Chapter 898: Chapter 876: Top Student in the 1980s (Part 4)
Tuliang Village
Zhang Fugui and Li Guilan searched all day but couldnât find Anning.
By evening, Zhang Fugui had to change Zhang Qiangâs clothes, wait on him to wipe his body, and feed him.
Meanwhile, Li Guilan had to wash the bedding; the couple was so busy, they couldnât even eat.
After they finished their tasks, the two sat together cursing Anning.
Zhang Fuguiâs eyebrows stood upright, cursing fiercely: "That little bastard, that little brat, she better not come back, or Iâll break her legs."
Li Guilan was exhausted, sitting on the kang also cursing: "She better die out there, otherwise Iâll skin her alive."
In Tuliang Village, everyone knew Anning couldnât be found, but since Zhang Fugui didnât care much about her, no one took it to heart.
Everyone thought perhaps Anning might have been tricked away by someone or kidnapped, or maybe something happened to her. No one considered that she might have run away by herself, let alone that she might have filed a report.
The sky gradually darkened and the lamps in homes lit up.
Just then, the sound of police sirens was heard from afar.
Children, who had finished eating and wanted to play outside, ran towards the sound.
Some mischievous kids mimicked the sirens and kept chanting, "Itâs over, itâs over, itâs over."
At this time, many people teased about the sounds of police cars and ambulances.
Originally, only city folks said this, but later it spread to the countryside, and everyone started imitating it for fun.
Many adults would tease their children by asking, "Do you know the difference between the sound of an ambulance and a police car?"
The children would shake their heads: "No idea."
The adults would laugh and say: "An ambulance goes like this: faster, faster, faster."
When saying âfaster,â the sound is drawn out quite a bit.
"A police car goes like this: itâs over, itâs over, itâs over." The word âoverâ is said very quickly.
And thus, the children learned to imitate it too.
Everyone felt it was quite vivid; not only did it sound quite similar, but it held another meaning.
An ambulance is for saving lives, of course, it should be âfaster, faster.â
And a police car is for catching criminals; once caught, it really is âover.â
Anyway, whenever children heard this sound, theyâd run out to join the excitement, chanting along, "Itâs over, itâs over."
When the children went out, the adults in the house also came out to see the commotion.
In the village, thereâs not much to do in the evening; after eating, theyâre bored, so when something exciting happens, naturally everyone wants to take a look.
So everyone came out, following the sound of the police car.
And then, at Zhang Fuguiâs doorstep, they saw the police car parked.
A few policemen got out and went straight into Zhang Fuguiâs house. In no time, Zhang Fugui, with handcuffs on his wrists, was escorted onto the police car.
Some brave souls went over and asked: "Comrade policeman, whatâs going on? What crime did Zhang Fugui commit?"
Everyone knew there was an intense crackdown going on; a while back, many people were executed, supposedly village tyrants and the like, none of them decent folks, but Zhang Fugui seemed quite honest, how did he get caught?
A policeman loudly said: "Someone reported that he was illegally trading children, and after investigation, this was verified..."
"So thatâs it, his daughter really was bought, but shouldnât this not be a crime? This is illegal too?"
The villagers indeed werenât aware of this.
The policeman spoke loudly: "This is illegal. The country prohibits the buying and selling of women and children, as it infringes on human rights. Not only Zhang Fugui is involved in illegal activity, but also He Jianâs couple from Shangpo Village, who sold the child. They should be arrested by now too."
Everyone felt tense hearing this: "Selling your own children is illegal too."
Since the criminals were already caught and couldnât run away, the policeman continued: "This is illegal, whether itâs your own or someone elseâs children, they cannot be bought or sold, and also drowning children or abandoning them is illegal too, and if known, one will go to jail."
Many peopleâs faces turned pale after hearing this.
Just as the policemen were about to get in the car and leave, suddenly a scream rang out from the crowd; a skinny, poorly dressed woman rushed towards the police car.
The woman blocked the police carâs door, fell to her knees with a thud: "Comrade policemen, you have to stand up for me, my two daughters were drowned by my old woman, two lives just disappeared like that."
The policemen who came to make arrests changed their expressions upon hearing this: "Is what youâre saying true?"
The woman nodded: "My eldest daughter was killed right after birth, and I was afraid the same would happen to my second daughter, so I wouldnât let my old woman touch her, watching her day and night. Luckily, she reached a month old, she was growing well, but yesterday, when I went out for a bit and returned, she had no breath. I buried her behind my house... Iâll take you to see."
The policeman was about to help the woman up when an old woman from the crowd rushed forward, trying to assault the woman: "I will make you pay for your lies, I will make you..."
The policeman immediately frowned, and one officer got off the car to control the old woman, while another said: "Get the village chief over here."
Soon, the village chief came over.
The policeman spoke to him: "You help watch the criminals; weâll go gather evidence."
One policeman found a flashlight and took the woman to her backyard.
Just as they announced they were going to dig out the child, a man knelt before the woman: "Xiangling, please be considerate, thatâs my mother, you canât turn her in, she raised me with so much effort, now sheâs old and canât go to jail, please, I beg you..."
Xiangling was trembling with anger, reached out, and slapped the man across the face: "Zhang Erzhu, are you even human? Thatâs your daughter! Two daughters, two lives! Youâre pleading for your motherâs sake, why donât you plead for your daughtersâ sake? Why didnât you beg your mother to spare your daughtersâ lives? You may feel for your mother, but I feel for the daughters I struggled to bring into this world. Enough said, once this matter is cleared up, our life together ends here."
Xiangling cried while pointing out the place where the child was buried to the policemen.
The village chief let people follow over, then the policemen got people to fetch shovels and dug out the child.
The weather was cold now; the child had only been buried for two days, so the body was still intact.
After the body was dug out, it had to be sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Anyway, after dealing with that wave, when Zhang Fugui was taken to the police station for custody, it was close to midnight.
But the people of Tuliang Village still couldnât sleep.
Indeed, the events of this night were far too dramatic and far too unexpected.
At Zhang Erzhuâs house, they did have two daughters, but Second Pillarâs mother kept saying Xianglingâs children were weak and didnât survive, and everyone believed her.
No one expected Second Pillarâs mother to be so heartless as to kill her two granddaughters.
Xiangling usually appeared weak and seldom spoke; the villagers never thought she would have such courage to report her mother-in-law.
Of course, what people despise most is Zhang Erzhu and his mother.
The women in the village all looked down on Zhang Erzhu.
A grown man, watching his mother kill his own daughters without stopping her, truly a coward and a wimp, what woman would want to marry such a man? Being with such a man, one would suffer all oneâs life, who can endure that?
Many women went home and told their husbands: "Look, Xiangling is truly heartbroken, and since she reported Second Pillarâs mother, she surely canât live with Erzhu anymore. If Xiangling leaves, Erzhu should expect to be single for life."
The men knew this was certain.
This matter will spread within a few days, known by everyone in the surrounding area, and by then, Zhang Erzhuâs familyâs reputation will be ruined; no good family would let their daughter marry such a person.