Today, the old police officer didn’t come.
Instead, four young officers arrived, led by Xiao Li.
But unlike Chen Jinhui, who’s an outsider, and Xu Cigang, who’s a militiaman and a colleague of the police, Xu Cigang is also a familiar face.
Just last night, he rushed back from the farm, and everyone was drinking and chatting together.
Now he’s suddenly a murderer?
Xiao Li found it hard to believe.
He looked at Jing Jing Wu and asked, “Are you sure he killed someone?”
Officer Xiao Liu, wearing white gloves, said, “Where’s the crime scene? Where’s the victim? Take us to see.”
Xu Xiaomei was about to say something when Chen Mianmian let out a whimper,
“They’re all in it together. It’s useless. Just let me die.”
Police officers have to follow procedures, but the People act on emotion.
Chen Mianmian was stirring up the crowd’s emotions, and right now, everyone was full of anger.
Someone immediately asked, “Are you trying to cover up for a murderer?”
Someone else said, “Just because you’re all in this together, Xu Cigang killed someone and you won’t even cuff him?”
Jing Jing Wu added, “You released Accountant Xu early, wasn’t it because she had connections, some backing?”
Xiao Li coughed at those words, took off the handcuffs, and looked at Xu Cigang.
“How about…”
The two of them were friends, and Xu Xiaomei was also released on Xiao Li’s signature.
But when he let her go, he didn’t expect she’d stir up trouble and provoke the crowd’s anger.
Xu Cigang understood, and held out his hands.
“I’ll put on the handcuffs myself, okay? But at least tell me—who did I kill?”
In fact, the moment Chen Mianmian accused him, he felt a little guilty and pretty flustered.
Because at the farm he worked at, Rightists often died—it was human lives, after all.
But then he thought about it: the Rightists died of starvation or illness because of lack of food, so he felt at ease again.
He was only 21, and had truly never killed anyone.
So what was there to be afraid of?
Once he was cuffed, Xiao Li felt more confident and said,
“A murder case needs a crime scene and evidence. If there isn’t any, it’s just Propaganda. Comrade Xiao Chen may be a Pregnant Woman, but she’s also one of the People. She can’t spread Propaganda at will, and we can’t waste police resources.”
Everyone looked at Chen Mianmian.
“Yeah, who did he kill?”
Everyone waited for Chen Mianmian to reveal the answer, but she clutched her belly.
“I’m not feeling well.”
She pulled Jing Jing Wu along.
“Come, go to the restroom with me.”
The guesthouse had a dry toilet.
She had come here in the morning, but had been scared away.
Since she arrived in this world, she hadn’t peed once, and now she really couldn’t hold it any longer.
Inside the restroom, she glanced around and asked Jing Jing Wu, “Are there any escaped prisoners from prison around here?”
Jing Jing Wu was unfastening her pants.
“Of course. Especially at the Labor Reform Farm, Rightists often run off into the desert.”
Chen Mianmian asked again,
“After escaping, where do they go?”
Jing Jing Wu replied, “Either the militiamen bring them back, or the Wolves eat them.”
Chen Mianmian didn’t know how those who escaped into the desert survived.
But she was certain of one thing: “If I present evidence of Xu Cigang’s crime, he might get executed, so he’ll probably…escape!”
Jing Jing Wu nodded.
“He’s just a militiaman, a temp worker. He really might run.”
Unlike Chen Jinhui, who has an iron rice bowl and can’t afford to run.
Xu Cigang was just a militiaman.
He was still being tough because Chen Mianmian hadn’t shown any evidence yet.
But once she presented the evidence and he realized how serious things were, he’d definitely try to run to save his life.
Besides, he spent every day in the desert chasing fugitives, so he definitely knew how to survive.
Chen Mianmian looked at Jing Jing Wu.
“Help me out one more time. I’ll repay you in the future.”
The case had to be dealt with, but to prevent trouble before it happened, she needed to block Xu Cigang’s escape route first.
Her face was already sallow, and after being in the dry toilet, she looked even yellower.
As she walked back toward the crowd, she was thin but her belly bulged like a frog’s, and she gagged dryly as she walked.
Zhao Hui hurried over and asked, “Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
She hadn’t had time to reveal her identity, but she was worried about Chen Mianmian’s belly—after all, she was carrying the Zhao Family’s child.
The whole courtyard was packed with onlookers, who pitied Chen Mianmian, but what the People wanted was rule of law and justice.
Someone said, “Girl, don’t waste the police’s time. Just say it—who did Xu Cigang kill?”
Xu Cigang smirked and said, “I’m curious too. Go on, say it.”
Chen Mianmian began formally, “You work at the Labor Reform Farm, where many Rightists are held.”
Xu Cigang laughed, “Rightists are enemies of the People. They’ve been judged by the People. Am I supposed to pay with my life for them?”
Chen Mianmian smiled as well.
“Among those Rightists, there’s a relative of my ex-husband’s family. Since he arrived in Quancheng, every so often, he’d visit the farm to see and teach his relative, helping him correct his mistakes and become a new person.”
With just this sentence, Xu Cigang stopped laughing, and Xu Xiaomei became suddenly tense.
Because when Chen Mianmian started yelling about murder, they thought it was a murder case.
But now she suddenly brought up her ex-husband, making them feel a little guilty.
Xu Cigang licked his lips and glanced around.
Chen Mianmian immediately added, “Officer Li, he wanted to steal your Handcuff Key.”
Xiao Li looked down; the Handcuff Key was hanging at his waist.
He glanced at Xu Cigang and stuffed the key into his pocket.
Chen Mianmian continued, “To get to the Labor Reform Farm, you have to pass the Hongqi Canal, which is a big reservoir.”
Xu Cigang could no longer laugh, and his gaze turned sharp and fierce.
Xu Xiaomei suddenly became agitated.
“Chen Mianmian, you only went after Zhao Officer because he was good-looking and generous, and had money. You deliberately jumped into the water, forcing him to marry you. You’re such a bad woman.”
When Zhao Hui heard it was related to her nephew, she quickly said, “Don’t be afraid of threats, keep talking.”
Chen Mianmian wasn’t afraid at all and spoke even more calmly, “Because Xu Cigang worked at the Labor Reform Farm, he knew exactly when Zhao Officer would pass by the Hongqi Canal, and just happened to see someone fall in and go save them.”
Zhao Hui understood, “Someone deliberately followed Zhao Officer and plotted the drowning incident.”
Even though she was pregnant, disheveled, and sallow-faced, the supporting female lead was beautiful enough that even Wang Ximei couldn’t bring herself to kill her.
Her features were beautiful—she was a stunning beauty.
Someone in the crowd sighed, “Even a hero can’t resist a beautiful woman. Zhao Officer saved her, fell in love with her—it’s understandable.”
Xu Xiaomei added, “Right, she’s the mastermind! She fell into the water on purpose to trap the Officer into marriage.”
But Zhao Hui immediately countered,
“Why would she force the marriage? Was it to help you get five hundred yuan?”
The case perfectly matched the story Chen Mianmian had just told, and the crowd suddenly became master detectives.
Everyone said in unison, “Whoever has the five hundred yuan is the mastermind.”
Chen Mianmian nodded and continued, “I can’t swim, and if my ex-husband hadn’t jumped in to save me, I would’ve drowned. How could I dare take such a risk unless I knew in advance? So the answer is, someone tricked me into going to the Hongqi Canal and then pushed me into the water on purpose.”
The police can do small favors, but not make big mistakes.
It was starting to make sense, and Xiao Li put more distance between himself and Xu Cigang.
Chen Mianmian continued, “It was Xu Cigang who told me there were big carp in the Hongqi Canal, so I went to catch fish.”
Zhao Hui nodded, “He lured you there, then secretly pushed you into the water.”
Chen Mianmian nodded, “The water was deep and cold. As soon as I fell in, I passed out from the cold. Luckily, my ex-husband was a good swimmer, or we both would’ve died there.”
A male Comrade stepped forward, “Her ex-husband is a Military Officer. As a militiaman, Xu Cigang tried to harm a Military Officer?”
Zhao Hui said, “This is a very serious matter. It’s the same as Attempted Murder!”
Xiao Li was about to say something, but Xu Cigang cut in, “Hmph, it’s all just speculation!”
He looked at Chen Mianmian, “You say I pushed you into the water—do you have any witnesses or physical evidence?”
Chen Mianmian’s eyes hesitated, “If—just if—I have evidence, and it’s right…”
But she suddenly shouted, “Watch out, he’s trying to escape!”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xu Cigang bent over, looking like he was about to run.
But seeing everyone staring at him, he twisted his neck.
“Didn’t sleep well last night—my neck hurts, is that not allowed?”
People started working early in those days.
Though he was only 21, he’d already been a militiaman for three years.
He’d chased fugitives on the farm for three years—he had plenty of experience escaping.
Chen Mianmian continued,“He pushed me into the water—that’s Attempted Murder. And he followed the Military Officer, which is…”
Since she came from the future, she wasn’t used to framing people and got stuck.
Zhao Hui picked up, “Following a Military Officer is Enemy Agent behavior—Spy Crime! Just as bad as intentional murder!”
Xiao Li wiped his forehead, “If it’s Enemy Agent behavior, and it’s confirmed, he could be executed!”
Officer Xiao Liu looked at Chen Mianmian,
“Because it involves a life, you must have evidence.”
Police and judiciary weren’t separated yet, so the police still had the power to execute people.
But since it involved a life, the requirements for evidence were strict.
Step by step, the crowd realized how serious the problem was, and the scene fell silent.
But Xu Cigang suddenly became calm, even smiling,
“Where’s your evidence? Go on, show it.”
He sneered,
“Talking nonsense without evidence—be careful, or it’ll be two lives lost.”
Because Chen Mianmian had been acting hesitant, he thought she had no evidence and was bluffing.
But he didn’t know that, as a Lawyer, Chen Mianmian’s instinct was to find evidence.
Without evidence, with her shrewdness, she’d never make a move.
She continued, “When someone fell in, my ex-husband took off his clothes and Watch and jumped in, but because he was almost naked, when I woke up, I thought he was trying to rape me, so I kept fighting and dragged him all the way back to the Production Brigade.”
Zhao Lingcheng took off his clothes to make it easier to rescue her.
But when the supporting female lead woke up and saw him in just his underwear straddling her, she thought he was being a hooligan.
She ran to the brigade leader, crying and clutching his clothes, demanding an explanation.
In the end, Zhao Lingcheng agreed to marry her, and the matter was settled.
But that was just what happened at the time—what about the evidence?
Just as everyone was getting impatient, thinking Chen Mianmian had no evidence, she suddenly said,
“Officer Li, quickly take off Xu Cigang’s Watch, t…”
She immediately shouted,
“He’s running, quick, stop him!”
She really did have evidence, and Xu Cigang’s Watch was exactly it.
At the moment of truth, he didn’t hesitate—he bolted.
He knocked over several officers and onlookers, darting away at lightning speed.
Xiao Li didn’t manage to grab the Watch, so he drew his gun and shouted, “Stop, or I’ll shoot!”
The other three officers chased after him, and the crowd surged toward the gate.
But with a scream, everyone realized Xu Cigang hadn’t gone out the gate—he’d made a sharp turn toward the restroom.
A female Comrade was grabbing his wrist, struggling with him in a scuffle.
After a brief struggle, the woman staggered back, and Xu Cigang leaped high—only to fall with a thud.
Jing Jing Wu raised a ladle full of excrement and smashed it into the pit, shouting, “The murderer fell into the cesspit! Come catch him!”
The one who caught up was Zhao Hui—being a soldier, her reflexes were quick.
Xu Cigang was trying to leap over the wall, but failed and fell in.
Below was every Northwestern person’s nightmare—the dry toilet.
With a splash, he landed in the pit.
He tried to get up, but Jing Jing Wu hit him on the head with the ladle.
Zhao Hui, after glancing at the stinking pit, raised the Watch and rushed to Chen Mianmian.
Zhao Lingcheng was truly the only heir of his family—five martyrs, and only a sliver of bloodline left.
Yet his marriage had been the result of a scheme?
Fortunately, the key evidence had been seized by Zhao Hui!