The next day, before I had even woken up in bed, I was roused by a knock on the door. The police had summoned me to the station to inquire about Shun Ge's whereabouts.
Shun Ge had been murdered yesterday, and it was only today that the police came looking for me. Normally, this would mean the body had been discovered. But that wasn't the case this time. It was Shun Ge's wife, Hong Mei, who had reported him missing. She said her husband hadn't returned home all night and feared he might have taken his own life due to the issue with the red jade.
...
Such incidents were common in Ruili. People would gamble on jade hoping for a sudden fortune, only to lose everything. The police were diligent in these matters and had indeed searched the places he frequented, but there was no sign of Shun Ge. Because Shun Ge had mentioned my name to his wife, the police found me.
This woman, Hong Mei, was Shun Ge's wife. I had met her about eight or nine years ago. Back then, Hong Mei was not yet thirty and worked as a waitress in Ruili. Sharing the same northeastern accent, Hong Mei quickly became familiar with Chen Ashun and Li Dazhi, regular customers at the restaurant.
According to Hong Mei, Chen Ashun was a very thoughtful man. Within a few months of meeting him, Hong Mei had fallen for Chen Ashun and then actively pursued him. Their wedding was held in Ruili with few attendees: a few of Hong Mei's friends, Li Dazhi, and a few fellow villagers who were into jade. After marriage, their life was simple and happy. Soon after, Hong Mei became pregnant and gave Chen Ashun a son.
...
The police didn't suspect Shun Ge of being murdered. They merely asked me a few questions, primarily to ascertain his movements. However, the clues I provided were of little help. With no leads, they parted ways with Hong Mei and me. I took a taxi to drive Hong Mei back. This woman, with her loose tongue, wouldn't stop talking to me the entire way.
She spoke about Chen Ashun much like any wife who had lived with her husband for seven or eight years, though her complaints outweighed her praises. She grumbled that Chen Ashun couldn't make money and was too honest even to lie. When he sold jade, he was so straightforward that buyers treated him like a fool. She also mentioned that while Chen Ashun and Li Dazhi worked together, Chen Ashun lagged far behind Li Dazhi, who was a decisive and bold leader, while Chen Ashun was a weakling.
When women are in a bad mood, they tend to complain about their husbands. My mother was the same, so I was accustomed to it. However, seeing Hong Mei's incessant chatter made my heart ache. Chen Ashun had become entangled because of me. How could I possibly tell her the truth?
...
In the end, I didn't say anything. At the entrance, I met a man named Wang Yong. He was a bag-snatcher, not much older than me, about twenty-five or twenty-six. He had a somewhat mature face but lacked experience. Today, he had snatched two bags and felt he hadn't made much, so he was looking for Shun Ge's help. Since he couldn't find Shun Ge, he came to the house.
Wang Yong knew about the stolen red jade. He comforted Hong Mei, "Sister-in-law, don't overthink things. The loss of that jade isn't something that happened overnight. If Shun Ge wanted to kill himself, he would have done so long ago."
His words might have sounded harsh, but they were logical. Hong Mei's face darkened. "Then where could he have gone? Did he go to his old flame?"
"But I've never heard of Shun Ge having an old flame."
"Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. That's enough. You both go do whatever you need to do. I've already alerted the police. When he gets back, I'll make him kneel on a washboard."
Wang Yong and I left together. I casually asked, "If you didn't get any good rough, what use is finding Shun Ge?"
"It's just that Shun Ge has his ways. If these rough bags are too poor to be considered, they usually ask Shun Ge to help process them. Fifty yuan a jin."
"That cheap?"
"It's not cheap. These rough bags are also called kilogram stones. The bad ones are 120 yuan per kilogram, and the expensive ones don't go above 300."
An idea struck me, and I said with a smile, "I often buy rough bags from Shun Ge. He's my fellow villager, and he ships them north for sale. If you have a supply, we could connect."
"That might not be appropriate."
"I'll give you sixty yuan a jin. Think about it. I'll leave you my number."
...
Without Li Dazhi, I had no way to contact Qin Sisi on my own. It had been several days, and Li Dazhi had vanished without a trace. I didn't know if he had fled after committing murder or had some other scheme up his sleeve. He hadn't shown up at all. There was nothing I could do but wait. But unexpectedly, Qin Sisi didn't contact me; Wang Yong called. He had about a hundred kilograms of rough bags and asked if I would buy them.
At sixty yuan a jin, these rough bags would cost thirteen to fourteen thousand. I didn't hesitate and bought them. Wang Yong was overjoyed. I playfully asked him, "Didn't you say it wasn't appropriate to go around Shun Ge?"
"Where has Chen Ashun gone? No one has seen him, dead or alive."
"Where do you think Shun Ge has gone? Could he really have been murdered and dumped across the border?"
Wang Yong burst out laughing. "Brother, you're younger than me, and your mind is full of such wild ideas. Who would commit murder? Let me tell you, the circles have been buzzing lately that Chen Ashun pulled off an inside job."
"Because of that red jade?"
"We in the industry know exactly how much that red jade is worth. It's enough for Shun Ge to pull some tricks. My family is from Ruili. My father told me that when Hong Mei was pursuing Chen Ashun, Chen Ashun had lied. He was divorced, but he hadn't told Hong Mei."
"Divorced?"
"Yes. Chen Ashun had a wife. When he first came to Ruili, his wife visited. She was a great beauty. However, Hong Mei had her ways and managed to get Chen Ashun. Chen Ashun broke off contact with his ex-wife. Now that Chen Ashun has acquired a red jade, perhaps he wants to get his old wife back."
My face contorted with pain. Shun Ge wasn't looking for his wife. I couldn't explain, so I interrupted Wang Yong, "Alright, alright. Let's focus on business. Let's not slander Shun Ge."
"Slander? If Shun Ge truly went back to his former wife, I'd support him. What kind of person is Sister-in-law Hong Mei? She's playing both ends. If Li Dazhi weren't so difficult to handle, she wouldn't have married Chen Ashun, that wimp. Besides, she hasn't been idle since they married. Look at Chen Ashun's son, which part of him resembles Chen Ashun?"
I didn't want to talk anymore. What kind of friends had Shun Ge made? Usually, Shun Ge must have helped them a lot, but now that Shun Ge was murdered, these guys were truly disrespectful with their words. If it weren't for the need to deal with Qin Sisi and my plan to use these bag-snatchers, I wouldn't have bothered talking to them at all. My intention was still to tell Hong Mei about Shun Ge's death. I found an excuse to call her and arranged to meet at her shop.
Unexpectedly, when I arrived, Li Dazhi was also there, chatting intimately with her, looking very affectionate. When I entered, Li Dazhi greeted me warmly. I couldn't see any guilt on his face regarding Shun Ge's murder.
"Tang Nan, why didn't you tell Sister-in-law about Shunzi going after a thief? It's not a big deal."
Li Dazhi struck first, leaving me momentarily unsure how to respond. Seeing my silence, Li Dazhi didn't mind and chuckled, "Tang Nan, you're doing business with Sister-in-law. She wouldn't understand. Let's wait until Shunzi returns to discuss anything. I heard you're doing business with Wang Yong and the others. It's fine; it's not betraying Shunzi. It's business, and transactions are free."
Hong Mei chimed in, "That's right. My husband is too loyal to his friends and never grew up. He considered everyone a friend and often helped Wang Yong and the others without charge. Look, just a few days after he left, Wang Yong is already looking for a new partner. He should have grown up by now."
It seemed the words I intended to say today wouldn't be heard.
"Sister-in-law, I'm also in a hurry with my business. Since it doesn't affect my friendship with Shun Ge, I'll take my leave."
"Go, go, go!"
There was a clear tone of dismissal in her words. It seemed Li Dazhi had charmed Hong Mei, and even if I told her Li Dazhi had killed Shun Ge, she probably wouldn't believe me. I sighed in resignation. Li Dazhi followed me out, saying with a fake smile, "Let me see you off, brother."
"They're all ungrateful business associates, why are you seeing him off?"
"Brother Tang Nan is different from others; he's righteous."
"Oh, Dazhi, don't be like Old Chen, talking about righteousness in business."
"I know what I'm doing."
"I know, I know, how could I not believe you?"
I really couldn't stand listening anymore and walked away quickly. Li Dazhi actually chased after me.