Street Hustler and His Policewoman Wife-Chapter 147: Wild Fishing, Giant Catch

Chen Xiao thought Old Chen was overthinking.

Perhaps his concern was clouding his judgment.

Though he and Lin Xi also had their doubts, Old Chen definitely wouldn't be mistaken, as he personally sent Uncle Wan De off on the train.

But whether it's Wan De or not, it still requires professional forensic identification. After all, with a skull involved, age estimation and subsequent family identification can be done.

"Dad, you should go out first. The county bureau's forensic is already here, and they'll do an identification later."

Old Chen nodded but didn't leave: "I'll talk to Officer Huang. When the stone lions were placed at Chen Yuan's home, he asked for my help. I know some things."

Chen Xiao was a bit surprised.

He didn't have memories related to that, but thinking back to 1991, he was only eight years old.

The matter of placing stone lions at Chen Yuan's home naturally couldn't compare to the vivid memory of being chased around the village by Chen Yuan.

Old Chen went into the house and began recounting to Chen Ding the origins of the stone lions back then:

"The lions were requested by a fortune teller your dad consulted back then. He said placing two stone lions at the entrance would make your home prosper. But that fortune teller passed away a couple of years ago, and even the craftsman who made the lions has passed on."

Officer Huang was surprised: "They all passed away?"

"Only the fortune teller and the craftsman of the stone lions passed away. The old stone workshop is now the stone carving factory in our town. There should still be old craftsmen there."

Old Chen was explaining the situation back then.

After Officer Huang took notes, he looked at Chen Xiao.

But Chen Xiao had already turned his head away, as if observing something.

In reality, Chen Xiao wasn't looking at anything. Though he was pondering the case, not much of the case details came to mind at the moment.

He wasn't in a position to express any opinions at this moment.

Officer Huang understood his meaning and thanked Old Chen before walking out of the room directly.

Seeing this, Chen Ding said in a confused manner, "Chen Xiao, let's not talk about past grievances. I really dare to swear on anything that our family truly knows nothing about this incident!"

Saying this, Chen Ding's mind shifted: "No, it must have been that craftsman who made the stone lions. After he killed someone, not knowing how to dispose of the body, he hid it inside the stone lion!"

Feeling Chen Ding's panicked emotions, Chen Xiao spoke up: "Calm down. There is too little known about the situation now, and it's hard to conclude anything definitively."

Chen Ding wanted to say something more, but his elderly mother came out of the room, unable to restrain herself as she said anxiously: "What's it mean by it's hard to conclude, I think... "

"Mom, who let you come out!"

Fortunately, Chen Ding was clear-headed and promptly stopped his confused mother.

She felt somewhat wronged, and combined with her inherent sadness, tears flowed profusely.

Chen Ding frowned and scolded angrily, "What's the use of crying? Can crying bring Dad back? Now there is a mess to deal with. If it weren't for Chen Xiao being here, I would have been taken away by the police for investigation. I warn all of you, whoever speaks disrespectfully to Chen Xiao and Uncle Lie again, don't blame me for being rude!"

In the Chen Yuan family branch, Chen Ding still had some authority.

Everyone else lowered their heads. Chen Ding wanted to apologize to Chen Xiao and Old Chen, but Chen Xiao shook his head: "From now on, just cooperate with the police. If you encounter any problems, as long as you're in the right, you can call me."

"Alright, thank you very much."

Chen Xiao didn't say much more and left Chen Yuan's house with Old Chen.

Back at the stone lions outside, the county bureau's detectives had already used tools to cut open the stone lions.

No human bones or visible remains were found in the cut-open section of the stone lions.

Chen Xiao glanced at it and said to Lin Xi: "Let's go too. The county bureau's police will investigate."

Lin Xi seemed a bit surprised: "Aren't you interested?"

"Of course I'm interested since it's happening right in front of us. But many things are still in the investigation phase. Let's wait until Captain Li and the others have clarified some things."

Lin Xi understood his meaning and followed Chen Xiao back home.

Upon returning home, Old Chen quietly went back to work.

Even Mom spoke much less than usual.

Chen Xiao understood that their emotions were complex right now, so he took Lin Xi for a stroll elsewhere in the village.

While walking, Chen Xiao chatted with Lin Xi.

The two of them tacitly avoided talking about anything related to the case. When they ran into people in the village, Lin Xi would greet them proactively, bringing a round of compliments from the villagers.

After wandering around, Lin Xi, with her arm linked through Chen Xiao's, rested her face on his shoulder and said:

"Husband, living in the countryside is really so pleasant."

Chen Xiao smiled: "It really is nice; the tranquility is good for the spirit."

"Yeah, and both Mom and Dad love me. I feel even if I weren't a police officer, they would still treat me like a treasure."

Chen Xiao pinched Lin Xi's nose: "That's because you're also doing a great job. One-sided kindness never lasts long."

"Hmph, you know how to talk. But, should we talk a bit about the case now while we're walking back home?"

"What's there to talk about? Regarding the skull in the stone lion, my dad thinks it could be Uncle Wan De," Chen Xiao mentioned.

Lin Xi wasn't surprised. When they first saw the skull, she and Chen Xiao exchanged glances filled with that suspicion.

"Do you think it could be possible?"

Chen Xiao frowned: "I'm not sure, but if Dad's dream was any sort of omen, then I'm definitely worried. If that skull really is Uncle Wan De, he might not be able to handle it."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that the skull inside the stone lion will lead to a very complicated case. After all, the skull could only have been placed inside when the lion was being cast, meaning the case is at least a decade old."

"That's right, the investigation will surely be very difficult. And if the county bureau finds me later, this case will be the first true unsolved mystery I've encountered!"

Major cases, serious cases, and unsolved mysteries—such slight differences in terminology hold entirely different meanings.

Cases pending resolution are naturally termed as unsolved mysteries.

Chen Xiao had no experience in investigating unsolved mysteries, nor did Lin Xi.

While walking along, Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said: "Let's not waste our effort now. Case investigation has to continue after the victim's identity is clarified. Furthermore, the craftsman from back then has passed away, which will add to the difficulty."

"So let's enjoy this holiday first and deal with it afterward."

Lin Xi replied with a heavy "hmm," just as Mom called to say it was time for dinner.

When they returned home, the table was already set with dishes.

But neither Old Chen nor Mom had much of an appetite.

They had stayed in the village, and the mere sight of Chen Yuan's plight had already been enough to leave them struggling for a while.

It was only Chen Xiao and Lin Xi, accustomed to bloody scenes, who ate and drank unaffected.

After dinner, Old Chen took Chen Xiao and Lin Xi to the wild riverbank to fish.

Old Chen had been fishing at that wild spot for some time, claiming that if one arrived late, it would be hard to secure a good fishing spot and that there were huge fish in the wild river!