Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Chapter 699 He Feng's Handling

Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well what was going on, so he quickly coughed twice to interrupt her: "Alright, there's no use talking about this now! The most important thing is to find Jia Cai. After all, he's still just a naive child, and it's too dangerous for him to be out there! What if he runs into bad people or falls into some ditch..." He didn't dare to continue, afraid of touching a nerve with Qin Huairu, and also afraid that his own worries would become reality. He was afraid that Qin Huairu would say something she shouldn't, so he quickly steered the conversation back to the important matter.

Qin Huairu knew that some things couldn't be said in public, so she swallowed the rest of her words and just kept crying, her cries filled with despair.

Qin Jingru tugged at He Yuzhu's arm, her voice trembling, "Brother Zhu, how could our child just be gone? What are we going to do? Where could a three-year-old go?"

He Yuzhu patted the back of her hand, trying to soothe her: "Don't worry, maybe she just ran off to play hide-and-seek. She'll come back when she's done playing. This yard isn't that big; she might be hiding behind some woodpile." Even as he said this, he knew in his heart that a three-year-old child wouldn't have that much courage, and he was afraid something had really happened.

Just then, He Feng leisurely returned from outside. He had just finished a fishing contest with Ma Xin in the moat. It was called a contest, but he had been letting her win the whole time; every fish Ma Xin caught was bigger than his. Naturally, Ma Xin won in the end, laughing like a child. He gave most of the fish to Uncle Luo, who lived alone next door, keeping only the largest grass carp, still lively and jumping, intending to give it to He Yuzhu so he could make soup for the pregnant Qin Jingru. He carried the fish tied with straw rope in his hand, and was startled by the scene before him as soon as he entered the courtyard—a whole yard full of people, and Qin Jingru crying on the ground. What had happened now?

Most of the people in the courtyard hadn't noticed him yet, but Qin Huairu had sharp eyes; like someone grabbing a piece of driftwood in water, she spotted him in his police uniform at a glance. Normally, she would have been staring at that plump grass carp for ages, trying to figure out how to get some, but now she had no such thoughts. She scrambled to He Feng's side, her knees scraping against the ground, and then knelt down with a thud, clutching his trouser leg tightly, as if grasping at her last shred of hope: "He Feng! I was wrong before. I shouldn't have always taken advantage of your family, shouldn't have spoken ill of you behind your back! I apologize! But I beg you, please, for the sake of us being neighbors, help me find Jia Cai! He's my only hope; I can't live without him!"

He Feng was taken aback by her sudden action and quickly bent down to help her up: "Get up first, let's talk this out, don't kneel. What happened? Is the child missing?"

At this moment, Liu Haizhong also came over, his pregnant belly protruding. Listening to the chatter of the people around him, he roughly understood the whole story. He clicked his tongue, thinking to himself—although he was an old man, the loss of a child was a matter for the police, not his place to intervene. If he got involved and things went wrong, he'd end up in trouble. It was best to stay out of it. He stepped back, feigning concern, but in reality, he was just watching the show.

Although He Feng deeply disapproved of the Jia family's petty and opportunistic behavior, losing a child was a serious matter, involving a life, and as the head of the Public Security Bureau, he had no reason to ignore it. He frowned and called out to the surrounding neighbors, "Alright, everyone, disperse and go about your business. Standing around won't help, you'll only cause trouble. I'll handle this, and I'll let you know when there's news."

He Feng stepped forward and supported Qin Huairu, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Her shoulders trembled like autumn leaves, and her tears soaked her clothes. He said in a deep voice, "Don't cry. Crying won't solve anything. Tell me clearly, where was the last place you saw the child? What color clothes was he wearing? Were there any special marks, like a longevity lock, a silver bracelet, or any other distinguishing features, like a birthmark?"

The neighbors in the courtyard were already afraid of getting into trouble, and now that the police had taken over, they were even more eager to get away. They hurried home, and even Aunt Zhang, who was usually the most gossipy, didn't say a word.

He Feng turned his head and saw He Yuzhu standing at the back of the crowd, holding a net bag in his hand containing a fresh carp with shimmering scales. He waved the net bag in his hand: "Zhuzi, I caught this fish in the moat this morning. It's still alive. Take it home and give it to Jingru to nourish her."

He Yuzhu glanced at Qin Huairu, who was crying her heart out, and then at Qin Jingru beside him. He knew that the Jia family's affairs were very complicated and it was not worth getting involved. He took the fish and said to Qin Jingru, "Jingru, let's go back. With my uncle here, he'll definitely be able to handle this."

Qin Jingru didn't want to get involved in this troublesome matter, so she quickly nodded, grabbed He Yuzhu's arm, and walked hurriedly towards her house, as if afraid that if she walked too slowly, she would be entangled in this matter.

He Feng withdrew his gaze and looked at Qin Huairu, who was still sobbing: "Alright, don't stand here any longer, let's go to your house and see. I need to find out what exactly happened."

Qin Huairu raised her tearful eyes and looked at He Feng, her voice trembling with sobs and a hint of fear: "Director He, I was indeed ignorant before and offended you. I know I was wrong. You are a magnanimous person. Can you give me a chance and help me find my child?"

He Feng frowned, his tone indifferent: "Alright, let's not talk about the past. Although you did something unethical, the child is innocent, and I will definitely take care of this."

Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly, tears welling up again: "Then... what should I do now? My mind is blank, I can't remember anything..."

"Tell me what happened first." He Feng strode towards Jia's house. "From this morning, tell me exactly where the child was, who was with him, and how they were discovered to be missing. By the way, who else is in your family right now?"

Qin Huairu stumbled after He Feng, her feet feeling like they were walking on cotton, each step unsteady. Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto her clothes and leaving dark, damp patches. She choked out her words as she walked, her voice broken and fragmented, as if blown away by the wind: "This morning… this morning I went out to buy soy sauce, thinking I'd be back quickly. The child was sleeping soundly on the kang (heated brick bed), covered with his little floral quilt embroidered with bears… His aunt was watching over him, and we agreed she'd cook when I got back… But when I came in with the soy sauce bottle, the kang was empty… the quilt was overturned, and the child… the child was gone… It was just me, Dongxu, and his aunt at home… Dongxu is squatting on the ground now, unable to say a word, like he's lost his mind…"