Chapter 135: Sleeping Murder: Mummified
Chapter 135
Auntie vividly recounted the ghost story: "In the past, our neighborhood often had thieves coming to steal things. About two years ago, a thief saw that the house was always empty, so he pried open the burglar-proof window to steal. Who knew he heard a female ghost crying inside, and he even claimed to have seen a whole group of ghosts chasing him. He was so scared that he jumped out of the window, luckily landing on a rain canopy on the first floor, only suffering a minor injury.
Since then, no thief has dared to come to our neighborhood to steal. And because of this, that house has been completely unrentable. Miss Zhang is from out of town, probably tricked by a real estate agent, to buy that house."
"Do you know who the landlord of that house is?" Fang Rui asked.
"I don't know! I just moved here a few years ago. It's strange, I don't think I've ever seen the landlord of that house. Not to brag, but I know everyone in this neighborhood."
Fang Rui and Zhang went to the security guard to inquire about the situation.
The security guard said he also didn't know the owner of that house. He often saw the previous tenants though. Fang Rui saved the contact information of that tenant.
This residential area was built in the 1990s as resettlement housing, part of the demolition compensation, and the owners didn't have property certificates, making the property rights very chaotic. About eight years ago, the local government introduced a policy, and only then did the owners of these resettlement houses start to get their property certificates.
Fang Rui and his team then found the property manager, "Does the resident in the leftmost unit on the fourth floor of Building 7 pay the property fees on time? Do you have his contact information?"
"Yes, we just collected the property fee not long ago. That family always doesn't pay, and it was only after I called to urge them that they reluctantly paid. Let me find it." The manager flipped through the payment record book while chatting with Fang Rui, "Officer, did something happen to that house?"
"Why do you ask?" Zhang inquired, "No, it's just that the owner's things were stolen, and we're investigating."
"You don't have to hide it from me. What thief would dare to steal from that house? That house is inauspicious! It's on the 4th floor, on the shady side, lacking in the five elements, and the feng shui is bad." The manager, an old man, was very superstitious about feng shui, muttering, "The orientation of that house is extremely inauspicious! It's not suitable for living, light can lead to bankruptcy, heavy can lead to family breakdown."
"Grandpa, don't be too superstitious. You should believe in science."
"You young people don't understand, this isn't feudal superstition, it's the treasure our ancestors left us to help us avoid misfortune."
"..."
"Found it. He's surnamed Wang, named Wang Dadong." The manager pointed to the handwritten number in the book, "This is his phone number. His phone is often unreachable, you have to call several times before he picks up."
Zhang dialed the number, but after many attempts, no one answered. Sending him a text message also went unanswered.
On the dissection table lay the cement block. Mu Mian and Chen Xue hammered and chiseled for a long time, only clearing out one leg of the deceased, and there was still a lot of cement left on it.
"Chen Xue, aren't we like archaeologists? We're excavating a mummified corpse." Mu Mian's arms were a bit sore, but she was still full of energy, "I often went to museums to see mummies before, but always through glass, I couldn't touch them. I looked it up online, I couldn't find a legal way to touch a mummy, even if I became an archaeologist, because mummies are all in museums now, there are no mummies in the pyramids anymore."
"There's also a very famous mummified corpse in China called 'Loulan Beauty,' I'll take you to see it next time we have a holiday." Chen Xue thought they could go on a trip together next time. Mu Mian hadn't seen the great landscapes of the motherland yet, she could take her to see them.
"Really take me? I'll resist the temptation and make sure not to steal it."
"Uh... although it's called Loulan Beauty, it's not pretty at all... okay, any corpse is irresistibly attractive to you." Chen Xue looked at the shriveled leg, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Wait, how could there be a mummified corpse in cement? Cement would corrode the body, accelerate decay, how could the body become a mummy?"
"Chen Xue, I've already said it, the murderer is very professional in handling the body." Mu Mian reminded softly.
This was a very arduous task. Mu Mian, though full of fighting spirit, had arms that were too sore to cooperate. She had to stop and rest. Chen Xue had long since given up.
"Mianmian, I can't stay late with you tonight." Chen Xue said regretfully, "Otherwise, let's continue cleaning tomorrow? If your hands are sore, they'll shake, and you might damage the body."
"It's okay, I've found someone to stay late with me." Mu Mian washed her hands and planned to go to the cafeteria with Fang Rui to eat.
Chen Xue smiled, changed her clothes, picked up her bag, and said to Mu Mian, "Tonight, I'm going to meet Zhang's parents. Mianmian, I'm a bit nervous."
"Why nervous? Everyone likes you. You're very excellent!" Mu Mian comforted her. Chen Xue had a good reputation in the bureau, people often came to the office to play with her, they also often brought delicious food, and Mu Mian also ate various local specialties, of course, junk food too.
"Mianmian, you don't understand, the hardest relationship in the world is the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, I'm afraid Zhang's mom won't like me." Chen Xue was a bit inferior in her feelings, growing up in a single-parent family, her profession being a forensic doctor, a slightly conservative family might find fault with her.
"Chen Xue, you're marrying Zhang, why do you care about his parents?" Mu Mian asked puzzled.
"Marriage is a very complicated thing, it's not just about two people, it's about two families, no, three families, and then there will be our own little family. So you can't get married lightly." Chen Xue sighed, "Mianmian, wish me luck!"
"Chen Xue, good luck!"
Chen Xue left the office with her bag.
"Chen Xue, you are very, very, very excellent, if someone doesn't like you, it must be that person's problem." Mu Mian said behind her.
"Thank you, Mianmian."
Mu Mian took her lunch box and went to the cafeteria with Fang Rui to eat.
Aliali: 673ebb12c4f3f33ac4eea08cAfter getting the food, Mu Mian, as usual, put what she didn't like to eat into Fang Rui's bowl, and put what Fang Rui didn't like to eat into her own bowl.
After exchanging dishes, Mu Mian looked at Fang Rui and said seriously, "Fang Rui, it was my oversight to propose marriage to you so rashly. It turns out that marriage is such a complicated thing, I'm not sure if I want to get married now."
The colleagues who were originally concentrating on eating suddenly felt that the food in front of them wasn't appetizing, they all put down their chopsticks and looked at Fang Rui with varying expressions.
"Why do you think it's complicated?" Fang Rui ignored their gazes and asked puzzled.
"Because Chen Xue said marriage is about three families, including my parents' family, well, I don't have parents; your parents' family, but your mom likes me a lot, so I don't have to worry about the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship; and our own family... this one is just us two." Mu Mian found that her marriage wasn't complicated at all.
"See, it's not complicated." Fang Rui said with a smile.
"Then why don't you want to marry me?"
"Mu Mian, eat quickly, we still have to work overtime after eating." Fang Rui pointed at Mu Mian's watch, "Don't you want to dig out the body quickly?"
"I do!" Mu Mian immediately buried her head in eating. As she chewed the food, she suddenly realized that Fang Rui was diverting the topic.
Mu Mian thought, when she had time, she would write a report, titled "Analysis of the Reasons Why Fang Rui Doesn't Want to Marry Mu Mian."