Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“I’ll invite them in,” Yu Chongyi stood up and said.

When Pan Maosheng and Mrs. Pan entered the room, He Yunqin went straight to the point and asked, “Mr. Pan, Mrs. Pan, did your daughter go to the suburbs before she disappeared?”

Upon hearing that, the couple exchanged surprised glances. “Ever since Yuqi started working as a clerk at Aurora University, she’s made some friends and often hangs out with them. Even when she goes out to have fun, she hardly ever mentions it to the family,” Mrs. Pan said after thinking for a while.

He Yunqin: “I heard Miss Pan has a younger sister. Is the Second Miss not aware of what her sister is up to?”

Mrs. Pan replied, “Yuyuan is four years younger than Yuqi and is currently studying at the Women’s Normal University. She has a pretty sharp personality, and they often bicker. Honestly, they talk to us more than they do to each other.”

Yu Hongdou nodded, agreeing. It was true; Yuyuan always seemed to be in competition with her sister. Whenever she visited her uncle’s house, it was common to see Yuyuan in a sour mood.

He Yunqin asked again, “Since Mr. Pan works for Nanbao Foreign Company, has the Lu family reached out to invite your daughter to any events lately? Like a dinner or something?”

Mrs. Pan paused to think but couldn’t recall anything, so she turned to her husband for help.

Pan Maosheng considered it for a moment and said, “I’m not sure if he’s contacted Yuqi recently, but I do know our young master has been interested in her for a while.”

“Lu Jingheng?”

Pan Maosheng nodded and said, “Yuqi wasn’t interested in our young master, so she turned him down from the beginning. The young master isn’t a person who dwells on someone for a long time without a result. So once he realised Yuqi wasn’t giving him any attention, he moved on to someone else.”

He Yunqin then glanced at Wang Peter and said, “I have a bit of an awkward request. To gather more information, Mr. and Mrs. Pan, would you allow Inspector Wang to search your daughter’s room again?”

Wang Peter looked shocked, as if he wanted to protest, but He Yunqin ignored him, focusing on Pan Maosheng and Mrs. Pan for their response.

Yu Chongyi added, “Uncle and aunt, Inspector Wang has cracked many tough cases and is great at finding clues. Even though the French Concession police have already been to Yuqi’s room, it would be wise to have Inspector Wang take another look.”

Pan Maosheng and Mrs. Pan replied in unison, “Then we’ll have to trouble Inspector Wang.”

Once everything was settled, the group headed to the living room.

When Mrs. Yu saw her son and daughter heading to the Pan Mansion to help with the investigation, she suddenly had an idea and decided to join them in the car.

Pan Maosheng’s car was so small, so Yu Hongdou decided to go to Wang Peter’s car with her brother.

Wang Peter was sober this time, and he played the role of the driver.

He Yunqin sat aside, reviewing the confession provided by Yuan Ruoli’s former spouse. “On August 23, to conceal her tracks, Mrs. Yuan waited until nightfall to release Wang Meiping. She feared that Wang Meiping might become lost again. She also witnessed Wang Meiping boarding a rickshaw and departing. Regrettably, Mrs. Yuan has been taking medication for an extended period, and her mental state has significantly improved. She was unable to recall the appearance of the rickshaw driver and consequently had no means to confirm the driver’s identity.”

Yu Hongdou remarked, “Mr. He, do you suspect the rickshaw driver to be the perpetrator? However, when Chen Baidie vanished that evening, she summoned a rickshaw, and when my cousin exited the Xinya Tea House, she too called a rickshaw.”

She then turned to Yu Chongyi and inquired, “Brother, have you verified that these two rickshaws belong to the same company?”

Yu Chongyi nodded, saying, “I have already confirmed the external line that Chen Baidie’s family had previously contacted and later verified with Yuan Ruoli. The two companies are distinct, and the rickshaw drivers are not the same person.”

He Yunqin said, “No matter whether Wang Meiping got off the rickshaw on the night of the 23rd or not, and who she met later, the rickshaw driver is a key figure. He may be the murderer or a witness. But now Chen Baidie and Pan Yuqi are still in the hands of the murderer. If we put a big advertisement in the newspaper to look for them, it is likely to alert the enemy. To destroy the evidence, he may act in advance. So for now, we can only follow the route from Yuan’s dress shop to Zhou Tongqiang’s house and investigate it again in secret.”

Yu Hongdou was frowning. She remembered reading Wang Peter’s column, where he dissected cases and laid out clues like it was nothing. She thought that with a bit of detective flair, cracking a case would be easy. But after trailing He Yunqin and Wang Peter, she quickly realised how tough and painstaking it was to gather and sort through clues.

On the bright side, rickshaws were way easier to track down than foreign cars. They usually stick to set routes at night, so finding a driver wasn’t like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“Miss Yu, Lu Jingheng made quite the entrance at the tea party on Saturday, causing a ruckus by bothering Miss Yu. Do you recall when he arrived? Was there anything else off about that moment?” He Yunqin looked at Yu Hongdou and asked.

Upon hearing that, Yu Chongyi frowned and asked his sister, “Did Lu Jingheng really bother you?”

Yu Hongdou grimaced and thought back to that day. “I was focused on Mr. He’s lecture. Right after he started, someone kicked my chair. I turned around and saw it was the young master from Nanbao Foreign Trade Company. The seat was taken by a foreigner before, and I have no idea when Lu Jingheng actually walked in.”

“I remember chatting with you in the lounge before the lecture, which started around four. So, Lu Jingheng must have gotten to the New Asia Tea House by then, and Pan Yuqi left the jewellery store at about three twenty-five.” He Yunqin mentioned after pondering for a while.

“So, Mr. He thinks Lu Jingheng might be involved?” Yu Chongyi asked.

He Yunqin replied, “It’s just a feeling I have. I’m not sure how the three victims are connected. All I know is that Chen Baidie got a message from Nanbao Foreign Trade Company before she went missing, and your cousin had turned down Lu Jingheng’s feelings before. Plus, on the day your cousin disappeared, Lu Jingheng was seen at the New Asia Tea House. He has a rickshaw and is physically strong, so he fits the profile for the crime. If we check your cousin’s room later and find nothing, Inspector Wang and I will keep a close eye on Lu Jingheng tonight.”

***

When they pulled up to Pan Mansion, Yu Hongdou had just stepped out of the car when someone called out to her, “Hongdou.”

He Yunqin recognised that voice. He knew that was Qin Xuekai, a student from St. John’s. He remembered that Qin was the one who organised the tea party at the New Asia Tea House last time.

Yu Hongdou paused and replied, “Senior Qin.”

Qin Xuekai came closer and noticed He Yunqin and Wang Peter standing behind her. He looked a bit surprised but quickly greeted them, saying, “Professor He, Inspector Wang.”

Just then, Pan Fusheng parked the car and came over to show them the way.

He Yunqin gave a slight smile to Qin Xuekai as they headed toward Pan Mansion. From behind, he heard Yo Hongdou’s sweet voice. “What brings you here, Senior Qin?”

Qin Xuekai responded, “There’s a gentleman from the department who lives on this street, and I’m here to drop something off for him.”

As they walked a bit further, their voices faded.

Once inside Pan Mansion, a servant opened the door, and Mrs. Pan guided He Yunqin and Wang Peter upstairs, saying, “Yuqi’s room is up here.”

After climbing the stairs and walking down the corridor, a door suddenly swung open. A young girl stepped out, looking serious. She seemed taken aback when she spotted He Yunqin and the others.

Yu Hongdou approached her and said, “Yuyuan.”

End of chapter 23

Have a nice day!