With a pale face, Qi Dajian lowered his head and said nothing, letting Deputy Director Zhang and the Zhang family scold and beat him.

He didn’t know that the factory wanted to fire him and make him pay, and that Zhang Fugui had pleaded on his behalf.

All he knew was that the factory wanted to fire him.

He went to ask his good brother, Zhang Fugui, for help to plead with the factory so they wouldn’t fire him. If they did, his whole family would have no way to survive.

But his good brother said there was nothing he could do, that he couldn’t help.

He also said that the factory had a clear rule prohibiting smoking in the factory area.

Qi Dajian had smoked while inspecting the warehouse, which was a reason for dismissal. It was all his own fault.

Zhang Fugui was the deputy director; how could he protect someone he couldn’t even help?

He felt that Zhang Fugui, after becoming the deputy director, looked down on him, his brother.

Clearly, he could help, but he didn’t, and instead, he arrogantly criticized him as deserving of it. From then on, Qi Dajian hated him.

That day, the factory office urged them to vacate their housing. He was feeling frustrated and drank a few cups at home.

He was planning to go out for some fresh air when he happened to see Zhang Kexin arguing with Zhang Fugui and running out of the house.

In a strange twist of fate, he followed her and ended up at the riverbank on the outskirts of town.

He saw Zhang Kexin sitting on the riverbank crying.

Under the influence of alcohol and blinded by resentment, he thought that since Zhang Fugui refused to help him, causing his family to lose their livelihood, he would make sure Zhang Fugui never had hope again.

He picked up a stone and killed Zhang Kexin.

After realizing what he had done, he regretted it, but it was too late.

He had no choice but to push her into the river.

These days, he couldn’t sleep due to his guilty conscience.

He stayed at home, too scared to go out, afraid the police would find out he was the murderer and send him to the firing squad.

But the police eventually found him and came to his door.

When he saw the police, he immediately collapsed, offering no resistance or defense, allowing them to handcuff him.

Now he understood that his good brother had indeed helped him.

He had already pleaded for leniency after being fired, and seeing his family collapse in fear because of his arrest, Qi Dajian shed tears of regret.

Qi’s mother tightly clutched her son’s leg, not allowing the police to take him away. Hearing Zhang Fugui’s accusations, she closed her eyes and shouted, “Your daughter wasn’t killed by my son! My son is innocent, innocent!”

Gu Zhenyuan said with a cold face, “If your son is innocent, then why hasn’t he said a word since he was arrested?”

Qi’s mother replied, “My son was scared silly by you!”

“Qi Dajian, have we wronged you?” Gu Zhenyuan asked coldly, staring at him.

They had substantial evidence against Qi Dajian.

After a thorough investigation of the crime scene, they found a set of keys in a bush near the scene.

Upon investigation, they discovered one of the keys belonged to the cotton warehouse security office, thus confirming the murderer was a familiar person who had grievances with Zhang Kexin’s father.

The only person who had argued with Zhang Fugui recently was Qi Dajian.

He also worked in the security department, and the keys were identified as his.

That’s why they came to arrest him.

Qi Dajian’s cheek twitched, and his mouth trembled as he cried, “I’m guilty, it’s me, it’s me!”

“Did you hear that?” Gu Zhenyuan looked at Qi’s mother and wife, who both cried and shook their heads.

No matter what, they couldn’t accept that their son/husband was a murderer. If he was caught, how would their family survive?

Gu Zhenyuan sternly said, “If you don’t let go, I’ll charge both of you with obstructing justice and take you in for a week.”

The Zhang family members pulled Qi’s mother and wife away.

They let go, but still cried out, “Son, my son…”

“Big Brother, Big Brother…”

Qi Dajian was shoved into the police car, and as the police got in, the car drove away.

The onlookers dispersed, and Li Shuping, who was guarding the dumpling stall, pieced together the details of Zhang Kexin’s murder from the neighbors’ gossip.

While she found Qi Dajian utterly detestable, she was also horrified.

Just because his request for help was rejected, he killed someone’s daughter.

It was terrifying.

She also reminded her daughter, Lin Xiaoyu, to always be cautious around others, even relatives.

Never walk alone in empty alleys, riverbanks, or quiet paths.

Lin Xiaoyu nodded, not daring to tell her mother that she had already walked through an empty alley, though she had been with Zhang Tiejun.

In the following days, the whole Anning street talked about the case of Zhang Kexin, cursing Qi Dajian as a monster.

Qi Dajian’s family was also kicked out of the workers’ dormitory by the cotton factory and had to return to their rural hometown.

As for Qi Dajian, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death, consuming peanuts in prison.

On Friday morning, Lin Xiaoyu walked out of the house wearing new clothes.

“Mom, I’m going to school.”

“Be careful on the road.”

After hearing her mother’s response, Lin Xiaoyu flicked her braid and happily jogged out of the yard.

“Lin Xiaoyu?”

The familiar voice made Lin Xiaoyu stop.

Turning around, she saw her second brother, Lin Jianjie, and Liu Qin.

Remembering how her second brother and Liu Qin had made her mother suffer at the wedding, Lin Xiaoyu couldn’t hide her displeasure.

“What’s up?”

Lin Jianjie looked at the unfamiliar new clothes on his sister and her rounder face, thinking she seemed to be living quite well.

Hearing the “What’s up?” he immediately scowled, “What do you mean by ‘What’s up?’ Can’t your second brother even get a greeting?”

“Second Brother.” Lin Xiaoyu called him perfunctorily.

Lin Jianjie snapped, “And where’s your second sister-in-law? Are you blind or just too rude to see her?”

Liu Qin pouted.

This Lin Xiaoyu was so disrespectful, not even greeting her properly.

But the pink blouse Lin Xiaoyu wore was quite nice and familiar. She had seen it at the state-run store before, and it cost ten yuan.

She didn’t buy it, but now it was on her sister-in-law.

Liu Qin felt uncomfortable inside, seeing the clothes she couldn’t afford being worn by someone else.

Lin Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at them and was about to leave when Lin Jianjie let go of Liu Qin’s hand, took a step forward, and grabbed Lin Xiaoyu’s wrist.

“Let’s see if you’ll greet your second sister-in-law. Are you deaf?”

Seeing his wife not being greeted, he felt it was a slap in his face as a brother.

Lin Xiaoyu’s face flushed with anger, “She and her brother bullied my mom. I won’t acknowledge her as my second sister-in-law! I won’t greet her!”

“I think you’re asking for a beating.” Lin Jianjie raised his hand.

Lin Xiaoyu instinctively shrank her shoulders and closed her eyes.

Before Lin Jianjie’s slap could land, a hand grabbed his wrist midair.

Turning, Lin Jianjie found himself staring into cold, sharp eyes.

The one who had grabbed his wrist was a tall, thin young man carrying a basket.

“You little brat, stay out of my business. I’m teaching my sister a lesson,” Lin Jianjie snarled at the young man.

Qin Ye looked at Lin Xiaoyu, who gave him a pleading look.

“Let her go.”

“Who the hell are you? Do you dare to interfere with me? I told you, I’m her second brother.” Lin Jianjie let go of Lin Xiaoyu and clenched his fist, aiming a punch at Qin Ye’s face.

Qin Ye tilted his head to dodge, then landed a solid punch in Lin Jianjie’s stomach.

He was her second brother?

Then he deserved it.

Qin Ye thought, a man who had such a good mother, yet for the sake of marrying a wife, let his mother be bullied and insulted by outsiders—he deserved to be beaten to death in his book.

“Ah…” Lin Jianjie opened his mouth wide, bending down slowly, his face contorted in pain.

“Jianjie!” Liu Qin screamed.

Qin Ye released Lin Jianjie’s hand with a cold snort, looked at Lin Xiaoyu, and said, “Let’s go.”

Lin Xiaoyu glanced at her second brother, clutching his stomach in pain, and cursed inwardly, “Serves you right,” then turned and walked with Qin Ye.

Liu Qin helped Lin Jianjie up and shouted at the two, “Stop! Don’t go!”