No matter how the police interrogated him, Zeng Mingliang remained speechless. Every day, apart from eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating, Zeng Mingliang sat in a daze, like a mute. He neither admitted nor denied that he had abused Wang Xiaona.
From the time Niu Mingfang reported the case to the police until today, the case has been under investigation for seven or eight days. Geng Xiaoliang, the primary investigator, and two other officers have been conducting daily visits to investigate whether Wang Xiaona and Zeng Mingliang have any issues.
Unfortunately, everyone who knows the couple says that Zeng Mingliang and Wang Xiaona are a loving couple.
Geng Xiaoliang asked Zeng Mingliang if he might have murdered Wang Xiaona because of her troubles. All his acquaintances shook their heads, saying it was impossible. If Zeng Mingliang had wanted to murder Wang Xiaona, he would have done it ten years ago. Why wait until now? Ten years ago, Wang Xiaona had contracted a strange illness. Zeng Mingliang didn't need to do anything; if he hadn't taken even a little care, Wang Xiaona wouldn't be alive today.
The case can no longer be investigated further.
Could it be that Zeng Mingliang had truly done nothing to harm Wang Xiaona? Then...why had Wang Xiaona become so emaciated, lying in bed, unable to speak and without any strength? Wang Xiaona had become like this, having not eaten or drunk for seven or eight days, yet she still hadn't died. What was the reason?
These mysteries piled up in Geng Xiaoliang's mind. Wang Xiaona's plight was such that no police officer who witnessed it could help but shed tears. If Zeng Mingliang was truly the murderer responsible for Wang Xiaona's tragic condition, he must not be allowed to escape justice. If Zeng Mingliang hadn't done it, Geng Xiaoliang couldn't casually convict him. Geng Xiaoliang was caught in a dilemma.
Zeng Mingliang's mother, Chen Yuzhu, went to her sister's house in the countryside to relax after an argument at her son's house that day.
Yesterday afternoon, when he was about to get off work, Geng Xiaoliang received a call from the neighborhood committee where Chen Yuzhu lived, saying that Chen Yuzhu had returned home.
Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Geng Xiaoliang planned to visit Chen Yuzhu's home today to ask her what the quarrel between her and her son and daughter-in-law was about that day. After all, all these things happened after that quarrel.
"Geng Xiaoliang, I have some idea of the reasons behind this matter, but I'd like to go with you to meet a few people involved before we can make a final judgment." After listening to Geng Xiaoliang's account, Zhou Yuanyuan felt she had a clue. However, to determine whether her judgment was correct, she needed to meet with Wang Xiaona and the others.
"Great! Zhou Yuanyuan, I knew I was looking for you!" Geng Xiaoliang shouted happily. Peng Youliang and his wife, who were sitting in the distance, thought Geng Xiaoliang was making a "love confession" to Zhou Yuanyuan, and they made faces at each other and laughed.
"Let's go! Let's go see Chen Yuzhu first." Zhou Yuanyuan stood up first. It was getting late, and resolving this matter sooner would save Wang Xiaona some pain.
Geng Xiaoliang and Zhou Yuanyuan came to Chen Yuzhu's house. Chen Yuzhu was carrying a basket and preparing to go out to buy vegetables.
Zhou Yuanyuan glanced around. Chen Yuzhu lived in the same small building where she had come to exorcise Wang Xiaona ten years ago. Ten years later, the building looked much older. The furniture and furnishings in Chen Yuzhu's home remained the same as they had been ten years ago, though they had also become much older.
It looked like the Zeng family hadn't had an easy time these past few years. It was no wonder, Wang Xiaona had such a "disease" that she couldn't do anything, and the family had to rely on Zeng Mingliang alone to earn money to support the family, which was indeed a bit difficult.
After hearing Geng Xiaoliang's intentions, Chen Yuzhu threw away the basket of vegetables in her hand, wiped away her tears, and began to sob, "What misfortune our family has! We married a jinx. My son Mingliang is almost forty, and he doesn't even have a child. That damn woman Wang Xiaona has been ill for over a decade, dragging down the whole family. If she wanted to die, she could have just died sooner, but she had to drag my son Mingliang down with her. How vicious!"
"Auntie, I see that your family is not very wealthy, and your place is quite spacious. Why did Zeng Mingliang and the others move to Taohua Community? Wouldn't they have to pay more rent?" Geng Xiaoliang was a qualified public security officer. Naturally, he would not be led astray by Chen Yuzhu's purpose of coming here, so he asked his questions directly.
"Ah~!" Chen Yuzhu sighed and said, "My relationship with my daughter-in-law Wang Xiaona is not very good. We had a fight two months ago, and my son Mingliang protected Wang Xiaona, so we moved."
Whenever Chen Yuzhu thought about this, she couldn't stop crying. She lost her husband at a young age, and for the sake of her son, Chen Yuzhu never remarried. She raised her son alone and started a family. Just when she thought that the future was good, reality dealt her a heavy blow.
Wang Xiaona was seriously ill and unable to work. The doctor also said that she would never be able to have her own children in her lifetime.
Chen Yuzhu's biggest wish was for Zeng Mingliang to give birth to a son to carry on the family line. Wang Xiaona's frail health would surely be looked down upon by Chen Yuzhu, and living together as a family was bound to have its ups and downs.
"Auntie, before the New Year, you went to Taohua Community and had a quarrel with Zeng Mingliang and others, right? I want to ask what you quarreled about that day?" Geng Xiaoliang took the opportunity to start the second question.
"I went to Mingliang that day to discuss something." Chen Yuzhu wiped the tears from her eyes, sighed, and said, "Wang Xiaona has been married to my family for more than ten years and has been ill for ten years. The doctor said that Wang Xiaona's body will never allow her to have her own children in this lifetime. My father died early, and Mingliang is the only descendant of the Zeng family. I worked hard to raise Mingliang, and I can't just watch the Zeng family die out!"
When the issue of children came up, Chen Yuzhu became excited. She clenched one hand into a fist and hit her chest hard several times, as if to dispel the anger in her chest.
"Auntie, please have some tea first and talk slowly." Geng Xiaoliang was quite friendly. Seeing Chen Yuzhu like this, he immediately picked up the water cup on the table and poured a glass of water for Chen Yuzhu.
Chen Yuzhu took a sip of water from the cup, then calmed down before continuing, "That day, I told Mingliang that the Zeng family's inheritance couldn't be cut off with him. I wanted him to divorce Wang Xiaona, remarry, and have a son. Otherwise, even if I die, an old woman like me won't be able to face the dead ghosts in the underworld."
"Auntie, are you asking your son to abandon his sick daughter-in-law? That's illegal!" Zhou Yuanyuan couldn't help herself. Sons and grandsons—most Chinese people prioritize carrying on the family line, but how many actually enjoy the blessing of a son? Most end up working like slaves for their sons, only to be despised by their sons and grandsons in old age. Daughters, on the other hand, are far more filial.
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