Staring at the corpse, I drew a conclusion: "There were four victims in this case."
Everyone present was slightly stunned. Huang Xiaotao looked at me with puzzled eyes.
Forensic pathologist Luo Weiwei was the first to react. "You don't mean to say... she was pregnant?"
I pointed at the exposed uterus of the deceased. "Isn't that obvious?"
Luo Weiwei, wearing a mask, hid her expression, but her eyes showed disdain. "Obvious? You haven't even done an autopsy yet you're jumping to conclusions. At the very least, you should test the secretions. Forensics is science, not guesswork."
"Miss Luo, you rely too much on instruments. The ancient text Xi Yuan Ji Lu says: 'One month of pregnancy resembles the dew; two months, a peach blossom; three months, the gender appears.' Judging by the peach blossom shape on the uterus, this woman was two months pregnant," I explained.
Luo Weiwei frowned and muttered, "I don't buy into Xi Yuan Ji Lu. It's just folk tales for commoners."
I smiled. "Folk tales? Well then, run whatever tests you want."
She glared at me, then took a swab of uterine secretions to the forensic lab.
No sooner had she left than Wang Dali came in with three coats. Upon seeing the mangled corpse of Tie**, he screamed and quickly turned away.
"Coward!" Huang Xiaotao scoffed.
I asked Wang Dali to help us put on coats; it felt much warmer. He avoided looking at the body and asked, "Yangzi, do you need anything else? I can go buy it now."
"Get me a herb called 'Mu Hudie' (Wood Butterfly), a bottle of flaxseed oil or olive oil, and two stainless steel pots, one large and one small."
"Cooking?" Wang Dali looked confused.
I scolded him, "Idiot, don't talk about cooking near a corpse! Watch out or something might come for you at night."
Wang Dali trembled, pressed his palms together, muttered "Sorry," then asked, "What's Mu Hudie? Is it sold at pharmacies? There's no Chinese herb shop nearby."
"Mu Hudie, also called Jade Butterfly or Thousand Layer Paper, you don't need a herbalist for that. It's in the health tea section at supermarkets. Get me four taels; pick the best you can find."
"Got it, I'm off." Wang Dali sprinted away.
I lifted the sheets from the second and third corpses. The male victim was decapitated, covered in stab wounds, intestines spilled from his abdomen. His hand was clenched tight like he gripped a knife before death. I moved his arm, already planning the tests.
The elderly female victim's injuries were less severe. Glass shards were cleaned, only some scratches and punctures remained. Both eye sockets were destroyed, surrounded by congealed dark blood like two deep black holes.
I slid my palm under her and felt her spine and skull. The fatal injuries were a broken spine and fractured occipital bone.
I told Wang Dali, "Buy some trouser elastic bands, a sturdy wooden stick, large sewing needles, a magnet, and several strong adhesive hooks."
"Will do!" Wang Dali left.
Back at the first corpse, Huang Xiaotao tilted her head studying the uterus. "Song Yang, how do you know she was pregnant? What's this 'two months like a peach blossom'? Is there any scientific basis?"
"Count the petals on this peach blossom," I said, pointing.
"Five petals."
"What color?"
"Pink."
"Is there a faint stem behind it?"
She looked closely. "There really is!"
I explained, "That peach blossom shape on the uterus is actually the embryo's silhouette. The five petals represent the four limbs and head. The 'stem' is the umbilical cord."
Huang Xiaotao suddenly understood and sighed, "So cruel. A two-month-old baby, gone with the mother."
I sighed too. "Yes, but thankfully only two months. At this stage, the baby isn't really a person yet. It's only when the muscles and bones form around May that it counts as two lives lost."
"Plus, these victims carry heavy resentment. After an autopsy, the coroner must repeatedly burn mugwort on themselves or risk releasing the restless spirit of the unborn baby."
"If there's a pregnant woman at home, she'll be affected, possibly giving birth to a strange chimera baby."
"These chimera babies often have four arms and four legs or even two heads. Not conjoined twins, but medically called chimeras—two bodies fused as if one baby forcibly borrowed another womb."
"Many ancestral taboos have deep meanings. Though now they seem like superstition, Grandpa taught me never to dismiss them, or disaster will follow. I always strictly observe these taboos."
I asked Wang Yuanchao to hand me the "Ting Gu Mu" (bone-listening wood) from the bag.
I listened carefully to the bone sounds of each corpse, estimating the time of death at about forty hours. Though the report was clear, I had to follow procedure.
Luo Weiwei returned holding a report. I asked, "Are the test results ready?"
She hesitated. "I admit, you were right. The victim was two months pregnant."
The surrounding officers whispered, their eyes on me changed.
"Right? How amusing."
I said, "Then I'll guess another thing—the husband killed the mother, then the wife, and finally himself."
Luo Weiwei snorted. "Consultant Song, are you joking? The husband was filial; how could he kill his mother, even if mentally disturbed?"
I retorted, "Miss Luo, did you buy your forensic certificate? Does autopsy consider family affection?"
Her eyes flickered awkwardly; she snapped, "Prove it if you can!"
I told Wang Yuanchao, "Uncle, bring me a UV lamp from the forensic lab."
Wang Yuanchao left. I squeezed the male victim's left fingertip; tiny particles appeared. My eyes caught it, but others couldn't see.
Wang Yuanchao returned with the UV lamp. Huang Xiaotao teased, "Wow, even you using high tech now?"
I smiled, "East meets West."
Forensics is an ancient science evolving with times. Back then, they used sunlight and special cloth to produce UV—very difficult.
Now it's easier. Why go far when it's right here?
I scanned the victim's fingers with the UV light. Tiny things like hair and skin flakes became visible.
Luo Weiwei's eyes widened; sweat formed on her forehead.
I sneered, "See that? What's on the victim's fingers!"