S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 2 Chapter 107

Love Murderer 14 – Grave

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“How could this be?” Zhan Zhao took the photo and looked at it for a long time. Bai Yutang and Luo Tian were also dumbfounded. If the person in the photo was similar to Zhang Ying, then it would be fine, but the two faces are almost identical and more importantly, the temperament of the two is exactly the same. When they think about the Zhang Ying that they saw a few days ago, she felt almost no pain and could move freely after being shot a few times. Zhang Miaomiao’s face in the photo hadn’t changed in thirty years. The woman in the photo had a faint smile on her face; it was originally a beautiful smile, but now it seems that it is indescribably weird.

“What’s the matter?” Xu Zhong and Xu Bao asked in a puzzled manner.

“Uh… Do Xu Tian and Zhang Miaomiao have a daughter?” Zhan Zhao asked.

The two brothers looked at each other, then looked at the old lady.

The old lady opened her eyes wide and walked over, “Officer, I don’t know. A Tian always told me that they didn’t have any children. I… If I have a grandchild, you must let me see them, otherwise I won’t be able to rest in peace.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other and nodded, then said that they were just asking casually.

Afterwards, everyone asked about Zhang Miaomiao’s situation, but it was too long ago and there was no special clue. Later, everyone left the Mother Tian, and split up into two groups. Ma Han and Luo Tian followed Xu Zhong to the wool spinning factory. The factory was still in operation and some of the old workers were colleagues of Zhang Miaomiao. Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao followed Xu Bao to the brick factory. The factory had closed and was turned into a cement factory, but it didn’t matter as their main purpose was to see the grave where Zhang Miaomiao was bitten.

……

“Brother Tian turned out to be very filial.” Xu Zhong told Luo Tian and Ma Han as he took them to the wool spinning factory, “I don’t know why he left his mother alone for ten years. Officer, tell me, what on earth did Brother Tian do? Did he do something illegal with Zhang Miaomiao, is that why he committed suicide?”

Luo Tian and Ma Han looked at each other, and Ma Han asked, “Have you never asked Xu Tian about what he did during those ten years?”

“I asked.” Xu Zhong frowned, “Brother Tian didn’t tell us anything and just told us not to ask.”

Luo Tian and Ma Han looked at each other, feeling a little strange. Logically speaking, Xu Tian had already caught the so-called vampire, so he could prove that the vampire was a human being. He could clarify things so that on one hand, he could prove himself and Zhang Miaomiao so that he does not need to be accused of being unfilial, and on the other hand, he could stay in the village openly and take care of his mother… Why did he keep it a mystery and not say anything?

“Haven’t Xu Tian’s ashes been found?” Luo Tian asked Xu Zhong.

“No.” Xu Zhong shook his head, “I only left a belt and a necklace pendant that year. Mother Tian bought an urn and buried it.”

Luo Tian and Ma Han looked at each other and stopped at the same time.

Xu Zhong looked back at the two and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Uh…” Ma Han thought for a while and said, “It may be a little inappropriate… but we would like to see those two things.”

Xu Zhong frowned slightly and asked, “You mean, dig up Brother Tian’s grave and take out those things?”

Luo Tian and Ma Han couldn’t speak, and everyone felt the same way; it was too unkind to dig up someone’s grave.

“Officer, tell me, what crime exactly did Brother Tian commit? He has been dead for ten years, why did you come all the way out to the country to investigate him?”

Luo Tian thought for a while, then said, “Xu Tian didn’t actually do anything bad. On the contrary, in the ten years of his disappearance, he did a great thing and saved many people. As for the specifics, we will tell you when all of the cases come to light. What we want to investigate is Zhang Miaomiao and Xu Tian’s cause of death.”

Xu Zhong was silent for a while, then said, “You guys comes with me! I will take you to dig the things out, but you can’t tell Mother Tian, or she’s going to cry herself to death.”

Ma Han and Luo Tian nodded. They followed Xu Zhong and turned around, walking to the mulberry leaf field near Xu Tian’s house. There was a small grave and a stone monument standing in the field.

Luo Tian was a little surprised, and asked, “He was buried here instead of at the cemetery?”

Xu Zhong glanced at Luo Tian somewhat surprised, and smiled, “Officer, did you grow up in a foreign country?”

Luo Tian opened his mouth, and Ma Han smiled. Luo Tian did not know what agricultural bases and land acquisition are. Although he is still studying hard, he had been isolated from the world for many years, and he still feels as though he is missing some common sense.

Xu Zhong got a few shovels, stood with Ma Han and Luo Tian in the muddy mulberry leaf field, and began to dig the grave where Xu Tian’s burial items were.

……

At that time, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were also standing in front of several graves.

In front of them was a small soil slope, overgrown with many weeds. There were several small graves among the weeds, which had obviously been abandoned for a long time.

Bai Yutang looked at the location of the brick factory that Xu Bao had told them, frowned slightly, and asked, “It stands to reason that Zhang Miaomiao didn’t need to walk by these graves when she got off of work that day, did she?”

“That’s right.” Xu Bao nodded, “We also wondered why she was bitten here. Could it be that the vampire dragged her here? But there is a house in the middle. I think Zhang Miaomiao came here by herself.”

Zhan Zhao walked to one of the graves and looked at it. He saw that the stone was broken and the writing had worn out, making it difficult to read.

“Whose grave is this?” Zhan Zhao raised his head and asked Xu Bao.

Xu Bao shook his head, “I don’t know. This grave was already here when we were born. The old man in the village said that it belonged to a few travelers that visited before. They died in the village and were buried here.”

“Travelers?” Zhan Zhao asked curiously, “Are there any old people who know the details? Can they tell us about it?”

Xu Bao thought for a while, then said, “Uncle Qi lives in the house in front. He is over ninety years old and he seems to know about it.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other with a smile, followed Xu Bao, and hurried off to find Uncle Qi.

……

As long as Luo Tian is there, any physical work will be done very fast; this is a sentence that Zhao Hu often says.

When digging Xu Tian’s grave, Luo Tian used a shovel to dig, and almost finished without stopping. His strength and speed stunned Xu Zhong, “Brother, you are so powerful!”

Luo Tian smiled and didn’t say much. Ma Han stretched his hand out and took out the urn that was dug up. He wiped the dirt off the top with a napkin, and looked at Luo Tian.

The three cautiously walked to the side, and Ma Han opened the urn.

The urn was made out of a good ebony, and it was well sealed, so there were no bugs or water in it.

Ma Han took out a leather belt from inside.

Luo Tian leaned over and took a look; it was a very old-fashioned belt, and judging by the degree of damage, it was often used by someone.

Putting the belt back, Ma Han took out a necklace; it was an ordinary silver chain that had a pendant on it.

“What is the pendant?” Luo Tian frowned and asked Ma Han, looking at the shape of the pendant.

Ma Han glanced at it, and saw that it was an S-shaped pendant, like a snake, with a cross in the middle… The all-black style was somewhat similar to the pendant that pioneers like to wear now.

Ma Han took out his cell phone, took a picture of the pendant, and sent it to Jiang Ping. After a while, his phone rang.

“Hello.” Ma Han answered his phone.

“Little Brother Ma, when are you coming back?” Jiang Ping asked, “What is that photo?”

“Help me look up the origin of that pendant, or it’s source or something, it belonged to Xu Tian.” Ma Han said.

“Okay.” Jiang Ping asked again, “Are Captain and Dr. Zhan with you?”

“No.” Ma Han replied, “What’s the matter?”

“Wow! Little Brother Ma, this timing is amazing!” Jiang Ping said in surprise, “I have processed the chip that Zhao Jue sent, and the contents have been extracted. When will you and Captain come back? Right now, none of the SCI members want to go home, even Bao Sir is shocked.”

Ma Han glanced at Luo Tian, and Luo Tian curiously asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ma Han couldn’t help being curious, so he asked Jiang Ping, “What’s on it?”

“You won’t be able to understand it over the phone, anyway, something happened.” Jiang Ping said mysteriously, “I’ll check the pendant for you as soon as possible. After you finish the case, come back quickly.”

“Hey…” Ma Han still wanted to ask questions, but Jiang Ping hung up.

“Provoking my interest.” Ma Han muttered dissatisfiedly, and said to Luo Tian, who was curious beside him, “Jiang Ping said that the others seem to have made a huge discovery. After we have been to the factory, we must look for the others and go back quickly!”

“Okay!” Luo Tian nodded. He put away the urn, filled in the excavated grave, and then the two rushed to the wool spinning factory with Xu Zhong.

……

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, led by Xu Bao, arrived at a small bungalow. The square white walls and the black tiles looked quite exquisite. The two small red brick flowerbeds at the door were planted with luffa and grapes, and the vines climbed all the way to the roof, looking very elegant.

A big yellow dog was lying at the corner of the house. When he saw Xu Bao coming, he stepped forward and started wagging his tail.

“Uncle Qi!” Xu Bao shouted at the door, “Uncle, are you there?”

“Uncle Bao.” At that time, a little girl with ponytails and a schoolbag, wearing a blue and white school uniform, walked over from the road.

When the big yellow dog saw her, he rushed over, wagging his tail. The little girl looked curiously at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, and asked Xu Bao, “Are they guests?”

“Yaoyao is finished class?” Xu Bao asked the little girl, “Is your grandpa here?”

“He’s inside.” The girl named Yaoyao put down her schoolbag and smiled, “You scream so softly, how can he hear it!” She said as she yelled inside, “Grandpa! Grandpa, Uncle Bao is looking for you!”

It didn’t take long for them to hear ‘tuk~tuk~’ sounds coming from inside. There was a skinny old man who was bent over, but still had a tough aura, who walked out with a cane.

“Huh?” The old man walked to the door.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang glanced at him, and secretly thought — ‘This will be difficult, the old man’s teeth are all gone, he looks a little confused, and his ears are not good.’

“Uncle Qi!” Xu Bao leaned forward, raised his voice, and spoke into the old man’s ear, “They’re here to ask about who the two old graves on the roadside belong to!”

“Huh?” The old man tilted his head and asked, “What?”

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were almost deafened, but the old man hadn’t heard yet and they were already a little frustrated.

“The old graves at the intersection!” Xu Bao shouted, “Who’s are they?”

The old man understood this time. Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao noticed that his brows were slightly wrinkled. He looked up at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao in front of him, then looked at Xu Bao and waved his hand, “Little child, don’t ask.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang’s brows trembled — A child?!

Helpless, Xu Bao raised his voice and said, “Uncle, you have to say it, they are the police!”

The old man frowned, took two steps forward, looked at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, and asked “What are you asking for?”

“Uncle.” Xu Bao said, “Don’t ask, tell them who is in the graves.”

The old man hesitated for a while, then said, “That… I’m afraid you won’t believe me if I say it.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other — There is something here!

“Grandpa, just say it!” The little girl seemed curious too.

The old man glared at her and said, “You go in and write! Children shouldn’t listen to the adults talking.”

The little girl wrinkled her nose and went into the house.

The old man sighed and said to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, “If you want to listed, I will tell you that the one buried in the grave is not a human being.”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

I love how this chapter bounced between the two groups, not letting you get too deep into the discoveries of one group.

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: May 31, 2021