Chapter 18: The Murder on the Wasteland

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Qiu Yiyao quietly moved to the window, pulled aside a corner of the curtain, and looked outside. She saw Grandma Wang wearing a dark short-sleeved shirt, her graying hair tied back into a small bun. In one hand, she held a dustpan, and with the other, she scooped handfuls of dried corn kernels from it, scattering them onto the ground while softly making “cooing” sounds. The hens gathered around her, pecking at the corn kernels on the ground.

Even though Qiu Yiyao knew the events of last night hadn’t truly happened, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of fear. She gently let the curtain fall back into place, leaned against the wall, drew a deep breath, and silently told herself she must learn to be braver.

Grandma Wang looked up just as the curtain fluttered and tentatively called out, “Yiyao?” Qiu Yiyao heard her but pretended not to, afraid she might say something foolish and embarrass everyone.

Seeing no response, Grandma Wang blamed her own failing eyesight, chuckling to herself, “At my age, I guess my eyes aren’t reliable anymore. People really do get duller as they grow older.”

Li Zhen was returning from breakfast outside with Cong Cong. Hearing Grandma Wang’s words, she smiled and approached, resting her elbow on the chicken coop’s railing teasingly. “Hey, Sister Wang, did something happen today? Why are you suddenly saying that?”

Grandma Wang laughed at her joke, grabbing a handful of corn kernels as if to toss them. “Sister Wang? I’m younger than you. You should call me ‘little sister’.”

Li Zhen burst into laughter. “Alright, alright, Little Sister Wang.”

They chatted a little more before Grandma Wang suddenly leaned close to Li Zhen, looking around cautiously, and whispered, “I went to buy vegetables early this morning. I heard that the place where someone committed suicide last time had another death last night.”

“What?” Li Zhen was taken aback. “Why haven’t I heard about this? Could it be another suicide? It’s been so long since anything like that happened in our town.”

“Yes, things have been restless lately,” Grandma Wang sighed. “At my age, I’m still alive and well, but those young people just can’t make it. It’s strange.”

“Times change. We’ve endured all kinds of hardships in the past. These young folks nowadays haven’t experienced such struggles, so they can’t handle setbacks.”

“Exactly. That’s why children can’t be spoiled. They need to be disciplined—scolded and corrected—so they grow up resilient.”

“Right.”

Li Zhen glanced back at Cong Cong playing with sand outside their door, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Now, I only wish for Cong Cong to grow up healthy and safe. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

All of this conversation was overheard by Qiu Yiyao, who stood just a wall away.

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Unexpectedly, Li Zhen, who wasn’t much older than her, also came from a poor family. Now, with her husband gone early, she truly seemed pitiable.

In the wasteland north of the river, the same spot was surrounded by a dense crowd. Curious onlookers gathered, pointing and whispering at the police tape.

Qiu Yiyao squeezed through the group of middle-aged men and women. Not far away, several police officers were searching for clues. The place where the body was found was marked with a white outline in the shape of a human figure.

“I heard it was a young woman, not even married yet.”

“Really? That’s such a shame.”

A nearby woman looked regretful. “At that age, why would she want to do something like this? Why would she choose to end her life?”

“Who knows? They say it’s suicide, but what really happened, who can say for sure?”

Hearing this, a man in traditional Chinese attire appeared nervous. He gestured for silence among the chattering crowd. “You can’t just talk about this carelessly. Whether it’s suicide or something else, it’s not for us to decide. We need to wait for the authorities.”

His cryptic expression only deepened Qiu Yiyao’s curiosity about the case.

According to Li Zhen, the town of Yue Li hadn’t seen any cases like this for a long time. Yet since Qiu Yiyao arrived, two homicides had occurred in a short span.

The investigation results for this latest case had not yet been announced, while the previous case had long been closed, with the conclusion that the victim had been traumatized, unable to live a normal life, thus succumbing to negative emotions and choosing suicide.

If this is another suicide, could the deceased also have been a passenger on the same train that day?

The thought sent chills down Qiu Yiyao’s spine.

Could it be that the survivors from that day all developed the same psychological trauma as she did, or suffered from hysteria, seeing things they shouldn’t have, and out of fear and helplessness chose to end their lives?

Eager to verify her theory, Qiu Yiyao pushed through the crowd, crossed the concrete road beside the wasteland, and entered a narrow alley. Two intersections away stood the police station.

Before she could reach the first intersection, someone suddenly appeared ahead. The person, wearing a white shirt, stood with his back to her, motionless in the middle of the alley, neither moving forward nor turning around.

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Qiu Yiyao found the silhouette somewhat familiar. Before she could think it through, the man turned around—it was Bai Peiyu.

There was no hint of surprise on his face; it seemed he was deliberately waiting for her.

“Uncle Qiu told you not to wander off,” Bai Peiyu said immediately, using Qiu Shengming’s name to pressure her.

Qiu Yiyao paid no mind. “So what? I’m a living person, I’m not going to disappear.”

She didn’t stop but made a teasing grimace at him, passing by his side.

Just as she was feeling triumphant, Bai Peiyu suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. “I’m not here to persuade you to go back—I’m here to take you back.”

Qiu Yiyao jerked her arm hard, but he only gripped tighter.

“Will you let go? Or should I call for help?”

A mocking smile curled on Bai Peiyu’s lips. “Go ahead and call. If even half a person comes, I’ll admit defeat and let you go immediately.”

“Fine, you said it,” Qiu Yiyao said without giving him a chance to change his mind. She shouted loudly, “Help! There’s a molester! Someone, please help me! Save me!”

Within two minutes, a young couple arm in arm came running from the other end of the alley. Hearing her cries, they quickened their pace with suspicion.

Qiu Yiyao waved at them like a lifeline. “Here! Please save me! There’s a molester!”

The couple looked at Bai Peiyu and then at Qiu Yiyao, incredulous. Would such a handsome man really be molesting someone in a narrow alley?

Seeing their doubt, Qiu Yiyao hurried to explain, “He followed me all the way here, trying to do something bad to me. You really have to help me,” she said, forcing a tear out. “I’m so young—I can’t let myself be ruined.”