"A police captain missing? What's going on?"
"It seems he went to investigate some rabbit case. They said a writer named Wang Zi came with the film crew this time, planning to shoot a micro-movie for his new work. I'm making a cameo appearance. The missing rabbit was eaten by the people of Taiping Village. Prince Wang was very angry and insisted that the local police station find the killer of the rabbit. So the police captain went out to investigate. But he went missing after only a few hours."
"Damn it, if a policeman is missing, the nature of the case changes. It seems this village is not simple, they even dare to lay hands on police officers!"
"That's why I'm calling you. I think our team will have to get involved because the director is completely clueless."
I said okay, hung up the phone, and then notified everyone, explaining the current situation. Gao Mingqiang was a bit reluctant at first, but when I mentioned that there were many beautiful women in the village, his attitude changed 180 degrees.
It seems this guy is a bit like Kogoro Mouri, but while Kogoro just likes beautiful women, Mingqiang is a foodie.
After we returned to the provincial office and tidied up, we drove a six-seater police car towards Taiping Village.
I planned to ask again personally, but I didn't ask everyone. In one household, I learned that Captain Wang was the village chief here.
This guy actually holds two positions. Isn't that against some regulation? kAnshu伍.ξà
I went to the village chief's house, which was Captain Wang's family residence, and met a woman named Yin Tianhuai, who is Captain Wang's wife.
She told us, "Before Captain Wang went missing, he came home. It was already 10:30 PM."
As she answered, I looked around the house. Compared to other village houses, this one was a bit more spacious. The appliances were decent, indicating that Captain Wang's living conditions were better than those of other villagers.
Most of the villagers here live in rags, surviving on farming and selling their produce for meager earnings. Their living conditions are very poor.
Captain Wang probably didn't have children, as only his wife was at home. I asked her, "Has Captain Wang been acting strangely recently?"
"He's been the same as usual. He's a very stoic person and doesn't talk much, but he's very dedicated to his work. It's quite an achievement that he's been promoted to captain over the years."
"How is your relationship?" As I spoke, my eyes went past her shoulder, looking towards the balcony.
"It's pretty good. Actually, he's very good to me. He doesn't dislike me even though I can't have children."
"Oh? Is that so? Then why can't you have children?"
"It's congenital... you should know, I'm a 'stone woman'."
Mentioning this, Yin Tianhuai seemed very embarrassed. I quickly changed the subject, "Then Captain Wang is indeed good to you. May I inspect his room now?"
"Yes, you can." Yin Tianhuai said this and led us to the room where Captain Wang used to live.
This time, no one accompanied me, so I was alone investigating Captain Wang's room. Yin Tianhuai seemed to be watching me from the doorway but didn't move.
I rummaged through Captain Wang's used bedding and found only one person's hair on the pillow. As I was checking the bed, Yin Tianhuai's expression seemed a bit strange, as if she was afraid I would discover something.
At that time, I didn't expose her. I just pretended not to know anything and quickly shifted my attention to the nearby dressing table. But at this moment, Yin Tianhuai became even more nervous, and her breathing became rapid. Her psychological fortitude is likely not very strong.
The dressing table was covered in dust, indicating that it hadn't been used for a long time. There was only one footprint on the floor, clearly Captain Wang's. Although a photo of Captain Wang and Yin Tianhuai was still hanging on the wall, I could tell that the frame had been hung up not long ago.
I turned back to Yin Tianhuai and said, "Why are you doing this?"
"What are you talking about? Officer He, I don't understand what you mean!"
"Stop pretending. You lied just now. Have you and Captain Wang been separated?"
"No, no, don't talk nonsense!"
"No? There are quite a few men's clothes hanging on the balcony, but none of yours. There's no hair of yours in this room, and the dressing table is covered in dust. There are only Captain Wang's footprints on the floor. All these facts combined can only mean one thing: you haven't been back for a long time. If I'm not mistaken, you are separated, aren't you?"
"You..."
I knew Yin Tianhuai wanted to say, "How did you know?" but I didn't give her time to finish. I stared sternly into her eyes, "I don't know why you're hiding this. Could it be..."
"I didn't! I really don't know how Wang Tianhong went missing!"
"Then why are you hiding it? If you do this, do you expect me not to suspect you? You must be dreaming! Come back with me for a while!"
"No, Officer He, I won't! Actually, I didn't want to hide it from you at first. But recently, Tianhong went missing, didn't he? If you found out that I had been separated from him for some time, I was afraid you would suspect me immediately, which is why I lied. As for how he went missing, I truly don't know!"
I observed Yin Tianhuai's micro-expressions and found that her facial expressions were normal, and there was no unusual movement in her hands or feet. She was probably telling the truth.
I changed my tone to a slightly softer one and said, "I want to know, why did you separate?"
"It's all Captain Wang's fault, sob sob. It's just that I can't have children. I admit, that's partly my fault, but it's not intentional. You know, we didn't know about this when we got married. After several years without children, I went to the hospital for a check-up and discovered that I didn't have a uterus!! The doctor told me it was congenital. Although it's rare, this situation does occur in our country. I almost collapsed on the spot. If it weren't for the nurse next to me supporting me, I probably would have fallen. I had heard of 'stone women' before, but I never expected this to happen to me! I remember leaving the hospital almost stumbling. I felt like the whole world was dark, and there was no hope in my heart, like a completely burnt tree. I didn't dare to tell him about it because I was afraid he would divorce me. You know, children are the core of every family. If I can't have children, then everything is finished. I knew Tianhong definitely couldn't accept it."