Animal Detective-Chapter 52: Keeping Grandpa Company in My Place
All the elderly neighbors came, packing the small courtyard to the brim.
Shen Xin made a cash offering, and as it was being recorded, he noticed Chen Chao’s name on the list.
But he didn’t see Chen Chao in the courtyard.
He must have slipped in quietly and already left.
After that, Shen Xin didn’t see Chen Chao again. He only heard that the case had been submitted to the prosecutor’s office and was going through the proper channels.
Apparently, there were some complications.
Gao Jinrui was intent on pleading guilty, but his large extended family, including his son, clearly didn’t want him to receive the death penalty. The Gao family had apparently hired a high-profile lawyer. They wanted to have the case classified as a fatal hit-and-run, with the burial of the body being classified as desecration of a corpse.
The prosecutor’s office, however, was determined to charge him with intentional homicide. This meant arguing that he knew Wu Jiawang wasn’t dead when he buried him, a crime that could carry the death penalty.
The tricky part was that at the grave, after Gao Jinrui was scared witless, Wu Jiawang had become motionless, making it difficult to determine whether he was dead or alive at that moment.
On an emotional level, Shen Xin certainly hoped Gao Jinrui would pay for a life with a life, facing the consequences he deserved.
But the law was paramount. All they could do was wait for the court’s verdict.
WOOF.
Shen Xin looked down and saw it was Lele.
The dog had been raised by Wu Jiawang, so the best thing to do was return him to Wu Zhicun.
Incredibly, even after seven years, the dog still remembered Wu Zhicun. The moment he saw him, he started circling him and wagging his tail.
"Good boy!"
Shen Xin patted his head, then followed the flow of people to pay his respects.
Many people had come.
They were all former fellow villagers, and Wu Zhicun had always had a good reputation. Back when Wu Jiawang first went missing, nearly the entire village had turned out to help search for him.
Now, seven years later, the dust had finally settled. It was impossible not to feel a sense of wistful emotion.
The coffin was placed in the main hall.
Wu Zhicun hadn’t chosen cremation for Wu Jiawang. He wanted to follow the old customs and have a traditional burial, laying him to rest next to his family’s old graves.
Cremation, followed by interment in a public cemetery, was a rule that had only come about in recent years.
When the other three members of his family had passed away, that rule wasn’t yet in effect. They had all been buried in the old village graveyard nearby.
Shen Xin saw Wu Zhicun.
Over the past two weeks, Shen Xin had thought about visiting Wu Zhicun several times, but he never brought himself to do it.
He was afraid it would bring back painful memories for Wu Zhicun, and he himself also found it difficult to face the old man. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Seeing him today, Wu Zhicun’s complexion seemed a little better.
He had even changed into clean, new clothes and was thanking the guests one by one, accompanied by Director Li from the community office.
Soon, it was Shen Xin’s turn.
Shen Xin bowed silently, then came to stand before Wu Zhicun.
Wu Zhicun stared at Shen Xin blankly with his cloudy eyes.
"Old Wu, it’s Officer Shen," Director Li prompted from his side.
"Officer Shen?"
Wu Zhicun stirred and hastily reached out his hand.
Shen Xin quickly took it.
"Officer Shen, thank you." Wu Zhicun gripped Shen Xin’s hand tightly, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He trembled as he tried to stand and said, "I know... if it weren’t for you, Jia Wang would never have come home. This old man... I should get down on my knees for you."
Shen Xin was startled and quickly moved to support him.
"Sir, please don’t say that. If anything, we feel we’ve let you down," Shen Xin said.
Regarding this case, it was said that the sub-bureau had held a special meeting to discuss it and learn from their mistakes.
They clearly could have tried harder back then, but they gave up due to insufficient resources, dragging it out for seven years.
That was why, for this case, Chen Chao felt especially sorry toward Wu Zhicun.
"No." Wu Zhicun shook his head, gently patting the back of Shen Xin’s hand. He said, "Officer Shen, you’re a good cop. On behalf of Jia Wang, I thank you."
Hearing the words "a good cop" moved Shen Xin. He offered his condolences, promised to visit again, and then turned to leave.
Walking out of the main hall, he turned his head and could still see Wu Zhicun looking his way, an expression of relief and release on his face.
Shen Xin sighed heavily. Not daring to stay any longer, he walked away quickly.
He had taken leave to come here. Just as he entered, he had received a text message saying something had come up.
Yesterday, a dispute over back pay had broken out at a factory in their jurisdiction. It might happen again today, and the entire station might have to be deployed to maintain order.
With the help of the community and the old neighbors, the funeral arrangements went smoothly.
As people left one by one, the bustling courtyard was left with only the funeral tent and a sea of white.
The villagers had originally wanted to leave two people behind to keep Wu Zhicun company during the wake.
The body was placed in the coffin yesterday, the memorial service was today, and the burial would be tomorrow.
But Wu Zhicun refused.
He had nothing to be afraid of. That was his beloved, his only grandson.
He was also used to the quiet and just wanted to spend this final night with his grandson.
Just as Zhang Jian said, one person’s joys and sorrows are never truly shared by another.
Night fell. The courtyard gate closed, leaving only solitude and sorrow.
But outside the gate, the nightlife had already begun.
The self-built house next to the courtyard was brightly lit, and a chaotic din drifted over.
On the street not far away, crowds bustled. Many office workers were just getting home, filling the air with the lively energy of daily life.
Wu Zhicun sat alone beside the coffin, motionless, as if his very soul had been drained from his body.
He sat like that for who knows how long.
By the time he registered his surroundings again, the world outside the courtyard gate had fallen silent.
The night deepened.
Only then did Wu Zhicun move. He fumbled to his feet, found the coffin, and pushed open the lid with all his might.
He straightened his clothes again, buttoning the buttons and smoothing his collar.
Then, he clumsily climbed into the coffin.
He felt Wu Jiawang’s skeletal remains and carefully lay down beside them.
’Just right.’
He couldn’t see, but his heart felt an unprecedented sense of peace, as if his grandson were lying right there beside him.
All those days and nights, he and his grandson had been inseparable.
On midsummer nights, their family was poor and had no air conditioning.
One day, the fan broke, too. Jia Wang was too hot to sleep, so Wu Zhicun sat up, fanning him and telling him stories from *Journey to the West*.
In the middle of telling the story, he was the one who fell asleep first.
The next day when he woke up, Jia Wang had even laughed at him for it.
"Good boy, don’t be afraid. Grandpa’s here with you." Wu Zhicun sniffled, fumbling in his pocket for a packet of medicine.
Zhao Shouchuan had confiscated some, but he had secretly hidden a few packets.
’It might be diluted, but there won’t be an Officer Shen to save me this time.’
He had said that if his grandson was dead, he would dig a hole and lie down in it with him.
"Jia Wang, Grandpa misses you. I’ve missed you for so, so many years..."
Wu Zhicun mumbled, his hands trembling as he went to open the paper packet.
In recent days, many people had advised him to try and move on, that he still had his own life to live.
But they didn’t understand. Without his grandson, there was nothing left in this world for him to hold on to.
Just then, there was a sudden WOOF.
It was Lele. He had followed him and jumped into the coffin, too.
It startled Wu Zhicun.
"Good Lele, are you here to see Grandpa off, too?" Wu Zhicun couldn’t see Lele, only reaching out a hand to feel for him.
Lele drew near, licked Wu Zhicun’s face, barked, and tugged at his clothes.
He seemed to have a premonition of some kind.
"My good Lele, be a good boy. Grandpa is going to find Jia Wang. You get out now," Wu Zhicun said, pushing at him.
But Lele didn’t let go, burrowing into Wu Zhicun’s arms and continuously nuzzling him with his head.
As the dog nuzzled him, Wu Zhicun suddenly burst into tears.
He hugged Lele.
For a fleeting moment, he suddenly understood.
Lele didn’t want him to die.
This was Jia Wang’s favorite dog. Every time he left for school, Lele would chase after him, and Jia Wang would stop and tell him that while he was away, he had to take his place and keep Grandpa company.
"Jia Wang... don’t you want to see Grandpa?"
Wu Zhicun hugged Lele tightly and began to wail.
