Carp Talk (12)
On the way back, no one said a word, except Wan Mian, who was in a state of confusion. There was a voice in his heart that kept echoing, telling him to calm down and keep the matter secret.
In the days after this incident, Wan Mian drank heavily every night, was woken up by nightmares at night, and looked much worse.
He lived in fear every day, fearing that one morning the bailiffs would come to his door looking for him.
That morning, the drunk Wan Mian slumped lazily on the bed.
In his hazy consciousness, it seemed that Xu Niao was wiping his face by his side.
When the warm water wiped across his sleepy eyes, Wan Mian finally woke up.
He struggled to sit up with his dizzy head, and in a daze, he caught a glimpse of Xu Niao's face.
Wan Mian didn't want to pay attention to her, turned over and continued to sleep. Xu Niao was helpless and just said casually: "My father is here, let me help you go to the lobby to meet him."
After hearing what Xu Niao said, Wan Mian suddenly came to his senses.
In an instant, he jumped off the bed, stumbled into his clothes, and staggered out of the room with the support of Xu Niao who followed closely behind him.
In the lobby, Wan Zhe was chatting and laughing with Xu Hui. Seeing Xu Niao walking in with Wan Mian, he pretended to be calm and just bowed to Xu Hui, but Xu Hui's words made his heart rise to his throat.
"Someone came to the government office today to report that a body was found in the suburbs. I've already sent someone to perform an autopsy. I think I'll be busy for the next few days!"
Needless to say, the dead body must be Lu Er.
Wan Mian was terrified, as if someone had locked his neck tightly, and his panic was visible to the naked eye.
Afterwards, Xu Hui chatted about some family matters, but Wan Mian didn't listen at all.
He fiddled with the nail bed with his two fingers, and a chill ran down his spine.
With his heart beating rapidly in his chest, he could no longer hide his guilty conscience. He suddenly stood up, unable to breathe, and left the place without paying attention to the gazes of the rest of the people in the hall.
Back in the room, Wan Mian wrapped himself in the quilt, beads of sweat the size of beans falling from his forehead.
He was shaking uncontrollably, and the air around him was filled with panicked breath.
He was extremely terrified, he had never been so scared before, but his hands were stained with Lu Er's blood and could never be washed away.
He was afraid, fearing that sooner or later Xu Hui would find out about him and the dagger.
Just when Wan Mian was at a loss, Fang Che's voice happened to be heard outside the door.
He knew Wan Mian was in the room, so he knocked on the door gently and asked, "A Mian, A Mian, please open the door. I have something to tell you."
Fang Che's arrival interrupted Wan Mian's confusion. He didn't understand why he came, but he didn't want Fang Che to see what was on his mind.
Therefore, he decided to keep the matter of Lu Er a secret, pretended to tidy up his face as usual, and slowly walked to the door to open it for Fang Che.
With the creaking sound of Wan Mian removing the bolt, the door finally opened for Fang Che.
Wan Mian smiled at Fang Che nonchalantly and said, "What do you want from me, Che?"
Facing Wan Mian's smile, Fang Che had a cold expression.
He walked around Wan Mian and entered his bedroom, closing the door again.
This left Wan Mian confused. His eyes kept following Fang Che, but Fang Che stopped after taking a few steps, and met his gaze with a look of disappointment.
"Today, everyone on the street was talking about the dead body in the suburbs, and everyone was also guessing who was responsible for the murder..." Fang Che uttered tremblingly.
Wan Mian's heart was once again in his throat, and his panicked expression betrayed him.
He stuttered and asked, "Then who do you think it is, Che..."
Fang Che's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and sadness blocked his throat: "But I...but I think it's you...A Mian..."
Wan Mian's hair stood on end after hearing this. He had not expected that Fang Che would be the first person to find him.
He also didn't expect that after all these years of friendship, he was not going to help him keep it a secret.
"That day in the suburbs, when you came back, I felt something was wrong. Where did those bloodstains get on your clothes? And as soon as you arrived, you handed me something and asked me to burn it. Why were you in such a hurry? I've never seen you so flustered. What happened to you that made you so flustered?"
"Ever since you came back that day, you've been drinking non-stop and looking listless all day. The master wasn't home due to business, so he didn't notice anything was wrong with you. But I've been taking care of you the whole time! I can see it!"
Fang Che became more and more excited as he spoke, and the tears in his left eye inadvertently fell down his cheek: "A Mian, I know you too well. You have always been so innocent and kind. Once you do something wrong, you panic more easily than others. But I can't understand why you want to kill him."
"If he robbed you and you accidentally killed him, you could have just told us and we would have helped you file a report to the government office. But you chose to burn the bloodstained clothes. That person must have something on you, so you wanted to kill him to silence him, right... A Mian..."
Wan Mian was speechless after being asked by Fang Che, and he didn't know how to refute.
Looking into Fang Che's eyes, Wan Mian could no longer hold back. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "I killed... that person... I killed him..."
Faced with Wan Mian's confession, Fang Che's heart sank. He hesitantly asked, "Why...why kill him..."
"That man is going to file a complaint with the emperor! Ah Che, he's going to sue my Wan family all the way to the capital! Tell me, my Wan family has finally gotten to this point, how can I let him destroy us!"
Fang Che looked at his friend in shock, who had lost control of his emotions. He looked like a mad beast, as if he was going to tear him to pieces at the next moment.
Fang Che just stared at Wan Mian like this. Neither of them said a word. The surroundings fell into dead silence, and Wan Mian's breathing gradually became calmer.
"A Mian... go and confess your guilt..."
Wan Mian did not reply.
Seeing his expression, Fang Che took the initiative to pull Wan Mian's arm and tried to drag him out of the room, saying, "If you don't want to go alone, I'll take you. You can't make the same mistake again, A Mian!"
Wan Mian was pulled a few inches and moved. He naturally would not go forward with Fang Che to confess his crime, so he struggled behind Fang Che, struggling like crazy.
"I'm not going!"
“You must go!”
"I'm done for going to the Wan family!"
"How can you feel at peace after you've already killed someone? Even if the Wan family is saved for a while, you've already told this monstrous lie that goes against human ethics, and you'll be in constant fear for the rest of your life!"
"You don't understand! I can't have the wealth and honor that the Wan family has worked so hard to obtain..." Wan Mian's breathing became more and more rapid, his eyes filled with indifference, and he struggled to break free from Fang Che's hand. "Besides...which of those high-ranking officials didn't engage in dirty deeds and drink human blood to reach their high positions? Why...why can't my Wan family have this!"
"A Mian! You're crazy..."
A loud "bang" interrupted their quarrel. Fang Che felt dizzy and just as he was about to turn around, he fell down.
In the last bit of consciousness he had left, he opened his eyes wide and looked at Wan Mian, his eyes full of disappointment and despair.
Seeing Fang Che fall to the ground, Wan Mian finally came to his senses.
At this moment, his right hand was holding a broken mahogany stool, and the broken end was stained with faintly visible blood.
Seeing blood gushing out from the back of Fang Che's head, Wan Mian quickly reached out to check his breath.
When his index finger couldn't detect any warm breath, he realized that he had already taken two lives.
He could no longer hold back his tears and fell to his knees, trembling, watching his former friend collapse stiffly on the ground.
The blood from the back of his head gradually flowed to his feet. He roared silently and frantically pressed Fang Che's wound with his sleeve.
But even though his sleeves were dyed bright red, Fang Che still said goodbye to the world in the deepest disappointment in Wan Mian.
Only then did Wan Mian realize that everything could never be undone.
From the moment he killed Lu Er with his own hands, he was no longer Wan Mian.
The thought of killing, like desire, sometimes has a beginning but no end.
After sitting on the ground for a long time, Wan Mian finally calmed down.
He thought that since he was powerless to change the situation, he must not make it public, let alone confess his guilt, otherwise he would definitely lose his head.
Later, Wan Mian secretly hid Fang Che's body in the straw in the backyard. Then, he disguised himself, quietly left the Wan family, and found a group of people outside to do the dirty work.
They transported Fang Che's body out of the city and buried it properly. They also burned large amounts of paper money for him according to Wan Mian's instructions, ensuring that he would live a prosperous and wealthy life in the underworld.
He thought the matter would end there, but he did not expect the heavy blow he would suffer the next day.
Fang Jingyu hadn't seen Fang Che for a few days, so she couldn't help but become suspicious. She found Wan Mian and asked, "A Mian, have you seen my brother these days?"
"Ah? Ah Che, I asked him to go out of town to buy some things for me a few days ago. You don't have to worry."
Wan Mian didn't dare to look Fang Jingyu in the eye at all. Every word he uttered was like a sharp thorn, piercing his already scarred conscience.
Fang Jingyu naturally believed in Wan Mian wholeheartedly. Even though she was confused about Wan Mian's sudden transfer, she didn't think about it anymore and went back to do her rough work.
But no matter what, Fang Jingyu's question made Fang Che's death come to his mind again, and he couldn't help feeling nauseous.
Heartache and guilt surged in his heart, and he hated every step he took, but cowardice still urged him to hide all the evil.
But it was precisely because of this self-deception that Wan Mian's mental state became increasingly worse.
He would wander the streets every day, eavesdropping on neighbors' news. Whenever someone mentioned Lu Er's death, he would lose control of his mind.
He could no longer control his thoughts, and with his mind in a state of confusion, he walked to the gate of the county government office like a demented person.
His mind began to struggle. He wanted to know what the government had found out, but he didn't dare to face the solemnity of the government.
In this way, he lingered in front of the Xu Mansion for a long time before he was seen by the Xu family's housekeeper who opened the door and was about to go out to buy groceries. The housekeeper was surprised at first, and then he enthusiastically called him into the mansion.
After hesitating, Wan Mian decided to find Xu Hui. Even if he didn't surrender himself, he would discuss a countermeasure with him.
Coincidentally, Xu Hui was also in the inner office, and Wan Mian's visit just fulfilled his wish.
"My dear son-in-law, what brings you here?" Xu Hui asked, stroking his gray beard.
Wan Mian looked around and then gave Xu Hui a wink. Xu Hui immediately understood and waved his hand to send the servant away.
After everyone around had left, he waved his sleeves, stood up and asked, "What do you want from me?"
The surroundings fell silent, but Wan Mian could no longer conceal his inner panic. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke: "Father-in-law...you...how is the investigation of Lu Er's case going..."
Xu Hui glanced at him a few times and noticed something was wrong with him, so he slowly sat down and continued, "No progress. What's the matter? Are you interested in this case?"
After Xu Hui said this, Wan Mian became even more flustered and quickly replied: "No, no, no, that's not what I meant..."
"What do you mean?"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence. Xu Hui must have guessed Wan Mian's thoughts - he must have done something wrong, which is why he behaved like this.
However, he had the patience to wait for him to continue.
After struggling for a long time, Wan Mian finally gritted his teeth and decided to tell the secret: "Lü Er...Lü Er...I...I killed him..."
After hearing this, Xu Huike could no longer sit still.
He suddenly jumped up from his seat and was about to curse, but he realized that there were other people in the mansion, so he had to lower his voice, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge. He gritted his teeth and blurted out a few words: "Tell me something..."
Wan Mian was completely panicked, his voice turning sobbing as he faltered as he tried to explain, "That day...that day we went for an outing, and I happened to run into Lu Er. I found a complaint in his bag! He was suing you and my father!"
"I panicked at the spot, I... I fought with him... and then... then we both wanted to grab the complaint... and then I accidentally... killed him..." The more he spoke, the lower his voice became.
Seeing him so anxious that tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, Xu Hui remembered it all.
After telling everything, Wan Mian began to mumble to himself.
In order to soothe him, Xu Hui had no choice but to step forward and pat Wan Mian on the shoulder, saying soothingly, "It's okay, just kill this bastard. Fortunately, you did it, otherwise we would have been the ones to lose our heads."
Wan Mian didn't expect this. He thought he would be held responsible for this, but he was told that he had done a good thing?
"Don't worry, I will help you get through this."
Xu Hui's words were like a lubricant. Only after getting his promise did Wan Mian finally feel relieved.
He immediately wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and bowed to Xu Hui to express his gratitude.
It was at this moment that Wan Mian truly understood the importance and omnipotence of power. When you are protected by sufficiently powerful power, your behavior becomes the standard of justice.
It was also from this time that the seed that Wan Mian had planted in his heart finally received the water and light it needed, and began to grow wildly.
It can be said that Xu Hui made proper arrangements. A few days later, he casually made up a reason for Lu Er's death: "bandits killed for money", and deliberately captured a bandit and forced him to take the blame.
Even if the bandits tried their best to cry out for justice, the people in the hall did not feel that there was any injustice. In the minds of everyone, bandits were bandits. How could they have suffered any injustice?
Prejudice was as heavy as a mountain, crushing the evil bandit to death in the court.
The death of the bandit also brought the case to an absurd end.
As the real murderer, Wan Mian felt relieved as he was still at large.
Now that he had someone to protect him, he changed from the melancholy he had been feeling a few days ago and became even more determined.
He enjoyed the freedom of escaping prison and spread this happiness in the restaurant.
Xu Niao was helpless about Wan Mian who came home drunk every day. She could only try her best to take care of him but did not dare to ask too many questions.
As he laughed, she thought that perhaps something good had happened to him.
Such absurd days passed day after day. Just when Xu Hui was sitting in the room enjoying his leisure time, the housekeeper hurriedly ran to him.
He asked casually, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
The response he got made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Master... just now, Governor Wu sent someone to report... saying... saying that someone in the imperial court has filed a complaint, accusing you of using inferior timber for the pagoda, causing countless deaths and injuries, and embezzling disaster relief funds. The emperor was furious when he learned of this and immediately sent the Chief Censor to personally investigate the matter... The Chief Censor is about to leave, so what should we do..."
What? An imperial petition? The Chief Censor... coming in person?
This news was a devastating disaster, and it actually reached the ears of the emperor!
Not to mention that his official position will be in danger, if the Lord Zhongcheng comes here, he will definitely be beheaded!
It’s over, it’s completely over!
"What should I do?" Xu Hui was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He kept pacing around the room. He was bound to be convicted of this crime and he couldn't escape.
Seeing that he is doomed, I can't let myself take the blame alone.
No matter what, he will drag Wanzhe into the water!
On this side, Wanzhe also heard the news.
"What? The Chief Censor is here?" He was also visibly panicking.
Wan Mian saw that something was wrong with his father, so he asked about it. Wan Zhe was conflicted, but he still told him everything.
Wan Mian's face turned pale as paper, his pupils dilated, and he was at a loss: "How is this possible? I clearly silenced the person who complained!"
Why? Because there was more than one person filing a complaint with the emperor.
The original ending of the story was that the couple who filed the complaint with the emperor were together and were killed by Wan Mian. But this time, with Chu Mo's guidance, Xiao Lin and Mu You would definitely not let the tragedy happen.
But if they wanted to go to Beijing, there was only that one small road to take, so their encounter with Wan Mian was inevitable.
Xiao Lin and He Muyou were helpless in this regard and had no choice but to tell them the most difficult decision in their lives - only one of the couple could survive.
This is what Xiao Lin said after finding Lu Er and his wife. As for who survives in the end, it is up to them to decide.
However, Lü Er did not hesitate to give his wife Wang's chance of survival: "I am stronger than her. If I am lucky, I might be able to escape. Besides, there are children at home who need to be fed. They cannot lose their mother."
Wang Shi was the same. Even though she knew the journey would be difficult and dangerous, she remained calm and said, "Thank you both for telling us this. I will do my best to reach the Tianling Mausoleum, even if I have to crawl to the Imperial Palace."
Facing the heartless couple, Xiao Lin couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat due to sadness.
When she asked them why they would rather sacrifice their own lives and leave their young son at home to file a complaint, their answers became the source of strength for Xiao Lin in the future when she was in a helpless situation.
"A building is about to collapse, and a single pillar cannot support it. I must stand firm. If everyone in the world is trapped in self-preservation, light will never be able to illuminate the dark corners."
Afterwards, the couple held hands, bowed deeply to Xiao Lin and Mu You, and then resolutely turned around to die.
Yes, Lu Er and his wife risked their lives to bring the long-desired light to this rainy little town.
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