Chapter 56: Lack of Evidence
Chapter 56: Lack of Evidence
During dinner that evening, Aunt brought up the topic of Zaohua. The girl had taken Auntie Lu's advice and stayed in bed since she returned home. She had skipped both lunch and dinner, and had declared that she would rather die than marry a fool.
Auntie sighed with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I wonder what Mother Guo was thinking? A son may be a treasure, but isn't a daughter also flesh and blood? How could any mother be so heartless as to marry her daughter to a fool for the sake of her son?"
Aunt Lu, having heard the village gossip, chimed in, "I heard he's not really a fool. He works at the Second Machinery Factory, but he's just a bit slow and not as quick-witted as others."
But Auntie wasn't convinced by such excuses. "If he's just a bit slow and has a stable job at the factory, why would he still struggle to find a wife?"
"I heard his family wants to find him a smart wife so that their future grandchildren will be intelligent too."
When it came to intelligence, Zaohua was unmatched in the neighboring villages. Well, perhaps with the exception of Auntie Lu's own granddaughter, XinXin.
The following afternoon, Uncle Lu received a phone call from Captain Sun, who was in charge of the case. He returned and relayed the information to Auntie Lu. "We received news from Jinshi. Hu Ermei did indeed return to the ancient capital over two months ago to visit her eldest grandson, who is studying there. She left soon after seeing him."
The public security bureau was leaning towards Auntie Lu's side, as she had no reason to slander Old Mrs. Hu. However, the problem lay in the lack of concrete evidence beyond her statement, which made the case difficult to pursue. Although not explicitly stated, Captain Sun subtly implied this to Uncle Lu.
"Is that all?" Auntie Lu asked, furrowing her brows.
Uncle Lu nodded. "She claimed that she did meet a young girl on the train, but as they didn't know each other, they didn't speak and parted ways after disembarking."
Many people in the compound knew that Yang Jun from Jinshi had bought Old Mrs. Hu a ticket back to her hometown and even saw her off at the train station. It would be easy to expose her lie if she denied returning to the ancient capital.
Auntie Lu anticipated this. "When will she be back?"
"She's on today's train and should arrive in three days. Don't worry, I'll accompany you to meet her as soon as she arrives in Feng County," Uncle Lu assured her.
"Has the Jinshi public security bureau interrogated her?" Auntie Lu inquired.
Uncle Lu tapped the pipe in his hand and shook his head. "They called her in for questioning, but it didn't yield anything useful. However, if she's guilty, the skilled officers will definitely be able to make her confess."
But Auntie Lu wasn't as optimistic. "Uncle, her younger son, Yang Jun, is a cadre, and her eldest grandson is a college student with a promising future. Unless we can find my missing watch and have solid evidence, it will be harder than climbing heaven to make her confess."
Once she admitted her guilt, her younger son could forget about climbing the career ladder, and her eldest grandson would not be assigned a job after graduation. For the sake of her sons and grandson, the old woman would never confess.
Uncle Lu fell silent. If he were in her shoes, he would rather die than bring trouble to his descendants. This was also why he had previously worried that Old Mrs. Hu might attempt suicide to avoid accountability. However, the veteran public security officer had said that if she did so, it would be considered evading punishment through suicide, and in the absence of evidence, such an act would be foolish.
Uncle Lu tried to reassure Auntie Lu. "I will discuss this with your father and your eldest uncle. Don't worry, we will make sure she admits her guilt and faces justice."
The Lu family soon learned about the situation, and everyone was indignant, but they too struggled to come up with a viable solution.
Noticing Auntie Lu's dejected mood, Auntie offered words of comfort. "XinXin, don't worry. Heaven will surely punish evildoers."
Many people in the Flower-Growing Village believed in the concept of karmic retribution—that good deeds would be rewarded and evil deeds punished, even if the punishment was delayed. However, Auntie Lu was not a believer. If heaven truly had eyes, there wouldn't be so many injustices in the world.
Seeing her silence, Auntie continued, "When I was younger, there was an old woman in the neighboring village who was exceptionally vicious to her daughter-in-law. She either beat her or berated her. Eventually, the daughter-in-law couldn't take it anymore and drowned herself in the river. Not long after, the old woman broke both her legs. Her second daughter-in-law, whom she married afterward, neglected her, and she starved to death in her bed."
"XinXin, that old woman nearly took your life. Even if the public security bureau can't bring her to justice, heaven will not let her off the hook."
Auntie spoke with utmost sincerity, her attitude devout.
Not wanting to worry her aunt, Auntie Lu forced a smile and agreed.
That night, as Xiao Qiu saw Auntie Lu's preoccupation, she also tried to comfort her. "Aunt, the village elders often say that those who haven't done anything wrong have nothing to fear from ghosts knocking at their doors. That old woman has committed such a heinous deed. Even if the public security bureau can't punish her, she will surely be haunted by ghosts in the future."
Auntie Lu spent the entire day pondering a way to make Old Mrs. Hu confess. She knew that conventional methods wouldn't work, and more extreme approaches were illegal. But Xiao Qiu's words suddenly inspired her, and she had an idea.
The next morning, Auntie Lu sought out Uncle Lu. "Uncle, can you find out if that Old Mrs. Hu is superstitious?"
Not only Auntie, but even Xiao Qiu had mentioned that the old woman would face retribution from evil spirits, indicating that superstition was prevalent among the villagers at that time. Perhaps it was a common trait among rural folks back then.
"What?" Uncle Lu asked.
"I mean, does she believe in ghosts and such?" Auntie Lu clarified.
Uncle Lu frowned. "Auntie Lu, you're a high school student and an intellectual. How can you believe in such things?"
Auntie Lu waved her hand dismissively. "I don't believe in them, but since Auntie and Xiao Qiu both mentioned that she'll face retribution, I want to know if Old Mrs. Hu is also afraid of ghosts."
Uncle Lu didn't know about that, but based on his years of experience as the village head, he could say that most of these old women were superstitious.
"Uncle, I have an idea. What do you think of it?"
Auntie Lu's plan was to scare Old Mrs. Hu by pretending to be a ghost. If the old woman was superstitious, when she saw Auntie Lu in the same state as when she had woken up that rainy night, she would surely be terrified. In a state of extreme fear, people often lost their ability to reason, and that would be the moment to pry open her mouth.
Uncle Lu didn't think the plan would work. "But she knows you're not dead. How can she be scared?"
"Uncle, I still had my watch on when I held my breath, and it was gone when I woke up. She must have taken it, thinking I was dead. Before she sees me, she will be doubtful and uncertain," Auntie Lu explained.
She also brought up the saying Xiao Qiu had mentioned about ghosts knocking at the doors of those who had done wrong. "I lost my life and my money to her. If I appear before her in the middle of the night, don't you think she'll be scared?"
Uncle Lu considered it for a moment. He himself would be frightened if he encountered such a situation, let alone Old Mrs. Hu. However, while the idea was good, it couldn't be implemented. "This is feudal superstition. The public security bureau won't agree to it."
But Auntie Lu was adamant. "If they don't agree, call my father and ask him to intervene. If he's not willing to help with this, then I'll disown him as my father."
(End of Chapter)
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