Chapter 3: A Successful Reversal of the Verdict

In truth, when Chen Ping arrived at the scene, he found nothing suspicious; everything seemed too coincidental. Yet there were only two issues to resolve: one was the eyewitness, and the other was who killed Zhu Fengshan.

The eyewitness had seen Chen Duohai by the riverbank. The coroner had concluded that it was a murder followed by the disposal of the body. The second issue was set aside for the moment to first address the eyewitness.

Chen Ping, thinking with a modern mindset, was a fan of detective anime like Detective Conan and had read numerous mystery novels. At a crime scene, there must be direct or indirect evidence left behind.

Chen Ping looked toward the eyewitness, a fellow villager, and asked, “Uncle, did you see my father dragging this man and throwing him into the river?”

The eyewitness was momentarily stunned, then awkwardly shook his head. “No, I didn’t see that. I’m not lying, just telling the truth.”

Zhao Jin had no desire to argue with a child, but this seemingly simple question struck a chord deep within him—not because of the eyewitness’s words, but because of the child’s mention of the word “dragging.”

If someone wanted to bring a dead body to the riverbank, the easiest method would naturally be dragging. He had already inspected the nearby grassland but found no traces of dragging.

Another possibility was carrying the body on one’s back. But with two adults’ weight and the damp riverside soil, there would inevitably be heavy footprints left behind. Yet no such marks were found.

Zhao Jin, who had initially been sure the culprit was Chen Duohai, now found himself wavering. Seeing the constable step forward to drive Chen Ping away, he waved his hand and said, “You keep talking.”

Chen Ping put on a thoughtful expression and recalled, “I remember struggling desperately after falling into the water, but the current kept pushing me further from the shore.”

Zhao Jin’s face stiffened.

The current!

How could he have overlooked such a crucial detail?

There were no signs of heavy objects tied to the body. If Chen Duohai had truly thrown the body into the river here, the current should have carried it far away.

Seeing Zhao Jin’s expression, Chen Ping knew his unwitting hint had made an impact. It seemed the eyewitness’s puzzle was solved.

The coroner assumed an attentive posture, watching Chen Ping with keen interest.

“Captain Zhao, even if Chen Duohai appeared at the riverbank to save his son, that doesn’t rule out the possibility he committed murder.”

The two had recently clashed, and since the coroner had confirmed it was murder, Chen Duohai remained the prime suspect.

Chen Ping glanced at the corpse lying on the ground. Next, he must solve the second problem: who killed Zhu Fengshan?

From examining Zhu Fengshan’s body, he did not show signs of drowning. Yet no evidence of homicide was found nearby. These contradictions defied logic.

Chen Ping’s mind raced.

Wait!

He realized he had been influenced by the coroner’s biased conclusion. What if Zhu Fengshan had truly drowned?

He recalled a rare case from a novel, an interesting term: dry drowning.

When a person suddenly falls into water and panics, spasms of the vocal cords can cause acute suffocation, leading to death. In such cases, water does not enter the trachea, lungs, or stomach. Though rare, it was a possibility.

“He might have drowned on his own,” Chen Ping said slowly.

Ma Rui’s eyes widened. Suddenly he stood up and retorted loudly, “Ridiculous! I’ve been a coroner for decades—you think I can’t tell the difference between drowning and murder?!”

Chen Ping sighed silently. This ancient man seemed rather dull; experience alone meant nothing if he couldn’t be reminded of such things. It was exhausting!

“Uncle, when I fell into the river, I fainted after a short time. I didn’t swallow any water!” Chen Ping added.

Ma Rui was stunned.

He too considered this extremely rare form of drowning and hurriedly re-examined the body: ruling out fatal injuries, poisoning, and taking the scene into account, he finally concluded that Zhu Fengshan had indeed died from dry drowning.

All day hunting wild geese, only to be pecked in the eye by a goose!

Nearly a good man was wrongly accused. Ma Rui sat down dejectedly.

Zhao Jin was puzzled. “Coroner Ma?”

Ma Rui nodded, conceding he had been wrong. “This man drowned himself; it was not murder.”

Zhao Jin asked, “What if someone pushed him into the water when he was off guard?”

Ma Rui smiled wryly, “I can only say such a method of murder is highly unreliable. If the victim manages to swim to shore or is rescued, the killer would be caught. Besides, there’s no corresponding evidence here.”

Chen Ping exhaled in relief, glad to have cleared his father’s name.

Ma Rui stared at Chen Ping with a strange expression, admiring, “You’re very clever, brave, and meticulous. Want to be my apprentice?”

He was not speaking without reason. The child noticed many details, had clear thinking, and most importantly, was not afraid of the dead.

Being a coroner meant a lifetime of autopsies.

Chen Ping shook his head firmly and decisively.

He hadn’t expected to be recognized despite his low profile. It seemed Ma Rui, though not very smart, had good judgment. But he absolutely could not accept this mentor!

A child had overturned a seemingly airtight case and cleared his father’s suspicion. Zhao Jin’s gaze toward Chen Ping was filled with admiration.

Chen Duohai was released on the spot. After the constables left, he hugged Chen Ping tightly, eyes moist. Today was truly a brush with death.

Mrs. Xiang also had tears on her face, tears of joy, as she stepped forward to embrace the father and son.

“Achoo!”

Chen Ping sneezed once, then twice more.

Great, first fear, then scolding, now a cold. Looks like he had caught a cold!

“Father, my head feels dizzy. Can we go home now?”

“Home, home!”

The Chen family gathered around. Their emotions had been like a roller coaster today, from the constables’ arrival to arrest, to Chen Ping exonerating his father—a truly unbelievable turn of events.

Fortunately, the man was safe in the end. Surviving disaster surely brings good fortune.

Back at the dilapidated manor, Chen Ping’s heart sank halfway. Having transmigrated into a peasant family, it seemed he was destined for a life of toil.

Did the heavens send him here only to save his poor adoptive father?

The river water in early spring was still very cold. Chen Duohai was unharmed, but Chen Ping had indeed caught a real cold, burning with fever and somewhat delirious.

During his fever, his deeds had already spread throughout neighboring villages.

“Master, our son is so smart. Once he recovers, let’s send him to school,” Mrs. Xiang said while wiping his body. Every mother thinks her son is the best.

Chen Duohai smiled foolishly. “If you say so. If the Chen family can produce a scholar, that would be great. As long as the boy wants it, we’ll sell everything to support his studies.”

But a few days after Chen Ping recovered, the couple found no change in the boy.

He showed no ambition at all and was so mischievous they sometimes felt like giving him a couple of slaps on his little behind.