Chapter 160 - 158: Flower Pot
Wu Ming gave a strained smile and scratched her head awkwardly. Luo Binglin and his team had searched this house for three years. If the body was in here, they would have found it by now.
"Don’t worry, Officer Luo. We still have Xiao Ji!"
Wu Ming pointed to Miao Anji beside her. "Xiao Ji’s bugs are very sensitive, too."
Jiang Li looked at Wu Ming, stepped forward, and took her hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Your divinations have never been wrong. Just tell us what you found."
Hearing Jiang Li’s words, Wu Ming looked down at the Compass in her hand. She then walked around the room, finally stopping before a closed door.
Luo Binglin looked at where Wu Ming had stopped. "This... This is Ping’an’s room."
Luo Binglin raised his hand and knocked.
Hu Ping’an heard the sound and opened the door, peeking his head out at them. "Uncle Luo."
Luo Binglin smiled and ruffled his hair. "Ping’an, may I take a look inside your room?"
Hu Ping’an looked at Luo Binglin and nodded obediently.
The group walked inside. The room was a bit messy but very clean, and it had a balcony.
Wu Ming walked over to the balcony and looked at the flowers there.
Luo Binglin followed her gaze. "Tang Xiaomei used to love growing flowers. I went with Ping’an to buy all of these at the market. Is something wrong with them?"
Luo Binglin stared at the flowers in confusion. He had gone to the market and bought them from the seller himself, so he had never suspected anything about them.
Wu Ming didn’t dare to speak. ’I must have gotten the reading wrong again,’ she thought, her confidence wavering.
Jiang Li stepped forward to look at the plants. "Does that mean Tang Xiaomei’s body might be in there?"
Luo Binglin’s jaw dropped in astonishment. A few seconds later, he pulled out his phone and called the station.
Hu Ping’an stared blankly at the rose bushes. His father had told him that roses were his mother’s favorite, that they were beautiful and fragrant when they bloomed.
"Is Mommy really in there?" Hu Ping’an murmured.
Wu Ming opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say.
Lu Xingye bent down, picked up Hu Ping’an, and started walking outside. "You must be hungry, Ping’an. I’ll buy you something tasty."
Luo Binglin was outside talking to his team, telling them to investigate the florist from whom he had originally bought the flowers.
Miao Anji took a look, sniffed the air, then reached into the pot for a pinch of soil. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed again before turning to look at Jiang Li.
"There’s definitely the scent of a corpse in here, but it’s very faint."
Jiang Li looked at the flowers. ’So where is it?’ she wondered. ’In the soil? Or in the planter itself?’
After finishing his call, Luo Binglin walked back inside, his expression troubled.
Miao Anji sized up the flowers on the stand, lifted one down, and before Luo Binglin could react, grabbed a nearby object and smashed the rose planter.
"Hey!"
Luo Binglin cried out in alarm, but froze the next second, staring in disbelief at what was inside the broken pot.
Miao Anji looked at the other flowerpots, then grabbed two more and smashed them open as well.
The terracotta pots shattered, revealing several small bone fragments.
Luo Binglin pulled on a pair of gloves and picked up a piece of the terracotta mixed with bone. He looked at the remaining pots and moved to smash them just as Miao Anji had done.
Miao Anji blinked at Luo Binglin. "There’s nothing in those. Smashing them will do no good."
Luo Binglin awkwardly pulled his hand back and looked at the group gratefully. "Ahem, thank you. I’ll take these back to the station to run some tests."
As Luo Binglin headed out, he realized the problem wasn’t the flowers. They needed to find the manufacturer of the pots.
When Jiang Li came out of the room, she saw that Lu Xingye had bought a pile of food and supplies for Hu Ping’an in the living room.
Hu Ping’an sat quietly on the sofa, looking reserved as he clutched a toy police car.
Lu Xingye sat to the side, watching him. He had taken the boy to the supermarket downstairs, and of all the toys there, Hu Ping’an had only asked for this one car.
Hu Ping’an put down the toy car, walked over to a sack of rice on the floor, and began to prepare a meal. While scooping out the rice, he glanced back at them, a look of helplessness on his young face.
He had never cooked for this many people before.
"Ping’an, don’t cook," Lu Xingye said, watching him. "We’ll take you to the hospital to see your father soon. We can just buy something to eat on the way."
Hu Ping’an felt around in his small pocket, pulled out a dozen or so yuan in loose bills and change, and stuffed it into Lu Xingye’s hand. "Dad says I’m not allowed to take handouts."
Lu Xingye looked at the crumpled money in his hand and took just a single yuan. "Alright, then. I’ll accept this."
After locking the door, Hu Ping’an followed them to the hospital.
Hearing the commotion, Hu Yuanyi looked over at them in surprise. He hadn’t expected them to arrive so soon.
"Dad, this is the food Uncle Lu bought."
Hu Ping’an swallowed as he spoke. ’It smells so good. The only time I’ve had food this fragrant was at a banquet.’
Hu Yuanyi saw the longing written plainly on his son’s face and felt a pang of guilt. ’I’ve been such a burden to him.’
"Mr. Hu, we have news about your wife."
A glimmer of hope lit up Hu Yuanyi’s eyes. "Is that so? COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... Th-That’s wonderful! Thank you. Thank you so much. Where is she now?"
Overcome with excitement, Hu Yuanyi tried to get out of the hospital bed.
"We’re still confirming the details. It will take a little more time," Lu Xingye said, stopping him just in time.
Hu Yuanyi wept with joy. "As long as there’s news, that’s good enough. Any news is good enough."
The sudden emotional swing caused Hu Yuanyi to violently cough up a mouthful of blood. Terrified, Hu Ping’an scrambled out of the room to get a doctor.
A doctor and a nurse quickly rushed over, and Hu Yuanyi was wheeled into the emergency room.
Hu Ping’an watched it all happen, his small body trembling. His eyes welled with tears, but they refused to fall.
Wu Ming’s heart ached for the little boy. She hugged him to comfort him. "It’s okay, it’s okay. Your dad is going to be fine."
Hu Ping’an sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Thank you, Auntie. Dad said I’m a little man, so I have to be strong."
"Dad said I shouldn’t cry, that if I do, o-other people will laugh. Dad said..."
"Dad said... WAAAAH!"
Hu Ping’an buried his face in Wu Ming’s embrace and let out a sob. The sound was repressed and choked; he didn’t want to cry, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Wu Ming gently patted the boy’s small back, her heart aching for him. "Go on and cry," she comforted. "It’s better to let it all out."
When Hu Yuanyi woke again, he saw Hu Ping’an slumped over the side of the hospital bed, fast asleep.
Hu Yuanyi swallowed, his throat tight with emotion. ’If I die,’ he thought, ’what will happen to Ping’an?’
’But I can’t hold on any longer.’
"Dad, you’re awake!" Hu Ping’an stirred and looked up at Hu Yuanyi, his voice small but happy.
Hu Yuanyi managed a weak smile. "Mm. You’ve been working hard, Ping’an."
Hu Ping’an shook his head. "It wasn’t hard. I just want you to be okay, Dad."
Hu Yuanyi glanced toward the door. "Ping’an, are they still out there? Could you ask them to come in for me?"
Hu Ping’an nodded, hopped down from his stool, and headed out the door.
Jiang Li and Miao Anji were sitting outside. Lu Xingye had returned to the police station to help, and Wu Ming had gone out to buy food.
Hearing the door open, Jiang Li looked up at Hu Ping’an.
"Auntie, Uncle, my dad wants to see you."
Jiang Li nodded. She asked Miao Anji to stay with Hu Ping’an while she went inside.
Hu Yuanyi struggled to keep his heavy eyelids open as he looked at her. "Miss Jiang, may I ask... where did you find my wife?"
"In the flowerpots from Ping’an’s room."
Hu Yuanyi’s mouth fell slightly open in surprise, and a few soft, dry chuckles escaped his throat. "So... she couldn’t bear to leave our son behind, either."
"Miss Jiang, could you do me a favor?"