Chapter 19 Wen Xiufen: I know, I am guilty
Jiang Ling returned to the police station after 9 p.m.
The police station was brightly lit and bustling with noise.
Zhao Yanhong and her group were being lectured by Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei. The people she brought to the towel factory to cause trouble were all her family members, all with naturally loud voices, desperately trying to explain themselves.
Seeing Jiang Ling return, Zhao Yanhong panicked even more and hurriedly assured her, "No, no, we won't go looking for Wen Xiufen again, and we definitely won't cause any more trouble. I was out of my mind. I got so angry when I heard that Lao Qian was messing around with that bitch... no, Wen Xiufen. I promise I won't be so impulsive again, please don't worry."
Li Zhenliang couldn't understand her thought process: "Qian Yongjun has been with at least a dozen women, are you planning to go and confront them one by one?"
Zhao Yanhong's face stiffened, and after a long pause, she finally said, "No, not really."
She's not stupid. If she goes to their door and they get back at her, wouldn't she be the one who suffers?
Liu Haoran sneered: "You only pick on the weak, don't you?"
Touched on her secret, Zhao Yanhong was a little embarrassed: "Well, not really. Before, when Lao Qian was the factory director, I had to protect his reputation outside, so I only argued with him at home. You can't wash your dirty linen in public. Now that he's suspended and reflecting on his actions, my family is calling me a coward. I have my pride too, so I was thinking of venting my anger. I didn't expect to run into you guys as soon as I got out..."
Zhou Wei looked at Zhao Yanhong: "Never thought about divorce?"
Although it is said that it is better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage, the marriage between Zhao Yanhong and Qian Jianshe is rotten to the core. What is the point of keeping such a marriage?
Instead of confronting her husband for cheating, she gets her family involved in causing trouble for his mistress – that's putting the cart before the horse!
Upon hearing the word "divorce," Zhao Yanhong immediately became agitated: "Why divorce? Even if my husband Lao Qian isn't an official anymore, he's still a textile factory worker with a guaranteed monthly salary. If we divorce, where will I live? Where will Da Rong go after he gets out? I won't divorce! I'd rather die than let this family fall apart!"
Zhao Yanhong's sister-in-law chimed in, "That's right! Do you expect him to find a younger, prettier woman and live a better life after the divorce? No way! My sister was born a member of the Qian family and will die a member of the Qian family. She will absolutely not get a divorce."
Zhou Wei waved his hand: "Alright, it's your choice whether to get a divorce or not. But if you continue to harass others or bring people to our door to cause trouble, we will not let you off easily!"
Zhao Yanhong nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, I promise I will never cause trouble again."
Jiang Ling glanced at her: "Qian Yongjun is under investigation, but they didn't find you? Union funds..."
Upon hearing the words "union funds," Zhao Yanhong's heart skipped a beat: "I, I, I have done nothing wrong and stood upright."
Jiang Ling gave a mocking smile: "Is that so?"
Zhao Yanhong was afraid that Jiang Ling would hold a grudge against her for embezzling union funds and wished she could disappear from the police station immediately. She hurriedly said to Liu Haoran, "Where do we sign? We are willing to apologize and compensate Wen Xiufen for the damage to her reputation. I agree to anything."
Jiang Ling, however, had no intention of letting her go.
Without her intervention, Zhao Yanhong would have been responsible for three deaths.
—Liang Qiqiao, Wen Xiufen, Lin Xiaoyue
The tongue has a dragon spring, capable of killing without drawing blood.
Zhao Yanhong is a foul-mouthed liar who bullies honest people and is extremely vicious.
Liang Qiqiao was raped by Qian Darong, but Zhao Yanhong spread rumors that she was naturally promiscuous and seduced minors, which drove Liang Qiqiao, who was originally able to go to university and had a bright future, to commit suicide in anger.
Wen Xiufen, a widow and orphan, was already struggling financially. However, because of her affair with Qian Jianshe, Zhao Yanhong and her gang came to her door, verbally abusing and beating her. In front of Lin Xiaoyue, they trampled on Wen Xiufen's face. Wen Xiufen then committed suicide, leaving Lin Xiaoyue destitute and homeless on the streets. She died at the young age of twenty.
A cold glint appeared in Jiang Ling's eyes: "Leave? What are you talking about? None of you are leaving here today!"
A gust of cold wind blew into the police station, and Zhao Yanhong couldn't help but shiver. She stammered, "Um, we, we already know we were wrong, and we didn't do anything, so why, why can't we leave?"
Jiang Ling sat down in a chair and said to Liu Haoran, "Zhao Yanhong and others caused trouble in the dormitory building of the Peony Towel Factory, disrupting public order. They will be given a warning and fined less than 200 yuan. They publicly insulted Wen Xiufen, causing her to suffer from neurasthenia and anxiety. They will be detained for 5-10 days and fined less than 500 yuan."
Liu Haoran understood what she meant.
In fact, the police station has handled many such cases. For example, when Zhao Yanhong and others come to the door to make noise, but do not hurt people or damage property, they are usually given a verbal warning and then let go.
Now that Jiang Ling wants to deal with this seriously, of course we'll listen to her.
Liu Haoran said, "Okay, then detain him for 5 days and fine him 500 yuan. Notify his family to come and pay the fine."
After saying that, he took out an "Administrative Penalty Decision".
Upon hearing that she was to be administratively detained, Zhao Yanhong was terrified and grabbed the "Administrative Penalty Decision" from Liu Haoran's hand: "Um, officer, let's discuss this again. I'm willing to apologize and pay a fine, even a thousand yuan, but you can't detain me. If you're detained, my company will definitely discipline me."
As a member of the textile factory's trade union committee, Zhao Yanhong knew that if she were administratively detained, she would face warnings, demerits, and pay cuts. Qian Jianshe was currently suspended from his duties for self-reflection, so wasn't she just walking into a trap? She might even be kicked out of her position by some people.
Liu Haoran looked at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling, her face cold, pointed to the items on the table: "Look carefully! Those are the weapons confiscated today: wooden sticks, iron wrenches, and scissors. What are you planning to do with these? Break into the house, vandalize, injure people, or wipe out the whole family?"
Jiang Ling's voice wasn't loud, but it was cold and sharp. When she finally uttered the words "extermination of the entire family," Zhao Yanhong was so frightened that she almost knelt down on the spot.
The sister-in-law standing behind Zhao Yanhong was also terrified, her face turning pale: "No, no, no, we wouldn't dare. These things were all given to us by Zhao Yanhong. If you want to punish someone, punish her! I didn't mean to hit anyone, I just wanted to take the scissors and cut up that slut's... oh, that woman's clothes, to make her behave herself in the future."
Reminded by his wife, Zhao Yanhong's older brother immediately stepped forward, raised his hand, and slapped Zhao Yanhong hard across the face: "Pah! You're such a troublemaker! We were just trying to help you, and you're trying to get us thrown in jail."
After slapping her, Zhao Yanhong's older brother bowed and scraped, his attitude extremely obsequious: "Well, I just grabbed the wrench to bolster my courage and scare people, I didn't mean to smash anything. We don't know that woman, it was all Zhao Yanhong's instigation. Officers, you see, I've already distanced myself from her, so I won't go to jail, right?"
Zhao Yanhong's older brother was ignorant of the law and couldn't distinguish between detention and imprisonment. In his view, being caught by the police meant certain sentencing and imprisonment, and to protect himself, he had to sacrifice Zhao Yanhong.
Zhao Yanhong's older brother works in the fields year-round and is very strong. He slapped her with all his might, making her face burn with pain, her ears ring, and her mouth taste blood.
It took Zhao Yanhong a while to react, and she stared blankly at her older brother.
Ever since she married into the city, her family has treated her like a goddess. Her eldest brother never disagreed with her, but today he actually beat her!
Before Zhao Yanhong could speak, her second brother and sister-in-law followed suit, each slapping her once, and then pleading with the police: "We have already severed ties with her and promise that we will never listen to her again. Please let us go. We have a seventy-year-old mother and a teenager in school. We can't go to jail."
Jiang Ling gave Liu Haoran a wink.
Liu Haoran immediately understood and said sternly, "You're not allowed to hit people in the police station!"
Zhao Yanhong's brother and sister-in-law nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, we're not hitting anyone, we're just making our stance clear."
Liu Haoran softened his tone: "You four are accomplices, and you were instigated by Zhao Yanhong. Seeing that you have a good attitude in admitting your guilt, you can leave after signing the guarantee."
Zhao Yanhong's brother and sister-in-law beamed with joy: "Great, great, great!"
Liu Haoran raised his voice: "From now on, behave yourself and don't fight. If you do it again..."
Zhao Yanhong's brother and sister-in-law hurriedly assured her: "No, no, we will never associate with her again. We will behave ourselves and will absolutely not cause any trouble."
Zhao Yanhong's cheeks were swollen and red from the beating, and blood was seeping from the corner of her mouth. She covered her face and glared at her brother and sister-in-law, her eyes filled with venom: "You, you..."
They're all such opportunists, how despicable!
After Zhao Yanhong's four brothers and sisters-in-law pressed their fingerprints on the guarantee, they left quickly, as if their backsides were on fire.
Zhao Yanhong was left all alone, sitting on a bench in the police station, covering her swollen face and remaining silent.
Before long, Qian Jianshe arrived and, without saying a word, began to hurl insults at Zhao Yanhong.
He's been keeping a low profile ever since, staying home all day and afraid to go out. He never imagined Zhao Yanhong would be so bold as to call her family to cause trouble for Wen Xiufen. Heaven knows how terrified he was when he received the call from the police station!
Zhao Yanhong was so angry from being scolded that her head was throbbing. Normally, she would have already gone up and started a fight, but today she knew she was in the wrong, so she shut up and pretended to be honest.
After a while, Qian Jianshe got tired of yelling.
What can he do now that things have come to this?
No wonder they really got divorced. Zhao Yanhong knew all about his scumbag behavior. If she had a brain fart and decided to fight to the death, his life would be ruined.
Qian Jianshe signed the notice, paid the fine, and left with the words, "If you want to die, don't drag me into it!" leaving Zhao Yanhong sitting blankly in the chair, her shoulders slumped and her back hunched, looking rather pitiful.
Jiang Ling showed no sympathy whatsoever.
Five days of detention? That's not enough!
The Qian couple have committed countless evil deeds; it's time for them to be held accountable.
Qian Jianshe is currently under investigation by his employer, but progress seems slow. The power dynamics within the Yanshi Textile Factory are deeply entrenched, and there's a risk of officials protecting each other, downplaying serious issues, and ignoring minor ones altogether.
It would be better to involve the criminal investigation team and open a case against him. Criminal police can investigate cases much faster than a departmental investigation.
People like Qian Jianshe must be dealt a fatal blow!
Jiang Ling pondered to herself, while Zhao Yanhong watched Qian Jianshe's resolute departing figure, her spirits seemingly drained, her face ashen. She stopped pleading and dejectedly signed the "Administrative Penalty Decision," before being sent to the detention center by the police to serve five days of administrative detention.
Once everything was settled, the police station finally quieted down.
Back in the case team's office, Liu Haoran sat down, took a sip of hot water, and asked Li Zhenliang, "How's the interrogation going? Was it Lin Xiaoyue who did it?"
Li Zhenliang placed the briefcase he had been carrying under his arm on the table: "Sigh! Don't even mention it. Wen Xiufen was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She insisted that her daughter was obedient and sensible and would never steal the bell. Later, Zhao Yanhong interrupted, and the mother and daughter were stimulated and became extremely nervous. We couldn't push them too hard, so we came back."
Seeing the disappointed expressions on Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei's faces, Li Zhenliang patted his chest and said, "However, Xiao Jiang said they will come to the police station tomorrow, and we will ask them then."
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei turned their gazes to Jiang Ling: "Are they really coming? Is this just a delaying tactic?"
They had encountered similar situations in previous investigations, where the other party would repeatedly promise to come to the police station to explain the situation, but after waiting for a whole day, no one showed up and they ran away!
Jiang Ling said, "Don't worry, they will come."
Hearing Jiang Ling's confident words, Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Haoran asked, "Is it really Lin Xiaoyue?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "It's her."
Zhou Wei asked again, "Why? I ran into that girl downstairs, and she was so thin it was heartbreaking. Could she be sick? The towel factory isn't doing very well right now, but Wen Xiufen's salary is enough to feed two people."
Jiang Ling sighed: "Lin Xiaoyue's weight loss is abnormal; it may be anorexia caused by a mental illness."
Li Zhenliang also sighed, "Oh! Poor thing. I think this mother and daughter are both honest people. Wen Xiufen squatted down with her head in her hands as soon as she heard Zhao Yanhong cursing, like someone who had suffered a serious shock. Lin Xiaoyue wanted to protect her mother, but she was powerless and was so angry that she was trembling. If it weren't for us, they would probably have been in trouble."
Jiang Ling said, "Yes, both mother and daughter are psychologically fragile and need intervention and treatment."
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei exchanged a glance: "Then... thankfully we went over tonight?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes, thankfully we were here."
Fortunately, everyone intervened, which prevented a tragedy from happening.
--
On the other end of the technical team, Ying Songmao was waiting for a call.
But there was no news.
In the morning, he dialed the case team office of Jinwu Road Police Station: "How's the investigation going? Have you found the person?"
The person who answered the phone was Li Zhenliang, who said excitedly, "It's almost certainly true! Xiao Jiang's criminal psychological profile is really accurate."
Ying Songmao's eyes lit up: "Tell me in detail."
He spent the whole night thinking about the criminal psychological profile that Jiang Ling had mentioned.
Jiang Ling said he saw it in a foreign document, so he called Professor Wang Chengling of the Public Security University for help, asking him to check in the library to find out which document it was and how it described criminal psychological profiling.
It's a pity that there's no paper title, only a keyword, making literature retrieval very difficult. A whole night has passed and Professor Wang Chengling still hasn't replied.
However, Professor Wang was very interested and instructed him to record the case clearly. If it could be proven that Jiang Ling's line of reasoning was correct, it would be an advancement in criminal investigation technology and could be written into a paper for publication.
Now that Li Zhenliang says that Jiang Ling's judgment was very accurate, Ying Songmao is naturally happy.
Li Zhenliang's tone was filled with pride: "Xiao Jiang's geographical profile said the perpetrator was in the towel factory, and it really is true! We went to the towel factory and asked, and there was indeed a mother and daughter there. The mother, Wen Xiufen, had been Qian Yongjun's mistress and lived in the towel factory's dormitory building. The daughter, Lin Xiaoyue, is in the first year of junior high school this year. She is about 1.4 meters tall, introverted and withdrawn, and very thin. All of this matches the results of Xiao Jiang's psychological profile."
Ying Songmao asked, "Was it Lin Xiaoyue who did it?"
Li Zhenliang thought for a moment: "This... we can't be sure yet. Last night, Qian Yongjun's wife brought people to our door, and they were so scared that they were trembling with fear and didn't have time to ask."
Ying Songmao said, "How can we be sure we've found the right person if we haven't asked clearly?"
Li Zhenliang was stunned for a moment: "If Xiao Jiang said yes, then it must be true. Xiao Jiang said they would come to the police station today, and we are waiting."
Ying Songmao asked some more questions about Wen Xiufen and Lin Xiaoyue before hanging up the phone.
Zhao Jingxin handed over two paper documents: "Master, the Second Brigade sent over two applications for physical evidence testing today. I think the task is quite heavy."
Ying Songmao took the document, glanced at the contents of the physical evidence, and nodded: "Okay, prepare to send it for testing." After saying that, he got into work mode.
As for Jiang Ling, he planned to go and check on her after get off work.
Li Zhenliang hung up the phone and raised an eyebrow at Liu Haoran with a hint of smugness: "Captain Ying is quite concerned about our case; he called early this morning to ask about it."
Liu Haoran suddenly realized something: "Ah! He's the deputy captain of the technical team. Could it be that he's taken a liking to Xiao Jiang and wants to transfer her over to work on criminal investigation technology?"
Li Zhenliang immediately tensed up: "Ah? If Xiao Jiang is transferred, I won't have a partner."
Zhou Wei patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Look at Xiao Jiang's abilities, do you think our police station can keep him?"
Li Zhenliang yelled and dodged his movement: "No, I have to give Xiao Jiang a heads-up right away. We can't let her go with Captain Ying. Our police station has a dormitory room for each person, the food in the canteen is delicious, and it's nice to chat and laugh together. The technical team is extremely busy, working overtime all day long. If they encounter a major case, they have to work non-stop and don't even have time to breathe."
Zhou Wei reminded him, "But being able to transfer to the municipal bureau is the dream of many grassroots police officers. Liangzi, you can't stand in someone's way."
Li Zhenliang knew that Zhou Wei was right, but he really couldn't bear to see Jiang Ling leave.
He had finally found a partner with whom he worked well, and he had finally solved the Qian Darong case under Jiang Ling's leadership. His work was going very smoothly, so how could he bear to let Jiang Ling leave?
The more he thought about it, the sadder he became. The good mood he had just felt after receiving Ying Songmao's call vanished in an instant. Li Zhenliang sat alone in his chair, sulking.
"What are you doing?"
Jiang Ling's voice reached his ears, and Li Zhenliang listlessly raised his head, looking at her smartly dressed in her uniform: "It's nothing."
Jiang Ling turned to Liu Haoran, who was making faces at her, and asked, "What's going on?"
Liu Haoran then repeated the joke he had just made.
After understanding the whole story, Jiang Ling walked to Li Zhenliang's desk and said very seriously, "Don't worry, I won't go to the technical team."
In her past life, she worked in the archives for so long, which meant she had the most contact with the technical team. The municipal bureau's technical team has different laboratories or groups, each responsible for different types of testing tasks. They usually focus on technology and are relatively "homebound".
In this second life, Jiang Ling doesn't want to stay in the archives or the laboratory. The place she most wants to go is either the first or second brigade of the Criminal Investigation Detachment.
One team is responsible for violent crimes such as murder, rape, and kidnapping, while the second team is responsible for property crimes such as theft and robbery. Both are serious offenses that severely disrupt public order and are the crimes that Jiang Ling hates most. Since God has given her a second chance at life, she wants to make the most of her abilities.
Upon hearing Jiang Ling's assurance, Li Zhenliang became as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood. He suddenly stood up, grinned broadly, and said, "Little Jiang, it's already 8:30. I'll go downstairs and see if Wen Xiufen has arrived yet."
The towel factory now operates on a three-shift system: day shift, afternoon shift, and night shift, followed by a day off, and this cycle repeats continuously.
Wen Xiufen worked the night shift last night, which should have started at midnight and ended at 8 a.m. If she really keeps her promise, she should come over after work.
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Ling heard a timid voice from downstairs: "Jiang, is Officer Jiang here?"
The four people in the office exchanged a glance, then left the office at the same time and headed towards the stairwell.
Wen Xiufen is here!
Wen Xiufen came to the police station as soon as she got off work. She was wearing a dark blue factory uniform and had a fermented smell of cornstarch from sizing yarn on her.
Jiang Ling knew that Wen Xiufen was timid, so she led her to the interrogation room and sat her down. Li Zhenliang brought over a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of her: "Are you cold? Drink some hot water."
The interrogation room was on the first floor. The furnishings were simple. The "Regulations on Administrative Penalties for Public Security" were hanging on the wall. There was a wooden table and three chairs. Jiang Ling, Li Zhenliang and Wen Xiufen sat across from each other at the table. On the table were an inkpad box and an interrogation record book. In the corner was a coal stove for heating, and an aluminum kettle was boiling water on the stove.
When Wen Xiufen first saw the iron bars on the windows and the dark red paint on the cement floor, she was so nervous that she trembled all over. But the kettle that was steaming hot inexplicably added a touch of warmth to the room, which eased her tension a lot.
Wen Xiufen began to tell her story.
“I was born in the countryside. My parents raised me until I was eighteen and then arranged for me to get married to raise money for my two older brothers’ weddings and to build new houses. Because they were in a hurry for money, they didn’t choose carefully at all, and only looked for families who could afford high dowries. That’s how I married Lin Chengde.”
"After I married him, I realized he was a monster. Lin Chengde loved to drink, and when he was drunk, he would go berserk and beat people. He was really ruthless when he beat people!"
At this point, Wen Xiufen's face turned pale, and she felt a chill enter her body, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
Jiang Ling said gently, "Don't be afraid, it's all over now."
Women who have experienced severe domestic violence often develop a stress response. In later stages, even loud noises may trigger a defensive state in them.
No wonder she reacted so strongly when she heard Zhao Yanhong cursing.
Wen Xiufen doesn't want to recall the past anymore.
That unbearable past, accompanied by the smell of blood, pain, humiliation, and humiliation, left a deep, bone-revealing scar on her heart.
She closed her eyes, suppressing the nausea rising in her throat, and continued, "He killed one of his wives and had to pay a large sum of money in compensation. Any city girl could easily find out what kind of person he was and would never marry him, so he set his sights on our village. Xiaoyue was only six years old when he died. Because she was a girl, Lin Chengde didn't care about her at all. Although I tried my best to protect her, but..."
At this point, Wen Xiufen choked up: "Xiaoyue suffered a lot because of her useless mother. Whenever she cried, Lin Chengde would yell at her and kick her, which made her more and more timid. Later, Lin Chengde suddenly fell ill and died after drinking. My father-in-law beat me so badly that I ended up in the hospital. At the cost of three broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, I took over Lin Chengde's job and started working at the towel factory. From then on, I lost contact with all my relatives on Lin's side."
“I have almost no contact with my family anymore. They took the two thousand yuan the Lin family gave me and threw me away like a rag. I once begged my parents for help, but they said that a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; whether she lives or dies is my fate.”
“From the time Xiaoyue was 6 to now, she’s 13, and I haven’t had anyone to help her. It’s been really tough. There are no day shift jobs available at the towel factory, so I have to work rotating shifts. Xiaoyue goes to school early every day with her key in her pocket, and after school, she takes her meal tickets to the cafeteria by herself. My poor Xiaoyue…”
When Wen Xiufen spoke of the hardships she had endured over the years, tears streamed down her face.
Over the years, she and her daughter have depended on each other for survival, without any relatives to help them. This loneliness and isolation made her feel a deep sense of fear.
Jiang Ling noticed that she was only talking about trivial matters of daily life. Although she understood her urgent need to confide in someone, she couldn't let her sorrowful emotions continue to spread, so she interrupted her: "Why are you dating Qian Jianshe?"
Wen Xiufen looked embarrassed, her hands twisting into a pretzel, and stammered, "You, you all knew?"
She didn't want to talk about it, but now that she was sitting in the interrogation room facing the police, and with Zhao Yanhong coming to her door yesterday... everything made her realize that she couldn't hide it anymore.
In reality, it's just a melodramatic story of him being lustful at first sight and her being forced into a corner.
Wen Xiufen was already pretty and charming, and with her tragic background, she naturally had a pitiful appearance, which made Qian Jianshe, who came to the towel factory on business, take a liking to her at first sight.
At that time, Wen Xiufen lived in a bungalow allocated by her work unit. Three households shared the kitchen and toilet, and water and electricity were frequently cut off. As an orphan and widow in that environment, she naturally attracted the covetous eyes of some people. At the toilet door, in the kitchen, in the corridor... wherever it was a public place, rude men would harass her from time to time. There were even times when someone would utter foul language under her window in the middle of the night. She could not bear it.
Wen Xiufen dreamed of living in a tenement building, where each unit had its own entrance, kitchen, and toilet, and as long as the door was locked, she wouldn't have to worry about being disturbed.
Qian Jianshe was the deputy director of the textile factory and had business dealings with the towel factory. He took advantage of this mentality and forced her to do so. Then, he used the promise of helping her apply for housing as bait to keep her from making a fuss.
At that time, Qian Jianshe was the deputy director of the textile factory, in charge of logistics and infrastructure, and had a lot of power. He found the head of the housing management department, and after some wining and dining and giving gifts, the housing management department arranged for Wen Xiufen to live in a tenement building.
Qian Jianshe had many mistresses, and Wen Xiufen was just one of them.
After drinking, Lin Chengde would force Wen Xiufen to have sex. His actions were rough, brutal, and cruel. Wen Xiufen was very resistant to sex and naturally did not enjoy it. After each time she had sex with Qian Jianshe, she would fall into a vortex of self-blame, repeatedly washing her body and sitting blankly at the foot of the bed like a trance.
At this point, Wen Xiufen pleaded with Jiang Ling, "I know I'm guilty, I'm sorry to the child. But... I've been keeping this from Xiaoyue. Please, don't let Xiaoyue know about this. I don't want her to be disappointed or sad."
Jiang Ling sighed softly to herself.
Wen Xiufen thought she had kept it a secret, but Lin Xiaoyue actually knew all along.
Seeing Jiang Ling's expressionless face, Wen Xiufen felt uneasy and said in a trembling voice, "Yesterday you told me that Qian Jianshe's son was influenced by his father and bullied girls at a young age, and was put in a juvenile detention center. After hearing that, I was uneasy all night, afraid that my reputation would be ruined and affect Xiaoyue..."
Wen Xiufen used to be terrified of and distrustful of the police because Lin Chengde would always say viciously when he beat her, "Let me tell you, we're husband and wife. Even if I beat you to death, the police will treat it as a family matter. My last wife died, and I paid her family a sum of money, and nothing happened. The police didn't even ask any questions. That guy at the police station, he calls me his brother, and he was drinking with me yesterday. You want to call the police? You're nothing!"
Hearing such things repeatedly, Wen Xiufen, who already had little legal awareness, became even more afraid of the police. She always felt that the police station was a haven for villains like Lin Chengde, and dared not speak out if something happened, for fear of attracting even more cruel retaliation.
But after seeing Jiang Ling and Li Zhenliang in plainclothes yesterday, and receiving help from Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei, her impression of the police changed somewhat. In particular, Jiang Ling's words "protect the people" gave her a glimmer of hope.
Thinking of this, Wen Xiufen quietly asked, "Qian Jianshe said he and your Director Yao are very close, like brothers. Is that true?"
Li Zhenliang raised his hand and slapped his forehead, somewhat amused and exasperated: "Our director's surname is Yao. He's an upright man and there's no way he could be on good terms with Qian Jianshe. He's just lying to you."
Wen Xiufen looked at Jiang Ling, wanting to get further confirmation.
Jiang Ling nodded.
Wen Xiufen was relieved and said cautiously, "You said yesterday that your bicycle bell was stolen, and you suspected it was my Xiaoyue? My Xiaoyue is very well-behaved and would never be a thief."
As a mother, Wen Xiufen simply did not believe that her daughter would be a "thief" that everyone hated, but with Qian Darong's case as an example, she was eventually afraid.
Wen Xiufen was afraid that she would implicate her daughter.
She only attended primary school for three years and had limited experience. Although she loved her daughter dearly, she couldn't help with anything except feeding and dressing her.
She couldn't understand her daughter's textbooks or hear what she was saying. Faced with her daughter becoming more and more silent and thinner each day, she didn't know how to communicate with her.
If the police keep pressing her for answers, Wen Xiufen might even develop a rebellious attitude and desperately try to protect her daughter.
However, Jiang Ling was kind, gentle, and knew when to advance and retreat, always stopping short of forcing anything, which made Wen Xiufen feel "respected".
It was precisely because she felt respected that Wen Xiufen chose to come to the police station on her own initiative.
Jiang Ling noticed the change in Wen Xiufen's attitude.
Her psychological defenses had been lowered; she was genuinely asking herself for help.
This is a good start.
Only in this way can Jiang Ling help Wen Xiufen and change the fate of the mother and daughter.
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