Chapter 57 Unfair
◎Good people don't live long, but bad people live a thousand years?◎
The members of the serious crime squad put down their wine bottles and chopsticks at the same time.
They all sat upright with bright eyes, staring at the middle-aged fat man who was staggering over.
The fat man was drunk and didn't notice anything unusual. He still walked towards this side with his legs spread wide and his eyes blurry.
The further we walked, the more lustful the fat man's eyes became.
[Damn, this boy is so handsome. Even when he's not smiling or talking, he's like a painting just sitting there. He's so damn handsome!] Zhao Xiangwan didn't have to listen carefully to tell what he was thinking from his eyes.
As soon as the fat man approached, Zhu Feipeng stood up and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Close to you guys..." The fat man burped, and the strong smell of alcohol made everyone frown.
Taking advantage of the alcohol, the fat man looked at Ji Zhao with squinted eyes and stretched out his right hand, heading straight for Ji Zhao's face.
The wind began to blow in Ji Zhao's world.
Before Zhu Feipeng moved, Ji Zhao's hand moved.
A pair of wooden chopsticks, as fast as lightning, stabbed straight into the fat man's hand.
Accurate and fast.
"Ah——" A cry of pain was heard, and the fat man shook his hands and took a step back.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Ji Zhao.
There was surprise in Zhu Feipeng's eyes.
——My goodness, Ji Zhao is really fast!
Zhao Xiangwan also saw this scene and his eyes lit up.
——Ji Zhao's concentration and observation skills are different from ordinary people. If he were to learn shooting, he would definitely be a top-notch level!
The fat man held the beer glass in his left hand and looked down at his right hand. Two red and swollen marks on the back of his hand reminded him: this pretty girl actually hit him.
Although Ji Zhao's technique was fast, his strength was not strong. The fat man didn't feel much pain, but he felt very embarrassed. He immediately smashed the beer cup to the ground and said with a twisted mouth: "Shame on you!"
"Bang!" There was a crisp sound, the glass shattered, and the wine splashed everywhere.
Hearing this, the others at the next table all stood up, shouting incoherently: "Dare to make a move? You are stirring up trouble! This is evil!"
The guys in the serious crime squad were all excited. Zhu Feipeng laughed: "Why? Throwing the cup as a signal, are you going to fight?"
Liu Liangju almost died of laughter: "Come on, come on, give it a try."
Zhu Kang rubbed his hands, moved his ankles, and secretly glanced at Xu Songling, thinking to himself, after practicing for so long, the boxing and kicking skills can finally come in handy! Captain Xu was also here today, and he could see clearly that it was the other side who started the fight first, and we were just defending.
The hot pot shop owner was so scared that he ran over, clasping his fists and bowing: "Everyone, everyone, harmony brings wealth, let's talk it out nicely." He pointed across the street and said, "Our shop is right across from the Public Security Bureau. If anything happens, the police will come very quickly."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Feipeng knew that there would be no fight today.
Sure enough, the four people who were so arrogant just now suddenly turned their eyes to the leader Brother Fan, and their attitude became cautious.
Brother Fan stood up from his chair, smiling, and slowly walked to Xu Songling's table. His eyes lingered on Ji Zhao's face, with an indescribable evil in his eyes.
Brother Fan came over, his hands behind his back, calm and composed, and took out a business card and handed it to Ji Zhao: "This little brother is very talented, I wonder where he got his job? I'm Fan Hongwei from the Demolition Office of the Municipal Urban Construction Bureau. Is there a chance we can sit down and have some tea together?"
Without even raising his eyes, Ji Zhao threw the chopsticks in his hand to the ground willfully.
[It's dirty!]
There was undisguised disgust in the boy's voice.
It was the first time someone threw chopsticks in front of him. Fan Hongwei's facial muscles twitched. He obviously didn't expect Ji Zhao to be so disrespectful. The four big men standing behind him also started shouting.
"What? You don't even give face to my brother Fan!"
"Boy, don't be shameless."
"If it weren't for your talent, why would Brother Fan come over to talk to you? You probably don't know Brother Fan's reputation in this industry, right?"
Zhu Feipeng stood up, took the business card from Fan Hongwei, glanced at it, and asked with a smile: "Hey, Director of the Demolition Office of the Urban Construction Bureau, Director Fan has great authority! From what your subordinates said, Director Fan has a great reputation in the underworld? I wonder which underworld?"
The four men who were shouting fiercely just now looked at Fan Hongwei and were stunned at the same time. What? The Public Security Bureau is just across the street. Who dares to call himself a gangster?
[Damn, who suggested eating hot pot opposite the Public Security Bureau? It's so fucking unpleasant! I really want to pick up a bottle of wine and fight them! Our Brother Fan has kung fu skills, and ten of them are no match for him. In the few past years of following Brother Fan, I have a formal organization, a salary, benefits, and can fight openly without anyone pursuing me. It's so cool.]
The fat man's inner voice was loud and clear, and could be heard clearly from two meters away. Zhao Xiangwan narrowed his eyes. This group of people turned from black to white, thinking that they could cover the sky with one hand and were extremely arrogant.
Fan Hongwei's eyes swept across the faces of the people at the table and met Xu Songling's stern, slightly dark face. His pupils shrank and he immediately recognized him. He quickly stretched out his hands and smiled.
"Oh, it's Captain Xu. This is really a flood that has washed away the Dragon King Temple. Family members don't recognize each other. I'm Fan Hongwei, you can just call me Old Fan."
Xu Songling extended his hand and shook his, with a half-smile on his face: "Director Fan, you are a cadre of the Party, you should not engage in underworld tricks."
Fan Hongwei was not embarrassed at all, and continued to smile freely and easily: "I was drunk, and the brothers were just joking. There is no such thing as the underworld or the road."
Seeing Fan Hongwei's attitude became so humble, the fat man asked in confusion, "Brother Fan, who is this person?"
Fan Hongwei raised his hand and slapped him hard on the arm: "Behave yourself! This is the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Officer Xu Songling."
The fat man and the other three men shrank their necks, and thought, "Oh my god, we have met an evil star." Xu Heimian's name is well-known in the underworld. Today, he went out without checking the almanac, and he met a real god.
Gao Guangqiang, who was sitting next to Xu Songling, raised his eyelids and snorted coldly: "Fan Hongwei, Cao Deren, do you two still recognize me?"
The fat man's name was Cao Deren, and he was Fan Hongwei's loyal follower. When he heard the other party call out his name accurately, he squinted at Gao Guangqiang, trying to identify this middle-aged man with a fat body and wrinkled face.
After a while, Cao Deren asked hesitantly, "Gao, Officer Gao?"
Fan Hongwei stared at Gao Guangqiang, his pupils shrank, and his face twitched: "Gao, Officer Gao?"
[Damn, how did this guy get into the serious crime squad? He knows all about my shameful past. It's fucking unlucky to meet him at this time.]
Gao Guangqiang said coldly: "You are a forgetful person. It seems Director Fan has forgotten all about the past."
Although Gao Guangqiang has only been in the Serious Crime Unit for a short time, he is kind and calm, and has the demeanor of an elder, so he quickly got along well with everyone. No one has ever heard him speak to others in such a gloomy tone, which makes everyone feel a little strange.
Fan Hongwei's eyes sparkled, he laughed, motioned his younger brother to bring a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp: "We are old friends, I'll drink first as a sign of respect."
After drinking, Fan Hongwei didn't say another word and left with his men after paying the bill.
Inside the hot pot restaurant, the atmosphere in the serious crime squad was a little heavy.
Zhu Feipeng looked at Gao Guangqiang, who had a gloomy face. "Old Gao, are you familiar with these people? Why do you look so different when you see them?"
The others nodded as well. Yes, Gao Guangqiang is a generous person who never cares about personal gains and losses. He has the best relationships with people in the entire Public Security Bureau. Why did he become a little weird when he saw this guy named Fan?
Xu Songling poured Gao Guangqiang some wine and consoled him, "There's no need to get angry with people who have nothing to do with each other. Old Gao, come on, let's drink."
Gao Guangqiang picked up his wine glass and sighed: "Ten years ago, Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren were truck drivers at the city transportation company. They were taken to the police station for fighting. I worked at the Wufulu Police Station at the time and handled the fight with Cai Chang. Fan Hongwei had practiced martial arts and was ruthless. He beat the other party one against three and sent them to the hospital. If the other party insisted on suing him, he and Cao Deren would inevitably go to jail.
Tsai Chang, Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren were elementary school classmates. Fan Hongwei's father knelt down to plead for mercy, begging him to mediate. Tsai Chang softened his heart and took Fan Hongwei's father to the hospital to plead for mercy. There were three people on the other side, and their injuries were serious. Fan Hongwei was a ruthless guy. left eye, a first-degree minor injury; and another had a ruptured spleen capsule, a first-degree minor injury.
According to the regulations, the crime of intentional injury is punishable by one year. I don't know what Tsai Chang was thinking, but after his mediation, the other party reached a compensation agreement and no case was filed. The Fan family paid the money, but neither Fan Hongwei nor Cao Deren had a criminal record. Because of this incident, Tsai Chang and I had a few arguments.
I remember that Tsai Chang told me at the time that if a fight like this were to be investigated, sent to court, and go through the entire litigation process, it would be a complete waste of social resources and unnecessary. As long as one party sincerely repented, paid money, and received forgiveness, the offender could be given a chance to reform. Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren were only in their twenties, and were full of vigor and vitality. If they were sent to prison, their lives would be over. It would be better to reconcile. "
Gao Guangqiang drank the wine in his hand in one gulp and sighed: "I disagreed with Cai Chang at the time. I thought that evil people like Fan Hongwei should be sent to prison for reform, but Cai Chang insisted at the time, and I didn't say much. Cai Chang and I have worked together for many years. He is kind-hearted and always considerate of others. He is really a very, very good person."
Xu Songling glanced at him and said, "Cai Chang? The deputy director of Wufulu Police Station?"
Recalling the past, Gao Guangqiang's eyes turned red: "Yeah."
Wufulu Police Station? Zhao Xiangwan immediately thought of the suitcase hiding case. When Zhan Xiaolan went missing, Zhan Ping and Jia Junnan reported the case to the Wufulu Police Station. The two police officers in charge at the time were Zhao Xiangwan’s senior Huang Yi and Yao Guocheng, whose hair turned white before he got old.
Everyone in the serious crime squad exchanged glances.
[It turned out to be an old case where Deputy Director Cai was murdered. Alas! This incident… shocked the whole city at the time, but it’s a pity that nothing was found out.]
Zhao Xiangwan was confused. How come she didn't know about the murder of Deputy Director Cai? If it was a case that shocked the whole city, why didn't she hear the professors mention it in the classroom at the Public Security University?
Zhao Xiangwan looked up at Xu Songling: "Master, what's going on?"
Xu Songling glanced at Gao Guangqiang, as if he was afraid of touching his sorrow.
Gao Guangqiang has a gentle personality. Seeing Zhao Xiangwan's curiosity, he patiently explained: "That happened ten years ago. Before I was transferred to the Serious Crime Unit of the Public Security Bureau, I had been a criminal policeman at the Wufulu Police Station. Cai Chang and I went through thick and thin together and were like brothers. In February 1983, Cai Chang became the deputy director. I was very happy for him from the bottom of my heart. We had dinner and drinks together, and then parted ways. The next day, his body was found in the alley on his way home..."
His throat choked with sobs and Gao Guangqiang couldn't continue speaking.
When they heard the name Tsai Chang, everyone in the serious crime team knew what was going on. This case was a provocation to the Xing City Public Security System and a pain engraved in the hearts of Xing City Public Security officers.
——Deputy Director Cai Chang was brutally murdered on a cold winter night, and his service gun was stolen. The case shocked the whole city, and the police investigated with all their strength, but got nothing. Three months later, Dr. Hu Linzhen of Xingshi Third People's Hospital and her family were murdered with the Type 54 pistol that Cai Chang was equipped with. The two cases were combined and remain unsolved to this day.
Xu Songling patted Gao Guangqiang on the shoulder, sighed, and looked at everyone at the table. He said earnestly: "The Cai Chang case has a great impact. Since then, the Municipal Bureau has standardized the regulations on carrying guns. When you apply for a gun when you go out on a police call, you can only receive it after signing. When you return it after completing the mission, you also need to sign. The country has very strict management of guns, just to prevent them from being used by criminals. Just think about it, if anyone can get a gun, how many more murders will there be in the world!"
Zhu Feipeng scratched his head and nodded, "I understand! So... although I sometimes feel troubled, I have never violated the rules."
The table suddenly fell silent.
Policemen were killed and their guns were stolen. This case went unsolved for ten years. This was a great shame for the public security system. Therefore, it was mentioned every year during the criminal police training. However, it was only limited to internal training and was never written into textbooks or mentioned by outsiders.
Therefore, everyone in the serious crime team knew about this case, but Zhao Xiangwan, who was still studying, was not aware of it.
Gao Guangqiang gritted his teeth and held back tears: "Tsai Chang is a good person. Seeing that Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren were young and had a good attitude towards admitting their guilt, he stepped in to mediate, obtained the forgiveness of the party who was beaten, and gave them a verbal education. Then he let them go without leaving a criminal record. But look, ten years have passed, have Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren become better? Haha..."
The last “Haha” was full of bitterness and indescribable melancholy.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan lowered his head and took a sip of soda. The orange-flavored ice soda slid down his throat, refreshing.
Just now, when Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren came over to greet everyone, Zhao Xiangwan wanted to find out what they were thinking, but he only heard their amazement at Ji Zhao's appearance and all kinds of fantasies. It seemed that these were two drunkards who were so bold that they wanted to tease beautiful women when they saw them.
But after listening to Gao Guangqiang's words, Zhao Xiangwan began to have some doubts about Fan Hongwei: How did a truck driver of a transportation company, a gangster who almost had a criminal record because of fighting, get into the Urban Construction Bureau, get a regular position, and become the director of the Demolition Office?
Gao Guangqiang was completely lost in his memories, feeling very heavy.
"Ten years have passed. Tsai Chang died ten years ago, but no one knows who killed him. Tsai Chang was the only son in his family. Not long after his marriage, he passed away. His wife remarried, and his parents died one after another. Every Qingming Festival, the graves were deserted. But you see, ten years have passed, and Fan Hongwei has become a cadre in a state agency. Good people don't live long, but bad people live a thousand years. Alas!"
Gao Guangqiang's eyes were full of desire, burning the hearts of all members of the serious crime team: "It's been ten years. This matter has weighed heavily on my mind for ten years. Cai Chang is a good man, kind-hearted and enthusiastic. As long as the residents in his jurisdiction need help, he will do his best to help, but... I shouldn't have let him go back alone that night. I never thought that someone would dare to attack the police!"
Zhu Feipeng is a warm-hearted man who loves solving cases, especially unsolved cases and mysteries. The harder the case, the more interested he is. He has drunk a little wine and his blood is boiling. He immediately slams the table and says, "Lao Gao, I'll help you!"
Xu Songling pondered in silence.
This case caused a sensation in the city at the time, and the entire public security system was involved. Everything that should be investigated, questioned, and tried was investigated thoroughly. Ten years later, all clues are difficult to trace, and it is too difficult to restart the case now.
Cai Chang was a student of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University. He had a good family background and was professionally trained. The fact that he was able to become the deputy director of a police station at the age of 28 was inseparable from his outstanding criminal investigation ability and his ability to deal with people.
Unfortunately, not long after he became deputy director, he was beaten to death in an alley late at night, and his gun was stolen. After ruling out the options of love killing, revenge killing, and robbery, only one option remained - the criminals took a fancy to the gun on him and wanted to commit a big crime.
This way, more people will be involved.
Three months later, a tragic case occurred in the building of a family of three hospital residents, their property was robbed and their gun was found. This judgment was further verified: the criminals killed people in order to steal the guns, and the purpose of stealing the guns was to break into the house and rob.
The two cases were combined into one. The city police's serious crime unit investigated thoroughly, but found nothing. In 1982, the criminal investigation methods were limited, and there was little evidence left. How to investigate in such a huge crowd of people?
Thinking of this, Xu Songling looked at Gao Guangqiang and said, "Old Gao, I understand how you feel, but this case is too complicated, and it has been ten years, so it is too difficult to investigate." Besides, the Public Security Bureau also has procedures to follow when investigating cases, and they cannot do whatever they want and investigate whomever they want.
Gao Guangqiang lowered his head somewhat depressed, sighed, and turned away.
Seeing that Captain Xu did not agree to reopen the murder case of Tsai Chang, Zhu Feipeng comforted Gao Guangqiang: "Old Gao, don't be discouraged. Justice is clear, and perhaps there will be a turn for the better."
Everyone offered words of comfort.
"Yes, Lao Gao, don't be discouraged. Everyone has kept this case in mind and is just waiting for the murderer to reveal his true identity."
"Yes, the family of the vice president of the hospital was murdered. Three footprints and one faint fingerprint were left at the scene. They are still in the files."
"We don't have any clues right now. It's not the right time to start investigating the old case. Don't rush."
With so many colleagues comforting him, Gao Guangqiang's inner sorrow gradually dissipated, but he no longer had the heart to eat and just drank one glass of wine after another.
After having a good meal and a few drinks, everyone got up and walked out of the hot pot restaurant.
Except for Gao Guangqiang, Xu Songling, and Liu Liangju, all the members of the Serious Crime Unit are single and live in the dormitory. On the way to the dormitory, Zhu Feipeng saw that Xu Songling was not there, and suddenly said, "Xiang Wan, should we investigate the murder of Cai Chang?"
In Zhu Feipeng's eyes, Zhao Xiangwan is the lucky general of the Serious Crime Unit. As long as she wants to investigate a case, there is no case that she can't investigate. The campus poisoning case that had been dormant for eight years was because Zhao Xiangwan wanted to investigate Xu Juncai, so she accidentally found this file, further reopened the case, and finally got to the bottom of it.
Although Zhao Xiangwan is young, he is a master strategist, calm and strong, and has demonstrated superb logical reasoning ability. With Zhou Jingrong's covert poisoning method and Feng Lili's strong psychological quality, didn't she also try to force the two to tell the truth?
Is it possible... is it possible... that she can solve this unsolved case that all the public security forces failed to solve ten years ago?
Zhao Xiangwan heard Zhu Feipeng's thoughts, but he neither said to investigate nor did he say to investigate.
After a while, she looked up at the Peach Blossom Trees in full bloom by the wall. They were lush and beautiful in the night, with a faint scent of flowers wafting over.
Zhao Xiangwan's voice was a little leisurely: "Do you feel that this world is sometimes unfair?"
Zhu Feipeng didn't understand: "Unfair? What's unfair?"
Ji Zhao did not disturb their chat and listened quietly.
Zhao Xiangwan said: "Fan Hongwei, a gangster who received favors from Tsai Chang, became the director of the Urban Construction Bureau's demolition office ten years later. He led a group of friends, yelled, drank, and flirted with beautiful women, and lived a very comfortable life. But what about Tsai Chang, who helped them back then? He died young, and all his family members died. Only a lonely grave, a file, and a sigh are left. Is it fair? It's not fair!"
As the night wind blew, this group of young people full of vigor and vitality suddenly became excited.
He Mingyu, who is usually the gentlest, gritted her teeth and said what she wanted to say just now: "I heard about Cai Chang's murder from my leader when I entered the industry. At that time, I felt that I had to be extremely cautious when going out with a gun, and I couldn't lose my gun even if it meant risking my life. But tonight, when I heard Lao Gao talking about Cai Chang, it was as if a living person was standing in front of me. I felt very uncomfortable. He was a colleague of ours, an excellent policeman, but he was killed by the murderer because of his gun. The murderer committed a tragic crime with a gun, killing four people, and there is still no trace of the murderer. This is a shame for our Xing City Public Security System!"
Zhu Feipeng clapped his hands and said, "Cai Chang was killed, but the gangsters he helped back then have become very successful. To use Lao Gao's own words, good people don't live long, but bad people live for a thousand years. It's not fair!"
The skinny Zhu Kang also said bitterly: "Damn it, it's not fair!"
Huang Yuande, who was full of bookishness, sighed: "If it weren't for Cai Chang's help, Fan Hongwei would definitely have a criminal record. How could he have a chance to start a new life and enter the government? Tsk!"
The tall and strong Ai Hui said fiercely: "Don't help those evil people in the future. We must beat them when they are down!"
Thinking of Fan Hongwei and Cao Deren's attempt to tease Ji Zhao, Zhao Xiangwan sneered: "If we can't investigate Cai Chang's old case, can we investigate Fan Hongwei, the director of the demolition office? I don't believe it. How can a person who breaks people's hands and feet in a fight and a scumbag who teases people in the street become a national cadre? There must be something wrong!"
Zhu Feipeng was eager to give it a try: "Yes! I wanted to have a fight with them just now. If it weren't for the discipline requirements, if it weren't for Captain Xu watching, I would have already taken action just because they dared to tease Ji Zhao."
When Ji Zhao heard his name, his eyes suddenly turned to Zhu Feipeng.
Zhu Feipeng met his gaze and was unconsciously attracted by those black jade-like eyes. He sighed, "Ji Zhao, Ji Zhao, your face is really too beautiful. It's not safe to go out."
Ji Zhao frowned slightly, seeming a little distressed.
Zhao Xiangwan glared at Zhu Feipeng and said, "It's not Ji Zhao's fault that he is good-looking. The fault lies with those people with dirty thoughts! There are so many beautiful men and women in movies and TV shows. Do they hide at home to avoid those perverts?"
Zhu Feipeng learned from Zhao Xiangwan's protection of Ji Zhao and smiled: "You are right, you are right."
Zhu Kang still remembered what Zhao Xiangwan had just said: "Xiangwan, do you mean that you want us to secretly investigate the background of Fan Hongwei, the director of the demolition office? Just like we investigated Xu Juncai originally?"
Zhao Xiangwan nodded: "Yes."
Her intuition told her that Fan Hongwei was definitely not a good person. If you dare to covet Ji Zhao, then wait for investigation!
He Mingyu rubbed his hands excitedly: "Well, I will go to the archives tomorrow to check if there are any files related to Fan Hongwei."
Zhu Feipeng also became interested: "I will go to the Urban Construction Bureau tomorrow and ask what the Demolition Office is about."
Zhu Kang and others also said: "Okay, we have nothing to do tomorrow, let's focus on Fan Hongwei."
If the world is unfair, then let us take control of it!
Under the instigation of Zhao Xiangwan, this group of young people reached some kind of agreement.
At this moment, in a corner of the city, Fan Hongwei returned home humming a little tune.
Walking up to the third floor, Fan Hongwei took out his key and opened the door. The three-bedroom, two-living room dormitory was magnificently decorated, with magnolia wallpaper, leather sofas, European furniture throughout the room, sparkling crystal chandeliers, and colored marble floor tiles, forming a sharp contrast with the plain and old stairwell.
There was no sound in the room.
Fan Hongwei frowned, slammed the key against the cabinet next to the door, and with a "bang!" he shouted drunkenly, "Where's the person? Where did he go?"
A woman in a cotton nightgown ran out of the house in a hurry, her face full of fear, and she said in a low voice: "My son is asleep, don't disturb him."
Fan Hongwei glanced at his wife Gu Wenjiao with sidelong eyes, and Ji Zhao's beautiful face like a fairy flashed through his mind. He felt a fire in his belly, and he walked forward quickly, grabbed the woman into his arms, pushed her down on the sofa, and wanted to have sex with her.
Gu Wenjiao's eyes flashed with pain. She suppressed her inner disgust and begged, "My son just fell asleep. Don't wake him up. If you want it, go inside and do it."
Fan Hongwei held her shoulders with one hand and pinched her chin with the other, forcing her head up. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked into Gu Wenjiao's eyes.
The strong smell of alcohol made Gu Wenjiao a little breathless. She turned her head, revealing the purple fingerprints on her neck.
——These are the marks left by pinching.
When he saw the purple marks, Fan Hongwei's eyes suddenly flashed with madness and bloodthirsty desire, and the strength of his hands holding Gu Wenjiao's shoulders suddenly increased.
Gu Wenjiao was so familiar with his reaction that she noticed Fan Hongwei's gradually heavier breathing, and the pain in his shoulder became more and more severe, and she began to struggle. She didn't dare scream, fearing that too much movement would wake the child, but her muscles tensed up and she was on full alert.
Seeing Gu Wenjiao's silent struggle and weak fear, Fan Hongwei's inner excitement reached its peak. He pushed her down on the sofa and swung his right hand up and down.
One, two, three times.
The dull sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed in the living room.
Gu Wenjiao was too weak to struggle free, so she could only hold her head and silently endure the beating from Fan Hongwei, biting her lips tightly and tears falling from her eyes.
Time passes very slowly.
Gu Wenjiao lay on the sofa, like a dead fish. She looked at the ceiling, the crystal chandelier was very bright, so bright that it was blinding, and the necklace hanging down was swaying slightly, making her dizzy.
My left arm was in so much pain that I had lost feeling, and my right arm was still being whipped. Fortunately, I held my head with both hands to protect my face, so I wouldn't be unable to see anyone tomorrow.
When will this kind of days end?
After an unknown amount of time, Fan Hongwei saw that Gu Wenjiao looked like a dead person, not struggling or resisting. He suddenly felt bored, turned his sore right hand, stood up from her, looked down at her, and spat: "Get up! Pour me a cup of tea."
Gu Wenjiao slowly sat up, swallowed the bloody saliva in her throat, raised her hand to tuck her messy hair behind her ears, and skillfully checked her physical condition.
My arm was in great pain, and I guess it was bruised, red, and swollen. But my hand and foot were still able to move, so it looked like the bones were not broken.
The cheeks were protected by the arms, so there should be no scratches, but due to the shock, there was still some pain;
My chest, waist and abdomen were not hit and I didn't feel any pain.
Finally, Gu Wenjiao came to the conclusion: Fan Hongwei did not attack her vital parts, so she was lucky enough to escape tonight.
Gu Wenjiao stood up. She didn't know where her slippers had been thrown. She didn't dare to look for them. She walked towards the kitchen barefoot like a wandering soul.
Fan Hongwei spat again in frustration: "Boring!" At the beginning, Gu Wenjiao would resist when he beat her. She was so cute when she screamed and fought back. But as time went on, it became more and more boring. Gu Wenjiao didn't move, didn't scream, and didn't resist. She was like a fish on a chopping board for him to slaughter. He didn't feel any sense of accomplishment, which made him lose interest more and more.
Gu Wenjiao endured the pain and went to the kitchen to pour a cup of tea. Looking at the dark red cool tea in the glass, she twitched the corners of her mouth and spat into the cup.
The saliva was mixed with blood and soon merged with the cold tea, and nothing could be seen.
Gu Wenjiao handed the tea to Fan Hongwei, with a hint of excitement in her eyes.
Fan Hongwei glanced at her warily, raised his right hand, and splashed the cup of tea on her face: "Bitch!"
Fan Hongwei's face was terribly gloomy, and he punched Gu Wenjiao in the chest. Gu Wenjiao felt a sharp pain in her chest, which triggered a cough. A salty smell came up, and she vomited with a "Gah..."
The vomit was mixed with some blood foam, which looked scary. But Gu Wenjiao did not cry or shout, and quickly hugged her body with both hands, curled up into a ball, and squatted next to the vomit. After six years of marriage, she knew Fan Hongwei too well. The more she resisted, the more powerful he became. It would be better to calm down and maybe end this process earlier.
Fan Hongwei really stopped. He looked down at Gu Wenjiao and scolded her in a stern voice, "You can't even pour a cup of tea properly, what do I need you as my wife for?"
Gu Wenjiao said nothing.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Fan Hongwei's anger rose again. He snorted coldly, "You are a useless thing, a waste who watched your mother being killed without any resistance. Who else would want you except me?!"
The unbearable past and painful memories flooded into her mind, successfully angering Gu Wenjiao, who had already lost her will to fight. She raised her head suddenly: "I didn't resist! I just didn't know she would be killed, I didn't know--"
Fan Hongwei looked at the vomit on the living room floor with disgust, picked up the glass in his hand, and smashed it at Gu Wenjiao: "You are just a jerk, a useless jerk!"
Gu Wenjiao's body swayed when her shoulder was hit by a glass.
"Bang! Sizzle—"
The cup hit the ground, and glass shards shattered everywhere.
The bedroom door suddenly opened, and a little boy about five years old wearing cotton pajamas and standing barefoot on the ground cried out in a sobbing voice: "Mom, Dad..."
Fan Hongwei stopped beating, glanced at Wen Jiao, left the room full of wolves, stepped over the broken glass on the ground, picked up his son, and smiled: "Tianbao, come, daddy will hold you, don't be afraid, mom and dad are just playing around."
Gu Wenjiao squatted on the ground with her arms folded, looking at the broken glass fragments on the ground. Tears finally fell from her eyes and she murmured to herself: "Mom, Mom..."
How did life become like this?
Gu Wenjiao's life was originally going smoothly.
In May 1982, when she was 20 years old and still studying nursing at a junior college, Gu Wenjiao entered the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Third People's Hospital as a trainee nurse under the arrangement of her mother Zhou Jinfeng, who was the head nurse. As soon as the internship was over at the end of May, she would graduate smoothly and be assigned to the Third Hospital to take over her mother's shift. This was her clear life trajectory.
Gu Wenjiao's father worked at the Wufulu Post Office. Because the housing conditions at the Third Hospital where her mother worked were good, he applied for housing at her place. The new building was built in the late 1970s. It had two bedrooms and a living room, and was a brick-concrete structure on the fifth floor. Gu Wenjiao still remembers that when the whole family moved into the new house on the fourth floor, they jumped for joy at the bright, clean, spacious and comfortable house.
The suite, two bedrooms and one living room, was over 70 square meters, which was an extremely superior housing condition in the 1980s. If Zhou Jinfeng had not been a head nurse, had high qualifications, strong professional skills, and good interpersonal relationships, she would not have been able to get one. However, on May 15th, everything changed.
That day, her father was away on a business trip, so Gu Wenjiao and her mother worked the day shift together. After taking a shower at nine o'clock in the evening, the mother and daughter sat happily on the sofa watching TV.
The hit TV series "Huo Yuanjia" was being played on the black and white TV. The mother and daughter were so engrossed in watching it that suddenly a loud noise came from upstairs.
"Bang!"
Zhou Jinfeng was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look at the balcony, frowned and asked: "What's going on in your Aunt Hu's family?"
At the critical moment, Gu Wenjiao waved her hand nonchalantly: "Ignore them, look, Huo Yuanjia is about to go on stage!"
Zhou Jinfeng pricked up his ears and listened. Every household was watching TV, and the same music and dialogue were coming from outside.
The loud noise just now seemed like an auditory hallucination and had never appeared.
At the end of the second episode, the ending theme song "Who Knows My Heart" began playing on TV.
"Floating with the wind, the road ahead is long. Life must be fought, so there will be no less worries.
Sharing the joys and sorrows, who cares how much the joys and sorrows are. Now that I have you by my side, who cares about the road ahead.
Endless, ominous..."
The mother and daughter listened attentively, and were immersed in the plot and could hardly extricate themselves.
"Zhao Qiannan is so pitiful."
"Yes, even Huo Yuanjia, as a great hero, has his moments of helplessness."
"Bang!"
Suddenly, there was another loud noise from upstairs. Gu Wenjiao and Zhou Jinfeng looked at each other and turned their gaze from the TV to the door.
"What's going on?"
"Did Aunt Hu's upstairs cabinet fall over? It made such a loud noise."
"Let me take a look. Why did the cabinet fall over? Could it be that the couple had a fight?"
Upstairs is the top floor of the fifth floor, where Zhou Jinfeng's good friend, Dr. Hu Linzhen, lives. Hu Linzhen's husband, Xiong Tao, is the director of a savings bank. Like Zhou Jinfeng's family, he has only one daughter, and the family conditions are not bad. In the past two years, for some reason, the couple has always quarreled and has not been at peace.
Hearing this loud noise, Zhou Jinfeng thought that Hu Linzhen and Xiong Tao were fighting again, and hesitated whether to go up and persuade them to stop fighting.
Gu Wenjiao didn't like Xiong Tao. She always felt that he was arrogant after he had some money. When they met him in the corridor, he liked to show off the international brand handbag under his arm and the brand gold watch on his wrist. He would occasionally ridicule her.
"Your mother is a nurse, why does she want you to be a nurse? Listen to your uncle Xiong's advice, nurses are just serving people, the salary is low, the work is tiring, and the night shift lasts all night, and you can't even take care of the family. As a woman, you just need to take care of the family, why bother yourself so much!"
But Xiong Tao was the elder, so Gu Wenjiao could not talk back and could only respond with a few random words. Later, whenever she saw Xiong Tao, Gu Wenjiao would consciously avoid him, so as not to be dazzled by the gold watch on his wrist and hurt by his smug and boastful face.
Seeing her mother was about to go up to meddle in other people's business, Gu Wenjiao curled her lips and said, "Mom, don't bother with them. They fight when a couple fights, but they make up at the foot of the bed. If you go over there, you'll be annoying."
Zhou Jinfeng hesitated for a moment: "Okay..."
"Boom!" Before he finished speaking, there was another loud noise.
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