Blood Relations

Intuition told Lian Chi that this Liu Gao Ge had a problem.
So, early the next morning, he and Shen Jian She went to the City’s No. 2 Primary School together.
The Principal of No. 2 Primary School then gathered all the teachers who knew Liu Gao Ge and Di Xue Ming at their request.
Lian Chi and Shen Jian She then met with each of these teachers individually in the school's meeting room.
"Teacher Di is the kindest teacher I’ve ever met. The relationship between him and his wife is also very good. Whenever we go out to eat, if there’s something delicious, he always packs it to take home to her."
"Teacher Di may be a son-in-law who married into the family, but he is very filial to his father-in-law. Someone once mocked him for being a live-in son-in-law and a coward, but he didn't get angry; he explained that he was very grateful to his father-in-law and wife, and without them, he wouldn't be where he is today. Later, when his father-in-law was seriously ill, Teacher Di took over a month off to care for him. I dare say not many daughters-in-law could do as well as Teacher Di."
"Miss Liu? Miss Liu is the most popular teacher in the grade. She’s beautiful, generous, and all the students love her."
"How is the relationship between Miss Liu and Teacher Di normally?"
"Well, just a normal colleague relationship."
"You don't suspect Miss Liu and Teacher Di of having an illicit affair, do you? Impossible. Miss Liu comes from a good family; her husband is a teacher at No. 3 Middle School, and her parents-in-law both work at the Tax Bureau. Her family background is not inferior to Teacher Di’s wife’s family, and her husband is also very handsome."
"Anyway, I rarely see Miss Liu and Teacher Di alone together. Normally when they meet, they just exchange a greeting."
"Miss Liu is a local of Chang City, while Teacher Di is from the countryside. Plus, Miss Liu is four years older than Teacher Di; they probably didn't know each other before."
"The duty schedule for the night before last? Let me see."
"Here it is. The shift for the night before last was originally for Miss Liu and Teacher Di."
"When was the duty schedule set?"
"It was set at the beginning of the school year."
...
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first."
"Yes, thank you, teacher."
Seeing off the last teacher, Shen Jian She turned to ask Lian Chi, "Brother Lian, what do we do now?"
They had originally thought that if Di Xue Ming was the killer of Old Man Li, then based on previous experience, Di Xue Ming and Liu Gao Ge likely had an illicit relationship, which was why Liu Gao Ge helped Di Xue Ming create an alibi, proving he was on duty at the school the night before last and never left.
But unexpectedly, after a morning of investigation, their hypothesis was not only unproven but also debunked.
Lian Chi still firmly believed this Liu Gao Ge had a problem.
So he only said, "Let me think about it more."
Where exactly was the problem?
He thought as he followed Shen Jian She to the car.
But unexpectedly, before the car had gone far from No. 2 Primary School, a middle-aged man squatting by the road suddenly stood up and rushed straight toward their car.
Shen Jian She reflexively slammed on the brakes, nearly sending Lian Chi flying.
Shen Jian She was about to curse, but when he saw the middle-aged man’s face, he choked: "You... It’s you?"
If he remembered correctly, this man seemed to be a teacher from No. 2 Primary School; they had just met in the meeting room.
"It’s me."
The middle-aged man said, "I am Chen Zhi Ping, the head teacher of Class 2/3, teaching alongside Di Xue Ming."
Shen Jian She asked, "Do you have something?"
The middle-aged man looked hesitant: "There is something I don't know if I should tell you."
Lian Chi and Shen Jian She looked at each other: "Just say it directly. Rest assured, we will keep it a secret for you."
The middle-aged man finally steadied himself and said, "Last night, some students came to find me, asking about Di Xue Ming."
Lian Chi asked, "Students?"
The middle-aged man replied, "They said they were students who had been helped by Old Man Li."
"I didn't expect Old Man Li to be such a noble person."
Lian Chi and Shen Jian She suddenly understood.
Those students hadn't left yet.
They were even investigating the truth behind Old Man Li’s death.
The middle-aged man said, "You also came today."
"I have a fairly good relationship with Di Xue Ming, so I shouldn't suspect him, but Old Man Li truly is a respectable person."
Speaking to this point, he paused and then continued, "Actually, half a month ago, around the 15th or 16th of last month, Old Man Li also found me and asked about the matter between Di Xue Ming and Liu Gao Ge."
Shen Jian She was surprised: "What?"
The middle-aged man said, "At that time, Old Man Li asked me not to tell Di Xue Ming about this. I agreed, but after I saw Old Man Li off, I saw Di Xue Ming coming out of the office next door. I suspect that whatever we said then, Di Xue Ming heard it all... As a result, the day before yesterday, Old Man Li was... murdered."
The middle-aged man finished speaking and turned to leave.
Shen Jian She didn't rush to start the car.
Lian Chi asked, "Half a month ago, why did the deceased go to No. 2 Primary School to investigate Di Xue Ming and Liu Gao Ge?"
Shen Jian She replied, "Because the deceased suspected his granddaughter Li Xue didn't die from accidentally slipping into the water, but was murdered by Di Xue Ming."
Lian Chi said, "And the deceased had evidence to prove it."
Shen Jian She added, "After Di Xue Ming discovered the deceased was investigating him, he acted to silence him."
He said immediately, "Let's go to the deceased’s house to see if we can find any evidence."
"No."
Lian Chi shook his head. "I’ll go to the deceased’s house; you go back to the Bureau."
Shen Jian She looked confused.
Lian Chi asked, "Did you notice that Liu Gao Ge and Di Xue Ming’s eyes look a bit similar?"
Shen Jian She was stunned. "You mean..."
Lian Chi said, "It’s not that we gained nothing after a morning."
"The teachers at No. 2 Primary School all said Liu Gao Ge’s family background is not inferior to the Li family, which proves Liu Gao Ge didn't testify for Di Xue Ming for money."
"If there’s no illicit relationship and no monetary transaction, there can only be one reason left."
Shen Jian She said, "I’ll go back to the Bureau and have someone check if Liu Gao Ge and Di Xue Ming are blood relatives."
And so, half an hour later, Lian Chi was back at Zhongyuan Street.
It was mealtime, and people in the neighborhood were gathered under the large cypress tree with their bowls of rice to chat.
The topic of their conversation was none other than the Li family.
"Actually, I’ve suspected Old Man Li was murdered for a long time."
"Because a few days ago, when Old Man Xu held his sixtieth birthday banquet, he even came over to join the fun and talked with us for a while. He looked normal then; how could he suddenly commit suicide?"
Seeing this, Lian Chi went straight to them.
"Officer Lian? Why are you here?"
The tall, thin man leading them spotted him.
"Is there progress in Old Man Li’s case?"
Lian Chi shook his head: "Not yet."
Others asked, "Then what are you here for?"
Lian Chi sat on a nearby stone bench: "When Old Man Li’s granddaughter Li Xue was pulled out of the water, were you all there?"
The tall, thin man replied, "Yes."
"Wait..."
"Wasn't that case already closed? Why are you asking again?"
At this point, his eyes suddenly widened: "Could it be that Li Xue was also murdered?"
The crowd immediately buzzed.
"No way?"
"She was only three years old. Who could be so cruel to a three-year-old child?"
"Who did the Li family offend?"
Only one middle-aged woman looked hesitant, her lips trembling.
Lian Chi immediately noticed: "Sister, do you know something?"
But the woman still hesitated.
The others said, "Sister Qu, if you know something, just say it."
"This is about a human life!"
"Besides, Li Xue was best friends with your son. How many times did she call you 'Auntie'?"
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman plucked up her courage and said, "Everyone said Li Xue saw the dried persimmons Old Man Li was drying on the well and wanted to eat them, so she ran to the well and fell in and drowned."
"But actually, Li Xue didn't like eating dried persimmons at all."
"The few times she came to my house to play, I offered her dried persimmons, and she wouldn't eat a single bite."
Hearing this, Lian Chi stood up abruptly.
Old Man Li was the one who raised Li Xue; how could he not know she didn't like dried persimmons? That was why he was so certain Li Xue hadn't accidentally slipped into the water.
That afternoon, Shen Jian She’s investigation results also came in.
"Di Xue Ming’s parents had a total of six children. Because they were poor, they gave away two daughters and one son."
"Among them, the eldest daughter was given to a family surnamed Liu in the next village, and that family later moved into the City."
"Di Xue Ming and Liu Gao Ge are very likely biological siblings."