Chapter 105

Chapter 105 - 105 103 The truth about Changlings brothers case the Chapter 105: 103: The truth about Changling’s brother’s case, the murderer is... (Part 1) Chapter 105: 103: The truth about Changling’s brother’s case, the murderer is... (Part 1) “Where are your manners? As an adult woman, without any standing, you shouldn’t pry into other people’s relationships.”

Fang Jiyin’s eyes immediately became moist.

Xie Shang walked away directly.

In the capital, the Xie Family is like a weathervane, no one would initiate an offense against a family of lawyers active in courtrooms for generations.

KE refused the agency commission from the Tong Family, and afterward, when the wall fell, the crowd pushed.

Due to bribery, illegal smuggling, tax evasion, and other charges, the Tong Family was investigated. Second Master Tong, Third Master Tong, the Elder Grandson of the Tong Family, and the Tong Family’s Son-in-law were all invited to the police station for “tea.”

Old Master Tong ended up in the hospital directly.

All of the Tong Family’s mud Bodhisattvas were trying to cross the river, so who had the time to care about Tong Taishi? The girls he had once harmed filed a joint lawsuit against Tong Taishi on multiple charges, including rape, organizing prostitution, and compelling obscenity.

The Tong Family’s decades of wealth had come to an end.

*****

Beiding District Detention Center.

Tong Taishi got beaten up again today by the “big brother” in the same room, who was a knife robbery offender with three younger sisters, and he disdained Tong Taishi, who was inside for assaulting women.

“Damn, be gentle!”

Doctor Zhao was the on-duty doctor at the detention center clinic, “You still think you’re some kind of young master? Get it straight, this is a detention center,” Zhao had seen all kinds of convicts.

He should be gentle or rough where it was necessary. After the disinfection, Doctor Zhao opened the drawer and saw the medication had run out.

“Behave.”

Doctor Zhao handcuffed him to the hospital bed and went out to get medicine.

Tong Taishi struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. He kicked over a stool in front of him, and right after the noise, a man in an instructor’s uniform came in through the door.

The man called out, “Tong Taishi.”

Tong Taishi had been there for a few days, but he didn’t recognize the man before him, “Who are you?”

The man had no memorable features, and his face was emotionless, “Someone asked me to come tell you a story.”

He was paid to do a job.

He repeated exactly as told, “Seven years ago, four wealthy young masters went to a small town for fun. They fancied a pretty woman, who resisted, so they drugged her. A part-time young man accidentally stumbled upon their crime and was beaten to death by them.”

The story had a second part.

The man paused for a few seconds, then continued, “Then they found a scapegoat, and eventually, the scapegoat also died in prison.”

Tong Taishi reacted violently to the story, his hand instinctively yanking at the handcuffs, making the whole bed shake. He looked at the man in terror, “Who? Who sent you?”

After finishing the story, the man turned and walked out.

“Stop right there!”

Tong Taishi, as if knocking his head again, twisted his features and yelled like a madman, “Who is it! Who’s screwing with me?”

He didn’t need to know who it was.

All he needed to know was that his hellish life was about to officially begin within the prison walls.

*****

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone was knocking at the back door of the yard; Granny Zhu was a bit hard of hearing, so Wen Changling got up to open the door.

She wasn’t surprised to see the visitor, “Miss Cui.”

Cui Ying carried a basket of fruits, deliberately choosing the back door to avoid other people’s eyes.

“I’ve come to express my gratitude.” She handed over the fruit basket with both hands, “Thank you for helping me.” If it hadn’t been for Wen Changling, she would have likely already jumped off the hospital roof by now.

“No need to thank me,” Wen Changling took the basket, “I wasn’t entirely helping you.”

That night on the hospital roof, Cui Ying could tell, there were stories in Wen Changling’s eyes.

“The story you made me tell at the pawnshop... was it about someone close to you?”

Wen Changling’s gaze was calm, “Miss Cui, I have never told you any story.”

Cui Ying understood.

She would keep it secret.

“Take care, Miss Wen.”

Wen Changling closed the door, carrying a fruit basket into the house.

Granny Zhu, after finishing her washing up, came out and saw the basket. She asked, “Who sent this?”

“A family member from the hospital, coming to thank me.”

“Quite thoughtful.”

“Will you have some?”

“I’m going to sleep.”

After instructing Wen Changling to go to bed early, Granny Zhu returned to her room.

Wen Changling sat on the old bamboo bed in the courtyard, peeling an orange. It was a bit sour, but she ate it segment by segment, not wasting any. After finishing, she stood up and went to the second floor.

She took down the photo of Tong Taishi from the wall and went to her room to get a lighter. Squatting next to the Hooked Cymbidium in the courtyard, she lit the photo on fire and watched as it turned to ash.

This Hooked Cymbidium had been transplanted from beside the graves of Ah Na and her mother.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the ashes into her eyes, irritating and reddening them, “Ah Na, don’t cry. Sister won’t let any of them off.”

She returned to the second floor, placed a new photo in the center of the whiteboard wall, and gazed at the person in the photo, the next one...

It’s your turn.

*****

Seven years ago, in July, Wen Changling’s younger brother Wen Zhaoyang was imprisoned for murder. In November of the same year, Wen Zhaoyang committed suicide in prison. A week later, Wen Changling’s mother, Wen Yuan, committed suicide at home.

Afterwards, Wen Changling dropped out of school and left Flower City.

Just a few pages and less than five hundred words cursorily and carelessly summarized Wen Changling’s past.

The case involving Wen Zhaoyang had its records deleted from the justice system, and the archives at the Prosecutor’s Office were set to the highest level of security access, known by very few—a high chance that someone was deliberately covering it up.

Xie Shang called He Dongzhou.

“Dongzhou, do me a favor.”

“Tell me.”

“Find an excuse to deliver Ruyi Pawnshop’s business card to Zhu Huanzhi.” After the card was sent, Xie Shang had other plans for getting people to the pawnshop.

He Dongzhou knew about Zhu Huanzhi, “That young Judge Zhu?”

“Yep.”

“What, you don’t want to be a lawyer, thinking about becoming a judge now?”

“No, it’s personal.”

Zhu Huanzhi was the judge for the first trial of Wen Zhaoyang’s case.

He Dongzhou didn’t inquire further, “I’ll let you know once it’s done.”

He Dongzhou had a deep business network, many friends, and even more connections through back channels.

Xie Shang hung up the phone and went next door.

Wen Changling was once again busy with her “acre and a third” used for growing watermelons. She didn’t bother with sunscreen, wore short sleeves and overalls, and let the sun bake her. Huahua lay on the ground and leisurely meowed at Xie Shang’s approach.

Wen Changling parted the watermelon vines and turned to boast to Xie Shang, “Xie Shang, look, there’s a huge melon here. I truly am a watermelon-planting genius.”

Xie Shang came over and held her.

She wore Granny Zhu’s large straw hat, and her upturned face resembled the center of a sunflower, “I’m quite dirty, you know.”

Xie Shang secured the hat that was nearly pushed off her head, “Yeah, dirty is fine.”

She comically outstretched her arms, not daring to grab Xie Shang’s clothes, “Aren’t you grossed out by me?”

“Not at all.”

Wen Changling herself felt repulsed, as if she wanted to lift her unwashed hands to the sky, “But I just poured manure, and I haven’t washed my hands.”

Xie Shang: “...”

“Does it stink?” Wen Changling wrinkled her nose to sniff, but actually, she couldn’t smell anything.

Xie Shang, usually so meticulous, didn’t mind at all at the moment, still embracing Wen Changling, “Could you stop talking?”

Wen Changling complained on the spot, “You’re really high-maintenance.”

Xie Shang: “...”

In the end, who is high-maintenance?