Chapter 159 She found her mother
Xiao Bai chose Qian Hui for analysis. Following Shen Zhenzhu's habit, she first wrote "Qian Hui" on the blackboard, and then wrote the labels "mistress", "control freak", "parasitic performative personality", and "vain".
“I have read the statements of Qian Hui from the neighbors in Liujin Community. They said that all her behavior was theatrical. This included impersonating ‘Mrs. Wang,’ pretending to have a happy family, and her demanding control over Wang Xihua. All of these were to compensate for the huge insecurity and shame that came with being a ‘mistress’.”
Zhao Qiqi raised her hand and said, "She saw Wang Xihua's tragic death before her eyes and was so traumatized that she went insane. Does that mean she still has maternal feelings for Wang Xihua?"
Xiaobai hesitated for a moment and then said, "I think so."
She looked at Shen Zhenzhu and said, "But I think she's using her for more. She's always wanted Wang Xihua to inherit the Wang family business, and her control over Wang Xihua is investment-based control."
Chen Zhenzhu took over the conversation, sitting on the sofa and saying, "That's right. I think she had feelings for Wang Xihua, but very few. She saw him more as an asset that would appreciate in value, and she had to follow her plan. When Wang Xihua broke free of control and revealed unspoken emotions, she not only intensified her control over him but also chose to attack Wang Yafei. Because she wanted to ensure this 'asset' was foolproof, that it would lead her to victory, and make her a true Mrs. Wang. After Wang Xihua jumped off the building, her mental world completely collapsed. Her mental breakdown was a stress-induced psychosis."
Xiao Bai, holding a piece of chalk, said, "She used the illusion of being 'Mrs. Wang' to deceive her neighbors and maintain her pitiful self-esteem. Yet she was afraid and angry about her real situation, and because of this, it all turned into a desire to control Wang Xihua."
Lu Ye said, "She's already conflicted enough. She gave birth to Wang Xihua because she saw him as a tool to seize her status and position."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Not only Wang Xihua, but Wang Yafei was also used by Xu Lan in the same way. The two young people were in the same situation, and they comforted each other psychologically. They could not resist, and in the end... sigh."
Seeing that their discussion was going well, Shen Zhenzhu continued to steer the conversation, saying, "Then who on Xu Lan's side would like to offer their analysis?"
Zhao Qiqi looked at Lu Ye and then at Wu Zhongguo, rubbed her nose, and said, "How about I give it a try? Don't laugh at me if I'm wrong."
"Speak freely and boldly," Chen Zhenzhu said, giving him an approving look.
Zhao Qiqi, like a student called to the front of the class by the teacher, said with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, "Xu Lan is actually the parent I dislike the least of the three. She can't challenge Wang Jieyong's authority herself, so she transfers all the pressure onto Wang Yafei... Am I right?"
Shen Zhenzhu immediately clapped her hands: "Yes, you continue." As she spoke, she nudged Xiaobai with her elbow.
Xiao Bai readily clapped: "I didn't even think of these things Brother Aqi came up with, great job! GOOD."
Zhao Qiqi pressed her lips together, coughed, and read aloud from her notebook, word by word: "Because she couldn't challenge Wang Jieyong's authority, she could only maintain the remaining value in her family by forcing Wang Yafei to comply. Her pressure on Wang Yafei to go on a blind date with Lu Mintao was not only an attempt to curry favor with Wang Jieyong, but also a way of asserting her authority over Wang Yafei. Simply put, Wang Jieyong took advantage of her, and she took advantage of Wang Yafei. The mother, who should have been the protector, instead fueled the family tragedy."
Wu Zhongguo said, "What you said is very good. Wang Jieyong took advantage of her, and not only did she not resist, she also took advantage of Wang Yafei. I feel that she has no independent personality, or that her psychology has long been twisted. Every day she thinks about all sorts of nonsense in the villa to coerce Wang Yafei. The villa is Xu Lan's cage. Sister Zhenzhu, what do you think?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Because she depended on Wang Jieyong's power and status for survival, she lacked the ability to live independently. Deep down, she had accepted Wang Jieyong's patriarchal system, internalizing the pressure her husband placed on her, becoming the direct executioner of Wang Yafei's oppression. Her behavior followed Wang Jieyong's patterns, a typical manifestation of identifying with the perpetrator. Being pushed into the fire by Wang Jieyong and dying was an inevitable tragedy of this dependent personality. If Wang Jieyong was the sun of two families, then Qian Hui and Xu Lan were two mutually resentful planets; they couldn't escape Wang Jieyong and used every means to fight for him."
Wu Zhongguo took a sip of tea and said, "Wang Jieyong is the person I dislike the most. He is hypocritical, narcissistic, and despicable. He treats his son as the heir to the throne and his daughter as a tool for marriage alliances. He not only favors sons over daughters, but he also doesn't seem to have much love for his children."
"According to the neighbors' testimonies, he appeared very friendly and generous in front of them. However, some people said that they often heard him shouting and smashing things in the middle of the night while drunk. Out of consideration for neighborly relations, they all pretended not to hear it." Xiaobai opened his notebook, found a page, and said, "The neighbors' testimonies say that he is 'unruly when drunk,' and I think he is unruly whether he drinks or not. He acts like an emperor at home and does all sorts of bad things when he goes out."
Shen Zhenzhu joined the discussion, saying, "He is a typical narcissistic personality disorder. He presents a carefully crafted image of a great philanthropist to the outside world, while internally he builds an absolute patriarchal rule with money and power. Such people usually come from humble backgrounds and accumulate wealth by any means necessary. This behavior solidifies his belief that 'might makes right' and strengthens his indifference to life. All pretense is a false mask; in his eyes, the world is objectified. After the Wang Xihua and Wang Yafei incident broke out, the pathological symbiotic chain between the two families completely collapsed, and he played a significant role in this."
While taking notes, Xiao Bai said, "I'm a little confused about the relationship between Wang Xihua and Wang Yafei. Qian Hui and Xu Lan wish the other dead, but these two are a bit... well, hard to say. They're a bit pitiful and a bit hateful at the same time."
“If it’s hard to say, then let’s not say it.” When it came to the main point, Chen Zhenzhu stood up, pulled out a piece of chalk, walked to the blackboard, and said, “The core of this case lies in Wang Xihua and Wang Yafei’s ultimate revenge against their parents. Publicly committing murder and gradually guiding the public to reveal the truth, escalating the situation, and inciting the public to violently shatter the masks of Qian Hui, Xu Lan, and Wang Jieyong, trampling their most cherished social reputation underfoot—this is a devastating revenge. From the dramatic radio recording onwards, there was a sense of martyrdom. Wang Xihua’s final jump further strengthened the ritualistic feel of this event. He used his death to prove to them that love is not filth and trampling, but should be protection. I summarize their psychological evolution into three periods.”
Shen Zhenzhu erased the words on the blackboard and wrote a large "one, two, three," saying: "The first period was the shock of the 'incestuous relationship.' When they discovered they were siblings, they had already suffered enormous psychological trauma. The subsequent stigmatization and suppression by their parents was a secondary trauma. This directly destroyed their self-awareness and emotional dignity, leading to repeated suicide attempts."
The second period was a period of desperate resistance. From suicide attempts to being hit by a car and being forced to take drugs, the inner pain and anger could not be resolved. The family was no longer a safe haven but a source of danger; the source of their suffering shifted from blood ties to Wang Jieyong and the unyielding order he represented. In their understanding, normal legal channels could not shake this mountain, so they resorted to violent acts of "acting on behalf of heaven."
Chen Zhenzhu paused for half a minute, waiting for them to take notes. She took a sip of tea and continued, "The third period was the escalation of violence. Their resistance against Wang Jieyong, besides murder, included a ritualistic display through radio broadcasts, aiming to break Wang Jieyong's shield through external force and allow everyone to judge him. At the same time, this was also Wang Xihua and Wang Yafei's accusation message to the whole society. The attention and discussion from the public and their followers reinforced their self-image as messengers of justice and reduced the burden of killing."
Regarding Wang Xihua's suicide after the social order spiraled out of control, I think it's not as simple as the newspapers saying he committed suicide out of guilt. We all know he was protecting Wang Yafei, and another point is that he knew the plan would spiral out of control, causing more deaths and social unrest that would require someone to take responsibility. So he jumped to protect Wang Yafei and, using his own life as leverage, strengthen the charges against Wang Jieyong.
“One case like this is enough.” Lu Ye chewed on his pen, thinking as he said, “Wang Yafei seemed quite normal before she was taken away. Could it be that… that kind of psychology? Sister Pearl told us about it last time.”
Xiao Bai and Zhao Qiqi said in unison, "Emotional isolation."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yes, her numbness is because she couldn't bear the immense pain and was in a state of dissociation. Wang Xihua's death took away all her emotional support. Her subsequent cooperation was probably just a matter of holding on to her last breath. She didn't want Wang Xihua to be used like that, and she also wanted to find the mastermind behind it all and avenge Wang Xihua."
Zhao Qiqi asked, "And then what happens after you get your revenge?"
This caused a moment of silence, before Wu Zhongguo broke the silence by saying, "Let's talk about it later."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded and said, “There are many things we need to learn from this case. It exposes how when individuals' access to fair and positive channels within their families and society is blocked, it can give rise to extreme acts of violence that, in the name of ‘justice,’ actually undermine the foundations of morality and law. As for how to establish more effective and credible social mechanisms, this case leaves us with a long-term question that requires our consideration. Everyone can think about this issue when they have time. The progress and improvement of the rule of law cannot be achieved without this kind of accumulated reflection.”
"Understood, Sister Pearl." Xiaobai finished writing in her notebook and handed it to Zhao Qiqi, who was craning her neck to look at it. She held her face in her hands, thinking about what Chen Zhenzhu had just said.
Lu Ye crossed his legs and gazed out the window, the echoes of the case reverberating in his mind.
Shen Zhenzhu stuffed the remaining chalk back into the box, clapped her hands, sat back down among her silent, thoughtful comrades, and opened her notebook to write a few words.
When the law is silenced within the family environment, how can justice be upheld? When individuals resist, where should the boundaries be? And how should the law adjudicate such cases?
Under such a dangerous template, it can be imitated by other people with ulterior motives, who may take revenge on specific individuals and spread it to indiscriminate venting of anger among the general population. This is no longer just a family tragedy, but a mirror reflecting the dark side of society.
Upholding the bottom line or succumbing to depravity—this is a question that challenges the conscience of everyone living in this era.
......
After discussing the case in a meeting, Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi sat down face-to-face and began writing the case report. The case was complicated, and it would take the two of them two or three days to complete it together.
Chen Zhenzhu called a restaurant to order lunch boxes and inquired about the road repairs. She learned that the repairs had already begun and that neighbors had spontaneously joined in to help.
No one on Tiesi New Second Street is born rich or powerful; they are all ordinary people who carefully manage their small businesses and make a living. Seeing that the workers also need to be paid, they figured they might as well take a break since they were already resting anyway, and they would help out as much as they could, young and old alike.
She had a phone number in her head that she could call to thank him for his help, but Shen Zhenzhu wasn't sure if it would bother him, so she simply put it down for now.
"Sister Pearl, the people at the gatehouse say someone is looking for you." Xiao Min came up from downstairs, just as Chen Zhenzhu's phone was busy, so he relayed the message.
"Do you know who it is?" Shen Zhenzhu asked.
Xiao Min said, "It seems to be Wang Jieyong's nanny, but she wasn't there when we went yesterday. Wasn't it your people who went to take her statement later?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then I'll go down and take a look."
The nanny's name was Guo Chunmei. She was wearing a brown triangular scarf typical of rural women, and she kept her head down, tightly clutching the cloth bag in her arms.
Unable to go inside the guard room, she felt awkward and scared, as it was her first time at the Criminal Investigation Brigade.
She lives in an urban village, and what happened yesterday still haunts her. Fortunately, the police officers who came to her house to question her, although they looked intimidating, protected her and her family, as well as those things, at the crucial moment.
Thinking about meeting the leader in charge of the case, and knowing that she had no extra money at home, she took out six brown sugar cubes that she had made herself from her bag, her palms trembling with nervousness.
"Are you Sister Guo? I'm Shen Zhenzhu, the one in charge of the case." Shen Zhenzhu pushed open the door next to the guard room and said, "We can sit here and talk."
She nodded to the gatekeeper at the reception desk, and only after confirming Guo Chunmei's identity did the gatekeeper look away from the window.
"Sister Guo, please sit down." Chen Zhenzhu rubbed her hands together, breathing out warm air, and said politely, "What can I do for you?"
Guo Chunmei was surprised to find that the police officer in charge of the case was so young, even a few years younger than Wang Yafei.
"Hello. Here's some sugar, I made it myself." She placed the brown sugar cubes on the coffee table, carefully pushed them towards Chen Zhenzhu, and said while holding onto her clothes, "I have something for you."
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at the plain brown sugar, which was neatly wrapped in oil paper, and said politely, "Sister Guo, don't be nervous. Just tell me what's wrong. We don't need the gift."
Guo Chunmei's voice was hoarse with nervousness. She lowered her head as if she had made a mistake: "I want to ask you about that child... I know she committed a serious crime, and I want to know if she can get out in the future?"
Knowing that the case was quite complex, Shen Zhenzhu cautiously said, "I can't say for sure, and I can't reveal anything. We'll have to wait for the court's verdict."
"Oh, I see." Guo Chunmei said, as if she had made up her mind. She took out a piece of paper from her pocket and said, "She doesn't know my address. I read in the newspaper that her house burned down and she has nowhere to go. Could you please tell her my address so that she can come and stay at my house? I won't be her nanny anymore. I still treat her like my own daughter."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhenzhu clenched her fists and sighed softly, saying, "This case is quite complicated, and the follow-up work needs to be kept confidential. I also cannot pass the note to you."
Guo Chunmei's eyes suddenly reddened, and she raised the back of her hand to wipe the corner of her eyes, saying, "Oh, she's so wronged, this child is so wronged."
“...I understand.” Shen Zhenzhu got up and went to the gatehouse to pour Guo Chunmei a cup of hot water to warm her hands. After a while, the gatekeeper brought in a small stove and placed it at their feet. The small meeting room was instantly warm.
Guo Chunmei took a sip of hot water, and her parched lips stopped trembling. She looked at Chen Zhenzhu and felt that Chen Zhenzhu should be a trustworthy person. She sat quietly for five minutes, and finally opened the cloth bag and took out a jewelry box.
“This is the child’s jewelry box, a gold necklace, a silver bracelet, and this money.” Guo Chunmei handed the jewelry box and money to Shen Zhenzhu and said, “I know she made a mistake, and this is far from enough to make up for it, but… I always thought that if we hand it over to the government, the government might be a little more lenient with her, even just a little bit, so that the child could suffer less.”
Chen Zhenzhu looked at the gold necklace and silver bracelet, then raised her head and asked, "Did she ask you to give these to me, or...?"
Guo Chunmei quickly said, "Although I am a nanny, I never steal. These are for me, and she told me to take them home."
Chen Zhenzhu patted Guo Chunmei's hand reassuringly and said, "Sister Guo, don't be nervous, I believe in you. But since it was given to you by her, why not keep it as a keepsake?"
Guo Chunmei, not being one for subtlety, didn't grasp Chen Zhenzhu's implied meaning. After hesitating for a moment, she touched the silver bracelet and said, "How about... how about I keep the silver bracelet? It was left to her by her grandmother. Back then, the family was poor, but the old lady was so good to her. I often heard the child mention it. Later, when the family became wealthy, she didn't like any of the finest jewelry, saying those were just decorative items, not as warm as a silver bracelet. I'm not very educated, so I don't know what warmth means. But the child likes this."
“Fine, you can stay,” Chen Zhenzhu said. “You can take the money too.”
Guo Chunmei said, "She also gave me the money, a full 10,000 yuan, which is quite a lot. Let's give it to the government on her behalf and atone for the child's sins."
Chen Zhenzhu glanced down at Guo Chunmei's worn-out cotton shoes. To save two cents on bus fare, her shoes had been soaked through as she walked.
As soon as Shen Zhenzhu sat down, she saw a corner of the bankbook sticking out of her cloth bag and judged that the 10,000 yuan was not given to her by Wang Yafei, but was given to Wang Yafei by her.
Are you sure you want to hand them all in?
"Sure!"
Sigh. Shen Zhenzhu took out two ten-yuan bills and one fifty-cent coin from her pocket and stuffed them into Guo Chunmei's hand, saying, "I'll hand over the necklace and money to the government for you, but there's one condition: I've already bought the brown sugar. You can't refuse me."
Guo Chunmei wanted to give her boss a gift, but she didn't want his money. She was worried that if she didn't obey his orders, he wouldn't help her anymore. Hesitantly clutching the twenty yuan and fifty cents, she said anxiously, "I really can't pass him a note?"
Chen Zhenzhu stuffed the brown sugar cube into her pocket and said seriously, "It would be against the rules."
Guo Chunmei said, "Then please remember this: if, if, she manages to get out and see you, please help her again, please help her again..." At this point, Guo Chunmei could no longer continue speaking, and tears kept falling down her face, no matter how much she wiped them away.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly picked up the note and said, "Sister Guo, don't worry, give me the note, I'll remember it. If she gets out, I'll definitely make her come to your house to find you and live with you."
"Okay." Guo Chunmei stood up, wiped her eyes again, revealing the bruises on her chin from the beating by the thugs.
"What happened to your chin?" Chen Zhenzhu stopped Guo Chunmei and asked softly, "Did someone bully you?"
"No, no, it's just that some people found out I used to work as a nanny for Wang Jieyong's family, and they wanted to beat me up yesterday. But I'm tough, so nothing happened to me. Later, the police came too." Guo Chunmei handed over the things and the address, and looked at Chen Zhenzhu gratefully, saying, "Then I'll be going. Thank you, leader, thank you."
She was about the same age as Shen Liuhe. She bowed deeply to Shen Zhenzhu, carefully put away the silver bracelet that Wang Yafei cherished, and left Shen Zhenzhu's sight in the wind and snow.
Chen Zhenzhu sat inside, fiddling with the brown sugar cubes in her pocket for a long time. She sighed again, thinking, "It would have been better if she had faced the most vicious criminals."
On the way back to the office, my footsteps crunched through the snow.
Shen Zhenzhu thought that Wang Yafei wouldn't need to search so desperately for her loving mother in her next life.
Her mother has come to find her.
......
Back on the fifth floor.
"You've come at the right time." Director Liu was about to leave when he saw her coming and said, "I've already announced to Team Four that you will be taking over Team Four and becoming its leader. This happened so suddenly, the appointment papers will be in your hands next Monday, so don't let me down."
Shen Zhenzhu stood at attention and saluted: "I will never let down Director Liu and the leaders' kindness and expectations."
Director Liu said, "I have some things to tell you. Come to my office with me. Xiao Lu, you two come together. You'll have to work well together from now on... What are you holding?"
Lu Ye came over with his notebook. He had thought about becoming a vice-captain one day, and he never expected that day to come so suddenly. Although he was reluctant to part with Gu Yanzheng, it wasn't in vain that he had been a beast of burden for so many years. Even beasts have their day when they see the rainbow after the storm.
"It would be even better if I could get into SAS in the future," Lu Ye thought carelessly.
When Director Liu asked, Shen Zhenzhu walked along and recounted her meeting with Guo Chunmei in detail, passing the item to Director Liu so he could hand it over to the elusive SAS agent.
After they left, Zhao Qiqi, who was in the fourth team's office, clutched his head and said, "When did Sister Pearl step down from the boss? My boss, where's my boss?"
"I can tell you didn't bring your head with you," Xiaobai said, flicking his pen. "Isn't that obvious?"
Zhao Qiqi, clutching her notebook, said, "Why didn't I see Sister Pearl and the others being reluctant to part with their leader?"
Xiao Bai took out the ink from the drawer, opened the box and said, "Brother A Ye is happy for Captain Gu. He has a bigger place to show his skills. He's envious. As for Sister Zhenzhu, she's very sentimental. I think it's not that she's not upset, but that she doesn't want everyone to see that she's upset."
Wu Zhongguo nodded knowingly and said, "It's good for young people to have more opportunities to explore. We in Team Four are all about swallowing our pride and not about crying. When Captain Gu is done with his work, we'll meet up and have a meal together. It won't be a waste of all the years we've been through thick and thin together."
"A farewell dinner," Zhao Qiqi sniffed and said, "Just because I arrived late doesn't mean I'm not sentimental. It's so sad. But Sister Pearl has been very good to us. She's been taking care of me the most since we arrived, and she's been leading us in solving cases for the past six months."
Xiao Bai said nonchalantly, "Anyway, wherever Sister Pearl goes, I'll go. I'm sticking with her."
Zhao Qiqi also joked, "Me too, Team Four can't have any more people leaving."
As they were talking, Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye returned from Director Liu's office.
They were greeted with applause from Wu Zhongguo, Zhao Qiqi, and Xiaobai. Wu Zhongguo chuckled and joined in, shouting, "Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome! Captain Chen, we'll be counting on you from now on. Deputy Captain Lu, how does it feel to be an officer?"
He's old, but he never acts like he's superior because of his age, nor does he feel uncomfortable being overshadowed by younger people who are captains. His daily expectation is to soon enjoy a comfortable retirement, spending his pension on gardening and other leisurely activities.
Director Liu had been worried before, but Wu Zhongguo felt that his superiors were all good acquaintances, and he was happy that things would be easier for him in the future.
Zhao Qiqi and Xiaobai, being relatively inexperienced, were especially eager to celebrate for Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye.
"I had the restaurant deliver boiled fish in an iron pot and a few other main dishes for lunch. Let's eat quietly behind closed doors," Shen Zhenzhu said to them with a laugh.
Lu Ye said, "Then I'll go buy some soda. The convenience store is all frozen. I'll take it to the office beforehand to warm it up."
Xiao Bai stood up and said, "I'll go with you to add some snacks to the pantry."
Zhao Qiqi said, "Ham sausage, the king of kings!"
Xiao Bai said, "I understand."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't say anything more. She returned to her desk and sat down. She saw the crystal vase that had once blinded her, but the flowers inside had withered.
I threw it away.
Chen Zhenzhu expressionlessly pulled out a flower. Xiaobai, who was about to go out, saw it and quickly took it from her: "I'll throw it away, so many petals have fallen."
"Thank you," Chen Zhenzhu said.
The flowers were gone, leaving the vase empty. The sight of it was irritating to Chen Zhenzhu, so she simply hid the vase under the table.
We had lunch together, and in the afternoon I saw Captain Park rushing off to work on a case.
Lu Ye grabbed Kang He and asked, "A cook got into a fight with someone, cut the person into eight pieces, and soaked them in a swill bucket for seven days. Isn't that terrifying?"
Shen Zhenzhu leaned against the door and said quietly, "Wow, this case is really enviable."
Kang He said with a twitch at the corner of his lips, "Captain Chen, your tastes are always so unique."
Shen Zhenzhu forced a smile and returned to her office, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi write their case report. Her mind, however, drifted to the empty desk in the front row. She hadn't noticed how empty it was before, but now it just didn't look right.
They moved it later too.
Shen Zhenzhu touched her chest and made a cold decision.
After getting off work, she returned to Tiesi New Second Street. Chen Zhenzhu first shared the good news that she had become the team leader. After sharing the good news, she picked up a safety helmet from the counter (whose name was unknown), put it on, and went out to start throwing sand, carrying a shovel.
After scattering the sand, they went to carry stones, carrying heavy baskets on their backs, walking with an unyielding gait like a tireless, stubborn donkey.
The tireless, stubborn donkey wasn't unwilling to stop; her mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts she'd never had before in either of her lives. Stopping made her feel strange and panicked.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Old Gu: Don't panic, I'm just calculating.
***
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. This case is closed.
Next case: Team Leader Chen's first case – [The Rashomon of Love]
I'll add another 1000 chapters, please give me some nutrient solution!
There are 100 red envelopes! See you tomorrow! [Let me see]
***
The psychological analysis in this chapter and this article references and modifies works such as "Criminal Psychology", "Criminal Psychological Profiling", "The Profiler", "Inferiority and Superiority", "Intimate Relationships", "The Crowd", and online resources.
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