Reborn In 1983: Starting With Reclaiming My Birthright Chapter 59: Case Closed - Novel Cool

Chapter 59: Case Closed

Chapter 59: Case Closed

Lu Jiaxin was roused from her sleep by the commotion outside. She rubbed her eyes and straightened her clothes before stepping out to see a middle-aged man grabbing Sun, the team leader, by the collar.

Sun was not one to be trifled with; he effortlessly executed a shoulder throw, sending the man crashing to the ground. He then dusted off his hands and said, "I advise you to cooperate, or you'll find yourself in cuffs alongside your mother."

Lu Jiaxin inwardly thanked her stars that this wasn't forty years in the future; otherwise, Sun's use of force would have landed him in hot water. Indeed, there were some benefits to the lack of technological advancement.

Yang Jun shouted defiantly, "What did the Lu family give you to make you force a confession out of my mother? Sun Ziqiang, I'm going to report you!"

Sun, his face stern, replied, "We are upholding justice and have not laid a finger on your mother. She confessed of her own accord because her conscience is guilty."

"Impossible!" Yang Jun yelled. "We have everything we need and want. Why would my mother kidnap a young girl? I demand to see her. I must see my mother today!"

If he had approached the situation calmly, Sun might have allowed a mother and son reunion. But given Yang Jun's belligerent attitude, Sun showed remarkable restraint by merely executing the shoulder throw without a beating.

"Hu Ermei is suspected of human trafficking, involuntary manslaughter, and theft," Sun stated. "No one is permitted to visit her."

Seeing that his words fell on deaf ears, Yang Jun stormed off in a huff.

Lu Jiaxin approached Sun and asked, "What will happen to that old woman?"

The case had been cracked with relative ease, largely thanks to Lu Jiaxin's contributions. As a result, Sun was particularly amicable toward her. "Rest assured, she'll be looking at a minimum of twenty years."

Lu Jiaxin breathed a sigh of relief. "After killing me in her previous life, that old woman returned to Jinshi instead of going back to Feng County as she had planned. During your interrogation yesterday, she calmly and coherently denied any involvement. Captain Sun, I believe there's an accomplice."

With his wealth of investigative experience, Sun could tell that someone had coached Hu Ermei. "We interrogated her yesterday, and she claimed that she returned to Jinshi because she thought you were dead, and that she hadn't confided in anyone or been instructed to lie."

It was only by sheer luck that Lu Jiaxin had survived, and her quick thinking to sketch Hu Ermei's likeness had prevented the latter from getting away scot-free.

Lu Jiaxin understood that the accomplice was likely Yang Jun, and Hu Ermei would never betray him. Thus, the case would likely end here.

At least the mastermind behind it all would be brought to justice, offering some solace to her past self's departed soul. As for Yang Jun, she would bide her time and deal with him when the opportunity presented itself. For now, she lacked the power and influence, and it was only due to Lu Hongjun's intervention that the police had allowed her to confront Hu Ermei in the middle of the night.

"Miss Lu," Sun asked, "who taught you the makeup trick you used yesterday? It was incredibly realistic."

Even the superstitious Hu Ermei would have been terrified to see a figure dressed in white, covered in blood, and standing by her bedside in the dead of night, let alone someone who didn't believe in ghosts.

"I picked it up from watching my stepmother apply makeup a few times," Lu Jiaxin explained. "But it's a time-consuming process; it took me four hours to get it right."

The makeup she had applied the previous night was special effects makeup, and while it wasn't as realistic as Sun claimed, it was rather crude. However, due to Hu Ermei's guilty conscience and the flickering lighting, the deception had worked.

Sun gave Lu Jiaxin a thumbs-up and praised her talent. "Comrade Lu, I sincerely hope you'll consider enrolling in the Public Security University."

With Lu Jiaxin's sharp instincts and natural talent, if she were to join the police force, they would undoubtedly gain a capable female officer.

Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "My aspirations lie elsewhere."

Her past life had been exhausting, and she had no desire to repeat that level of hardship. She had already set her goals for this life: to achieve financial freedom by her forties and then embark on a journey to explore the world and enjoy life.

Captain Sun looked a little disappointed.

With the case now solved, the group bid farewell to Captain Sun and made their way back to Lu Jiaxin's village. On the way back, Lu Jiaxin said, "Uncle, I'll be heading back tomorrow."

Lu Dabai was surprised. "So soon?"

Lu Jiaxin explained, "I came here to find the human trafficker. Now that we've caught them and they've confessed, I should return."

Lu Jiajie also had to hurry back to work. "Uncle, Jiaxin's health is still delicate. She needs to get back to her medication and continue recuperating. She's run out of medicine during this trip."

Lu Dabai had wanted Lu Jiaxin to stay longer, but upon hearing this, he didn't press the issue further.

Along the way, Lu Jiaxin asked Lu Jiajie and Zhao Dajun to walk ahead and then spoke quietly to Lu Dabai, "Uncle, I heard from Xiao Qiu that Zaohua is doing very well in school. If she continues like this, she'll definitely be able to get into university."

Lu Dabai agreed. "Yes, that girl has a talent for studying. It's a shame her father passed away, and her mother refuses to support her education."

In his opinion, with two sons already fourteen years old and capable of supporting the family, and the younger ones able to help out as well, it shouldn't be a problem to support Zaohua for three more years. It was pure shortsightedness on her mother's part to insist on exchanging her daughter for money and a job.

Lu Jiaxin asked, "Uncle, how much does it cost to attend high school in the county per year?"

Lu Dabai thought for a moment. "They can bring their own food, so the meal expenses won't be much. The main costs are the school and miscellaneous fees, along with learning materials, which add up to a little over 200 yuan per year."

Then he realized something was amiss. "Jiaxin, why do you ask?"

Lu Jiaxin didn't answer his question directly but asked another one instead. "Uncle, what do you think of Zaohua's character?"

Although she had met Zaohua and found her to be a resilient young woman, Lu Jiaxin knew that one meeting wasn't enough to judge someone's character.

Lu Dabai praised, "Zaohua is diligent and filial. She's a good girl. Just a bit stubborn—she went hungry for three days rather than accept food secretly given to her."

Going hungry for three days showed great perseverance. Lu Jiaxin considered this and said, "Uncle, Zaohua has the potential to excel in her studies. Can we help her continue her education?"

Lu Dabai understood her intentions immediately. "So that's why you brought up Zaohua out of the blue. You've been waiting for me to bring this up."

"Do you want to help her?"

Lu Jiaxin nodded. "According to what you said, the annual expenses for high school are a little over 200 yuan. Let's round it up to 300. That would be 900 yuan for three years. I spend several hundred yuan on clothes and shoes every year. I can buy fewer clothes and save up to sponsor Zaohua."

If Zaohua could get into university, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon's gate, a life-changing opportunity. If she couldn't continue her studies, given her mother's attitude, she would likely be forced to marry and have children, ruining her future.

Lu Dabai was both surprised and pleased by Lu Jiaxin's suggestion. "Jiaxin, you'll have to discuss this with your father. We can only do this with his consent."

Lu Jiaxin wasn't foolish enough to assume she could make this decision on her own. After all, her current expenses were covered by Lu Hongjun. "Uncle, this is a good deed. Zaohua is also a member of the Lu family. I believe Father will agree. However, I'll need your help to convince Zaohua's mother."

Lu Dabai's heart warmed at his niece's kindness. "After I send you off at the train station tomorrow, I'll give your father a call. If he agrees, I'll speak to Zaohua's mother."

Previously, when Zaohua had dropped out of school, he had gone to persuade her mother, even offering to lend them money if that was the issue. But Zaohua's mother still hadn't agreed.

"Alright."

(End of Chapter)

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