Chapter 59

Zhou Qiang claimed that the reason he was so cruel to Sun Qin was to avenge Old Lady Zhang, and that it was Old Lady Zhang who instructed and guided him to do so.

Otherwise, he is just greedy for money and lustful at most, there is no need for him to kill people.

Anyway, if a woman was defiled, she would not dare to speak out, and he was not worried about what would happen to her.

Killing someone would make it easier for him to be exposed, which would be a win-win situation with no harm.

Since Zhou Qiang has implicated Mrs. Zhang, no matter what the facts are, Mrs. Zhang must be taken to the public security bureau for interrogation as a routine matter.

The fact that Old Lady Zhang was taken away by the police immediately became the headline news in Rongshan Brigade, and everyone was talking about it.

"Hey, you didn't see it that day. Old Mrs. Zhang was making a fuss at first, but when she found out the police were serious, she was so scared that her legs went limp. It was Miao Xiaohui who carried her away."

"I heard that she was so scared that she peed herself."

"She's so scared, isn't it because she feels guilty? Did she really instigate Zhou Qiang? Otherwise, why would she be so scared?"

"That's not enough. She's just a bit of a chatterbox, but she's not that brave, is she?"

"Who would know that?" The young wife sneered, "Some mothers-in-law are just mean and like to torture their daughters-in-law. Hasn't she been dissatisfied with Sun Qin for a long time? She thinks she has a bad temper and can't have children. She might even want to change her daughter-in-law."

"That's true. Especially before Jiang Pei'e got into trouble, she often talked about changing her daughter-in-law."

"But this is a human life! And he died in such a tragic way, and he died in his own home. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to live there in the future?"

"Have you heard that Sun Qin had over a thousand dollars stolen from her?"

“Isn’t it a few thousand?”

"Why did I hear it was 10,000?"

On the day that Old Lady Zhang was arrested, all kinds of news spread like wildfire.

At this time, all the Miao family members closed their doors. It was not that they did not want to argue, but now that Old Lady Zhang had not been released, no one had the confidence to do so.

They knew their mother's character best, especially the daughters-in-law, who had a lot of resentment towards Old Lady Zhang.

When the family was not divided, life was very difficult.

Even though they separated, they were still talked about a lot as they lived in the same village.

Even if their men just lend a hand to help roll out a quilt, they will still grumble about them for a long time behind their backs, saying that they are ungracious.

Whenever I visit my parents' home during festivals, I hear that they always take advantage of my family and eat at their own expense.

You may think that what she said was too extreme, but it didn't seem to be that serious. If she told her husband about it, she would be accused of being petty and there was no point in competing with elders.

But people are not made of wood. Who wouldn’t be angry if someone said that?

Even though they have separated, he still comes to visit from time to time and meddle in other people's affairs, which is really annoying.

Now the mother-in-law has finally gotten into trouble because of her mouth, and no one wants to step forward to argue.

As for the eldest daughter of the Miao family who was married in the village, she was now too anxious to care about what was happening outside.

Occasionally, when someone asked her about it, she would explain that she was just being investigated and was not accused of any guilt, but no one believed her.

If there was nothing important, why would they send a car from all the way from the commune to pick me up?

Wang Heizi was very happy to hear the news: "Now I want to see if Old Lady Zhang will still speak up for Zhou Qiang!"

"Isn't it that Mrs. Zhang didn't instruct Zhou Qiang?"

Although Tang Qingqing also disliked Old Lady Zhang, she felt that Old Lady Zhang would not do such a thing.

No matter what, Sun Qin is her daughter-in-law. How terrible it is for her to instruct her nephew to violate her daughter-in-law.

Moreover, he raped the corpse after death, which is extremely perverted.

He committed the crime at home without fear of Sun Qin's return to the spirit for revenge.

Country people are more or less superstitious, especially old ladies like Mrs. Zhang. No matter how intense the anti-feudal movement is, it cannot change these people's ideas.

Wang Heizi insisted: "If she didn't instruct me, why would she speak so hard for Zhou Qiang?"

Zhai Hongyi: "Whether it is true or not, Zhou Qiang will bite the bullet and fight for a sentence reduction."

Of course, the people in the Public Security Bureau are not stupid. It is impossible for them to believe whatever Zhou Qiang says.

However, the investigation process would be quite tiring, especially since Zhou Qiang was so cunning. Now that I was about to die, given his temperament, he would definitely not let go.

Ordinary people would lose a layer of skin if they were entangled, bitten, and tortured.

Mrs. Zhang is an old country woman, so she must be very frightened.

Wang Heizi spat, "It's her fault! Let her speak to Zhou Qiang again. Now is the perfect time to let her see how powerful Zhou Qiang is."

Because of Zhou Qiang, both Old Lady Zhang and her young son started to quarrel.

Although it's not entirely because he's close to Zhou Qiang and trusts her, it's more likely that he wants to evade responsibility, so he reduces Zhou Qiang's responsibility.

The victim, Sun Qin, was not a good person, so the perpetrator was not that evil either.

This kind of thing has happened before. If a good person is bullied, and if a person who often steals things is bullied, the reputation will definitely be different.

Even in the same incident, both are innocent.

But it is always difficult for people to evaluate this matter rationally, and instead they will substitute the emotions caused by other things.

People will sympathize with the nice guys, but will probably just applaud the latter and think they deserve it.

Especially by portraying Sun Qin as a prostitute, it becomes easier to clear the murderer.

As for Mrs. Zhang, who was indirectly responsible, no one remembered her role in this matter.

Now that Mrs. Zhang has been targeted by Zhou Qiangpan, many people's comments are somewhat based on the implication that - if you hadn't done anything, why would he target you.

Just like the reasons that Old Lady Zhang had used to comment on why Sun Qin was murdered, now they all came back to her, and the whole thing was full of irony.

Tang Qingqing recalled the theory that Zhai Hongyi had told her before and sighed:

"So we should be honest and deal with things objectively. Otherwise, who knows when the sword will pierce us."

If the whole environment is like this, and victims are harmed in the future, they will be questioned and harmed again. This social atmosphere is really terrible.

Just as Zhai Hongyi expected, Old Mrs. Zhang was tortured for a long time.

When she came back, she was ten years older and no longer liked to chat and talk nonsense like before.

He became much quieter, his temperament changed drastically, and his health was not as good as before.

Miao Xiaohui returned to the army. Although the relationship between mother and son improved after such a ordeal, it was difficult for them to be as close as before.

No matter how open-minded you are, there is still a thorn in your heart.

The reason why Zhou Qiang could hold on for so long was not because whatever he said was the truth. Mrs. Zhang's gossip and complaints did affect his behavior to a certain extent.

The main reason why Zhou Qiang chose Sun Qin was because of the money Sun Qin had.

He has been having bad luck recently, his daughters are all married or sold out, he has no money to make a comeback, and he has been thinking about how to find some money.

At this time, Old Lady Zhang whispered in his ear how much money Sun Qin had, and how she could buy this today and that tomorrow. How could he not be tempted?

Although Sun Qin was not a particularly pretty girl, she was fair and clean, and had a scholarly air, which made her very attractive to Zhou Qiang. He had always harbored lustful thoughts about her and had always been thinking about her in his heart.

Old Mrs. Zhang complained even more after the Jiang Pei'e incident. She didn't want this daughter-in-law, but the marriage couldn't be divorced easily, so she was particularly worried about this matter.

Under multiple inducements, Zhou Qiang took action.

The reason why he not only killed Sun Qin but also smashed her to pieces was to vent his anger on Old Lady Zhang.

Although everyone understands Zhou Qiang's cruel actions, they are mostly just excuses to shirk responsibility. However, even if we understand it rationally, we will still be affected emotionally.

In addition, when the two of them had been arguing, some of the things Mrs. Zhang said were too hurtful, and she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.

The other children in the Miao family also had complaints about the old lady. If she hadn't said such nonsense, how could they have been laughed at as well?

Accountant Miao was almost stripped of his position as a team leader and is still under investigation.

Even if he continues to be in office, it will be difficult for him to be as powerful as before.

After all, such a big thing happened in their family, it is difficult for them to live as gloriously as before, and the whole family has to keep a low profile.

Old Mrs. Zhang also felt wronged. Why was everything blamed on her?

When she said those words, no one stopped her and there were many people who agreed with her. Now that something has happened, everyone is blaming her?

Especially his wife, he usually didn't say anything, but he felt the same as her in his heart.

Now, everything is blamed on her, as if she is so innocent.

As long as there is resentment in their hearts, it will be difficult for the Miao family to have peace.

Because of this incident, the Miao family's little daughter doesn't go back to her parents' home as often as before.

Although Miao Xiaohui is still as filial as before, Grandma Zhang can feel that the mother and son have drifted apart.

These are all things of the past.

After Zhou Qiang was sentenced and shot, Mrs. Zhang fell ill for a long time. The Miao family was no longer as noisy as before and tried their best to keep a low profile.

Sun Qin's house was also sealed off, and no one had the courage to move in. Without Miao Xiaohui's permission, no one dared to tear it down and rebuild it.

As for Sun Qin's family, they never showed up from beginning to end, and her body remained forever in the Rongshan Brigade.

Another year has passed, washing away the past haze and welcoming the new year.

Although the Rongshan Brigade experienced a lot of things last year, there were also many good things.

The harvest was great, and food was no longer burned, so everyone had a good New Year.

There was some unrest in the Tang family, and the cause was the two pigs they adopted.

After the family split up, my aunt had more free time to take good care of the two pigs, and they grew fatter than in previous years.

A pig can weigh more than 300 pounds, and is mostly fat. When the supply and marketing cooperative comes to collect the pigs, their eyes light up when they see them.

If the captain hadn't held on tightly, both pigs would have been dragged away.

When the big fat pig was killed, countless people drooled at the sight of the fat meat, not caring at all about the bloody smell of the raw pig.

The aunt was specially praised for this and got more meat and work points, which made Zhao Dahua jealous.

These two pigs had been raised for a long time before the family was separated. Zhao Dahua felt that he had received too little meat and work points, so he made a big fuss.

Fortunately, we made it clear before, otherwise we would have to argue for a long time now.

But even so, the two companies still had an unpleasant quarrel because of this.

Although Wang Simei has a soft temper and Tang Jianshe is not a talkative person, they still hold on to money tightly.

Although Zhao Dahua had the upper hand verbally, he didn't gain any benefit at all. This made Zhao Dahua so angry that he kept yelling and blaming others for no reason.

Hearing those slanderous remarks every day, some of which were personal attacks such as mocking Tang Jianshe's disability and calling Wang Simei a dwarf, would make everyone feel uncomfortable.

Tang Qiaoqiao was so angry that her face turned red, but she didn't know how to curse back, and often wiped away her tears secretly.

She was a kind-hearted child. Although she was often laughed at and even bullied because of her parents' special circumstances, she never despised them for that.

She will only think that they are the best parents and that they love her no less than other parents.

For this reason, she couldn't stand hearing people say bad things about her parents, and she would feel even sadder than if they said bad things about herself.

Tang Xingqiang couldn't stand it any longer: "Mom, you're too noisy. I'm almost deaf from all the yelling every day."

"You little bastard, you are just like your sister, a scoundrel who eats your own food and eats your own food! What, you want to be the son next door? I don't want you!"

"Mom, are you too old or have you gone crazy from swearing too much? I say one thing and you answer another, and you talk like you have diarrhea."

Zhao Dahua was already angry, and became even angrier when she heard this. She picked up a broom and was about to hit the child.

"Mom, I have a very smart brain now, and I will learn to be very capable in the future. If you break it, who will take care of you?"

At the end of this semester, Tang Xingqiang scored 100 points in both subjects and was ranked first in the class.

Old Mrs. Wu now particularly loves this grandson, and quickly stopped Zhao Dahua.

Zhao Dahua was furious when she saw Old Lady Wu protecting Tang Xingqiang, but she couldn't let the blow go. She was really angry, so she hit Tang Xingsheng who was standing beside her.

The innocent Tang Xingsheng was stunned and had no idea why he was being beaten.

"Mom, why did you hit me?"

Not only did Zhao Dahua not stop, but he continued to beat Tang Xingsheng.

"How dare you ask me why I hit you! What else do you know except spending money? Your academic performance is so poor, even worse than your brother's. What's the point of going to school!"

Zhao Dahua thought that if Tang Xingsheng had not gone to study, the big fat pig would have been raised by their family, and now their family would be the one eating the best food and drinking the best drinks.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more ruthless she became.

Although Tang Xingsheng dodged, he didn't pull away at the beginning, so it was difficult to dodge and he was hit from time to time.

He felt extremely aggrieved. Although he was not as smart as his brother, his test scores were definitely not bad, and he scored over 90!

Besides, he didn't do anything, but you beat him for no reason. What's the reason?

Tang Xingsheng was so angry that he rushed out regardless of the cold wind outside.

As soon as he walked out of the room, he was woken up by the cold wind. However, he still didn't want to go back to the room, but he didn't know where to go.

Especially when he heard the cursing in the house, his hesitant steps suddenly quickened.

By the time Tang Xingsheng reacted, he was already in front of Old Liu's yard.

Tang Xingsheng was hesitating whether to go in, when he saw the door was opened.

Zhai Hongyi came out of the house and waved to him when he saw him.

Tang Xingsheng didn't hesitate any longer and ran over quickly.

Tang Qingqing saw that Tang Xingsheng's eyes were red, obviously he had just cried.

"What's wrong?"

Tang Xingsheng wanted to say something, but after opening his mouth for a long time, nothing came out.

He felt very suffocated and uncomfortable.

Actually it didn't hurt when he was hit a few times, after all, it was winter and he was wearing thick clothes.

But he felt particularly uncomfortable in his heart and felt that he could hardly breathe.

Tang Qingqing didn't ask any more questions, and asked, "Would you like to eat canned yellow peaches?"

At the end of the year, the Public Security Bureau distributed a lot of benefits.

In the previous case of Sun Qin's murder, she provided important clues. Moreover, because of her participation this year, the rate of solving theft cases has increased, and the criminals have been frightened to a certain extent, especially the Rongshan Brigade and its nearby brigades. This year is much more peaceful than before.

At the end of the year, the Public Security Bureau praised Tang Qingqing again, saying that the welfare was better than in previous years, and they distributed a lot of canned food alone.

Canned yellow peaches are the most popular. They are usually not served to guests or when someone is sick.

When Tang Xingsheng heard this, his heart, which had been empty, seemed to be filled.

"sister……"

Tang Qingqing ignored him, opened the can directly, and found a pair of chopsticks to help him pick out a piece of fruit pulp.

"After eating canned yellow peaches, all my worries are gone."

Tang Xingsheng's eyes became red again. He nibbled the yellow peach flesh with great care, and found it particularly sweet.

“Is it delicious?”

Tang Xingsheng nodded, and seeing that everyone in the room was looking at him, he said a little embarrassedly:

"Why am I the only one eating?"

Wang Heizi: "Your sister loves you."

Tang Xingsheng was even happier when he heard this, but he also felt that it was not good to eat alone.

Tang Qingqing saw his confusion and stuffed the can of yellow peaches into his arms: "Eat yours, this can is all yours."

Tang Xingsheng was stunned and looked at Tang Qingqing in disbelief.

Tang Qingqing had only taken two cans home before, and now she gave him one. This was the first time he could finish a whole can by himself.

He was not as favored as the eldest brother, nor as clever as the younger brother, so he was always the one who ate the least.

"You did well on the test..."

Hearing this, Tang Xingsheng lowered his head and said, "I didn't get 200 points."

Not only Tang Xingqiang, but Tang Qiaoqiao and Tang Qingqing also scored 100 points.

"Don't compare yourself with others, compare yourself with yourself. You have made great progress. The most commendable thing is that your handwriting is good. Keep up the good work."

Tang Xingsheng actually did quite well in school and his total score was second in the class, but he was unlucky enough to meet Tang Xingqiang and Tang Qiaoqiao who had learned the subject in advance.

It's not that he doesn't have other advantages. He writes very neatly, and takes every stroke seriously, unlike Tang Xingqiang's handwriting which looks almost flying. He often replaces the character "口" with "O", which he changes during exams because he doesn't want to lose points.

Tang Xingsheng was very happy to hear this. Although this was more of a consolation prize, he was happy, and not just because the canned yellow peaches were delicious.

After eating a piece, Tang Xingsheng closed the can of yellow peaches and was reluctant to eat any more.

Wang Heizi: "If you don't finish eating now, your two brothers will snatch it away later. Don't cry then."

Tang Xingsheng held the yellow can and said with a smile, "I still have the bottle."

Wang Heizi was puzzled. Although the can was a good thing, it was not as good as the yellow peaches inside.

Tang Qingqing later found out the reason why Tang Xingsheng suddenly ran away from home. When Tang Xingqiang told her, Tang Qingqing was speechless and didn't understand what Zhao Dahua was thinking.

Moreover, when Tang Xingsheng returned home that day, Zhao Dahua did not express any opinion because of her unreasonable anger. Instead, she became even more dissatisfied with Tang Xingsheng.

He was said to be disobedient and would run away at the first word.

Tang Xingqiang told Tang Qingqing that after Tang Xingsheng ran away, Zhao Dahua scolded him for a long time and even said that she didn't want this son anymore.

"Sister, Mom is really a fool. If my third brother heard this, he would be so sad."

The thing a child fears most is that his parents say they don't want him anymore.

"You should be nicer to your third brother in the future. Don't bully him just because he is honest."

Tang Xingqiang glared at him: "How can he be honest? He used to steal your things."

"That doesn't mean it's right for you to take his things. One person can't take all the advantages."

Although Tang Xingqiang is now much more likable than before, some of his habits cannot be corrected immediately.

Tang Xingqiang hung his head: "I understand."

"If he does something wrong, I will teach him a lesson."

The three brothers often quarreled and stole each other's things, and many people watched and did not take it seriously.

As for children, families with many children are basically like this, and they don’t think it’s a big deal.

When they grow up and become sensible, they become the closest people.

But these three brothers were not only ignorant when they were young and always fighting over things, their relationship was also very bad when they grew up.

Tang Qingqing tried hard to recall the introduction of Tang Xingsheng in the book, but she found that he was rarely mentioned, as if this second son did not exist.

Only at the end was it mentioned that Tang Xingwang and Tang Xingqiang were unreliable. Tang Jianjun and Zhao Dahua wanted to rely on their second son for support in their old age, but they were driven out and became homeless.

If Zhao Dahua continues to treat Tang Xingsheng like this, the plot in the book might really happen.