160: Chapter 160 The Old Man in the White Shirt

The Old man in white shirt walked along, smiling as he said, "Isn't he quite easy to talk to?"

Zhou Jianjun gave a wry smile. "That's because he's being polite to you. As for me... he doesn't even pay me any mind."

"That's their loss. They don't understand grassroots work at all. They come to the grassroots to get things done, yet they ignore you, the village chief. It's no wonder they can't accomplish anything."

"Oh, that's why I say you're impressive, Master Han. Your mindset is just different—very humble and worldly-wise. Naturally, everything you do goes smoothly. Those guys are all so arrogant; no matter how high their status is, it's all nonsense. Come on, let's go drink some more. You didn't get to drink enough the other day."

Drink?

Han Jingyang suddenly felt his scalp tingle.

He really hadn't known before that people from Quancheng could drink so much.

Damn it, they drink 40-proof Baotu Spring like it's beer.

Although the taste was good, no one could handle that way of drinking.

That day, he had been forced to drink until his eyes rolled back before he even saw any staple food; he had barely managed to hold out until the hot dishes were served.

No, he couldn't drink anymore.

Damn it, they were all alcoholics; he couldn't outdrink them!

Han Jingyang hurriedly shook his head. "No, no, no. I have serious business today, so no drinking. Let's drink another day, let's drink another day."

Zhou Jianjun nodded with a sense of regret. "Alright, let's drink another day. Sigh, young people nowadays don't really drink baijiu. It's rare to run into someone like you who can hold their liquor. Practice more; it will definitely come in handy in the future."

"Alright, I'll definitely practice, definitely practice."

They arrived at Zhou Jianjun's house.

They sat down.

Han Jingyang got straight to the point. "How much do you know about Wang Jinliang's family of three?"

Zhou Jianjun countered, "Who commissioned you?"

"Official authorities, a legitimate investigation unit, local to Quancheng. They came on the very day the incident occurred."

"That section chief surnamed Zhang..."

"Zhang Zhiyang."

"Right, right, Section Chief Zhang. But Section Chief Zhang has already asked once, leaving no detail out, not even the slightest bit."

"It's fine, I'll listen again. The feeling of a written version is very different from an oral account."

"Alright then."

Zhou Jianjun didn't dawdle and began to recount the situation of Wang Jinliang's family of three.

The two were about the same age, but Zhou Jianjun's family was slightly better off, while Wang Jinliang's family was very poor. Wang Jinliang had only finished elementary school, and then, like most other youths of his age, he helped his family with chores and worked on construction to earn work points. Once he reached the right age, he married and had a daughter.

Wang Jinliang's wife, Liu Guihua, was also quite normal before. She was the daughter of a steel mill worker. When the steel mill worker passed away, Liu Guihua had nowhere else to turn, so she married Wang Jinliang.

Of course, looking at it now, Liu Guihua definitely didn't marry Wang Jinliang just on a whim.

After Wang Jinliang's daughter, Wang Wei, was born, she was a natural beauty. In middle school, she was very popular with the young men. She wasn't good at studying, so she switched to arts in high school and carved out a decent path for herself. However, ever since she went to university, she rarely returned home. The people in the village had almost forgotten what Wang Wei looked like, knowing only that she would send money to the old couple, Wang Jinliang and his wife, from time to time.

After listening, Han Jingyang felt there really wasn't anything special.

Even when Wang Wei had an accident, the couple, Wang Jinliang and his wife, didn't have any abnormal reactions; they were no different from other parents who lost a daughter in their old age.

In any case, it was just one word—normal. Everything about them was very normal.

Han Jingyang thought for a moment and shifted the topic to Wang Jinliang's father. "What's the story with Wang Jinliang's father?"

"Him?"

"Yes, you have an impression of him, right?"

Zhou Jianjun's expression was slightly awkward. "This, I do indeed have an impression, it's just..."

Han Jingyang pressed, "Is there a story?"

"Sigh, Wang Jinliang's father was named Wang Jizong. He was likely a man of culture, could write and paint, but he made a living as a Yin-Yang Master. He was the Yin-Yang Master of Dongpo Village; weddings and funerals couldn't do without him. However, you should have some understanding of the situation fifty or sixty years ago, right? Wang Jizong was beaten very badly, almost losing his life, and only settled down after that turmoil passed. Later, in order to make a living, he picked up his old trade again, but business was average, just enough to get by. Moreover, he died after only a few years, so not many people remember him."

"I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"You told me the other day that Wang Jizong borrowed six dharma instruments from the village and even wrote an IOU, right?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"An average person listening would certainly think it's fine, but anyone with experience in grassroots life knows that it's always the public sector owing individuals, rarely individuals owing the public sector. Moreover, fifty-some years ago, Wang Jizong was considered a 'monster or demon', so how could the village possibly have lent such things to him?"

Zhou Jianjun hesitated for several seconds upon hearing this question before sighing. "Because those things originally belonged to Wang Jizong, and everyone in the village knew they were good items. So, some village cadres took advantage of that turmoil to confiscate them. But later, for some reason, they stayed with the village committee as confiscated property. By the time Wang Jizong picked up his old trade again, two village chiefs had already changed. Plus, with Wang Jizong's special profession, they just took the opportunity to get off the hook and returned the items to him. The old village chief at the time didn't think about taking those dharma instruments back."

Han Jingyang smiled. "And then you took them back, right?"

Zhou Jianjun's old face turned red. "I had no choice. I had to ask for your help, and besides, those things were useless sitting at Wang Jinliang's house, so, so..."

"You know quite a lot of details."

"That IOU was written by my father. At that time, my father was the village accountant."

"Is there any other news about Wang Jizong? Or, Wang Jizong's father?"

Zhou Jianjun shook his head. "That's all stuff from the older generation; I don't remember much. Why don't you go ask the old men and women in the village?"

Han Jingyang: "I'll go later. Let's keep chatting."

Han Jingyang cornered Zhou Jianjun and chatted for over half an hour.

Then, he took Zhou Jianjun's list and went to chat with the old men in the village one by one.

These old men and women—the oldest was already 106, and there were over a dozen in their nineties, eighties, and seventies—it could be considered a village of longevity.

By the time Han Jingyang came out of the last old man's house, it was already past eleven o'clock at night.

On the way back, passing by Wang Jinliang's house, he saw that the courtyard was still brightly lit, and the Old man in white shirt and his group were still busy.

The Old man in white shirt saw Han Jingyang, revealed a big smile, and beckoned. "Young man, come in and sit for a while?"

Go in and sit for a while?

Why did that sound a bit...

And was that just an ordinary place?

That was the scene of a heinous murder that had just occurred.

It wasn't a roadside teahouse.

The vibe was very strange, okay?

However, Han Jingyang still turned in without hesitation and greeted him with a smile as well. "Old man, did you find anything?"

"What about you?" the Old man in white shirt countered.

"Nothing. I asked about a bunch of old, dusty, trivial matters, and nothing related to the case at all."

"Tell me about it?"

"Sure. Do you have water?"

"Yes, freshly brewed jasmine tea, Zhang Yiyuan brand."

Han Jingyang picked up the teacup and sniffed it; it was indeed quite fragrant. He took a sip, and it went down hot and rich in aroma. That refreshing fragrance went straight from his mouth into his dantian, circled around, and then sprayed out from his nostrils. The fragrance was lingering, sweet, and moistening.

Han Jingyang put down the teacup with satisfaction and began to tell the Old man in white shirt the story of Wang Jinliang's family.