shadow of crime

"As the Spring Festival approaches, I wish everyone a happy family and good luck in everything!"

The Spring Festival Gala was broadcast on the TV. Jiang Bei sat on the sofa, holding the remote control in his hand, and tuned a few channels. They were all about the Gala, and there was no other news.

Nice, he thought.

A few days had passed since that night, the bureau was on holiday, Xu Zhengyuan didn't let Jiang Bei be on duty, and even granted him sick leave, plus the Spring Festival holiday, the time was not short.

Jiang Bei has not been to the bureau since that night, and Xu Zhengyuan kicked Jiang Bei out of the case on the grounds that Jiang Bei has a special relationship with the suspect.Apart from making notes in accordance with the regulations, he didn't hear any news. Lin An, who usually reported every incident, didn't mention it. He only called every day to confirm whether his boss was still alive, and to remind Jiang Bei to change his medicine.

Mother Jiang came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes, glanced at her son, sighed and shook her head: "Have you changed your medicine? Don't turn around and get infected."

"Changed."

Mother Jiang was worried, and walked over to check Jiang Bei's legs and neck, and only let her son go when she saw that the wound was wrapped with new gauze. "Are you still going to Lao Xu's house to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow? Or don't go this year."

Jiang Bei would go to Xu Zhengyuan's house every Spring Festival to see that little girl, and this year was no exception: "Go."

"Okay," Mother Jiang couldn't persuade, she stopped talking, stood up on her knees, "I see you bought something before, and you are going to take it with you tomorrow, right? Where is it? I'll get it out for you, so as not to You will forget it tomorrow morning."

Jiang Bei stared out of the window. It was raining tonight, and there were interlaced water marks on the glass window, which shattered the night scene outside the window.The moment before his thoughts went wild, Jiang Bei forced himself to look away, and said in a deep voice, "It's in the storage room."

"Okay, I'll get it for you."

Jiang's mother plunged into the storage room, said "Oops", and couldn't help nagging: "Why is it so messy, you said you are usually busy with work and have no time to clean up, so hurry up and find a wife, I can't be separated from each other Five, come and clean up your house. You are in your thirties. Everyone else like you has gone to elementary school, but you are still single. I really don’t want your mother to hold grandchildren? This Barbie doll suit is for you tomorrow Do you want to bring a gift from the past? Nian Nian is a big girl, who still plays with this? Who is this set of toy car models for?"

Mother Jiang hasn't come over for two months, and there are many strange things in the house, even comic books.She didn't remember that her son liked to read this, so she flipped through two pages and put them aside, continuing to tidy up the house.

"What is this?"

There is an easel in the corner, and the frame is covered with a plastic film, and the mud spots are still stuck on it. It looks like it has been put here after taking it home.Jiang's mother lifted the film, her eyes lit up, and she said in surprise: "Oh, this painting is so beautiful, son, how about asking someone to frame the painting and hang it on the wall tomorrow?"

Jiang Bei listened to the cross talk on the TV, and quickly came back to his senses, without shoes on, and strode to the storage room: "No, don't touch this."

He took the painting, entered the bedroom as if fleeing, and locked the door.

The long-suppressed emotions seemed to be turned on by someone, and it rained harder than the rain.Jiang Bei tilted the painting on the desk, staring at it in a daze.

The painting is well preserved, the rain did not wet it that night, and the rose garden painted with red paint is still lively, but there is still a small part of it that has not been painted, and no one will come to fill in the color.Because of this, the unique incomplete beauty has been achieved.

Someone was knocking on the door, and after a while, Jiang's mother's voice came: "Xiaobei, are you okay?"

"It's okay," Jiang Bei swallowed, "I'm going to bed, go there early tomorrow, you should rest too, it's late."

"Okay, then I'll wake you up for breakfast tomorrow morning." Jiang's mother didn't know what happened, and it was useless to ask Xu Zhengyuan, the old man played Tai Chi very well, and he went around a few times without getting to the point.

Jiang's mother felt that her son had changed. When it rained, Jiang Bei would put down what he was doing and stare out the window, sometimes for a whole day.He also felt that his son hadn't changed, and the poker face that had been frozen for thousands of years was as cold as ever.Hearing that Xu Zhengyuan said that she was bewildered by pulling her big baby son with one hand, Jiang's mother was so frightened that she hurriedly bought a bus ticket and came here overnight, but she was helpless after seeing her son.

She wandered outside Jiang Bei's room several times, but couldn't open her mouth, and returned to the room with a sigh.

After a night of tossing and turning, Jiang Bei woke up very early, and made breakfast with Jiang's mother before getting up.When he lives alone, he is very casual. When he is not busy, he goes to the breakfast shop downstairs to eat a bowl of three fresh rice noodles. When he is busy, he doesn't even bother to buy buns.

Mother Jiang woke up together and saw the steaming tomato and egg noodles on the dining table. A warm current flowed through her heart. After a few washes, she began to eat, but the taste was not flattering.She seems to have found the reason why her son has been single for many years. Except for his face and figure, he can still see the rest. What kind of big girl is willing to follow the big iceberg? She has to clean up the house and cook, not to mention the smiling face .

In the face of Suo Mian, after repeated ideological struggles, Jiang's mother finally decided not to let her son harm other people's daughters. As for the blind date introduced by Aunt Jiang Bei, she turned her down.

"What's the matter?" Seeing his mother's painful expression, Jiang Bei asked, "Isn't it delicious?"

"It's delicious." Mother Jiang took a few mouthfuls at random, and swallowed it without even daring to chew, "Aren't you going to the old Xu's house to pay New Year's greetings? Hurry up, there must be a lot of people visiting today, and there will be traffic jams if it's late."

Subtext: Hurry up, I can go downstairs to eat beef noodles after you leave!

Jiang Bei was kicked out of the house by his mother before he had time to pick out some clothes to change into.

"Let's go," Jiang's mother threw the doll suit and car keys to her son, "You can go out to relax, and Lin An's child, why didn't you come to see you? Don't be bored at home all the time, make an appointment How good it is for friends to play ball and sing.”

Jiang Bei stood outside the door and said, "Lin An is busy."

bang——

The door was already closed, Jiang Bei was carrying the pink gift box, looked down at the slippers on his feet, and heard that Mother Jiang was calling in the living room to ask the little sisters to play mahjong, rubbed his brows and left.

During the Chinese New Year period, the traffic is not smooth, and cars are jammed everywhere, which cannot be cleared at all.Jiang Bei was advancing at a speed of 100 meters per minute, and when he arrived at the door of Xu Zhengyuan's house, it was already past meal time.

Xu Nian, Xu Zhengyuan's granddaughter, was the one who opened the door. The little girl was young but smart. When she saw Jiang Bei, she bowed deeply and slipped out all the auspicious words.

Jiang Bei's doll was embarrassed to give it away, so he took out the red envelope prepared in advance and gave it to her.The little girl accepted it happily, and held Jiang Bei's arm coquettishly: "Brother, why did you come? I thought you weren't coming."

"There is a traffic jam on the road," Jiang Bei pinched her nose, "Remember to call uncle next time."

"No, 'uncle' sounds old, 'brother' sounds better."

"Niannian!" Xu Zhengyuan put down his teacup and taught her a lesson, "It's not big or small, it messes up the seniority. After eating, go back to the room and do your homework. You didn't pass a few subjects in the final exam. Don't think I don't know if you don't tell me." gone."

Xu Nian was afraid of her grandpa since she was a child. When the old man spoke, the little girl lost most of her energy and stuck out her tongue at her grandpa unwillingly. When Xu Zhengyuan found out, she turned her head and ran away.

"I still have to do my homework during the Chinese New Year. Is it too strict?" Jiang Bei put the gifts he brought on the sofa and sat opposite Xu Zhengyuan.

"She is exactly the same as her father when she was a child. She has to go to the house to uncover the tiles if she doesn't fight for three days. It's not strict." Xu Zhengyuan changed a new pot of tea and boiled only Jianjian. "By the way, have you eaten lunch? You don't come early Contact, I thought you wouldn't come this year. I left food for you, you wait, I'll serve it."

"No need," Jiang Bei stopped him, "I'll just sit and go, my mother is still waiting for me at home."

Xu Zhengyuan smiled: "Your mother just called my daughter-in-law out to play mahjong."

"..."

"Okay, you are afraid that you will hear things you don't want to hear after staying with me for a long time," Xu Zhengyuan exposed him, "I don't want to say more, you are not Nian Nian, there are some things you can figure out by yourself."

Jiang Bei held the Jianzhan, and the tea soaked his thumb.

Xu Zhengyuan took a sip of tea and asked, "Is the injury better?"

He didn't say where the injury was, Jiang Bei touched his neck subconsciously, and said slowly, "It's much better."

Xu Zhengyuan watched his movements, and shook his head imperceptibly: "Where is Lin An, didn't I contact you? His legs and feet are inconvenient and he can't jump. He was clamoring to find you that day and climbed up to the sixth floor. Are you free?" Just go and see him."

Jiang Bei agreed.

"Your mother said that you have been bored at home for the past few days, and called me to ask me what's going on. I didn't say anything, but you can't make your mother worry. Either you tell her the truth, or just like before, Don't look at your mother not doing business all day long, but thinking about your father's assets every day, she is actually careful, she knows every finger you move."

There was no distinction between the two of them in private, they were like uncles and nephews, Xu Zhengyuan took out his elders and had a long talk with Jiang Bei for a long time.Jiang Bei was still the same, he squeezed and said something, cherishing words like gold, no one knew what he was thinking.Xu Zhengyuan couldn't pry his mouth open, felt bored, so he stopped talking.

Before leaving, Jiang Bei remembered the business and asked, "What about the punishment?"

"What punishment?" Xu Zhengyuan was stunned for a while before he realized, "Let's talk about it. The suspect resisted arrest and took hostages. Even if you hurt him, the punishment will not be too severe. Don't worry."

He didn't say much, let alone tell Jiang Bei about the process.

Jiang Bei didn't ask any further questions, said goodbye to Xu Zhengyuan, and planned to go home with the return gift prepared by his sister-in-law.

"Little Ginger."

As soon as he walked to the door, Xu Zhengyuan still couldn't help calling him, and said earnestly: "You know, some people don't want to live, they just dare not die, so you don't have to blame yourself."

Jiang Bei stared at the toe of the shoe, which was wet with water.

Xu Zhengyuan observed his reaction, and said in a deep voice: "Lin An helped to deal with the following matters. Lin An said that you refused to let anyone take him away that night, and no one took him away. Wait until you figure it out someday." Now, if you can face it, go to Lin An."

--

The Spring Festival holiday passed quickly, and Jiang Bei didn't use his sick leave. He went to work before the Lantern Festival.Jiang's mother didn't rush back to her hometown to accompany her husband this time, she wanted to stay and take care of her son. When Jiang Bei left in the morning, she pulled her son to wear a scarf and long johns.

"Let me tell you, if you don't pay attention when you are young, wait for rheumatism and old cold legs to come to you when you are old. I don't want you to find a wife, so if you don't take good care of your body now, who will take care of you when you get old? Nursing homes I don’t dare accept single old men anymore.”

Jiang Bei was wrapped into a rice dumpling in his mother's surging maternal love, and it was inconvenient to raise his hands.

However, Jiang's mother hadn't finished the process yet, so she took a piece of ointment and put it in Jiang Bei's pocket: "Remember to apply the medicine. I asked the fellow to send this medicine. It is said that the effect of removing scars is very good. The daughter-in-law of Li's family next door left a scar after a caesarean section. Use this to apply it. It’s okay to say that you have other scars on your neck, what’s the matter with the ring of teeth marks, I can’t tell when people ask me later, if the application is not good, we will go for laser. "

Jiang Bei touched a small bump on his neck, which was scabbing and itchy. He always wanted to scratch it: "No need."

"Don't catch it!" Mother Jiang knocked off his hand, "It's easy to get infected, and it took a long time to heal."

After nagging for ten minutes, Mother Jiang finally let her son go.As soon as Jiang Bei went out, her smiling face immediately changed into a sad one.Zhier Mo Ruomu, even if no one told her the truth, no matter how indifferent Jiang Bei behaved, she would have guessed something.

Although classes have started, the spirit of spring is still there. Little red lanterns are hung everywhere in the Municipal Bureau, and Spring Festival couplets with gold characters on red background are pasted on the door, full of joy.Lin An stood at the door with a stick on his crutches. Even though he had a lot of thoughts, he couldn't say anything because he didn't have any ink in his stomach.He comforted himself and said: Why bother with yourself?

The office of the criminal police team was noisy, everyone was complaining about how many red envelopes were sent out during the Chinese New Year, and how much money they took along with them, saying that the salary was not enough and they had to work as part-time workers.Colleagues who usually blow their beards and stare at every turn found a confidant at this moment, and they hugged each other and vomited bitterness to each other.Lin An didn't participate in their tragedy meeting, took the gift on the table and asked, "Where's Wu Zichuan?"

Someone was yelling: "Wu Zichuan is Lao Wang's man, what are you looking for here? If you want me, go directly to the trace inspection department to find Lao Wang's important person."

Everyone stopped complaining, and followed suit.

Lin An understood, and wished he could sweep them over with a cane: "What are you thinking? After getting along with the right hand for a long time, you still feel pretty when you look at pigs, don't you? Rotten eyes look at Renji, I asked him to send me something!"

Lin An didn't talk to them, and opened the metal cabinet to search: "It's strange, Wu Zichuan clearly said to put it here, why didn't it exist. Did any of you see the ceramic pot in the cabinet?"

The colleague closest to the metal cabinet gnawed on the steamed stuffed bun, and said vaguely: "A group of new interns said that the jar is good, and they are going to take it back to soak the garlic."

"What are you soaking in?!"

Lin An exploded, missed the catch, and almost fainted.The colleague was terrified, and hurriedly helped the person to sit down, and was considering artificial respiration out of humanitarianism, when the little student soaking garlic came in with a clean jar, humming a little tune.

"Brother, don't be dizzy, your jar is back."

Lin An sat up in shock from his dying illness, his limped leg was able to walk independently, he strode forward to snatch the jar, and when he saw it, he almost fainted again: "Let me ask you, what's in it? Do you think it's a jar?" Have you drunk the sesame paste with water? Who is your team? Didn’t your leader tell you not to touch things?!”

Just as the intern was about to say something, Lin An interrupted him.

"Little brother, this is an urn. Do you know how long I have been guarding the crematorium for this handful of ashes during the Chinese New Year? You actually want to take this urn back and soak it, big, garlic! How can you eat it? Aren't you afraid that he will come to you in the middle of the night?!"

The intern wanted to say he was afraid, but...

"How can I be sorry to Brother Jiang?" Lin An's feet were weak, and he fell back to the chair, his eyes were blank, "You burn me and put me in, otherwise I won't be able to explain to Brother Jiang."

"Don't be like this," the colleague didn't know how to comfort him, "That newcomer, where did you dump your things? You are too ignorant, and you don't even look at what it is."

The intern finally had a chance to speak, and hurriedly explained: "There's nothing in it, it's empty, I took it because brother Xiaochuan said to give it to me."

"Nothing? Are you sure?" Lin An came back to life.

"OK, empty."

"This Wu Zichuan, I'm just going to unplug the cable and let him watch it for him. It's okay for him to turn his head and give the urn to soak in garlic. It's too unreliable!" Lin An gritted his teeth, took out his mobile phone and dialed Wu Zichuan's number , vowing to give that ignorant brat a good lesson.

As soon as the call was connected, Lin An didn't scold anyone, but asked directly: "Where is the thing I asked you to deliver? Why is it empty? You know what it is, and you dare to mess around like this."

Wu Zichuan was also aggrieved, and muttered: "Didn't I think that the ceramic jar was airtight? I changed it to a wooden box."

"Through...breathing?" Lin An held his forehead, "He's out of breath, how can he breathe?! Where's the box?"

"Brother Jiang took it away. I was just about to tell you when you called."

Lin An was surprised: "Brother Jiang? Are you sure Brother Jiang took it?"

"Sure, unless he has a twin too. I bumped into him on the way to your office and he asked me what it was and took it."

"Ah~" Lin An was still a little confused, "All right, as long as you don't lose it."

Lin An hung up the phone, glanced at the aggrieved intern, and returned the jar to him: "I'll give it to you."

The intern dared not ask for it.

After these eighteen turns of emotional agitation, Lin An was already so thirsty that his voice was hoarse.Just unscrewed the vacuum flask, before it was brought to my mouth, the phone rang, and the caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.

As soon as he put the cup away, he ran outside to pick it up like a thief.

Downstairs, Jiang Bei walked out of the city bureau with the box in his arms. He suddenly remembered that Wang Zhipeng had introduced him to a blind date two days ago.After all, today is the day to meet, and he was already half an hour late.

The phone was vibrating all the time, and Wang Zhipeng sent several messages, urging him to hurry over, because the girl had arrived early.Jiang Bei frowned, standing on the curb thinking whether to go or not, and finally decided to see the girl.

The meeting place was decided by the other party. It was at a coffee shop not far from the Municipal Bureau. When Jiang Bei arrived, the latte he had ordered in advance was cold.

"I'm sorry, I'm late because I have something to do." Jiang Bei put the box on the chair without hesitation, as if telling others that I am single based on my strength, "What would you like to drink?"

Wang Zhipeng had been vaccinated in advance, and the girl didn't mind, but Jiang Bei didn't look up at her, which made her feel a little frustrated. "I want a cup of hot milk with sugar."

Jiang Bei raised his eyes suddenly. The other party looked less than 30 years old. His long hair was casually tied behind his neck, and he was wearing delicate and refreshing makeup. He was just young and mature, and his fox eyes added a bit of indescribable charm.

"What's wrong?" The girl felt that Jiang Bei's eyes were a little strange, as if she wanted to see another person through her.She was a little disappointed. Although the man opposite met her standards, judging from her experience in reading people, he had someone in his heart.From Jiang Bei's undisguised and straightforward eyes, it can be seen that she cannot replace that person.

"Are you looking into my eyes?"

"Sorry," Jiang Bei lowered his eyes, rubbing the corner of the box with his hand to hide his panic.He repeated in a low voice: "Sorry."

"Who are you saying sorry to?" The girl gave up completely, but still wanted to tease him, "My uncle told me about your situation, and I think we are quite suitable. What do you think of me? "

Jiang Bei felt that he shouldn't lose his composure. He carefully hid those thoughts wandering by the river, looked up at the other party, and said seriously, "You... have beautiful eyes."

The girl smiled.

Jiang Bei went on to say: "But I'm sorry, I wanted to refuse to meet that day, but I forgot and let you go for nothing. I came here just to apologize to you, I think we are not suitable."

After finishing speaking, Jiang Bei called the waiter to pay the bill, and then found a decent excuse to end the meeting.

He walked quickly with the box in his arms.

like fleeing.