Chapter 21: Confession

Wen Nuan knew very well that Wen Qing would cling to her accusation, so she had prepared her bag in advance, ready for the officers to check.

“Officer Zhao, Officer Zhou, since she doesn’t believe me, I might as well not let you waste a trip. I was planning to leave anyway, so I’d appreciate it if you could witness this for me.”

Wen Nuan said as she lifted her bag from the corner and placed it on the ground.

“This is all I have left in this house. You’re welcome to check it thoroughly!”

Before the officers could take any action, Wen Qing could no longer hold herself back. She hurriedly stepped forward and opened Wen Nuan’s bag.

 The blanket, mattress, and two worn-out clothes were all pulled out. The two officers couldn’t help but frown as they watched the scene unfold.

Especially when they saw the contents of the bag, coupled with Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian’s behavior from last night, they couldn’t help but imagine a scenario where a stepmother enters the door, and a biological father turns into a stepfather.

“Wen Qing, please mind your actions. You have no right to go through someone else’s belongings.”

Wen Qing, who had not found anything before and had felt uneasy, suddenly felt something in the bag’s inner pocket. Her intuition told her that there was money in it.

“Officers, things are missing from our house, and I’m anxious. Look, there must be something in this inner pocket!”

As she spoke, Wen Qing pulled out the contents from the pocket, overlooking the document severing ties, and instead grabbed a wad of cash, exclaiming loudly.

 “See? I told you! It was definitely Wen Nuan who stole the money and the documents. The evidence is right here! What else do you have to say?”

The two officers looked at Wen Nuan with a mix of surprise and disbelief. They never expected that she could be the one behind this. For a moment, they found it hard to accept.

Wen Nuan, however, remained calm and composed. She walked forward, picked up the document that had fallen on the floor, and handed it to the officers.

“Officer Zhao, Officer Zhou! This is the severance agreement that I, Wen Changming, Tan Xiulian, and Wen Qing signed earlier. It has already been published in the newspaper.”

“As for the money, it was my late mother’s dowry, as well as the rural subsidy that Wen Changming helped me collect when he signed  me up for the Rural Re-education program.”

“Originally, this money was in Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian’s hands. They were afraid I would expose the situation and damage their reputation, so they reluctantly gave it back to me.

I made sure to note all of this in the document, which clearly states that I had originally been accepted as an apprentice at the garment factory. However, due to the Rural Re-education program, I had to give up the job opportunity. They wanted Wen Qing to take my place, but I refused without question.

That’s when they became angry and tried to sell me off, so they could take all my money for themselves.

I hadn’t intended to reveal these trivial details, but even though they treated me poorly, they are still my family, so I felt I should at least leave them some dignity.”

 “I never expected that Wen Qing would repeatedly pressure and falsely accuse me. That’s why I had to speak out about everything. I hope the two of you won’t blame me for hiding things before!”

Zhao Dezhu and Zhou Penghai carefully read the document that severed the relationship. Indeed, it was clearly written, and it was evident that Wen Nuan’s account was truthful.

“We completely understand your feelings. You are truly a kind and filial young woman. It’s unfortunate that some people don’t realize their blessings when they have them.

Rest assured, with the two of us as witnesses, the theft at the Wen family has nothing to do with you. Furthermore, we have yet to conclude whether anything was actually stolen.”

“Thank you, Officer Zhao. I appreciate your trust. I’ll go and get some things ready for the Rural Re-education program. If everything here is settled, I’ll take my things and leave.”

“Alright, go ahead. We’ll expedite the investigation into Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian’s case and give you an answer as soon as possible.”

“I understand. Thank you, thank you for seeking justice on my behalf!”

Wen Nuan bowed deeply, then proceeded to gather the items on the ground and prepare to leave.

Wen Qing, standing by, looked at Wen Nuan’s act and felt even more furious. However, with the police watching nearby, she dared not say anything further. Instead, she glared at Wen Nuan with intense hatred.

After Wen Nuan left, Wen Qing was once again taken to the police station for “thought education,” as filing a false report and framing someone else was also against the law.

In the interrogation room of the police station, after a whole night of being interrogated, Wen Changming and Liu stubbornly refused to admit to being involved in human trafficking.

Wen Changming believed that Liu had heard the excuses he had given earlier, so he insisted that Liu was Wen Nuan’s uncle. He claimed that he had only taken the person away and sent him to the hospital because Wen Nuan had been experiencing a headache.

 Although Tan Xiulian had not heard the details clearly in the courtyard, her account was generally similar to what Wen Changming had said.

However, Liu’s version was different. He claimed to be Wen Nuan’s husband, stating that he had already given the betrothal gifts and was planning to take Wen Nuan back to his hometown for marriage.

With the two testimonies conflicting, it was clear that one party was lying, or perhaps both were.

Considering the testimonies of the surrounding neighbors and Wen Nuan’s own description, they leaned toward the idea that all three individuals were lying.

But since all three refused to admit it, the situation had remained at a deadlock.

However, things began to take a turn after Zhao Dezhu and Zhou Penghai took Wen Qing back to the police station.

After Wen Qing identified Liu, the claim that he was Wen Nuan’s uncle was completely ruled out, which fully proved that Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian had lied.

In order to find a breakthrough, Zhao Dezhu arranged for a meeting between Wen Qing and Tan Xiulian, hoping to break through Tan Xiulian’s psychological defenses by discussing the burglary at their home.

As expected, upon hearing about the theft at their house, and with Wen Qing’s testimony, Tan Xiulian’s resolve instantly crumbled.

Zhao Dezhu seized the opportunity, increasing the pressure of the interrogation, and finally found a clue in Tan Xiulian’s incoherent statements.

Upon learning that Wen Changming still had 200 yuan as payment money, the police searched him, and indeed, they found 200 yuan in cash in his underwear pocket.

Armed with the cash and Tan Xiulian’s testimony, Zhao Dezhu did not immediately interrogate Wen Changming but first questioned Liu.

 After a series of persistent interrogations, Liu finally confessed to the details of the incident.

However, he continued to emphasize that he had only wanted to buy a wife with money and was unaware of anything else, especially the drugging, which he claimed was entirely Wen Changming’s doing.

With Liu’s testimony, there was no way for Wen Changming to escape anymore.

Upon hearing that Liu had confessed, Wen Changming was furious. In an attempt to redeem himself, he voluntarily confessed to his involvement in connecting with the black clinic.

Following the trail, the police inadvertently dismantled a human trafficking ring, rescuing numerous children and women who had been trafficked.

However, regarding Qi Chunmei and the Qi family, despite the police’s persistent questioning, Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian never revealed anything. Lacking direct evidence, they were ultimately let off lightly.

At the same time, Wen Nuan, after bidding farewell to her neighbors like Li Haiyang and Aunt Zhu, took a bus to a guesthouse near the train station.

Wen Nuan chose to stay here for two reasons: first, it was close to the train station, which would be convenient for catching the train the next morning.

Second, it was close to Heilongjiang Province!

Although she had taken Wen’s family money and the tickets, don’t forget, Wen’s house was still there!

Wen Nuan would naturally not let such a good opportunity slip away. When she was scavenging the money and tickets last night, she had already taken the property deed and land deed into her hands.

Of course, this also included the property deed and land deed for the Qi family’s courtyard.

 Wen Nuan did not intend to sell the Qi family’s courtyard. After a few more years of studying, she planned to return and live there.

However, the Wen family’s courtyard was a different matter. If she wasn’t going to live there, she certainly didn’t want anyone else to continue living there either.

Selling the house through the property management office wasn’t realistic. Not only would it expose her actions, but there was no guarantee that she could sell it quickly either.

But with Heilongjiang Province, it was a different story. On the surface, Wen’s house could be worth at least one thousand to twelve hundred.

Even if she had to sell it at half the price, she could still get rid of it without making a loss!