Chapter 47 - 46: Autopsy with a Red Umbrella (Second Update)

Chapter 47: Chapter 46: Autopsy with a Red Umbrella (Second Update)

Chen Hu was already a bit confused, and now he was even more bewildered.

Strong liquor? Vinegar? And a red oil umbrella? Miss Xu’s autopsy methods are still so perplexing.

However, with the experience from last time, he reacted quickly and brought over everything Xu Jing requested.

Then, Xu Jing instructed him to move Old Master Fang’s body to the courtyard and carefully poured the strong liquor and vinegar over the corpse.

While Chen Hu was diligently working, Xu Jing suddenly clutched her stomach.

When Cheng Xianbai came to find her, it was already close to noon, and when she heard Cheng Qingqing was in trouble, she immediately went along, and until now, she hadn’t even had a grain of rice or a sip of water.

Her body now is not as strong as it was before; it has become weak. Skipping just one meal made her stomach feel vaguely uncomfortable.

Xiao Yi glanced at her inadvertently and frowned deeply.

After Chen Hu completed the tasks Xu Jing assigned, Xiao Yi turned to Xu Jing and asked, "Is there anything else you need Chen Hu to do?"

Xu Jing looked at him in confusion and shook her head, "Not at the moment."

"Alright."

Xiao Yi nodded and said, "Chen Hu, go find someone to prepare some simple, filling food."

Xu Jing was even more surprised.

She thought Xiao Yi asked because there was more work for Chen Hu, but she hadn’t expected it was to have Chen Hu prepare food.

He noticed such a small gesture of hers, pressing her stomach.

This man is unexpectedly attentive in certain ways.

Chen Hu, being somewhat oblivious, thought Xiao Yi wanted something to eat. He admired Vice Minister Xiao for having an appetite after examining all those corpses, agreed, and went to do as instructed.

For a while, only Xu Jing, Xiao Yi, and of course, a corpse, remained in the courtyard.

Seeing Xiao Yi’s demeanor of doing a good deed without claiming credit, Xu Jing didn’t bother to be polite. She picked up the red oil umbrella from the ground, opened it, and walked toward the corpse.

Xiao Yi gave her a glance; although filled with doubt, he kept silent and walked alongside her.

He watched as Xu Jing walked straight to the abdomen of the deceased, holding the red oil umbrella over it. She bent slightly, and upon closer examination, her expression suddenly changed. She pointed with a finger and said, "Vice Minister Xiao, come take a look."

Xiao Yi responded immediately, bending down to follow her slender, jade-like finger. He saw the abdomen of the deceased, under the red shadow cast by the umbrella, was illuminated, giving the skin a strange, reddish hue.

Near the scar above the navel, there was a small, almost negligible black dot!

The dot was right next to the scar, with half of it blended into the scar. One edge was clear, while the other edge seemed to be covered by the scar, visible only as a blurred outline.

However, Xiao Yi clearly remembered that they had examined the corpse numerous times without seeing this small dot!

He looked up sharply, wanting to say something, only to realize he was standing very close to the woman beside him.

Their heads were together, almost touching; if not for their masks, their breaths would have mingled, audible and close.

Xiao Yi froze for a moment, forgetting to breathe; the remaining visible portion of her face, covered two-thirds by her mask, was fair and flawless, her focused, delicate features enough to make him momentarily dazed.

This was the first time in many years that he had been so close to a woman.

He awkwardly stood up straight and took a few steps back, trying to redirect his attention to the case. "Why didn’t we see this small dot before, but now we can?"

Xu Jing, unaware of the complex emotions of the man beside her, noticed the distance he suddenly put between them without feeling anything was amiss; he had always been like this, as if she might cling to him any moment.

She stood up straight as well, speaking calmly, "After a person dies, some wounds on the body are difficult to detect, especially some contusions—closed tissue damage with subcutaneous or internal bleeding. These bruises are usually a bluish-purple, and human skin isn’t pure white to begin with. After death, skin changes color, making these bruises even less visible.

Using this method makes those subtle injuries more visible."

She explained the pre-use of strong liquor and vinegar is because they both have strong volatilities; splashing them on the body dehydrates the skin quickly, bringing underlying wounds to the surface, making them easier to see.

It’s akin to draining a lake to better see the bottom.

Normal sunlight has seven colors. Under it, some colors on objects are weakened. When the red oil umbrella filters the sun, only the red light comes through, while other colors are absorbed, revealing colors previously faded.

This explains the principle of the red umbrella autopsy.

Although this autopsy method was also invented by ancestors, it’s more scientific than the silver needle test and quite useful in ancient times without advanced technology, showcasing the wisdom of the ancients.

After she finished, Xiao Yi remained silent for a while. Xu Jing glanced at him and said, "Vice Minister Xiao, do you doubt this method? If you don’t believe it, we could test it on a pig. A pig’s skin is quite similar to human skin."

But Xiao Yi shook his head and said gravely, "Although it’s my first time encountering such a method, this small dot indeed appeared on the corpse. All we did was pour the strong liquor and vinegar over the corpse.

The test can be arranged later; solving the case quickly is the priority now."

This indicates that the small dot was indeed something on the deceased’s body.

Xiao Yi’s words also showed he believed Xu Jing; the test was a way to document this method for future record, adding credibility for those who refer back to it.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows slightly.

When did this man start trusting her like this?

That’s good; though she didn’t mind whether the test was done or not, saving time was preferable.

After Xiao Yi finished speaking, he suddenly took a step towards the deceased, pointing to the small dot, "This spot should correspond to the small intestine. The wounds on the deceased’s body seem to be an attempt by the murderer to cover this small dot.

Could it be that they used some kind of needle to damage the deceased’s intestines internally, leading to death?"

Xu Jing recovered and nodded, "It’s highly likely this concealed wound relates to the cause of death. We’re a bit lucky this time; the scar only covered half the wound, allowing us to see its shape clearly.

If the intestines suffered damage, it could indeed cause death, but..."

Xu Jing frowned slightly, "If it’s just this small wound, the damage likely wouldn’t be severe, and the person wouldn’t die immediately. Typically, it takes two to seven days, and during that period, the deceased would be in significant pain, which those around wouldn’t fail to notice.

Did the deceased’s family mention any abnormalities before his passing?"