Chapter 569: Scorn from the Bones

Chen Xiao noticed that it was an elderly woman.

Perhaps it was the family upheavals in recent years.

Or perhaps the elderly woman had displayed many strange behaviors since she was young.

To the extent that her face was somewhat terrifying.

Small eyes, a face full of wrinkles, with a hunched back, peering out from the doorway.

It always felt like she wasn’t the kind of person who could walk out into the sunlight.

As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart.

Chen Xiao had seen similar old people in his childhood village.

And such old people usually become almost enemies with the whole village from a young age, always calculating and never compromising an inch.

Chen Xiao glanced back at her again.

Seeing no intention of her coming out, he still decided to first visit Chang Quezi’s house.

As for Zhu Nianying’s parents.

Chen Xiao was not too optimistic about them in his heart.

He even suspected that once he inquired about Zhu Nianying, her parents might react extremely negatively and blame all the disasters on Zhu Nianying.

Chen Xiao followed the villagers of Zhu He Village.

That villager was an idler in the village, spending any money he got either on the card table or at the drinking table.

Of course, such idlers also liked to climb the windows of left-behind women at night.

For example, Zhu the Third, whom Chen Xiao hired, was bragging all the way about the beds he had shared in Zhu He Village.

He looked quite proud of himself.

Chen Xiao and Old Gui listened indifferently, paying little heed to what Zhu the Third said.

Finally, after traveling about seven or eight li.

Zhu the Third pointed to a two-story house inside and shouted:

"Boss, stop the car, we’ve reached Chang Quezi’s house!"

Old Gui stopped the car.

Chen Xiao looked at the small two-story western-style building, and compared it to the nearby houses, he couldn’t help but say:

"Chang Quezi’s house conditions aren’t bad."

"Of course, his father has been with the village committee for years, and they also run a business at home. How could their conditions be bad?"

Chen Xiao pursed his lips, and Zhu the Third seemed to grow increasingly jealous of Chang Quezi:

"Their family just fears being reported. Otherwise, they would have had three or four cars by now!"

As long as someone is involved in a case.

Whether important information or not, Chen Xiao liked to inquire.

So when he heard Zhu the Third say this, he didn’t hurry to get out but asked in the car:

"Does Chang Quezi stay all year in Zhu Guan Town?"

"Not really, he occasionally takes his wife out. I heard he’s been to many big cities, even abroad!"

Seeing the envy in Zhu the Third’s eyes, Chen Xiao continued to ask:

"Does he always boast about his trips when he comes back?"

"Haha, whenever he visits a new place, he makes sure the entire town knows. People just love showing off!"

Zhu the Third spoke with spittle flying everywhere.

Chen Xiao chuckled, "I heard he’s quite the stickler, doesn’t matter how much time passes, if someone owes him money they must repay, right?"

"Exactly, I once borrowed 500 from him, and with compounded interest, it grew to 1500! I didn’t have money to repay then, and he threatened to have me thrown into the river to feed the fish. Luckily, they didn’t know my underwater skills, or I’d have died that day!"

Zhu the Third continued on his own, and Chen Xiao suddenly asked:

"Has he been to Xiangdu? A great place there, a paradise for men!"

"He’s been! A place like that, of course, he’d go!"

"Did he visit the Zhu Guan Grand Hotel in Xiangdu City?"

"Of course, he did. Listening to him, it sounded like... just..."

Before Zhu the Third could finish, Old Gui suddenly grabbed his throat.

Seeing the veins popping on Old Gui’s arm and the white of Chang Quezi’s eyes, Chen Xiao knew Old Gui was truly angry.

Xiangdu, where would you find Zhu Guan Grand Hotel there.

Zhu Guan is right beneath their feet!

"You dog, just take the money and do your job properly, stop being clever here. If I find you making it up again next time, don’t doubt it... I’ll use pliers to pull out your tongue!"

Zhu the Third’s eyes widened, nodding repeatedly to show he understood.

At this point, Chen Xiao didn’t pay attention, opened the car door, and got out, heading towards Chang Quezi’s house.

Upon entering the yard, Chen Xiao saw a young woman in a floral dress pruning the garden flowers and plants.

Noticing a stranger had come in, the woman frowned and asked:

"Who are you?"

The woman spoke in dialect, and Zhu the Third immediately ran over saying:

"Sister-in-law, is Brother Long at home?!"

Many years ago, Chang Long was a generation older than Zhu Nianying, and now he was over forty.

But this woman’s age seemed only to be around twenty.

Seeing it was Zhu the Third, the woman said disdainfully: "What do you want with him? No one has time for you."

"Haha, sister-in-law, these two are big bosses from the city, wanting to invest and build a factory here, said to come and meet Brother Long."

The woman saw Zhu the Third winking and seemed to understand his intention.

Laughing, she nodded and asked Chen Xiao and the others to wait as she went inside to call.

After the woman went inside, Zhu the Third immediately changed his tone:

"What a wonderful life, he’s on his third wife, each one more beautiful, each one with a bigger backside!"

Zhu the Third’s words rekindled Old Gui’s anger.

Chen Xiao indicated with his eyes, and not long after, Chang Long limped out of the house.

A cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Where are you from? Haven’t heard of any outsiders coming here to invest."

Old Gui, always perceptive, approached smiling:

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chang. We’re from Shencheng City, and this is our Chief Inspector Chen. We came to Zhu Guan to learn about Zhu Nianying’s matter."

Old Gui went straight to the point.

When Chang Long heard they were here for Zhu Nianying, his eyes immediately narrowed:

"Chief Inspector? Never heard of such a position. Well, since you claim to be a chief inspector, can I see your credentials?"

"Chief inspector might not be the exact title, more like an advisor." Saying so, Chen Xiao indeed took out a criminal investigation advisor’s card procured by Qin Fei.

After checking it, Chang Long said, "So you’re Advisor Chen. But why are you asking me about Zhu Nianying?"

"A few years ago, an elderly man came looking for her. Do you remember this incident?"

Chang Long’s response did not surprise Chen Xiao.

So he immediately shifted the topic to ask about Huang Zhao.

Chang Long seemed to hesitate.

Yet his hesitation was not due to forgetfulness.

On the contrary, from his appearance, Chen Xiao could tell that Chang Long had quite a sharp memory.

"An elderly man? Seems so, he eventually repaid what Zhu Nianying owed me. Considering his age, I waived the interest."

Said Chang Long, and Chen Xiao nodded with a smile, stepping forward:

"Good to know Mr. Chang remembers. I’m here for similar reasons, but I’m not asking whether Zhu Nianying returned. I want to know, from your understanding, what kind of person Zhu Nianying was."

As he spoke, Chen Xiao activated the Power of Capture.

He aimed to glean Chang Long’s expressions from their brief exchange, even interpret his inner thoughts!