Chapter VIII

Bloody bungalows

The sky was dark, but it was still dark. The darkness before dawn seems extraordinarily tranquil and extraordinarily long. It's just that in the sky, there is a slight light, and the morning star is in the eastern sky, hanging high, looking up at the sky.

Fang Xin was riding a bicycle with a light snow sitting in the back. They seem to have forgotten the real purpose of coming to Donghu Village, and now it seems that there is no point in it.

Where did that man, that mysterious thief, flee to? Did he really escape, or did he get mixed up in Donghu Village? Or is he from Donghu Village himself? Otherwise, why didn't he flee to other places, but chose Donghu Village?

And these situations, Fang Xin can only put them aside for the time being. Since Du Zijie gave him Zheng Chuchen's address, he has locked down that place, the small village called Eshi, which is close to the town of Fenshuilin. Now, he's trying his best to get there.

If Du Zijie is not the murderer, then the one named Zheng Chuchen is likely to be the real murderer. That's how Fang Xin judged, that's what he thought.

After driving in the dark for a while, they finally appeared in the bright town of Watershed. The street lights are still lit all over the street, and the bright matte is dazzling.

Fang Xin stopped at the intersection into the town, which is on Lakeside Road. While waiting for the red light, a bus passed in front of me. Fang Xin glanced at it, he didn't expect that there would be a bus so early. It's just that Fang Xin felt that this bus looked familiar. I just can't remember for a while, because what will be familiar.

Until Xiaoxue slapped him in the back: 'Hey! It's a green light, why are you stunned! Let's go.' Fang Xin turned around and smirked at her. With a hard foot, he drove into the streets of the town.

At this time, the streets are quiet and you can occasionally see people who get up early to do business.

Xiao Xue suddenly asked, 'I said Fang Xin, are we really going to find Zheng Chuchen?'

Fang Xin was stunned for a moment when she asked this, and then asked, "Why don't we go for nothing?" It's a new clue, do I think I'm going to give up?'

'I don't mean that, I mean, if you believe Du Zijie's words so much, will he be lying to us to divert our attention from him.'

'Ha Luha, my little snow has become smarter.' Fang Xin smiled and said, "I've thought about this question a long time ago. Let me tell you Xiaoxue, only when we went, did we know whether what Du Zijie said was true or false. So, we have to go.'

Xiaoxue sat in the back of the car and snorted unconvinced.

Du Zijie only gave the address of Eshi Village, but it is unknown which one it is.

The darkness before dawn shrouded the watershed forest town layer by layer, and the edge also shrouded Eshi Village. Speaking of which, this Eshi village is on the edge of the town, next to the town. Therefore, Fang Xin is still relatively familiar with this.

At the intersection of the town, turn right to Lu, and after walking a few steps, you will come to Eshi Village. The whole village is not big, not much different from Donghu Village.

The atmosphere of tranquility also pervades the village of Eshi. Maybe it's because it's not dawn yet, and the whole village is quiet, and you can't see a single person or a little light. Just not far away, at the west end of the village, there is a street lamp.

Fang Xin stopped the bicycle, and after Xiaoxue got out of the car, she muttered, "How can I find it, I don't even have a person to inquire."

Fang Xin pushed the car, he was also very puzzled, so many households, they would not knock over and ask one by one! It's also too unrealistic. Wait until it's completely dawn? You'll have to wait at least an hour.

After thinking about it, Fang Xin had no choice but to say, 'Go to the front first, maybe you can meet one or two people.'

Two people walk on the cement road of a row of houses at the front of Eshi Village. There are several rows at the back and on the side, some of which are connected by a dozen or so households, and some by only three or four.

When the two of them walked to the street lamp that was close to the west end of the village, they vaguely saw that not far ahead, in front of a certain house, there seemed to be a person sitting.

The two of them glanced at each other, smiled, and immediately rushed over.

When they got closer, the two of them saw that there was a chubby old woman sitting in front of the house. But when I saw the old woman with silver hair, sitting on a round stone bench, I don't know what Lu Dao was doing.

The old woman didn't seem to notice that someone was coming, she kept her head down, and her hands kept moving. Since it was still dark, the only street lamp just blocked Fang Xin and Xiaoxue's view.

Fang Xin stepped forward and stood up, just about to ask something. Suddenly, at this time, a terrible cat meow scared Fang Xin and Xiaoxue into a cold sweat. You must know that on such a quiet and peaceful night, when you suddenly hear that chilling cat meow, anyone who listens to it will inevitably be a little panicked.

The cat meow sounded twice, and it was only at this time that Fang Xin noticed that the cat meow was coming from the direction of the old woman.

A black cat was squatting at the feet of the old woman, who had been petting the black cat all the time. Hearing the cat's meow, the old woman was still very dissatisfied and patted the black cat's little head lightly and said, 'Little brute, what are you screaming!'

The black cat seemed to be enraged, staring at Fang Xin and Xiaoxue with a pair of blue eyes. It's as if as soon as two people take a step forward, it will pounce on you and find you desperately.

Fang Xin and Xiaoxue fought a cold war almost at the same time, and the blue and faint cat's eyes, like two ghosts, looked particularly strange in this silent night sky. A chill instantly rushed from the soles of his feet to his head.

It's just that the old woman doesn't seem to notice Fang Xin and Xiaoxue yet. She was still carelessly stroking the little black cat, as if she was very loving and pityful.

Not long after, Fang Xin noticed that there was no one else around except for the old woman, so he had to be bold again and take a step forward again. This time, it was closer to the old woman and the black cat. But he saw that the black cat was staring at Fang Xin without blinking, but he didn't bark again.

Fang Xin relieved his heart and said, "Old woman, ask you about someone. Excuse me, do you know Zheng Chuchen's home?' In order not to frighten the old woman, Fang Xin said very gently.

However, the old woman didn't seem to hear at all. She was still gently stroking the black cat, and her mouth was chattering: 'You have to be good, don't keep screaming for nothing, I won't like you.'" And for Fang Xin's questioning, he turned a deaf ear.

Fang Xin was very puzzled, Xiao Xue poked him in the back and whispered, "Hey! Could this old woman be deaf?'

Fang Xin glanced at her and said, "Don't talk nonsense."

Turning around, he smiled shallowly, raised his voice a little, and asked again: 'Old woman, do you know where Zheng Chuchen's home is?'

This time there seemed to be a reaction, and the old woman finally turned around. It's just that this turn around scared Fang Xin and Xiaoxue enough. They would never have imagined that there was such a terrifying face in this world.

The old woman's face was extremely ugly. The facial features are basically collapsed, and it is impossible to distinguish which is the mouth and which is the eyes. The wrinkles on his face drowned out his facial features. And her skin was as white as her hair. There is no blood, very unhealthy kind of white. It's reminiscent of some ghost movies, the miserable white faceless ghost.

The old woman who turned around saw two strange young people inexplicably appearing behind her, and she was startled at first, as if she was also frightened. Then he said in a hoarse voice, 'What are you talking about?' The old woman's ears are not good, you speak loudly.'

It wasn't until the old woman made a voice that Fang Xin concluded that it was a person in front of him, not a ghost.

So, Fang Xin raised his voice again and asked loudly, "We came to find Zheng Chuchen, can you tell me where he lives?" We're looking for him for something.'

I don't know if it's really Alzheimer's, or if the old woman didn't hear it. After Fang Xin finished asking, he came over for a long time before the old woman said, 'Oh! You're looking for the first morning!'

"Yes, we're looking for Chu Chen, where does he live?"

'He's it.' The old woman sat down on the stone bench, moved her buttocks from the stone bench, stretched out her withered hand, pointed to the west side, and said, 'Where he lives, do you see the two little bungalows?' Yes, I live in a small bungalow at the beginning of the morning. You're here so early, I guess the kid hasn't gotten up yet!'

Fang Xin looked up and saw that in the field not far away, there were indeed two small bungalows. Fang Xin didn't expect that Zheng Chuchen would live there instead of living in Eshi Village.

'Thank you, old woman.' After thanking him, Fang Xin said goodbye to the old woman with Xiaoxue, turned a corner, bypassed the street lamp, turned another corner, and came to a cement path.

It is a straight concrete road with fields on both sides. And not far away, in the place where this path is not at the end, is Zheng Chuchen's home.

However, no one noticed. When Fang Xin and Xiaoxue left, the old woman slowly stood up. On a face that could not have any expression at all, a ghostly smile appeared.

There was still some distance from Zheng Chuchen's home, and Fang Xin started riding his little bicycle again. Xiao Xue sat in the back of the car and asked, "Fang Xin, don't you think that old woman is a little weird?"

'Weird? Why didn't I see it.' Fang Xin said as he rode, 'Old man, at this age, they are all about the same. Don't be cranky.'

Xiaoxue said again, 'Have you noticed the black cat?'

Fang Xin was even more puzzled: 'Black cat? What's wrong?'

It's gone, and while you're talking to the old woman, the little black cat is suddenly gone. Don't you think it's weird?'

Fang Xin smiled and said, "You are very careful to observe. Don't forget, though, that cats are nocturnal animals. Perhaps it smelled the food and ran away.'

'Anyway, I just felt a little wrong.'

When the two of them were talking, they had unconsciously come to Zheng Chuchen's small bungalow. The whole bungalow has two rooms with two doors. There is a wooden fence around the perimeter that follows the small bungalow all the way to the side of the path. Near the path, there is something that resembles a door. At this point, it seems to be closed.

Fang Xin parked the bicycle and gently pushed the wooden gate, which actually opened. It turned out that the small wooden door was just hidden and not locked.

The wooden fence encloses a small yard, which can be called a yard. There are a lot of farm tools, sickles, hoes and so on in the yard. On the east side, there is a super large water tank. If you look at it from afar, you can see a tank of clear water.

There was not a single person around, and there was no light in the two small bungalows. It seems that Zheng Chuchen really hasn't gotten up yet.

This place, Fang Xin has walked before, and more than once. He remembered that there was an outdoor dweller living here, and the surrounding fields were used to grow many fruit trees and grapes. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Zheng Chuchen's home.

Two bungalows sit side by side and are both made of bricks. From the outside, it is very simple. It's like it's been weathered for decades, and many places are in tatters.

Fang Xin really didn't expect that Zheng Chuchen would live in this kind of place.

Xiaoxue pushed Fang Xin, who was still stunned, and asked, "What should we do now?" Stand outside and wait?'

'Let's go and knock on the door first, and then we'll see how it goes!' With that, Fang Xin walked towards the bungalow on his right. The door of the bungalow was in the middle, Fang Xin knocked lightly twice, but there was no response. So, he knocked twice before whispering: 'Zheng Chuchen, Zheng Chuchen!'

The bungalow was quiet, and no one responded to Fang Xin. Fang Xin glanced back at Xiao Xue and asked Xiao Xue's opinion. I saw Xiaoxue move her mouth towards the other door. Fang Xin understood that he was asking him to try to knock on another door.

Walking to the door of another humble room, Fang Xin knocked on the door again with a calm mind. As a result, the door was pushed open a small crack. Fang Xin and Xiaoxue were overjoyed, it turned out that this door was also hidden.

Fang Xin cleared his throat and asked softly, "Is anyone there?" I'll look for Zheng Chuchen.'

However, as before, no one answered. Fang Xin called two more times, and the result was still the same. Fang Xin couldn't help but wonder, is there no one? He turned his puzzled gaze to Xiaoxue again, wanting to ask her what to do?

Xiaoxue said, 'Go in and see!'

'Not okay?' Fang Xin was a little embarrassed, after all, it was someone else's home, and he always felt a little awkward to go in without saying hello. But I heard Xiaoxue say: 'What if that kid is really a murderer and escapes.'"

When Fang Xin heard it, he was right. So, without the slightest hesitation, I pushed the door and entered.

It was dark in the house and almost nothing could be seen. But as soon as the two entered, they immediately smelled a rancid smell. And it's very intense, very pungent. Fang Xin and Xiaoxue immediately covered their noses with their hands.

Xiaoxue said depressedly: "What a smell, it smells so bad, it's disgusting.'"

Since he couldn't see the situation inside the house, Fang Xin didn't dare to assert that the rancid smell was caused by something. But the smell is really unbearable. Moreover, Fang Xin could feel that the rancid smell was mixed with a strong smell of blood.

The first condition is to find the light source and then to find the source of the odor.

Finally, Fang Xin found the switch on the wall. After turning on the light, the scene in the house suddenly startled both of them. Xiao Xue screamed and hid behind Fang Xin.

This room, on the surface, looks like a kitchen. The middle is divided into two small rooms on the left and right by wooden boards. On the left is the stove, and behind the stove is a smaller single room surrounded by a few pieces of snakeskin paper, which is actually a toilet. And the one on the right should be considered a restaurant. Like the rest of the farmer, a large table of eight immortals is placed in the center, and four long wooden chairs are scattered around.

If this alone is not enough to make Xiaoxue and Fang Xin feel frightened. To their horror, there was blood all over the room. On the walls, on the stove, and even on the roof. No wonder Fang Xin was able to smell blood, there was blood everywhere in the room.

And if it's just that much blood, it's not enough to make two people panic from the bottom of their hearts. They saw that on the table of the Eight Immortals, there was a head, and it was a bloody one that had been skinned.

The direction of the head is facing the two of them, and a pair of bloody eyes are staring at the two people. The look of horror before death was as if the two of them had killed it and brutally peeled it off.

The skinless head was hideous, and the bright red flesh was still dripping with blood, staining the entire Eight Immortals Table with blood red and blood red, and spilling it all the way to the ground.

But Fang Xin found that the head on the table of the Eight Immortals did not look like a human head. If Fang Xin's estimate was correct, it should be a dog's head.

Thinking of this, Fang Xin's heart was a lot relieved. Although he has never eaten dog meat, he has seen a dog killed once or twice. It's just that he can't figure it out, why Zheng Chuchen wants to put a skinned dog's head at home.

Xiaoxue was frightened, and said in a vigorous tone: "That... What's that? Isn't it a human head?' Fang Xin comforted her and said: "It's a dog's head, don't be afraid, the blood here should also be dog blood. Perhaps, that guy Zheng Chuchen killed the dog last night and came to eat it.'

Hearing Fang Xin say this, Xiaoxue calmed down and boldly glanced at the skinned dog's head. However, after only one glance, he quickly retracted it again.

Also, even if Zhi Lu Dao was a dog's head, being so bloody on the table of the Eight Immortals, Fang Xin didn't feel very comfortable seeing it. He was thinking, the dog's head didn't want to eat, and it was okay to throw it away or bury it. Why is it still placed on the table of the eight immortals for eating.

And in this room, in addition to a hideous dog head that makes people annoying and strange, there is also a place that also makes Fang Xin feel very weird and unusual.

There are two large iron pots on the stovetop, one large and one small. The outer one is larger and the inner one is smaller.

Iron pots are ordinary, and in the countryside, almost every household has them. At this time, there seemed to be something boiling in the larger iron pot, and the heat was constantly rising upwards, almost filling the entire room.

The heat brings a foul smell, and I can't say what it is. In short, the taste is peculiar and can't be explained.

Xiaoxue is still covering her nose, and if she smells it for a while, I'm afraid she won't be able to hold on and vomit all the food she has eaten for the past few days. There will be absolutely no mercy left at all. She had never smelled such a bad smell before, it was simply rare in the world.

'Let's go quickly, I don't want to stay in this place for a moment.' Xiao Xue covered her mouth and nose while pulling the corners of Fang Xin's clothes.

Fang Xin not only did not leave, but walked towards the stove. He also wanted to leave early, but curiosity forced him to really want to solve the mystery.

Walking towards the stove step by step, Xiaoxue wanted to stop it, but it was too late, so she had to follow behind.

The stove was filled with small pieces of wood, no wonder no one burned it, and there was still a flame. I just don't know who is burning this pot, why don't you see anyone? Where did Zheng Chuchen go?

The heat is pouring out along the crevices and corners of the lid.

When I got closer, I heard the sound of boiling water coming out of the pot. But Fang Xin believes that the iron pot can't just be a pot of water, there must be something else. Because it is impossible for water to have such a strange taste.

In fact, when he saw the skinned dog's head, he more or less guessed something. It's just that there's no way to prove it.

The burning sensation is especially noticeable when the hand is placed on the lid. It could almost be said that the constant upsurge of heat completely submerged that hand.

With his feelings, Fang Xin finally touched the handle of the pot lid. He clenched his grip and lifted the lid gently. Suddenly, a large cloud of white gas, mixed with a disgusting and unpleasant rancid smell, rushed to the face. It's so overwhelming that people can't be guarded against it, and they don't know what to do.

The white mist obscured Fang Xin's vision, making Fang Xin still ignorant of the situation in the pot. And Xiaoxue frowned tightly, looking disgusted.

I took most of the water from the faucet next to it and poured it into the pot. After a creaking sound, most of the white mist disappeared. Everything in the pot can finally be seen at a glance.

Xiaoxue didn't dare to look at it, and she didn't want to see it. Fang Xin had no choice but to go to the big iron pot alone to see what was going on.

I saw that after the pot was filled with most of the basin of cold water, it was no longer boiling. It's just that around the pot, there is still some white mist coming out from time to time. And the situation inside the pot can already be seen clearly.

A whole pot of water is white, not the natural white, but milky white like milk. But if you look closely, it doesn't look like it, because the white color is not as pure as milk, and there is no frankincense of milk.

Instead, it's more like the kind of white that some animals have rotted. And that pungent smell wafted out of the milky white soup. Now that I smell it, it makes people feel that they have a dead heart.

Fang Xin took a large copper spoon from the lid of the pot next to him and stirred it in the pot of soup a few times. Sure enough, as Fang Xin expected, there was indeed something in the big iron pot.

After the large copper spoon was stirred in the iron pot a few times, the unacceptable taste became even stronger. It's just that Fang Xin was already attracted by the contents of the big copper spoon, and completely forgot about the unpleasant smell.

'What's that?' Xiaoxue has been resisting the smell though. But she was also very curious behind Fang Xin, glanced at the copper spoon, and then asked.

'It's a dog bone.' Without thinking, Fang Xin gave Xiaoxue a fact that even he was unwilling to accept.

'What? Dog bones?' When Xiaoxue heard this, she was even more disgusted. Quickly retracted her little head, and didn't want to look at it again.

Although Fang Xin was reluctant to accept it, he still held the copper spoon and continued to stir in the iron pot.

Now he finally understands what the water in the pot is that strange white. Because there's something else in the water, and that's dog meat. Dog meat that is sparse and sloppy boiled in boiling water, and even a little shredded meat is almost invisible to the dog. No wonder the water turns that color.

The dog meat is almost integrated with the water, and I am afraid that I can't tell the difference if I want to. Come to think of it, the dog is afraid that it has been boiling in the pot for hours. If you continue to cook like this, I'm afraid the bones will be almost gone.

Fang Xin threw the copper spoon, sighed and said, "This Zheng Chuchen, if you want to eat dog meat, it's not like this. The whole house was covered in blood, and people who didn't know what to do thought had been murdered. Is there something wrong with his brain, the dog meat has become a thin broth, can he still eat it?'

Xiaoxue's eyes gurgled, and she said, "You forgot, didn't Du Zijie say that Zheng Chuchen's brain is indeed very abnormal."

Fang Xin remembered, Du Zijie did say so. At the time, he didn't pay much attention to it. Now that I think about it, is Zheng Chuchen really suffering from mental illness?

But the facts seem to be able to prove it again. Who would get up in the middle of the night to cook dog meat and eat it, and put the skinned dog head on the table of the eight immortals. There is no better explanation than that there is something really wrong with the brain of the person doing it.

'Xiaoxue, you said that if Zheng Chuchen really suffers from mental illness. What if he doesn't answer the question, or doesn't admit to being the murderer altogether?'

That's really a problem, for psychopaths, anything can happen.

Xiao Xue held her chin and thought for a while and said, "I think the most important thing for us is to find the evidence and motive for Zheng Chuchen to kill Hang Haiyan. Other than that, it's all in vain.'

'What do you mean......'

'We only have one clue to look for now, just like Cha Du Zijie. Since we are here, we might as well check Zheng Chuchen's shoes openly.'

'It's a good idea, and that's all we can do at the moment.'

Saying that, Fang Xin and Xiao Xue looked around at the small room, hoping to find some clues from it. However, the two of them searched for a long time, not to mention shoes, or even a pair of socks.

The two of them were so disappointed that they even went to look for the hairy toilet, but they still found nothing.

Finally, Xiaoxue reluctantly said: "Strange, how can there be? Could it be that Zheng Chuchen doesn't wear shoes? Or just a pair on your feet? It's incredible.'

Fang Xin had a different reference, he said: "This one should be a kitchen. Xiaoxue, don't forget, there's another one over there. If I'm right, that one would be the bedroom.' After finishing speaking, Fang Xin pointed to another room.

It didn't matter if this finger was pointed, the two of them suddenly found that in the direction of Fang Xin's finger, there was actually a door. In other words, the other bedroom can be accessed not only from the outside, but also from here. I don't know if this door is also locked.

The two men looked at each other, smiled at each other, and walked towards the door. However, before the two of them could reach the door, the door that had been in suddenly creaked open. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point (biquge.info) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, and your support. That's what motivates me the most......)