The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 170 Family Portrait

"Wow, are you a real criminal policeman?" A child's voice suddenly came from behind. A boy about ten years old poked his head out from behind Cui Nian, blinking his eyes and looking at Qi Fei curiously, with admiration on his face.

"Excuse me, my grandson. He's dreamed of becoming a police officer since he was a child." The old lady apologized, her tone full of pride that was hard to conceal. "Come on, come in first."

Although the house is old, the south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows make the living room bright and spotless.

Qi Fei looked at the family portrait on the wall, which showed more than a dozen people from three generations of the family. The old couple had both sons and daughters, and they were enjoying the happiness of family life.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the family portrait for a while longer. One of the women caught his attention: "This one, I met Director Chang not long ago." He was referring to Chang Ying, the director of the Wuyin Baijiazhai Cultural Relics Protection Center.

"This is our eldest daughter." Cui Nian said, with pride in his eyes that was hard to conceal.

After hearing what Cui Nian said, Qi Fei discovered that Chang Ying's eyebrows and eyes were indeed somewhat similar to Cui Nian's.

"But her surname is Chang, not Cui?" Qi Fei immediately noticed something unusual.

"Because Changying takes her mother's last name." Cui Nian said, pointing to his wife, "My wife's last name is Chang." Cui Nian said with a little uneasiness, "What are you looking for Xiaoying for?"

Qi Fei heard his worry. His identity as a criminal policeman made him think that something had happened to his daughter, so he hurriedly explained: "I went to Baijiazhai to investigate the 'Magic Mirror Case'. Director Chang is just receiving me as the current supervisor. Don't worry, it's okay. Moreover, I think she has a high prestige in the local area and is an excellent director." He added specially.

Cui Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief. "My eldest daughter's personality is most like her grandfather's. She forgets herself when she's working. I didn't agree with her going to the mountains alone to develop tourism and living there when she's busy. Everyone in Nancheng knows what's going on in Baijiazhai.

I didn't expect her to actually pull it off. As a father, I really admire her." Cui Nian said this, and couldn't help but think of Qi Fei asking about his father. "Excuse me, my dad is a scientist. He's been dealing with the ocean all his life and has never dealt with criminal police. I can't imagine why he came to us."

"I'm sorry, I have to correct you. This is not the first time that Mr. Cui has dealt with us." Qi Fei said.

After hearing this, Cui Nian showed a hint of surprise on his old face: "Ah? When?"

"In 1983, our police station had a detective named Ye Ming who visited Mr. Cui several times to ask him about the Dongji Town Demon Mirror Case. Did he never mention this to you?"

"My father rarely talks to me about his work. The Demonic Mirror Case? I have some impression..."

As Cui Nian was speaking, the old lady came out from the inner room and recalled the past: "I remember that we weren't married yet that year. At that time, young women in the whole of Nancheng didn't dare to walk on the streets at night." She looked at Cui Nian with love, "I always joke that Old Cui should be grateful to that bad guy. If he hadn't been afraid to go out alone at that time, he might not have agreed to be a date with him so quickly!"

Cui Nian, who is old, felt embarrassed by his wife's words: "I forgot to introduce myself just now. This is my wife Chang Rong. We are both retired employees of the environmental protection company."

"Aren't you following in your father's footsteps and going to the Ocean Research Institute?" Qi Fei asked.

Before Cui Nian could answer, Chang Rong joked, "If he had half the academic talent his father has, he would already be a scientist."

Cui Nian wasn't angry either: "To be honest, I didn't get into university back then, so I wasn't qualified to enter the research institute. However, if I had entered the research institute, I wouldn't have met my lover." Qi Fei glanced at the family portrait on the wall again and nodded: "The most important thing is to live a happy life. Let's get back to the point, old man, are you saying that when your father was alive, he never mentioned anything about Ye Ming to you? Or, do you remember him ever talking about anything about Dongji Town?"

Hearing this question, Cui Nian seemed to be in a dilemma and looked at each other with Chang Rong.

Chang Rong, on the other hand, spoke frankly: "When the old man was around, everything was fine, except that he was most taboo about talking about Dongji Town."

"Cough cough." Cui Nian coughed twice, as if he felt that it was inappropriate for Chang Rong to say this directly.

This actually caught Qi Fei's attention: "I just came from the Institute of Oceanography. Cui Lao's student also said that he hasn't been to Dongji Town since it was built. Why is that?"

After hearing this, Cui Nian sighed and said, "This is our family's private matter. It should have nothing to do with the case you are investigating."

"I'm sorry, since Mr. Cui was involved in the case back then, please tell me any information related to Dongji Town."

"Alas...it's a family scandal." Cui Nian seemed to be in a heavy mood even without mentioning this matter, and looked as if he couldn't speak. "My father never went to Dongji Town again in his life. It had something to do with my mother. During the land reclamation period, my father was too busy. He lived and ate at the seaside and rarely returned to our home in Nancheng. Because of this, my mother cheated on me, left me, and eloped with another man. This incident deeply hurt my father. He didn't blame my mother. Instead, he thought that he neglected my mother's feelings when he was busy building Dongji Town, so he never went to Dongji Town again."

When he said this, Cui Nian's reading glasses were covered with a layer of mist. He lowered his head, took off his glasses, and wiped them with the corner of his shirt.

"Our Lao Cui, although people say he is the son of a great expert, has actually suffered a lot since he was a child. The old man was busy with work, so Lao Cui lived with his elderly grandmother..." Chang Rong still feels heartbroken when she talks about it now.

Talking about his own experience, Cui Nian was open-minded: "I met you, it happened many years ago, it's all in the past."

As he was speaking, there was a knock on the door and Chang Rong went to open it.

A couple stood at the door, carrying large and small bags.

Qi Fei turned around and saw that it was Chang Ying and her husband.

"Oh, why buy so many things?" Chang Rong said while picking up the slippers at the door, looking very happy.

When the little grandson heard the noise, he jumped out from the inner room and threw himself into his parents' arms.

Qi Fei looked at the scene and thought to himself, indeed, Cui Nian was right, everything is over.

Chang Ying walked in and was surprised to see Qi Fei: "Officer Qi, why are you here?"

Cui Nian, as if afraid that Chang Ying would worry, rushed to explain before Qi Fei: "It's okay, it's okay. This police comrade just came to learn about some things at the Ocean Research Institute. Your grandfather was an expert back then."

(End of this chapter)