After hearing Old Yangâs words, Qi Taiguo felt as if fate was playing a cruel joke on him. He had come with the intention of teaching the Zhang family a lesson, but now, without him lifting a finger, the Zhangs had already paid a price in bloodâno, a price in lives.
No need for outsiders to intervene; they destroyed themselves. Isnât that just fateâs cruel joke?
Looking at the family again, it was just as it had been years ago when he visited, unchanged in the slightest. What had changed, perhaps, were peopleâs heartsânever satisfied, never introspective about their own mistakes.
If Zhang Jisheng hadnât divorced Qi Fenglian, could it be that today wouldnât have happened?
And if they hadnât divorced, would it have been the eldest sister who committed murder?
Qi Taiguo didnât want to think about that possibility. In this world, there is no âwhat ifâ. All trajectories are arranged by heaven, caused by humans themselves.
And from this, it is evident how important family harmony is, and how crucial it is to marry wisely?
A good wife determines the fortune and fate of a family.
"For killing someone, how many years do they get?" Qi Taiguo asked Old Yang.
"Two lives... even if she doesnât face the death penalty, sheâs likely looking at life imprisonment." Old Yang replied, "But what use is keeping such a venomous woman around?"
"Itâs also a human tragedy." Qi Taiguo sighed.
"Indeed." Old Yang said, "And itâs all for money. Ah, money is such a curse! That Granny Zhang, if she hadnât been so biased, she likely wouldnât have met such a violent end."
Qi Taiguo sneered, yes, they brought it upon themselves. When this old woman tormented his big sister, did she ever think she would face this kind of end?
But talking about it now is pointless; after all, the dead are to be respected.
Qi Taiguo watched as the mortuary workers loaded the bodies into the car, shaking his head, he said, "This case is settled, right? Are you wrapping up? If you have time, want to grab a meal? Letâs call a few old comrades."
"That might not be possible, itâs quite a huge case, there will still be interrogations to follow and reports to write." Old Yang responded, "I heard youâve been promoted to deputy battalion? Come back when you have time, Iâll treat you."
"Sure!" Qi Taiguo smiled and nodded toward Zhang Jisheng: "Can I go over and say a few words?"
Old Yang nodded, stepping away to debrief his colleagues about the next steps.
Qi Taiguo walked up to Zhang Jisheng, his tall figure casting a shadow over him completely.
Zhang Jisheng looked up at him, his pupils shrinking, lips trembling, and he lowered his head, fishing a cigarette out of his pocket.
When he finally pulled out a cigarette, it was an empty pack; heâd smoked them all, with the butts scattered around his feet.
Zhang Jisheng crumpled the soft pack into a ball, threw it on the ground, and clutched his messy hair with both hands.
Seeing this, Qi Taiguo took out a cigarette, lit it, and handed it to him.
Zhang Jisheng glanced at him again, took it, and greedily took two puffs.
Qi Taiguo squatted down, looked at him, and asked, "Do you regret it now?"
Do you regret the foolish things you did back then, regret taking things for granted?
The hand holding the cigarette twitched.
"In the future, donât go looking for Xiao Yun and Xiao Bao anymore. With big sister and the Qi family, theyâll grow up well. You should act as if you never had these two children. Considering what happened, donât let them carry that burden," Qi Taiguo said lightly, taking a wad of cash from his wallet and pushing it over, "Take it as the two kidsâ sentiment for their brother."
Zhang Jisheng stared at him, dumbfounded.
Qi Taiguoâs eyes were devoid of emotion, he looked at him for a moment before getting up and leaving.
Behind him, Zhang Jisheng suddenly burst into loud sobs, but Qi Taiguo remained unmoved, walking away coolly.