"Why are you here? You didn't come here just to pick me up from school, did you?"
Jiang Mingxin raised the corner of his mouth, put his hands behind his back and trotted over, tilting his head playfully at Xing Haodong.
"Are you in a good mood?" Xing Haodong blew out the last smoke ring and put out the cigarette.
His cold facial features instantly became gentle, and his gaze moved from her forehead down the bridge of her nose, finally landing on her pink lips.
"Yeah, transferring schools? A new beginning, a new journey."
The fire seemed to have burned away some of Jiang Mingxin's concerns, just like a sealed flower suddenly having its protective film torn off, becoming more real in front of Xing Haodong.
Xing Haodong couldn't bear to look away from this lively and unrestrained look.
"Where are you going?" he asked Jiang Mingxin.
Jiang Mingxin pointed, "Go that way. Sister Hong and Brother Han are temporarily staying in the shantytown. The three of us can meet up and discuss the old squad leader's situation, and then discuss Zhou Jing's matter."
Xing Haodong nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say."
When they arrived at the shantytown, Sister Hong got into the car with Jiang Mingxin without saying a word. Because they had some snacks at home, they didn't need to go to the vegetable market today. The three of them quickly returned to the dormitory building of the machinery factory, prepared dinner first, and then started discussing business after eating.
Jiang Mingxin glanced at Sister Hong, then at Xing Haodong. "Sister Hong, we already know you're Zhou Suyun. If I'm guessing correctly, you wrote that breakup letter because Zhou Jing was being too persistent. You didn't want to implicate the old squad leader, right?"
Sister Hong looked surprised, but quickly calmed down.
She took a sip of tea from her enamel cup, her voice low and gentle, "He's a good man, and he has feelings for me. If he knew about this, he would rush back and confront Zhou Jing. But he's a soldier, full of passion. If he kills Zhou Jing in a fit of rage, wouldn't his life be ruined? I can't let him bear the charge of murder for me."
"He was filial to his mother, loyal to his friends, and kind to me...with all his heart. We went to elementary school together and lived close by. We often went fishing in the river and went up the mountain to pick wild vegetables and fruits. When he was seventeen, he signed up for the army, and before he left, he came to my house to propose marriage."
"My mother was attracted by his honesty and integrity and was willing to marry me to him. Of course, I was willing too. But life without him was too hard. I had to work on the farm and help him take care of his mother. Running back and forth between the two villages was bound to lead to gossip after a while.
"Those hooligans in the village all wanted to take advantage of me. Unfortunately, my father and brother died early, so I had no one to support me. After I resisted a few times, they started saying bad things about me everywhere... They used to say things like, 'I'm a fickle woman,' 'I'm a bus driver,' 'I'm riding a bicycle with thousands of people,' and so on."
"But I didn't do any of those things," Sister Hong said, her face filled with grief and indignation, tears streaming down her face. "Later, his mother died in an accident, and the rumors only intensified. Some said I had her killed just to pocket the monthly allowance he sent me. I swear to God, I saved that money, and I spent it all on saving her mother!"
Jiang Mingxin sighed slightly and wiped her eyes with her hand. "And then, you met Zhou Jing?"
Sister Hong nodded. "Maybe I dug up his family's grave in a past life. He only met me once, and he stalked me like a fly, trying to pull off the old-world plundering tactics, thinking I'd give in. I'm an educated person, too. I know about gender equality and freedom of marriage. What right does Zhou Jing have?"
At this point, she clenched her fists in anger. "He sent people to set the fire to intimidate me, to force me to lie down and let him sleep! But he didn't expect that the fire would directly take my mother's life. I went to the county to sue him, and then to the city, but his cousin is Zhou Kui, so no one dared to file a case for me. Even the village chief went to petition, but was sent back."
Sister Hong sneered from the depths of her throat. "Zhou Jing thought he had finally succeeded. To make him give up, I simply destroyed my own face with sulfuric acid."
She opened her hands and touched the uneven skin, with dark insects crawling in her eyes.
"Who would have thought that even though I was in such a miserable state, he still wouldn't let me go. Mingxin, I really regret it! I should have poured sulfuric acid on his face and died with him!"
Jiang Mingxin held her in his arms and said, "Sister Hong, we must avenge this, but you can't hurt yourself again."
Xing Haodong's expression was extremely solemn. "I promise you, if Zhou Jing really did this, I will personally bring him to justice! Justice may be late, but it will never be absent."
Sister Hong gave a wry smile and shook her head. "Can you possibly defeat Zhou Kui? He's all-powerful in the capital, and he's backed by a powerful father-in-law. Even petitions can't touch him. How can ordinary people like us fight him?"
"Sister Hong, you have to trust the police." Xing Haodong looked at her firmly.
"Believe it? How can I believe it? Back then, Director Bai wasn't even the director yet. When he investigated the scene, he was filled with righteous indignation and said he would definitely seek justice for me. However, a few days later, he changed his tune, saying it was just an accident, not arson. They destroyed all the evidence, and even if we reinvestigate, there will be no results."
Sister Hong's expression was eerily calm, like before a storm. "Unless you can get him to personally admit he's the mastermind and find clues to the arson, there's no chance of him being brought to justice."
Xing Haodong pulled out an evidence bag from his pocket. Inside was a jade ring. "This is what the police found at the fire scene. Sister Hong, do you recognize her?"
Sister Hong carefully examined it and said, "No, I have never seen it before. I never wear jewelry like this. It must not have been left by a customer, otherwise I would have seen it."
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