Fang Qiaoâs first reaction was murder. With a scream, she dropped the steaming little ceramic bowl she was holding, retreating in panic, her legs so weak she nearly couldnât stand.
Pointing at the person on the ground, she said, "Murder... murder!" As she spoke, she scrambled out, shouting, "Murder, come quickly, murder!"
"Itâs not... Itâs not like that," Qiu Hualan, seeing her daughter-in-law like this, was anxiously trying to explain, powerless.
"What... whatâs going on? Sis? Ah Qing?" Boss Qiu, looking at the situation inside the house, found his legs beginning to fail him. He wasnât unwilling to move; he simply couldnât lift them. Just now, when Fang Qiao dropped that bowl of hot chicken soup, most of it splashed onto his foot. It burned so much he wanted to jump up, but even then, he couldnât lift them.
"Brother, itâs not like that. Itâs... he killed himself," Qiu Hualan quickly defended the children.
"...Mom..." On the other side, Ye Qingâs pale face couldnât stop tears from flowing, laden with full-on appeals for help, overwhelming Qiu Hualan for a moment, unable to refuse.
The only thing left was a sigh and endless darkness...
"It was me... it was me who killed him, brother... I killed him," Qiu Hualan said, collapsing onto the ground defeated.
Boss Qiu opened his mouth, looking at Ye Weijun on the ground, then at Ah Qing, and finally at his sister.
Sigh, he sat back down, holding his head, feeling for his naive sister, "Why are you so foolish? Itâs already over, why couldnât you solve this properly?" As Boss Qiu finished, the villagers had already arrived in small groups.
And Ye Ron, standing at the back of the house, used the darkness to blend into the crowd.
Only when Ye Ron left did the two siblings in the woods relax greatly.
Lin Yinghui quickly pulled Lin Wan from the side, joining the crowd.
They merely took a quick look and went straight home.
By this time, the villagers had run back to the village team to call the police.
"What happened? I heard someone said there was a murder?" Lin Guozhi, coming out of the hall, asked the two.
"Ah... Dad, itâs Qiu Hualan who killed Ye Weijun?" Lin Yinghui pulled Lin Wan, speaking first.
"Qiu Hualan killed Ye Weijun?" Not only was Lin Guozhi shocked by this news, but everyone in the room was astonished.
"What happened? Didnât they divorce? Theyâre not related anymore, how come theyâre involved again?" Auntie asked puzzled.
"We donât know... we just heard," the siblings shook their heads simultaneously.
"Iâll go take a look," as a soldier, Lin Guozhi felt obliged to prevent damage to the crime scene until the police arrived since such an incident happened in the village.
With mourning within the Liang Family, they didnât go earlier. Instead, Lin Yinghui went with Lin Guozhi.
Arriving at a small wooden cabin, cries and noises filled the place, with crowds cramming the entrance, the scene long destroyed. "Guozhi, you came; look, what do we do now?" The village chief and party secretary were struggling here. In the generations their families have lived here, itâs the first time they faced such a brutal situation, and the Qiu Family inside was crying heavily, not for Ye Weijun, but for their daughter.
The villagers were curious, wanting to go inside and see whatâs really happening.
"Get everyone out, the scene is completely ruined. When the police arrive later, they wonât be able to handle it."
"Yes, yes, makes sense," the village chief agreed, quickly getting villagers out, finding some stout men to surround the area.
Even the Qiu family was told to come out.
"Ye Qing is still injured inside. We need to get her to the hospital," the party secretary said, asking, "Itâs quite serious, Guozhi, do you think you could use your familyâs car to take them to the hospital first?"
Lin Guozhi and his son frowned simultaneously, "Whatâs going on?"
"Oh, wasnât it that Ye Weijun hid Ah Qingâs child, and when the two came to ask for the child, Ye Weijun demanded five thousand yuan; otherwise, heâd sell the child. Ah Qing then argued with her father. Unexpectedly, her father picked up a knife and slashed at the two, injuring Ah Qingâs back. Just then, Qiu Hualan arrived, seeing her daughter hurt, she lost her mind and tried furiously to grab the knife. During the struggle, Ye Weijun fell to the ground, hitting his head on the iron stove, creating a big hole in his head. But that wasnât all; the knife he had dropped fell onto his own chest, killing him thoroughly... Alas, Lan Hua meant to protect her child, made a mistake, and Ah Qing has a long cut on her back, bleeding continuously."
Although Lin Guozhi was unwilling to help them, human lives were at stake, other matters could wait. "Ah Hui, drive them to the county hospital."
"Alright," Lin Yinghui felt some resistance, he and his sister had listened carefully just now; clearly these two were the culprits.
They were ruthless, letting their mom take the blame for their sake.
As Mei Langchi carried Ye Qing out, they walked up to Lin Guozhi, called, "Uncle Lin, sorry to trouble you."
Lin Guozhi nodded lightly and let Ah Hui lead them away.
When Lin Wan found out her brother took Mei Langchi and his wife to town, she almost exploded with anger.
"That couple is shameless."
"Alright, alright, your father made your brother take them. Our family is the only one in the village with a car, able to get to the hospital faster. Now such a big incident has happened, itâs not the time for love affairs."
"Itâs more than just a love affair between me and them, itâs a vendetta."
Even if Lin Wan was angry, it was to no avail; the car had already left, with her brother personally escorting them.
Lin Wan didnât know.
When Mei Langchi carried Ye Qing off the car, Lin Yinghui, looking at Mei Langchi, pointed at the blood on the back, "Cleaning fee, travel fee. Three hundred yuan. Donât forget to pay it later," he said, stylishly turning away.
"You..." Mei Langchi was furious enough to jump.
Ye Qing, biting her lower lip, her pale face twisted, watching Lin Yinghuiâs departing car, swore to herself, "So arrogant! One day, sheâll buy a better car than Lin Wanâs."
At around midnight, the police arrived, taking Qiu Hualan away.
In this sudden murder case, the biggest victim was Qiu Hualan.
Ye Weijun deserved to die. And as Qiu Hualan watched her life about to brighten, she chose to take the blame for her daughter.
The most bewildered was Du Guangjun. Clearly, the person he had been chatting with not long ago had become a murderer within less than ten minutes.
The one feeling the most smug was still lounging leisurely at home.
"Ah Rong, your mother is going to prison. Should we go see her?" Fang Qiao was still frightened.
"No, sheâs a murderer; they wouldnât let us see her anyways."
"...Oh." Although she was her mother-in-law, what she saw last night scared her a lot; she was terrified of meeting her murderer mother-in-law.
"Then... your sisterâs still in the hospital, should we go see her?"
"No way, stay home properly, donât look for trouble," Ye Rong immediately flared up at the mention of Ye Qing.
Terrified, Fang Qiao shivered, "Fine, fine, we wonât go." After all, itâs his sister, she merely suggested; not going saved money.
The car seat was covered in blood, and after he returned, everyone scrubbed it late into the night. The next day, finding it still not clean enough, Lin Wan busied herself scrubbing again. The smell of blood in the car nauseated Lin Wan.
"Three hundred yuan isnât enough for my trouble. My new car got defiled just like that."
"Alright, alright, just clean it up. I didnât think, shouldâve laid a blanket on it yesterday," Liang Hongmei was also pained. But compared to Qiu Hualanâs murder case, this wasnât significant.
Back then, she and Qiu Hualan shared the same plight, both marrying intellectuals. Fortunately, she fared better, suffering for so many years, at least not waiting in vain. Whereas Qiu Hualan was unfortunate. The intellectual ran off, she married someone, without living a single good day, constantly beaten and scolded.
Finally divorcing, she encountered such a situation, truly heart-wrenching!
By now, the village had been in an uproar.
Close to noon, when Liang Hongmei went looking for Lin Guozhi, she unexpectedly ran into Du Guangjun.
This shocked Liang Hongmei immensely, "Old Du? Why... are you here?"
Du Guangjun obviously didnât expect to see Liang Hongmei here, feeling awkward for a moment, "I... Iâm here to find Lan Hua."