Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 99 The Missing Case

When Yang Honglin's wife got up, she found her husband wasn't in bed. She didn't think much of it; Old Yang often went to the factory before dawn, and sometimes she wouldn't even know he was coming back in the middle of the night. She walked around the room and saw that the wardrobe door was open, Old Yang's few changes of clothes were missing, and his suitcase was also gone.

The desk drawer was pulled open halfway, and many of the receipts and certificates inside were missing. She stood in front of the wardrobe, stunned. It looked like someone had suddenly encountered an emergency and gone on a business trip. Why take so many receipts? They hadn't even told her. Were they afraid of waking the child? She was a little puzzled, but only thought about it; she didn't call the factory.

The next morning, the factory office secretary brought some tonics to visit her. The secretary said with a smile, "Is Director Yang not feeling well? He didn't go to the factory yesterday. Several documents are waiting for his signature, so I came to see him today."

If the factory manager hasn't recovered, he'll come to report on his work another day.

The woman swayed, grabbing the doorframe to steady herself, and said in a hoarse voice, "Old Yang disappeared early yesterday morning. I thought he was on a business trip. Could it be some emergency that got him called away by his superiors?"

The secretary shook her head. "Even if something comes up from above, they'll call first. Did your wife's phone ring yesterday?"

Yang Honglin's wife shook her head.

The two stood at the doorway, looking at each other, both sensing that something was amiss.

The secretary quickly asked her sister-in-law if anything was missing from the house. Suddenly remembering something, the woman turned and ran into the bedroom, bending down to peek under the bed.

Those tea canisters are gone. Did Old Yang run off with the money?

She squatted by the bed, then slowly stood up, holding onto the edge of the bed. Her expression was as if she had swallowed a block of ice, and her lips trembled twice, but she didn't say anything.

Seeing that her expression was off, the secretary didn't bother to ask any more questions, put down the tonic, and ran to the police station.

Three police officers arrived and carefully searched the house, inside and out. The doors and windows were intact, with no signs of forced entry or struggle. The wardrobe was open, but a suitcase and several sets of clothes were missing, as were a work ID and a briefcase. The desk drawer was half open, and about half of the tickets and documents were missing.

I asked around among the neighbors, and they all said they didn't hear anything unusual the night before last. The police searched the area around the building but found no suspicious footprints and no witnesses.

The senior police officer in charge scanned the bedroom and then had someone call Yang Honglin's wife over for questioning.

The woman, still wiping away tears with a handkerchief, said in a trembling voice, "Old Yang has been in a bad mood these past few months. He doesn't talk much at home and often comes home very late. She was sleeping soundly and didn't hear anything."

Old Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li didn't get along; the two had argued several times in meetings. A few years ago, near the steel rolling mill, he was beaten and had his leg broken by someone named He Yuzhu, the deputy section chief of the supply and marketing cooperative.

The old policeman nodded after listening and wrote it down in his notebook.

The woman sat on the edge of the bed, her handkerchief slipping from her fingers and falling to the floor. Old Yang had abandoned her and their two children, taking all their money except for a savings book.

She covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently, and a suppressed sob escaped her throat. The police offered a few words of comfort, then she looked up at the empty bed, tears streaming down her face, and sobbed, "What did he do wrong? Why did he abandon them, mother and children?"

When the news reached the steel rolling mill, Li Huaide was sitting in his office reviewing documents. Someone from the factory office pushed open the door and whispered the news in his ear. Li Huaide's pen stopped moving.

Yang Honglin has disappeared. Half of the ration coupons and certificates at home are missing, and his suitcase and clothes are gone, suggesting he's absconded. But Yang Honglin is a proper deputy director-level official; why would he run away?

His first thought was He Yuzhu. Zhu Zi had a motive, and he was skilled. But he didn't speak, only grunted, put down his pen, and said he understood.

That afternoon, the factory held an emergency meeting. The old Party Secretary, who was on sick leave at home, returned to oversee the meeting and announced that Li Huaide would temporarily act as the factory director. He would report to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and issue an appointment document.

Li Huaide sat at the head of the table, with several documents spread out in front of him that Yang Honglin hadn't had time to approve.

The top document was a report from the Logistics Department requesting the addition of a purchasing specialist, and it was signed by him. Yang Honglin had been holding onto this report, intending to discuss it at the monthly meeting. Now that the report was in front of him, no one would hold it back anymore.

A few days later, the news spread throughout Nanluoguxiang, and the people in the courtyard began to talk about it. Jia Zhangshi sat at the door of Yan Bugui's house, sewing shoe soles in her hands, and told Yang Ruihua that the steel mill director, Yang, had run away a few nights ago, taking half of the family's money with him.

Yan Bugui was squatting at the door watering the flowers and plants. Hearing the sound, he looked up and glanced towards the courtyard, then lowered his head again to continue watering.

Liu Haizhong had already heard the news at the factory. Today was his day off, and his wife asked him if it was true, saying there were all sorts of rumors circulating outside.

He took out a small notebook, wrote a few lines, and handed it to Wang Caifeng: "Factory Director Yang has run away; Deputy Factory Director Li is acting in his place." Wang Caifeng took the notebook, glanced at it, and said, "Strange things happen every year."

In the courtyard, He Yuzhu sat under the pomegranate tree changing He Xiao's diaper. Ma Hua was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, the cleaver making a clattering sound.

Lou Xiao'e sat beside He Xiao, preparing formula for him, and rolled her eyes at her brother He. He Yuzhu chuckled, smacked his lips, and patted his son's bottom.

He Xiao waved his little fists, babbling and drooling. He Yuzhu wiped him with a clean corner of a diaper, which made Lou Xiao'e angry, so she hit him a few times and then took her son to feed him formula.

In the evening, Old Li came over with an enamel mug. He sat down next to He Yuzhu under the pomegranate tree and said in a low voice, "Zhuzi, have you heard? That Director Yang from the steel mill ran away a few nights ago. The police searched his house for ages, but the doors and windows weren't pried open. It looked like he packed his things and left on his own. They still haven't found anything."

He Yuzhu sneered. "Run away? I heard he was defeated by Li Huaide and ran away on his own. The police even came to ask me what I did to break his leg a few years ago."

Old Li paused for a moment, then chuckled, holding his teacup. "I believe you. Deputy Factory Director Li is a shrewd man; Yang Honglin is no match for him."

After seeing Old Li off, the courtyard quieted down. He Yuzhu brewed a pot of Longjing tea and sat in the courtyard, slowly sipping it.

Xiao'e came out of the house carrying her son, sat down next to him, and asked softly, "Brother He, did Yang Honglin really run away? Did he report you?"

He Yuzhu paused, holding his teacup. "I don't know. I suspected him too. But he's all gone now, and I'll be back at work soon, so let's not worry about these things anymore."

Xiao'e looked at him for a while, then rested her head on his shoulder and didn't ask any more questions.

He Yuzhu put his arm around her shoulder and gently patted her arm. The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of pomegranate leaves in the wind.