Because she had concealed some information earlier, Zhu Xiaoping was already feeling uneasy.
When she heard Huo's fourth uncle mention that the female comrade might not survive, she dared not hide anything further.
Moreover, Zhu Xiaoping remembered yesterday's events clearly.
"When we reached the terminal station, there was only one other passenger left on the bus besides that girl."
Hearing there was only one passenger, the expressions of everyone in the interrogation room relaxed slightly.
If there was only one person, the scope of suspicion would narrow significantly.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Xiaoping had even more surprises in store for them.
"That man was around fifty years old, and his name seemed to be Wang Da-something..."
"The last character of his name was written too messily—I couldn’t make it out."
"His monthly pass number started with 511. The '5' stands for Chaoyang District, and '11' represents heavy industry."
"He slept the whole ride—he must have just gotten off a night shift."
"Oh, and comrades, I saw an article about the facial feature database in the newspaper the other day."
"I still remember what he looked like. If you bring the database, I can point him out right now!"
Everyone was stunned—no one expected Zhu Xiaoping to provide so many clues at once.
Seeing their puzzled looks, she explained:
"Since suburban routes are hotspots for fare evasion, our unit has a rule: we must check monthly passes both when boarding and disembarking to ensure the person matches the pass."
"If someone seems suspicious, we pay extra attention to the details on their pass."
"This man looked exhausted, covered in dust, with hair as messy as a bird’s nest."
"His appearance didn’t quite match the photo on the pass, so I checked the inside page."
"Did this person ride the bus again today?" Jiang Si, having reviewed the transcript, knew Zhu Xiaoping had been brought to the police station after her morning shift.
She asked because, during her time working in Hu City, her unit had also operated on a three-shift rotation.
Normally, shifts were scheduled starting on the first of each month, and an employee had to work at least seven days before switching to the next shift group.
Today was the fourth. If this man had worked the night shift yesterday, he would still be on nights today.
"No. Only two passengers arrived at the terminal today—both young, in their twenties."
At this point, it was almost certain.
The man named Wang Da- was likely heavily involved in Yu Manli’s disappearance.
Jiang Si wasted no time. Using the facial feature database template, she quickly pieced together a rough sketch of the suspect.
Considering the discrepancy between photos and real-life appearances, she also took out a brush for adjustments.
An hour later, she left the interrogation room with the sketch.
With the sketch, an approximate name, and a general workplace, tracking down the man’s details shouldn’t be difficult.
Having done all she could, Jiang Si handed the sketch to Huo's fourth uncle and prepared to leave.
Neither of them headed home immediately—instead, they went together to visit Fang Wenjun.
Fang Wenjun was delighted to see them.
But the moment she noticed the gifts in their hands, she scolded them lightly.
"You didn’t have to bring anything just to visit."
Jiang Si set the items on the table with a smile. "Teacher’s wife, a teacher is like a father for life. After all the guidance I’ve received over the years, this is the least I can do."
Fang Wenjun couldn’t argue. "Fine, but just this once. Don’t do it again."
Jiang Si chuckled without agreeing.
"Oh, you… Come, sit."
Fang Wenjun sighed in mock exasperation. "Treat this as your own home. Help yourself to anything you’d like."
She pushed a fruit plate toward them. "Here, have some fruit first."
Jiang Si didn’t stand on ceremony, picking up an orange and peeling it.
Oranges from this era were perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, with a rich citrus flavor—far better than those in later years.
Fang Wenjun smiled, then retrieved a tin of tea from the cabinet.
"Teacher’s wife, let me." Huo Tingzhou stood and took the tea from her.
When Fang Wenjun seemed about to protest, Jiang Si teased:
"Teacher’s wife, you just told us to help ourselves. We’re not being polite—why are you?"
She handed half the peeled orange to Fang Wenjun.
"The doctor said you should rest at home and avoid using your hand unless absolutely necessary."
"It’s already much better—no need to worry."
Fang Wenjun rotated her wrist gently. "I had a follow-up at the hospital yesterday. The doctor said it’s healing well. In another month or so, I’ll be able to hold a brush again."
As if remembering something, she patted Jiang Si’s hand gratefully.
"I owe my recovery to you—all those times you visited me in the hospital, bringing nourishing soups. Without you, I wouldn’t have healed this well."
Seeing her hand had indeed improved, Jiang Si relaxed.
She couldn’t mention the spiritual spring, so she simply said, "As long as you’re alright, that’s what matters. But remember, ‘a bone takes a hundred days to mend.’ Better to rest a little longer."
Fang Wenjun nodded. "That’s what I think too."
They chatted a while longer on the topic.
When it was time to leave, Jiang Si said, "Teacher’s wife, we should head out now. We’ll visit again next time we’re in the capital."
Fang Wenjun had wanted to invite them for a meal, but remembering they were leaving tomorrow, she reconsidered.
They probably had plenty to prepare at home.
Before they left, she gave Jiang Si her office number.
"Call me if you need anything."
Jiang Si nodded. "I will."
By the time they left Fang’s neighborhood, it was mealtime, so they grabbed a quick bite outside.
Back at the courtyard house, Uncle Zhong and Third Uncle were packing.
They had arrived with just one suitcase, but after less than two weeks, their belongings had multiplied to the point where three suitcases couldn’t hold everything.
Watching them sigh in frustration, Jiang Si realized she had a similar problem.
She had also arrived with only one suitcase.
Now…
She suspected her belongings wouldn’t fit even in six suitcases.
If she were traveling alone, she could simply store everything in her space.
But this time, the four of them were returning to Hu City together.
Jiang Si frowned. "With this much luggage, our train compartment tomorrow won’t have any room left."
Third Uncle suggested, "If it comes to it, we’ll have to mail some things back to Qiongzhou Island first."
That was an option, but shipping from here would take nearly a month.
And the postage might cost more than the items themselves.
Fortunately, Huo Tingzhou had a solution.
"A few of my comrades are returning to Qiongzhou Island the day after tomorrow. They don’t have much luggage."
"We can ask them to take our suitcases back. He Ping will keep them safe for us."
"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?" Jiang Si asked.
"It's alright, they're taking a plane back this time. We can cover the luggage fees ourselves."
At this time, there was no such thing as free checked baggage allowance for flights—luggage was charged per piece.
The cost was much cheaper than mailing, and most importantly, the luggage wouldn’t get lost.
Jiang Si thought it over and realized there wasn’t a better solution.
After all, once they returned to Hu City, Third Granduncle and the others would still need to pack some summer clothes.
Third Granduncle had been particular about his appearance all his life, and he owned quite a wardrobe.
With the issue resolved, Jiang Si prepared to leave.
She also needed to pack her own luggage early.
"Third Granduncle, we’ll head back first."
"Wait, wait a moment." Third Granduncle quickly stopped her.
Just then, Uncle Zhong emerged from the kitchen, dragging two large basins filled to the brim with something.
