There seems to be another murder case in Yaozhou.
Nothing new. In the dark gaps in the city that ordinary people rarely pay attention to, people die every now and then. People who die in that kind of place cannot even attract reporters from major newspapers. Only when blood is seen in a place exposed to the sun, people will flock to it like a pack of hyenas that smell the scent.
The corpse was swollen from being soaked in water, and there were traces of fish and turtles eating it on the skin. It was pitted and bumpy, but the bones were not visible. Fishermen near the estuary caught it and called the police. The police stations in this area have often seen cases like this, mostly involving people who drowned.
The strange thing is that it is not a flood season now, so if you don't throw yourself into the river or be pushed in, you won't die. It was either suicide or murder, that's why it "seemed" to be a murder. The deceased was an unidentified female, dressed in ordinary clothes, and had no obvious trauma or bruises on her body. Without an autopsy, it could not be determined whether it was suffocation caused by drowning.
People surrounded the body three floors inside and three outside, discussing the cause of her death with great interest. Although this "interest" is disguised in the name of emotion, it is not difficult to hear a hint of contempt between the high and low tone.
The police dispersed the crowd and only allowed a few reporters present to take photos. They did not answer many questions and took the body away. They always say that if there is any further discovery, they will inform you. In fact, there are very few follow-up cases. People also know that such cases are not easy to detect. If there is any good news, the situation in the east of the city will be publicized to all the residents in the west of the city.
However, the newspaper office in the west of the city still sent people. Qiwen took Wu Hui down the river by boat, and only when he got there did he tell her that the deceased had just been fished out of the river. This makes Wu Hui a little awkward. She didn't feel scary, but she complained about Qiwen hiding it for fear that she wouldn't come. After all, I arrived too late, just in time to collect the bodies. Qiwen wanted to ask them to lift the white cloth, but to no avail. However, the police were patient and told them the information they had given to other newspapers.
"It's really not valuable news." Leaning on the railing by the river, Wu Hui said boredly, "It's not a waste of time to come all this way."
Qi Wen, who was lying on the side, said: "Having said that, in fact, not all news is valuable, but every visit is. After all, you don't know what kind of progress this case can make and how it can be traced back to What information. Although the possibility is very small, the so-called valuable events all start from these invisible things."
"That's why I need to keep running. Alas, I'm really only suitable for sitting in an office."
"I just saw you staying in the house for too long, so I took you out for a walk. Even if it's a murder, it's already very strange. Most of the time, I come here for more boring news. What about the opening ceremony of a shopping mall? Ah, a certain official’s 10th birthday, an advertising shoot for a new restaurant product…”
"It's not the same style as the dead."
"Yes. But don't you like too much excitement? These are all noisy things, with gongs, drums and firecrackers crackling. But we are also indispensable at the dinner. If you are interested, I can call you next time."
"Uh, no."
"Okay, no matter how you talk about working in the field with your wages, just treat it as a break in your busy schedule. The resentment in your tone is really quite serious."
As he spoke, Qiwen flicked the small gravel he picked out from the stone railing into the sea. Not to mention seeing it fall into the water, there are no traces of it as soon as it flies out. Wu Hui was still leaning against the railing, her gaze falling on nowhere.
She sighed deeply.
"No...it's just that I suddenly thought - when did we start talking about life and death easily? It's like 'death' has nothing to do with us. Although they are all things that happen to others, it stands to reason that all All deaths are sad. Books always describe a person's death in a vivid way. So in my original understanding, death is very heavy. But after I started working... within two years, I became more aware of these things. It’s not weird, it’s like it’s been blunted.”
Qiwen finally turned his head and moved his gaze to her. He wanted to say that she was sad for spring and autumn, but when he saw Wu Hui's melancholy profile, he suddenly felt that this issue was indeed worth pondering-at least at the moment.
"But people die every day. You know, death is always described in books as... big, grand, or tragic. In a piece of history or a story, personal deeds will be highlighted. Although I I don’t like writing, and I read a lot when I was in school. I feel a little bit about what you said. When you really start working - especially when you become a reporter, you will find that these are not important. Everything can be light. Again Even small things can be exaggerated, and even the most important things can be covered up. So compared to the process of writing and falsification, I still prefer to use a camera to record the truth."
"What do you mean by the last sentence? Do you mean that I lie in the office every day?"
Wu Hui turned to look at him, her expression a little sullen, but not much. This scene just happened to be taken by Qi Wen, who had been prepared for it. Wu Hui wanted to hit him again, but was too lazy to care, so she just turned her head away and continued to stare blankly at the place where the body had been lying.
"Advertising is just a kind of exaggeration. There are also submissions you receive every day. Advertising, literature, news, large and small sections occupy the same newspaper, using the same ink, regardless of high or low. Of course, All death itself is the same heavy thing, but they can be "light". When I understood that everything is just...described according to the needs of the "living", or even not described, I was relieved and felt relaxed . You also know, right? Many people hate reporters, even hate all journalists. They think that we are like flies, smelling the suffering places and coming excitedly. In fact, in their eyes, carnival and mourning are not the same, but We just need to do our job right now.”
"...I actually know what you are talking about. But I have seen little of these things and am not used to them. I also often wonder whether I should get used to matters of life and death. If I am already used to it, is it good or bad?"
"It's normal to have this kind of worry. But when something really happens, it happens very quickly. In the blink of an eye, in an instant. You often look back and find that you are already involved in it, and the moment it happens, you don't even have time to notice it. So I think The current feelings are particularly important. Yes, a person died today. People cannot be resurrected after death. This is something that cannot be changed. This is just the death we see. Our city, our country, and our world are all the same. There are still thousands of deaths all the time. There is no time for revelry or mourning. The sadness is divided into every part and is as light as water. I can be happy for completing a job, and at the same time feel sorry for the death of a person. , which is not contradictory.”
"I don't seem to be really grieving for anyone's death, maybe not a close relative. Many people would think it was so cold-blooded."
"It doesn't matter. Most of these people don't grieve for anyone's death. They prefer the process of criticizing you. When it is really their turn to get sick or pass away, their loved ones are not necessarily more sad than you. You can still realize it now. It's good that a person's death should be called heavy. I'm a little worried that even you will become numb."
Wu Hui rolled her eyes and didn't bother to look at him.
"So you had to drag me out this time to see my reaction? You're not afraid that I've seen too much, so I'll get used to it."
"Death is something you won't get used to. Journalists, police officers, doctors, these people are used to seeing life and death as part of their duty. Put down your camera, take off your uniform, and face the death of your loved ones, you will still feel something. And this kind of feeling comes from our identity as human beings." He said, "We can make our own decisions. There is nothing wrong with who we are, what identity we choose, and what path we take. As long as we If you are my friend, I will support you."
Wu Hui didn't answer. She wanted to ask: What if it was the other way around? What if your friend broke the law, violated morality, and took someone else's life? But it seems like there will be no end if I keep asking this question.
Rather than the answer, she wanted to know why he suddenly said that.
"Oops - I actually asked you to skip work." Before she could ask, Qiwen suddenly laughed, "We're already here. I'll take a walk around and go back in the afternoon, just in time to get off work. Wouldn't it be great?"
"Who asked you to make a decision for me? Won't the work just be piled up until tomorrow?"
Wu Hui complained, but there was no real complaint in her tone.
Wu Hui raised his head and vaguely saw a vague figure appearing where people had gathered and where the corpses were placed. She wanted to warn the man of the dangers along the river, but she saw her walking through the stone guardrail, heading into the river, and swimming upstream. She stood up straight, covering her right eye and taking another look. But when she looked carefully at the rolling waves of the river, she couldn't see anything clearly. The woman's back melted into the turbid water. Wu Hui thought a little calmly that maybe it was really the soul of the deceased, or maybe it was another illusion.
"What a coincidence," a high-pitched male voice appeared, "I didn't expect to see you two here."
Qiwen turned around and waved to the visitor.
"Adler. You look so relaxed."
"Nothing. I just happened to spend the whole morning having a meeting with investors. They like cigars so much, and I wanted to come to the river to dissipate the pungent smell. You are really not afraid of the cold. It looks like you have already blown it. It’s quite windy.”
If he hadn't said it, Wu Hui wouldn't have realized that even at noon in spring, it was a bit cold here. She was chatting with Qiwen before, but her thoughts were not on her at all. When she saw Adler's long hair and clothes blown by the wind, she realized that her hairstyle had been blown badly by the river wind.
"Why didn't you remind me?"
She tidied her hair randomly, but Qiwen obviously got it wrong.
"I just saw him coming too."
Adler greeted them with a smile and wanted to show them around the neighborhood. Qiwen proposed to take Wu Hui to visit the church, but before the person could speak, Adler said that she and her doctor friend had been here not long ago. So Qiwen raised his eyebrows and looked at her, leaning back thirty degrees meaningfully. Wu Hui was too lazy to talk to him, thinking that he looked like a male classmate who made fun of him during recess in middle school.
With Adler accompanying them, they can go where Wu Hui didn't dare to go last time. The "dare not" doesn't mean how chaotic the public security is, but that it can be seen from the street that none of these shops look like stores she can afford. Because across the river is Qianhua Lane, and the architecture is more focused on expressing Western style, Wuhui feels that just standing here and breathing is charging.
Most of the windows facing the street are transparent, generously displaying the decorations, snacks, fashions, and jewelry in the store... Regardless of men, women, old or young, whoever walks by this street can't help but feel itchy. But at noon on a working day like today, only the rich lady who has plenty of time and leisure walks around the sweet-smelling streets with her servants. Neither Qiwen nor Adler said anything. They were quiet. Only when they passed some open shop doors did music spread to the street.
For a moment, Wu Hui felt strange to the world.
