Chapter 153 Graves and Desires
The oppressive night sky made it hard to breathe.
The cold wind seeped in through the collar, cuffs, and every seam, prompting Wang Yafei to wrap her scarf up again in the night.
It was a men's gray plaid scarf, still bearing his scent. Thinking of this, Wang Yafei restrained herself and rubbed against the warmth she so desperately craved.
"It's already 12 o'clock, why are you only coming back now?" Wang Jieyong was drinking Moutai at the dining table when he saw his daughter come home in the middle of the night, and his mood was extremely low.
Wang Yafei's mother, Xu Lan, was making noodles for Wang Jieyong in the kitchen when she said sarcastically, "You just got back too, didn't you? She's just like you, just like the Wang family."
Having just enjoyed the royal treatment at that other home, Wang Jieyong couldn't contain his temper when he returned to this one and would explode at Wang Yafei: "Stop right there! Are you going upstairs to mess with all that junk again? I'll smash everything you see!"
Drunk, Wang Jieyong staggered to his feet, took a hammer from the hidden door of the back toilet, and rushed up the ladder to his daughter's room on the second floor of the villa.
The room contained her beloved musical instruments, which she had cherished since childhood. Recently, she had acquired electronic devices from somewhere and spent her days sitting in the room playing tapes over and over again.
Wang Jieyong, wielding a hammer, smashed Wang Yafei's room to pieces. He then snatched her mobile phone and smashed it in front of her, sending parts flying. He roared menacingly, "Let me tell you, stay away from shady people! Who have you been meeting? Who are the people in your circle?! Write down all their names, and see how I deal with them!"
“They’re just a bunch of people who play instruments together. They’re in Liancheng today, and they’ll be gone tomorrow. You won’t be able to find them.” Wang Yafei’s father, who was used to getting drunk and acting crazy, was an approachable philanthropist in public, but a beast in private.
Wang Jieyong cursed again: "Useless, useless! I have a reputation in society, I even met with the mayor and bureau chiefs last month, how could I have given birth to such a useless thing as you? You're so old and still not married, all my old friends are already holding their grandchildren. If you don't get married, you can get out of here!"
“Okay.” Wang Yafei opened the wardrobe to get her bag, but was stopped by Xu Lan, who was watching coldly from the doorway.
Xu Lan angrily said, "If you leave, I will sever my mother-daughter relationship with you!"
Then Xu Lan said to Wang Jieyong in a sarcastic tone, "So what if she doesn't get married? So what if your Wang family line ends? Aren't you just like your Wang family, with nothing but shameful thoughts in your heads!"
"Don't talk nonsense about having no heir. If she's no good, I'll really let Xiaohua inherit my fortune!" Wang Jie's stomach bulged with courage. He pointed at Wang Yafei's nose and said, "Xiaohua is such a smart kid. Everyone in the company praises his abilities. He's much better than this good-for-nothing."
Xu Lan smiled strangely and said, "Yes, your son is so outstanding. If it weren't for his excellence back then—"
"Don't mention it!" Wang Jie threw the hammer at Xu Lan, startling her into shutting up immediately.
"Once the stock market stabilizes, I can reap a lot of profits this time. Then I can take down the Bai family, and I'll be the boss of Liancheng." Wang Jieyong's triangular eyes gleamed with greed. "Those stock market investors are idiots, thinking they can challenge me? The person who can defeat me hasn't even been born yet!"
His arrogant words disgusted Wang Yafei.
Wang Jieyong then said to her, "Don't disappoint me again. Although Xiaohua is better than you in every way, and is still a son, you are still the eldest daughter of the eldest son's family. After being pampered for so many years, you have to contribute something to the company. Didn't you see Xiaohua's performance in the meeting today? Such an outstanding child—"
"So what if he's outstanding? He still can't be seen in the light of day." Xu Lan said with a bright smile, "It's like everyone in the company knows he's an illegitimate child born to a mistress."
"Stop fucking stirring things up!" Wang Jieyong roared.
Hearing Wang Jieyong's words praising Wang Xihua, Wang Yafei's lips curled up mysteriously.
Wang Jieyong had had enough of his drinking at home, and the effects of the alcohol had mostly worn off. Xu Lan helped him to the master bedroom on the third floor to sleep.
Wang Yafei picked up a broom and cleaned the messy room by herself. Xu Lan came down from the third floor and stood at the door of Wang Yafei's room with a stern face, complaining, "If it weren't for you, I would have aborted my eight-month-old male fetus. What would have happened to that mother and child outside?"
"It's really unfortunate that you've been caught up in the one-child policy. You can't just strangle me," Wang Yafei said casually without stopping her sweeping.
Xu Lan, having been exposed, simply snatched the broom from Wang Yafei and threw it aside. She stopped complaining and adopted a more conciliatory tone, pulling Wang Yafei to sit on the edge of the bed and saying, "Look, your dad is determined to hand the company over to Wang Xihua. Mom is doing this for your own good. We women have many limitations, but as long as we learn to utilize our gender advantages, we can still turn the situation around."
Wang Yafei withdrew her hand, clenched her fist, and placed it on her lap, saying, "How do we use it?"
Xu Lan said with a smile, "I think Lu Mintao is interested in you, and your dad trusts him. Just pretend you're dating him, let him earn money for you at the company, and it'll all be yours in the end, right? If you don't want to be devoted to him, don't get pregnant. But it's okay if you are pregnant, you can get divorced even if you get married, and at worst, the baby will have the surname Wang."
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Wang Yafei was always shocked by Xu Lan's shameless remarks, and she almost vomited while covering her mouth.
Xu Lan's temper changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book. She forcefully pried Wang Yafei's hand off and glared at her own daughter, saying, "You are a piece of my own flesh and blood, how could I possibly harm you?!"
"Are you afraid they'll rise to power and you'll be kicked out by my dad, losing your wealth and status for the rest of your life?" Wang Yafei was utterly disappointed in Xu Lan, looking at her with hatred and saying, "Do you even deserve to be my mother?"
Xu Lan suddenly stood up and shouted frantically, "I'm not your mother, your mother died a long time ago, okay? I know you hate me to the core, you eat my food, drink my water, wear my clothes, I'd rather raise a dog than support you!"
Xu Lan left in a huff after saying those words, leaving Wang Yafei sitting blankly on the edge of the bed.
It's completely rotten.
That's terrible.
She was truly disappointed in this family.
Wang Yafei was trembling all over, gasping for breath, and her heart was pounding rapidly.
"Where's the medicine... medicine..." Tears streaming down her face, she crawled on the floor to pick up the tranquilizer pills that had rolled under the dressing table, and swallowed a few of them hastily.
Ten minutes later, Wang Yafei calmly stood up from the ground, her fear and vulnerability vanishing.
After taking her medicine and lying in bed, Wang Yafei listened to the ticking of the alarm clock and gradually drifted off to sleep. She turned her head, about to close her eyes, when she saw a shadow flash by in the moonlight.
She sat up abruptly and saw a person standing at the foot of the bed.
"What are you doing?!"
Wang Yafei quickly turned on the light and saw Xu Lan standing at the door, holding a kitchen knife and staring blankly at her.
"I just wanted to see you." As Xu Lan spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
She knelt down with a thud, threw away the kitchen knife, picked up Wang Yafei's slipper, and banged it against her head repeatedly, shouting frantically and sadly, "Please, Mom begs you, forget about that person, just be with Lu Mintao! If you can win him over, we'll both be fine from now on!"
Wang Yafei rushed over to help Xu Lan up, and said sadly, "Even if the company is given to Wang Xihua, I can still earn money to support you in your old age!"
Xu Lan shook off her hand and kowtowed to Wang Yafei with a loud thud: "We can't let Qian Hui and the others trample on us! We can't! I absolutely can't let others laugh at me, I can't leave this life!"
Wang Yafei stood quietly, looking at Xu Lan. The woman she had lived with for nearly thirty years now seemed like a complete stranger.
Seeing that Wang Yafei remained unmoved, Xu Lan scrambled to her feet, rushed towards Wang Yafei, and slapped her several times across the face: "I'll teach you to disobey! I'll teach you to hate me!"
Wang Yafei did not fight back, but Xu Lan pushed her to the ground and straddled her stomach, slapping her hard from both sides.
The nanny downstairs was woken up by the noise and quickly came up to pull Xu Lan away: "Mrs. Wang, stop! What are you doing?!"
Xu Lan always had to maintain the so-called dignity of Mrs. Wang in front of outsiders; she had become accustomed to hypocrisy over the years.
The nanny helped her up, then helped Wang Yafei up, and seeing her covered in bruises, said with heartache, "Yafei, are you alright?"
Wang Yafei didn't answer her question, but instead looked at Xu Lan and asked, "Mom, I remember when I was little, you were still helping people sell goods in the tin shop. Back then, I loved eating the bubble gum you secretly gave me. I was so happy back then."
Xu Lan spat and said with a sneer, "When did this happen? Why would I steal someone else's bubble gum?"
Wang Yafei said sadly, "Back then, neither you nor my dad had any money, and we still had to give gifts to the leaders. On a snowy day, you bought a bunch of bananas, thinking that I had never eaten them before. You pulled off a banana and hid it in the snow by the roadside. After you finished wishing the leaders a Happy New Year, you went to the roadside and found that frozen banana, held it in your arms and gave it to me. That was the sweetest banana I had ever eaten."
Xu Lan seemed to recall this incident and said indifferently, "Back then we were poor and had no choice, but things are different now. You can eat whatever you want. Do you really want to give up this kind of life?"
“But this isn’t the life I wanted.” Wang Yafei’s slightly calmed emotions were stirred again, and she choked up as she said, “I want to go back to the past.”
Going back to that year, to the time when Mom still loved her.
"There's still time," Xu Lan said, glancing at her watch. "Lu Mintao said he wants to go on a date with you today. If you don't go, he'll keep waiting, won't he?"
Wang Yafei paused for a moment and then said, "Yes."
The nanny said anxiously, "Mrs. Wang, it's almost three in the morning. It's not safe for her to go out in the middle of the night. Don't let Yafei go out. We can always call and reschedule—"
Xu Lan yelled at the nanny, "You have no right to speak, get out!"
The nanny looked at Wang Yafei with pity, then walked to the door and said worriedly, "Don't hit the child."
Xu Lan smoothed her hair and vehemently denied it: "When did I hit her?"
“I’m coming over now,” Wang Yafei suddenly said.
Xu Lanxin exclaimed with delight, "Really? Should we call the driver?"
Wang Yafei said, "It's not good for the driver to see this either, since there are night taxis at the entrance."
“I thought so too. Let’s not let outsiders gossip.” Xu Lan said happily, “Dress up nicely, I’ll go get you some money.”
Xu Lan left excitedly. Wang Yafei saw that the nanny was still looking at her with concern. She walked to the door, took off the gold necklace around her neck, and said, "Auntie, you should leave here tomorrow. Don't work here anymore."
The nanny burst into tears and refused to accept the gold necklace: "Shall I go with you? I've met that man before. He came to our house and gave us gifts. He's no good."
Wang Yafei lowered her head and forcefully stuffed the gold necklace into her hand: "He won't hurt me anymore."
The nanny didn't understand her implied meaning and said reluctantly, "Don't take your mother's words to heart. She's been under a lot of pressure these past few years, and she's been acting a bit neurotic."
Wang Yafei nodded and said, "She's not mentally unstable; she's very calculating. I know my mom... she just doesn't love me anymore."
Wang Yafei suddenly remembered something and said, "It wasn't that I didn't inform you when your husband passed away last year; it was that I told Xu Lan. She said she told you, and I believed her."
“I know it wasn’t because you didn’t tell me.” The nanny reached out and touched her head, choking back tears as she said, “Child, I know. I understand you, and I understand her.”
Wang Yafei stared at the ceiling, took a few breaths, and, trying to hold back her emotions, said from the bottom of her heart with trembling lips, "If only you were my mother."
"Silly child, you...you can't say that." These words brought tears to the nanny's eyes. She wiped them away, and the simple honesty of a countrywoman led her to speak her heart: "But I've always treated you like my own daughter. Your parents...your parents...they...they're just too busy. I'm just being extra attentive. But remember, they're the ones who asked me to take care of you, you shouldn't—"
"Stop talking." Wang Yafei ran to the dressing table again, took out the silver bracelet that her grandmother had left her, and said, "Take them all."
The nanny became increasingly hesitant to take the money, but at her insistence, she steeled herself and said, "I don't know what happened to you, but I'll keep it for you, and you can ask me for it back anytime."
Wang Yafei held her hand tightly and whispered, "I don't want it anymore, I don't want anything. Just promise me you'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
The nanny held her hand tightly for a long time before saying, "I can't bear to part with you. Child, look at the life you've been living these past few years, it's been so hard on you."
Wang Yafei finally broke down and burst into tears, burying her face in her shoulder: "Go away, go away! I don't like you anymore, I want you to leave!"
"..." The nanny gently wiped away her tears and finally agreed: "Okay."
Wang Yafei said she was going to find Lu Mintao, and left the villa that night, not returning home.
In the morning, Xu Lan was making breakfast with a refreshed expression when she saw Wang Jieyong coming downstairs. She said with a beaming smile, "You drank so much yesterday, why didn't you get a little more sleep?"
Wang Jieyong was already used to her unpredictable moods, and casually asked, "Why are you cooking? Where's the housekeeper?"
Xu Lan said, "She's getting lazier and lazier. She said there's too much work to do at home, and this morning she told me she wasn't going to work anymore. I deducted her wages for this month and let her go."
Wang Jieyong sighed and complained, "You're still deducting her wages at a time like this? She's worked for us for over ten years, and you don't even give her a red envelope. Sigh, I really can't reason with you."
“Yes, you can reason with Qian Hui, but you can’t reason with me.” Xu Lan slammed the plate down in front of him and said, “Everyone outside is trying to scam you out of your money. Once you’ve lost all your money, see if your daughter will even acknowledge you.”
"Try to mention the word 'money' less often." Whether it was because of "Qian Hui" or because of "money," Wang Jieyong simply didn't like hearing it.
The morning news was still playing on TV.
Yesterday, the "death listener" did not speak on the radio, sparking much discussion among the public, with various experts and media outlets offering differing opinions.
Wang Jieyong hated this kind of news. He always had a feeling that the other party had dealt with Song Zhantao and Zhang Haijun, and now they were hiring someone with the surname L to kill. Would it be that once someone with the surname L died, it would be the next person with the surname W?
He irritably tossed the unpeeled hard-boiled egg aside, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Come here and peel this egg for me."
Xu Lanren was in high spirits because of the happy occasion, so she stopped being sarcastic and turned up the TV volume. She sat down opposite Wang Jieyong and started peeling an egg: "The corn porridge is cooked perfectly in the pressure cooker. You should eat more. I don't have the skill to make soup, so I can only eat coarse food with you."
"Are you ever going to stop?!" Wang Jieyong, who was about to take a sip of his corn porridge, threw down his spoon and said, "Where's Yafei? Why isn't she coming down yet? Isn't she going to the company today?"
Xu Lan said cheerfully, "She went on a date with Xiao Lu."
Wang Jieyong said in surprise, "Didn't she say she didn't want to?"
Xu Lan said, "I don't understand women. They always say one thing and mean another. Look, I've been cooking breakfast for you all morning."
Xu Lan was in a good mood, and her words cheered Wang Jieyong up as well. He nodded and said, "Home-cooked meals are definitely the best."
These words made Xu Lan overjoyed.
The television was still broadcasting random interviews, asking passersby on the street who their target was.
This has become a topic of public concern.
It's not just on TV; it's being discussed everywhere, on the streets and in the alleys.
Xu Lan was going shopping today, and Wang Jieyong drove her there. After Xu Lan got out of the car, Wang Jieyong asked the driver to take her to Liujin Garden to call Wang Xihua so she could go to the company with him. But Qian Hui said that Wang Xihua had left early that morning.
“He drove out a long time ago. That kid is just too diligent,” Qian Hui said on the phone.
"Alright." Wang Jieyong didn't want to waste any more words with her.
The No. 6 bus at the entrance of the residential area drove past Wang Jieyong's luxury car. Many people on the bus were paying attention to today's headlines and wondering who the deceased surnamed L was.
Bus route 6 runs from Shanbei Road all the way to Xunlushan South Station. There is a beach that has not been overdeveloped, which is a secret treasure fishing spot for many anglers.
Old Guo got off the No. 6 bus, carrying his fishing rod and basket, and arrived at the seaside. He was already more than an hour later than the others who had arrived at dawn.
"This place may be remote, but there might be some big fish." Old Guo propped up a small stool and leisurely set up his camp for the day. After a simple baiting, he sat on the stool with his fishing rod, leisurely reading the newspaper.
Unfortunately, the wind at the beach was unusually strong today, blowing so hard it seemed like it was going to sweep people into the waves.
Old Guo had no choice but to move to a higher, sheltered spot and throw down his fishing rod.
As soon as I cast my line, I felt something get caught on it.
From a distance, a fishing buddy asked over the walkie-talkie, "Hey, Guo Dalv, caught a big fish?"
Lao Guo did not reply for a long time.
The fishing friend asked a few more times, and when he still hadn't replied, he got up and looked toward the cliff edge where Lao Guo was.
"What kind of thing did Lao Guo catch? A big chevron?"
"Why does it look like a big foot to me?"
"Hey, Lao Guo, say something, did you 'win the lottery'?"
Fishermen have their own legends; they can always find things that others can't in hidden corners.
Old Guo's trembling voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Quick, quick, go to the police station at the back and report the case!"
What case should I report?
"I've won the 'jackpot'!" Old Guo, on the verge of tears, slowly reeled in his fishing rod: "Quick, call the police!"
......
Criminal Investigation Division, Information Technology Section.
Shen Zhenzhu listened carefully to the sound being copied on the cassette tape, then put down her headphones and said, "I also think it sounds like a musical fountain."
Zhou Chuanxi made a major discovery and looked at Director Liu, saying, "Director Liu, my trip wasn't in vain, was it?"
Director Liu patted him on the shoulder and said, "I always thought you were a real tech whiz."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled too.
This at least proves that the "Death Listener" was in a place where he could hear the "musical fountain" when he recorded the two tapes.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Liancheng has two musical fountains, one in People's Square and the other in Starfish Square. 'The Death Listener' or his accomplices are hiding in that area."
“That’s right,” Gu Yanzheng said. “I’m now sending people to investigate people who might have recording or editing equipment at home.”
Xiao Bai ran in from outside: "Found a severed leg, searching for its way by the sea."
Shen Zhenzhu immediately stood up: "I'm coming right now!"
Gu Yanzheng said, "Okay, let's split up."
......
Chen Zhenzhu arrived at the scene half an hour later. She saw Lao Guo, who was surrounded by a group of fishermen, speaking passionately. She said to Xiaobai, "Please come over and give a statement."
Xiao Bai ran over, glanced at his colleagues who were retrieving bodies from the sea cliff, and called out to Lao Guo, "Grandpa, come here for a second."
Old Guo was very cooperative and went over to explain in detail how he discovered it.
Chen Zhenzhu looked down at the sea cliff, touched her forehead, and said, "Old friend, let's try to be more capable."
The coast guard and salvage team lived up to expectations and found a male corpse among the rocks.
“Lu Mintao.” Chen Zhenzhu recognized him at a glance: “Wasn’t he sent abroad by the company to ‘study’ earlier than planned because of the lawsuit? Why is he back?”
Lu Mintao was naked and was found to be severely pale and macerated when he was pulled ashore. His body had multiple abrasions and shells attached to it, consistent with the characteristics of being submerged in seawater and colliding with rocks.
Xiao Bai squatted beside the body, while forensic doctor Lu Xiaobao was taking notes. She also tried to give a verbal report: "The deceased, Lu Mintao, was 42 years old. Divorced. When he was pulled ashore, almost all his bones were shattered, and his lower body was completely mutilated. His abdominal cavity was split open, and a large amount of sea sand flowed out. Judging from the wound on his ankle, it was caused by the body being handled when he fell onto the rocks, resulting in a tear in his left foot. He was then fished out by an old man... The method was extremely cruel. He was tortured and then humiliated before his abdomen was filled with sand and he was sunk into the sea. Especially considering his male identity, it is highly likely that this was a crime of passion or a deep personal grudge."
“The report is good. There’s one thing to note: perhaps his stomach was stuffed with sand before he died.” Shen Zhenzhu put on gloves, lifted Lu Mintao’s eyelids, and pressed his skin, saying, “He’s still very fresh. He must have died between midnight and 3 a.m. last night.”
Lu Xiaobao lifted the tattered skin of Lu Min's abdomen, examined it, and said, "The abdominal cavity was completely filled with a large amount of rough, moist sea sand, and the organs were severely compressed and displaced. The sand particles were mixed with a small amount of intestinal contents and blood."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "It has a strong sense of humiliation and ritualistic nature."
Lu Xiaobao said, "The male reproductive organs and scrotum were completely removed. The wound was extremely irregular, with signs of tearing and hammering. The surrounding tissue showed signs of life, and the wound edges showed signs of exploratory trauma, indicating that there was repeated torture during the process."
“This is punishment and humiliation,” Shen Zhenzhu said definitively. “It’s the work of the ‘Death Listeners’.”
Lu Xiaobao quickly finished the initial examination, stood up and said, "That's right. Palpation revealed extensive and severe comminuted fractures in his trunk and limbs, involving the ribs, sternum, pelvis and long bones of the limbs. The soft tissue at the fracture sites is collapsed, bruised and swollen, and the shape is consistent with the previous two victims, which is consistent with being repeatedly and forcefully struck by a heavy blunt object such as an iron hammer. The degree of violence is very high."
Chen Zhenzhu looked at the sea not far away and the tourists gathered below the sea cliffs. The coastline connected with the greenway, and the bus hub station was just 20 meters away.
Fortunately, the fishermen discovered the body early on; otherwise, Lu Mintao's body might have been washed ashore by the waves.
Lu Xiaobao and his colleagues unfurled the yellow bags and transported Lu Mintao's body. Chen Zhenzhu arranged for Xiaobai and other agents to take statements and search for witnesses.
She stood on the sea cliff where the body was found, turning around to look at the old-fashioned "homeless coffee shop".
Shen Zhenzhu "saw" them!
From the moment Lu Mintao got out of the taxi until his arrest, the two murderers meticulously carried out the acts of force-feeding him sea sand and recording the hammer blows.
Until finally pushing the heavily pregnant and dying Lu Mintao off the sea cliff, and witnessing him being struck by rocks and falling among the reefs, one of the murderers couldn't help but laugh and tremble.
It's a woman.
The other assailant didn't appear face-to-face, but he took off his black coat, pulled her hand, removed his black leather gloves, and said gently, "Did you hurt yourself?"
The woman's left wrist revealed a shocking scar from a self-inflicted cut. She held the man's hand behind her back, looked up, and said, "I twisted it a little."
The man unexpectedly broke free from her hand, went into the coffee shop, retrieved a gray plaid scarf, and wrapped it around the woman: "It's getting late."
The woman choked back tears and said, "Let me see it one more time."
The man, abandoning his brutal nature, took off the black leather glove on his left hand and offered it to the woman: "You made three cuts, and I made three cuts too. I promised to go wherever you go, and I keep my word."
The woman said, with a look that was neither crying nor laughing, "This is our grave."
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Author's Note: I've been updating daily for thirty days without taking a break. It's the last day of the month, please give me some nutrient solution!
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
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