Chapter 7: The Truth About What Happened That Year

The last part of what Jiang Tangtang said carried a hint of probing, both in her tone and expression.

Hearing this, Old Man Deng’s smiling face froze immediately, his expression shifting from warm to confused.
He stared at Jiang Tangtang, clearly unsure of what to say.

Back then, he wasn’t even certain how many people knew about the incident.

“You… what do you mean by that? I don’t really understand…”

“Uncle Deng, my grandpa and my mother — they were both killed. I know you saw it. I also know what you’re afraid of.”

“I understand you don’t want to talk about it, but… aren’t you curious how I found out?”

Other than guiding him, Jiang Tangtang couldn’t think of another way to get him to speak the truth.

After all, if he stayed silent or outright denied it, there was nothing she could do.

“So how did you know? I didn’t see you at the time.”

Even as an adult, he had been startled when it all happened, and had quietly slipped away afterward.
But in his panicked escape, he hadn’t paid attention to whether anyone else had seen him.

“I’ll tell you. Someone else saw you running out of the house in a panic.”

“That person told me about it because they mistook you for the culprit and wanted to exchange the information for money.”

“But I never believed it was you. So please, can you tell me the truth? Don’t let someone falsely accuse you, and don’t let my grandpa die in vain.”

To get to the truth, Jiang Tangtang had no choice but to exercise some rhetorical finesse.

“What? Someone actually wants to frame me?! I’ve lived upright all these years — how could I do something like that?”

Old Man Deng’s anger made his hair stand on end.

Although he had done questionable things in life, he couldn’t let himself be falsely accused. Even if not for himself, he had to speak up.

Looking into Jiang Tangtang’s eyes, he finally decided to tell the truth.

“Tangtang, I don’t know who told you this, but I’m afraid the truth might shock you.”

Helping Old Man Deng sit down, Jiang Tangtang smiled at him.

“It’s okay, Uncle Deng. I believe in our country’s justice system — bad people will be punished. Don’t worry, I swear I’ll protect you!”

He was the key witness, and also her grandfather’s old friend. She had to protect him.

But persuading him to testify wouldn’t be easy.

“Tangtang, you’re a good kid. But with your current ability, I’m afraid it’s hard enough just to protect yourself, let alone me.”

“You see for yourself, my family doesn’t even have children anymore, just one grandson who’s always sick and by my side. If something happens to me, how will he survive? Don’t blame Uncle Deng…”

Of course Jiang Tangtang knew how cruel the world was, how people chased fame and fortune.
She had experienced enough cold stares and heartbreak to understand his fear.

“Uncle Deng, I understand your situation. Don’t worry. Just tell me the truth — I promise you won’t get dragged into it. I only want to bring the real criminals to justice.”

After much persuasion, Old Man Deng finally relented. He sat down on a worn wicker chair whose surface had already peeled, and slowly began telling what he knew.

“Do you remember the window to the right of your house? The staircase lined up perfectly with the second floor of my place. Your grandpa used to stand on the stairs and call me over for a game of Go. I could see him from my second-floor window.”

“About a year ago, I was standing there smoking my pipe. I planned to finish it and then call your grandpa over for a game — see, the Go board is still there.”

Following his wrinkled, calloused finger, Jiang Tangtang saw a dusty old Go table in the corner.

She knew that table well. As a child, whenever her grandpa came over to play Go, he’d carry her or her sister along.

Time had flown since then. The memories passed before her eyes like a lantern carousel.

“I know, my grandpa was very good at Go, so you often came over to play with him.”

Old Man Deng nodded slowly and continued with the truth.

“Yes. Your grandpa was more than ten years older than me. Our two families had lived in this area for decades. Technically, you should call me ‘grandpa,’ but our families were distantly related, and my generation was younger, so you called me ‘uncle’ instead.”

“I was a heavy smoker. Your grandpa always scolded me for it, saying the smoke would harm his granddaughters. So I always finished my smoke before calling him over. But that day, I happened to see your grandpa storming down the stairs. He looked angry, but I didn’t call him because I was still smoking.”

“And just then, I saw your younger brother — he was only about five at the time. I thought he was just one of your cousins visiting. He ran down from upstairs, messing around. Somehow, he bumped into your grandpa’s cane. Your grandpa already had bad legs — he fell down the stairs hard, rolling from top to bottom.”

“I knew something bad had happened, so I ran over and knocked on your door, saying I’d heard a loud noise. Your dad opened the door and told me your grandpa was fine. I didn’t insist on checking, and half-believed him. I guess that’s when someone else must have seen me?”

Jiang Tangtang had already heard this story once before. The second telling confirmed every word. She held back her tears.

The whole incident had been covered up by her fake, deceitful father. Their entire family had been kept in the dark.

Tears poured from her eyes like a broken dam. She sniffled and wiped them with her sleeve.

“Child, if it hurts too much to hear, I can stop. No need to upset yourself — it’s bad for your health. After all, no one knows for sure if it was truly an accident.”

As an outsider, Old Man Deng didn’t want to stir up discord within someone else’s family. After all, he only saw a child, not an adult.

And even if he spoke up, would a judge really believe a five-year-old child could deliberately hurt someone?

“No, Uncle Deng, you must tell me the truth. No one else knows this but you.”

Moved by the sincerity in Jiang Tangtang’s eyes, Old Man Deng continued.

“Later, news spread that your grandpa had died from the fall. I was shocked but figured it was just an accident — caused by a child. Even if I reported it, what could be done to such a young child?”

“Your father knew your grandpa and I were close, so he never suspected me. But after that, I kept my eye on him. I always felt something was off about him.”

“One day, I was walking outside and saw that same child again. I wondered why this unfamiliar kid kept hanging around your house. I didn’t recognize him, so I got closer to ask.”

“As soon as I approached, I smelled a strong scent of gasoline. You know how powerful that smell is — impossible to hide.”

“Not long after, I heard that your mother had also died. Your father cried bitterly, and no one suspected him. But then he remarried, and that same child showed up again — now living with the new bride.”

“At that point, it all clicked. That woman was probably a mistress with a child from someone else. Not long after that, I heard the two of you — the sisters — had disappeared. I immediately suspected your father.”

“But later, your sister came back and started saying you ran off with someone. I never believed it. I watched you grow up — I didn’t think you were that kind of girl. Where did you go at the time?”

That question had lingered in Old Man Deng’s mind for years. He even suspected that her father had quietly killed her just because she bore the surname Jiang.

But then he told himself: even a tiger wouldn’t eat its cubs. That idea was too terrifying, so he never brought it up.