Chapter 87: Only fifteen years?!
The lawyer was someone Zhao Fei had to ask several people for help to find; he was said to be very experienced in defense.
His surname is Chen. He wears gold-rimmed glasses and speaks slowly and deliberately, yet each word is clear.
In a private room at a teahouse, Attorney Chen pushed a stack of neatly prepared materials in front of Zhao Fei, listing detailed evidence in the Zhao Qingda poisoning case.
"Mr. Zhao, that's the situation."
Attorney Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Poisoning is an act of extreme malice, causing serious injury to one person and the death of a pet, with a terrible social impact. Legally speaking, it's enough to warrant a severe sentence. But..."
He looked at Zhao Fei's tense face: "Several factors are favorable to Zhao Qingda. First, his attitude in admitting guilt is... quite thorough. Second, the seriously injured child was rescued, and there was no serious death. Third, he claimed that he was in a state of mental instability due to long-term 'oppression' and 'stimulation'—of course, this requires professional evaluation. Fourth, he himself... belongs to the lower class of society, has a disability, and suffers from illness. When sentencing, the court sometimes takes a little bit of humanitarian factors into consideration."
Zhao Fei tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes somber: "What's the worst possible sentence? The death penalty?"
Attorney Chen shook his head: "Based on the current evidence and circumstances, as well as current judicial practice, the possibility of a death sentence with immediate execution is extremely low. The most likely outcome is life imprisonment, and that's an overestimation."
"Life imprisonment?" Zhao Fei chewed on these two words, the coldness in his eyes almost freezing into ice.
A life sentence means that Zhao Qingda can still live, breathe somewhere, and may even be released on parole in the future.
As long as he lives, he is like a bomb that could explode at any moment for Zhao Fei.
"Is there no other way?" Zhao Fei's voice was low and filled with resentment.
Attorney Chen adjusted his glasses, looking at him calmly, his tone still professional, yet full of meaning:
"Mr. Zhao, the law has its procedures and standards. All we can do is strive for the most severe punishment within that framework. As for what happens after the verdict..."
He gently set down his teacup. "Prison has its rules. Life inside isn't necessarily better than outside. Do you... understand what I mean?"
Zhao Fei understood.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding, forcibly suppressing his violent urge to kill.
"I understand. Attorney Chen, everything will be done according to the rules. Don't worry about the fees."
After a week's closure, "Xiaoxiao Clothing" has reopened its roller shutters.
The glass windows were sparkling clean, and a handwritten red paper notice was posted at the entrance: "As a token of our gratitude, all items in this store are 12% off for one week."
The allure of the discounts lessened the shadow of the poisoning incident.
In addition, Wen Xiaoxiao is warm and welcoming, and her clothes are stylish and affordable, so her old customers have gradually returned, and she has also brought new friends.
The store gradually returned to its former liveliness. Although it was not as popular as before, it was finally back on track.
Sun Mei became increasingly meticulous and thoughtful in her work, which allowed Wen Xiaoxiao to finally catch her breath.
Wen Xiaogai remained sullen, often staring blankly at Hu Zi's empty little basket.
Without that cheerful little dog wagging its tail, the house seems to have lost a lot of its vitality.
Wen Xiaoxiao and Zhou Lanying discussed finding a puppy for the child once he calmed down, but neither of them dared to mention it for the time being.
Zhao Fei focused his main energy on "solving" the Zhao Qingda issue, and thus couldn't attend to the preparations for the new cannery.
He approached Wenbin and presented him with a thick stack of plans and related materials.
"Regarding the cannery, you can help me with the preliminary investigations, site selection, and dealing with the local government. I've been... a bit tied up with other things lately." Zhao Fei rubbed his temples, his eyes showing faint dark circles.
Because Han Manjuan was pregnant, Wen Xiaoxiao discussed with Zhao Fei that they shouldn't know about it, for fear of worrying them.
Wenbin took the documents, flipped through a few pages, and said, "Okay, give them to me. I'll go and find out what's going on first, and then I'll explain it to you in detail."
In order to quickly establish a foothold, Wenbin, imitating the business practices of the time, invited several key department heads and prominent local figures to sing and build relationships at the newly opened and trendiest "Blue Moon" dance hall in the city.
The dance hall was dimly lit and filled with deafening music, where brightly dressed men and women swayed and danced on the dance floor.
Wenbin wasn't used to this kind of occasion, but he still managed to keep up the pleasantries.
Midway through the session, the manager brought in several female escorts for the guests to choose from.
Wenbin glanced casually, and his gaze swept over one of the women who was looking down, her face still showing signs of haggardness despite the heavy makeup. He suddenly stopped.
Although the lighting was dim and the makeup was heavy and gaudy, that figure, that profile... it was clearly Wang Juan!
Wang Juan seemed to sense the gaze, raised her head, and their eyes met.
Her face drained of color instantly, and she instinctively turned her head away, wanting to back away.
Wenbin felt only bad luck. He immediately waved his hand at the manager and said coldly, "Change it. Don't want this one."
The manager was replaced by a younger, prettier girl.
The singing and laughter continued inside the private room.
When she got home, Han Manjuan smelled the smell of smoke, alcohol, and perfume on him, and she was a little unhappy.
She became emotionally sensitive after becoming pregnant, and asked with a long face, "You went to those shady places? Wenbin, let me tell you, don't go astray! We're going to have a baby soon, you need to be serious!"
Wenbin quickly explained with a smile, "Honey, what are you thinking! It was about helping Zhao Fei with the cannery business, a social engagement, I had no choice. I just sang a few songs and had a couple of drinks, that's all! I know what I'm doing, don't worry!"
After appeasing Han Manjuan, Wenbin still couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen in the dance hall.
Two days later, he found some free time and went to Wen Xiaoxiao's shop. When there were no customers, he mentioned it to her.
“…That’s how I saw her at ‘Blue Moon’. She was so thin she was unrecognizable, and her face was covered in makeup like plaster.” Wenbin shook his head. “I immediately had her replaced. Xiaoxiao, what kind of situation is this…”
Wen Xiaoxiao was sewing buttons onto a shirt when she heard this, and her needle and thread paused for a moment.
Wang Juan... this name seems as distant as a past life.
She even needed a moment to process it before she remembered.
She lowered her head and continued her work, her voice calm and unwavering: "Whether she lives or dies, whether she is good or bad, it has nothing to do with us anymore."
Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, why bring her up? You're busy, I'm leaving."
A few days later, Wenbin accompanied his client to "Blue Moon" again.
This time, he witnessed a farce.
In the noisy back alley of the nightclub, two heavily made-up women were fighting, pulling each other's hair, their curses shrill and piercing.
Several dance hall security guards and passersby who were watching the commotion pointed and whispered, but no one stepped forward to break up the fight.
Wenbin didn't want to get involved, but one of the people fighting was none other than Wang Juan!
The other one, slightly younger, hurled particularly vile insults: "...You old slut! Trying to steal my business? Take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror! Wrinkled face, filthy disease, what man would want you!"
Wang Juan, like a mad tiger, screamed back, "You're the one who's sick! You shameless bitch! It was you who gave me that filthy disease! I'll fight you to the death!"
The two rolled on the ground, their clothes torn and tattered, revealing some unsightly marks on their bodies.
Wenbin frowned and watched from afar, finally piecing together the gist of their argument: the other woman, whose name seemed to be Ruomei, had also had an affair with Zhao Qingda before, and he didn't know how she ended up here.
The two rekindled their old grudges over competing for customers, and both old and new hatreds erupted at once.
Eventually, the security guards couldn't stand it anymore and forcibly separated the two, dragging them away while they were both cursing.
The alleyway fell silent.
Wenbin shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips.
These two women, along with Zhao Qingda, were like maggots in a swamp of mud, tearing at each other and sinking deeper and deeper.
Fortunately, my sister had long since left that swamp.
Zhao Qingda's verdict has finally been delivered.
As Attorney Chen predicted, the death sentence was not handed down.
Taking into account factors such as the fact that the poisoning did not directly cause death and the defendant's attitude in admitting guilt, the court sentenced Zhao Qingda to 15 years in prison and deprived him of his political rights for life.
When the news arrived, Zhao Fei was surveying the newly preliminarily selected site for the cannery.
He received the call, heard the results, and remained silent for a long time.
An overwhelming surge of anger and resentment welled up in his heart once again.
15 years? That's too lenient on him!
He abandoned what was happening at the scene and drove straight to Attorney Chen's firm.
"Why not the death penalty?! At the very least, why not life imprisonment!" Zhao Fei stared at Attorney Chen. "That was premeditated murder! If it weren't for the timely rescue, that child would be gone! His target was my whole family! What's the use of keeping such scum alive?"
Attorney Chen seemed to have anticipated his reaction, signaling his assistant to pour him a glass of water while he calmly sat behind his desk.
"Mr. Zhao, please calm down. The verdict is based on a comprehensive consideration of the existing laws and evidence. I understand your feelings, but that's how legal procedures work."
He looked at Zhao Fei's still tense face, lowered his voice, and said with a professional coldness: "The verdict is just the beginning. Once you're in prison, that's when you're truly 'serving your sentence.' The world there... the rules are different. Life won't be easy in the hard-core offender ward. And the sentences are long; anything can happen. Often, we don't need to do anything; time and society... will naturally handle the mess."
Zhao Fei understood.
The anger in his eyes was gradually replaced by a deeper contemplation.
He slowly leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
Yes, prison... that's the real hell.
Let Zhao Qingda suffer inside, let the pain and despair torment him. It might be more satisfying than ending it with a bullet, and perhaps more... leaving no trace.
“Thank you, Attorney Chen.” Zhao Fei finally spoke, his voice regaining its calmness, even becoming somewhat too calm. “Attorney Chen, there may be other areas where I need your help. I will pay the fees on time.”
“No problem.” Attorney Chen nodded with a smile.
The cannery project has officially started.
Zhao Fei became extremely busy, handling everything from site selection and approvals to securing loans, contacting equipment suppliers, and recruiting initial management and technical personnel—a multitude of tasks.
He often left home before dawn and returned home exhausted late at night, sometimes even living in a temporary shed at the construction site for several days in a row.
Wen Xiaoxiao saw it all and felt sorry for him, but she also supported him.
She knew Zhao Fei was harboring a deep-seated resentment.
Not just for career,
Perhaps it was also to use being busy to dilute the resentment towards the verdict.
It's that time of year again to stock up on seasonal goods.
Autumn clothes are coming out soon.
This time, instead of discussing it with him as usual, she quietly booked the train tickets and prepared the purchase list on her own.
The night before she left, she told Zhao Fei, "I'm going south tomorrow to buy autumn clothes. You don't need to go this time; there's a lot going on at the factory, and you can't leave. Sun Mei will come with me; she can look after me on the way."
Zhao Fei looked up from a pile of blueprints, paused for a moment, and his first reaction was still: "No, you can't do it alone..."
“It’s not just one person, Sun Mei will go.” Wen Xiaoxiao interrupted him, her tone gentle but firm. “Zhao Fei, I’m not a child anymore. I’ve walked that road many times, I know the stall owners there, and Mr. Zheng is there too. I can do it. You can focus on your factory.”
Looking into her confident eyes, Zhao Fei suddenly realized that his Xiaoxiao was no longer the woman he needed to protect at all times.
She has her own career, her own ideas, and the ability to stand on her own.
A mix of emotions welled up inside him, but in the end, it turned into trust and support.
He walked over and hugged her: "Be careful on the road. Call me every day. When you see Zheng Shangyu... come back as soon as you've finished your business, don't stay any longer."
Wen Xiaoxiao chuckled softly in his arms: "Okay."
Returning to the South, Wen Xiaoxiao was familiar with the place.
She first contacted Zheng Shangyu and arranged to have a meal together.
Zheng Shangyu no longer simply runs a design studio; he has raised funds to start a small garment factory. Although it is not large in scale, it is already on the right track, and he is full of ambition.
"Xiaoxiao, you've improved so quickly," Zheng Shangyu genuinely praised. "The store is thriving, and your eye for business is getting sharper. Any ideas for this autumn's collection?"
Wen Xiaoxiao was exchanging her views on this year's autumn and winter fashion trends with him, holding the latest fashion magazine in her hand and pointing out the styles in it.
She found that she could keep up with Zheng Shangyu's train of thought and even offer some suggestions for improvement based on the actual situation in the northern market.
Zheng Shangyu listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
This time, Wen Xiaoxiao was much more at ease when making the purchase.
With a clear goal in mind, she selected a batch of autumn clothes with elegant styles and slightly novel designs, including trench coats, sweaters, trousers, and skirts, and bought some of them in combination.
They also have more confidence when negotiating prices.
She didn't linger. After finishing her business and sending off the railway freight, she took Sun Mei and boarded the train for their return journey.
The train rumbled northward, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from the lush greenery of the south to the sparse landscape of the north.
Wen Xiaoxiao leaned back in her chair, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility.
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