TTS Chapter 24

The people of Lingshan Village were used to eating after dark. In summer, night fell late, so many households hadn’t started cooking yet.

 

When they arrived at the village head’s home, Liu Zhibin was mixing chicken feed and feeding the chickens. Xia Hang noticed that the feed contained rice bran, chopped sweet potatoes, and freshly cut greens, a fairly decent meal.

 

Fang Dewei greeted him in a familiar tone: “Village Head Liu, feeding the chickens?”

 

Though Fang Dewei was opportunistic by nature, he had climbed up from the grassroots level and had plenty of experience dealing with villagers. That was likely why Tang Gaoxiong had chosen him.

 

Liu Zhibin looked at them with confusion and guardedness, asking, “You are…?”

 

Fang Dewei took out the official documents he’d prepared beforehand, answering, “I’m Fang Dewei, Deputy Director of the County Agricultural Bureau. We’re here to inspect farmland development and agricultural technology promotion.These two young men are also from the bureau, recently transferred from another county, and unfamiliar with the local roads. We were supposed to go to the township first, but I dozed off. They followed the navigation and somehow ended up on your village road. Since we were already here, I thought we’d take a look around first.”

 

Liu Zhibin glanced at the red-headed document in Fang Dewei’s hand. He quickly reached out to shake hands, then caught sight of the chicken feed smeared on his palm and hurriedly withdrew it.

 

“So it’s Director Fang,” he said respectfully. “Director Fang, I’m sorry, sorry for the poor welcome. Please, this way. You must be tired from the trip. Come inside and have some tea.”

 

Although Fang Dewei had clearly introduced himself as a Deputy Director, Liu Zhibin called him “Director Fang” without hesitation. Xia Hang suddenly remembered how, on the road earlier, he’d deliberately addressed Fang Dewei as “Assistant Director Fang” to needle him, and how Han Huaixiao had later done the same, pointedly. The memory hit his funny bone out of nowhere. He nearly laughed out loud and quickly pinched the web between his thumb and forefinger to hold it in.

 

He turned his head, trying to distract himself, only to meet Han Huaixiao’s gaze.

 

Han Huaixiao was looking at him with a clear understanding. He could tell just from Xia Hang’s expression that he was holding back laughter.

 

Xia Hang rarely laughed, because his sense of humor didn’t line up with most people’s: things others found funny rarely amused him, but every now and then, some inexplicable detail would hit just right. No one else ever understood it.

 

But Han Huaixiao always did. And this time was no exception.

 

Trying not to laugh while being stared at, especially by someone who knew exactly why you were laughing, was impossible. The moment Xia Hang met Han Huaixiao’s knowing look, he lost the battle and let out a sudden giggle.

 

Fang Dewei and Liu Zhibin were just stepping through the living room doorway, still exchanging polite remarks, one apologizing for the mess, the other praising how bright and spacious the house was, when they heard the laughter and turned around in confusion. Fang Dewei frowned, asking, “Little Xia, what are you doing?” His tone carried the unmistakable weight of authority.

 

Xia Hang struggled to suppress his smile. “Director Fang, Village Head Liu, sorry. I didn’t mean anything. I just suddenly thought of a joke.” Han Huaixiao, who had been silent until now, cut in calmly. “What joke? Tell it so Director Fang and Village Head Liu can laugh too.”

 

Xia Hang shot him a glare before forcing a polite smile at the other two. “It’s nothing. Director Fang, Village Head Liu, please, go ahead inside.”

 

Since their reunion, Xia Hang’s expression had mostly been restrained and neutral. Now, between the suppressed laughter and the glare, his face was unexpectedly vivid. Earlier, outside the county public security bureau office, their exchange had also left Han Huaixiao deeply stifled. Seeing Xia Hang like this now eased that pressure by more than half.

 

Liu Zhibin had tea utensils at home. After washing his hands, he brewed a pot of tea for them. Since they were posing as inspectors for farmland development and agricultural technology promotion, Fang Dewei suggested heading out to look at the fields after a few sips.

 

Lingshan Village’s farmland was relatively concentrated, though most of it consisted of terraced fields, located to the east and west of the village. The north and south were dry land, mostly planted with fruit trees. Liu Zhibin led the way, with the three of them following him toward the rice paddies. It was almost harvest season. The terraces glowed golden, set against lush green mountains in the distance, a common yet beautiful rural scene.

 

Most of the conversation along the way was between Fang Dewei and Liu Zhibin. Behind them, Han Huaixiao held a notebook, jotting down a few points symbolically. Xia Hang, having nothing to do, plucked a foxtail grass and twirled it in his fingers, as relaxed as a tourist.

 

When Liu Zhibin wasn’t paying attention, Fang Dewei stole a glance at Han Huaixiao.

 

He noticed that once they entered the village, the Major Crimes Captain’s presence had changed, and the commanding aura he normally carried had been subtly restrained. Instead, his brows were lowered, his demeanour deferential, and he spoke only when necessary. Anyone could tell at a glance that Fang Dewei was the leader here, and Han Huaixiao his subordinate.

 

Fang Dewei sighed inwardly in admiration.

 

As they walked, Han Huaixiao’s phone vibrated with a message from He Zhengye, saying he and his assistant had arrived and were at the forensic department in Sanshan County, ready to get to work. Seeing Han Huaixiao replying one-handed, Xia Hang reached out, took the notebook and pen from him, and continued recording in his stead.

 

As Xia Hang took the notebook, Han Huaixiao lowered his voice, ordering, “Start with the neighboring village.”

 

Han Huaixiao knew his current role limited what he could say. Too much would raise suspicion, but the authority etched into his bones, especially in his eyes, was hard to hide. Xia Hang, on the other hand, possessed a naturally deceptive quality. Whether in appearance or temperament, he looked like a freshly graduated college student, inexperienced and harmless, someone who lowered others’ guard without effort.

 

So Xia Hang nodded.

 

Han Huaixiao was about to say more, to give him a clearer angle to enter the conversation, but Xia Hang had already quickened his pace to catch up with Fang Dewei and Liu Zhibin. Standing at the edge of the terraced fields and looking down, they could see a small group of people gathered in the distance. Xia Hang found an opening and spoke up: “Village Head Liu, what are those villagers doing over there?”

 

Liu Zhibin followed his gaze and smiled. “A water buffalo’s sick,” he answered. “They’re feeding it medicine.”

 

Xia Hang feigned ignorance. “Is that buffalo jointly owned by several villagers for plowing?”

 

“No,” Liu Zhibin said. “It belongs to one of them. Buffaloes are strong; he can’t handle giving it medicine alone, so the others went to help. It’s being raised for sale, not for farming.”

 

“The villagers of Lingshan really are just like my relative said,” Xia Hang said with genuine-sounding admiration. “Very united.”

 

Liu Zhibin’s interest was immediately piqued. “Oh? Where’s your relative from?”

 

“Qingshan Village.”

 

“People from Qingshan praise Lingshan for being united?” Liu Zhibin asked. “Why does your relative think so?”

 

“Two years ago,” Xia Hang said, “a man in their village abused his wife. That woman was from Lingshan Village. I heard that when the men here found out, they went together and gave that man a harsh lesson. Afterward, a lot of people said Lingshan Village was very united.”

 

Liu Zhibin recalled it and smiled. “Ah, that incident.”

 

Xia Hang asked, “What made you decide to go together and stand up for her?”

 

“The woman’s family came to me and asked for advice,” Liu Zhibin said. “At the time, a few villagers were eating at my place. When they heard, they felt that if a girl from our village was beaten and we didn’t step in, people would think Lingshan women were easy to bully, and that Lingshan men had no backbone! So they said we should go together and teach that wife-beater a lesson!”

 

“Did all the men from the village go?” Xia Hang asked.

 

“Everyone who was in the village went.”

 

“All of them?” Xia Hang pressed. “Wasn’t anyone afraid something might happen?”

 

“They all went,” Liu Zhibin replied. “If you didn’t go, then next time something happened in your own family, no one would help you either.”

 

Xia Hang exchanged a glance with Han Huaixiao, as Fang Dewei summarized with a smile, “The girls from your village must feel very secure.”

 

To avoid making Liu Zhibin suspicious, Xia Hang didn’t probe further. He noticed that Han Huaixiao had something he wanted to say to Fang Dewei, so Xia Hang deliberately pulled Liu Zhibin along, chatting casually as they continued walking ahead.

 

Han Huaixiao slowed his pace, stopping Fang Dewei under the pretense of discussing work. In a low voice, he said, “Director Fang, later find an opportunity to let me and Xia Hang walk around the village alone.”

 

Fang Dewei thought for a moment. “When we go back, Liu Zhibin will probably invite us to stay for dinner,” he said. “Before the meal, I’ll suggest you two go take a look around?”

 

Han Huaixiao nodded. “Mm. We’ll play it by ear.”

 

After coming down from the terraced fields, they passed a stretch of flatter farmland. Hearing movement in the paddies, Han Huaixiao asked, “What’s in there?”

 

Xia Hang listened for a moment, then called out to Liu Zhibin, “Village Head Liu, are you raising rice-field fish here?”

 

“Yes,” Liu Zhibin said. “This season’s rice-field fish tastes the best. I’ll go catch a few. Why don’t you stay and have dinner at my place tonight?”

 

Fang Dewei was secretly delighted but put on a show of reluctance as he answered, “That wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”

 

“Just a simple meal,” Liu Zhibin said.

 

“Seeing these fish really brings back memories,” Fang Dewei said with a smile. “I used to eat them all the time as a kid. How about this, Village Head Liu, we’ll pay for the meal and trouble you for dinner.”

 

With that, Liu Zhibin immediately rolled up his pant legs and went into the field, catching six or seven rice-field fish.

 

When they returned to Liu Zhibin’s house, his wife, Ye Mei, was already cooking. Xia Hang glanced at her. She wore a plain apron, dressed like any ordinary rural woman, but her expression was gloomy, as if weighed down by worries. When she saw the three of them, she showed none of the usual nervousness villagers had around officials, only quietly added another pot of rice to cook.

 

Since dinner wouldn’t be ready anytime soon, Fang Dewei took the opportunity to say, “I’ve been sitting in the car all day, I’m a bit tired. I’ll have some tea and chat with Village Head Liu. Little Han, Little Xia, you city folks don’t come to the countryside often, go take a walk outside. For the kind of work we do, it’s good to spend more time among the villagers.”

 

Liu Zhibin added, “I’ll call my son back and have him show you around.”

 

“No need to trouble him,” Han Huaixiao said. “We’ll just walk around on our own.”

 

As Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang stepped out, they heard Fang Dewei, who stayed behind to drink tea with Liu Zhibin, ask, “Village Head Liu, how old is your son? How many children do you have?”

 

“One son and one daughter,” Liu Zhibin replied. “My daughter’s married. My son is twenty-three, not married yet.”

 

Once outside, Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang headed in tacit understanding toward the highest point of the village. There weren’t many houses in Lingshan Village, and each stood dozens of meters apart. Some were at the foot of the mountain, others higher up. As they passed a cluster of tall trees, they heard someone on the other side making a phone call.

 

“Brother Kun, is that batch of new goods about ready to be shipped? Can I go to the pig farm tonight?”

 

“No one will find out. My dad and I are very careful.”

 

New goods. Shipping.

 

Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang exchanged a glance as they quietly moved away. Once they were farther off, Xia Hang whispered, “What do you think he meant by ‘goods’?”

 

Han Huaixiao’s heart sank. From what Tang Gaoxiong had said about Liu Peng’s alibi, he’d already felt something was off. After entering this mountain village, that unease only grew stronger. Cases couldn’t be solved on intuition alone, but intuition honed by years of criminal investigation was rarely wrong.

 

“I don’t know,” he said.

 

They followed a narrow path up to the highest point in the village. From there, they could see the entire village and its surroundings. Han Huaixiao’s eyesight was sharp. He suddenly pointed toward the mountainside in the distance.

 

“Is there a building in that hollow?”

 

Xia Hang looked carefully for a while before spotting it. It was a simple prefabricated structure, barely visible through dense trees. “Looks like a building. Someone raising chickens there?”

 

“We’ll ask the village head later,” Han Huaixiao said. “Which house do you think belongs to Liu Peng?”

 

Xia Hang quickly recalled Liu Peng’s file and pointed toward a single-story house at the far end of the village, saying, “That one.”

 

The house was old, its outer walls weathered, clearly built many years ago. The surrounding houses were also old. In recent years, new homes have been built closer to the village entrance. Most of the older houses near the tail end of the village appeared abandoned, except for that one-story house. A piece of clothing hung drying in the yard, and smoke rose faintly from inside.

 

“Let’s go take a look,” Han Huaixiao said.

 

This time, they didn’t take side paths. Instead, they deliberately walked down the main village road. Along the way, they passed many villagers eating dinner in their front yards. With the summer heat, eating outside caught the mountain breeze and was cooler.

 

Some villagers had already seen Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang when they entered earlier. The village was small, and there were no secrets, so news that people from the county agricultural bureau were conducting research spread quickly.

 

Han Huaixiao still held the notebook and pen. Xia Hang walked beside him, helping him record as they went. A middle-aged man holding a bowl of food came over curiously.

 

“What are you writing down?”

 

Xia Hang answered seriously, “We’re recording the cultivation conditions of your village’s farmland, and the types of fruit trees planted in front of each household.”

 

“What’s the point of writing all that?” the man asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Xia Hang said calmly. “We just conduct the survey, record it, and submit the report.”

 

Most people were still a little intimidated by government officials, so the man didn’t ask any more questions.

 

Just like that, Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang made their way to Liu Peng’s house.

 

As they approached the gate, Han Huaixiao lowered his voice. “In a moment, find a way to get him to move around. I want to record a short video of his movements. You cover for me.”

 

Xia Hang didn’t know exactly what he was planning, but he nodded without hesitation.

 

“Okay.”

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T.N: sorry for the late update, I forgot what day is today 🤣😭

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Enjoyed this chapter of The Traces of Sin? You can now support me and read up to Chapter 25 here, with 5 new chapters coming next Thursday, on 05.02.2026! Happy Reading!