flame chasing light

Chapter 7 Old Xu (2013)

The heat supply started yesterday. The heating in the residential area that Xin Yan rents has not been very good. Every year, the neighbors go to the TV station to make a fuss because of the lack of heating. Every year, the reporters come and go, no matter what the use. .

Xin Yan also felt lucky that she was so cold last night, she slept and woke up for a while, and didn't have any strange dreams.

After waking up, the temperature in the house was still very low and cold. Xin Yan put on a blanket and opened the refrigerator door. There was the last carton of milk left, so let’s leave it to Ott Express. This guy has a good appetite recently.

After feeding Ao Te Express, Xin Yan went downstairs to eat breakfast, the most common deep-fried tofu in the north, and her body finally warmed up.

After eating, Xin Yan stood on the steps outside the breakfast shop and stretched his waist.In the distance, the clouds are neither high nor low, and the gray sky is like a cold oil painting. The neon lights that were not turned off last night are still on the outer wall of a building not far away, and a few colorful words outline a touch of color—" Express Inn".Hey, looking so familiar, Xin Yan immediately searched for a photo in his mind, a photo in Xiao Xiao's cell phone yesterday, with these colorful words on the background of the photo, and the name of a community below - Gao The neighborhood where Xu, a former gardener, lived.

Thinking of this, Xin Yan raised his feet and walked in that colorful direction.

Walking along the alley for another 600 meters, turning to the north is a waste station. The old man Xin Yan in the waste station knows him. He is a widowed old man. Everyone calls him Uncle Li.

"Morning, Uncle Li." Xin Yan greeted the old man.

"Oh, you, you go out so early?" Uncle Li didn't know what Xin Yan's job was, but he was often seen nearby, driving a dilapidated second-hand off-road car. , lamenting that there are more and more young people who are idle now.

"Yes, go out for a while, you are always busy in the morning."

"Well, it's better than some people doing nothing."

Hey, there is something in the old man's words. When talking about me, Xin Yan smiled, "Okay, you are always diligent, and you always keep going."

After walking a few hundred meters further, I saw the community where Xu, the former gardener of Gao's family, lived. There was a gate made of steel frame, with a few words written on it - "Baojing Jiayuan".

Old Xu's full name is Xu Dongfang, and he lives in Baojingjiayuan Community, Xiaodong Road, Linze District. It seems that he lives quite close to Xin Yan.Xin Yan looked around and found that it was not much better than the place where he lived, and it was half a catty old.

He stood at the door and called Xiao Xiao, confirmed the address, and went directly to the fourth floor of the third unit of the innermost building. The place where Xu Dongfang lived had long since been vacated.

Xin Yan knocked on the door of the neighbor next door, and a fat brother with glasses came out, "Brother, please, ask me something."

Big Fat Brother was about to close the door vigilantly, "I don't know, I don't know."

Xin Yan pressed the door firmly, and took out his ID card from his pocket, "Police, I have something to ask you."

"Oh, policeman, why are there so many policemen recently?" The elder brother stopped closing the door forcibly, his body blocked the doorway, "By the way, comrade policeman, you are here to catch that dog, it's too disturbing, you Seeing that my arm was bitten two days ago, I have complained several times.” Then, the fat brother stretched out his arm to show Xin Yan, “No one will reimburse you for the rabies injection.” He continued to move forward Stretch your arms.

Xin Yan ducked back, "I'm sorry, I'm not here to catch dogs, I want to know about your neighbor."

"Which neighbor?"

"Xu Dongfang."

"It's weird, why are you looking for Lao Xu again, what did Lao Xu do?" Xiao Xiao must have asked before.

Hearing that he wasn't here to catch dogs, the big fat brother immediately lost interest and looked impatient, "Comrade policeman, what's wrong with Old Xu?"

"It's okay, just a routine inquiry."

"Old Xu is an honest person, and has no conflicts with others. The police officer came to ask the day before yesterday, and I have already said it."

"Did you find out that he has been in contact with anyone recently, or is there anything different from before?"

Big Fat Brother shook his head, "No, Old Xu is a man of his own."

"Then did he say why he couldn't stop?"

"I don't care about it. I don't know if people love it or not." After that, the fat brother asked again: "Comrade policeman, did Lao Xu commit a crime? You have to tell us the truth. If you don't talk to our neighbors, we little people don't know what to do." After speaking, he leaned closer, trying to find out what's inside.

Gossip is simply human nature, Xin Yan said: "It's nothing, you are so vigilant, you must have known something early in the morning."

Hearing Xin Yan's compliment, Big Fat Brother looked proud, "That's right, let me tell you, I usually like to watch detective movies..."

Hearing that he was going to continue, Xin Yan quickly interrupted him, "Brother, does Lao Xu have any relatives or friends in Hanchuan?"

"Oh, no. Why don't you ask the landlord, who lives in the east household on the second floor."

"Thank you."

It's all here, Xin Yan bid farewell to Fat Brother and went to find the landlord, who also lives in this community.When he found someone, the landlord said that Xu Dongfang was an honest man, honest, helpful, and good at repairing electrical appliances. If something broke in the community, he would be happy to help fix it.It’s just that a while ago, for some reason, Lao Xu’s face lost his smile, and he always ran to the hospital. Once we met, he looked embarrassed, and finally said vaguely that his wife was sick and hospitalized, and the neighbors saw him carrying a lunch box. Walking outside.Xiao Xiao has already touched this situation last time.

Xin Yan asked: "Excuse me, when did Xu Dongfang move away?"

"About half a month ago."

"Did you go home directly?"

"They said they had already bought tickets, but I didn't know about it later."

Xin Yan had some doubts, and felt that Xu Dongfang's wife was suddenly hospitalized and needed to be verified.

After asking, the situation was similar to what Xiao Xiao knew. Xin Yan thanked the landlord and was about to leave. An old lady came up the stairs with a bag of vegetables in her hand. Seeing the landlord, she asked, "What's the matter?"

"Grandma Li, the police are handling the case." The landlord answered patiently.

"What? Is there someone eating?"

The old lady was hard of hearing and would really interrupt. The landlord brother shook his head helplessly and said loudly, "Police, ask Xu Dongfang."

This time the old lady heard clearly, "Oh, Xiao Xu, this kid is so kind, he even helped me repair the door last time."

Xin Yan had already reached the stairs, and the old lady muttered again, "It's just that his wife is worried, she doesn't know who to mess with, and she has a big belly."

"Grandma Li, don't talk nonsense." The landlord looked at Xin Yan who was about to go downstairs.

"Why am I talking nonsense. I saw it when I went out to buy groceries two days ago. My stomach was big, so it's fake."

Ok?