Animal Detective

Chapter 300 The house leaks and it rains all night
After descending the mountain, Shen Xin glanced to the west.

In the darkness, the towering mountain peaks lay dormant on the earth like giant beasts, and as far as the eye could see, there were only the twinkling stars in the sky.

The group returned with Zhou Erfeng.

Upon seeing his wife, Xu Erleng went up to her and launched into a long tirade of complaints.

Zhou Erfeng hid behind Guo Jin, still muttering "Erfeng" under her breath.

Guo Jin stopped him, scolding, "Alright, I told you long ago to buy a tricycle. It would be more convenient for you to go to the village by yourself, and you could take Erfeng with you so she wouldn't get lost."

Xu Erleng muttered that it sounded easy, but he didn't earn much money; it was already difficult enough to make ends meet.

Then he thanked them profusely.

Guo Jin pointed at Tian Kui and said, "If you want to thank someone, thank Tian Kui. Do you know where he ran off to? He ran up the mountain. If it weren't for Tian Kui, we wouldn't have found him in a hundred years."

Xu Erleng was startled and then launched into another tirade against his wife.

Then they exclaimed in amazement, "This police dog is different, it's amazing!"

"What do you think? A police dog?"

Guo Jin looked proud.

Tian Kui raised his head, his expression as if to say that this little scene was not worth mentioning.

After seeing Xu Erleng and the others off, the group was about to head back when Shen Xin stopped Guo Jin and pointed to the road to the west, saying, "Director Guo, it's so dark, there aren't even any streetlights. Will Li Shi have any problems going back alone?"

This kid is only 14, he's still young.

I don't know how far his home is, but even if it is close, it's easy for problems to happen in this dark place.

Guo Jin hesitated for a moment, probably knowing that Li Shi often did this, but since Shen Xin had brought it up, he said, "Okay, I'll ride my motorcycle and follow him to take a look later."

Everyone else should have left work long ago, and aside from those on duty, I have to go by myself.

Shen Xin said, "Director Guo, I'll go with you."

Going alone is just as dangerous; having more people means more support.

Moreover, it was he who brought this up.

"That won't do. You've been running around all day. Go back and rest. I've already arranged rooms for you," Guo Jin quickly refused.

Shen Xin said no need, it should be in Nanjiang, at eight o'clock in the evening, the nightlife is just beginning.

Although Ningshan doesn't have much of a nightlife, I still can't fall asleep this early.

Sun Yongjie also tried to persuade him, saying he would go along.

He's even less suitable; he has to work the night shift.

"Director Guo, let me go. We're all family. You really treat me like a guest," Shen Xin finally said.

They are a small department, but they are in charge of such a large area. They have to run around everywhere, and there are few people. Shen Xin knows their difficulties.

If it weren't so dark and Li Shi wasn't so young, Shen Xin wouldn't have brought this up.

These words struck a chord with Guo Jin, who chuckled and said, "That's right, we're family."

Tian Kui was sent by Shen Xin, so Nanjiang is Tian Kui's maternal home.

The group then returned to the police station.

Those who were supposed to leave work left, and He Wenyu went back to the hotel to edit videos.

Guo Jin rode the motorcycle from the station and set off with Shen Xin.

During their casual conversation on the road, Shen Xincai was surprised to learn that Baijiashao Village, where Li Shi lived, was more than 20 kilometers away from the town.

It takes an hour and a half to cycle.

"Then why is he going back?" Shen Xin asked in surprise.

"It's windy," Guo Jin said loudly. "There's nothing we can do. His grandmother has difficulty walking and can hardly take care of herself."

“His younger sister, Li Yao, is only 7 years old this year and has just started elementary school. She also has to take care of her grandmother. Li Shi is worried about her, so he often goes home.”

"That's why I said this kid may seem like a troublemaker, but he's not a bad person at heart."

Shen Xin nodded. If that's the case, then Li Shi is indeed quite responsible.

Shen Xin noticed something and asked curiously, "The older brother's name is Li Shi, and the younger sister's name is Li Yao. The combination of these names is Shi Yao, right?"

Guo Jin said, "That's right, it's Shi Yao. I remember asking his father about it, and he said that he named them that in the hope that one day they could leave Baijiashao and go to Shi Yao, to a bigger city."

As they spoke, they couldn't help but lament how difficult it was to make a living in the mountains. All the capable people had left, leaving only the elderly and the young.

Shen Xin echoed the sentiment, saying that after arriving in Juzhou, all he could see were mountains, one after another.

It's not easy to get out of these deep mountains.

Looking for Zhou Erfeng took a while, and he chased after her on his motorcycle, but he still couldn't find Li Shi.

Shen Xin looked around, worried that something might have happened to Li Shi.

The mountain road is winding, and it takes a long time for a car to pass by. Moreover, the road gets narrower and narrower as you go further.

After riding for almost half an hour and climbing a hill, the motorcycle headlights swept across the road ahead, illuminating a human figure.

The pedaling was labored, and the mournful sound of a trumpet drifted over.

That's Li Shi.

He turned his head and glanced at it, then moved closer to the side of the road.

Shen Xin felt a little relieved, and in the distance, he could see some lights in the ravine ahead.

It should be Baijiashao.

That kid rides pretty fast.

Guo Jin caught up and called out to Li Shi.

He stopped the car, looked at Guo Jin warily, and still had an arrogant expression on his face.

Guo Jin said irritably, "You're glaring at me! We're just worried about you and came to check on you. And you, what day of the week is it? Is school on holiday yet, and you're already running home?"

Li Shi said the same thing again: "It's none of your business."

Guo Jin glared at him and said, "I'll take care of it, so what, you brat?"

Baijiashao is just ahead. We're practically at his doorstep, so let's just take him home.

Guo Jin rode his motorcycle alongside, constantly talking to Li Shi.

He said his father didn't earn money easily; the last time he saw him, he was dark-skinned and thin. He advised Li Shi to be understanding of his father and to study hard.

But at his age, he's going through a rebellious phase and won't listen to reason.

"Oh, your dad's back. When?" Guo Jin was surprised to learn that Li Shi's father, Li Xingping, had returned.

Li Shi muttered something and nodded.

Guo Jin snorted and said, "Then I'll have to go to your house to take a look."

He turned to Shen Xin and said that Li Xingping didn't talk much, but he had a bad temper and would beat the two kids.

Guo Jin guessed that Li Shi was worried about his sister, which was why he went home. Li Shi rode his bicycle in silence, and soon turned onto a cement country road.

Baijiashao is just ahead.

It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and located at the foot of the mountains.

Rice paddies line both sides of the country road, but they haven't been planted yet. At the end of the road is the village entrance, where there is a small open space.

Two roads extend to the left and right, with the terrain rising on the right side.

The village is terraced, with rows of houses.

The village isn't big, probably only a few dozen households.

A quick glance around revealed few two-story buildings, suggesting the village is not wealthy.

Li Shi, on the other hand, rode uphill along the fork in the road on the right.

He couldn't ride uphill anymore, so he got off and pushed.

Guo Jin pointed to the winding mountain road ahead and said, "His family lives up there."

When Shen Xin entered the village, he saw that it was a C-shaped valley in front of him, with the village located at the upper part of the C-shaped valley.

The section above C protrudes further outwards, and then the mountain slopes gradually flatten out in the upper middle part.

In this flat section, Shen Xin saw lights shining.

I only understood after Guo Jin explained it to me.

The reason why Baijiashao is named this is because there was a bandit stronghold here a long time ago.

Then the flat area on the mountain extends outwards, becoming the outpost of the mountain stronghold, overlooking the direction into the mountains.

Over time, it formed a village.

Later, the county built roads and installed power lines. However, considering that the cost of installing power lines up the mountain was too high and that it would be inconvenient to go up and down the mountain, they moved the people on the mountain to the foot of the mountain.

But some people still chose to stay on the mountain.

Li Xingping's family is an example; they haven't moved down.

There are only a few households left on the mountain now, but a primary school was built there, and a cement road was built up to the mountain, so living there isn't a big problem.

The reason the primary school was built here is because there is a village on the other side of the mountain, making it convenient for children from that village to come to school.

At this time of day, there are hardly any people around in the village.

I'm familiar with Guo Jin, and I'll greet him when we meet.

The mountain road is narrow, but it's still easier to travel than a muddy road.

Seeing that Li Shi was having a hard time pushing, he simply let him get on the motorcycle, and then Shen Xin grabbed the handlebars of the bicycle with one hand and headed up the mountain.

Upon arriving, the first thing you see is the school, a square courtyard with a two-story building and a flagpole.

According to Guo Jin, it's no longer feasible; there are only a few dozen children and three teachers left.

Li Shi's home is located behind the school.

Only seven households remain, scattered upwards, their houses still retaining the traditional black tile and wooden structure.

The lights were still on in Li Shi's house. He knocked on the door, and soon a little girl opened it.

It should be his sister, Li Yao.

She was only 7 years old, but she was already a little over a meter tall. She was wearing a gray-blue long-sleeved shirt, had a thick braid, and was very thin.

His face was visibly pale, but he was very cute. When he saw Li Shi, he was overjoyed and turned to look into the house to see that his brother had returned.

Shen Xin got out of the car and looked around at the houses nearby.

Both houses have courtyards, and from this elevated position, Shen Xin could imagine the scenery during the day.

As soon as you open the door, you are greeted by a vast expanse of land and endless mountains.

Following Guo Jin inside, they saw Li Xingping.

Just as Guo Jin said, he was dark-skinned and thin, and his back was already a little hunched over even though he was not yet forty years old.

When they entered the door, the father and son were already arguing.

They were speaking in a dialect and at a fast pace, as if Li Xingping was complaining that Li Shi had skipped school and come back instead.

Li Shi's aggressive attitude angered Li Xingping, who then looked for something to beat Li Shi up.

Guo Jin quickly stepped forward to stop him and asked Li Xingping why he had suddenly returned.

"Don't mention it."

Li Xingping invited the two into the house.

Shen Xin noticed that he walked with a slight limp and could not take long strides.

Looking around the house, there was no decent furniture, let alone any appliances.

An elderly woman was sitting on a chair in the corner, talking to Li Shi. She must be his grandmother.

Upon seeing Guo Jin, he stood up, leaning on his cane, to greet him.

Guo Jin quickly gestured for her to sit down and continued to ask Li Xingping what was going on.

He knew Li Xingping hadn't finished paying off his debts yet, so why had he suddenly returned at this time of year?

Li Xingping pulled up a chair and sat down, his face full of helplessness, and explained the reason.

He is sick.

While working away from home, I experienced persistent hip pain and heavy legs. Unable to bear it any longer, I went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with unilateral femoral head necrosis.

Moreover, it has already progressed to stage three, requiring hip-preserving surgery.

I asked, and the price is between 50,000 and 80,000.

He works in a factory and doesn't pay for medical or social insurance, so how can he afford treatment?

There was no other way but to come back for medical treatment.

At home, at least he pays his rural cooperative medical insurance premiums.

Unexpectedly, something went wrong.

While taking out his phone, Li Xingping said, "Director Guo, you can handle this, right? I really told Zhang Kaiyong to help me pay the rural cooperative medical insurance first, and I'll give him the money when I get back."

“I sent him a text message and he replied that it was okay, but now he’s telling me he hasn’t paid for me. What am I supposed to do? I can’t wait until next year to see a doctor. If this drags on for a year, how will our family of several people survive?”

As she spoke, she showed Guo Jin the text message.

The Zhang Kaiyong he mentioned is the village head; when they were compiling the agricultural cooperative insurance statistics, they forgot to pay for him.

The surgery wasn't covered by insurance, so Li Xingping didn't have the money to pay for it himself.

Under the dim light bulb, Shen Xin looked at the bare walls of the house, with its old and young people, and couldn't help but sigh.

This must be what they mean by "when it rains, it pours".

(End of this chapter)