How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 306 - 308: Watching a Movie_1

Li Qiao chatted with a neighbor for a bit, then went home and sat under the grape trellis to cool off.

Not long after, Qin Jin came back with groceries and said while cooking, "You shouldn’t go back to Feng Family Village by yourself."

Li Qiao, "Why not? I was planning to bring some grapes to Maimiao and Daxue’s family."

Qin Jin mentioned Peng Chunhua’s child with a birth defect, and the old matter of the child again. "I’m worried that their family will pester you."

Li Qiao was speechless, thinking, why did you do it in the first place if you were going to regret it today?

She couldn’t sympathize with Peng Chunhua, considering how much gossip there had been in the village back then.

Peng Chunhua must have known the truth, but probably didn’t want to admit it, after all, raising one more child is not an easy task.

Now they want to acknowledge the child, probably to ask for money from the adoptive parents to treat their son’s mouth, right?

"I just won’t go back. Is sister still doing her business?"

"I haven’t seen those aunties from the village, you can ask them yourself when you visit relatives," Qin Jin said. "Those aunties are quite good at needlework. In a while, I’ll ask Fugui and the others to check out the nearby night market, and if it’s suitable for setting up a stall, we’ll have them make clothes for their own market stalls."

Li Qiao, "I’ll also mention it to the sisters."

"..."

....

After dinner the two of them strolled to the movie theater.

After watching the movie, Li Qiao was amazed. Although the filming technology wasn’t as good as decades later, the art style was fluid and exquisite, the plot tight, appealing to both young and old.

"Good movie," Li Qiao stepped out of the movie theater, her comment succinct.

Qin Jin agreed, and as the two walked back, they encountered an ice cream vendor stealthily selling his goods on a bike and bought two sticks.

They ate their ice pops on the way home, then washed up and went to bed.

The next day Li Qiao reported in, and Qin Jin went to meet friends.

"I’ve been looking forward to seeing you," Ma Ling said jubilantly. "You’ve gotten even prettier in just half a year."

Li Qiao smiled, "You too. You’ve gotten even more beautiful." She exchanged pleasantries with Ma Ling and then knocked on the door to enter Xun Dong’s office.

"We’ve had quite a few cases recently, so you’ll likely have to work overtime."

Li Qiao, "As long as it’s not until the early hours, I can accept that."

"We won’t make you stay that late." Xun Dong said, handing her a stack of files, "All these are cases from the past few months, take your time looking through them."

Li Qiao was frightened by the thick stack, wondering if she could free herself after the holiday was over. "Do we really have that many murder cases in our county?" She couldn’t believe it, the world seemed so peaceful!

"The two neighboring counties are also under our jurisdiction now. Did you see the extra car in the yard when you came in? That’s for out-of-town trips."

...

Li Qiao took the files back to her desk and spent the morning reading through all the information.

She chose to investigate a case that happened closest to the county city.

It went like this: In Xiong Village to the north of the city, an old man got up early to carry his harrow down to the fields and passed by the threshing field, where he saw haystacks burning with the smell of meat.

He poked with his hoe and uncovered the shape of a person.

After reporting it, the team went to investigate. There were no missing persons in the village, including the nearby ones.

"See any pattern?" Ma Ling suddenly leaned in and asked.

Li Qiao was deep in thought and got startled by Ma Ling’s sudden question, "Don’t you make any noise when you walk? You scared me to death."

"Nothing to be scared of in broad daylight, shall we go for lunch?"

"Yeah," Li Qiao closed the file and walked out of the office with Ma Ling.

"Li Qiao, welcome back."

"Welcome back, eh."

"...."

Colleagues from the next office greeted Li Qiao warmly.

Li Qiao responded with a smile, chatting as they walked.

The canteen’s lunch was appetizing with fish and meat, especially the spicy fish, which she enjoyed a full box of.

After lunch, she walked along the road with Ma Ling, sharing experiences from the past while.

"It’s so hot, we should head back," Ma Ling said, wiping off her sweat.

"Let’s go back."

Li Qiao returned to her desk, reopened the files, and thought about a case from Longwang Village in Wangxian County next door that involved a culprit named Ma Tian, who killed his wife and ran away, and despite extensive searches, had not been caught.

Two cases just a day apart.

Could the fleeing murderer be the person burned to death in Xiong Village?

She examined the materials closely again.

The deceased from Xiong Village was 175 cm tall, and the forensic estimation of his weight was about 125 kg.

The escapee from Wangxian County was of average height, slightly on the taller side, and a bit thin.

In those days, measuring height wasn’t popular, and in the villagers’ eyes, a man of average height was probably around 175 cm.

She remembered before she traveled back in time; a roommate had said her significant other was 180 cm and weighed 130 kg, skinny as a rail.

The deceased was only 5 cm shorter, but also 5 kg lighter.

Does that count as fitting the ’slightly thin’ characteristic?

She shared her findings with Ma Ling.

Ma Ling laughed and said, "You really like to think, huh? Two cases in two different places, how can you connect them?"

Li Qiao, "Similar height and weight, and only a day apart; is that a coincidence?"

Ma Ling, "Why couldn’t it be? Most of our young guys on the team are around that height and weight."

Li Qiao, "Still, we should tell Director Xun first."

Upon learning of the situation, Xun Dong said, "Both cases lack leads; heading in the direction you’re in isn’t out of the question."

Li Qiao had initially decided to go to Xiong Village first, but now she changed her mind and planned to head to Wangxian County.

Xun Dong, "I’ll come with you."

"Okay," Li Qiao and Xun Dong arrived at Longwang Village in Wangxian County to inquire about the murderer and asked the villagers whether Ma Tian had any connections with people from the neighboring county.

After some inquiries.

They actually found someone who was a sent-down youth.

That person said that Ma Tian had made a friend named Qian Wanguan. "The name is interesting; it left a deep impression on me."

Xun Dong became excited; several households in Xiong Village had the surname Qian.

With a name, it’s not difficult to find the person.

"What did he look like, do you remember?"

"Quite dark, with upper eyelids drooping downward, which made him look older. I didn’t notice anything special about his nose; the corners of his mouth also turned down a bit...."

Li Qiao quickly drew according to the description.

Soon, she held up the completed portrait and asked, "Is it like this?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I’d recognize that man at a glance if he stood before me."

Xun Dong thanked the individual, then returned to their team with Li Qiao.

Xun Dong was busy arranging for people to investigate Qian Wanguan.

Li Qiao wrote the investigation report.

Ma Ling waited for her to finish, then asked about the results of her visit.

"Got some leads. Wait for the investigation from our neighbor squad tomorrow," Li Qiao finished her report, submitted it, and it was almost time to get off work.

She had just stepped out the door.

Qin Jin came over. "Tired from your first day on the job?"

"A bit." Li Qiao talked about the investigation of the case today.

Qin Jin listened attentively.

After Li Qiao finished, she shifted her gaze and asked, "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Qin Jin said, "I’ll come to see you when I have time."

Li Qiao, "At most, I’ll work until the start of the school term and then go back. No need for you to run back and forth."

Qin Jin, "I don’t mind the trouble."

Li Qiao smiled, and after a while, as if suddenly remembering, said, "I promised to make skirts for my senior and her friends, but the beige fabric has not arrived yet. Once it does, can you finish my senior’s order first and deliver it to them? Their measurements are in the notebook in the drawer."

"Okay."

"I already collected the money, so don’t forget about it," Li Qiao reminded again.

"Don’t worry; I’ll make sure to complete your task."

....