Insights Chapter 156: Motive

Chapter 156: Motive

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Changxi County, dusk, In the morning when he inquired about the situation, Gu Yanchen added Zhao Zhiyuan on WeChat. He and Zhao Zhiyuan arranged to meet, not at the school, but directly at Zhao Zhiyuan’s home. Gu Yanchen made it clear that only he and a colleague from the City Bureau would come this time.

In the evening, when Zhao Zhiyuan finished work, he led them into the house.

The house was a two-bedroom, one-living-room setup, tidy and clean inside.

Gu Yanchen got straight to the point, placing several photos on the table, including ones taken on the intercity bus and items belonging to Jian Yunxi.

“Teacher Zhao, do you still want to claim that you were unaware of Jian Yunxi and Wen Qiaoqiao’s cases?”

Zhao Zhiyuan picked up the photos, looked at them briefly, then put them back down. “I admit that I took Jian Yunxi’s belongings to do an unboxing live stream for Felin. If I have violated the law, I am willing to bear legal responsibility.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Why didn’t you tell the truth this morning?”

Zhao Zhiyuan replied, “You and the police from the local police station came together. I couldn’t be sure that these matters wouldn’t be known to others.”

Having lived here for a long time, he knew that among those people, there were no secrets.

Gu Yanchen asked, “Why did you do this?”

Zhao Zhiyuan remained silent, bowing his head.

Shen Junci asked, “Did you intend to prevent the murder of Wen Qiaoqiao?”

He could feel that this teacher harbored no hostility but was highly guarded. Calculating the time, Zhao Zhiyuan had passed on the belongings before Wen Qiaoqiao was murdered.

Adjusting his glasses, Zhao Zhiyuan finally admitted, nodding, “But I didn’t expect that Felin didn’t often go to that express delivery point.”

So by the time the live stream was done, it was already too late.

Gu Yanchen asked, “Why didn’t you report it to the City Bureau?”

Zhao Zhiyuan smiled bitterly, “If I report it, I have to do it under my real name, and the police from the City Bureau might not necessarily take the case. If it’s left for Changxi County to investigate, then it’s possible that not only Wen Qiaoqiao would end up dead, but also me.”

Gu Yanchen asked him, “Was Zhao Zhixin the one who killed them?”

Zhao Zhiyuan evaded the question, “I don’t know. I can’t say things I’m not sure of.”

Gu Yanchen phrased it differently, “Is Zhao Zhixin still alive?”

This time, Zhao Zhiyuan nodded, “As far as I know, yes.”

It seemed they were on the right track with their investigation.

Shen Junci asked with a hoarse voice, voicing the doubt in his mind, “Why were those two girls killed?”

“I don’t want to leave any testimony about what I’ve said.” Zhao Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment.

Gu Yanchen nodded; their police force also needed to ensure the safety of witnesses.

“Because of what they said and did, they were punished.” Zhao Zhiyuan looked at him and said, “You should have found some information too, right? But more information should have been erased by the Zhao family long ago. Jian Yunxi’s mother had a romantic relationship with a distant relative of mine when she was young, and she became pregnant out of wedlock. She chose to keep the child and became a single mother.”

“Later, when the girl grew up, Zhao Jianghai went to them and said Jian Yunxi was a daughter of the Zhao family, so the girl should acknowledge her roots. He wanted Jian Yunxi to change her surname to Zhao. At that time, Jian Yunxi’s mother had remarried. Jian Yunxi was already grown up. The parents let the daughter make her own choice. The girl said she didn’t want to be named Zhao.”

“Her words completely angered Zhao Jianghai. After Zhao Jianghai went back, he became furious, saying that the bloodline of the Zhao family must not be diluted, there must be punishment, they must teach them a lesson.”

Zhao Zhiyuan lowered his head when he got to this point. “At that time, no one ever thought that a tragedy would happen soon after. Later, the Zhao family made false testimony, shifting the blame…”

The Zhao family blamed Mu Bin for the incident.

Gu Yanchen frowned, “Was Wen Qiaoqiao’s death also because she changed her surname?”

He had carefully examined Wen Qiaoqiao’s information that afternoon. The girl’s biological father was a member of the Zhao family, but they divorced later. The girl took her stepfather’s surname Wen, which was a common practice in other cities or divorced families. Even Gu Yanchen himself had originally taken his mother’s surname Mo and later changed it to his stepfather’s surname Gu.

Zhao Zhiyuan nodded, “At that time, Zhao Jianghai threatened her, not to become another Jian Yunxi. Wen Qiaoqiao came to me for help. She said she was threatened by the Zhao family and was very scared. So I thought of taking Jian Yunxi’s belongings out of the ancestral hall and giving them to Felin for the unboxing. I hoped to make a big fuss about it, get the City Bureau involved, and stop all of it.”

“In the afternoon Wen Qiaoqiao was murdered… she went to find her father, hoping her biological father could intercede with the Zhao family. She was with her mother at the time, and they were dragged into a car by several men from the Zhao family on the way. What happened later, I don’t know…”

He never imagined that would be the last time he heard news about Wen Qiaoqiao.

Gu Yanchen listened to all of this with a furrowed brow.

No one was telling the truth.

Jian Yunxi’s mother never told the truth.

Wen Qiaoqiao’s parents also dare not speak the truth. Those people on the streets, indifferent to others’ affairs, are even less likely to tell the truth. Many people know what happened in the case, but no one tells the police. If it weren’t for asking those clueless children, they might still not have found any leads.

The Zhao family has too many people in this county, not to mention many collateral relatives. Everyone is afraid of retaliation. If you want to survive in this county, you must keep these secrets. This is an unspoken agreement among the people in the county.

Shen Junci found it hard to believe. “Is it just because they didn’t want to be named Zhao that they were killed?”

For such absurd reasons, two innocent girls were killed?

Zhao Zhiyuan shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand. In the minds of those with a sense of clan, a surname represents a lot. From the Zhao family’s perspective, those girls carried their bloodline. Refusing to acknowledge their roots and changing their surname to another is a betrayal of the family, a grave error. If everyone did the same, the cohesion of the family would be lost. They not only wanted to punish those girls but also to set an example for the boys. They were reluctant to kill the boys, so they used the girls as examples to make the boys more obedient.”

He continued, “In the minds of the elders like Zhao Jianghai, children born into the family, whether girls or boys, are precious assets of the family.”

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “When boys grow up, they marry wives to continue the lineage. When girls grow up, they become tools for marriage and dowries. Everyone in the family must bear responsibility and fulfill obligations.”

“People say in small places, knowing people is advantageous. But at the same time, as long as you’re here, our every move is scrutinized by our family members. Everything you do becomes fodder for gossip. We have no freedom; whom to marry, what job to do, all decisions are made by the elders.”

“They instill in us the idea that when one thrives, all thrive; when one suffers, all suffer. The family’s interests come above everything else. People can do bad things for the collective interests of the family. Bribery, favoritism, even murder. Others naturally cover for the criminals and see them as heroes of the clan. We are all forced to be tied to a chariot named family, being dragged forward.”

Zhao Zhiyuan’s gaze changed as he said, “What you see now, even if it involves loss of life, is just the tip of the iceberg of their atrocities. Many things can only be understood when you’re in the midst of it.”

For them, the family, the bloodline, are cages that Zhao family members find difficult to escape.

Gu Yanchen said, “Thank you for telling us these clues.”

Zhao Zhiyuan replied, “If you can solve this case, make some people pay the price, I will be grateful to you.”

Gu Yanchen said, “A festering wound on the skin must be cut off even if it hurts. Ignoring it or covering it up won’t solve any problems. Scars spread, eventually endangering life. By then, it will be too late to deal with it.”

Zhao Zhiyuan looked at them. This was the first time he felt an external force, and he sincerely hoped that the police in front of him could do it.

Zhao Zhiyuan’s father named him Zhiyuan, hoping he would have great ambitions. He studied hard since childhood to study abroad and not live in this county. But as he grew up, he realized that he couldn’t afford a house and couldn’t take his parents away. His family would still be at the mercy of those people.

Zhao Jianghai ordered him to return to the county and arranged a civil service job for him, introducing him to a director’s daughter.

He refused. If he sat in that position, it meant he would have to assist the evil and facilitate the Zhao family’s convenience for the rest of his life.

Zhao Jianghai cursed him for not knowing how to appreciate the family’s cultivation.

So he was relegated, becoming a primary school teacher, earning a meager salary every month, being scrutinized by others.

Even so, Zhao Zhiyuan’s heart did not die.

He wanted to instill the right values ​​in his students, but after his words were told to the parents by the students, he received complaints.

He fell into despair, then rose again, beginning to be careful and working hard in secret.

He hated those people.

He failed and stayed here, but there were always lucky students among them, young and with endless possibilities. They would leave here someday, like fledgling eagles, flying out of this world without looking back.

The case had come to this point, and Gu Yanchen finally learned part of the truth, but this was not enough. They must find Zhao Zhixin and prove that Zhao Jianghai was behind the scenes.

They had to find evidence.

Zhao Zhiyuan provided them with another clue, saying, “Many secrets and items used to be hidden by Zhao Jianghai in the Zhao family ancestral hall. During festivals, they would hold ancestral worship ceremonies there. It is guarded year-round, and only Zhao family members can enter. I found the relics of Jian Yunxi while cleaning the ancestral hall. I don’t know if there are any evidence left there now.”

And that Zhao family ancestral hall was just behind the hotel where they were staying.

After chatting with Zhao Zhiyuan, Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci prepared to leave. As they reached the door, Gu Yanchen remembered something and turned back to ask Zhao Zhiyuan, “Do you know Lin Yujiao?”

Zhao Zhiyuan nodded, “She is a pitiful woman.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Why did she commit murder?”

Zhao Zhiyuan’s eyes dodged for a moment, “That was her personal choice. I’m not very sure, but you can pay attention to Zhao Xiaoyin’s birthday.”

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci left Zhao Zhiyuan’s house.

Shen Junci said, “I checked the information this afternoon. Zhao Xiaoyin and Lin Yujiao’s daughter share the same birthday.”

Gu Yanchen nodded, “Let’s get back as soon as possible.”

If those people cared so much about the clan and face, Lin Yujiao might be in danger too.

—

At night, Gu Yanchen returned to the police station. He and Shen Junci packed some food along the way.

Zhang had someone buy food for Lin Yujiao. Before it was sent in, Gu Yanchen said, “I bought too much food tonight. Let me take it in and ask her something while I’m at it.”

The police officers at the station also wanted to follow, but Gu Yanchen said, “I’m just having a meal with a suspect. Why are you all so nervous?”

They backed off at that.

Gu Yanchen had a few detectives from the City Bureau guard the room’s door while he and Shen Junci walked in.

Lin Yujiao was still sitting in her seat, playing with the handcuffs on her wrist.

Shen Junci helped open the food container.

Gu Yanchen handed the boxed meal to her, “Eat. We bought this food, and none of those with the surname Zhao touched it.”

Lin Yujiao took it and snapped open the disposable chopsticks. She had been hungry for a long time and ate hungrily.

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci sat across from her, eating with her. This was also a technique of softening during interrogation, quickly establishing rapport with the suspect.

Lin Yujiao’s face was pale and very haggard, picking at her food with her left hand.

After she had eaten for a while, Gu Yanchen suddenly asked her, “Zhao Xiaoyin, she’s your daughter, right?”

Lin Yujiao froze at those words.

Just now, on the way, Gu Yanchen had checked the information.

Zhao Yihao, who died this morning, was Zhao Xiaoyin’s grandfather.

Years ago, Lin Yujiao had twins in the hospital. After giving birth, only one daughter survived, while the other was said to be stillborn.

Zhao Yihao’s son died in a car accident, and his daughter-in-law went out to work. But less than a year after his son’s death, he brought back a child. Zhao Yihao claimed it was his son’s posthumous child.

From this, Gu Yanchen deduced that Zhao Xiaoyin might have some relationship with Lin Yujiao. He tentatively asked, and Lin Yujiao’s reaction confirmed that there was indeed something wrong.

The woman suddenly lifted her head, put down her chopsticks, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Shen Junci reached out and handed her tissues.

After Lin Yujiao cried for a while, Gu Yanchen comforted her, saying, “We’re all police officers from the City Bureau. We don’t know much about the county’s affairs. If those people have done something to you, you can tell me. If you don’t want it recorded, we don’t have to put it in the case file.”

“Years ago, I gave birth to a pair of twin girls,” Lin Yujiao covered her face, “My parents thought I married well, with a big dowry and a powerful family. But they didn’t know, I’ve been living in hell.”

If Zhao Xiaoyin was also her daughter, then it was even harder to explain with common sense. Why would a mother be so cruel?

Gu Yanchen patiently asked her, “What exactly happened? Can you tell us?”

“When I married into the Zhao family, it was the beginning of my misfortune. I didn’t have children for two years after marriage. My in-laws kept saying there was something wrong with me. I went for many check-ups, and the results were all normal. Later, I finally dragged my husband to get checked once, and it turned out he had a problem with his body. He couldn’t impregnate me at all.”

Lin Yujiao wiped her tears, “At that time, Zhao Yihao lost his son. Do you know what the Zhao family did to me?”

Shen Junci and Gu Yanchen listened with furrowed brows.

“He locked me in the Zhao family ancestral hall and had several old men persuade me repeatedly, saying that being unfilial was the greatest sin, and not having descendants was a major issue. I had to get pregnant at all costs, and they would find a solution for me, for my own good.”

Lin Yujiao’s expression twisted, the gentle facade torn apart, revealing a hysterical madwoman.

That was the real motive she was ashamed to admit.

“The method they came up with was to let Zhao Yihao, a sixty-year-old man, sleep with me!”

Gu Yanchen realized why Zhao Zhiyuan had previously mentioned that the two murders were just the tip of the iceberg.