1

In 1996, Gao Xiang was only 22 years old. After graduating from university, he stayed in the provincial capital to manage his family’s sales company. One day in early October, he suddenly received a phone call from his mother, Chen Zihui, saying that his uncle Chen Ziyu had gotten into trouble, but she refused to elaborate on what exactly had happened, only demanding that he return home immediately. Unable to reach Chen Ziyu’s mobile phone, he had no choice but to set aside his work, drive back to Qinggang, and spend the entire journey pondering what trouble his mischief-prone uncle had stirred up this time. Since childhood, he had witnessed Chen Ziyu’s endless stream of mishaps, and his mother’s vague manner this time gave him a somewhat ominous premonition.

Gao Xiang’s grandfather Chen Liguo was born and raised in Qinggang. He started his fortune through agricultural product import-export trade, then acquired a wine factory on the verge of bankruptcy, producing a type of baijiu called “Qinggang Daqu.” With its excellent quality and reasonable price, it sold well in the province and surrounding areas, making him one of the earliest batch of people to prosper through commerce. Gao Xiang’s father, Gao Ming, initially worked as his employee and caught the eye of his only daughter, Chen Zihui. After he and his wife carefully vetted Gao Ming, they discovered that aside from his impoverished family background, he was indeed upright in character and appearance, hardworking, and steady in temperament. They approved of their daughter’s choice. After some matchmaking, Gao Ming married Chen Zihui and became a live-in son-in-law of the Chen Family, naturally continuing to work for the boss who had become his father-in-law.

No one could have anticipated that the year Chen Zihui became pregnant, her 44-year-old mother would also unexpectedly become pregnant at an advanced age. Chen Ziyu was born nearly six months after Gao Xiang. While Chen Liguo was still immersed in the joy of having a son near the age of fifty and becoming a father again, his wife unfortunately died from postpartum complications the day after giving birth to their son. Chen Zihui accepted her mother’s deathbed instructions and swiftly transformed from a pampered, willful daughter into a responsible elder sister. She weaned her six-month-old son, entrusted him to her husband and a nanny, and took on the responsibility of nursing and raising her younger brother.

From the moment Gao Xiang became aware of things, he had always known that his mother’s love for her little uncle far exceeded what she gave to him, her biological son. However, he was not jealous. On one hand, under his mother’s constant reminders, he truly did care for Chen Ziyu like a younger brother; on the other hand, he also knew that no matter how much love this little uncle received, it could never compensate for the loss of his mother from the moment of birth.

Chen Liguo never remarried. From the moment of his birth, Chen Ziyu replaced the half-year-old Gao Xiang as the center of attention for everyone in the Chen Family. Yet despite receiving meticulous care and being showered with boundless affection, he grew up in complete contradiction to everyone’s wishes. He didn’t love studying, refused to follow his teachers’ discipline, and skipped school every few days. Relying on his privileged family background and ample pocket money, he gathered a gang of similarly aged half-grown children to serve as his lackeys, surrounded by followers front and back, swaggering about with the airs of a boss, and frequently picking fights and causing trouble. He became the most notorious spoiled rich kid in Qinggang county town, with countless incidents from childhood to adulthood.

Chen Liguo’s enterprise grew larger and larger, yet he was completely helpless with his son. As he advanced in years and was diagnosed with coronary heart disease, unable to withstand such continuous stimulation, he gradually abandoned the hope that his son would become successful. His expectations for Chen Ziyu changed from “not causing trouble” to “just don’t cause major trouble.”

Gao Xiang and Chen Ziyu attended the same kindergarten and the same elementary school. Subsequently, Gao Xiang was admitted to Qinggang Middle School, while Chen Ziyu only managed to get in after paying a large sponsorship fee. Two years later, Chen Ziyu was expelled for a series of serious violations and transferred to another middle school, barely graduating with scores only good enough for an ordinary high school, while Gao Xiang was unsurprisingly admitted to Qinggang High School. Three years passed, and Gao Xiang was accepted into a university in the provincial capital with decent grades, while Chen Ziyu, as expected, failed the entrance exams.

Chen Ziyu didn’t care at all, rejecting his father and sister’s suggestion that he repeat the year. After idling at home for nearly a year, he got into a drunken group brawl during which chaos nearly resulted in a death, and he himself was also injured. After Chen Liguo and Chen Zihui recovered from their shock, they no longer dared to let him run wild like an unrestrained horse. After his injuries healed, they forced him to enlist in the military, hoping the army could reform his behavior and help him mature and grow up.

He was assigned to serve in the distant northeast. Although he complained endlessly during the first year with continuous minor troubles, he did become considerably more disciplined. But before his family could completely relax, he was expelled from the military for a serious violation of discipline and sent back to Qinggang city. Chen Liguo was furious enough to grind his teeth, but facing his now tall and strong son, he couldn’t beat him with a stick as punishment like when he was small, and even less dared to send him away again. He had no choice but to arrange a position for him in the company, having him work under his brother-in-law Gao Ming.

Gao Ming truly couldn’t stand his behavior. Whenever he complained slightly, it would invite his wife’s displeasure, and many times he had no choice but to cover for him in front of his father-in-law instead. He understood very clearly that he couldn’t control this willful and unruly brother-in-law who completely disregarded him, so he simply stopped interfering. Chen Ziyu was thus able to work sporadically, continuing his idle and troublemaking lifestyle.

Gao Xiang’s parents and grandfather lived in a three-story house with a spacious independent courtyard in Qinggang county town. As soon as he entered, he discovered that besides his mother and father in the first-floor living room, there were also two female guests sitting side by side. The young girl wore a T-shirt and tight jeans, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. She was very pretty, with long hair permed into waves and curls, a playful black mole above the left corner of her mouth, and a pair of watery big eyes that quickly glanced obliquely at him before immediately lowering.

Gao Xiang recognized her at once. About three months ago, Chen Ziyu had driven to the provincial capital to have fun, found him to go out and eat together, and brought along this girl called Xiao Qin, though at that time her makeup had been more garish and her dress much more trendy and flashy. Afterward, he had asked Chen Ziyu in bewilderment how he could date a girlfriend who looked barely of age. Chen Ziyu had laughed loudly, saying she didn’t count as a girlfriend, just someone to have fun with, his frivolous tone making Gao Xiang frown helplessly, grateful that his girlfriend Sun Ruodi had been busy and didn’t come, otherwise she would definitely have criticized him severely.

Now seeing Xiao Qin at home, Gao Xiang guessed that this situation was naturally related to Chen Ziyu. He saw that sitting beside Xiao Qin was a very plainly dressed middle-aged woman. His mother was handing a thick envelope to her, and she pinched one corner of the envelope with a face full of terror and confusion. His father sat beside them with an ashen expression, saying nothing.

He greeted them and first went back to his own room. When he came downstairs again, the two guests had already left. He asked what had happened, but Chen Zihui still hemmed and hawed. He couldn’t help getting a bit anxious.

“Where is Ziyu now?”

His father Gao Ming spoke up: “He’s already been criminally detained.”

“What did he do? Was it a fight? Did he hurt someone?”

Chen Zihui was uncharacteristically silent. Gao Ming glanced at her and had no choice but to say helplessly: “It wasn’t a fight. It was rape.”

Gao Xiang was greatly shocked. His first reaction was to shake his head: “How is that possible? It can’t be the girl who just came here. They’ve known each other for a long time. He took her to play in the provincial capital, and I met her too.”

“It’s not her. It’s another girl, and she’s pregnant.”

“That still doesn’t prove he committed a crime,” he almost instinctively defended Chen Ziyu. “Is there some misunderstanding?”

Chen Zihui immediately chimed in: “Right, right, that’s what I said too.”

Gao Ming shot his wife a look and turned to face his son, lowering his voice, almost finding it difficult to speak: “Gao Xiang, that girl just turned 14 years old. She’s a student at Qinggang Middle School. When the incident happened, she was still in the second year of junior high.”

Gao Xiang was completely stunned, almost wanting to repeat “how is that possible,” but seeing his father’s expression, he knew that the reason his mother had urgently summoned him back meant that this seemingly impossible thing had probably actually happened. When he thought of the age of 14, he immediately felt like vomiting. After a long while, he said with difficulty: “How could he do such a thing?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions like them. I think they must have made a mistake.” Chen Zihui obviously didn’t believe at all that the child she had raised with her own hands could commit such a terrible crime.

“You’re still saying such things?” The usually taciturn and introverted Gao Ming showed anger on his face and, for the first time, lost his temper with his wife. “What did the police say? You heard it yourself.”

“That’s just the girl’s one-sided story. She’s so young, scared and crying all the time. Can what she said count as evidence? Girls who chase after Ziyu have always been as numerous as cow hair. Does he need to do this kind of thing…”

“You’re really confused, Zihui. Do you know what kind of people chase after your brother and what kind of person that girl is? She’s the daughter of Deputy County Magistrate Zuo Xuejun, who came from the provincial capital for temporary training. She only came with her father to study at Qinggang Middle School last year. She has excellent grades and just turned 14 in May this year. She doesn’t even know your brother. How could she pester him? The police also showed you her account of what happened. She was standing at the back gate of the nursing school waiting for someone when your brother pulled her into his car… If this isn’t rape, what is it?”

“Then why didn’t she report it to the police immediately? It’s been several months before she said anything, and her story is all confused.” Chen Zihui was still full of righteous conviction. “Girls nowadays are all precocious. Who knows what really happened?”

Gao Ming was so angry he couldn’t speak. He turned to Gao Xiang: “You saw that mother and daughter who came just now, right? When that little girl had relations with Ziyu two years ago, she was also only 15 years old. Yesterday when your mother went to see Chen Ziyu, he asked your mother to take money to seal her mouth, and your mother really did call them to the house to give them money.”

Gao Xiang gasped: “Mom, how could you do such a thing?”

Chen Zihui looked completely unrepentant. “I went to find her when she and her mother were setting up a vegetable stall at the market. Should I have stuffed the money to her in front of everyone at the market instead? Of course I could only call them to the house. That girl is almost 18 years old now, and she herself said she was dating Ziyu. I just gave her family some compensation so she wouldn’t make a fuss and rush to report it and cause trouble. I didn’t tell her to lie. Don’t listen to your father—he’s always been prejudiced against Ziyu.”

“Prejudiced? Why don’t you tell me which of my views about him is prejudice? If you and your father had listened to me earlier and strictly disciplined him, it wouldn’t have come to this point today.”

Chen Zihui stood up, slamming the table: “What’s the use of saying this now? With this attitude of yours, do you want to anger Dad to death?”

“If he gets angry, it can only be because of the good deeds done by that precious brother of yours.”

Gao Xiang quickly stopped Chen Zihui, who looked about to explode: “All right, all right, stop saying these angry words. Does Grandfather know about this?”

Gao Ming gave a cold laugh: “The police came to the door in a police car to arrest him yesterday morning. Half of Qinggang knows about it. How could it be kept from him? He was so angry he fainted on the spot. We sent him to the hospital. The doctor said he’s not suitable for travel right now and needs to be observed first. We’ll transfer him to the provincial capital hospital tomorrow when his condition stabilizes. Your mother dragged me out and told me to use connections at the Public Security Bureau. When I said it wouldn’t work, she argued with me endlessly.”

“Ziyu is my only real younger brother. You clearly have a good relationship with Secretary Hu. The Chen Family has treated you well. Asking you to do this little thing, you either make excuses or flatly refuse. Can I not be angry?”

Gao Ming glared angrily at his wife: “You think too highly of me. You don’t need to constantly remind me that I have what I have today thanks to ‘your Chen Family.’ But use your brain to think about what your brother did and who he violated. Even if I have a friendship with Secretary Hu, so what? Don’t forget that County Magistrate Zuo is Secretary Hu’s colleague, a cadre sent down from the province for temporary training to gain experience. Your brother actually violated his only daughter. Not to mention me—even if Dad personally stepped forward with his CPPCC committee member title, who could do anyone a favor in such a matter?”

Gao Xiang saw they were about to argue again and quickly said: “Ziyu has just been locked up. Let’s first find out what’s going on before we can determine what to do next. Mom, don’t worry. Hurry and pack up Grandfather’s things. I’ll accompany you to the hospital.”

After Chen Zihui left to pack clothes, only the father and son remained in the room. Gao Xiang asked his father: “Dad, is it really confirmed that Ziyu did it? What Mom said also makes sense. After all, it’s been several months. You can’t arrest someone based only on a little girl’s one-sided story.”

Gao Ming sighed: “That girl fainted at school a few days ago and was sent to the county hospital, where they discovered she was pregnant. A 14-year-old girl, plus her father being deputy county magistrate—you can imagine what a shock it caused. She was completely terrified. Her father rushed over and questioned her repeatedly before she revealed what happened. Without mentioning other details, Chen Ziyu was driving your grandfather’s newly bought Mercedes at the time. There’s only one such car in all of Qinggang county, with that conspicuous 8888 license plate. One of her classmates also testified that when he rushed over, he witnessed Chen Ziyu carrying her off the car and dumping her by the roadside, then driving away. It’s really… too despicable.”

Gao Xiang could no longer speak.

Chen Liguo was sent to the provincial capital the next day for further diagnosis and treatment. Chen Zihui insisted on staying in Qinggang to find out news about her brother. Gao Xiang and his father accompanied Chen Liguo to the provincial capital. Gao Ming stayed at the hospital to provide care, while Gao Xiang went to find a lawyer according to his mother’s arrangements.

A few days later, Gao Xiang returned to Qinggang with Lawyer Zhang, who was quite famous in the provincial capital for criminal defense. Together with Chen Zihui, they went to the Public Security Bureau and met Chen Ziyu, who was being held in the detention center. Listening to the case briefing, his heart sank completely to the bottom. Chen Ziyu’s initial attitude was extremely arrogant and wild, refusing to admit anything. After several days of interrogation, his defiance gradually diminished, and he began speaking incoherently, stammering that it was just a misunderstanding—he had arranged to meet another girl behind the nursing school and, seeing Zuo Si’an standing by the roadside, mistook her for that girl.

This was of course not a story that could be self-consistent at all.

The police indicated that after further interrogation and evidence collection, they would request approval for arrest. The case would be transferred to the procuratorate for further review and prosecution.

Gao Xiang looked at Chen Ziyu in disbelief. They had grown up together, attended the same school, and lived under the same roof. Before he went to university in the provincial capital, they had been extremely close, exchanging almost all the secrets of their growing years. Yet he had no idea that this little uncle, besides being dissolute and unrestrained, also had such a dark side. Chen Ziyu didn’t look at him, hunching his body with his head hanging very low, looking like a complete stranger.

The door to the meeting room was suddenly pushed open. A middle-aged man burst in and, without a word, swung the police baton in his hand toward Chen Ziyu. Chen Ziyu screamed miserably. Blood immediately flowed from his head as he toppled sideways to the ground. The man continued beating him. Chen Ziyu raised his handcuffed hands to protect his head, wailing as he rolled on the ground trying to dodge.

Amid Chen Zihui’s screams, Gao Xiang came to his senses and rushed over to try to stop the man. However, the man’s eyes were blood-red, and he was surprisingly strong. There was no way to stop him at all. He shoved Gao Xiang aside with one hand and continued swinging the baton at Chen Ziyu. Lawyer Zhang called several police officers in before they could hold the man tightly and drag him out.

During the struggle, Gao Xiang’s shoulder also took a heavy blow from the baton. Ignoring the pain, he helped up Chen Ziyu, whose blood wouldn’t stop flowing. Chen Zihui called out in shock: “Who is he? Why is he allowed to run into the Public Security Bureau to beat people? Arrest him quickly.”

The police said uneasily: “He’s Deputy County Magistrate Zuo. We originally thought he came to understand the progress of the case. Who knew…”

So that man was the father of the victim girl. Facing his anger, Gao Xiang had nothing to say. He held back his mother, who was about to jump up. “Mom, stop arguing. Ziyu’s injuries need treatment.”

 2

Chen Liguo received treatment at the provincial capital cardiac hospital. Gao Xiang also returned to the provincial capital for work while taking care of his grandfather. He learned from his father that Chen Zihui had arranged medical parole for Chen Ziyu and couldn’t help being surprised: “He only has external injuries. The doctor said at the time there was no major problem. Does he meet the conditions for medical parole?”

Gao Ming was obviously dissatisfied with his wife’s actions: “Your mother made quite a commotion this time. Not only did she get Chen Ziyu a certificate for post-concussion syndrome and unidentified brain hematoma pending investigation, she also complained everywhere about Zuo Xuejun, saying that as a state functionary, he used his official position to apply private punishment, and that the Public Security Bureau condoned and permitted his violence. The government was afraid of bad publicity and had no choice but to make concessions, agreeing to let Chen Ziyu have medical parole.”

Gao Xiang was somewhat speechless and could only say: “At least during this period, make sure Ziyu stays honestly at home.”

However, less than a week later, Gao Xiang received a phone call from his mother. Chen Ziyu had suddenly disappeared.

“In case he comes to the provincial capital to find you, you must…”

The phone was seized by Gao Ming, who said sternly: “Don’t listen to your mother. The police are arresting him. They might issue a wanted notice at any moment. If he comes to find you, you absolutely cannot harbor him, or you’ll be implicated too.”

The sound of fierce arguing came from the other end of the phone. No matter how Gao Xiang called for them to stop, it had no effect. He had no choice but to hang up to give himself some peace and quiet.

His girlfriend Sun Ruodi looked at him uneasily: “What exactly happened?”

He simply couldn’t bring himself to tell his innocent girlfriend, who was still in her senior year, that there was a fugitive rapist in the family. He could only say vaguely: “The company still has some troubles that haven’t been resolved. I need to go back to the office.”

In the time that followed, Gao Xiang couldn’t calm down. Every time his phone rang, he would answer with a feeling of trepidation, but Chen Ziyu never called him at all.

The next day after work, he went to the hospital to see his grandfather and was surprised to see a police officer standing in the ward, asking Chen Liguo if he knew his son’s whereabouts. Chen Liguo’s face was ashen, his chest rising and falling, his breathing irregular. Gao Xiang immediately became anxious. He called for the nurse to quickly find a doctor while saying to the police officer, “My grandfather doesn’t even know about this matter. He’s been in poor health and has been receiving treatment at the provincial capital hospital this whole time, with no contact with the outside world. If there’s anything, you can ask me.”

The police officer also saw that Chen Liguo’s condition was not right and sized him up: “Has Chen Ziyu come to find you?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“If he comes to find you, you should know what to do, right?”

Gao Xiang suddenly froze. He of course couldn’t accept what Chen Ziyu had done, but he also had no way to state that he would righteously turn in his own relative to cooperate with the police in bringing Chen Ziyu to justice.

In the midst of unbearable silence, Chen Liguo, lying on the hospital bed, gathered his strength and spoke: “Rest assured, I’ll give you a guarantee on behalf of our entire family. We will all abide by the law.”

The police officer nodded: “With your word, that’s good. You’re a CPPCC committee member. Our leadership fully trusts your consciousness.”

After sending off the police officer, the doctor came in to take Chen Liguo’s blood pressure and pulse, instructing him that he must remain calm before leaving. Chen Liguo sat up: “Xiao Xiang, make a trip back to Qinggang.”

“You might be scheduled for surgery in the next few days. How can I leave?”

He shook his head. “Go back and drag your mother to the provincial capital if you have to. Tell her I need her to come accompany me for the surgery. When Ziyu has nowhere else to go, he’ll definitely look for her. I must watch her myself. Everyone else is fine—I’m only afraid she’s too indulgent with her brother and too impulsive. She might do something foolish, and your father definitely won’t be able to stop her.”

“But… do we really have to turn Ziyu in…”

“Xiao Xiang, your mother got Ziyu out on parole behind my back. She’s already taken on tremendous responsibility. If Ziyu comes to her for help again, she definitely won’t refuse. If it’s discovered, that’s harboring a criminal, and she’ll have to go to prison too. I can’t let her make another confused mistake. As for Ziyu…” A tear flowed from his clouded eyes. He raised the back of his hand to wipe it away, his voice very resolute. “I’ll call your father and other relatives to tell them what they should do. I can’t let one bastard child ruin our whole family. I might as well act as if I never had him.”

Gao Xiang drove through the night back to Qinggang, arriving home late at night. However, his parents weren’t asleep. He relayed his grandfather’s words. Chen Zihui shook her head as expected: “I can’t go to the provincial capital right now.”

“Give up on helping your brother as soon as possible,” Gao Ming said angrily. “The police have been watching you for a long time.”

“If I get arrested too, wouldn’t that satisfy you?”

“Make yourself clear. How would that satisfy me? I opposed you arranging medical parole for him from the very beginning. You swore up and down that he definitely wouldn’t flee.”

“He didn’t flee. It’s just that Zuo Xuejun actually broke into the Public Security Bureau to beat him. He’s definitely going to use any means necessary to destroy him next. The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became, so he acted foolishly.”

“You’re really good at making excuses for him. If everything he does can be excused as acting foolishly, then what’s the point of having laws?”

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying you’re not gloating? Listen here, Gao—I’m telling you, no matter what happens to Ziyu, he’s still my brother, my father’s son, and the Chen Family’s only heir.”

Gao Xiang was both surprised and troubled. His mother had been the pampered only daughter in the well-off Chen Family for over twenty years. Her temper was impatient and her personality quite proud and strong. His father, however, was very introverted and reserved. The two couldn’t be called a loving couple who respected each other like guests, but in all these years of marriage, whenever there was friction, his father would immediately yield, and the two had always gotten along fairly well. However, after this incident with Chen Ziyu occurred, while his mother was naturally worried sick about her brother and spoke even more uncompromisingly than usual, his father also couldn’t control the dissatisfaction he had long suppressed. They had completely reached the point of being at loggerheads with each other. He looked helplessly at his red-faced parents arguing and realized that his grandfather understood his daughter better after all.

“Stop arguing. Mom, if you don’t go to the provincial capital, who will sign for Grandfather’s surgery? Cardiac bypass is no minor surgery.”

Chen Zihui hesitated and turned to Gao Ming: “You go.”

This commanding tone completely infuriated Gao Ming. He said coldly: “Your father specifically said he wants you to go. During this period, with no one managing ‘your Chen Family’s’ company affairs, it’s already a complete mess. I won’t go.”

He turned and walked away, closing the door heavily behind him. This was the first time Chen Zihui had seen her husband storm off. A bit surprised, she looked at Gao Xiang, who spread his hands: “Mom, I can go take care of Grandfather and sign the papers too. But you need to think clearly about why Grandfather insists you go to the provincial capital.”

“I know what he’s thinking. He wants to give up on this son. How can he be so heartless?”

“Grandfather isn’t heartless. He…”

“You don’t understand. He already gave up on Ziyu once. When Ziyu was born with complications during delivery, the doctor came out and asked whether to save the adult or save the child. He immediately said to save the adult.”

Gao Xiang paused: “Mom, you need to be reasonable. Was Grandfather’s decision wrong? What he wanted to save was also your mother. Could you just watch him abandon his wife to ensure he had a son to carry on the family line?”

“Don’t misinterpret my meaning like your father. Of course I wanted my mother to live healthily. But she became pregnant at an advanced age, and her health wasn’t good. She knew it was dangerous but still decided to give birth. She made it very clear to your grandfather and me that she wanted a son, and even if it meant giving up her own life, she wanted the child to live. Men won’t understand this. I didn’t take good care of Ziyu. How can I face her…”

Chen Zihui suddenly burst into tears.

Gao Xiang put his arms around his mother and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t fully understand his mother’s self-blame, but he completely understood that his mother’s care and love for Chen Ziyu far exceeded what she gave him. Seeing his mother so heartbroken and grieved, he couldn’t help being moved.

“Mom, Grandfather and Dad aren’t trying to abandon Ziyu either. He didn’t commit a capital crime. Coming back to turn himself in and accept trial to avoid adding crime upon crime—that’s the right choice. We’ll hire him the best lawyer and try our best to get a lighter sentence.”

“But Ziyu is someone so used to freedom. Locking him up—isn’t that taking his life?”

Gao Xiang frowned: “Mom, please don’t talk such confused nonsense. People have to take responsibility for what they do. He’s still young. Why would he need to flee to the ends of the earth and live in hiding from now on?”

Chen Zihui slowly stopped crying and wiped away her tears: “I know. Xiao Xiang, you go back to the provincial capital and take good care of Grandfather. Tell him not to worry.”

“How can I feel at ease leaving, and how can I keep Grandfather from worrying? You must promise me you won’t help him escape.”

Under her son’s fixed gaze, Chen Zihui hesitated for a while before nodding: “All right, I promise you. If Ziyu contacts me, I’ll take him to turn himself in.”

 3

Chen Ziyu drove off a cliff in the mountainous area at the border between this province and the neighboring province and died.

Gao Ming told Gao Xiang this news over the phone. He was keeping watch outside the surgery room at the cardiac hospital and was immediately stunned, his phone nearly slipping from his hand and falling to the ground. This week had been abnormally quiet. He had been vaguely restless and uneasy because of an ominous premonition in his heart, but he never imagined he would be waiting for this news.

“…At the time he was driving that Mercedes. The police were chasing behind him. He drove too fast, and with the rain making the roads slippery, he rushed off the mountain road. The car was destroyed and the person killed.”

This outcome was something he had never imagined. For a long time he couldn’t speak.

“Xiao Xiang, when your grandfather comes out of surgery, don’t tell him about this first. I’m afraid he won’t be able to handle it.”

Gao Xiang answered hoarsely, trying hard to steady his mind, when he suddenly remembered something: “That’s not right, Dad. When Ziyu secretly slipped away a few days ago, he didn’t drive. How could he suddenly have a car accident driving the Mercedes?”

Gao Ming sighed deeply: “This is another good deed your mother did. Chen Ziyu called and found her. She hid it from me, drove that car to give him money, and let him drive the car away. The police discovered it. Now she’s been taken to the Public Security Bureau for questioning. I’m waiting outside right now.”

That Chen Ziyu, who was only half a year younger than him, who grew up with him and attended school with him, who had once been so full of scattered energy, unrestrained and insufferably arrogant—Chen Ziyu was dead.

Gao Xiang sat dazedly on the long bench in the hospital corridor, unable to persuade himself to accept this fact. Ever since hearing about the crime Chen Ziyu had committed that he completely couldn’t understand, he had been refusing to think much about it. At this moment, he painfully discovered that what he had been doing was subconsciously downplaying and ignoring what had already happened. However, the word “matter” was so understated that it immediately gave him a sense of guilt: an unimaginable crime, a sudden death—both could be called “matters,” without any emotional coloring, without distinction of weight or urgency.

Matters happened one after another, changes followed in quick succession, and after all emotions were highly mixed together, they seemed to temporarily drain a person’s perceptive ability. His heart felt empty. He suddenly couldn’t experience sorrow, tension, anxiety anymore…

The doctor came out to announce the surgery was successful. Only then did Gao Xiang shake off his dazed state. Remembering that his mother still faced trouble, he immediately couldn’t sit still. The time for the patient to wake from anesthesia after surgery was uncertain. He called Sun Ruodi over, instructed her to help keep watch and to call him immediately if there were any abnormal conditions, then hurriedly drove back to Qinggang.

Gao Xiang went directly to the Qinggang County Public Security Bureau. Gao Ming was sitting in the first-floor reception room smoking, with a disposable cup beside him serving as an ashtray, already half-filled with cigarette butts. He had just called out “Dad” when Gao Ming shook his head slightly and gave him a look signaling him not to speak. Gao Xiang followed his gaze to the other end of the reception room. A woman sat there. Seen from the rear side, she had delicate facial contours, slightly permed hair, a slender figure, and a straight back, looking quite young, no more than in her early thirties, not like the mother of a 14-year-old child. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead as if she were lost in thought.

Gao Ming stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, leading Gao Xiang outside: “That woman is Zuo Xuejun’s wife, Yu Jia. She’s a doctor working at the Provincial Hydraulic Science Academy.”

“Ziyu is already dead. What are they still doing here? Are they determined to pursue Mom’s responsibility? This is going too far.”

Gao Ming shook his head: “Yesterday your mother hid from me to give Ziyu money and let him drive the car away. The police followed her. Zuo Xuejun was also in the police car pursuing Chen Ziyu at the time.”

Gao Xiang was very surprised: “He’s not a police officer. How can he do that?”

“There must be violations involved, so he’s also at the Public Security Bureau accepting investigation now.”

Gao Ming suddenly stopped. They saw Zuo Xuejun and his wife walk out one after another. This was the first time Gao Xiang had seen him face to face. He was a thin middle-aged man, not tall, with refined features, completely lacking the fierce aura he had when he burst into the detention room to violently beat Chen Ziyu that day. His lips were pressed tightly together. He had several days’ worth of stubble on his chin. His expression was weary, his eyes full of bloodshot veins. His gaze swept over the Gao father and son without any expression, and he walked straight toward the Public Security Bureau courtyard. Yu Jia called his name. He neither responded nor stopped. Yu Jia had no choice but to quicken her pace to catch up.

After another ten or so minutes, Chen Zihui was also released. The police told the Gao father and son that she still had to be available when summoned to continue accepting investigation. Chen Zihui stood woodenly, showing no reaction to their conversation. It wasn’t until after they returned home that she still had no expression on her face and went straight into the bedroom, closing the door heavily.

Gao Ming sighed. “Forget it. Give her some time to accept reality. We need to discuss how to handle Chen Ziyu’s funeral arrangements and how to explain this matter to the old man.”

 4

Qinggang was a county town that had always been calm and peaceful. Qinggang Wine Industry was the largest private enterprise locally. Chen Liguo had always been regarded as the local richest man and was naturally a celebrity. His son Chen Ziyu’s arrest for crime, medical parole, escape, and accidental death unsurprisingly became an ongoing hot topic locally. Through word of mouth, countless bizarre versions evolved. Legal programs and columns from provincial capital media also rushed over to report on it. It was impossible to keep it from Chen Liguo. Having just undergone surgery, he now had to face this catastrophe. Under the double blow, he suddenly appeared to have aged dramatically.

Chen Ziyu’s funeral was handled very simply. No relatives or friends were notified. Only Gao Ming, Chen Zihui, and Gao Xiang were present. Despite everyone’s opposition, Chen Zihui insisted on seeing her brother one last time. However, upon seeing the body that had been shattered by the fall from the cliff and then barely pieced together, she immediately broke down, collapsing to the ground wailing. Gao Xiang held his mother while simultaneously feeling the suppressed pain spread through his heart.

No matter what that person lying there had done, he had still grown up with him and was his closest relative. He couldn’t be as calm as his father.

After cremation, Chen Ziyu was buried beside his deceased mother. Returning from the cemetery, Gao Xiang went to his grandfather’s bedroom and saw his grandfather staring blankly out the window. He didn’t know how to comfort his grandfather and could only remind him to rest and take his medicine.

“Xiao Xiang, go back to the provincial capital.”

He shook his head: “I’ll leave in a couple days. I’ve arranged everything at the company. There’s no rush.”

“Still, go back earlier and spend more time with your girlfriend. She doesn’t know why you’ve had so many things going on lately and can’t see you all the time. She’s very worried about you.”

Gao Xiang pulled at the corner of his mouth without speaking.

“She’s a good girl—well-educated, polite, and very attentive in taking care of people. When are you planning to get married?”

That his grandfather actually had the leisure to talk about this surprised Gao Xiang a bit. “She’s still young. We haven’t thought that far ahead.”

The door was suddenly pushed open. Gao Ming dragged Chen Zihui in and called out to his father-in-law in extreme agitation: “Dad, this time you must stop her. You can’t let her act recklessly anymore.”

Gao Xiang said irritably: “Dad, Mom, must you pick this time to argue in front of Grandfather?”

“Your mother has already made a scene at the county committee and county government. Hear what else she wants to do before you say anything.”

Chen Zihui forcefully shook off his hand, her eyes bloodshot, saying word by word: “That’s right, I went to the county government. Tomorrow I plan to continue going to the city government to accuse Zuo Xuejun of abusing his authority as a state functionary and forcing my brother to death. His actions are equivalent to murder. If the city government doesn’t handle it, I’ll go petition at the provincial government and keep appealing. In any case, I will definitely bring him down.”

Gao Xiang spoke with difficulty: “Mom, you gave a statement at the Public Security Bureau. We’ve already reported the situation and received an explanation. Zuo Xuejun was sitting in the police car at the time, but he wasn’t the one driving. The relevant departments are investigating the course of events and studying how to handle Zuo Xuejun. Ziyu was on the run. The police would definitely pursue and arrest him. The car accident was just an accident…”

“Nonsense. If he hadn’t personally gotten in the car and kept urging the police to speed up, giving Ziyu no way out at all, Ziyu wouldn’t have had an accident at all. Their so-called study of handling opinions is nothing but making a big thing small and a small thing disappear. I know you all gave up on Ziyu long ago. With him dead like this, the Chen Family doesn’t have to continue being embarrassed. You probably all couldn’t be more pleased…”

Gao Ming angrily interrupted her: “Chen Zihui, are you crazy? You treat me like an outsider—fine, talk to me this way. Your father is bearing the pain of losing his son in old age, and your son has always loved Ziyu like a brother and is just as heartbroken as you. What right do you have to think your grief is the most real and greatest, and everyone else deserves your accusations?”

“Then don’t stop me from seeking justice for Ziyu.”

“Can you please be reasonable? Justice? Have you thought that others’ views on justice might be completely different from yours? When Zuo Xuejun pursued Ziyu relentlessly, wasn’t he also seeking justice for his daughter? If you hadn’t helped Ziyu escape, he also wouldn’t have…”

Before he could finish, Chen Zihui was already burning with rage and lunged at him. Gao Xiang stood up in time and positioned himself between the two, shouting: “Stop it, both of you. What will Grandfather think with you arguing like this?”

The room quieted down. Chen Liguo, who had been silent the whole time, spoke: “Zihui, I’ve wronged you and Ziyu’s mother.”

Once these words were spoken, his old tears already flowed freely. Chen Zihui stood frozen, her anger dissipating as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“But Gao Ming is right. The Chen Family still needs to establish itself and do business in Qinggang. The wine industry company is at the most critical period of development. You can’t make this into a fight to mutual destruction. It’s not good for anyone.”

“Business, business—all you care about is business. So Ziyu just died for nothing?”

“Don’t keep dwelling on this issue. Zihui, I was never meant to have a son. If I hadn’t insisted on having him back then, your mother wouldn’t have passed away early either.”

Chen Zihui was extremely agitated but also felt heartbroken: “What kind of talk is this? My perfectly good younger brother—how can you say he was never meant to be?”

“Perhaps this is heaven’s will. Those who have passed are gone. Those who are alive still need to live well.”

Although Chen Zihui didn’t contradict him further, Gao Xiang knew that his mother, at many times willful to the point of being stubborn, would not give up easily. He had to return to the provincial capital the next day and decided to have a good talk with her before leaving. But he discovered she had already left without a word and wasn’t answering her phone.

He and his father were anxiously running around in circles, at their wits’ end, when Chen Zihui returned. She ignored Gao Ming’s questions and said to Gao Xiang: “Xiao Xiang, don’t rush back today. Mom has something for you to do.”

“What is it? Where did you just go?”

“I went to Zuo Xuejun’s house to see his wife, Yu Jia.”

Both Gao Ming and Gao Xiang were shocked. Gao Ming was so anxious he rubbed his hands: “I told you not to go trouble Zuo Xuejun, but you went straight to his house to harass his wife. What exactly are you trying to do?”

“When Zuo Xuejun’s daughter was found to be pregnant, she was already five months along. But at that time she had a serious inflammatory infection and couldn’t have an induced abortion procedure. Treatment was delayed until now—calculating it out, it’s been six months. Do you know what six months means? It’s already a formed little life. Even if born prematurely, there’s a possibility of survival. Besides, with such advanced pregnancy, induced abortion also poses risks to that girl. Rather than that, better to give birth.”

The same expression appeared on the Gao father and son’s faces—mouths slightly open, staring at her in a daze. After a while, Gao Ming asked: “Who told you this?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I just went to find Yu Jia and negotiated with her, demanding that she let her daughter give birth to this child and hand it over to us. From now on I won’t cause any more trouble for Zuo Xuejun. Otherwise, I’ll petition level by level and definitely bring him down so he can’t continue in officialdom.”

Gao Ming murmured: “You’re crazy. You must be crazy.”

Gao Xiang looked at his mother’s eyes flashing with a gleam, her expression fanatical, and felt the same as his father in his heart. He forced himself to speak: “Her daughter is only 14 years old. How can she give birth to a child? She couldn’t possibly make this kind of deal with you.”

“I don’t believe she would just watch as I destroy her husband’s career completely.”

This sinister threat made both the Gao father and son feel somewhat chilled. Gao Ming forced himself to speak: “She won’t pay you any attention.”

Chen Zihui ignored her husband’s interjection and spoke directly to Gao Xiang: “She refused to negotiate with me. Your father definitely won’t be willing to step forward to do this. Xiao Xiang, I want you to go have a good talk with her. Make the stakes clear to her. Most importantly, let her know what the consequences will be if she doesn’t agree.” She added through gritted teeth: “That’s Ziyu’s flesh and blood, also the Chen Family’s descendant. No matter what it costs, I will bring it back to the Chen Family.”