Though this performance wasn't as flashy as those by the mourning band, everyone knew those were just for show, while this was the real deal.
During this time, two Santana cars drove up, each topped with a police light. It was the local police station arriving.
Usually, if someone drowned, they just drowned, no big deal; but this time, two people drowned at once, a father and son, and right at their doorstep. The nature of the incident was entirely different.
The police came to look at the situation and couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. They had seen bloated corpses before, but never ones so meticulously arranged.
Seeing this, they decided to wait until the corpses were brought up, not interrupting Li Sanjiang's ritual, and instead returned to their cars by the roadside, smoking and waiting patiently.
Finally, Li Sanjiang finished his work, slaughtered a rooster, and sprinkled a bowl of what may or may not have been black dog blood. Only then did he get into the pond, rowing the boat to the center.
He first used a "guiding hook" to pull the corpse to the side of the boat, secured it with a "Soul Returning Basket" to lift it onto the boat, and then covered it with a "Returning Home Net." Rowing back to the pond's edge, he bent over, lowered his head, and, with a special technique, transferred the corpse onto his back, ascended to the shore.
This was an important rule in the Corpse Recovery Diver's trade: the diver's feet had to touch the shore before the corpse, as this represented "sending" or "carrying" it home.
Finally, only when the host family called out could the corpse be laid down. This was considered a proper send-off, settling the task, ensuring the dead would truly return home, avoiding becoming wandering spirits.
After performing the same routine twice, Big Beard and his son were finally laid to rest on two grass mats.
Once everything was done, Li Sanjiang looked apprehensively towards the center of the fish pond, having only properly retrieved the corpses earlier, not daring to probe deeper.
*Who knew if she was still in there.*
The police came over to separate the corpses, but the villagers didn't care, continuing to watch from a distance, with children's screams of fear occasionally piercing the air.
Li Sanjiang settled his payment, tidied up his things, and, cigarette clamped between his lips, pushed the cart back. The surrounding villagers all avoided him, steering clear of someone who had just finished recovering corpses.
The police began their formal investigation, setting up a temporary office at Big Beard's house. The village head also came to assist, calling people over, boiling water, and serving tea.
Big Beard's wife couldn't provide any details. She had simply woken up one morning to find her husband missing, only to be alerted when someone passing by their fish pond discovered the father and son floating in the water.
The deputy director leading the team asked the village head if anyone in the village had any grudges with Big Beard's family. The village head scratched his ears and replied indifferently, "Oh, quite a few."
Following that, those with grudges queued up for questioning.
This included Li Weihan, who told the story of "Little Huang Ying," as well as Panzi, Leizi, and others, who were all called in for interviews.
Initially, the police thought they had discovered another corpse. They even sent officers with Li Weihan to search the river section, but found nothing. Li Weihan's story was too fantastical, dismissed as an old farmer's superstitious tale told to his grandkids.
They didn't know whether to treat the testimony seriously. Li Weihan grew anxious, repeatedly asserting the truth of his story, urging the police and others to believe him, until the village head managed to "pacify" him.
The mourning troupe that had caused a ruckus the previous day was also summoned for investigation. However, they had gone to the neighboring town on business the day before the incident, and the entire troupe had alibis.
As for Little Huang Ying's disappearance and the involved complexities, with no person or body found, and the responsible Big Beard and his son already dead, they could only report it as a missing person case for the time being.
This father-son drowning incident was ultimately handled as an accidental drowning. The conclusion was that Big Beard and his son got drunk at night, decided to fool around in the fish pond, and drowned as a result.
Big Beard's family didn't pursue further investigation, as after the funeral, the two sons and two daughters started arguing about splitting the estate, leading to ugly confrontations and giving the village more gossip.
By the time the statements were finished, it was already dusk. Li Weihan and Cui Guiying, with the kids in tow, headed home, the children walking ahead, the elderly couple following behind.
Cui Guiying, beating her chest in anxiety, asked, "Why did you step up to speak, even got called in by the police for questioning? Scared the life out of me."
Li Weihan casually tossed the empty cigarette box from his pocket onto the roadside, pursed his lips, and said, "Uncle taught me to speak out and not keep it in. About the matter with Little Yuanhou, Zheng Datong and Liu Jinxia also know a bit."
Cui Guiying complained, "Just let them know and keep it a secret, isn't that enough?"
Li Weihan shook his head, "Even if the adults can keep it a secret, can the kids hold their tongues and not slip up?"
Li Weihan let out a long sigh and said, "Uncle says the best way to keep a secret is to say it out loud in public."
Nearly everyone in the village went to Big Beard's fish pond to watch the commotion. Li Zhiyuan didn't go; he lay awake in bed, eventually moving a small stool outside to the open area in front of the house, staring at the distant fields.
After a while, his sister Yingzi finished washing the dishes and came out. She brought out a square stool, placing stationery and homework on it, and sat on a small stool herself. This makeshift desk was completed, and today's bright sun served as her lamp.