Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 566 The Little Boat of Friendship

With one hand around Lao Xu's neck, he used the momentum to forcefully pull him to the side. The two fell onto the snow. Xiao Liu rushed over and pressed down on Lao Xu, grabbed his right hand, and turned to the crowd, shouting, "Come help!"

"What's going on?" The person next to him was a little confused.

Old Xu finally realized what was happening and started to struggle. He swung his right arm, which was being held by Xiao Liu, and dragged Xiao Liu nearly a meter away. Xiao Liu shouted to the stunned old men standing nearby, "Help! He's killing someone!"

Old Zhao gripped Old Xu's neck tightly, pressing his body down on Old Xu's left hand, his face flushed red.

The talkative middle-aged woman nudged an old man next to her: "Help me, help me, don't let him get away."

The old man had just taken the cigarette from Old Xu when he threw it away, bent down, grabbed Old Xu's right arm, and twisted it, slamming Xiao Liu to the ground and pinning Old Zhao underneath.

By this time, everyone had realized what was happening. The old men rushed over and started pulling Xiao Liu and Lao Zhao up. Don't underestimate these workers in their fifties from Northeast China; they're incredibly strong. Xiao Liu was being so cautious because he knew he couldn't beat Lao Xu.

Back then, most of the frontline workers were in their forties or fifties, and they could easily lift 100 or 200 pounds with one hand. Street thugs and hooligans didn't dare to mess with them, or they might get a beating from these old guys and wipe them out. They were just too strong.

The two old men had Old Xu completely subdued. Little Liu turned around and ran back into Old Xu's house, saying, "Brother Zhao, handcuff him behind his back. I'll get the evidence."

Old Zhao took out handcuffs from the car and, with the help of two old men, handcuffed Old Xu's hands behind his back. Only then did he feel relieved and plopped down on the snow, panting heavily. He had exhausted all his strength just now.

The two old men didn't seem to care at all. Even with Old Xu handcuffed, they had the leisure to look down at the cigarettes they'd just thrown on the ground. One of them asked, "Old Xu, who did you kill?"

Old Xu, his hands cuffed behind his back, couldn't exert any strength and could only sit on the snow. He spat to the side and said, "Old Xiao. He got drunk and couldn't control himself. That old bastard usually talks big, but he's nothing. How was I supposed to know he was such a coward?"

The older woman said, "Oh, Mom, I was wondering why I hadn't seen him this morning. Old Xiao's wife even asked me if I'd seen him. Old Xu, are you even human? We've been neighbors for over ten or twenty years. Have I ever wronged you? When have I ever missed a drink with you?"

A group of middle-aged women nodded in agreement: "That's right, they usually get along quite well, this is ridiculous."

Old Xu straightened his neck and said, "He couldn't control himself. Would I deliberately mess with him? I was actually inviting him for drinks last night."

Xiao Liu came out of Old Xu's house, carrying a roll of something wrapped in some kind of cloth. He walked over and said, "Brother Zhao, I've got the stuff. What do we do with it?"

Old Zhao stood up from the ground, stretched his limbs, and said to the two old men, "Grandpas, if you're going to help me out completely, can you come with me to the police station? It'll be a favor, and you can act as witnesses."

The two old men exchanged glances, then looked at Old Xu on the ground. One nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."

Two men helped Lao Xu up, the three of them sat in the back, Xiao Liu took the cloth bag and sat in the passenger seat, Lao Zhao rubbed his face, got in the car, started the engine, turned around and headed straight for the police station, leaving a group of middle-aged women there gossiping.

……

"Let me tell you, I was on the verge of collapse. If I hadn't been holding onto his shoulder, I wouldn't have been able to leave the hospital. I couldn't even take a step," Xiao Liu said to Xiao Wei, pouting.

Xiao Wei asked, "How did you discover he committed murder?"

Xiao Liu said, "At first, I was just suspicious. How could the smell of burning a person be the same as the smell of burning pig's trotters? There were clearly two people drinking in that room, and then that person was gone. Plus that smell, my heart skipped a beat. What do we do? Let me tell you, I was born to be a policeman."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Can you please stop repeating 'I'm telling you' to every single sentence?"

Xiao Liu licked his lips and nodded, saying, "Let me tell you. Ugh. Let me tell you, I was really scared that day. I pretended to talk to him and peeked into the furnace, and his hand was burned like a chicken claw. My head just went blank."

Xiao Wei asked, "Did he burn his whole body?"

Xiao Liu shook his head and said, "How could that be? There's only one coal stove in the house. He burned his hands, feet, and head, chopped up the rest, and put them in the freezer. He plans to deal with them in a few days, saying that his hands, feet, and head are too obvious to hide."

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Xiao Wei asked, "Why did you kill him?"

Xiao Liu pursed his lips and said, "No reason, believe it or not? Really, there's no reason at all. The two families usually get along quite well and visit each other often. You know, old men, when they get together, they just bicker and argue for fun. The other day, Old Xu invited Old Xiao for drinks, and he was home alone during the New Year."

That day, it was Lao Xiao who brought the drinks. The two of them got a little tipsy and started arguing. They were probably too drunk, because after the argument they started, they came to blows. It was just a few slaps, really, when Lao Xu happened to have that axe he used for smashing coal, and he just casually struck.

Xiao Liu waved his hand dismissively, spreading his arms wide. Xiao Wei grinned, "You should drink less alcohol, it's really no good."

Xiao Liu said, "Since that incident, none of the people in our institute have been drinking heavily. At most, we'll finish with a few bottles of beer. Baijiu (Chinese liquor) has basically disappeared from our institute. That stuff tastes terrible, is unpleasant, and has too many uncontrollable consequences."

Xiao Wei said, "Actually, not many of those people who drink really enjoy it. They're just forcing themselves to save face, as if it's shameful not to drink a lot. I really don't understand this. What does drinking eight bottles prove besides that you're a bit reckless and not entirely sensible?"

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "If the feelings are deep, drink it all in one gulp; if the feelings are shallow, just sip it. Whatever people say, it's all in the wine."

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "That's all nonsense. If drinking a lot and getting drunk together really meant deep friendship and loyalty, then there wouldn't be so much trouble. It's all about saving face and wanting others to back down first, which leads to conflict. Anyway, I'm not drinking, and no one can persuade me to.

Xiao Liu said, "There are always times in society when you can't refuse. If everyone is having a good time together and everyone is drinking but you're not, what if someone comes over and offers you a toast and you don't drink? Wouldn't that seem like you're being disrespectful?"

Xiao Wei said, "I told him I don't drink, but he still insisted on coming over to toast me. Did he give me face? If he doesn't give me face, why should I give him face? Or is it that only the person who toasts has face, and everyone else is just a figurehead?"

Xiao Liu scratched his head and said, "Stop for a second, you've confused me, let me sort this out."

(End of this chapter)