Po Sir's Police Affairs: The Hunter

Xiuying was the first to know that Jiang Bo was getting married, followed by her husband, and finally Liu Tong.

After hanging up the phone, Xiuying sat alone on the sofa for a long time. The room was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall. She held the notebook, opening it, closing it, and opening it again. Those names, those apologies, she had read them countless times, each time bringing tears to her eyes. But today was different; today were tears of joy. She wiped her eyes, then wiped them again, but they wouldn't dry. She stood up, went into the kitchen, and started kneading dough. She was going to make dumplings, pork and cabbage filling. She made a lot, filling the entire table, enough for four or five people. She couldn't eat that many by herself, but she still made them. She had made dumplings her whole life, and waited her whole life. She had waited for her son to get married, and she could wait for her grandson to be born.

The next morning, Jiang Bo went to see his husband. He wanted to tell him that he was getting married. His husband was getting old, and he was afraid that his husband wouldn't live to see him again. He wanted to make him happy.

In the morning light, the old pontoon bridge resembled a forgotten ruin. The bulldozers were still there, their rust deepened. The weeds lay flat on the ground, yellow and dry, blown by the wind. The door of the small house was open, and the light was still on. The gentleman sat in the doorway, wearing his dark overcoat, his hair completely white. In front of him lay the notebook, its blue cover badly worn. He saw Jiang Bo's car, stood up, and, supporting himself on the doorframe, made way for him. His movements were slow, his knees creaking, but there was a light in his eyes, as if he were waiting for something.

"You're here? So early. It's not the weekend, aren't you at work?"

Jiang Bo got out of the car and walked over. "Sir, I'm getting married. I came to tell you. Are you happy?"

The teacher paused. His hand hovered in the air, the pen tip pointing at the notebook, not falling. His fingers trembled slightly. He looked up at Jiang Bo, staring at him for a long time. His eyes were cloudy, but there was still light in them.

"I'm happy. I'm so happy. If your dad knew, he'd be happy too. He's waited for you all these years, and you're finally getting married. He's watching you from heaven; he must be smiling. Your smile is just like his, with your eyes crinkling."

Jiang Bo's tears streamed down his face. "Sir, please write down a name for me. Write Liu Ya's name in it. She's not dead; she's alive. But she wants to be remembered too. She said she wants to remember those names for me, to say those 'I'm sorry's for me. She wants to be remembered too. Please write it down for me."

The man lowered his head, opened his notebook, and picked up a pen. He wrote slowly, each stroke deliberate, as if carving characters. "Liu Ya." Next to it was the date, and below that, "Thank you."

Jiang Bo looked at the name, at those three words, and said, "Thank you." Tears streamed down his face. "Sir, thank you. You remember so many people, and you remember her too. She was a good girl. If my father were alive, he would have loved her too."

The man nodded. "Okay. I'll remember. I'll remember for you. You remember for us. Those names, those apologies, someone has to remember them. If no one remembers, they're truly gone. I'm old, I can't remember anymore. You remember for me. You remember for all of us. Liu Ya remembers for you too. You all remember together."

Jiang Bo stood up and walked to the riverbank. The river water shimmered in the sunlight, flowing gently. Those names, those apologies, were all in his heart. Those people who stood at the door watching were also in his heart. They were gone, but he remained. He was going to get married. He was going to have a child. He would tell those names to his child, and he would tell his child those apologies.

After hearing the news, Liu Tong was stunned for a long time. He sat in front of the computer, holding a steamed bun in his hand, without taking a bite. He stared at Jiang Bo, his eyes wide open.

"Polish Sir, you're getting married? Really? You're not kidding, are you? You've never mentioned having a girlfriend. This is so sudden."

Jiang Bo sat opposite him. "Really. I'm not kidding. Her name is Liu Ya, she's a teacher. She teaches Chinese. My mom introduced us. We've met a few times already. She's a very nice and kind person. She was willing to listen to me talk about those cases, willing to go with me to the old pontoon bridge, and willing to help me remember those names. She said she doesn't want a big house, doesn't want savings, doesn't want time, doesn't want romance. She just wants me."

Liu Tong swallowed the steamed bun. "Officer, you've met a good person. You should cherish him. Don't just focus on the case, spend more time with him. He doesn't want anything from you, he wants you as a person. Isn't that what makes you valuable? You've solved so many cases, saved so many people. You're valuable."

Jiang Bo smiled. "I know. I will cherish it. Come to the wedding banquet on our wedding day. Make sure your red envelope is generous, don't be stingy. You earn more than me, you have to contribute."

Liu Tong smiled. "Don't worry. I'll definitely give you a big red envelope. I've been saving up for years, just waiting for this day. You'd better pick an auspicious day, don't have one when a case happens. If a case happens on your wedding day, your bride will be unhappy. She might not say it, but she'll definitely feel wronged."

Jiang Bo nodded. "No, I'll arrange it."

That evening, Jiang Bo arranged to meet Liu Ya under the Yangtze River Bridge. It was his favorite place, and also Tangyuan's favorite place. He parked the car next to the bridge pier and turned off the engine. The river water shimmered silver in the moonlight, flowing slowly. A breeze blew by, carrying the fishy smell of the river. Liu Ya sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window.

"Why did you ask me to come here? It's so dark here. There's no one else around."

Jiang Bo unbuckled his seatbelt. "Get out. I'll show you somewhere."

Liu Ya followed him out of the car. He took her hand and led her to the riverbank. Moonlight shone on the river, shattering into pieces of silver. He pointed to the river.

"This is where my father died. He died here, pushed into the river. His clothes and bloodstains were found on the rocks. His body was never found. He may have drifted downstream, or he may have sunk to the bottom of the river. I don't know. But I come here every year, stand here, and talk to him. I don't know if he can hear me. But I believe he is still here."

Liu Ya squeezed his hand. "He can hear you. He can hear you when you speak in your heart. He can hear you when you call his name. He can hear you when you cry. He can feel you, and you can feel him. He's right beside you, in your heart."

Jiang Bo's tears streamed down his face. "I will bring you here, bring my children here. I will let them know that their grandfather was a policeman, a good man. He died by the river, but he did not die in vain. He uncovered the truth. He saved many people."

Liu Ya also cried. "I will tell our children. Let them remember their grandfather, remember those names, remember those 'I'm sorry.' Let them continue to remember, continue to pass it on. Keep passing it on, it can't be broken."

Jiang Bo hugged her. The wind was cold, but her body was warm.

He began preparing for the wedding.

Xiuying was more anxious than him. She called every day, asking this and that. How much should the bride price be? How should the wedding room be decorated? Which company should we book the banquet for? What brand of wedding candy should we buy? She made a list, densely packed, more numerous than the names on the list. She visited every hotel and residential complex in Jiangcheng. She had lost a lot of weight, but her spirits were high. She said she had been waiting for this day for a long time. She wasn't afraid of being tired. She was afraid that this day would never come.

The gentleman was happy for him. He took out the notebook, turned to Liu Ya's name, and looked at it for a long time. He said he wanted to write a couplet as a congratulatory gift for Jiang Bo. He wrote very slowly, stroke by stroke. The first line: The river flows on, recording the grievances of a thousand years. The second line: Mirror Lake remains forever, witnessing a lifetime of love. The horizontal scroll reads: The lamp shines eternally.

Jiang Bo looked at the couplet, tears welling up in his eyes. "Sir, thank you. Your calligraphy is still so beautiful. I appreciate your kindness. I will frame it and hang it in the living room so I can look at it every day."

The man smiled. "You go ahead with your work. Those cases aren't closed yet. Those names aren't all memorized. Once you're done, come back and get married. Your mother will handle the arrangements. She's more anxious than you are, and more anxious than I am. She can't wait for you to get married tomorrow. She just wants to see you settle down and have children. She's waited her whole life, and now it's finally happening. It hasn't been easy for her."

Jiang Bo nodded. "Sir, I know. I won't let her down."

Liu Ya was busy too. She was busy choosing a wedding dress, rings, and invitations. She asked Jiang Bo what kind he liked, and Jiang Bo said, "Whatever you like." She said, "This is a matter for both of us; it can't be just me liking it." Jiang Bo thought for a moment and said, "Simple is fine." She smiled and said, "I knew you'd say that." So she chose a simple white wedding dress, without lace or sequins, clean and simple. She chose a pair of plain silver rings, without any patterns or decorations. She chose a plain white invitation with only one line: Jiang Bo and Liu Ya, now husband and wife. Time and place. She didn't want any extra words written on it.

Jiang Bo looked at the wedding invitation and smiled. "Simple is best. You understand me."

Liu Ya looked at him. "I don't understand you. But I'm willing to listen to you, willing to go to the old pontoon bridge with you, willing to help you remember those names. I don't understand you, but I'm willing. Is there anything you're unwilling to do?"

Jiang Bo shook his head. "No. I'm willing to do anything. I'm willing to do anything with you."

They decided to get married in mid-November. The fortune teller calculated the date, saying it was an auspicious day for marriage, with no taboos. He had consulted the old almanac, checking each character one by one. He said he checked it several times and it was correct.

Xiuying began preparing her dowry. She took out all her savings and borrowed some more. She said she couldn't let Liu Ya's family think they were stingy. Jiang Bo said, "Mom, you don't need to borrow. I have money." She said, "Your money is yours, and my money is mine. I'll use my money for your wedding. You don't need to worry about it."

Jiang Bo couldn't persuade her otherwise. He knew she had waited her whole life for a grand wedding. If he didn't let her have one, she would be sad. If he let her, she would be happy. So he let her have one.

Liu Ya's parents came from their hometown and met Jiang Bo. They were very satisfied, saying the boy was honest, not talkative, but had a bright light in his eyes. Xiu Ying was also satisfied, saying Liu Ya's mother was also an honest person, and talking to her was easy. Both children were honest, so they wouldn't quarrel in the future. Even if they did quarrel, it would be a small quarrel, not a big fight. She was relieved.

The day before the wedding, Jiang Bo went to the old pontoon bridge again.

He went alone. The sky was overcast, threatening rain. The wind was strong, blowing the withered grass wildly. The gentleman sat at the door, holding the notebook. When he saw Jiang Bo, he stood up, leaned against the doorframe, and ushered him inside.

"You're here? You're getting married tomorrow, what are you doing here? Instead of staying home and preparing, you're here. Your mother will scold you."

Jiang Bo walked over and sat down beside him. "Sir, I can't sleep. I wanted to talk to you. I'll feel better after we talk. I'll be able to rest easy tomorrow."

The man looked at him. "What did you say? Go ahead. I'm listening. Your father used to be like that too; he couldn't sleep when something big happened. He came to me and said, 'Teacher, I can't sleep, I want to talk to you.' Then he left. The next day he was full of energy, and nothing had happened."

Jiang Bo's tears streamed down his face. "Sir, did my dad ever tell you whether he was nervous when he wanted to get married? Was he afraid?"

The man thought for a moment. "He said he wasn't nervous. He said he'd made up his mind about your mother, so there was nothing to be nervous about. He was just afraid he wasn't good enough for her. He said your mother is a good girl, and he couldn't let her down. He said he'd only ever have her in his life."

Jiang Bo lowered his head. "I've made up my mind too. I've decided on Liu Ya. I won't let her down."

The man nodded. "Okay. You're just like your father. Once you've made up your mind, you don't look back. Once you've chosen someone, you don't let go. Go ahead. You're getting married tomorrow, be happy. Those names, those apologies, put them aside for now. Remember them the day after tomorrow, we'll talk about them then. Tomorrow is your special day, just think about your bride."

Jiang Bo stood up. "Sir, I'm leaving. Come to the wedding tomorrow. My mother has reserved a table for you, the very front one. You should dress nicely, don't wear that coat anymore. Wear something new, something more presentable."

The man smiled. "Okay. I'll change. I have a new coat that I bought a few years ago, but I haven't been able to bear wearing it. I'll wear it tomorrow. You can go now. Drive carefully."

Jiang Bo turned around, walked to the car, and glanced back. The door to the small house was open, and the man stood in the doorway, waving. The lamp was still on. Like a star, like an eye, like someone who had been waiting for a long time.

He got into the car, started the engine, and drove off the old pontoon bridge. Tomorrow, he was getting married.