The village chief was taken aback. His thin lips parted as if to speak, but he found himself utterly unable to refute.
"Yes, I am guilty. I was too selfish. I..."
"You are certainly guilty!" Zhong Li stood up, her gaze chilling as she looked at him. "If I were to tell you that Youyou was subjected to further humiliation before she was killed, would you regret your decision not to acknowledge your daughter?"
"What did you say?" The village chief stared with disbelief. Then, he seemed to understand Zhong Li's veiled meaning. "Impossible. Kang Ji is Youyou's biological father. How could he..."
"I don't know if it was Kang Ji, but I do know this... Your Youyou's death, you! The village chief of this small fishing village, you are also one of the culprits!" Zhong Li pointed at the village chief, throwing out these words before turning and walking away.
The village chief quickly stood up, not even bothering to pick up the tea cup he had knocked over in his haste. He grabbed his walking stick and followed, watching as Zhong Li walked away with Lu Wuxie. He shouted loudly, "Madam, I implore you, you must seek justice for Youyou!"
Saying this, he ignored the curious glances of the passing villagers and kowtowed repeatedly towards Zhong Li's retreating back.
Niu Ling's home was at the far end of the small fishing village.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie appeared at her doorstep just as the sun began to rise.
Knock, knock, knock.
Zhong Li raised her hand and lightly tapped the door.
"Husband? Did you forget something again?" Niu Ling's voice came from inside.
As the door opened, Niu Ling saw who was at the door. Her expression soured, and she instinctively prepared to close it.
Lu Wuxie was quick, his hand pressing against the door to stop Niu Ling's movement.
"What do you want?" Niu Ling asked with a stern brow.
Zhong Li glanced at her and said, "Nothing. We just have a few questions about Youyou for you, madam."
"Ask me?" Niu Ling's eyebrows rose slightly. "Youyou was murdered. Shouldn't you be finding the killer and investigating evidence? Why are you coming to our house?"
Niu Ling's intention to have them leave was clear.
Zhong Li curled her lips, unbothered by the woman's displeased expression. "Madam, you speak well. Aren't we here precisely to find evidence and the killer?"
"What do you mean?" Niu Ling was startled.
Taking advantage of her lapse in attention, Zhong Li gently pushed the door open and squeezed in with Lu Wuxie into Niu Ling's home. "What do we mean? Madam, don't you know it better in your heart?"
With that, she scanned Niu Ling's house.
Niu Ling and Kang Ji's house was similar in layout to the village chief's, with the addition of a small bedroom. She pondered for a moment and walked directly towards the small bedroom.
Niu Ling watched her movements, a subtle smile playing on her lips. "What do I know in my heart? Madam Zhong, please clarify. And you enter someone's room so unceremoniously and rudely. If you find nothing, have you considered, Madam Zhong, how you will face the consequences?"
Zhong Li heard her words and emerged from the small bedroom. Her gaze met Lu Wuxie's, who had been waiting at the side. She pursed her lips and shook her head.
Niu Ling took in their interaction and sneered, "Madam Zhong, you don't actually think Youyou died in this room, do you? I'll tell you, Youyou..."
"Indeed, this room was not for Youyou to live in." Zhong Li, unwilling to see Niu Ling's self-important expression any longer, coldly interrupted her.
Niu Ling blinked, somewhat confused.
Zhong Li pointed to the small bedroom behind her. "The bed is neatly made, the cabinet is filled with clothes and shoes for a baby boy, and in the corner sits a brand new rattle drum and a nine-section ring. I presume this room is for your unborn child?"
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Niu Ling's visibly pregnant belly.
Niu Ling frowned. "What, do we need Madam Zhong's permission to decide who we prepare a room for?"
Zhong Li shook her head and replied, "Madam Niu, it is your own home, and I cannot dictate how you allocate your rooms. However... Youyou was also a member of your household. Since she didn't live in any of the bedrooms, where should she have stayed?"
Niu Ling finally understood why Zhong Li had gone to inspect the small bedroom. If the room belonged to Youyou, she could use it to search for evidence of Youyou's murder. If not...
Then she could be even more certain that Youyou was an insignificant presence in their home, which indirectly questioned the sincerity of her feigned outrage the previous day at the dry well, claiming to seek justice for Youyou.
"I don't know! Don't ask me!" Niu Ling shouted angrily.
"Is that so?" Zhong Li's tone rose slightly, her eyes never leaving Niu Ling's face. When she saw the other woman's gaze inadvertently dart outside the house, she understood. "So she lived outside."
With that, Zhong Li turned and walked out of the house, heading straight for Niu Ling's backyard.
Seeing this, Niu Ling became anxious and hurried after her.
Niu Ling's backyard was quite simple, consisting of an outhouse and, next to it, a woodshed with no windows.
Without hesitation, Zhong Li flung open the woodshed door, and a wave of damp, musty odor assaulted her nostrils.
Through the sunlight streaming in from the doorway, she endured the unpleasant smell and took in the state of the woodshed.
The entire woodshed was no more than seven or eight square meters. In the deepest corner was a bed. Beneath the bed lay two pieces of tattered clothing beyond repair and a pair of straw sandals that Zhong Li recognized all too well. The rest was a broken bowl beneath the bed. There should have been something in the bowl, but it had long since gone moldy, a dark, unidentifiable mass.
"You can't go in!" Niu Ling had caught up to Zhong Li and reached out to grab her clothes.
Zhong Li gave her a cold glare.
Niu Ling's hand froze in mid-air. For some reason, she was stunned by Zhong Li's gaze. By the time she reacted, Zhong Li had already entered the woodshed and lifted the quilt from the bed.
Seeing this, Niu Ling could no longer hold back and rushed in, attempting to stop her again. But Zhong Li, anticipating her move, seized her wrist. As Niu Ling cried out in pain, Zhong Li sneered, "Look at this. As a woman, you wouldn't fail to recognize it, would you?"
Niu Ling followed Zhong Li's gaze and looked down at the old sheet on the bed, on which was a large, dark bloodstain.
Her heart panicked, and she tried to avert her eyes.
But Zhong Li's other hand held her head, forcing her to look at the stain on the bed.
"Let go of me! Let go of me!" Niu Ling struggled, twisting her body persistently.
However, the more she struggled, the tighter Zhong Li's grip became.
"Madam Zhong, what are you doing?" Niu Ling, already heavily pregnant, felt a surge of panic at such movements.
Zhong Li snorted coldly. "Afraid, are we?"
Niu Ling looked up to meet Zhong Li's eyes. Seeing only ruthlessness and coldness in Zhong Li's gaze, she swallowed a few times and said, "I recall Madam Zhong saying she is also a coroner. Since you are part of the court, aren't you afraid of being known for extracting confessions through torture?"
Zhong Li let out a cold laugh. She hadn't expected Niu Ling to still be thinking of excuses at this juncture. Just as she was about to reply, a commotion arose from outside the courtyard.
"Madam, Madam, where are you?"
Niu Ling's face lit up upon hearing Kang Ji's voice. She shot Zhong Li a glare and yelled to the outside, "Husband, I'm here! Save me!"
Following this were hurried footsteps approaching from a distance.
Zhong Li heard the noise and guessed that more than just Kang Ji was arriving. She glanced at Lu Wuxie, who had been guarding the entrance.
Lu Wuxie nodded to her, lit an oil lamp, and placed it inside the woodshed. He casually picked up a rotten piece of wood from the shed and closed the door.
"You... what are you doing?" Niu Ling was bewildered by Lu Wuxie's action, her panicked gaze darting between Zhong Li, the slowly closing woodshed door, and Lu Wuxie outside.
Zhong Li curled her lips and, with one hand pinning Niu Ling's jaw, said, "Madam Niu, let's continue our conversation!"