Chapter 6: Huntington's Disease

  "From America."

  "That's what the delivery guy said."

  Zhang Tong didn't ask any more questions. She was very clear that for her mother now, the simpler life is, the better. Don't let her think too much.

  After dinner, because the corridor was too dark and the only lamp had been out of order for years due to lack of maintenance, Zhang Tong worried that his uncle was old and might strain his back because he couldn't see clearly underfoot, so he insisted on sending him downstairs.

  As he walked to the door, Zhang Tong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Uncle, I know you have some knowledge of neurology. Is there something wrong with my right hand?"

  The old man was taken aback: "What's going on? Tell me..."

  Zhang Tong nodded: "Actually, there's nothing much. It's just been like this lately. Sometimes my right hand will suddenly become numb and I won't have any feeling at all. I don't know if it's because of work being too busy and stressful, causing some kind of neurological abnormality. But my right hand isn't injured or swollen, it just suddenly loses sensation."

  "Have you had an X-ray?"

  "I've had check-ups, everything is normal. I haven't had any injuries in the past few years. I remember reading a book about the nervous system that said sometimes pain and numbness are just illusions, caused by false signals from nerve endings. This condition usually occurs in patients who have experienced severe trauma in the past, maybe they were injured at the time and didn't fully recover..." Zhang Tong stopped talking there.

  The old man thought for a moment: "You're right, it's possible that way too. But we can't rule out the possibility that your work is causing this result. You're an orthopedic doctor, you often have to use surgical knives and other instruments. After using them for a long time, your hand function will be affected to some extent. Maybe you didn't notice it at the time, but over time, it's possible that it led to your current situation. Tongtong, you're too tired, you work too hard, sometimes you should take a good rest and give yourself a break."

  It was late at night. Zhang Tong had been tossing and turning in bed for a long time, but couldn't fall asleep. She took a deep breath, sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and from childhood to adulthood, since the accident, Zhang Tong had never turned off the lights when sleeping at night. She was afraid of the darkness, afraid that the dark dreams would completely engulf her.

  Zhang Tong thought for a moment, picked up the phone next to the lamp, and dialed Liu Chunxiao's number. For several days, she had been hesitant about whether to take the initiative to contact Liu Chunxiao. To be honest, she was somewhat annoyed that Liu Chunxiao had so recklessly tried to explore her psychology. So for several days, she had been angry and hadn't contacted him. But now it seemed that perhaps only Liu Chunxiao could help herself.

  The phone was answered. But when Liu Chunxiao's thick voice came from the other end of the phone, Zhang Tong immediately hung up the phone. She quickly dispelled this idea. No, she didn't want to face that terrible dream. At least, her mind hadn't made enough preparation yet.

  Looking at the familiar phone number on the incoming call display, Liu Chunxiao was about to dial back. But after a moment's thought, he gently put the phone down instead. He let out a long sigh and walked over to the window, gazing out at the peaceful night scene outside. Yet Liu Chunxiao's face was filled with worry. He knew that for now, he couldn't be too rash. Let things unfold slowly. Twenty years had already passed. He believed that Zhang Tong would also get through this. There would come a day when she would look for him herself. Liu Chunxiao deeply trusted in this thought.

  Early autumn morning, the sweltering heat has gradually dissipated. People who exercise in the morning appear one after another at the entrance of Tianchang City Central Park. At this moment, the sun is just showing a faint smile in the sky.

  "Aunt Zhang, you've arrived so early."

  "Yes, yes. No choice. Our family's Song Song has to come out for a walk early in the morning. Can't be managed at home. It gets up even earlier than I do." Zhang Jia Ayi, also known as "Zhang Family Auntie", is an ordinary retired middle-aged woman. Like many other retired empty nesters, Zhang Jia Ayi also raises a dog. No choice. Who let her own son work in Shanghai? So every day at this time, Zhang Jia Ayi will inevitably take her beloved golden retriever Song Song to the city central park for a stroll. Anyway, since raising Song Song, Zhang Jia Ayi's face has more smiles. Especially when her old sisters praise Song Song for being good-looking, it really makes her feel prouder and more satisfied than when they praised her own clever son back then.

  Song Song ran into the park and broke free from his leash, running wildly like a dog. Zhang's aunt was frantic and chased after him, but no matter how hard she ran, panting for breath, Song Song had vanished into thin air.

  No way. Aunt Zhang was calling "Song Song" while walking towards the other side of the park, in the direction of the artificial hill. She knew that the artificial hill was where Song Song loved to go most. Every time she would catch it red-handed there. Now she began to regret why she had bought a cheap dog in the first place. It's already two years old and still doesn't listen or behave. Thinking about this, she let out a bitter laugh. Are her own children that obedient at this age?

  In front of the fake mountain is a wooden plank road. People who exercise in the morning basically don't come here because there are too many weeds and trees, and snakes often appear.

  "Song Song." Zhang Jia's aunt was a bit annoyed. Usually when she came over, that silly golden dog would stand on the wooden plank road waiting for her. But today, where did it go?

  Zhang's aunt was getting anxious. She unconsciously raised her voice, and her tone wasn't as gentle anymore: "Song Song, come out for me. If you don't come out, I'll go back and beat you to death."

  This one called out with a threatening tone, and to Zhang Jia's aunt's surprise, a dog emerged from the tall grass in no time. Immediately afterwards, her pet dog Song Song ran out with its tail wagging.

  Aunt Zhang bent down. Just as she was about to hug the golden dog, Song Song, who had run to her side wagging its tail, she suddenly felt something was off. She discovered that under Song Song's white canine teeth, it was tightly biting onto a piece of something unidentifiable.

  Aunt Zhang is getting old and her eyesight isn't what it used to be. Although she can't quite make out what's in the big dog's mouth, she doesn't like dogs eating randomly outside. So she sternly commands: "Song Song, spit it out! Eating random things will give you diarrhea! Spit it out!"

  The obedient dog opened its big mouth and listened to the command. Immediately, it looked at its owner with an innocent face. The unknown object also quickly fell to the ground with a "thud". It was only then that Mrs. Zhang finally saw clearly what her beloved dog had been holding in its mouth. She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, her heart racing faster and faster. Mrs. Zhang was so frightened that she sat down on the ground with a thud, her eyes fixed on a freshly severed woman's finger.

  After regaining consciousness, Zhang's aunt let out a blood-curdling scream with all her might.

  When Wang Yan rushed to the scene, the first sentence his colleagues from the local police station said was: "We've found an eyewitness to this murder case."

  "What did you say? Eyewitness."

  On the way to the scene after receiving the report, Wang Yan already knew that this case was another masterpiece of the "bone collector". Because the victim's head and feet, palms were all cut off, leaving only an empty skin bag and a pile of rotten meat.

  "An eyewitness. Where is he?" Wang Yan couldn't hide her excitement when she heard the news.

  Unexpectedly, the other party immediately followed with a wry smile. He pointed to the large bluestone outside the warning line not far behind him: "There, it's over there. A drunkard. Anyway, he can't say clearly either. Says he doesn't remember anything because he was drunk at the time."

  Wang Yan walked quickly to the side of the large bluestone where the eyewitness was sitting, bent down and stared at the dirty face in front of her: "I am from the Tianchang Public Security Bureau's Major Crimes Unit. Please cooperate with our investigation. Tell me what you saw at that time, one by one."

  Obviously not long after waking up from drinking, the middle-aged man frowned and rubbed his eyes, which were still blurry. He weakly shook his head and said to the police officer: "I don't remember very clearly. I only know it was a man. I was drunk at the time."

  It seems like he's really a drunkard. Wang Ya Nan thought for a moment and continued to ask, "Are you sure you were drunk at that time?"

  "Yes, it was too hot last night. I drank too much at my friend's place. As I walked, somehow I ended up running here. I fell asleep under a big tree over there. It's all blurry." He said, struggling to point behind him with his finger. "My head hurts now and I don't remember anything."

  "So how did you wake up?"

  "Woken up by that old hag's scream, like a pig being slaughtered. My beautiful dream is gone." The drunkard's face was full of annoyance. His hangover headache made him keep inhaling cold air, his mouth making "hiss" sounds.

  "What can be done? He's drunk and doesn't remember anything." Wang Yanan looked worried.

  "I have a way." A voice came from behind. Wang Yan quickly turned around and looked back. "How did you come?"

  The person who came was Liu Chunxiao. He walked straight up to the front, bent down and carefully looked at the drunkard's eyes, then asked: "Can you tell me what kind of wine you drank?"

  As soon as he heard this, the drunkard immediately came to his senses. Excitedly, he began to gesticulate and said: "A bottle of beer, two liang of Erguotou, and a little dry red wine."

  Liu Chunxiao burst out laughing and said, "You really have had enough to drink! How about this? I'll treat you to a drink now." As he spoke, he ignored Wang Yan's look of surprise and waved his hand for one of the police officers standing nearby to come over. He whispered, "Quickly go to that 24-hour convenience store over there and buy me a bottle of beer - better yet, two bottles."

  "Buy wine." The young drunkard was a bit unbelievable in his own ears.

  "Go quickly, it's needed for the case. And add a bag of peanuts." Liu Chunxiao had a serious face, not looking like he was joking at all. Wang Yanan didn't dare to say anything more. She made up her mind to wait and see what happened. Anyway, the eyewitness couldn't remember anything now. She wanted to see what kind of skills Liu Chunxiao had to awaken people's memories.

  The wine was soon purchased. In front of everyone, Liu Chunxiao opened the bottle and handed it to the drunkard: "Come on, keep drinking. I'm treating you."

  The drunkard gained strength as soon as he heard it. He looked around and saw that no one was stopping him, so he immediately took over and poured his head back in a fierce gulp.

  "What does Inspector Liu mean by this? The eyewitness is already muddled, and if he drinks more, won't it be even harder for him to tell east from west?" the assistant whispered in Wang Yan's ear.

  Wang Yanan didn't make a sound.

  It wasn't long before the effects of the alcohol began to show on the drunkard's face. His mouth also started spewing out a string of incoherent words.

  At this scene, Liu Chunxiao quickly snatched the beer bottle from the drunkard's hand, leaned forward and asked in a low voice: "Now tell me, what did you hear last night? What did you see? You tell me, and this bottle of wine is still yours."

  The drunkard squinted his eyes, shook his head, furrowed his brow in thought, and then suddenly looked enlightened: "I... think... I remembered. It was the sound of a car that woke me up. A white... van. A... a man."

  "How did you know it was a man?" Liu Chunxiao pressed on step by step.

  His face... His eyes, the pupils of a drunkard began to shrink. He didn't directly answer Liu Chunxiao's question. Looking at his appearance, it was as if the scene from last night's incident was replaying before their eyes. A look of fear actually appeared on his face.

  "What's wrong with his face."

  "Like a dead man... Right, right, pale with fear." The drunkard's speech was no longer stuttering at this point. Fear seemed to be slowly seeping out of his body.

  "His face is as pale as a dead man's."

  "Right, pale and wan, even his eyebrows are white, his hair is also white." The drunkard snatched the wine bottle from Liu Chunxiao's hand and gulped it down in one go, as if the alcohol could make him forget last night's terrifying memories.