Hearing the shout, Wang Xiaoming's heart skipped a beat. "Sister-in-law, I'll go take a look!"
He rushed out of the east room in a few quick strides, heading straight for the main gate. Aunt Zhou had already opened it.
Wang Haihu stood outside with a dark, gloomy face. Seeing Wang Xiaoming, he snapped, "Your brother is dying! Hurry up and go to the commune police station!"
After saying this, Wang Haihu turned and left. Wang Xiaoming stood frozen at the door, taking a long time to process the words.
It truly was a case of misfortunes never coming singly! Liu Cuilan was still lying in a hospital bed at the commune clinic, and now something had happened to Wang Jieshi. This family was probably really finished!
Wang Xiaoming's mind buzzed. His eyes stared blankly at the ground, looking as if he had lost his wits. He didn't even hear Aunt Zhou calling him.
That bastard Wang Jieshi, it would be better if he died. If he died, he wouldn't be able to torment Chuntao anymore.
Aunt Zhou had absolutely no sympathy for him, but seeing Wang Xiaoming's devastated appearance, her heart ached for the boy.
She sighed and coaxed, "Xiaoming, that Wang Haihu never speaks with any accuracy! Go to the commune and take a look; maybe it's not as serious as he made it sound!"
"Zhijun! Zhijun!" Aunt Zhou turned her head and shouted toward the kitchen. "Go with Xiaoming to the commune to check it out!"
In the kitchen, Zhou Zhijun had already heard Wang Haihu's words. He sneered internally; if Wang Jieshi really died, it would save a lot of trouble.
Just as he was thinking this, he heard Aunt Zhou calling him. He slowly stood up, patted the stove ash off his pant legs, and strolled over to the main gate.
Wang Xiaoming had already left, running along the dirt road to the east in the direction of the commune.
"Zhijun, you go with him!" Aunt Zhou hurriedly turned and walked quickly into the kitchen. She took two white steamed buns from the pot, added some salted dried radish, and stuffed them into Zhou Zhijun's hands. "Take these and eat them on the way!"
By the time the two hurried to the commune police station, it was already dark.
Arriving at the holding cells, the guard on duty said, "Wang Jieshi was sent to the clinic. He was beaten half to death; his arms and legs are all broken..."
Not daring to delay, the two immediately rushed non-stop to the clinic.
Bursting into the ward, they saw Wang Jieshi lying stiffly on the hospital bed. His head was wrapped in bandages, and his arms and legs were in casts, suspended in the air. His face was covered in blue and purple bruises; there wasn't a single good spot on his entire body.
Two police officers were also standing in the ward. Seeing Zhou Zhijun and Wang Xiaoming enter, one of them pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
"You are Wang Jieshi's family members, right? This is a guarantee for execution of sentence outside prison. Take a look. If you have no objections, sign at the bottom."
Zhou Zhijun took it, glanced over it, and then handed it to Wang Xiaoming, who still hadn't recovered from the shock.
He turned around, gave one of the officers a look, and lowered his voice. "Comrade Police, could I trouble you to step outside for a moment? I have something I'd like to ask."
The officer frowned but still followed him out of the ward, leaning against the wall in the corridor. "What is it?"
Zhou Zhijun got straight to the point. "Comrade Police, I'll just be direct. Wang Jieshi committed the crime of hooliganism, which is a serious felony! How can a person like this be released to go home?"
The officer spat on the ground and sighed. "Do you think we want to? We just have no choice! Right now, the commune is short on everything, short on manpower, short on space. With the current strict anti-crime campaign, the cells are packed shoulder to shoulder; it's hard to even breathe. In his condition, he can't even take care of himself. Where would the station find spare hands to wait on him?"
The officer paused and added, "Besides, with his attitude, if he stays in the cell, he'll get beaten up every day. Today, if we hadn't heard it and rushed in to stop it, his little life would probably already be over. Special circumstances require special handling. The chief had no other choice but to approve the execution outside of prison. We'll let him go home to heal his injuries first. He must report to the police station once a month, and he's not allowed to run around or leave the village for even half a step."
Inside the ward, Wang Xiaoming signed his name on the guarantee form.
The police officer carefully explained a bunch of precautions before turning and leaving the clinic.
Wang Jieshi lay on the hospital bed, his eyes shut tight, motionless like a dead man.
But his ears were sharp, and he had heard the conversation in the ward loud and clear.
He had thought that he was going to be beaten to death in the cell this time.
If he died, it would just let Zhou Zhijun and Li Chuntao, that pair of adulterous dogs, off easy! He was not willing to accept that!
To think that God had actually let him survive!
A sinister sneer tugged at the corner of Wang Jieshi's mouth, though he didn't even lift his eyelids.
Zhou Zhijun, oh Zhou Zhijun, did you think that by sending me to the lockup, you could fly away and be together with Li Chuntao? Keep dreaming!
Even the police station won't keep me, and I can still go back alive!
Li Chuntao was exchanged for my sister. For the rest of her life, she has to serve me and work like a horse and an ox for my Wang family!
A doctor came over for rounds and said that Wang Jieshi was too severely injured. With his arms and legs broken, he would have to stay in the clinic for at least a week before he could go home to recover.
Looking at Wang Jieshi, who was like a pile of mud, Wang Xiaoming felt a heavy blockage in his chest. He turned to Zhou Zhijun and said, "Uncle Zhijun, I'll have to trouble you to take care of things at home."
Zhou Zhijun patted him on the shoulder without saying a word, just nodded, and turned to walk out of the ward.
Just as he reached the door, he heard Wang Jieshi's weak, thread-like voice. "Zhou Zhijun, you son of a bitch, your wishful thinking fell through, didn't it? As long as I'm alive, I'll drag you two down, neither of you will have a good life!"
Frustrated and distressed, Wang Xiaoming walked out of the ward, squatted at the base of the wall, and held his head, remaining motionless for a long time.
"Xiaoming."
A voice tinged with tears called out. Wang Xiaoming looked up and saw Wang Xiaohong.
Her hair was a mess, her eyes were red and swollen. Normally a fiery and energetic person, she now looked completely wilted.
So many things had happened overnight. Wang Xiaohong still couldn't believe it. How did a perfectly good family turn out like this?
Wang Xiaoming's lips moved, but he didn't say a word. He lowered his head again, staring blankly at a crack in the ground.
Wang Xiaohong glanced into the ward but didn't go in.
Wang Jieshi was her biological brother! He had protected and doted on her since they were children.
Even though the things he did were immoral, she still wished him well.
But she never expected that Wang Jieshi could do something worse than pigs and dogs, teaming up with the brothers Wang Haichao to bully Chuntao!
And then there was Zhou Zhijun and Chuntao. She had never believed the village gossip, but now, with everything piling up piece by piece, she had no choice but to believe that the two of them must have lost their innocence a long time ago.
On one side was her blood-related brother, and on the other were her respected Uncle Zhijun and her pitiful sister-in-law. Wang Xiaohong's heart was a tangled mess, aching painfully.
She didn't know how she would live her days from now on, or how she would face these people.
