Chapter 337: Chapter 334: Zhang Heng
Manâs actions can bring about his own ruin, as is the case with old Su.
He didnât bother to intervene anymore; it wasnât his car anyway. Crashed or not, so be it.
Fortunately, the narrative didnât hint that Su He would face a major accident this time, at least not hitting anyone, at most a minor scrape, nothing serious.
His dadâs car was insured, fully insured in fact, so if it got damaged the insurance would cover it. However, old Su would still feel heartache for a while.
The car was bought less than half a year ago, still considered new. Old Su cherished it dearly, besides himself, only his son had driven it twice.
Both were skilled drivers, never experienced a scrape; now it was Little Cotton Jacketâs turn, wondering if the Accord could withstand this.
Meanwhile, the police were actively investigating, broadening the search area, and finally found a bloodstain in a semi-abandoned orchard.
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Using special equipment for surveying, they determined that the first crime scene was under a big willow tree in the orchard.
The mud on the ground bore no traces due to rain, but bloodstains were detected on the tree trunk using luminal tests.
It was inferred that the victim was murdered there, then taken to a mud house nearby where the body was hidden and dismembered.
As for Zhang Heng, the police did reach him, but he said he wasnât local, having to work, so he couldnât return temporarily; if needed, let his dad handle it.
In Ning County Nan Kou Village, inside a red-tiled house, an old man, looking quite aged, was on the phone.
Time had left visible marks on his face; his temples were graying; his hands were thickly callused, clearly someone engaged in manual farming for years.
"Son, why donât you come back once? I know youâre angry, but the child is innocent. Now that sheâs gone, we need to bring the kid over, donât worry, it wonât affect you. Iâll raise him, and when itâs time for you to settle down, this kid wonât live with you."
Indeed, this was Zhang Hengâs father, Zhang Guoxin. Since learning about his sonâs ex-wifeâs murder, heâd felt a vague unease.
Especially when the police visited and casually inquired about their bone-carving knife, his unease only grew stronger.
Though aware that his son wasnât around, unlikely involved, as an old man, he couldnât help worrying.
And that unease peaked over the last two days.
The reason: his son wouldnât even return amid such a big incident, speaking in an unusually cold tone. More importantly, he used to seize any chance to see the child, yet now, when having such an opportunity, he seemed indifferent, quite abnormal.
"Dad, I need to work, maybe in a couple of months," a gruff voice came through the phone.
"Son, I think, no matter what, Xiaobo is our familyâs child. Now that his momâs gone, we should bring him back."
But at these words, Zhang Heng on the other end yelled in irritation: "Dad! Thereâs no need to discuss this. Donât you know what kind of woman Liu Xiaojuan was? Our kin? Hardly, who knows whose kid he is. When I get back, I need to arrange a paternity test, the bitch deserved to die!"
"Son... are you hiding something from me?" the old man keenly sensed a change in his sonâs attitude.
In fact, a little over a month ago, when he was hospitalized, he felt his son was troubled, but with no news then of Liu Xiaojuanâs death, he didnât mind. Now, he worried there might be a connection.
"Nothing, Dad, just focus on staying healthy. Weâll talk about this later, goodbye!"
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, old Zhang sighed involuntarily. Two years ago, his sonâs divorce and the ensuing scandal dealt a heavy blow to their family.
After toiling hard to buy a house, before the mortgage was fully paid, they had to sell it, half went to Liu Xiaojuan, plus the wedding betrothal gifts caused a significant loss to the family; even now, thereâs not enough money for his sonâs second marriage.
Yet, this wasnât the worse; the worst was his daughter-in-lawâs affair, which created quite a stir, leading to gossip among neighbors, tarnishing their reputation, and, considering his wife - Zhang Hengâs mother - wasnât in good health, the news crushed her, taking her life within half a year of the divorce.
In an instant, a once lively family of five crumbled to pieces; now with the son out working, grandson taken by his mom, itâs just him left, all feeling very disheartening.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the call, a robust man sat in a construction siteâs raw room, clutching his phone tightly.
The man was covered in dirt, dust in his hair, several days worth of unshaven beard, giving him an exceptionally downtrodden look, appearing simple, the kind thatâd be unnoticeable in a crowd.
It was Zhang Heng, currently working out of town as a mason at a construction site. Although exhausting, the job pays well, albeit dirty and tiring.
At this moment, he stared blankly, with traces of panic in his eyes, discernible upon closer inspection.
Three months prior, he snuck home, took several days to kill his ex-wife, and returned after disposing of her body.
Indeed, just as he had planned, no one discovered it, though he lived in fear for a while; during this time, he even returned home for a few days due to his fatherâs illness without anyone suspecting a thing.
He thought three months had passed; no one would find Liu Xiaojuanâs body, or even if found, no one would suspect him. But then the police contacted his dad for an interview, mentioning details like the bone-carving knife, as his father relayed.
This brought back his unease, intensifying as police calls increasingly reached them these days.
Indeed, Zhang Heng spent an entire month three months ago meticulously planning the murder, disposing of the body, escape routes, etc., with even nature in his favor, it rained heavily the night after.
The catalyst was when a coworker mentioned how different his son lookedâonce suspicion took hold, it wouldnât fade with time, especially this kind of suspicion.
Thus, during a visit home, while seeing his son, he secretly took hair samples, had it tested at an institution here, confirming no paternity.
To be sure, he sought a second institution for verification; still not biologically related.
Then a crazy idea emerged in this honest manâs heart; he wanted that woman to pay.
His motherâs death tied largely to her, and now the child wasnât even his, making life feel pointless, growing increasingly insane until reason was overrun by madness.
After killing Liu Xiaojuan, he was consumed by fear, but thanks to his detailed plan and familiarity with the area, he handled her body calmly without panicking.
During the crime and body disposal, he wore gloves throughout. He also shaved his head to avoid leaving hair behind and burned all his clothing afterward.
The murder weapon was buried in the mountains; finding it without his lead was impossible. The weapon, a bone-carving knife, belonged to their family, though long discarded, stored away by his father, who eventually thought it lost; retrieved, it was now rusty, the axe purchased from a roadside shop, everything meticulous.
But police actions grew ever more frequent, making him feel heâd be caught anytime, constantly tormented these days.
He longed to return home but didnât dare; despite everything, he still had to pay support for these months.
"Old Zhang, Old Zhang, materials are here, letâs work!"
At this moment, a coworker called out.
"Coming!"
...