Chapter 20 Confession: They're all bad guys!
Jiang Ling took out the files she had prepared the night before and pushed them in front of Wen Xiufen.
“There have been 11 cases of bicycle bell theft in our jurisdiction. All of them are original Phoenix brand copper bells, each worth about 15 yuan. Although the items are small, the repeated occurrences have had a bad influence. The Municipal Public Security Bureau attaches great importance to this and has ordered the cases to be solved soon.”
When communicating with someone as stubborn as Wen Xiufen, one can create the illusion of "sacred rules" from a psychological perspective.
Jiang Ling emphasized that "this is a case that the Municipal Public Security Bureau attaches great importance to and has ordered to be solved within a time limit" in order to take advantage of Wen Xiufen's obedience to authority and get her to cooperate with the investigation.
Wen Xiufen's face changed instantly, and her heart pounded in her chest; she was terrified.
"Um, that..." Wen Xiufen stammered for a while before finally regaining her composure, "Have you investigated? Who did it? What, what do you need me to do?"
Jiang Ling took out a record and pointed to the text on it, saying: "Based on the scratches on the handlebars, we initially judged that the perpetrator was about 140 cm tall, thin and weak, used a hairpin to commit the crime, and maintained a frequency of about once a month. The first crime was in November last year. The person who reported the crime was Qian Jianshe, whose bicycle bell was stolen downstairs in his family building."
Wen Xiufen's heartbeat suddenly became chaotic.
All the clues matched Lin Xiaoyue. In particular, the clue about the bell used to build the house with stolen money shattered her previously firm belief.
What troubled her even more was that last November was the time when Qian Jianshe forced her to have sex.
Could it really be Xiaoyue?
Did she find out about her affair?
Jiang Ling pressed her advantage: "If it really was Lin Xiaoyue who did it, then I guess she already knows about your affair with Qian Jianshe and has suffered great psychological trauma. She's introverted, and this hurt has nowhere to go, so she's resorting to self-attacks. I see she's extremely thin, her breathing is rapid, her eyes are bloodshot, and she has bluish discoloration under her eyes—these are signs of blood and qi deficiency. Do you usually suffer from insomnia and loss of appetite?"
These words quickly broke down Wen Xiufen's defenses. She suddenly knelt down with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably: "It's all my fault! Please, please save my Xiaoyue. I want to take her to the hospital, but she refuses to go. If this continues, I'm really afraid something will happen to her."
Li Zhenliang was taken aback by Wen Xiufen's reaction and quickly got up to help her up.
This is a society governed by law, not an ancient government office where kneeling is not allowed.
Wen Xiufen refused to get up and remained kneeling stubbornly. She didn't want to have any physical contact with Li Zhenliang. She moved her feet and hugged Jiang Ling's leg tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Xiaoyue won't talk to me. I don't know how to persuade her. It's all my fault. I'm a shameless woman, but I don't want to hurt her. Please, help me, help Xiaoyue."
Jiang Ling froze instantly when she grabbed his leg.
The warm touch came through his pants, burning hot. Even though it was contact between people of the same sex, Jiang Ling still felt uncomfortable.
She bent down and took Wen Xiufen's arm, her movements slightly stiff: "Get up and talk!"
Wen Xiufen listened to Jiang Ling and stopped kneeling, using the support to stand up.
Jiang Ling pointed to the chair: "Sit down."
Wen Xiufen sat down obediently, but her tearful eyes still looked pitifully at Jiang Ling: "Officer Jiang, you were right when you said Xiaoyue was weak and anemic. Xiaoyue can't sleep well at night and never eats properly. I'm really worried about her getting thinner every day. My colleagues have also reminded me to take her to see a doctor, but she refuses to go. What should I do?"
Jiang Ling quickened her pace: "Next, I'll ask questions, and you'll answer."
Wen Xiufen nodded: "Okay, okay, go ahead and ask."
Jiang Ling: "When did you officially start dating Qian Jianshe?"
Wen Xiufen hesitated and said, "Go, last November."
Jiang Ling: "You two only meet once a month?"
Wen Xiufen said with difficulty, "Not bad, about right. At first, it was twice a month."
Jiang Ling asked, "How did you meet?"
Wen Xiufen closed her eyes. Although she didn't want to recall that humiliating past, she could only tell the truth for her daughter's sake at this moment: "Qian Jianshe has a very good relationship with Lu Zhen, the chairperson of our towel factory's labor union. Every Sunday, no matter what shift I'm on, Chairperson Lu would pass on a message for me, telling me to go to the labor union office at nine o'clock in the evening, and then..."
Jiang Ling looked at her calmly: "Did Qian Jianshe come to the towel factory riding a Phoenix brand bicycle?"
Wen Xiufen thought for a moment and said, "Yes, he has a Phoenix brand 28-inch bicycle."
Jiang Ling asked again, "The bell sound is very loud and clear, isn't it?"
Wen Xiufen's face gradually turned pale: "...Yes."
Jiang Ling: "You and your daughter depend on each other for survival, living under the same roof. She's home all day on Sundays, how could she not know if there's anything different about you?"
Wen Xiufen was lost in memories.
November is the time of autumn chill. On a Sunday at the beginning of the month, Qian Jianshe forced her to have sex. After returning home, she took a shower for an hour, scrubbing her skin until it was almost raw. After changing her clothes, she huddled in the quilt without making a sound. Xiaoyue poured her water and asked her what was wrong, but she didn't say anything and just silently shed tears.
Did Xiaoyue already notice something was wrong at that time?
The second weekend, she worked the afternoon shift, from 4 PM to midnight. After receiving the message from Lu Zhen, she took two hours off. When she got home that night, Xiaoyue's room was dark, but at that moment, she was so preoccupied with self-pity that she had no energy to take care of her daughter.
Did Xiaoyue secretly follow Qian Jianshe and steal his bicycle bell from downstairs in the textile factory's residential area?
After a long silence, Wen Xiufen shivered. She hugged herself tightly, pulling her loose, thick blue factory uniform even closer, a chilling look of death flashing in her eyes: "I was wrong! I was really wrong. I shouldn't have associated with Qian Jianshe to move into the tenement building. I just wanted to live in a better place, I just wanted a quiet, independent house. I never thought it would hurt Xiaoyue..."
Jiang Ling saw the deathly intent in her eyes and felt a chill run down his spine.
At this moment, Wen Xiufen is overwhelmed by guilt and self-blame, making her highly likely to choose suicide.
We must stop her!
Jiang Ling interrupted her confession: "Wanting a better life is not wrong, you just chose the wrong path. If you've taken the wrong path, then take a different one."
Wen Xiufen shook her head repeatedly: "No, no, no, it's too late. One wrong step leads to another. My reputation is ruined, and I've even caused Xiaoyue to be labeled a thief. Your police will definitely arrest her. I'm finished, and she's finished too!"
Li Zhenliang smiled bitterly again: "Wen Xiufen, I told you last night that Lin Xiaoyue is only 13 years old and is a minor. Even if she really stole the bicycle bell, we will focus on education and will not prosecute her or send her to jail. What do you mean she's finished?"
Jiang Ling's voice was warm: "You're still young, you have a long road ahead of you, how can it be over already?"
Wen Xiufen was stunned.
His face alternated between joy and sorrow, and the light in his eyes flickered between brightness and darkness; he was clearly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Someone knocked on the door.
Li Zhenliang got up and opened the door, where Liu Haoran and Lin Xiaoyue were standing.
Lin Xiaoyue must have run all the way to the police station. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she was panting. As soon as the door opened, she peeked out. When she saw her mother with her back to her, she quickly ran into the room and blocked her way with her small body. She said in a hoarse voice, "Ask me whatever you want. My mother doesn't know anything."
When Wen Xiufen saw her daughter coming, she hurriedly wiped away her tears, stood up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out, saying, "Why aren't you in class? What are you doing here? You're only 13 years old, still a child. Your mother is here. Go back to school!"
While struggling, Lin Xiaoyue turned to Jiang Ling and said, "Ask me, ask me! Let my mom go home to sleep. She just finished her night shift and she's very, very tired."
Seeing the mother and daughter start their "you protect me, I protect you" mode again, Jiang Ling stood up, dragged a chair from the wall and placed it in front of the table: "You two stay."
Hearing Jiang Ling's words, Lin Xiaoyue felt empowered and raised her voice: "Mom, the police said I can stay. I took leave to come here, and I'll definitely go back to class after they finish talking."
Wen Xiufen looked at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling nodded: "Perfect, you should also hear what Xiaoyue has to say."
Only Wen Xiufen could untangle Lin Xiaoyue's inner knot; and only Lin Xiaoyue could soothe Wen Xiufen's pain. Unfortunately, they loved each other too much, hiding all their dark sides in their hearts and refusing to reveal them.
What Jiang Ling wanted was for them to reveal the shadows and pain in their hearts to each other. Only in this way could Wen Xiufen have the courage to continue living, and Lin Xiaoyue become more cheerful and optimistic.
Although Lin Xiaoyue came on her own initiative, she was still feeling uneasy. When she sat down, she only sat on one side of her buttocks, and her whole body was extremely tense.
Wen Xiufen put her arm around her shoulder and said urgently, "The police said you're still young, and even if you made a mistake, they'll focus on educating you and won't arrest you or put you in jail. Just tell them what's on your mind. Mom knows you're carrying a lot of pain inside. Tell the police and ask them to help you. It hurts Mom to see you refusing to eat or sleep..."
Lin Xiaoyue did indeed have a lot on her mind.
She couldn't sleep all night after the police left, and when she got up this morning, she didn't even eat breakfast before getting ready and going to school.
Sitting in the classroom, she was lost in thought, pondering what she should do.
If her mother knew she was a shameful thief, would she be sad and in pain? If her classmates, teachers, her mother's colleagues, neighbors... everyone knew she was a thief, would they come to her house and vandalize it, and viciously curse her and her mother like her grandparents did?
She didn't actually want to steal the bell, but that day Qian Jianshe sped past her on his bicycle with a smug smile on his face, and he rang the bell on his bicycle very loudly.
That sound kept tormenting her ears.
That evening, she mustered up her courage and went to the textile factory. She pried the bell off Qian Jianshe's bicycle, which eased her anger and frustration, and she was able to manage to sleep for two or three hours that night.
Gradually, she became addicted.
She felt uneasy if she didn't steal a bell.
But after stealing, she would feel guilty and ashamed.
Anger, helplessness, self-blame, and guilt intertwined, causing Lin Xiaoyue's inner rage to build up. Sometimes she even thought about taking a knife and stabbing Qian Jianshe to death, then waiting for the police to arrest and execute her.
She originally planned to go to the police station at noon after class, but the more she thought about it, the more scared she became. In the end, she simply closed her eyes and decided that the sooner she died, the sooner she would be free. Rather than waiting in the classroom and not being able to hear anything, she might as well go directly to the police and explain things clearly.
Didn't that policewoman say last night that the police are there to protect the people?
Even if she were arrested, Lin Xiaoyue would accept it as long as her mother could be protected.
After taking leave, Lin Xiaoyue jogged all the way to the police station.
Upon arriving and learning that her mother had already been taken into the interrogation room, Lin Xiaoyue panicked and begged Liu Haoran to take her in, which led to the scene just now.
After hearing Wen Xiufen's words, Lin Xiaoyue's tension eased a little. She opened her mouth, her voice dry: "Mom, I...I...I'm a thief."
As soon as she spoke, tears streamed down Lin Xiaoyue's thin cheeks.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't want to cry, but for some reason, after saying "I'm a thief," she felt much lighter, and tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken string, unstoppable.
Wen Xiufen's heart ached terribly. She reached out and hugged Lin Xiaoyue tightly, gently stroking the back of her daughter's head with her right hand: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Mom knows you want to stand up for Mom. It's Mom who has wronged you."
Her mother's caresses were like a spring breeze across a cold lake, like rain nourishing parched land. Lin Xiaoyue, who had been covered in thorns, cried and sobbed, "Mommy, Mommy..."
Seeing all this, Jiang Ling's eyes welled up with tears.
So this is what a mother's love is like.
Selfless, warm, and magnanimous.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ling has never experienced this kind of love.
Finally, after revealing the deepest guilt she had kept hidden in her heart, Lin Xiaoyue felt a great sense of relief and leaned against her mother's arms to confess everything.
The bell was indeed stolen by Lin Xiaoyue.
"I don't like how Dad treated you, and I don't like how Qian Jianshe treated you! They are both bad guys!" A childish voice rang out in the interrogation room, and everyone fell silent.
The case of the stolen bicycle bell has been solved, but Jiang Ling's heart is heavy.
Kind people often have a strong sense of morality. They feel guilty and uneasy even if they do something wrong, and they constantly torment themselves with internal conflict.
But those who truly do evil feel at ease, eating well and sleeping soundly.
Is this world fair?
Actually, no!
Jiang Ling gripped the pen tightly in her hand.
This is a fountain pen awarded by the Municipal Bureau, with the four characters "除恶卫道" (Combating Evil and Defending Morality) engraved on the body.
What evils should we eliminate? We should eliminate the evils of bullying the weak and committing crimes.
What principle are we upholding? We are upholding the justice that good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished!
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I'll be up tomorrow, so updates will be delayed until 11 PM. After that, updates will be fixed at 9 AM. Thank you all so much for your support! Love you all~
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