People's discussion became louder and louder, and the village chief spoke: "This is the lost child of Huang Juhua's family back then. He is back."
For a moment, everyone looked at me, then at you, and then they all looked at Feng Chengyu.
Feng Chengyu bent down and bowed to everyone without saying anything.
Although Zhou Zhimo didn't tell him more about Huang Juhua, from the attitudes and looks in everyone's whispers just now, he also noticed that his mother must not have been living well these years.
"Fortunately, the kid didn't follow him. Look how handsome he looks now."
"A person like her doesn't know how to raise a child. How can she be so good?"
"There is really smoke coming out of the ancestral graves and high incense burning."
Although they spoke in dialect, the distance was not too far, and Feng Chengyu could hear everything clearly. These people did not like Huang Juhua.
The village chief thought for a while and asked his grandson to take Feng Chengyu away.
It wasn't until Feng Chengyu and his grandson were far away that the village chief continued: "No one has seen yellow chrysanthemums recently."
"A few days ago, when Li Erwa was herding sheep on Liangshan Mountain, she saw a pile of human bones."
"After calling the police, the police came and they took it for examination."
"It was finally determined that it belonged to Huang Chrysanthemum..."
Hearing this, the crowd became restless again.
"Huang Juhua is dead?"
"I haven't seen her for a long time. Why is she turned into a skeleton? Is she still on Liangshan Mountain?"
"This, could it be that a ghost caught and ate it?"
"No wonder Li Erwa doesn't go to the mountains to herd sheep these days? That's because she's afraid."
The village chief paused: "Listen, everyone, if anyone has any clues, please provide them."
"Also, if anyone else sees Zhao Hongsheng, please tell me immediately."
The village chief sighed: "As long as a person lives, he will not bring anything with him in life, and he will not take it with him in death."
"It's not just about property, it's about resentment."
"Everyone, ask yourself, has Huang Juhua scolded you all these years?"
"Has she taken anything from anyone?"
"Has she hit anyone's child?"
"On the contrary, when there is delicious food, she will always share some with the children."
"She has not had an easy life these years. The older generation watched her grow up and watched her live alone."
"Everyone scolded her behind her back and spoke sarcastically to her face, but she never fell out with anyone."
"Now that the child is back, it's a pity that she can't see it anymore."
"After all, we are all elders of that child's village. Don't be disrespectful in what you say, and be considerate."
"Huang Juhua is no longer around, please remember to be kind to her. If you are not good enough, be kind to that child."
The village chief's words silenced everyone. They seemed to be ashamed of the words and ridicule they had just said, and were reflecting in their hearts that they had gone too far.
When people were alive, no one or two could see her. It was obvious that she had done nothing.
At this moment, when the person was gone, I suddenly touched a soft place in my heart, which made me feel uncomfortable.
People are always so contradictory.
The village chief waved his hands to everyone: "Let's disperse."
A few people did not leave and walked towards the village chief: "Village Chief, can we help the child with Huang Juhua's death?"
"A few of us often attend red and white events, so we can help with some."
"Look, you're here to help, and we're here to help."
"Yes, if I need something, I will take it as long as I have it at home."
The village chief looked at everyone and nodded: "Okay."
"Her death is unclear now. When the matter is found out, everyone should help the child."
A woman whispered: "Village chief, the day before Li Laosan left, I saw Huang Juhua."
"She closed the door early that afternoon. When I passed by, I saw her closing the door."
"It was still bright at the time, about four o'clock."
People here usually have lunch around three o'clock, and when they feel hungry in the evening, they have another meal.
The village chief asked her: "Did you see anything else?"
The woman shook her head: "No, I was still thinking that she might have brought another man with her..."
Thinking of what the village chief had just said, she stopped talking.
"I went to the store to buy things, and I met Li Laosan on the way. I even joked that he was late today and Huang Juhua had closed the door and went to bed."
"I bought a bag of salt. When I came back, I met Li Laosan again and went home dejected."
"He didn't pay any attention to me. He smiled and continued walking."
The village chief said to her: "Wait a moment and speak slowly."
After speaking, he raised his old hand and waved to Zhou Zhimo and others who were waiting under the big tree.
Zhou Zhimo and the others walked quickly, and the village chief told them: "She just said that the day before Li Laosan left, she saw Huang Juhua on the road and closed the door at about four o'clock."
"I also met Li Laosan on the way."
Zhou Zhimo looked over and the woman nodded: "Yes, I didn't delay buying salt that day. It took about ten minutes to go back and forth."
"I guess Mr. Li hasn't met the Yellow Chrysanthemum Man either."
"However, Huang Juhua usually has nothing to do after dinner. She just sits in the yard playing with her mobile phone or chopping firewood. She won't close the door and enter the house so early."
Zhou Zhimo asked her: "Recall again, who else did you meet on the way back and forth that day?"
He remembered the location of Huang Juhua's home. There were no neighbors and no dogs at home.
She suddenly remembered and asked a woman next to her: "When we were talking that day, was there someone walking by the river?"
The woman thought for a while: "There was a person. But he was far away, and he only saw him pass by for a moment, so he didn't see the person clearly."
She suddenly exclaimed with some fear: "Isn't that the ghost of the yellow chrysanthemum man who came back to pick her up?"
The village chief glared at him: "You have been eating white rice for more than thirty years. When have you ever seen a ghost?"
The woman shrank back, not daring to say anything more.
Zhou Zhimo comforted them: "Don't be afraid, there are no ghosts to speak of."
"In this case, you go home first. The clues just provided are very useful, and we will investigate further."
The two women nodded, still a little scared. After all, everyone used to gossip and say bad things about Huang Juhua.
Now that she died in an unknown and tragic way, these people felt somewhat terrified.
This is also the reason why Zhou Zhimo had been suppressing the case before and did not disclose the rumors, fearing to cause panic among the people.
After everyone left, Zhou Zhimo asked the village chief: "We were observing from behind just now. Let's leave it like this for now."
"We will go door-to-door to check again and try to get the results as soon as possible."
The village chief was very calm: "Go ahead, I'll have someone take you there."
"The people here are scattered and the roads are not easy to get around."
Zhou Zhimo looked at him gratefully: "Okay."
Then the village chief called a middle-aged man: "This is my nephew, Fang Jun. Let him take you there."
