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A gust of wind blew by, and the trees rustled. However, the pine trees standing in the cemetery, like soldiers on guard, let out a series of mournful cries.
The silence of the cemetery was terrifying.
Looking at the aged and bewildered Uncle Wang, Ye Wenyu comforted him, "If you think like this, what will happen to your two children?"
Uncle Wang shook his head sadly and said in a hoarse voice, "They'll be going to university soon. They'll need help finding jobs, girlfriends, getting married, and buying houses. I'm so useless; I can't help them at all." Uncle Wang's voice was filled with helplessness.
Ye Wenyu could feel the helplessness of being poor, that is, you try your best, but you are powerless to change anything.
Her father was that kind of man, and her stepfather was the same kind of man. It wasn't that they didn't try, but that their efforts were in vain.
Uncle Wang continued in a hoarse voice, "So, to the children, I'm just a burden to them. I'm so sorry for them!"
Uncle Wang's voice was filled with deep self-reproach. He said sadly, "After your mother passed away, I didn't know how to clean the house or cook, so the two children don't come back much anymore. I have a lot of free time now. I often come here to see your mother and talk to her. When I sit next to the tombstone, I feel like she's still alive and by my side."
Ye Wenyu was stunned and a little scared. Her stepfather's words seemed to come from another world. He seemed to have an indescribable longing for death. She was really worried that Uncle Wang would one day have a change of heart and take his own life. She never expected that her mother's death would be such a big blow to Uncle Wang.
She thought for a moment and voiced her doubts. She said to Uncle Wang, "Uncle, have you ever considered that Mother couldn't have committed suicide?"
Unexpectedly, Uncle Wang nodded and suddenly raised his voice to her, saying, "For the past six months, I've been thinking about this every day. I can't believe she would commit suicide. Although I'm not very capable, I'm honest and upright, and I've always been devoted to her. She has told me countless times that she likes me as a person and that she married me because I'm a good person. She has no other intentions and doesn't make any other demands on me. So she would never jump off a building to commit suicide just because she thinks I'm not capable of making money."
Uncle Wang's eyes were red, and his face showed an expression of disbelief. Ye Wenyu thought painfully, her mother had been gone for half a year, yet Uncle Wang still couldn't accept the fact that she had jumped off the building and committed suicide.
It turned out that the stepfather also didn't believe that the mother would commit suicide. Uncle Wang's eyes reddened as he continued, "I always hoped that she would come to me in a dream and tell me the reason for her suicide, but I waited and waited, and she never came to me in a dream. I never understood. Xiaoyu, think about it, if your mother committed suicide, then I am a murderer. I forced her to commit suicide. My heart is not in turmoil!"
Tears welled up in Uncle Wang's eyes, and Ye Wenyu immediately squatted down. Today, when she took this flowerpot down from the rooftop, she put it in a black plastic bag, which she had been carrying with her the whole way.
She took the empty flowerpot out of the bag, placed it in front of Uncle Wang, and said to him, "Uncle, look—"
Uncle Wang paused, examined the flowerpot closely, and asked her, "Is this your mother's flowerpot?"
How did you know?
Ye Wenyu was somewhat surprised and glanced at her stepfather.
A gust of wind swept across the cemetery, ruffling the hem of her stepfather's clothes and tousling Ye Wenyu's long hair. The tall grass around the grave had withered and turned yellow, lying flat on the ground.
Uncle Wang smiled, a hint of warmth reminiscing about the past appearing on his face. He said to her, "Of course I know, because I helped her buy this flowerpot online. She likes to grow flowers, but the flowers and pots at the flower and bird market are very expensive, and she couldn't bear to spend the money. So we discussed buying flowerpots and seeds online and digging soil from the countryside. That's why I know this flowerpot is hers. It's very cheap, averaging two yuan each. Where did you get it from?"
“The rooftop. I came home today and saw you weren’t home, so I went to the rooftop to see where Mom jumped—” She paused here, her voice beginning to choke. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and let the pain subside before calming herself down and saying, “I wanted to see where she jumped, and that’s when I found these flowerpots. There are probably a hundred of them on the rooftop.”
Uncle Wang nodded and said, "Yes, your mother likes to grow flowers, and all the flowers on the roof are planted by her."
Ye Wenyu looked at the flowerpot and said to her stepfather, "So, Uncle Wang, do you think my mother would commit suicide? She raised so many flowers before she did!" As she spoke, she raised her voice and became agitated.
How could someone who grows hundreds of potted plants on the rooftop commit suicide? She had spent countless happy mornings and evenings here; the rooftop, with its blooming flowers, had practically become her private garden.
My mother was the kind of person who would strive to grow, blossom, and bear fruit even when living in the cracks of rocks; she possessed the tenacious and optimistic spirit of a weed.
Uncle Wang shook his head and said to her, "The day before she committed suicide, she said the flowers upstairs were out of water, so she went to water them. She also told me that she planned to buy some more pots next year to plant some vegetables, like cucumbers and tomatoes. That way, she would have a garden and a vegetable patch, and she could save money on groceries every day, which is a lot of living expenses. After she didn't have to buy groceries, she could buy herself some pretty clothes. She asked me if I agreed, and of course I agreed." Hearing this, Ye Wenyu stood up as if burned. Her eyes widened, and her suspicions deepened. She put the flowerpots back in the bag, and Uncle Wang stood up with her.
The wind grew stronger, like a marching army, carrying the mournful sounds of grass and trees, as if the spirits of the dead were singing.
Ye Wenyu took out her wallet and pulled out all the cash she had on her, a total of eight hundred yuan. She stuffed it all into Uncle Wang's hand and said to him, "Uncle, I'm going back now. I didn't buy you anything this time. Take this money and buy yourself something nice to eat. You must cheer up; your two younger brothers still need you."
However, no matter what, her stepfather refused to accept her money, so Ye Wenyu had no choice but to forcibly put the money into his pocket and then hurriedly left.
Her stepfather stood there, watching her retreating figure, his eyes reddening.
On her way home, Ye Wenyu's phone rang. Lost in thought, she took it out and saw it was Lin Tingfeng calling. It was dusk, and twilight enveloped the area like a light veil.
Her hand trembled slightly. Her mother's death resurfaced in her mind.
Lin Tingfeng was probably worried about her because she had been out all day, so he called her. Looking at the rapidly flashing number on her phone screen, Ye Wenyu felt a mix of nervousness and fear. Her mother's death didn't seem like suicide; it must have been homicide. Her mother's suicide attempt seemed to be related to Lin Tingfeng.
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