silent for a while. "I also had a dog when I was little, a yellow dog, a mixed breed. It was with me for eight years, from third grade to my first year of high school. Then it died of old age. I cried for days the day it passed away. My mom said I couldn't have another dog. It's too heartbreaking. I've never had a dog since. I couldn't handle it."

Jiang Bo nodded. "It's very sad. But when it was alive, it was very happy. It was happy every day. It didn't hold grudges, didn't complain, and didn't mind that you were busy. All it wanted was for you to come home and pat its head. All it wanted was for you to tell it when you left, 'I'm leaving.' All it wanted was for you to tell it when you came back, 'I'm back.' It didn't matter whether it understood or not; it knew that you cared about it."

Liu Ya looked at him. "Will you raise another one?"

Jiang Bo shook his head. "No. I can't keep it anymore. I can't handle another one. If it leaves, I'll feel empty. If another one comes, I'll leave before it. It won't wait for me, but I'll wait for it. It has good friends over there, Ah Zhen, Xiao Mei, and Xiu Lan. They're together, so it's not lonely. I have friends here too. My husband, my mother, and you."

Liu Ya blushed slightly. She lowered her head, picked up her coffee, took a sip, and tried to hide her embarrassment. Sunlight shone on her face, revealing her fair skin, almost poreless. Her long eyelashes, like two small fans, framed her face.

They sat for over an hour, talking a lot. She told him she taught ninth grade Chinese, a graduating class, and that the pressure was immense. Her students were mischievous but also adorable. She loved teaching classical poetry, especially Li Bai's. "Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return?" she recited, her eyes bright and her voice beautiful.

Jiang Bo told her about the cases he had handled. The women jogging at night, the women who had died, the women named Xiulan. He didn't go into details, only gave a general overview. As she listened, tears streamed down her face. She took off her glasses, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and then put them back on.

"They were so pitiful. Their families were even more pitiful. They waited their whole lives, only to receive a phone call saying, 'The case is closed. The murderer has been caught. They can rest in peace now.'"

Jiang Bo nodded. "Yes. They've waited their time. They can rest in peace now."

When they parted, Liu Ya asked for his phone number. He gave it to her. She saved it and dialed his number. His phone rang, and then hers rang too. She smiled.

"This is my number. Save it. We can chat again when you have time. If you're busy, you can send a WeChat message. I'm not in a hurry, you can reply slowly."

Jiang Bo saved it. She waved and left. Her back was thin, her ponytail swaying like a butterfly. She took a few steps, glanced back at him, and smiled. Then she turned around, walked quickly, and disappeared into the crowd.

Jiang Bo stood at the entrance of the coffee shop, watching the direction she had disappeared in. The sunlight warmed his face. Those names, those apologies, were all in his heart. Those people standing at the door watching were also in his heart. They were gone, but he remained. He had to continue. He wanted to get married, to have children, to tell those names to his children, to say those apologies to his children.

That evening, Xiuying asked him how it went. She said she was anxious; she had waited all afternoon, doing nothing but sitting on the sofa waiting for his call. She was afraid he wouldn't go, afraid the other woman wouldn't like him, and afraid he wouldn't like her. She imagined countless possibilities, each one keeping her awake at night.

Jiang Bo said it was alright. Xiuying asked again, "What does 'alright' mean?" He said, "Alright means alright, the conversation was alright, the person is alright." Xiuying glared at him. "You're just like your dad, you don't know how to talk. Back when I went on a blind date with your dad, he asked me how it went, and he said it was alright. I asked, 'What does 'alright' mean?' He said, 'Alright means alright, it means I'm willing.' Your dad is like that, not talkative, doesn't know how to flatter. But he knows what's going on. As long as he cares about you, it doesn't matter if he says it or not."

Jiang Bo smiled. "Mom, I didn't say I was unwilling. I said it's okay. I'm willing."

Xiuying smiled too. "That's good. Then let's date. In a few days, ask her out again. Don't just focus on the case. Cases are never finished, but you can only have one wife. If your father were still alive, he would definitely say the same thing. He would definitely urge you until you get annoyed. He may not say it, but he's anxious. He's like you, not talkative, but he understands everything."

Jiang Bo nodded. "Mom, I know."

He walked to the window and looked out. Those names, those apologies, were all in his heart. Those people standing at the door watching were also in his heart. They were gone, but he remained. He would continue. He would get married, have children, tell those names to his children, and say those apologies to his children.