Miss Truth
Chapter 152 - 97: Male Corpse in the Wild Mountain

Chapter 152: Chapter 97: Male Corpse in the Wild Mountain

Ran Yan also had no idea where Su Fu had thrown the mat, so she had to keep a straight face and act as if she didn’t know.

"How could there be one missing?" Mrs. Xing asked. "Could you have forgotten to lay it out? It’s already autumn, be careful not to let the Wife catch a cold."

Wan Lu grumbled, "That can’t be right, there were only three mats, and I laid out two... "

Fortunately, no one seemed intent on dwelling on the matter, and Wan Lu found a new mat to lay on the couch.

After washing up, Xiao Man served the food. Because of the turmoil in her mind, Ran Yan ate only a little before dismissing everyone. She then immersed herself in studying the sedative Su Fu had used, with the half cup of water in hand.

Some time had passed when someone knocked on the door; the voice of Wan Lu could be heard outside, bustling and flustered, "Wife, something big has happened."

Ran Yan frowned, paused her actions, and said, "Come in."

The door banged open, and Wan Lu rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying the scent of rain, "Wife, there’s been a death in the back hill, a young man!"

"Hmm, what else?" Ran Yan asked in an even tone. Accustomed to life and death, she considered the birth and demise of people quite ordinary; not to mention a single death on the back hill—if there had been a pile of dead people, she would not have found it particularly shocking.

Wan Lu said anxiously, "Slave heard Xiao Man say that the Wife met Mr. Sang in the back hill the day before yesterday? I heard from villagers at the foot of the hill that the young master was wearing a wide-sleeved and round-neck robe and was rather handsome..."

Ran Yan’s grip on the cup tightened, and she asked in a deep voice, "Has the Government sent someone?"

"Yes, they have. I heard that Inspector Liu himself has come with people." Although Wan Lu felt Sang Chen was of humble origin and not a match for her mistress, she had a good impression of him, considering him an acquaintance. Thus, upon hearing the news, she hurried back to inform Ran Yan.

Ran Yan pursed her lips and thought carefully. Judging from the villager’s words, since they could tell he was handsome, it means he hadn’t been dead for long. With the weather growing colder, the appearance of a person after one or two days of death should still be recognizable, without very frightening signs of decay. And she had just happened to meet Sang Chen alone in the back hill the day before yesterday...

"Where is the body now?" Ran Yan inquired.

Seeing the sober look on Ran Yan’s face, Wan Lu became even more anxious, "It’s still in the back hill, with Inspector Liu personally examining it."

"Go now and see if there are any outsiders around, also try to have a look at the body. If it’s not Sang Chen, don’t meddle further and just come back. If it is him...or if you can’t see the body, ask Inspector Liu privately if he would allow me to examine the corpse. If he agrees, have him disperse the crowd. If he refuses, then come back," Ran Yan instructed all in one breath.

Wan Lu replied and hurried out.

Ran Yan felt some unease at the bottom of her heart. Ever since the incident with Qin Yunlin, she had been afraid of one day seeing the body of someone she knew on the operating table, even if Sang Chen was just someone she had interacted with a few times.

Less than a quarter of an hour had passed, yet Ran Yan began to feel restless. Her hands tightly clenched the water cup, her knuckles turning white as if they might snap, her eyes fixated on the white and lovely jade orchid flowers outside the window, trying hard to relax, yet unconsciously tensing all her nerves.

She kept telling herself that with the rainy weather and difficult mountain roads, Wan Lu was bound to take longer to return. She needed to stay calm, to be patient...

The wind passed through doors and windows, and Sang Chen suddenly woke up to find the sweat on her forehead had already slid down her temples, and her undergarment was soaked through long ago.

Sang Chen slumped onto the table as if drained of strength, gasping for breath, as if haunted by the terror that struck with every nightmare at midnight.

"Wife, what’s wrong?" As soon as Mrs. Xing entered the room, she saw Sang Chen’s face pale as paper and covered in sweat, mistaking it for a relapse of her old illness, she rushed over, wiped her forehead, and said anxiously, "Wife, wait a moment, I’ll immediately go call the doctor!"

Sang Chen grabbed her hand, "It’s nothing, I was just thinking of last night’s dream."

Mrs. Xing looked her over carefully, making sure she was truly alright, and only then did she let down her guard. Holding her hand, she said warmly, "If something is bothering you, Wife, don’t bear it alone. Speak to me, and perhaps you’ll feel better."

This was something she would not have spoken of before, and now even less so.

Seeing her remain silent with lowered eyes, Mrs. Xing sighed, "Was the wife frightened by the sight of those corpses? You’ve always been faint-hearted, and yet, for a living, you’ve had to do that sort of work... Wife, in the future, you must never do these things in secret. If we’re short of anything, we still have Shilang to look after us, and if he couldn’t help, there’s still me and Wan Lu."

Sang Chen spoke slowly, "People say the dead should be respected, but why are forensic doctors, who serve the deceased, regarded so lowly? In fact, people aren’t really respecting the dead, they are just afraid, so they hypocritically use respect to mask their fear."

"That’s easy to say..." Mrs. Xing felt there was merit in Sang Chen’s words, but still couldn’t bring herself to think of forensic doctors as noble; handling the dead was always considered unlucky.

"You go and get busy, I want to be alone for a while," Sang Chen said.

Only then did Mrs. Xing remember that she had heard Wan Lu saying something about a dead person and had come to inquire, but upon entering, she was diverted by Sang Chen’s listless appearance. It didn’t seem appropriate to ask more, so she got up and quietly left the room.

The scent of the jade orchid flowers gradually soothed Sang Chen’s restlessness. She took a few herbs, crushed them, and soaked them in distilled water, her eyes fixed on observing the changes of the herbs in the water, using this to calm her emotions.

About a quarter of an hour later, Wan Lu came back. Her skirt was wet with rain and clung to her legs, her hair also slightly disheveled. "Wife, Inspector Liu would not let the slave look at the body. He has already dispersed the crowd, saying that you may go to perform the autopsy."

Sang Chen had anticipated this outcome. Liu Pinrang, that old fox, wouldn’t miss any opportunity to crack the case. However, with major incidents occurring frequently in Suzhou lately, even if the cases were solved promptly, Liu Pinrang might still be impeached for negligence in maintaining order. Having dedicated most of her wealth to him, Sang Chen naturally did not want that money wasted.

Liu Pinrang, who came from a humble family, had to preserve his reputation for integrity and couldn’t let the powerful clans find any leverage against him, otherwise, he’d be manipulated at their will, and his position as the Inspector wouldn’t last long. He could accept very little in bribes; large payments like what Sang Chen gave were even rarer. She was certain that if a new Inspector with connections arrived, he wouldn’t be as easily influenced as Liu Pinrang. Firstly, the money she could offer wouldn’t necessarily impress him, and secondly, she could inadvertently find herself being countercontrolled.

For either reason, Sang Chen needed to do everything in her power to help him.

"Let’s go, let’s take a look," Sang Chen signaled to Wan Lu to bring the toolbox.

Once the two were ready and approached the doorway, they saw Ge Lan with Mrs. Xing.

"Ge Lan, come with me for a walk too," Sang Chen glanced at her and said indifferently.

Ge Lan bowed slightly, fetched an umbrella from inside, and followed Sang Chen and Wan Lu out of the courtyard. Mrs. Xing watched the three of them leave, hesitated with words on her lips, sighed, and turned back into the house. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)