Chapter 10 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

Luo Manzhen suddenly remembered something her younger brother’s wife had mentioned during one of her rare visits to her parents’ home.  

It was said that in early July, Lin Jianzhang’s mother, Liao Jinzhi, had gone to the township for some errands. 

On her way back, she encountered a well-known village fool from the surrounding ten miles. No one knew what had provoked the fool that day, but he had been attacking anyone he came across. 

Unfortunately, Liao Jinzhi became his target and was severely beaten. She was hospitalized for quite some time before recovering, though her health had significantly deteriorated after the incident.

Luo Manzhen carefully considered the possibility of intervening to save Liao Jinzhi. 

After weighing the pros and cons, she clapped her hands decisively, resolving to carry out her plan.

Meanwhile, Lin Jianzhang spent a great deal of effort convincing Grandma Lin to accept his decision. Early the next morning, he prepared to return to his unit. Before leaving, he called his nephew over and solemnly handed him a letter, instructing him to deliver it to Wen Xin.  

He also placed two pieces of candy into his nephew’s hand.  

The nephew accepted the candy with a nod and delivered the letter to Wen Xin. Upon reading it, Wen Xin chuckled sarcastically, her good mood for the morning vanishing entirely.  

After breakfast at her workplace, Wen Xin engrossed herself in reading that day’s newspaper. While she was deep into it, a commotion arose in the office. Curious, Wen Xin looked up and followed her colleagues to peek outside.  

In the courtyard stood two soldiers, speaking with Minister Zhang.  

The unmarried women in the office were visibly enchanted, their eyes sparkling as they watched the soldiers. 

Meanwhile, the male comrades looked on with admiration—after all, in this era of widespread military support, who didn’t dream of a life in the army?  

Wen Xin glanced at them briefly before returning to her newspaper.  

Later, just before the end of the workday, the station chief approached Wen Xin, asking her to draft a forest protection report. He had received a last-minute notice to attend a meeting in the county the following morning and would need to leave early.  

Unexpected overtime wasn’t uncommon. Wen Xin reviewed last week’s reports from the fire patrol officers and forest rangers with great care before beginning her draft.  

She also needed to consult various materials. By the time she was halfway through writing, the workday had officially ended, and her colleagues had gradually gone home. After grabbing a quick dinner, Wen Xin returned to finish the report.  

When the report was complete, she brought it to the station chief, who reviewed it and pointed out areas for revision. 

Once the corrections were made, it was already past six in the evening, and the sky had nearly turned dark. The courtyard outside was eerily silent. Wen Xin locked up the office, retrieved her bicycle, and began her ride home.

The road back was equally silent, devoid of people. It took about half an hour to cycle from the township to her home, and by then, darkness had fully settled. 

The rural dirt road was uneven, dotted with potholes. In daylight, it was possible to navigate around them, but at night, avoiding them became nearly impossible.  

The most despairing moment came when the chain suddenly fell off. In the pitch-dark night, Wen Xin couldn’t fix it.

With no other choice, she had to push her bike and head home on foot.

There was a grove of poplar trees near the village road. Spring had passed, and the poplars were adorned with fresh leaves, swaying faintly in the dim night. Wen Xin quickened her pace as she pushed the bike.

Suddenly, from deep within the poplar grove, came a cry for help. Mixed in with the cries was a man’s hoarse yet excited threats.

Wen Xin frowned. She propped her bike by the roadside, picked up a stone, and dashed into the grove.

Deep in the grove, a scrawny, short man was hastily unbuckling his pants. In front of him was a woman bound hand and foot, crying out while inching backward.

Wen Xin moved silently and struck the man on the back of the neck with the stone. He collapsed limply to the ground. Wen Xin let out a breath of relief.

She walked over and untied the ropes around the woman’s hands and feet. Seeing someone had come to save her, the woman stopped crying and cooperated fully with Wen Xin’s rescue.

Neither of them said a word. Wen Xin picked up the rope and went over to the man, tying his hands and feet securely. Finally, the woman caught her breath. She stumbled over to the man, sobbing and kicking him.

Under the faint moonlight, Wen Xin could clearly see the face of this scoundrel. It was none other than Lin Laizi. A flash of murderous intent crossed Wen Xin’s eyes.

She grabbed the woman, who was still frantically kicking Lin Laizi. “Let’s go. He’ll wake up soon.”

The woman came to her senses, gripping Wen Xin’s hand tightly as they hurried out of the grove. Wen Xin stepped directly over Lin Laizi, stomping on a certain part of his body with extra force as she passed.

 A pig-like scream erupted, and the two women ran faster and faster.

Once outside the grove, Wen Xin pushed her unreliable bike, and the two of them sprinted toward the village.

As they neared the village, a beam of strong light from a flashlight illuminated the path ahead.

“Xiao Mei, Xiao Mei, is that you?” Wen Xin had never found Second Brother Wen’s voice so comforting before.

The woman running alongside Wen Xin suddenly grabbed her arm, her hands trembling slightly but holding so tightly that it hurt. Wen Xin didn’t even have time to respond to her brother. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. That’s my second brother.” she reassured her over and over again. 

Finally, the woman’s grip relaxed a little, allowing Wen Xin to breathe a sigh of relief. She raised her voice and called out: “Second Brother! I’m here!”

The flashlight beam moved faster and quickly reached Wen Xin. “Why are you back so late? Mom and Dad were worried sick.”

The woman beside Wen Xin started gripping her arm tightly again.

“There was a last-minute notice at work.” Wen Xin explained. “I had to go to the county for a meeting and submit a report. I stayed a bit late, so I’m just now getting back.”

Second Brother Wen nodded, handed the flashlight to Wen Xin, and started pushing her bike forward. “The chain fell off?”

“Yeah, and it’s too dark to fix it, so I just decided to push it home.”

With a stranger present, Second Brother Wen maintained his distance out of politeness, walking ahead quickly. Once they had gained some distance, Wen Xin whispered to the woman beside her: “Miss, where’s your home? Do you need us to take you there?”

By this time, the woman had calmed down, though she still clung tightly to Wen Xin’s arm. She nodded. “My name is Gei Wei. I live in the town. Can you take me home? My parents will be very grateful.”

With Lin Laizi still lying in the poplar grove, Gei Wei didn’t dare go back alone. In this pitch-black night, who could guarantee there wasn’t another Lin Laizi lurking around?

Wen Xin had already intended to take Gei Wei home, so she nodded. “Alright, once we’re home, we’ll take you back. By the way, I’m Wen Xin.”

After exchanging names, they fell silent. When they arrived at the Wen family home, Wen Xin brought Gei Wei to her own room. Gei Wei’s clothes, having been torn during the assault, were in tatters.

While the darkness of the night had concealed the damage, there was no way Gei Wei could return home dressed like that. Furthermore, the injuries on her face, caused by Lin Laizi’s blows, needed attention.

Perhaps now that she was out of danger, Gei Wei finally let her guard down. 

As she trembled while changing clothes, tears began to fall, one by one, rolling silently down her cheeks.