Chapter 62 Winning Hearts: I, I am not human, I deserve to die!
The case is progressing in an orderly manner.
Wen Mo is still alive; that's the strongest proof!
When Wen Mo was brought to the hospital, he was already on the verge of death.
He suffered devastating and prolonged physical and mental abuse, and his vital signs were very unstable.
In addition to old fractures and callus, there is severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, extreme malnutrition, multi-system infections and inflammation, endocrine and metabolic disorders, and serious psychological problems.
After receiving basic treatment at Changhe Town Hospital, Wen Mo was quickly transferred to the ICU ward of Yanshi People's Hospital.
Wen Liyuan stayed by her son's side the whole time.
Upon hearing that the first word her son uttered when he was rescued was "Mom," Wen Liyuan couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
She thought her son had always hated her.
She thought her son didn't want to be with her.
Unexpectedly, Wen Mo knew all about all the efforts she had made for him over the years. He was just... not good at expressing himself, and dared not voice his deepest longings.
Fortunately, God has eyes, and her Wen Mo is still alive.
It's not too late.
The doctors said that right now, all they can do is control the infection, initially correct nutritional and metabolic disorders, and treat the most urgent external injuries. Only if he can get through this stage can he survive. Next, there will be a recovery period of six months to two years, while psychological recovery and adaptation will take ten years, or even a lifetime.
But Wen Liyuan had an incredibly strong belief—Wen Mo would definitely survive, and he would definitely be able to stand up again.
Living in that dark, sunless basement, confined in that cramped dog cage, and enduring countless hardships, Wen Mo still managed to survive thanks to his strong will. Therefore, in the years to come with her by his side, Wen Mo will surely recover completely.
His eyes can see, his ears can hear, and his hands can draw.
—As long as these things remain, Wen Mo can survive.
Wen Mo was not yet in a good physical condition to be questioned by the police, so Jiang Ling did not disturb him.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the case team and colleagues at the technical center, more and more evidence has been collected.
The paintings in the living room and basement, and Wen Mo's presence, prove that he is being imprisoned by Chu Jingen. Although Chu Jingen and Hu Shuifen are currently resisting the police by remaining silent, Jiang Ling is confident that this process will not take too long.
—A large number of pornographic magazines were found in the basement, filled with obscene language. Chu Xinyan came to the Municipal Bureau from school and, accompanied by her sister Su Xinwan, bravely identified Chu Jingen as the person who had sexually abused her for a long time.
—When Zhang Lei was murdered, a rain boot footprint was left at the scene, and after comparison, it matched that of Chu Jingen;
—A bloodstained hammer was found in the basement. The wear marks on the hammer matched those of Zhang Lei's head injury, and the blood type matched Zhang Lei's.
— An iron chain was found in the basement, matching the ligature marks on Zhang Lei's neck.
However, no traces related to Zhao Rui were found.
Jiang Ling decided to interrogate Hu Shuifen.
She is not the main culprit, her crime is relatively minor, and she has a chance to survive.
She was a victim of domestic violence and felt both fear and hatred towards Chu Jingen.
Her willingness to keep Wen Mo's paintings and follow his advice to renovate the living room furnishings shows that she had shown kindness to Wen Mo during the three years he was imprisoned.
In conclusion, Jiang Ling believes it is relatively easy to get her to talk.
Before the interrogation, the criminal profiling team made thorough preparations.
In interrogation, the most important thing is to win people's hearts.
Therefore, the more you understand Hu Shuifen's personality, the easier it is to break down her defenses.
And the people who understand Hu Shuifen best are the siblings Su Xinwan and Su Xinyan.
Yes, Chu Xinyan has officially changed her name to Su Xinyan.
Returning to our roots, we no longer need to bear the humiliating surname "Chu".
After thorough preparation, Jiang Ling, Liu Haoran, and Li Zhenliang arrived at the interrogation room.
Hu Shuifen was still wearing the same drab floral shirt she had been wearing when she was taken away. The collar was loose, and her back was soaked with sweat time and time again, with white salt crystals forming on it.
There were clothes to change into at the detention center, and Su Xinwan had even sent some clothes to Hu Shuifen, but she wasn't in the mood.
Her mind raced, replaying her life in her head. Where had she gone wrong? How had she ended up in prison?
She was a girl from the countryside who was not well taken care of by her family from a young age, but Su Jiangong, who lived in the same village, always looked after her. She and Su Jiangong grew up together as childhood sweethearts. Su Jiangong was an excellent student and had a smooth journey through high school and university.
Hu Shuifen thought there was no possibility between the two of them, but unexpectedly, after Su Jiangong was assigned to work at the town's agricultural machinery factory, he asked a matchmaker to come to her door and keep his childhood promise to marry her.
How happy Hu Shuifen was at that time!
She escaped her unloving family, married the man she loved, lived in the dormitory assigned by the agricultural machinery factory, and gave birth to two smart and lovely children. Every day he went to work, she did the housework, and the two discussed everything together and never argued. Hu Shuifen felt as happy as if she were in a dream.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long.
An illness took Su Jiangong's life, and Hu Shuifen's life was reduced to its original state, or even worse.
The farm machinery factory dormitory was taken back. Su Jiangong's parents had passed away early, and she, a woman with two children, had no choice but to return to her parents' home, that cramped, cold, and scheming place.
In order to save her two children, Hu Shuifen had no choice but to go on blind dates again.
It was at this time that Chu Jingen appeared in front of her. At that time, he had just gone through an unhappy marriage and was single. He had a self-built house in the town and looked honest and kind. Although his salary was not high, he could accept Su Xinwan and Su Xinyan, the siblings, and sincerely said that he would treat them as his own children.
Hu Shuifen agreed, and the two quickly got married and registered their marriage.
Hu Shuifen married into the Chu family with her two children.
She thought she could finally start a peaceful life, have one or two more children with Chu Jingen, and raise them slowly, but little did she know that she would be facing a life of hell.
Chu Jingen was impotent; he couldn't get an erection in bed.
Enraged by his fruitless efforts, Chu Jingen resorts to physical violence and humiliation with various weapons, causing immense suffering to his victims.
Hu Shuifen then understood why his previous marriage had ended in divorce.
At first, Hu Shuifen tried to resist.
However, Chu Jingen was strong and ruthless when he fought, often threatening the lives of the two children, which frightened Hu Shuifen.
Once he realized that Hu Shuifen had backed down, Chu Jingen became even more unrestrained and arrogant, and his actions became even more brutal.
With nowhere to go and two children to rely on, Hu Shuifen succumbed to Chu Jingen's pressure and had no choice but to obey. When she did obey, Chu Jingen would give her money, buy the children new schoolbags, and take them to the city to buy new clothes.
While doing housework as if atoning for her sins, Hu Shuifen gritted her teeth and endured Chu Jingen's sexual abuse, hoping to use her body to create a paradise for the children.
In this paradise, they can have a stable home, go to school happily, and not have to worry about not having money.
Two years passed like this.
Two years later, Chu Jingen finally admitted that he could not have children, so he changed Su Xinyan's surname to continue the Chu family line.
At first, Chu Jingen genuinely treated Chu Xinyan as his son.
But as he grew older and taller, gradually developing a more masculine physique, and always liked to stand in front of his mother and sister when something happened, Chu Jingen became jealous.
Chu Jingen wanted to be a real man for once.
He was born a eunuch.
Seeing Chu Xinyan's ever-growing male symbol, Chu Jingen was consumed by jealousy.
Hu Shuifen was initially unaware of Chu Jingen's despicable intentions.
But she was a mother, and instinctively protected her daughter, Su Xinwan.
Su Xinwan looks like her biological father, Su Jiangong. As long as Hu Shuifen sees her beautiful eyes, she has a reason to live—at least she still has beautiful memories.
When Hu Shuifen realized that Chu Jingen's target was Chu Xinyan, she was completely stunned.
It turns out that sexual abuse isn't limited to between men and women; it can also be committed between men. She tried to resist, but it was all in vain.
Chu Jingen treated Chu Xinyan as his own, and Hu Shuifen was powerless to stop him.
All she could do was encourage her children to study hard so that they could go to university and get a job like their biological father.
Go far, far away, the farther the better.
Too much suffering numbed Hu Shuifen's heart.
But now, sitting in the interrogation room, facing her daughter's colleagues, her numb heart began to ache with sharp, stabbing pains.
She didn't understand.
Does the daughter really hate her that much? So much that she'd send her mother to prison with her own hands?
Jiang Ling spoke.
Her voice was steady and calm.
"Name?"
"age?"
"Education?"
"Place of origin?"
...
Hu Shuifen answered these cold questions mechanically, but her thoughts drifted back to a long, long time ago.
She had a low level of education, and only managed to finish the second year of junior high school before dropping out to return home and farm.
The small village where she was born and raised once recorded her laughter with Su Jiangong in their youth, but it could not accommodate her, a widow who brought her child home.
She wouldn't have married Chu Jingen if she hadn't been truly desperate.
So what if Chu Jingen became the brick factory manager? So what if he made money and built a big villa? So what if he drives a car, carries a mobile phone, and acts like a successful person?
Hu Shuifen thought, how wonderful it would be if Su Jiangong were still alive, and the four of them could live together.
Jiang Ling held the jade pendant up to Hu Shuifen's eyes: "Do you remember this?"
Hu Shuifen's pupils contracted slightly as she looked at Liu Haoran, who was sitting at the other end of the interrogation table, looking energetic in his uniform.
Jiang Ling repeated the question from before: "Do you remember this?"
Hu Shuifen looked rather dejected, and it took her a while to move her gaze toward the jade pendant placed in the evidence bag: "I remember."
Jiang Ling asked, "Where did this jade pendant come from?"
Hu Shuifen casually replied, "I found it."
Jiang Ling stared into her eyes: "Hu Shuifen, think it through before you answer."
Liu Haoran then spoke up: "Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. Hu Shuifen, we're giving you a chance by asking you questions now!"
Hu Shuifen grinned, forming a stiff smile.
She chose to remain silent.
Jiang Ling picked up the picture of the figure's back that had been found during the search of the kitchen.
Jiang Ling placed the painting in front of Hu Shuifen: "Do you remember this painting?"
This time, Hu Shuifen's gaze focused more intently. She looked at it carefully and nodded: "I remember."
“This is Wen Mo’s mother.” Jiang Ling picked up a photo of Wen Liyuan’s back, placing the photo and portrait together.
Upon seeing the two strikingly similar drawings, Hu Shuifen stared blankly for a moment before finally managing to say, "Oh, it's his mother."
Jiang Ling brought the portrait closer and pointed to the countless ripple-like "WM": "Here, can you see clearly? MW is the capitalized initial of Wen Mo's name."
Hu Shuifen's eyes drooped downwards, her shoulders slumped, and her clothes, worn for several days, reeked of sweat and rancidity. She looked like a jar of pickled vegetables, all wrinkled and worn out.
"Oh," Hu Shuifen replied with only one syllable.
Jiang Ling put down the portrait and changed the subject again: "How did Chu Jingen bring Wen Mo home? Why did he imprison him?"
This question touched on the core issue. Hu Shuifen's hands trembled, her shoulders slumped more, and her back hunched over. She seemed to want to hide herself, but the interrogation room was cold and clean, with only a table and three policemen in front of her. She had nowhere to hide.
She could only hunch her back deeply, her head almost buried in her chest, her gray and messy hair covering most of her face, revealing only her pale, bloodless chin and slightly trembling lips.
Jiang Ling continued to press for answers.
"Your house has been renovated once in the past three years. Why?"
"Was Wen Mo's opinion consulted when decorating the living room?"
"You knew this was illegal imprisonment, so why didn't you call the police?"
Hu Shuifen fell silent.
She remained silent, like a clay sculpture. No matter what questions Jiang Ling posed, she simply stayed silent.
Her cloudy eyes were fixed on a certain point on the table, her soul seemingly having wandered to some distant and safe place.
Liu Haoran exchanged a glance with Li Zhenliang, who was taking the statement.
Hu Shuifen's reaction was exactly what Jiang Ling had expected.
Long-term domestic violence and abuse had instilled in Hu Shuifen a deep-seated fear of Chu Jingen.
She was afraid of change.
She just wants to maintain the status quo.
Nothing could touch her numb heart except her love for her child.
Jiang Ling stopped asking questions, leisurely sat back in her chair, and leaned back.
The previous questions were just a warm-up; the real show is yet to come.
Jiang Ling turned her head and nodded to Liu Haoran.
Liu Haoran bent down, picked up a tape recorder from beside his feet, gently placed it on the table, and pressed the play button.
The tape began to spin slowly.
The tape recorder emitted a buzzing sound.
Hu Shuifen was lost in thought and paid no attention to what the police said or did.
Suddenly, she froze.
Her ears precisely picked up the familiar sound.
—It was a gentle, soft female voice; it was the voice of her daughter, Su Xinwan.
"My mother is a very hardworking and intelligent person."
"She is very good at growing vegetables and cooking. All the vegetables we eat at home are grown by her. My brother and I love her braised pork with fried tofu and her stir-fried chili peppers with preserved eggs the most."
"My mom is very skillful and good at knitting sweaters. All the sweaters I wear are knitted by her. They are soft, warm and beautiful."
“When my father was still alive, my mother loved to laugh. Her laughter was like the tinkling of bells, clear and melodious. But after she married Chu Jingen, she stopped laughing.”
“My mother probably doesn’t know that the screams coming from her room at night were very loud, like the screams of a pig dying before it’s slaughtered in the countryside. Even now, if there’s any noise at night, I’ll huddle under the covers and tremble until I can hear the grinding sound of my teeth chattering.”
"My mom has always wanted me to get married soon."
"She screamed like a pig being slaughtered in her room, walked with her legs wide apart, broke out in a cold sweat with every step, and was pale with pain. But in the morning, she still pretended to be fine and cooked noodles for Chu Jingen. She married a beast worse than a pig or a dog, and she still expects me to find a man to marry? Haha, how ridiculous!"
Hu Shuifen listened quietly, veins bulging on her forehead.
She was trembling all over.
Her hands were clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning bluish-white from the force.
Su Xinwan's voice continued.
“I tried to persuade her to divorce him and leave Chu Jingen, but she refused.”
"After my father passed away, half of her was already dead."
"Her other half lives for us."
"But Xinyan and I have already left home, so why won't she leave?"
"Perhaps, she has become numb. Perhaps, the word 'obedience' has been ingrained in her bones, and she doesn't know how to resist. Or perhaps... she is afraid, afraid of being beaten, afraid of losing her life, afraid of not being able to survive after leaving, afraid of the strange looks from others."
Su Xinwan began to choke up.
"Don't be afraid, Mom!"
"You still have me, and you still have Xinyan."
“I don’t hate you, Mom. You raised us, you did your best, we know that.”
“Chu Jingen can’t escape now; death is the only thing waiting for him. But you’re different, Mom. I beg you, cooperate with the police and confess properly. Even if you’ve broken the law, don’t be afraid. You can try to get leniency. If you go to jail, Xinyan and I will visit you often and wait for you to come out.”
Tears streamed down Hu Shuifen's face.
Flowing quietly.
Although she was crying silently, her chest was heaving violently; the extreme pain made it impossible for her to control her breathing.
The magnetic tape continued to spin.
The voice inside changed to a deep male voice.
"It's me, I'm Xinyan, Su Xinyan."
Hu Shuifen's body jolted violently, as if struck by a high-voltage electric current.
She was forced to lift her eyelids, her gaze fixed intently on the tape recorder.
She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
Su Xinyan spoke briefly: "I don't hate you, Mom."
That cry of "Mom" was like a long needle, piercing Hu Shuifen's already wounded heart.
A suppressed, dying gasp escaped her throat.
"Although I really don't want to go home, I will go back as long as you call me."
"Because I know that if I don't go home, he will hit you."
"I love you mom."
Su Xinyan's words were like a giant iron hammer, smashing Hu Shuifen's dignity to pieces.
"ah--"
Hu Shuifen let out a heart-wrenching scream that was so shrill it was inhuman.
The pain, despair, and remorse contained in the cries almost pierced the roof of the interrogation room.
She could no longer maintain her sitting posture. Her body was struck by an invisible force, and she fell forward violently, her forehead hitting the cold metal table with a dull thud!
"don't want!"
"Stop talking!"
"Please, please, don't let them say any more—"
Hu Shuifen was no longer silent; instead, she collapsed completely, like an avalanche.
She lay face down on the table, her thin, bony shoulders heaving violently as she wailed in despair, like a wounded mother animal. Tears, snot, and saliva mingled and smeared her face. Her cries were not continuous, but intermittent, gasping sobs and dry heaving, as if she were vomiting up her insides.
"I...I'm not human, I deserve to die!"
"I've ruined them, I've ruined them..."
Hu Shuifen began to confess incoherently, her voice broken and fragmented.
“I’m afraid of him, I’m really afraid of him.”
"He's not human, he's a beast! He stabbed me in there with that long rolling pin, it hurt so much..."
“He said he would kill Wanwan and Yanyan if I didn’t obey him, and I’m scared!”
Hu Shuifen suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with extreme fear and confusion.
"He also killed someone."
"He really would kill."
"I can't let Wanwan and Yanyan die, I have to save them."
“I’ve already wronged Jian Gong by getting married. I can’t let his child lose his life. I don’t care if I die, I have to let them live!”
Hu Shuifen's body was convulsing violently, as if she would faint at any moment.
The psychological defenses she had built with silence crumbled completely in the face of her daughter and son's calm statements, the repeated calls of "Mom," and the words "I love you, Mom." What was exposed was the ruins of her heart, utterly submerged in fear, devoured by guilt, and left only with pain and self-hatred.
"I confess, I explain."
Hu Shuifen slumped in her chair and began to recount everything she had experienced over the years.
"Yes, it was Chu Jingen. He killed Zhang Lei."
“That year, Yan Yan was in his second year of high school and was about to enter the arts and sciences track. But he suddenly changed his mind and wanted Yan Yan to go back to work at the brick factory after graduating from high school. I disagreed. I can listen to him about anything, but not this. Jian Gong’s child must go to university.”
“He said that he would allow Yan Yan to continue her studies if I did one thing for him, and I agreed without hesitation.”
"I helped him lure Zhang Lei out of the campus, I fed Zhang Lei water laced with sleeping pills, and I put him in the car. It was me! I'm an accomplice to a murderer!"
"I killed someone so that my Yan Yan could go to university. I'm not human! I'm guilty..."
“That child recognized me and would call me Aunt Hu when he saw me. He loved to smile, and his smile was like the sun, warming people’s hearts. But I personally gave him to Chu Jingen.”
"I was the one who buried his body in the ground. My hands were shaking at the time. But Chu Jingen was standing by cursing, so I didn't dare not do it."
"That jade pendant belongs to Zhang Lei."
“He secretly gave it to me before he died. He said the jade pendant was very valuable and begged me to save him.”
“I have lost my conscience. I took the jade pendant but did nothing, and I watched him die. Over the years, every time I close my eyes, I see Zhang Lei’s pale face. I can’t sleep at all.”
At this point, Hu Shuifen suddenly raised her head, staring intently at Liu Haoran: "Your smile resembles Zhang Lei's. The moment I saw you, I knew he was here to take my life. Giving you the jade pendant is like returning my life to him. So, that's... even, right?"
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