Chapter 20 of the Dark Lady
This winter was cold and gloomy, but Gao Xing wrapped himself in a thick down jacket, feeling warm inside. Yang Guang had found this jacket in a trash can in the city. Although it had been thrown away as garbage, it was still in very good condition.
Chinese New Year is approaching, and Gao Xing is going to the farmers' market to buy some New Year's goods. Yang Guang loves dumplings stuffed with chives and eggs, and she's very careful in choosing them, picking out the yellowed and withered leeks one by one, leaving the fresh ones to be weighed. She needs to be frugal, as she needs to buy some clothes for the children and some toys. Gao Xing carefully calculates her expenses for the day and decides to use the remaining money on some New Year pictures and amulets. She doesn't "invite" the God of Wealth like others do; she simply wants her little family to be safe and sound.
Two people squeezed out of the stall that was "inviting" the God of Wealth and accidentally saw Gao Xing. They whispered a few words to each other and then left quickly.
When Gao Xing returned home, he first looked at his daughter in bed. The child was plump and chubby, unlike Gao Xing's frail self. Gao Xing changed her diaper, fed her some milk, and rocked her gently to sleep. Then, Gao Xing washed the vegetables and prepared dinner. Even with the Lunar New Year approaching, Yang Guang still had to go out to find a living. He only had two days off: the 30th and the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The door of the hut was suddenly kicked open, and the person outside was not Yang Guang, but Gao Wang. Gao Shuigen and others stood behind Gao Wang, staring at Gao Xing with cold eyes.
The cold winter wind blew into the house through the open door, blowing away the happy hair and smile.
Gao Wang walked in, looked around, and curled his lips.
"I was wondering why I couldn't find you. Turns out you were hiding here."
The baby in the bed was startled awake and started crying. Gao Xing walked to the bed and stood in front of Gao Wang.
Gao Shuigen walked in and looked at Gao Xing for a long time. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, he sighed.
"You've been supported by your family for so many years in vain, and you're pretending to be crazy! Where did this child come from?"
"It's none of your business where it comes from."
Gao Shuigen glared and said, "Come home with me!"
Gao Xing stood still like a nail.
"Go home? Do you want me to sell you out again? This is my home, I'm not going anywhere!"
Gao Wang didn't allow any explanation and grabbed Gao Xing and dragged him out. Gao Wang was young and strong, and even though Gao Xing tried his best, he was still dragged out the door bit by bit.
"What do you do?"
Yang Guang just came back and saw a group of people gathered at his door. Gao Xing was being dragged out by a man, so he immediately blocked their way.
Gao Shuigen felt extremely annoyed when he saw an old and ugly man coming over.
"She's my woman. She was kidnapped. We're here to look for her today! What are you doing?"
"I'm her man!"
Gao Wang glanced at Yang Guang, then said sarcastically, "Man? I think it's a human trafficker! You kidnapped my sister, and this matter is not over yet!"
Gao's wife also joined in, rolling her eyes.
Yang Guang usually doesn't talk much to people, so he can't argue with so many people in the Gao family. Yang Guang's face flushed with anger, and he simply pushed Gao Wang away, intending to take Gao Xing back.
Gao Wang was pushed back two steps by Yang Guang and almost fell. He was so angry that his face turned red that an old and poor guy dared to attack him.
Gao Wang grabbed Yang Guang's collar.
"You dare to push me? I'm telling you, if you don't take a hundred thousand or eighty thousand, I'll put you in jail!"
Gao Wang said this and gave Yang Guang a strong push. Yang Guang lost his balance and fell backwards. Yang Guang made a living by collecting scrap metal, and his yard was littered with waste. Yang Guang's head landed on a piece of scrap metal, and soon a large amount of blood was flowing.
Gao Xing had recovered a lot after such a long period of recuperation. But when she saw Yang Guang lying on the ground with blood flowing from the back of his head, her spirit collapsed again.
Inside a seafood stall, Jie Qianchou and Yan Ran sat opposite each other. The table was filled with a variety of dishes, mostly vegetables and small seafood. Although Yan Ran had fulfilled her promise to treat Jie Qianchou to a meal upon her return to Wulin City, she still kept a tight rein on the cost when ordering.
"Is your medical record authentic?"
Xie Qianchou felt a little unbelievable when he heard Yan Ran talk about his happy past. He couldn't imagine that the family affection in some families could be so cold.
"I can only say that these are what my teacher told me, and he is Gao Xing's attending physician."
After returning from Tiantang Town, Yan Ran went to the Jingwei Center. She used to be a consultant there, and with this connection, she was able to quickly find out about Gao Xing's situation.
After Yang Guang's death, Gao Wang called the police. Because there were no signs of a struggle at the scene, and Gao Xing was ill, and more importantly, Yang Guang had no relatives, the police accepted Gao Wang's testimony and closed the case as an accidental death. Gao Xing was forcibly sent to the Jingwei Center in Wulin City for treatment, while their child was raised by the Gao family. After long-term treatment, Gao Xing's condition met the requirements for discharge, and she recently returned to the Gao family.
"That's not right. I haven't seen any children in the Gao family." Jie Qianchou said while eating.
"Gao Xing gave birth to a girl. Do you think the Gao family will treat that child the same way they treated Gao Xing?"
After hearing Yan Ran's inference, the little octopus in Jie Qianchou's mouth fell out.
"It's terrifying when you think about it! This is much more terrifying than the Skeleton Bride killing people."
Jie Qianchou wiped his mouth and tapped the table with one finger.
"Where is the case? Can you show it to me?"
"What are you thinking? The patient's information is confidential. I haven't even seen the case. This is all what my teacher told me personally. He's my teacher and the best doctor in the hospital. I believe he wouldn't lie to me."
"Oh, don't get excited. I was wondering if her happy experience was just a delusion after she became ill."
Yan Ran supported his temples with two fingers and thought for a while.
"Gao Xing suffers from a stress-induced psychological disorder. This disorder often causes temporary confusion in the brain due to a sudden shock or stimulation, and theoretically could be accompanied by paranoia. So it made sense for the police not to file a case at the time."
"To put it bluntly, those happy experiences you just mentioned were probably all just her imaginations."
"right."
"wrong."
"ha?"
"You said she has a stress-related psychological disorder. If her experience is fabricated, where does her stress come from?"
"As an outsider, don't take it literally. Stress can occur for many reasons, such as Yang Guang's death."
"Then let me ask you again, where did Gao Xing go? Why did Gao's wife treat Gao Xing so badly? Where did the photo she held before dying come from? Weren't those murders premeditated revenge? Could such an elaborate plan be orchestrated by a psychopath?"
Yan Ran blinked and paused for a moment, then started to lose his temper.
"Are you asking me? I was just helping you check Gao Xing's situation. What does her madness have to do with me? You're such a fool!"
Jie Qianchou touched his nose, then smiled awkwardly and poured a drink into Yan Ran's cup.
"Yes, yes, how about I say thank you to you."
Yan Ran rolled his eyes.
"Yes, so I have to treat you."
Jie Qianchou quickly changed the subject.
"Actually, what I want to know most is where Gao Xing learned this trick."
Yan Ran shrugged, indicating that he was powerless.
Jie Qianchou was distracted for a moment, and then seemed to be talking to himself.
"Is Tian Xiaohu afraid of the wedding or the bride? Are those villagers really unaware of what Zhu Tuzi is up to?"
Yan Ran recalled the dark cellar and the blood-stained "正" characters on the wall.
Jie Qianchou looked at the time.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Anyway, I'm very happy to meet you."
Jie Qianchou suddenly became serious, and Yan Ran felt a little uncomfortable.
Jie Qianchou pointed to the dishes on the table.
"Thank you for your hospitality. If you don't mind, I'll pack up some leftovers."
Yan Ran blinked and said "Oh".
Jie Qianchou smiled politely and nodded to Yan Ran.
"Excuse me for a moment."
After Jie Qianchou got up and left, the waiter came over with the bill. Yan Ran took the bill and was shocked when he saw the amount.
"I just ordered some small seafood, why is it so expensive?"
The waiter politely replied, "Ma'am, the gentleman at your table just packed two portions of king crab."
The bill in Yan Ran's hand fell to the ground at some point.
"King crabs... two more!?"
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