After fluttering in the river for an unknown amount of time, Min Hui finally swam to the bank and climbed to the bank. Ignoring his body limp, he ran to the road to stop a car and asked the driver to call the police.
After learning about the situation, the police immediately launched a search and rescue, and the fire brigade also came. Everyone decided to divide the troops into two groups: one team carried out a carpet search along the river bank, and the other team drove a speedboat on the river several kilometers away. Search back and forth. More than 50 people searched for more than two hours and could not find Li Chunmiao. After dawn, the scope of search and rescue was expanded to include more volunteers, and frogmen and salvage teams were also called in and found nothing. During the flood season, the water speed is three meters per second. Unless you are a master swimmer, it is difficult to survive in such waters.
The police said that Li Chunmiao dared to jump into the water to save people, which means that he has good water skills, and he may still be alive.
People from the salvage team said that the water conditions of the Mushui River are complicated, and it flows through countless rural cities along the way, and finally joins the big river and flows to the East China Sea. If the drowning person dies, they do not know where they will float, and it is difficult to find the body. This kind of thing happens every year, let her prepare for the funeral.
In the next three days, the police mobilized more rescue forces and went further downstream to salvage, but nothing was found. Min Hui was called to the police station for questioning and made a registration and record. At first, the police refused to rule out the suspicion of a criminal case. After all, she was the last person to see Li Chunmiao. No one knew what happened between the two. It could be sacrificing oneself to save others, or it could be murder for money. .
However, the monitoring of the hotel showed that the two girls did walk out of the lobby one after the other; the front desk clerk also confirmed that Chunmiao had asked Min Hui’s whereabouts before leaving; the monitoring on the bridge captured her before diving In a split second, a lifebuoy was removed from the viewing platform, which exactly matched the one on Min Hui’s body… In summary, it was classified as a “rescuing and dying accident”, and it was treated as an accidental missing person. Min Hui has no responsibility here either.
The policeman who received her was named Chen, a Cantonese, and everyone called him Sir Chen. Chen Sir comforted that the police would continue to search and inform her of new progress, but also made her mentally prepared. After all, the golden moment of rescue has passed.
In the past few days, Min Hui has been awake almost all night. During the day, she follows the rescue team to search around, and at night, she stays by her mobile phone and waits for the latest news from the police. She repeatedly recalled what happened that day: Chunmiao jumped into the water decisively, quickly found her, and lifted her out of the water twice, obviously with experience in lifesaving in water. Therefore, she has a fluke mentality. At this moment, listening to Chen Sir’s tone, Chunmiao’s hope of surviving is not much.
The original heavy heart is more panic…
Chen Sir said that the next focus is to confirm Chunmiao’s identity and inform her family.
Min Hui then cooperated with the police to check Chun Miao’s luggage to see if she could find anything to prove her identity.
There is very little luggage, only a few changes of clothes and travel supplies. The bulging bag contained a bag of betel nut and a package of cosmetics, and the wallet and mobile phone were gone.
Min Hui checked in with her ID card. Although there were two people in the room, the front desk didn’t ask any further questions. She recalled carefully: because she insisted on paying half the room rate, Chunmiao used her wallet once, which should have been in the pocket of the yellow jacket. As for the mobile phone, Chunmiao used it before going to bed, and said that she would add her WeChat account, and then kept charging on the bedside table. When Min Hui came back from the river the next day, the phone was no longer there, but the charging cable was still plugged into the wall. It should have been taken away when she went out at night, but now it was mostly soaked in water.
She regrets not adding her WeChat, such a talkative person, there should be a lot of clues in the circle of friends, right?
Min Hui and Chen Sir rummaged through their luggage for a long time, only to find a bus ticket. Chunmiao got on the bus from the “Yukong” station, and there was no identity information on the ticket.
“If people can’t find it, what should I do with the luggage?” Min Hui asked.
“Let the hotel take care of it first, and hand it over to the family when you find them.” Sir Chen looked at her with a sad face, “How about you? When are you going to leave?”
Min Hui was stunned, she hadn’t thought of this question: “I’m not leaving, I want to see her family.”
Chen Sir’s eyes are strange: “Are you sure?”
“Is something wrong?”
“At this time, the family members will be very excited and will find someone to vent…”
“Then take it all out on me,” Min Hui couldn’t help crying, “After all, I caused all this. If a good person is gone, the perpetrator can’t run away, right?”
“You are all good girls. She voluntarily saved people, and you are not the perpetrator,” Sir Chen sighed, “Since you think so, just stay for a few more days, I’ll go first .”
Before leaving, Min Hui remembered that Chunmiao still had a coat hanging in the bathroom, so she went in and turned over all the pockets of her coat, and found a black card: “Is this thing useful?”
It was a membership card of XX Studios with Chunmiao’s name and card number printed on it.
Chen Sir’s eyes lit up: “It’s useful, this kind of membership card is usually bound to a mobile phone, I’ll go back and check it out.”
The next day, Min Hui got out of bed in a daze and realized that she had missed breakfast, so she went to the cafe on the second floor to order a muffin and a cup of coffee. The waiter was an aunt in her forties. He heard about her and asked her to talk to her: “Girl, have you found anyone?”
Min Hui looked at her and shook her head.
“Alas, the police are too weak. When the time comes, the family members will cry and cry, and see how they will explain it.”
“They’ve… tried their best.” Min Hui’s voice began to choked, tears dripping down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, girl. Look at you, your eyes are swollen from crying.” The aunt handed her a tissue, “How do you say, you want to see people in life, and you want to see corpses in death. Since neither of them has been seen. There is still a silver lining.”
Hope, any? It’s not too big of a deal to watch the fun, but Min Hui starts to get upset again, Auntie, can you let me be quiet for a while?
Auntie wiped the table earnestly and suddenly said, “By the way, is she fat?”
“Huh?”
“Is that girl fat?”
“Not fat.”
“Tell you, there was a fat man who fell into the water and fainted with fright. After drifting out with the current for a kilometer, he suddenly woke up. Scared her husband to death…”
These words have a great visual effect. Min Hui was drinking coffee and almost choked. A similar scene immediately appeared in her mind, and a glimmer of hope emerged in her heart.
If this is the case, she will not be afraid, but will only cry with joy.
However, four days have passed since the incident. Such a season, such a climate – in a few days, I am afraid that even the bones will not be found.
Thinking of this, Min Hui asked, “Auntie, do you know anyone nearby who would take up this kind of salvage work?”
——After the salvage team withdrew, Min Hui once sought them out privately, hoping to continue the salvage at her own expense. The captain explained that it’s not that he refused to help. The recent floods have been severe, and drowning and capsized incidents have occurred in many places. It is really too busy.
“There are some fishermen nearby. No one wants to do this kind of work. It’s unlucky. They all call them to drink dead man’s soup.” The aunt thought for a while, and then said, “By the way, have you been to Repulse Bay? “
“Repulse Bay? Where is it?”
“To the south of the Mushui River Bridge, about three kilometers, there is a river bend. There are often floating corpses floating from the upper reaches. If something like this happens to someone and they can’t find it, they will go there and wait. I have a relative’s son who fell into the water last year. The whole family went crazy. They searched for three days and three nights without food or drink, but they couldn’t find it. Finally, they went to Repulse Bay and found him seven days later… It’s beyond recognition. “
***
When Min Hui came to Repulse Bay, she found that the place was quite famous among the locals. As soon as the driver heard the words “Repulse Bay”, the first sentence he asked: “Girl, where are you looking for someone?”
She smiled weakly.
“Don’t go alone,” the driver said again, his eyes on her chest, half-smile, “you will be scared. How about I accompany you?”
“No!” Min Hui glared at him fiercely, threw him the money for the car, and got out of the car angrily.
“What a stinky temper, is it a ghost?” the driver said yin and yang behind her.
“I’ll call the police if you talk nonsense again!” Min Hui took out her mobile phone, and the driver hurriedly drove away.
Repulse Bay is a quiet river bay. After a circle, the water flow was blocked by rocks and suddenly slowed down. The water was very dirty, and there were many garbage and debris washed down from the upstream.
There is a tent by the river. A man with a stubble beard is squatting by the water and brushing his teeth, with a towel draped over his shoulders. He looks to be in his early fifties. Min Hui didn’t know what he was here for. After saying “good morning” to him, she walked around the river bend, watching as she walked.
She didn’t find anything and went back to the tent. The man was sitting on a rock smoking a cigarette, and when he saw her coming, he suddenly asked, “Have you found it?”
Min Hui sighed deeply, shook her head, and the two pale faces looked at each other.
“Uncle, how long have you been waiting here?”
“Five days.”
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Wife.”
Seeing his miserable face, she didn’t ask.
“What about you? Who are you waiting for?”
Min Hui was dumbfounded, for a while, she couldn’t find a suitable word to describe the relationship between Chunmiao and herself: friend? companion? acquaintance? Same seat?
“My sister.”
The uncle didn’t ask any further questions, “um”, and continued smoking.
***
Min Hui waited in Repulse Bay for three days, but didn’t go at night, and asked Uncle to help him watch.
When I went back on the morning of the fourth day, I found that the uncle was closing the tent.
“Auntie found it?” she asked.
“No.” The uncle’s voice was a little hoarse. While he swiftly rolled the flat tent into a large bag, he threw paper money into a small fire, “No more. There are two children at home. It’s been so long, she should be… gone.”
Min Hui looked at him silently, unable to think of any words of comfort.
“A female corpse floated down from the river in the morning. It has changed. She looks very young. I tied her to the tree. Would you like to take a look?”
Min Hui’s heart jumped, she turned around and ran towards the tree, and was grabbed by the uncle. He picked up a long iron hook from the ground: “I’ll go with you. If it’s really your sister, it’s a tough job to drag it up.”
The corpse is on its back, floating among a pile of colorful trash. The limbs are open, the top is rolled over, revealing the pale green skin, the lower body is a red and white mini skirt, and the long hair floats in the water.
The figure is no longer visible because it is so swollen. Min Hui imagined her size down. She was similar in size to Chun Miao, but her coat was not a yellow jacket, which might have been washed away by the water. Min Hui didn’t remember her wearing short skirts, but she didn’t rule out that she would wear them like that, white sneakers… Well, she hadn’t noticed what kind of shoes Chunmiao wore. There must be something wrong with the hair, she remembered it was permed, curled up in a crooked way, soaked in water for so long, maybe it got straight?
“Is that her?” The uncle pulled the body to the shore with a hook.
Min Hui was trembling all over, her teeth rattling, and she was so nervous that she couldn’t say a word for a long time.
“Not sure?”
She shakes her head.
“Want me to turn it over for you? Look at your face?”
She gritted her teeth and nodded vigorously.
It’s very difficult to turn over a dead person. Uncle can’t turn it over with all his strength, and the iron hook stabbed hard in the water——
“Forget it!” Min Hui suddenly covered her eyes and shouted, “Don’t touch her!”
The uncle looked back at her and smiled bitterly: “Let’s take a look, it’s already turned over. Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, if it’s really your sister, you will go to the ground early and ascend to heaven…”
Min Hui had to go over and take a look. The face in the water bulged like a deformed inflatable doll, which made her legs go weak. The fastest reaction was the stomach, which seemed to be flying After entering a swarm of bees, Min Hui ran to the side and overturned Haiti and vomited.
The uncle chased after him and asked, “Is it her?”
“No.” Min Hui said dumbly, then shook her head vigorously, trying to shake what she had just seen out of her mind.
However…that terrifying face she will never forget in her life.
***
Because of the appearance of an unnamed floating body, Min Hui had to report the case again. After Chen Sir received the call, she asked her to come to the institute and explain something. Min Hui faintly felt that there must be news from Chun Miao’s family.
The news made her even more confused——
“We found her address and also her hometown.” Chen Sir said, “This girl is twenty-five years old this year. She is a working girl who works in the ‘Lanjinge Foot Bath’ in Jiangzhou City. Her hometown In the mountainous area of Guangxi, a very remote place.”
Chen Sir took out two printed documents and put them in front of her: “She worked there for a year and a half and lived in the staff dormitory provided by the boss. She had done it in other foot bath shops before. According to the boss, she was ten I came out to work at the age of six, and have done many jobs: restaurant waiter, female worker in a garment factory, hotel cleaning, etc.”
“Where are her parents, brothers and sisters?” Min Hui asked, “Are all in her hometown?”
“She is an orphan, and her parents have passed away. There used to be a younger brother in the family, who was lost when he was over a year old and never found again. There are only a few distant relatives in the hometown, and the relationship is average, because it is too far away, they say It’s inconvenient to come here, just let us handle it ourselves.”
“Do it yourself?” Min Hui frowned, “How to deal with it?”
“Let’s go through the procedure. We will post a notice of missing persons. This situation is considered to be ‘unaccounted for in an accident’. If no one is found after two years, you can apply to the court for a declaration of death.”
Although she didn’t have to face Chunmiao’s family, Min Hui’s mood was even heavier.
A person just disappeared from the world, no one cared about her, no one looked for her, no one even wanted her relics…as if she never lived in this world at all.
“People from the foot bath shop said that she went out temporarily, and there are some personal belongings in the dormitory. If no one wants them, they will be thrown away.”
“Who said no one wants it?” Min Hui put the printed paper into her small bag, “I want it.”
“Then please take care of her luggage in the hotel?” Chen Sir said.
“OK.”
Chen Sir looked at his watch and stood up: “You can go home now. Let’s get in touch with WeChat, and we will notify you of any new news at any time.”
“Over at Repulse Bay—”
“We’ve already searched, so don’t trust the locals.”
Min Hui stood up, but refused to move: “It’s just a matter of one life?”
“Man’s life can’t beat the destiny.” Sir Chen patted her shoulder, “This matter has come to an end.”