Chapter 396: 375
Tao Zhenshan was taken aback.
"Good, that is to say, our previous judgment was not wrong."
Zhou Ning nodded.
"Take the police dogs over there. There may be many caves in the mountains. When the distance is closer, it’s easier for the police dogs to pick up the scent. Oh, and bring the vomit that Gao Tie just found. That smell is easy to identify."
Tao Zhenshan hurried off to make arrangements. Zhu Weihua was placed in the last police car, while Mrs. Zhu was taken to a car at the front. After getting everyone into the cars, he went to ask in person.
Zhou Ning glanced back at Mr. Qu and Sun Gaotie. Both faces were tense, with Mr. Qu frequently checking the time.
"You two go check the Zhu Family’s place for any signs of beating, and of course, look for vomit. That stuff smells strong. After drinking it, a child might have a strong reaction. After all, some people die from asphyxiation caused by choking on their vomit after ingesting Paraquat."
The two hurried in. Time ticked by every second, and soon Tao Zhenshan got out of the car and made a direct phone call.
Seeing this action, Zhou Ning breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they had been called!
After that, from the remaining criminal police, a team was dispatched with the stretchers from their vehicles, and quickly, following Tao Zhenshan’s arrangement, they ascended the mountain. Then Tao Zhenshan came over.
Wiping off sweat, he handed Zhou Ning a bottle of mineral water. The remaining police force had already started to clear the spectators from the scene.
"Your analysis was spot on. In the morning, Zhu Weihua brought the half-dead child here. Right after being left, the child vomited. Mrs. Zhu was startled, and Zhu Weihua asked her to abandon the child on the mountain. Mrs. Zhu disagreed, so Zhu Weihua quarreled with her.
Zhu Weihua said if she didn’t go, he would tell the police it was her who fed the poison to the child. Frightened by this, after Zhu Weihua left and before dawn broke, she quickly rode her bike taking a shortcut up the mountain and abandoned the child inside a Fairy Cave on the southwest side of the mountain, which has a huge drop inside. I’ve asked locals from the village committee to lead the way. Let’s wait for news."
Zhou Ning took a long breath, but quickly became solemn again.
"Director Tao, still have people search around the Chen Family’s garbage heaps for the Paraquat bottle. Of course, don’t overlook any drink or milk bottles that might have been with the Paraquat. That stuff smells strong and is difficult to swallow on its own.
Finding the bottle is to confirm Zhu Weihua’s fingerprints. If found, it’s conclusive evidence. If the child is alive, we can also determine the brand and composition, which will help with treatment. I’ll contact the hospital now, and prepare for the treatment shortly."
Tao Zhenshan hurried to gather more personnel. In fact, he brought many people with him, and quite a few were deployed for the mountain search, plus the ones just sent out. Now there were not many left, but he quickly made arrangements regardless.
Zhou Ning dialed Mr. He’s phone. The person on the other end did not respond with crossed brows and coldness but instead asked Zhou Ning carefully what he wanted.
"You know Liu Yufei, don’t you? Her cousin’s child was fed Paraquat by his stepmother. We suspect it was given around four in the morning. We’ll send him to your hospital soon for emergency treatment. Prepare whatever you need. As for how much he ingested or vomited, we don’t know yet; the child hasn’t been found."
Mr. He was stunned for a moment and then cursed.
"Damn it, what kind of people are these? How old is the patient?"
"Eight years old."
...
Before long, Sun Gaotie and his team stepped out briskly, with Sun Gaotie holding several evidence bags.
"I don’t have a camera, so I had to use Mr. Qu’s phone for photos. The pictures are still clear, though. We found vomit and some string tips, and also a tuft of hair that seems to have been pulled out. The hair is very yellow and fine, I remember Chen Xiangyu’s hair is just like that from the photos."
Zhou Ning looked at the evidence and the photographs taken. Some substances mixed with sand and soil did look like vomit, blue-green in color and quite noticeable. Seeing this, Zhou Ning became even more certain of his judgment.
However, there were also some jelly-like chunks of milk mixed in.
"It seems it really is Paraquat. As for the white chunks, they’re probably milk. Milk curdles into chunks upon contact with Paraquat. Gao Tie has made significant progress; his attention to detail is commendable, well done!"
Despite the compliment from Zhou Ning, Sun Gaotie did not feel any joy; his face still wore a look of concern.
"So, have they confessed? If we keep waiting, that child really will die. I know that the ultimate result of Paraquat poisoning is fibrosis of the lungs—slowly suffocating. It’s too cruel for an eight-year-old child. How could the family go on living!"
Mr. Qu patted Sun Gaotie’s shoulder, signaling him to control his emotions.
Zhou Ning didn’t say anything. At this moment, he wasn’t sure how to console them, as he wasn’t certain they would find the child. If Mrs. Zhu was lying at this crucial time, then their hopes of rescuing the child would grow even dimmer.
Just then, Zhou Ning’s phone rang. It was Mr. Zhao calling; he was with Liu Yufei’s group. If he was calling, there must be a discovery.
"Hello, Mr. Zhao, have you found him?"
"We found him. He looks in bad shape. The locals and the police dogs found this cave together. The child is unconscious and without awareness, surrounded by a lot of vomit. There’s a big drop inside the cave, and it looks like his arm is broken too. I’ve collected samples, and we’re carrying the child down the mountain now. Has the ambulance arrived?"
Zhou Ning glanced over, and when coming from Yingtaogou Valley, had already called for an ambulance, which was now parked behind the convoy. Signaling Sun Gaotie to fetch the medical staff, Zhou Ning then said to Mr. Zhao:
"Rest assured, it’s already here. I’ve organized a rescue team with Mr. He’s help; we can head straight there."
Mr. Zhao breathed a sigh of relief as Sun Gaotie ran towards the ambulance to call the medics.
A large group of people rushed down, carrying the child quickly. Liu Yufei saw Zhou Ning and nodded at him.
"I won’t say thanks now; I need to get the child to the hospital first. Can you and Director Tao help with the investigation here? However, with such a long delay, can the child be saved?"
"Mrs. Fei, don’t worry. I’ve already contacted Mr. He. The investigation here is almost done, except for the interrogation. Of course, we need to take the people in for questioning. Mr. Yang and Mr. Sun will stay behind to continue inspecting the scene inside the cave and the two houses since we haven’t found the Paraquat bottle around here. Mr. Zhao and I will go with you to the hospital; I’ll explain in detail on the way."
Liu Yufei nodded at Zhou Ning with gratitude.
By that time, Chen Xiaodong and his mother also ran over, but Liu Yufei stopped her aunt.
"You have high blood pressure, so just stay at home and take your medicine. Let my cousin go with me to the hospital. All the doctors have been contacted. Having you there crying won’t help the rescue effort. What if you get too excited? Who should we save then, you or the child? Every minute you delay is a risk to the child’s life, you understand?"
The old lady actually listened this time, hesitating to move forward. Chen Xiaodong followed the ambulance while the others got into police cars. Two police cruisers led the way, with Mr. Zhao driving an Iveco, closely following the ambulance as several vehicles sped towards the central hospital.
Watching the convoy disappear, Tao Zhenshan looked at Mr. Yang and the others, let out a long sigh, and glanced at his watch. It was nearly nine, minus ten. Finding the person had left everyone exhausted.
"Let’s get to work quickly. I will assign more people to search, and as Zhou Ning said, we must find the Paraquat bottle. I am going to interrogate Zhu Weihua immediately. If she can talk, this might get easier to handle."
Sun Gaotie hesitated before raising his hand. Tao Zhenshan gestured to him with a nod.
"Speak up, I’m not Director Xu."
With that remark, a few people laughed, probably thinking Director Xu would sneeze at that moment.
"Director Tao, I’ve already searched the Zhu Family’s house once and collected all the evidence that should be collected. According to Mrs. Zhu, the child was brought here by Zhu Weihua and started vomiting in the courtyard. I’ve found the vomit, and it indeed contains the blue-green Paraquat.
"However, mixed in with the vomit, there were jelly-like chunks of milk. I suspect she mixed the Paraquat with the milk and gave it to the child to drink. From the Chen Family in Yingtaogou to the Zhu Family in Hanjia Village, it is less than a kilometer; just a few minutes by bicycle.
"For such a reaction to occur, it must have been drunk at home. So, I think we should still search the Chen Family’s home carefully. Perhaps it wasn’t discarded in the garbage or near the road, but merely hidden in the Chen Family’s house."
Tao Zhenshan patted Sun Gaotie’s arm and started laughing, seeming less worried now that they had found the person.
"Then let’s do as you say, but still, keep searching on the way. Let’s go to the Chen Family’s house and have a look," he said.
As they got into the car, onlookers continued to chatter, while a little boy emerged from the Zhu Family’s house. He was wearing a pale yellow T-shirt and shorts, looking at the police with fear. Someone noticed him and hurriedly called for village committee members to deal with the situation.
The Zhu Family’s mother and daughter’s act of poisoning and abandoning someone in a cave shouldn’t affect the rest of the family. It seemed there was no one else at home, and today was the first day of school. The boy probably hadn’t gone to class.
The village chief and a women’s director came over, trying to pick up the boy. He fiercely pushed them away, glaring at the police and screaming:
"You’re the bad guys, return my mom and grandma to me, give them back! I’m going to kill you all!"
Such a reaction made the onlookers sigh, the volume of chatter grew louder, and a woman even spat.
"The kid’s really wicked, wanting to kill the cops. Your mom is a murderer, you know. It seems that the incident with her ex-husband years ago wasn’t so simple."
Mr. Zeng stood nearby, overhearing this comment, stopped in his tracks. The surrounding people had already started gossiping more.
"That’s true. Zhu Weihua was beaten so badly by that son-in-law that she had to be hospitalized. Afterwards, she returned silently, and then the son-in-law was rushed to the hospital, nearly losing his life. That’s when he agreed to the divorce and paid her a hefty sum of money."
A younger woman nearby shook her head.
"You only know part of the story. ’Nearly losing his life?’ The thing was actually cut off. He woke up himself and called 120; otherwise, he would’ve been dead. To live with such a wife was like walking with your head tied to your belt. He dared not refuse the divorce. Saving his wealth to save his life mattered more."
"Really? That thing got cut off? What does that mean, did he become a eunuch?"
The village women, blunt in their speech, talked without a blush, and one even took out a bag of sunflower seeds, cracking them and muttering with a sigh.
"I heard it was saved but shortened. He gave all his money to the mother and daughter and went to work in the south. If he had been a bit slower, maybe it wouldn’t have been that which got cut off next time. At that time, I thought the son-in-law’s complaints were because of money, but now, it seems he was genuinely worried for his own life."
Mr. Zeng moved closer.
"Was Zhu Weihua’s ex-husband also from a nearby village?"
