Chapter 2, Autopsy Report

Zhang Zichen said: "You still have a way, we talked to him but he is unwilling."

I stood at the door watching my father's figure disappear before returning to the house. I turned into the kitchen, not to look for something to eat, but to see what medicine my father had brewed. After confirming it was medicine for treating a cold, I felt relieved and planned to return to the home of Elder Jin. However, just as I stepped outside, I saw Zhang Zichen coming over with Cheng Huaihuo. I welcomed them into the house and said, "Did you finish your questions so soon?"

Already returned to the mountains

"The old lady is quite ominous, take care of yourself, child." After my father said this, he sighed again, quickly got up from the chair, took an umbrella, and went out. However, after walking a few steps, he turned back and said he forgot to take something, and it took him three minutes to come down from the second floor.

The report was in Chen Xiaochun's bag. He immediately took it out and said, "Let's go, I'll take you in to have a look." He knew me well and understood that I was not only interested in the report but also wanted to see the body.

I returned to investigate the case, and it was only after Uncle Yu mentioned it that I understood. "Come on, let's go back and sit down." I pulled my dad back and had him sit in the chair. "Where do you feel unwell?"

The rain was indeed torrential and came unexpectedly, so even though the bamboo forest and the village were only one hundred meters apart in a straight line, I still got half soaked while sprinting with all my might. I took shelter under the eaves and looked up at the rapidly falling lines of rain, feeling quite melancholic, as such heavy rainfall would severely damage the crime scene, directly resulting in a significant increase in the difficulty of the investigation.

I asked Zhang Dahua: "Has the autopsy been completed?"

Your mother and your second uncle are in the mountains now, while your father has not been feeling well and is resting at home these days

"This is Xiaoyu's face; this guy has a big reputation and is a star of the village." Seeing me glare, Cheng Huaihuo coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "I originally intended to visit your esteemed father, but since he is not here, let us take our leave!"

"I guess he can't hold it in until he gets to the bathroom and is about to vomit. You are truly wicked, always dragging him in here," Chen Xiaochun said. Just as he finished speaking, a series of vomiting sounds came from outside. Chen Xiaochun burst into laughter, but after laughing, he picked up the report and instantly became very serious. "The deceased, Lin Weiye, aged forty-two, has a scratch on his left arm that is one millimeter wide and twelve centimeters long, with a gradient from deep to shallow. The upper abdomen is torn open, with a wound measuring twenty-two centimeters in length and thirteen centimeters in width, irregular in shape, and the heart has been removed. Aside from this, there are no other obvious external injuries on the deceased. The preliminary suspicion is that the cause of death was a sudden and immense shock..."

How could you be so unfilial? You are sick and still have to work? Aren't you going to stop this?

I had a common cold and after resting for a few days, I am fine now. With such heavy rain, I need to return to the mountains to bring your second uncle back. The village is facing such a big issue and they are still unaware. I am worried that your aunt might be scared at home alone

After adjusting my damp hair, I made my way along the eaves to find Cheng Huaihuo and Zhang Zichen. I had not walked far when I spotted Zhang Zichen. He was holding an umbrella and also had another umbrella in hand, intending to head towards the bamboo forest, probably to look for me. I called out to him, and upon seeing me, he hurried over, handed me the umbrella, and glanced at the evidence bag in my hand, asking, "Did you find anything?"

Solving cases is inherently difficult; sometimes criminals commit their offenses in just five minutes, while it may take us five days, fifty days, or even longer to crack the case, and in some instances, it may be impossible to decipher. The reason is straightforward: in general criminal cases, investigators typically start from the crime scene created by the offense, using items, traces, and information gathered from the scene and interviews to trace back to the type of person who committed the crime, as well as to understand the process and methods of the offense. However, the investigation and case-solving work is quite the opposite; it usually begins with the outcome that has already formed and then traces back to find the cause of that outcome, which is a reverse narrative. By starting from the items, traces, and information gathered from the scene, investigators aim to trace back to the type of person who committed the crime and understand the process and methods involved.

Then wait a moment, let's go when the rain lessens. By the way, could you tell me about the situation in the village these past few days? Did anything unusual happen in the days leading up to Grandma Eighteen's death?

My father looked at me in surprise for a few seconds and said, "How did you come back? Who told you I was sick?"

Elder Jin said: "It is truly difficult for you all to endure such heavy rain, but it has been a long time since you last returned, Xiao Yu"

I shook my head and said, "I don't know for the time being"

Cheng Huaihuo did not answer my question, but instead said: "Is your father alright?"

Zhang Zichen made a gesture and said: "Let's go, Xiao Cheng is at the home of Clan Leader Jin"

My colleague is asking, I ask you, how has Eighteen been lately? Is there anything unusual?

I suddenly felt a bit anxious, as I was unaware of the situation. My father hadn't called me, but there were no telephones in the village at all. Cheng Huaihuo noticed my concern and said, "Why don't you go home and take a look? I'm here for you!"

Child, I have been in the mountains for more than twenty days this month. You ask me if I am the most foolish. This rain is unlikely to stop anytime soon. I really need to go back to replace your second uncle; otherwise, if he returns late in the dark, it will be very dangerous. " My father sighed, "Why did they choose to investigate you in this case? Is it to avoid suspicion?

I opened the umbrella and walked ahead to lead the way. In less than two minutes, we arrived at the home of the clan leader, Jin. This is a typical Miao-style "stilted building," entirely made of wood, consisting of three levels. From the outside, it appears quite dilapidated, perhaps due to being passed down through generations. In fact, every household's house is similar, with the oldest having a history of over 200 years. Looking at the entire village, the essence of the original ecology is very strong.

I said: "I am busy with work, and my parents spend all day in the mountains tending to the sheep. So when I come back, I am alone, which is why I visit less often"

Take the simplest example: counting backward from one hundred to one is certainly slower than counting forward from one to one hundred, and the likelihood of making mistakes is greater. In any case, the less information one has in an investigation, the longer it will take to solve the case. The most crucial sources of information are the crime scene, the murder weapon, and the body. Rain can destroy the majority of outdoor crime traces and evidence.

This is a fat man, short and round in stature, with severely distorted facial muscles, slightly bulging eyes, and a wide-open mouth, looking as if he died from shock. Although his belly has been treated, it still appears shocking, just as Zhang Zichen had originally told me, with a very irregular and bizarre large hole in the center. Cheng Huaihuo could no longer bear it at that moment, forcefully breaking free from my hand and saying, "There are three urgent matters for a person; I need to use the restroom first, you all continue." His belly, although treated, still looked shocking, just as Zhang Zichen had originally described, with a very irregular and bizarre large hole in the center. Cheng Huaihuo could no longer bear it at that moment, forcefully breaking free from my hand and saying, "There are three urgent matters for a person; I need to use the restroom first, you all continue."

The condition to avoid suspicion is not... What is the issue I am investigating? This is my job

Please bring my second uncle back; my aunt is home alone. It's a difficult situation. You should still let me know how things are on your side

Upon entering, I immediately saw the chieftain Jin Yu, who was over fifty years old, dressed in traditional Miao attire, with very dark skin. He was sitting in a bamboo chair in the middle of the living room, smoking opium. Cheng Huaihuo was sitting next to him, with a notebook on his lap taking notes. I quickly walked over, pulled up an empty bamboo chair, and sat down on the other side, greeting Chieftain Jin. I called him Uncle Yu, speaking in Mandarin rather than Miao, as both Cheng Huaihuo and Zhang Zichen could not understand Miao.

Half an hour later, Cheng Huaihuo, Zhang Zichen, and I arrived outside the cold storage room of the town's people's hospital, the place where forensic work is conducted. Of course, this is not an authentic forensic room, and generally speaking, small towns do not have forensic experts; only the county seat does. In the event of a homicide in a small town, a forensic expert will only come down if an autopsy is required. If there are no technical issues and the number of tests needed is minimal, the body will be kept at the local hospital as much as possible. It is only when there are technical problems that the body will be transported to the county.

Cheng Huaihuo was reluctant to go, so I forcibly dragged him into the cold storage room. The temperature inside was very low, and a strong smell of formaldehyde permeated the air. The body was placed in the body refrigerator. Chen Xiaochun pulled out the freezer and moved the body, along with the body bag, to the workbench. He then quickly unzipped the body bag, and suddenly a male corpse, appearing to be in his forties, was revealed before our eyes.

Zhang Dahua said: "The report has already been completed, and just as I was about to leave, you barged in."

I can't believe it, is it really like this? What terrifying thing did he see before he died? To be honest, I do not wish for this outcome, because if the cause of death was a sudden shock, then the disembowelment occurred after death. If the person is already dead, why is the murderer still so cruel? While thinking this, I asked aloud: "Did the deceased have any heart or cerebrovascular diseases?"

I hurriedly left the home of the Jin clan leader, holding an umbrella as I made my way back home. It was just two alleys, so I arrived quickly. When I pushed open the door, I saw my father, Jin Yemin, looking as if he was about to go out. I had originally thought he would be lying in bed in poor condition, but seeing him full of energy, I felt relieved. I said, "Dad, where are you going? It's pouring rain; you shouldn't be out and about if you're sick!"

I returned the afternoon before her death; I don't know, doesn't Uncle Yu know?

Forensic experts are a scarce talent; a county typically has only three or four. I happen to know both of the two in the cold storage room, Zhang Dahua and Chen Xiaochun. Although we have a good relationship, we never shake hands, let alone hug, because they always carry an unbearable smell of decay, which they themselves cannot detect. Of course, even if they could smell it, it wouldn't matter; they can eat in front of corpses and enjoy their meals. If it were me, I would choose to starve.

Cheng Huaihuo directly handed the notebook to me. As I looked through it, I found it filled with worthless records. When I returned the notebook, Cheng Huaihuo said, "The clan leader Jin has already expressed his stance. If it does not rain tomorrow, he will do his best to mobilize the villagers to search for the old lady's body."

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the cold storage. I may not believe what Zhang Zichen said, but would a forensic expert speak carelessly?

"It can only be determined after testing." After hesitating for a few seconds, Chen Xiaochun said softly, "There are some things I don't know whether to say or not. The wound on the deceased's abdomen is very strange; it doesn't match any sharp or blunt instruments I know. It looks as if it was directly torn open by hand, yet I can't find any other tissues or skin flakes apart from those of the deceased. Don't you think that's odd?"