My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 127



Aunt Su fainted.

The spot where she collapsed wasn’t too far from their courtyard.

It wasn’t that they had been walking slowly, but rather, as soon as they reached this point, Aunt Su had passed out. They were no strangers to such situations, so they immediately tried to revive her by pressing her philtrum. However, no matter how long they tried, she wouldn’t wake up.

So, they quickly sent someone to fetch Hu Huihui.

But what they didn’t expect was that no matter what they did—whether it was pressing her philtrum or even kicking her a few times—she wouldn’t wake up. After all, you can’t wake someone who’s pretending to be asleep. And Aunt Su was doing just that. She was deliberately feigning unconsciousness.

She had no desire to go to a place like the committee.

Moreover, she had no idea how they might target her there, which made her extremely anxious. She had thought this matter was over, just like every other time before. Sure, things had gotten heated, but in the end, they always settled down peacefully.

She knew how to manipulate people’s hearts, understanding that some valued their reputation and status so much that they’d rather swallow their losses than risk tarnishing their image. That’s why she preferred having Wang Xiangxiu find a well-off man.

A man with nothing to lose was more likely to go all out and act recklessly.

But a man with some status or better conditions? He’d be more inclined to protect his reputation.

She was absolutely certain about this.

However, she hadn’t expected this situation to escalate so much. Shouldn’t it have been resolved by now? Back then, even someone of Vice Director Cai’s stature had been involved in a huge scandal that spread like wildfire, yet they had managed to walk away unscathed. Why couldn’t the same happen now? But the more she panicked, the harder it was for her to come up with a good plan.

Aunt Su knew she needed time to scheme, which was why she had dramatically collapsed to the ground, “fainting” on the spot.

If she was unconscious, they’d have to send her to the hospital, right? That would buy her plenty of time to figure things out. Aunt Su tightly shut her eyes, pretending to be completely out of it. At her age, it wasn’t unusual for an elderly woman to have health issues—nothing too serious, but enough to justify a hospital stay. She was determined to claim she was unwell and needed to be admitted. The hospital surely wouldn’t turn her away. She lay there, eyes closed, feigning complete unawareness.

These young men were useless. They were all grown men, yet they let a young girl like Hu Huihui lead them. What a disgrace to manhood.

And that wretched Hu Huihui! She had turned on her own family, forgetting who had helped her in her toughest times. She had no sense of gratitude, that ungrateful wretch. Now that she had climbed the social ladder, she was stepping on them to rise even higher.

That damn little brat.

Aunt Su cursed internally, seething with anger, but on the surface, she maintained her act of being unconscious.

Hu Huihui directed the group to bring over a small cart and ordered, “Let’s lift her onto it.”

“Alright.”

Despite having been entangled with each other since their youth, now in their old age, they had never lain side by side like this. Perhaps sensing something, Old Man Bai slowly regained consciousness.

Old Man Bai groggily woke up. He felt something hard beneath him and, as he opened his eyes and shifted slightly, he bumped into someone. “Huh…”

Feeling the contact, he turned his head and saw Aunt Su’s face, seemingly unconscious.

Old Man Bai was startled, realizing he wasn’t at home. He quickly asked, “What… what happened to me?”

Aunt Wang, who was walking beside the cart, replied, “Old Man Bai, you vomited blood and then passed out. We’re taking you to the hospital.”

“And this…”

He looked at Aunt Su’s face, so close to his, and suddenly felt his breathing quicken. How many years had it been? Ever since his wife passed away, he had longed for this woman. Back then, she was still married, but he couldn’t help stealing glances at her.

He had often thought, why should such a wonderful woman live such a hard life? He wished he could take her husband’s place.

Perhaps the heavens had heard his wish, because Old Su had gotten into trouble. While he felt sorry for his old friend, he couldn’t deny a hint of secret joy. From then on, the two of them had been entangled, their lives intertwined for decades.

He had never been this close to her before.

Sure, he had occasionally managed to hold her hand or pat her backside.

But lying side by side like this? That was new. Old Man Bai stared at Aunt Su, completely mesmerized.

“Ahem, ahem.” Aunt Wang coughed, trying to snap Old Man Bai out of it. The way he was leering, with that sleazy look in his eyes, was utterly disgusting. At his age, behaving like this? Was that really appropriate?

But Aunt Wang’s coughing didn’t bring Old Man Bai back to his senses. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Aunt Su’s hand, clasping it tightly in his own.

Aunt Su hadn’t expected this old fool to dare grab her hand. She knew she had been lifted onto the cart and that Old Man Bai, also unconscious, was lying beside her.

But she hadn’t anticipated that he would be so bold as to reach out and take her hand.

That old pervert!

Aunt Su was utterly repulsed, but as someone pretending to be unconscious, she couldn’t just wake up and pull her hand away.

She fumed inwardly, thinking this old man was truly despicable. Now his true colors were showing.

Old Man Bai thought he had stealthily taken Aunt Su’s hand, but he failed to realize they were on a cart in broad daylight. No matter how discreet he tried to be, everyone could see what he was doing.

He was deluding himself.

Or maybe he just didn’t care. After all, he was already a cripple. What could they do to him? They’d still have to carry him in and out. He felt invincible, untouchable.

Old Man Bai held Aunt Su’s hand, a smug smile spreading across his face. Not only did the neighbors find it revolting, but even the committee members started feeling nauseated.

If this were a young couple, it might have been somewhat endearing. But these two? The thought of them being intimate was enough to make anyone’s stomach churn.

Really, it wasn’t an exaggeration.

Any sympathy they might have had for Old Man Bai vanished in an instant.

What kind of person was he?

While others looked on in disgust, Su Pandi couldn’t take it anymore. She was supposed to be taken away, but upon hearing that her mother had fainted, she couldn’t bear to leave and insisted on accompanying her.

Hu Huihui didn’t refuse this time. She was worried Aunt Su might have a serious condition, and it was better to have a family member take care of her rather than relying on others.

Su Pandi followed along, but as a daughter, she couldn’t stand seeing Old Man Bai so brazenly holding her mother’s hand. She couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “Old Bai, take your filthy hands off her! Who do you think you are, daring to lay a finger on my mother? Look at yourself—you’re disgusting! Taking advantage of her like this! You deserve to be locked up and shot!”

Old Man Bai, having nothing left to lose, fired back, “I’ll do whatever I want! It’s none of your business, you ungrateful brat! Do you have any idea how much money I’ve spent on you all over the years? Do you think your mother could have raised you all by herself? When your father was still alive, I was the one supporting your family. My own son went without, and I still helped you. And now you’re talking to me like this? I even gave you twenty yuan for your wedding! This is how you repay me? You’re truly a heartless wretch!”

Neither of them was backing down, and neither cared about saving face.

Keep in mind, this was happening in the middle of the street. Although it was morning and many people were at work, there were still plenty of passersby. The large group had already attracted a crowd, and now this heated exchange? It was juicy gossip!

Just these few sentences revealed the complexity of the situation.

At that moment, Zhao Guihua returned with Bai Fendou in tow. She had run to the factory to fetch him, and trailing behind them were Zhuang Zhixi and Zhou Qun.

Zhuang Zhixi saw his mother and thought she was looking for him, but it turned out she was looking for Bai Fendou.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qun, noticing Zhao Guihua’s hurried demeanor, assumed something big must be happening and quickly followed her.

Upon hearing that Old Man Bai was in trouble, as “good neighbors” who “help each other out,” they naturally felt obliged to check on him. After all, if they could help, they should! So, a few of them took leave and followed Zhao Guihua, intending to go straight to the hospital. However, they unexpectedly ran into him at the street corner.

And as soon as they did, they stumbled upon quite the drama!

Bai Fendou immediately stopped in his tracks.

While everyone said his family was well-off with two working adults, in reality, when he was still young, there was only one breadwinner—Old Man Bai. Bai Fendou’s mother had passed away when he was very young, leaving Old Man Bai to raise him alone.

Life back then was far from easy. Eating cornbread for every meal was considered lucky, and even that wasn’t always guaranteed. Sure, times were tough for everyone, but with one worker in the family, they should have been able to at least eat their fill. Yet, Bai Fendou’s childhood was marked by hardship.

As he grew older, he rarely thought about those difficult days, assuming that’s just how life was back then.

But suddenly, what did he just hear?

He looked at Old Man Bai and asked, “Dad, what twenty yuan are you talking about?”

That was twenty yuan from fifteen years ago—a significant amount back then.

Old Man Bai hadn’t expected Bai Fendou to show up and panicked. After all, he now relied entirely on his son for support and couldn’t afford to upset him.

He immediately pretended to feel unwell, coughing exaggeratedly. “Cough, cough, cough.”

But his fake coughing was obvious to everyone, and they looked at him with disdain. What a piece of work.

Bai Fendou pressed, “I’m asking you, what twenty yuan?”

Aunt Zhou “whispered” to Bai Fendou, “He gave twenty yuan as a dowry when Su Zhaodi and Su Pandi got married.”

Bai Fendou raised his voice, “Back then, our family didn’t even have money! Why would you give them twenty yuan as a dowry? They’re not even your daughters! Why did you give them money? You could barely spare me a cent, but you just handed it over to them? Look at how they treat you—do they even care about you? And you’re still nice to them? Dad, answer me!”

Bai Fendou was shaking with anger. When Su Zhaodi got married, he wasn’t even working yet. By the time Su Pandi got married, he had just started a part-time job, earning barely enough to feed himself.

Thinking about it now, he was furious. He grabbed the cart and said, “You’re not going anywhere until you explain this! Dad, you’re really something. You don’t care about your own son but help those ungrateful people instead?”

Su Pandi couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Who the hell are you calling ungrateful? Our family’s innocent in this! Your dad had ulterior motives—he was after my mom’s looks. Otherwise, why would he do this? Don’t think we’re fools. Your dad had his eyes on my mom, and you’ve got your eyes on my sister-in-law. Neither of you has good intentions. You’re both scum. We took your money because you deserved it—what, were we supposed to let you ogle us for free? You got what was coming to you… Ah!”

Bai Fendou slapped her across the face. “Shut your mouth! You have no right to speak here! My dad was right—you’re a heartless ingrate. A real ingrate. Your family took my dad’s money and still talk trash? No wonder your husband left you. No one would want someone as disgusting and cruel as you. Just like your mom!”

“You dare hit me! How dare you hit me!”

Su Pandi was in disbelief. “You’re not even a real man! Oh, wait, you’re not a man at all—that’s why you hit women. You deserve to die alone, you worthless piece of trash!”

“I’ll kill you, you wretched woman!”

The two of them started brawling, and Zhao Guihua exclaimed, “Oh my goodness!”

She quickly stepped back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Zhao Guihua was utterly exasperated by these people. They were always stirring up trouble.

She wasn’t about to step in and play the hero, and neither was anyone else. Everyone quietly backed away, trying to distance themselves from the “battlefield.”

The small area was soon surrounded by layers of onlookers.

While fights like this were common in their compound, they were quite the spectacle for outsiders.

Most people were hardworking and decent, so when these two started hurling insults and then throwing punches, it was truly astonishing. Even the neighborhood committee, used to all sorts of drama, was stunned. They were genuinely dumbfounded.

How did things escalate so quickly?

Usually, fights involved at least a few rounds of shouting before coming to blows.

What on earth was going on?

Old Man Bai hadn’t expected things to get this far. He struggled to shout, “Stop fighting! Stop!”

But then he thought better of it. Su Pandi was a heartless ingrate. He had helped her family so much, and she didn’t even show an ounce of gratitude. She had driven him to the brink, and still, she remained ungrateful.

With that in mind, he yelled, “Hit her! Hit her in the stomach… Grab her hair, slap her! Yes, like that! Pin her down and punch her!”

Old Man Bai was practically coaching from the sidelines, shouting instructions.

Hu Huihui couldn’t take it anymore. “Shut up! How disgraceful—a man hitting a woman. Stop this madness!”

Old Man Bai barked, “Beat her! Beat her up!”

He kept waving his hands and accidentally pressed down on Aunt Su, who had been pretending to be unconscious. She had been holding her breath, afraid of giving herself away. Finally, when everyone’s attention shifted away from her, she relaxed a little. But then, with a sudden forceful press, she cried out.

“Ah…” she screamed.

Bai Fendou and Su Pandi stopped fighting and turned to look.

Aunt Su’s scream startled Old Man Bai, but he quickly laughed. “You sly old woman! You were faking it, weren’t you?”

Aunt Su was furious but took deep breaths, pretending to be frail. “Old Bai, how could you accuse me like that? I just… I just…”

She was shameless and a good actress. Though she hated Old Man Bai for ruining her act, she still played the victim, swaying slightly before suddenly collapsing and closing her eyes again.

Su Pandi cried, “Mom’s unconscious again…”

To be fair, her acting was convincing.

It might fool outsiders, but the people in the compound had seen it all before.

They weren’t buying it.

Everyone stood still, silent, until Su Pandi suddenly pointed at Old Man Bai. “It’s you! You made my mom faint again! It’s all your fault!”

But Old Man Bai wasn’t one to back down. He sneered, “You know better than anyone whether your mom’s really unconscious or not. Stop playing the victim. You think everyone’s as dumb as you? Watch—I’ll wake her up right now.”

He struggled to sit up on the cart, grabbed Aunt Su, and slapped her hard across the face.

“Holy—”

“Oh my god, he’s really gone too far. This is pure hatred born from love.”

“Men are all the same—when they care for you, they’re all sweet, but once they turn on you, it’s brutal.”

“You’re not wrong.”

Zhuang Zhixi said, “Mom, come over here.”

Zhuang Zhixi had a habit of staying on the sidelines during commotions to avoid getting caught up in the mess. He felt the situation was too chaotic and thought it best to be cautious.

Zhao Guihua nodded. “You’re right.”

She took a few steps back, and Zhou Qun immediately squeezed forward, moving closer to his mother.

Although Zhou Qun wasn’t a good person, he had always pretended to be a gentleman in the past, and he never hit women. The only exception was that one time when Jin Lai went to their house to steal, and he got into a fight with Wang Xiangxiu. But that was only because they were drunk and scared out of their wits, not in their right minds.

If they had been sober, he would have kept up his act.

Besides, he believed that hitting people didn’t solve anything. Only reckless men resorted to violence, and he wasn’t one of them.

Zhou Qun muttered, “What good does hitting someone do?”

Old Man Bai quickly turned around and scolded, “Shut up! You’re just a nagging woman!”

Zhou Qun retorted, “How can you talk like that? You have no manners.”

Old Man Bai spat, “Pah!”

He grabbed Aunt Su and slapped her again. “You’re still pretending? I know exactly what you’re like!”

Aunt Su was taken aback. Even the neighborhood committee hadn’t dared to act so recklessly, yet Old Man Bai had slapped her several times, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. The thought of this disgusting old man made her finally snap. She pushed him hard and struck back, shouting, “Old Bai, enough! Who do you think you are? How dare you hit me? What kind of person are you? Everyone knows you’re no good! You’re so disgusting! You even tried to hold my hand earlier—it made me want to vomit! Even if I were to remarry, I’d never choose a filthy, stinking mess like you. You’re disgusting, and I’d never look twice at you! Go to hell!”

With a forceful shove, Old Man Bai stumbled backward.

“Ah!”

“Oh my god!”

Old Man Bai fell backward, tumbling off the cart and hitting the ground with a loud thud.

The cart overturned from the force of the push, and Aunt Su and the cart landed on top of Old Man Bai. A loud crack was heard—it was the sound of a bone breaking.

Old Man Bai groaned, “Ugh!”

He spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately passed out.

Within moments, everyone saw blood pooling beneath his head…

“Ah!”

“What happened?”

“He was pushed onto the curb.”

“There’s so much blood…”

“What do we do? Is he dead?”

The scene descended into chaos again as people backed away in fear, too scared to get closer.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of being blamed—after all, everyone had seen Aunt Su push him. They were just too horrified to approach.

Even Hu Huihui was stunned.

It was Zhuang Zhixi who finally took charge, saying, “Quick, take him to the hospital… Bai Fendou, hurry up! This is your father!”

Bai Fendou snapped out of his daze and let out a cry, “Dad!”

He rushed over, hoisted his father onto his back, and ran toward the hospital, ignoring the overturned cart. “Dad, hang in there! We’re almost there. Once we get to the hospital, you’ll be fine.”

He stumbled as he ran, and Zhuang Zhixi quickly stepped in to help support him as they rushed to the hospital.

Zhao Guihua suggested, “Call the police.”

This situation had already escalated.

Hu Huihui pursed her lips and said, “Xiao Hei, go get the police. Explain what happened.”

At that moment, Hu Huihui was grateful that they hadn’t laid a finger on anyone. Otherwise, they might have been blamed. Their reputation was already bad enough. Fortunately, there were many witnesses who had seen everything unfold.

They wouldn’t have to take the fall for this.

But Hu Huihui also thought about what her husband, Deputy Director Zheng, had said. Maybe he was right. The women of the Su family were cursed. Her cousin, Su Pandi, and now Aunt Su—they had caused trouble for one man after another.

She said, “Keep an eye on the Su mother and daughter. I’ll go to the hospital.”

“Got it!”

Aunt Su had fallen off the cart but was unharmed—she had landed on Old Man Bai.

Now, her heart was racing. Among the onlookers, aside from Bai Fendou, she was the most worried about Old Man Bai’s condition. If something happened to him, she, as the instigator, would undoubtedly be held responsible.

She felt incredibly unlucky. Why had she pushed him?

But she blamed the others even more. Old Man Bai had hit her, and none of them had stepped in to stop him. If they had, she wouldn’t have had to defend herself. It was their fault—all these bystanders. They were the ones who had ruined everything.

They probably wanted to see her get beaten up. How cruel they were, these damned people!

Aunt Su hung her head but glared at the ground, convinced that everyone else had caused her misfortune.

How hard would it have been for them to stop a paralyzed old man like Old Man Bai?

But they had let things spiral out of control. It was all their fault.

In truth, Aunt Su was being unfair. It wasn’t that people had deliberately stood by—it was just that everything had happened so suddenly. Who could have expected a paralyzed old man to lash out like that? Everyone had been too stunned to react.

In that split second, the situation had escalated beyond control.

Many things that seem to take a long time actually happen in an instant.

Like now, with Old Man Bai already carried away, the others remained rooted to the spot, too shocked to even speak. Looking back, the path Bai Fendou had taken to the hospital was marked by a trail of blood.

Bai Fendou carried his father to the hospital, shouting as he ran, “Make way! Please, make way! Save my dad!”

Despite their frequent disagreements, the two had relied on each other for many years. Bai Fendou was crying uncontrollably, pleading, “Save him…”

Someone immediately came forward to help. In such emergencies, there was no time to waste.

Well, they recognized Bai Fendou’s face—he was a familiar face here. And the old man? That was Bai Fendou’s father, also a familiar figure.

“Quick, to the operating room!”

Zhuang Zhixi, much calmer than Bai Fendou, followed closely and quickly explained the situation. “He fell off a cart and hit his head. The cart overturned and landed on him, and someone else fell on top of him. We also heard a cracking sound, so there might be a broken bone. He’s a paralyzed elderly man.”

“Understood!”

The operating room lights came on.

Zhuang Zhixi watched as Bai Fendou wept bitterly. He helped Bai Fendou sit down on a bench in the hallway and said, “He’s in the hospital now. There’s nothing more we can do. We just have to wait for the doctors…”

Bai Fendou wiped his tears and said, “Do you think this is retribution? Is our family being punished?”

Zhuang Zhixi shook his head. “Don’t talk nonsense. That’s just superstitious nonsense. Life has its ups and downs. Maybe after this, things will turn around for you.”

“Will my dad be okay? Will he recover? Zhuang Zhixi, tell me, will he recover?”

Zhuang Zhixi looked at Bai Fendou’s hopeful face and said, “I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. But we have to trust the doctors.”

“Yes, yes. We have to trust the doctors.”

The two sat in the hallway, Bai Fendou covered in blood. Passersby glanced at them curiously, but the doctors and nurses recognized Bai Fendou—and Zhuang Zhixi, too, though for different reasons.

Bai Fendou was a regular here, with plenty of stories that were still circulating.

As for Zhuang Zhixi, he had worked at the mechanical factory’s clinic and had collaborated with the hospital, so he was well-known here as well.

“Zhuang Zhixi, what happened here? Should we call the police?”

In such cases, hospitals often notified the police to avoid complications.

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “No need. Someone’s already informed them. This is my neighbor—there was an accident.”

The doctor nodded, already aware. After all, Bai Fendou was something of a celebrity at the hospital.

At this moment, Hu Huihui also came over and asked, "How is it?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Still don't know. He's in the operating room."

In truth, he felt it wasn’t looking good. Although he wasn’t a medical professional, he had worked as a cashier in the clinic for two or three years and had picked up a thing or two. The amount of blood loss was just too much...

Hu Huihui said, "I hope he’s alright."

"Yeah," Zhuang Zhixi agreed.

As the two were talking, the light in the operating room went out.

Bai Fendou sprang up in a flash and rushed to the door, shouting, "Dad, how’s my dad?..."

The door to the operating room opened, and the doctor stepped out first, shaking his head. "I’m sorry, we did everything we could..."

"Ahhh!!" Bai Fendou let out a heart-wrenching scream. "You’re lying! You’re lying! My dad’s fine! He was fine this morning! He was even hitting people this morning! He was perfectly fine..."

"The patient hit his head and lost too much blood. He also had fractures and other injuries, but those weren’t the fatal factors. The fatal injury was the large gash on his head, which caused excessive blood loss."

"His head... his head had a large gash... Aunt Su, Aunt Su! It’s all her fault! That evil woman!" Suddenly, Bai Fendou’s face twisted with rage, and without another word, he turned and ran. "I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her to avenge my dad!"

Bai Fendou dashed off, and Zhuang Zhixi couldn’t stop him.

Zhuang Zhixi cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"

He said, "I’ll go after him!"

The doctor, fearing something terrible might happen, nodded. "Go!"

They all knew each other, so there was no worry about Bai Fendou disappearing.

Hu Huihui also didn’t hesitate and immediately gave chase.

Zhuang Zhixi chased after Bai Fendou and happened to see Zhou Qun approaching. Bai Fendou grabbed Zhou Qun and demanded, "Where’s Aunt Su??"

Zhou Qun had come to check on the situation. Hearing the question, he replied, "She’s been taken to the police station."

Bai Fendou shoved Zhou Qun aside and took off running again. Zhou Qun, annoyed, shouted, "Why are you so rough? What’s going on? Hey, wait! Where are you running off to? You..."

Zhuang Zhixi caught up and explained, "Old Man Bai didn’t make it. He passed away."

Zhou Qun exclaimed, "Damn it!"

He was at a loss for words.

"Let’s follow Bai Fendou. He’s gone mad. He’s going to kill Aunt Su."

"Damn it, damn it!" Zhou Qun didn’t have time to process the shock and immediately followed Zhuang Zhixi. Together with Hu Huihui, the three of them trailed behind Bai Fendou like three tails.

"Murder is a crime!"

"He’s lost his mind!"

"We can’t let him make a huge mistake." At this point, Zhuang Zhixi didn’t care about their petty grievances anymore. This was a matter of life and death.

Zhou Qun urged, "Hurry up!"

He felt the same way. He couldn’t just stand by and watch Bai Fendou commit murder. Killing someone would ruin his life too.

The three of them chased Bai Fendou all the way to the police station. A crowd had already gathered outside. In those days, as soon as something happened, people would swarm to the scene.

To be honest, Zhuang Zhixi was running pretty fast, but he still couldn’t catch up to Bai Fendou.

It just goes to show how much a person can push their limits when they’re driven by madness.

Bai Fendou rushed into the police station. The onlookers, unsure of what was happening, silently made way. Zhuang Zhixi shouted, "Officers, stop him! He’s looking for Aunt Su... Hurry! Old Man Bai didn’t make it!"

With that, everyone understood.

Chaos erupted on the scene.

The ordinary folks couldn’t handle the situation, but thankfully, the police officers were up to the task. Several of them managed to restrain Bai Fendou, who was screaming, "Let me go! Let me go! I need to find that evil old hag! She ruined my dad’s life, and now she’s killed him! I’ll kill her! I won’t let her get away with this..."

Bai Fendou was subdued, but he was hysterical.

The neighbors from their compound were all stunned, their eyes wide with shock. For a moment, no one knew what to say to comfort him.

Who could have imagined that Old Man Bai would die like this?

After all, the man had survived falling from a building and becoming paralyzed.

He didn’t die from falling off a building, but he died from falling off a cart?

"I’ll kill her to avenge my dad! I’ll get revenge!"

Aunt Su herself hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. She was also frightened and, in a reflexive attempt to calm him down, said, "Your dad’s gone, but you can think of me as your mother. I’ll treat you well, make you feel loved. Don’t act rashly. Please, don’t act rashly..."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe she could say something so shameless.

It took a truly thick skin to utter such words.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Bai Fendou exploded, "I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, you disgusting old woman!"

He struggled violently, but several people held him down, trying to reason with him. "Don’t..."

"I won’t let her get away with this! I’ll get revenge..."

"What revenge? If you kill someone, you’ll be executed too! Do you think that’s what your dad would want to see?" Aunt Zhou scolded.

No one expected Aunt Zhou, of all people, to say something like that. Everyone was stunned.

Aunt Zhou continued, "Your dad’s gone. He’d want you to be okay. If you’re okay, he can rest in peace! Don’t you understand that? As for the person who hurt your dad, justice will be served. These officers are here, and they’ll make sure of it!"

She had been through the system before, had been "educated," so she knew how things worked.

Zhao Guihua looked at Aunt Zhou in surprise, then chimed in, "Aunt Zhou is right. If you ruin your life over this, your dad wouldn’t be happy, even if he’s watching from the afterlife. And think about it—if something happens to you, who’s going to handle your dad’s funeral? Others can help, but no one can replace you, his own son."

Bai Fendou covered his face and collapsed to the ground, sobbing, "My dad’s gone... How could he just leave like this... Why didn’t I stop it earlier? If I had stopped it, he wouldn’t have been pushed down. He wouldn’t have... Why? Why..."

Bai Fendou wailed uncontrollably, and the crowd couldn’t bear to watch. They averted their eyes, letting him cry it out.

The police officers quickly gestured to a couple of their colleagues, who immediately took Aunt Su and Su Pandi away and locked them up. There was no way they could let them stay and provoke Bai Fendou further. What kind of nonsense was she spouting?

Bai Fendou cried for what felt like an eternity before an officer tried to console him, "We’ll investigate this thoroughly and handle it fairly. Staying here won’t help. Your dad’s still at the hospital..."

Zhao Guihua quickly added, "Zhuang Zhixi, Zhou Qun, help him up."

Of the familiar faces present, these two men were the only ones who could be relied on.

The two silently stepped forward. Bai Fendou was still crying, "I always said he was no good, but now that he’s gone, what am I supposed to do..."

"Ah!"

"This is just terrible. Aunt Su really brought this on herself."

"Who could’ve guessed? Who would’ve thought falling off a cart could be so serious..."

"He hit the curb..."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Let’s take you back to the hospital. No matter what, your dad’s situation is more important. I think you understand that."

Bai Fendou covered his face and cried, while Zhou Qun sighed and tried to comfort him, "Come on, let’s see what we can do to help."

The crowd couldn’t stay there forever. Soon, under everyone’s persuasion, they dispersed. Zhao Guihua and the others didn’t go home but instead headed to the hospital. With Bai Fendou in such a state, they were worried he might lose control again. It was only right to lend a hand and see if they could help.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

After all, they were neighbors.

Sometimes, it really is fate.

Whether a person was good or bad in life, once they’re gone, people tend to forget the bad and focus on the good. Everyone was filled with emotions. Aunt Wang, as the head of the neighborhood committee, said, "Given Old Man Bai’s situation and Bai Fendou’s current state, we neighbors should do what we can to help. We can’t hold a big funeral, but let’s at least make sure he leaves with dignity."

"Agreed."

At this point, no one could think of anything else. They could only do their best to help. The group arrived at the hospital to find Bai Fendou kneeling in front of the morgue, wailing once more. In moments like this, no one could bring themselves to stop him.

The person working in the morgue at their hospital was an acquaintance of Zhuang Zhixi—his high school teacher, Teacher Xiang, who was also the brother-in-law of Lan Sihai's new wife.

Yes, the one who faked a divorce.

Teacher Xiang was used to such situations. When he saw Zhuang Zhixi, they exchanged a glance but didn’t say anything, acting as if they didn’t know each other. Each went about their own business. Bai Fendou whispered to Zhou Qun, “You stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll go handle the paperwork, like getting the death certificate.”

Zhou Qun was a bit uneasy, but seeing others from their compound also present, he nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

Zhuang Zhixi quickly left and went upstairs to help with the formalities. Someone from the hospital asked curiously, “Did he fall off a cart?”

Zhuang Zhixi nodded.

“That’s really…”

Everyone thought it was quite astonishing. After all, the man had survived falling from a building, only to die from falling off a cart.

Zhuang Zhixi said, “Bai Fendou doesn’t seem to be in a good state either. I’ll help him with the paperwork.”

“Alright, come with me. You’re really being a good neighbor.”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “I’ll help where I can. He’s not in a good place right now… sigh.”

“True, something this big would shake anyone.”

Zhuang Zhixi and the others busied themselves, and by the time people from the compound got off work and started returning home, the mourning hall had already been set up.

Zhuang Zhixi seized the opportunity to pick up Ming Mei from the bus station, arriving much later than usual. Ming Mei didn’t complain but asked curiously, “Did something happen?”

She thoughtfully took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Zhuang Zhixi’s face, saying, “Look at you, all sweaty. You must have rushed here. You didn’t need to hurry; I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

Zhuang Zhixi took the lead and said, “I couldn’t let you wait too long. Something happened in our compound, so I got delayed. Old Man Bai passed away.”

“What!”

Ming Mei was utterly shocked. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, “How could that be? He was fine this morning! I even saw him sitting by the window watching the commotion!”

Zhuang Zhixi also sighed, “Aunt Su pushed him onto the curb. The edge was made of stone, and he hit his head hard, losing too much blood. They couldn’t save him.”

Ming Mei gasped, “Aunt Su? That’s just…”

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

Zhuang Zhixi suggested, “For the next few days, why don’t you stay at your mother’s place?”

Ming Mei nodded, “Huh?”

Zhuang Zhixi explained, “There’s an old saying that pregnant women shouldn’t attend funerals. Since we all live in the same compound, it’s hard to avoid, so I thought it’d be better if you stayed at your mother’s for a few days. Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll pack it up and bring it over. It’ll just be for three days. I’ll come pick you up then.”

He continued, “Don’t feel bad about leaving. Sister Jiang Lu also went back to her parents’ place, and Li Fang is staying at a small inn. Everyone’s keeping their distance.”

Ming Mei wasn’t very familiar with these customs, but hearing this, she agreed, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

If everyone else was doing it, it was probably for the best.

She added, somewhat surprised, “How did things turn out like this?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “Who can say? It’s just one thing after another, a series of unfortunate events. Actually, Old Man Bai hit Aunt Su first. I don’t think even Aunt Su expected that a fall could kill someone. Sometimes it’s just fate—you can’t help but believe it.”

Ming Mei whispered, “Don’t say that when you go back. Superstitious talk like that should stay between us.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to be careful. Hu Huihui was there today, so I’ll keep my guard up.” Zhuang Zhixi rode his bike toward his mother-in-law’s house, saying, “I might not be able to pick you up or drop you off these next few days…”

Ming Mei reassured him, “I’ll talk to my mom. She’ll take care of it.”

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, “Then I’ll have to trouble your mother.”

Ming Mei playfully hit his back, saying, “What kind of silly talk is that? My mom loves me; it’s not a trouble for her.”

She added, “With Old Man Bai gone so suddenly, Bai Fendou must be devastated. Even though he and his dad were always bickering, they were still father and son. Who knows how he’ll react? If he starts causing trouble, you better stay away. I know you care about being a good neighbor, but if he acts out, don’t get involved. I don’t care about others; I only care about my own husband. Stay out of harm’s way.”

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled and held her hand, saying, “I know. I always knew my wife cares for me the most.”

Ming Mei cooed, “Of course I care for you. Who else would I care for? We’re husband and wife.”

Zhuang Zhixi grinned, “That’s right.”

He took Ming Mei back to her mother’s place. As soon as they arrived downstairs, Lan Ling spotted them from the window and called out, “Why are you two back? Come on up!”

Since Ming Mei got pregnant, she hadn’t visited much.

Zhuang Zhixi explained, “Mom, I’m just bringing Ming Mei to stay for a few days.”

Lan Ling asked, “What’s wrong? Something happened?”

She quickly helped her daughter sit on the sofa. Ming Mei pouted, “Mom, I’m only four or five months along—not even five months yet. You don’t need to be so nervous. Everyone’s overreacting.”

“Oh, stop it. When else should I be nervous if not now? Carrying and giving birth to a child is no easy task for a woman. So, why are you back now?”

Zhuang Zhixi explained, “There’s a funeral in our compound, and I didn’t want Ming Mei to be exposed to it, so I brought her here for a few days.”

Lan Ling nodded, “That’s the right thing to do.”

She was puzzled, “I hadn’t heard anyone in your compound was seriously ill?”

Zhuang Zhixi sighed, “It was an accident. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start…”

He briefly recounted the events from last night to today, saying, “There’s probably more to it that we don’t know, but this has blown up. I think it’s going to be a mess for a while.”

Lan Ling was stunned.

Their neighborhood was a bus station staff compound, and they weren’t used to such dramatic events.

She sighed, “What a mess. Don’t worry about Ming Mei; she can stay here. Just take care of yourself over there.”

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, “I will.”

He didn’t stay long at his mother-in-law’s place and soon headed back.

By then, most people had returned from work, and with some of the older men around, there wasn’t much left for them to do. Still, Zhuang Zhixi didn’t want to delay. Everyone was worried Bai Fendou might lose control again. With more men around, they could at least hold him back.

So Zhuang Zhixi hurried back.

When he returned to their alley, he saw a crowd gathered, watching the commotion.

Qiang Dadan pulled Zhuang Zhixi aside and asked, “What happened? How did someone die? Did Aunt Su kill someone?”

“Yeah, tell us. I heard it happened on the street, with blood spraying everywhere!”

“Wait, no, that’s not right. I heard Aunt Su smashed a cart on Old Man Bai, and he just collapsed, bleeding everywhere, and then he died.”

“What’s going on? Weren’t you with Bai Fendou when it happened? You know, right?”

Everyone bombarded him with questions, not giving him a chance to speak.

“I heard the Su family got caught in some scandal and were all arrested, is that true…?”

“I heard Aunt Su harmed her own son, is that true…?”

Zhuang Zhixi’s head was spinning from all the chatter. He said, “Stop, stop. Give me a break.”

He added, “My head’s about to explode.”

“Then tell us what happened.”

Zhuang Zhixi didn’t mention last night’s events, only today’s: “Aunt Su pushed Old Man Bai off the cart, and he hit his head. That’s how he died.”

“Damn, falling off a cart can kill you?”

“Is that for real?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “If you don’t believe me, go ask around. I need to get back now, make way, everyone.”

When he returned to the compound, everyone was gathered in the courtyard.

Zhao Guihua asked quietly, “Did you take your wife back to her mother’s place?”

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, “I told her to stay there for a few days.”

He looked around and asked, “Where are our kids, Little Tiger and Little Swallow?”

Zhao Guihua said, "I didn't let them come out for such a funeral matter. They went back home. Li Junjun and Li Weiwei are also at our place."

Zhuang Zhixi turned around and saw several small heads peeking through the window.

Pairs of big eyes were filled with curiosity.

Bai Fendou knelt in front of the mourning hall, still wailing loudly.

He had been crying since the incident happened and still hadn't stopped. He had fainted twice in between.

The sound of his wailing had weakened considerably, his voice already hoarse, but he continued to cry.

Liang Meifen came back from work and was hit with this bombshell. She was still in shock, completely stunned. Watching her mother-in-law and brother-in-law talking, she quickly approached and asked in a hushed tone, "With such a big incident, not a single person from the Su family came?"

Zhao Guihua looked at her daughter-in-law as if she were a fool, somewhat speechless.

She lowered her voice and said, "How could they be here? After the big scene yesterday and the reports, they were all taken away because of what happened. Aunt Su, Su Pandi, and Wang Xiangxiu—none of them were spared."

"Ah, what about their children..."

Zhao Guihua whispered, "I heard Su Zhaodi is helping to look after them at the hospital."

"Oh my, if they don't come back, won't those kids be left with no one to take care of them?"

Although she knew Su Zhaodi supported her family, she didn't believe she could keep looking after her three nephews indefinitely. Even if she was willing, her husband surely wouldn't be.

"They'll probably take the circumstances into consideration."

...

While they were already making funeral arrangements, over at the other end, Hu Huihui had returned to her workplace.

She had explained the entire situation in detail to Deputy Director Zheng. Deputy Director Zheng remained silent for a long time before lighting a cigarette. His hands trembled slightly as he took a deep drag and said, "Is there something wrong with that family? It seems like anyone who gets involved with them ends up unlucky. How many has it been now?"

Hu Huihui didn't respond.

What could she say?

Deny it?

If not, then how did Vice Director Cai fall from grace? How did the second-in-command at the slaughterhouse meet his end? How did Old Man Bai and Bai Fendou end up like this?

She didn't even dare to say that this family wasn't cursed.

Rubbing her temples, she sat down and said, "I didn't expect things to turn out like this."

After a pause, she added, "But before Old Man Bai passed, he told me that when Aunt Su married into the Su family in their compound, she brought gold and silver jewelry with her."

Deputy Director Zheng's eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly clenched his teeth and said, "That fortune—I’m not touching it! I’d rather not take advantage of it than have anything to do with that family. Don’t you think they’re just too unlucky?"

Hu Huihui replied, "Huh?"

Deputy Director Zheng continued, "This family—whoever gets involved with them ends up cursed! I’ve made up my mind! I’m not stepping into that mess!"

Hu Huihui remained silent for a while before nodding slowly. "I think you’re right..."

Deputy Director Zheng said, "You were thinking of buying a house to observe that area, right? Don’t do it. At the very least, don’t buy one in your cousin’s compound. That compound—I think the feng shui is really bad. Stay far away from it. Don’t drag down our luck. We’re on a roll right now, so let’s not get involved with them. That woman and her family are just too toxic."

Hu Huihui replied, "Oh? Okay."

She wasn’t highly educated and actually believed in such things. She felt that Deputy Director Zheng was right—this family really did seem to bring bad luck to others.

She asked, "What about the police station over there..."

"We’ll hand the matter over to them and stay out of it."

Hu Huihui said, "Alright."

Better not provoke them!


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