There's no escaping it in this lifetime.
When the police came to Xie Zhijin to understand the situation, Jiang Jingshu was applying medicine to him.
Two police officers walked directly to Xie Zhijin's side. "Hello, I'm the officer in charge of this matter. I'm here to get some information from you."
Jiang Jingshu gave Xie Zhijin an encouraging look.
"January 20, 2025, 7:21 PM, Fortune Hotel," the police officer said, providing some basic information before asking Xie Zhijin about the cause and course of events.
Xie Zhijin didn't hide anything, which pleased Jiang Jingshu. When the police couldn't see, she secretly gave Xie Zhijin a thumbs up.
Jiang Jingshu thought to herself, "You're great too."
"Has your adoptive father ever hit you before?" one of the police officers asked Xie Zhijin as he was taking notes.
Xie Zhijin glanced at Jiang Jingshu subconsciously.
Then he nodded.
Another young policeman chuckled softly, "You kid, why do you always look at the little girl next to you when I ask you questions? You can't even answer them yourself?"
Xie Zhijin shook his head somewhat embarrassedly, unconsciously placing his hands behind his back. "No, I would have more courage if she were here."
Jiang Jingshu couldn't help but smile when she heard this.
The young policeman, watching the interaction between the two in front of him, could only sigh that youth is truly wonderful.
The older policeman next to him coughed, trying to end the conversation, but the younger officer just pursed his lips and remained silent.
"When was the first time I hit you?" The atmosphere returned to seriousness. Jiang Jingshu also straightened her expression and patiently listened to what Xie Zhijin had to say.
Xie Zhijin lowered his eyes, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Six years old, I guess."
At this moment, not only the two police officers, but even Jiang Jingshu fell silent.
"The records show that they adopted you when you were five years old, so you started being beaten when you were six?" The police officer asked Xie Zhijin again to confirm.
Some things are hard to say.
It felt like reliving the pain of that time.
Jiang Jingshu suddenly grasped Xie Zhijin's hand.
Xie Zhijin was taken aback for a moment, then squeezed her hand back and said, "It's okay."
The police officer asked again, "How many times has this been done?"
"I can't remember clearly, but I do remember that every now and then, when he was having a bad time, he would come and hit me a couple of times and yell at me."
As Xie Zhijin spoke, it seemed as if he was recalling his childhood.
—
Five-year-old Xie Zhijin is the most obedient little boy in the welfare home, and the headmistress likes him very much.
Xie Zhijin was also very likable and got along very well with everyone at the orphanage.
He seemed to be one of those children whom God favored, giving him a beautiful face. Every time, the headmistress would pinch Xie Zhijin's cheek and say to him, "Our little treasure is so beautiful."
Soon, a young couple arrived at the welfare home, and the director showed them photos of the children eating, running, and studying.
They spotted Xie Zhijin immediately—the boy who ate well, studied diligently, and had a handsome appearance.
"This child is very obedient. He always eats the most delicious food. He's also very pretty and clever." The couple stared at Xie Zhijin's photo for a long time.
"Does this child have a name?" The young Zhao Xu took Xie Zhijin's photo off the wall.
"This child is handsome, and his name is Zhijin."
"Zhijin?" Xie Wendong frowned. "What's the explanation?"
"My wife named her this child because she thought Zhijin was so beautiful, just like a person in a painting, so she gave her this name."
Xie Wendong was a rough and uncultured man, and even after the headmaster explained the origin of his name, he didn't quite understand.
Zhao Xu spoke softly beside him, "Young master, you should only see the painting; I alone know the essence of it."
The kindergarten director smiled and said to Xie Wendong and his wife, "Then I'll take you to see the children."
It was winter, and Xie Zhijin was wearing a thick coat and a scarf sewn by the headmistress, playing in the snow with his friends.
Upon hearing the headmistress's call, Xie Zhijin skipped over. Xie Wendong and his wife nodded in approval as they saw how warmly the child was dressed. "You treat the children very well; everyone has a scarf to wear."
"We will not favor any child over the others. The children are fed and dressed in the best possible way, so don't worry."
The adoption procedures were completed quickly, and Xie Zhijin and Xie Wendong returned home.
Xie Zhijin remembers that at that time, the kindergarten director held his hand, gave him a string of Buddhist prayer beads, and told him, "Child, you will have a father and mother from now on."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Young Xie Zhijin was overjoyed and skipped happily towards his new parents.
At first, life was quite good, and Zhao Xu and Xie Wendong were very considerate of Xie Zhijin.
Xie Zhijin felt this was the feeling of home. Xie Wendong would bring him roasted chestnuts bought from a roadside stall after get off work, and Zhao Xu would bring him the latest Ultraman toys.
Xie Zhijin loved this kind of life. During the year, he felt happy, but he also secretly missed the headmistress.
Less than a year after Xie Zhijin moved in, Zhao Xu became pregnant. Xie Zhijin was overjoyed; he felt he could be a big brother, and he took care of Zhao Xu with all his heart every day.
One night, Xie Wendong came home drunk, and Zhao Xu noticed a lipstick stain on Xie Wendong's collar.
Xie Wendong accidentally pushed Zhao Xu to the ground.
This scene was witnessed by little Xie Zhijin.
Xie Zhijin ran crying to the sofa to get Zhao Xu's phone, but Xie Wendong pushed him to the ground, cursing, "You brat, don't get involved in this, go back to your room."
Xie Zhijin was frightened, and that night he secretly ran to the welfare home.
The next day, however, he was sent back by the kindergarten director. No one was home. It wasn't until evening, when Xie Wendong returned, that he learned that his unborn younger brother had disappeared.
Because of the miscarriage, Zhao Xu has no chance of getting pregnant again.
Xie Wendong began staying out all night more and more frequently, and Zhao Xu's emotions became increasingly unstable.
Coincidentally, Xie Zhijin was starting first grade, and being a playful boy, his grades were terrible. It was on that day that he heard the most hurtful words.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have raised you if you were so clever. If you don't study hard, I'll beat you to death."
That night, Xie Zhijin was severely beaten.
To avoid being discovered by others, Xie Wendong simply asked him for three months' leave.
Zhao Xu was still grieving the loss of his son and couldn't get over it. Xie Zhijin could only limp to cook for Zhao Xu, and then limp back to his room to study.
He hadn't been to school for three months, and when he took the exam again, he still didn't do well.
As a result, Xie Zhijin was often injured, and later Xie Wendong simply stopped Xie Zhijin from going to school.
Xie Zhijin always worked one day on and rested for a week, which resulted in him not having many friends at school.
When his peers see him, they will say to everyone around them, "Look, this is the sick student in our class. He is weak, so you should all stay away from him."
He became less adept at communicating with people.
Even in junior high school, his grades remained very poor.
Fortunately, junior high school was a boarding school, and Xie Zhijin gradually grew up and learned a lot.
They seemed to understand that as long as they weren't at home, they wouldn't be beaten anymore.
During his three years of junior high school, he studied hard and reduced the number of times he went home, only secretly visiting the headmistress of the orphanage.
Finally, he got into a top school, and for the first time, he saw a smile in Xie Wendong's eyes.
Xie Zhijin began to deliberately try to please him. Only when he got good grades would Xie Wendong be happy. When Xie Wendong was happy, he would stop hitting him, and Zhao Xu would stop standing by him and criticizing him.
Xie Zhijin had fewer injuries, but he noticed that Zhao Xu had more.
When he returned home for the weekend, he noticed the bruises on Zhao Xu's arm and asked her, "Did he hit you?"
Zhao Xu just cried and hit Xie Zhijin, telling him to mind his own business.
Xie Zhijin couldn't bear to see Zhao Xu get beaten, so he ran up to Xie Wendong and shouted at him.
"Why did you hit me? Why?"
Xie Wendong wouldn't care what Xie Zhijin, a middle school student, said. "How about I hit you instead of him?"
Zhao Xu was wiping away tears beside him.
Xie Zhijin stared at Zhao Xu, remained silent for a while, and finally spoke, "Okay. As long as you promise me," Xie Zhijin breathed heavily, staring at Xie Wendong, "as long as you promise me that you will never hit Mom again."
After that, Xie Zhijin's wounds became more and more numerous. Old wounds were mixed with new ones, and there were countless bruises on his body. During a physical education class, Xie Zhijin fainted.
This was the first time his injuries were discovered. The school took him to the hospital and notified his parents. The doctor noticed something suspicious about Xie Zhijin's injuries, dismissed everyone, and said to him, "Do you need me to call the police for you?"
This was the first time Xie Zhijin had received outside help, and the first time he felt he could escape this life forever. He frantically grabbed the doctor's hand as if he had grasped hope, and cried out, "I need it, I need to call the police."
The doctor readily agreed, and the hospital quickly called the police on Xie Zhijin's behalf. Just when Xie Zhijin thought his dark and miserable days were about to end and that he and Zhao Xu would no longer be beaten, reality dealt him a heavy blow.
When the police asked Xie Zhijin how he got his injuries, Xie Zhijin tried to answer, but Xie Wendong forcibly covered his mouth.
He pinned all his hopes on Zhao Xu, hoping that Zhao Xu would say something, at least something that could change his situation. But to his surprise, Zhao Xu spoke up from the side, saying, "He fell down on his own."
The police officer was somewhat suspicious and asked again, "You weren't beaten?"
Zhao Xu shook his head firmly, "Officer, please don't listen to irrelevant people's nonsense. My family is very harmonious, and this kind of thing has never happened."
Without evidence, and with Zhao Xu's denial, the matter ultimately came to nothing.
Xie Zhijin also clearly understood that another beating awaited him.
He was immediately exhausted.
It's not that easy to escape.
No, he can't escape it in this lifetime.
"You brat, you dare call the police? Let me tell you, when the police arrive, this is my family matter, Xie Wendong's business." Xie Wendong's fists rained down on him.
Xie Zhijin gave up resisting. He endured the beatings while looking at Zhao Xu, and asked her weakly, "Why?"
Xie Wendong just laughed loudly, "You're protecting her, and look how she doesn't dare utter a single word. I'm the one in charge of this family, and you're the one I'm supporting."
This was also the first time Xie Zhijin realized that there was no one behind him.
He wondered if he could escape this kind of life when he grew up, became rich, and no longer needed to be supported by him.
After that, Xie Zhijin became increasingly taciturn until he entered high school.
Since high school wasn't a boarding school, he had to work part-time and use the money he earned to rent a hotel for himself.
To get as far away from this family as possible, and even further away.
Let this hell on earth disappear from his life forever.
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