"Juan'er—"
"Juan'er, wait a moment—"
Jiang Si was in the middle of speaking with Third Uncle when she instinctively turned toward the voice.
The person blocking their way was a woman in her fifties, dressed in a faded diagonal-buttoned blouse and dark trousers, her hair neatly coiled into a bun at the back of her head.
Auntie Lei cradled a "candle bundle" in her arms, wearing an ingratiating smile.
Hu Meili rolled her eyes and, knowing Jiang Si hadn’t met this woman before, nudged her chin in the woman’s direction.
"That’s the old witch. Lei Zi already sent her away yesterday."
"Who’d have thought she’d have a backup plan? She’s like a lingering ghost."
Jiang Si nodded. Even without Hu Meili’s explanation, she could tell this was Deputy Regiment Commander Lei’s mother—their resemblance was uncanny.
Truth be told, before meeting her, Jiang Si had privately asked Huo Tingzhou,
"Is there any chance Deputy Regiment Commander Lei isn’t their biological son?"
But all doubts vanished now.
Turns out, there really are parents in this world who don’t love their own children.
And because they don’t love them, they won’t love the children they bear either.
As Jiang Si lost herself in thought, Auntie Lei spoke up, "Juan'er, look at this child—so adorable, with arms and legs as tender as lotus roots. He’s only three months old. Perfect for you to raise."
Hu Meili immediately rolled up her sleeves.
"Hey, this old hag must have her brains clogged with lard—"
"Sister-in-law."
Jiang Si held her back. "Let Sister-in-law Xu vent this anger herself. If she keeps it bottled up, it’ll haunt her for life."
Neither lowered their voices as they spoke.
Auntie Lei heard every word but paid no mind.
She’d lived in the military compound for half a year and knew Second Son’s Wife’s temperament inside out.
Yes, she was the one who did it back then.
But Auntie Lei didn’t regret it one bit.
So what if they were grandsons? The family had plenty of grandchildren—two less made no difference.
Besides, Second Son’s Wife only had herself to blame.
Her second son had always been filial, obedient to her every word.
If it weren’t for this vixen coaxing him into cutting off the family’s allowance, how could he have abandoned them?
She’d planned to have them divorce in a few years, using her infertility as an excuse.
With her son’s status, he could easily remarry a village girl.
But who’d have thought that spineless fool would defy her again for this woman, refusing to divorce?
Now he’d even cut off their financial support—how could she not resent her?
Remembering her goal, Auntie Lei stepped forward, adopting a confiding tone.
"Juan'er, I know you’ve got a grudge, but it takes two to tango. What happened back then—you were at fault, and so was I."
"It’s been years now. No point dwelling on it."
"You might think Lei Zi says he doesn’t care, but men change."
"He’s only thirty now. Can you guarantee he’ll feel the same at forty?"
"You’re a city girl—there’s much you don’t understand."
"Back in the village, without a son to carry on the family name, you can’t even hold your head high. The gossip alone would drown Lei Zi."
"I did this for your sake, for the family’s sake!"
"Think about it—without children, who’ll take care of you in old age? Who’ll mourn you when you’re gone—"
SMACK!
Before Auntie Lei could finish, Xu Mingjuan slapped her hard across the face.
"How dare you say that to me! Was it my fault I lost my children?"
"It was you—you’re the monster who pushed them out of this world!"
Auntie Lei’s face flushed crimson. "Don’t spout nonsense! You were the one who slipped—"
"Bullshit!" Xu Mingjuan’s pent-up fury finally erupted.
She jabbed a finger at Auntie Lei’s nose. "You know exactly how hard you shoved me! And when I begged you to take me to the hospital, what were you doing? Smirking!"
"You killed my babies, and now you drag some stray child here, expecting me to raise it?"
"Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey or had your brains mashed into paste?"
Jiang Si, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, chimed in, "Exactly. She’s clearly deranged—no sane person would pull such a disgusting stunt."
Most people would’ve crumbled under such accusations.
But Auntie Lei remained unfazed. "Young Comrade, this is family business. Tend to your own affairs—this doesn’t concern you."
As long as the family ties weren’t severed, she was still Lei Zi’s mother.
She’d raised him through blood, sweat, and tears—how dare he refuse to support her in old age!
With that thought, Auntie Lei declared, "Of the three unfilial acts, leaving no heir is the worst. She’ll raise this child whether she likes it or not. Otherwise, our Lei family disowns her."
She set the baby on the ground and turned to leave.
"Hold it. You’re not going anywhere."
Jiang Si pulled out her work ID. It didn’t matter that she was an external hire or what her role at the Public Security Bureau was—
The words "Beijing Public Security Bureau" alone carried weight.
Deputy Regiment Commander Lei was military. The army might hesitate to intervene in family matters, but the police were different.
Jiang Si said, "Sister-in-law Hu, could you ask the sentry to call the police?"
"Tell them someone abandoned a child at the military compound gates. Also, the child’s origins are unclear—they’ll need to investigate that."
"Oh, and didn’t Auntie Lei mention mourning rituals earlier?"
The others nodded. "Yes, she did."
"Add ‘publicly spreading feudal superstitions’ to the charges."
But that might not be enough. Jiang Si turned to Xu Mingjuan. "Sister-in-law, when she pushed you back then, where exactly did she shove you? Do you remember?"
Xu Mingjuan, though confused, nodded firmly. "I remember!"
She’d remember every detail even if she turned to ashes.
Jiang Si then asked Hu Meili, "Sister-in-law Hu, when you arrived at Sister-in-law Xu’s place that day, how was she lying on the ground? Do you recall?"
"Of course!"
Hu Meili said, "There was blood everywhere. When we got there, Mingjuan was motionless on the floor. Several of us saw it."
Good—witnesses.
Thanks to her frequent visits to the Beijing PSB, Jiang Si had picked up a thing or two about investigations in this era.
Meeting Auntie Lei’s stunned gaze, Jiang Si said, "Your actions go beyond neglect. You’re looking at attempted murder charges."
Auntie Lei’s heart skipped a beat—
But she quickly steadied herself. Back then, only she and Second Son’s Wife had been home.
If even the military couldn't handle her, did this little brat really think she could convict her with just a few words?
Dream on!
But after today's commotion, there was no way she could leave the child with Old Second and his wife for now.
Picking up the child from the ground, Auntie Lei's eyes flickered with calculation.
"I came here out of the goodness of my heart, and if you won’t appreciate it, fine."
"Mark my words—you’ll regret this one day."
With that, she tried to slip away.
But Xu Mingjuan stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.
"The Comrade Policeman hasn’t arrived yet. You’re not going anywhere! Today, you’re going to explain yourself clearly."
Auntie Lei was furious. "How dare you! I’m your mother-in-law! Are you really going to side with outsiders against an old woman like me? Do you want people to break Lei Zi’s back with their gossip?"
"From the moment you pushed me, you stopped being my mother-in-law!"
Xu Mingjuan spoke each word deliberately. "Debts must be repaid, and killers must pay with their lives. Even if Lei Zi divorces me today, I will demand justice for my two children."
As the words hung in the air, a man’s voice came from behind.
"Wife… do you really have so little faith in me?"
