Chapter 515: Inherited Abuse

Two hours later, Peng Sijue and his team arrived on the scene. The bones from the wall cavity were carefully removed and laid out on a waterproof sheet. Chen Shi silently counted: shinbone, arm bone, rib bone, skull. It was a complete human skeleton.

To prevent unnecessary disturbance, the shop door was temporarily closed. Everyone crowded into the sixty-square-meter room, illuminated by a single oil-stained incandescent bulb, casting a yellowish light on the charred bones, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

To lighten the mood, Chen Shi spoke up, “Dongxue, do you know how many bones are in the human body?”

“The book says 206, right?” she replied.

“That’s the textbook answer. Actually, Asians have 204.”

“Really?”

Peng Sijue interjected, “Asia is too broad a term. Specifically, Chinese and Japanese people have 204 bones because our fifth toe bone has only two segments, while other races have three. Children’s bones aren’t fully fused, totaling 218. Show-off!”

“How many bones have we found so far?” Chen Shi asked.

A technician responded, “186. Some small bones seem to be missing.”

Peng Sijue examined a shinbone with his gloved hand. “Adult male, about 165 cm tall.”

Chen Shi unfolded the missing person flyer in his hand. “Zhang Hao’s father, Zhang Fade, was about that height.”

“Unfortunately, these bones are badly charred. We don’t know if that will affect further identification.”

They called it a day and left the shop. As they were leaving, Zhang Hao’s son ran up to Lin Dongxue, asking, “Auntie, are you going to take my dad away?”

Lin Dongxue hesitated, then patted his head, “We’re just investigating. Once we figure things out, you’ll see your dad again.”

The boy shook his head, “No, you should take him away. He has a terrible temper. He hits me and Mom every day. I hate him. I hope he never comes back.”

“Xiaochi, don’t say that!” Zhang Hao’s wife hurried over to stop the child.

Lin Dongxue had already noticed that Zhang Hao’s wife looked unwell, with old injuries hidden under her hair. She asked, “Is it true what the child said? Does he hit you?”

“Don’t listen to the child’s nonsense. Couples always have their disagreements,” she deflected.

“You know what we found in the shop, right? This is serious now. I hope you won’t hide anything from me…” She glanced at the child. “Taking you to the station for questioning wouldn’t be good for him either.”

The wife hesitated, glanced at the other officers, then said, “I’d rather not talk here. Let’s go upstairs.”

Lin Dongxue told the others to go ahead while she and Zhang Hao’s wife went upstairs. The second floor was a small loft, the same size as the shop below but with a lower ceiling. The bed was on the floor, surrounded by packed boxes. It was cramped for a family of three.

Lin Dongxue thought it was even smaller than her current rented apartment.

The wife apologized, “Sorry for the mess. Would you like some water?”

“No, thanks.”

She sent the child to play elsewhere. Without chairs, they sat cross-legged on the clean floor. The wife said, “His temper isn’t great, but it’s not entirely his fault. When we first got married, he wanted to make a name for himself but ended up working for others with no savings. So he came back to take over his father’s restaurant. You may not know, running a breakfast shop is hard work. He buys supplies, preps during the day, and starts at four in the morning. He never rests. The pressure gets to him, and he drinks to cope. When he loses his temper, he hits…”

Lin Dongxue gently moved the wife’s hair to reveal old scars. “He did this?”

She nodded, “He’s under a lot of pressure, but he also has a violent streak. He grew up with domestic violence. His grandfather beat his father, who in turn beat him. The neighbors all know. It’s hard to imagine. Most men argue and vent their frustrations. He bottles it up until it explodes. Like when I miscalculated the accounts recently, he spent all night fixing them. After we went to bed, he called me to the balcony. I always fear that call. I didn’t dare resist. He kicked me and started hitting me. If I cried or screamed, he’d hit harder. So I just bit my lip and took it until he was done.”

Lin Dongxue understood, “He has a personality flaw, using violence to express dissatisfaction?”

The wife nodded silently, her eyes red. “Despite his temper, he wouldn’t kill anyone. I can assure you of that.”

“Why do you keep defending him? Most couples would divorce after one incident like this. Have you endured all this silently?”

The wife looked down, silent. Lin Dongxue saw that she had “adjusted” to this life. Habit is indeed a terrible thing.

“Since we have a child, I hope to endure until Xiaochi grows up. He’s in fifth grade, about to enter middle school. A family upheaval now wouldn’t be good for him,” she said with resignation.

“Do you know anything about the skeleton?”

She shook her head, “My husband handles the shop. I just help with the accounts and chores.”

“Your father-in-law has been missing for two years. Did they have any arguments before he disappeared?”

“No memory. They always had a strained relationship. Arguments were the norm. My father-in-law had an even worse temper. When we lived together, I was constantly on edge, especially after giving birth. He’d order me around, yell at me. I wanted to die then. I later realized I had postpartum depression.”

Recalling the painful times, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

“Did he say or do anything before he disappeared?”

“He often stayed out late, always smelling of alcohol. He had handed the shop over to my husband, wandering around daily. Then one day, he didn’t come home. After two days, my husband decided to put up missing person flyers. Officer, please don’t arrest him. Without him, Xiaochi and I wouldn’t survive.”

Lin Dongxue comforted her, “The investigation is ongoing. Don’t assume the worst. I’ll let you know as soon as we have news.”