National Forensic Doctor

Jiang Yuan changed into casual clothes, mounted his electric bike, and leisurely rode back home.

The advantage of working in one's hometown is the proximity to home; even if you live on the outskirts of the city, a short ride on an electric bike is all it takes, and you can enjoy the scenery along the way, relishing the riverside views without any traffic jams.

As far as urban landscaping is concerned, Ningtai County has done quite well. The Tai River area, in particular, has been heavily invested in for design, construction, and maintenance. This can be seen from a simple statistic: in just half a month since Jiang Yuan started his job, the relevant departments have cracked down on five couples shaking their cars in excitement along the Tai River—outsiders who had come specifically for the view. Locals in the know prefer Siningshan for such activities, where the scenery is equally stunning and the terrain more complex, with fewer people and hardly any supervision.

Jiang Village lies at the foot of Siningshan, cradled by the Tai River, once famous for its dense water fields and known throughout the surrounding areas. Nowadays, it is famous for the surrounding demolitions due to the scenic area.

Jiang Yuan's family land was also completely appropriated, and the new houses were scattered across several residential areas within and outside the city. Mr. Jiang chose to live in the Jiangcun Residential Area, which was closest to the original location of Jiang Village. This community housed the most people from Jiang Village; living there, with apartments above and below all filled with village folk, daily life was not much different from the days when they worked the fields in the village.

Jiang Yongxin built a large stove in his kitchen, with the chimney slightly modified and a powerful range hood installed above. He used coal and firewood as fuel. The cast iron pot in the middle was big enough for a sheep in diameter and deep enough for a goose, quite fearsome... and also quite delicious.

As Jiang Yuan entered Jiangcun Residential Area, he constantly nodded to people on both sides, parked his bike downstairs, and headed to the elevator, where someone was already waiting.

"Mrs. Hua," Jiang Yuan greeted her. A middle-aged woman from the same village but not within the five degrees of kinship was uniformly addressed as Auntie or Mrs., followed by their own name.

Mrs. Hua smiled briefly, then couldn't wait to ask, "Was your Seventeenth Uncle really stabbed to death by his wife?"

Jiang Yuan was taken aback, and said, "The case is still under investigation, I cannot say."

"So it is true?" Mrs. Hua clenched her fist, her toes already itching to spread the news.

Jiang Yuan, remembering the information overload he faced every time he came home for the holidays, knew he couldn't give any hints. He patiently repeated, "The case is still under investigation, I cannot discuss the specifics, nor can I tell you whether the information you've received is true or false..."

"So it's not true?" Mrs. Hua obviously wasn't ready to give up.

Tsk.

The elevator doors opened.

Jiang Yuan took the opportunity to leave the elevator and quickly pulled open his own door—residents of Jiangcun Residential Area were accustomed to not locking their doors during the day, which saved the hassle of knocking. They just needed to shout upon entering.

As Jiang Yuan entered his home, he shouted, "Dad, I'm back."

This apartment knocked together four separate units into one, and Mr. Jiang's favorite traditional wood-fired stove was in the eastern kitchen. Given the location, one had to speak up to be heard.

"Heard you," Mr. Jiang shouted back from afar while holding a towel, wiping his hands as he came out, and then called out, "His Auntie, he's here."

"I ran into young Jiang on the way." Mrs. Hua followed in after Jiang Yuan, greeting them familiarly as she plopped down on the sofa.

The complete wipeout of Seventeenth Uncle's family was gossip of a different caliber, not something to be compared with mundane things like someone's daughter-in-law cheating or someone's son getting caught soliciting services. At that moment, Mrs. Hua felt almost a sense of mission, determined to ensure that the residents of Jiang Village received accurate information.

"Have some tea, eat some sunflower seeds. We didn't prepare much at home..." Mr. Jiang, who was quite the figure of a town elder, spoke as if his words were steeped in warm water.

Unconcerned, Mrs. Hua waved her hand dismissively and continued to Jiang Yuan, "I heard they've closed the shop of your Seventeenth Uncle, and that people have been searching his house. I can't even reach your Seventeenth Aunt's phone, I left a message in my friend circle, and she didn't reply. Tell me, what's happening with them?"

"I can't say for sure." What could Jiang Yuan say when the questions posed contained more information than he knew? All he could do was remain calm and collected in response.

Creak.

Someone else pulled open the door and came in directly.

"Uncle. Bro. Auntie. What are you guys talking about? Is it about Seventeenth Uncle?" This time it was Jiang Yongxin, Jiang Yuan's cousin, who ran a car wash downstairs.

Mrs. Hua glanced at Jiang Yuan, winked mysteriously, and chuckled, "Just chatting nonsense."

Jiang Yongxin chuckled twice and looked at Jiang Yuan, "Bro, let's chat about Uncle Seventeen."

"Can't really talk about that…" Jiang Yuan repeated to Jiang Yongxin what he had just told Mrs. Hua.

Jiang Yongxin listened intently and then said with enthusiasm, "So, you actually know the situation but can't say anything?"

Jiang Yuan felt helpless; it was as if he had spoken to no avail.

He simply stood up and waved his hand, "I'll go help out in the kitchen."

Mr. Jiang from Jiang Fuzhen followed with a happy laugh, also calling out to the two behind him, "Help yourselves to food and drink."

Mrs. Hua and Jiang Yongxin didn't mind and quickly engaged in a fervent discussion. Before Jiang Yuan even entered the kitchen, the front door creaked open again, and a familiar yet strange greeting was heard, "Is Fuzhen at home? I'll take a look around."

Jiang Yuan and his father acted as if they hadn't heard and quietly proceeded to the kitchen.

As expected, the lively discussion in the living room only grew louder.

Inside the kitchen, chunks of beef slowly simmered in a big pot over the firewood, the slightly yellow beef fat quivering under the bubbling water.

"Hungry? Want me to cut you a piece?" Mr. Jiang from Jiang Fuzhen asked his son.

Jiang Yuan touched his stomach and nodded. The autopsy he performed today had been quite comprehensive, and the workload was consequently immense; the single-serving fried rice with less oil and less egg at the funeral parlor was hardly enough to fill his stomach.

Mr. Jiang chuckled, took a small knife from the stove, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, prodded into the pot to fish out a tender piece of beef, and slowly cut it off, casually handing it to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan had his plate ready and began to eat as he blew on the hot morsel.

His mother had passed away early, so it was his father who looked after him. Stews and braised meats were his favorites and also what Comrade Jiang Fuzhen excelled at cooking back in the day.

However, unlike many parents, with the wealth from the early demolition compensations, Mr. Jiang had plenty of time to study cooking. His culinary skills had improved over the years, and he was now a gourmet among the Ningtai Demolition Group.

The beef today was cooked rather well, with a light taste that was not greasy; a simple touch of salt satisfied both the palate and the stomach.

"Tired?" Mr. Jiang from Jiang Fuzhen opened a can of beer, handed it to Jiang Yuan, then opened one for himself, and started drinking with a clinking sound.

Jiang Yuan shook his head, "Not really, there are many people more tired than me."

Mr. Jiang laughed, "There aren't many people in the whole country who are more relaxed than me, and sometimes I still feel pretty tired... Anyway, just see for yourself, if you really don't want to do it anymore, buy a sports car to drive, get married like the other youngsters in the village, and just coast through life."

"I'll consider it," Jiang Yuan knew his dad was just rambling. Compared to himself, Comrade Jiang Fuzhen cared more about holding an official position; getting his approval to resign would at least need the exchange of two grandsons.

"Fuzhen! Fuzhen!" Someone started calling from outside again, "Your third uncle is here."

"Help yourself to some meat. It's lively today, almost as if it's your Uncle Seventeen who passed away at our place," Mr. Jiang wiped his hands on his pants, told Jiang Yuan again, and then went back to the living room to greet the guests.

Soon, the number of visitors stopping by kept piling up, reaching a level of bustling commotion.

Jiang Yuan sighed, went straight out the back door, and took the fire escape to the top floor. The rooftop house was decorated according to his father's preferences, purportedly as a "wedding house," but it remained a bachelor's pad to this day. At the moment, it was a good spot for Jiang Yuan to seek some solitude, practice a newly acquired skill, and read a novel.