Chapter 26 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

Time quickly passed, and it was already April. In the blink of an eye, Wen Xin had been attending school for two months.

After nearly a month of investigation and evidence collection, Luo Manzhen and Lin Jianzhang had finally divorced. On the day of their divorce, Luo Manzhen was detained for the crime of destroying a military marriage.

Her case was awaiting trial. In an era where military personnel held absolute status, destroying a military marriage was considered a serious crime, and the trial date would undoubtedly come soon.

It was at this time that Wen Xin took action. She cast a mantra curse on Luo Manzhen. Wen Xin did not understand the law, and she was unsure if Luo Manzhen’s actions would constitute a crime. Even if it did, the most she would face would be detention. But even if Luo Manzhen was detained for this, it would still be a punishment for her wrongdoings. However, the murder of the original host was still unresolved.

The mantra curse was something Wen Xin had learned from a young Taoist priest. Due to its different effects, the backlash from this curse was even stronger than last time. She had to rest for two full days before recovering.

Gu Xiuping was startled and took two days off to care for her.

Far away on the farm, Sun Haowen was also brought back for questioning. Sun Haowen openly admitted to his role in destroying the military marriage and was immediately detained while awaiting trial.

According to regulations, before the trial, Luo Manzhen was required to be interrogated once more. This time, the police comrades began to question her, and Luo Manzhen couldn’t wait to pour out the entire sequence of events about her destruction of the military marriage.

There was no need for much interrogation. The officers in charge of the questioning exchanged looks before picking up their pens to begin recording.

As Luo Manzhen continued to speak, her expression grew more and more terrified. She had no idea why she was confessing; she clearly didn’t want to, but her mouth just wouldn’t listen to her.

After confessing to her infidelity, Luo Manzhen also revealed that in March 1976, she had pushed Wen Xin into the water.

Once this was disclosed, the case escalated from the destruction of a military marriage to intentional homicide. The officers in charge of the case instantly became excited.

They wrote furiously, while Luo Manzhen finished recounting everything in her boundless fear. Seeing the excited police officers, Luo Manzhen knew that she was truly finished.

For destroying a military marriage, she would have only been sentenced to two years at most, but intentional homicide was different; life imprisonment was even possible.

The punishments in this era were not comprehensive, but most of them advocated for harsh sentences. How many people were affected by the severe crackdown in the 1980s?

Luo Manzhen’s heart turned to ash. But soon, a glimmer of hope sparked again.

When Luo Manzhen was reborn, it was early March. She observed for several days and knew that Wen Xin, for safety, always took a detour to walk along the main road. The main road required her to pass a small stretch along the Chan River.

That night, Luo Manzhen woke up in the middle of the night. She first poured the water from the river onto the road. Although the weather was still cold in March, the Chan River had thawed, but the water was still very cold. When the water was poured on the ground during the night, it froze into a thin layer of ice by the next day. As soon as the sun rose, the ice melted into water, and the muddy ground became a slippery mess.

To ensure everything went perfectly, Luo Manzhen even spent a large sum of money to buy oil and poured it on the road.

The next day, Wen Xin clearly did not anticipate the water and oil on the ground. Her feet slipped from under her, and she fell from the bank into the river.

Luo Manzhen was hiding in the distance, watching as Wen Xin was swept away by the water.

Originally, she thought that Wen Xin would die without a trace, but to her surprise, Wen Xin’s luck was incredibly strong, and she was saved.

Later, when Luo Manzhen tried to take another shot at Wen Xin, it was no longer possible.

Once the police had finished recording their statements, they held a special meeting. In the afternoon, a kind-hearted female officer went to the provincial hospital to find Wen Xin. Upon arriving at the hospital, they learned that Wen Xin had taken a sick leave and was now at the military district’s family compound.

The police immediately rushed to the military compound. After explaining the situation to the military unit leaders, they were led to Wen Xin’s home by a young soldier. When they knocked on the door, Wen Xin, pale and sickly, came to open it. The young soldier quickly ran off, satisfied that the task was done. When Wen Xin saw the officers outside, she promptly showed a surprised expression and said: “My husband isn’t home. May I ask what this is regarding?”

There were three officers in total, two men and one woman. The female officer introduced herself as Liu. With a friendly demeanor, she said to Wen Xin: “Comrade Wen, we’re here to ask you about the incident where you fell into the water in March 1976.”

Wen Xin gasped in surprise, her face blank, as she stepped aside to let them in. Once inside, the officers, with professional demeanor, first glanced around the room. Afterward, at Wen Xin’s invitation, they sat down. There was hot water on the coffee table, and the transparent glass cups were cleanly placed on a large red tray. Wen Xin poured a cup of hot water for each of the three officers.

“Comrades.” Wen Xin asked: “Could you tell me if the incident of me falling into the water three years ago is related to some case? Why are you investigating this now?”

Officer Liu opened her notebook, took up a pen, and said to Wen Xin: “This is how it is, Comrade Wen. According to Luo Manzhen’s confession, she said that in March 1976, after she discovered that you would pass by the river near your home, the Chan River, she caused the road to become slippery with water and oil in the middle of the night, which led to your fall into the river, nearly causing your death. Did you know about this event afterward?”

Wen Xin suddenly stood up from the sofa. Her already pale face became even paler, and due to the severe backlash she was suffering from, she stood too quickly and felt a bit dizzy. Cold sweat began pouring down her face. Officer Liu, who was sitting beside her, immediately stood up and helped her sit back on the sofa. She grabbed the water on the table and handed it to Wen Xin, gently reassuring her: “Comrade Wen, don’t worry, don’t worry. Let’s take it slow. We’ll talk slowly.”

Wen Xin’s hand trembled as she held the glass of water. After a long moment, she tried to compose herself and asked: “Officer, did Luo Manzhen say why she wanted to harm me?”

Officer Liu nodded and replied: “She said that you were the third party between her and Lin Jianzhang. She believed that only if you were out of the picture could she be with Lin Jianzhang properly.”

As Officer Liu spoke, her face was filled with disdain and contempt. She felt that Luo Manzhen must have had some issues in her head. The reason she couldn’t be with Lin Jianzhang wasn’t because of Wen Xin, but because Luo Manzhen had been unfaithful and wanted a divorce. 

Oh, so after the divorce, her new lover turned out to be a failure, and now she wanted to return to her ex-husband? The ex-husband, however, had already moved on and was dating someone else. Now, she wanted to kill that person, her ex-husband’s new partner, to create a cause for her own actions? She even concocted such a ridiculous excuse that even a one-year-old child wouldn’t believe it?

To Officer Liu, dealing with such a person didn’t require any investigation—this matter could be closed with a clear conclusion. Unfortunately, the country’s legal system required evidence, and without enough evidence, they couldn’t conclude a person’s guilt.

Wen Xin became agitated again. “She’s talking nonsense. When I was with Lin Jianzhang, it was arranged by our local militia department’s Minister Zhang. When we met, Lin Jianzhang had been divorced from Luo Manzhen for several months. You can verify this in the village. It’s all on record.”

Officer Liu acknowledged with a hum and then asked Wen Xin to recount the details of the day she fell into the water.

Wen Xin said: “It’s not difficult to remember. That day, I went out just like usual. The Chan River had thawed, and the road by the river was wide and easy to walk on, so I often passed that way.”

“That road had never been that slippery before, and I wasn’t paying attention to the road. My foot slipped, and I fell into the water, but I was rescued by Lin Changzheng from Linjia Village. This is something you can check as well.”

“No one ever thought it wasn’t an accident. Who would’ve guessed that someone could be so vicious?”

“I had a fever and unconscious for three days. The doctor said I was beyond saving and told my parents to prepare for my funeral. My mother cried for three days, her eyes swollen from all the tears.”

“Then I woke up. From the time I was delirious with the fever to when I was recovering, no one from the Lin family came to check on me. Plus, Lin Jianzhang’s ex-wife was still living with him. My family all felt that if I really married him, life would be miserable, so I broke up with Lin Jianzhang.”

“Throughout all this, I barely saw Luo Manzhen.”

Officer Liu finished recording Wen Xin’s statement and prepared to take her leave. Wen Xin saw them off to the door, and the three officers left the house and went downstairs to return to their own homes.

Just as they were about to leave, the door across from them opened, and the wife of the political commissar smiled and asked: “Little Wen, what did the police want with you?”

Wen Xin leaned against the doorframe, speaking weakly: “You remember how I fell into the water a couple of years ago? This time, they were interrogating Luo Manzhen, and she confessed that she had planned my fall into the water. The police came to ask me about it.”

The political commissar’s wife was stunned. She was quite familiar with the Gu family, as she lived right next to them in the family compound.

After Luo Manzhen was arrested, Wen Xin had nonchalantly mentioned that she once had a brief relationship with Lin Jianzhang, but they separated because Luo Manzhen refused to leave her ex-husband’s home. She had shared a lot of gossip with the other residents of the compound.

The political commissar’s wife was dumbfounded. She never expected that Luo Manzhen would go so far as to commit murder over something so trivial.

A sense of dread washed over her, and as she thought back to the past couple of years when she had grown close to Luo Manzhen, she broke out in a cold sweat.

Wen Xin apologized and turned to head back to her room to rest in bed.

Not long after she lay down, Gu Xiuping returned, running, his forehead covered in sweat.

“Xin Xin, I heard that someone from the police station came to our house saying they were investigating something. What’s going on?” Gu Xiuping had been leading a training session in the field. When he heard the news, he rushed back as quickly as he could but still arrived too late to catch them.

Gu Xiuping had absolute trust in Wen Xin. She was not the type of person to do anything illegal. The reason she was being investigated was likely because of something Luo Manzhen had said, which had involved her.

Wen Xin being sick already made Gu Xiuping feel heartbroken. Now, as Wen Xin curled up in bed, a small bundle, her face pale as paper, his heart twisted in pain.

Wen Xin sat up and wiped Gu Xiuping’s face with her sleeve. “The police comrade told me that the time I fell into the water wasn’t an accident. It was intentional, and the culprit was Luo Manzhen.”

Wen Xin collapsed into Gu Xiuping’s arms.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuping’s face darkened like iron. As the son-in-law of the Wen family, he could not possibly be unaware of the life-and-death ordeal Wen Xin had gone through. Even now, when Zhang Xiuying spoke of it, she was still haunted by it.

Gu Xiuping gently patted Wen Xin’s back to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’ll find out the details of this matter. Don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll protect you.”

Wen Xin nodded in his arms. Gu Xiuping reached out and kissed her forehead. “Have you taken your medicine? Are you hungry? Shall I cook you a bowl of noodles?”

“Mm.” Wen Xin was indeed a little hungry.

Gu Xiuping went to the kitchen.

At that moment, Liu Gong’an and the others had already reported the results of the investigation. As the victim, they had never doubted Wen Xin’s statement and whether she had much contact with the suspect, Luo Manzhen.

Liu Gong’an called the Sanyi Yong Township Police Station, and after Ge Hongjun received the call, he was stunned for a moment.

He hung up and headed directly to the Wen family.

When the Wen family received the news, they were also taken aback.

Zhang Xiuying let out a loud cry and rushed out. She grabbed a stick from the corner of the wall and headed toward the Luo family.

Wen Yuejun and her two sons quickly followed behind. Eldest Sister-in-law Wen, being livelier than Second Sister-in-law Wen, told her to stay and watch the kids and hurried to catch up. She grabbed a stone from the corner of the wall.

Luo Manzhen had ended up like this because the Luo family had failed to properly raise her. If Zhang Xiuying couldn’t do anything to the distant Luo Manzhen, couldn’t she at least deal with the Luo family?

The Wen family was so aggressive that when they were seen on the street, Zhang Xiuying, focused on seeking revenge from the Luo family, had no time for small talk. So, the entire situation was left for Eldest Sister-in-law Wen to explain. After Eldest Sister-in-law Wen finished explaining, several other families joined their group.

A large group of people marched toward the Luo family’s house.

After Wen Xin finished the noodles, she went to sleep. Gu Xiuping went straight to Lin Jianzhang’s camp, where Lin Jianzhang was training, and called him out. Without saying a word, Gu Xiuping threw a punch at his face.

Lin Jianzhang was caught off guard by the punch, covering his face and standing up straight. “Major Gu, what’s the meaning of hitting me all of a sudden?”

Gu Xiuping was about to strike again when someone grabbed him. Unable to break free, he spoke coldly: “Hit you? If circumstances allowed, I’d even want to kill you. You troublemaker, if it weren’t for you, how could that madwoman Luo Manzhen have gone so far as to plot to kill Wen Xin? People like you deserve to be tied to her for life, or live out the rest of your days alone, so you don’t harm anyone else.”

“Bah, what a scumbag.”

Gu Xiupung let go of Jianzhang, straightened his sleeve, and walked off.

Lin Jianzhang stood frozen in place. What did that mean? Luo Manzhen killed someone? Wen Xin’s fall into the water wasn’t an accident?

After causing an uproar at the Luo family and exposing all the evil deeds done by Luo Manzhen, Zhang Xiuying couldn’t sit still at home anymore.

Her daughter had suffered, been wronged, and now Zhang Xiuying couldn’t remain in the house. She had to go see her daughter.

What could Wen Yuejun do when faced with his wife’s long-suppressed frustration? Besides, he was also worried about his daughter, so he simply went along with Zhang Xiuying’s desire to visit her.

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Zhang Xiuying woke Wen Yuejun up. What else could he do? He had to pack and head out with Zhang Xiuying.

Wen Yuejun was reliable, and before they left, he called Gu Xiuping. Gu Xiuping took the time to arrange for a car from the automobile department to pick up his father-in-law and mother-in-law at the train station.

Once Zhang Xiuying got into the car, she immediately asked Gu Xiuping to take her to the school to see Wen Xin.

Gu Xiuping explained: “Mom, Xin Xin has been a little sick these past few days. She’s taken some leave and is resting at the family compound.”

Zhang Xiuying immediately grew worried, leaning forward and grabbing the backrest of the driver’s seat. “What’s wrong with Xin Xin? What’s bothering her?”

“She’s been pale, sweating cold, and she went to see a doctor. The doctor said she’s a bit weak and anemic. She got some medicine and has been taking it for two or three days now. She’s already feeling much better.” Gu Xiuping quickly reassured her.

Hearing that Wen Xin had seen a doctor, Zhang Xiuying’s worry eased slightly. She wiped her eyes. “It must have been from that fall into the water, it must have hurt her so badly that she’s become weak. That damn Luo Manzhen, a wicked person, she’s truly heartless.”

After saying this, Zhang Xiuying asked more questions about Wen Xin’s health. Gu Xiuping had been taking very good care of Wen Xin, so he was able to answer her questions in detail, which satisfied Zhang Xiuying.

By the time they arrived at the family compound, Wen Xin had already been waiting. When Zhang Xiuying saw her daughter looking so pale and exhausted, tears welled up in her eyes.

Mother and daughter hugged each other and cursed Luo Manzhen for a while before Zhang Xiuying instructed Wen Yuejun to kill the chicken.

Wen Xin looked at the chicken and smiled. “Mom, you brought our two-year-old old hen here?”

The Wen family had three old hens, which Zhang Xiuying cherished. She had never even thought of stewing them when her two sisters-in-law gave birth. During winter, she would keep these two hens in an unused room, even heating the room for them.

“That old hen’s soup is the best. Let your dad stew it, and we’ll eat it for dinner. It’ll be soft and delicious, with fragrant chicken broth.” Zhang Xiuying said, though she felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Wen Yuejun slit the hen’s neck. She turned away, pulling Wen Xin into the room to chat.

Gu Xiuping rolled up his sleeves and went next door to borrow a stove and honeycomb coal from the political commissar. He returned to stew the chicken with his father-in-law. The two men chatted as they worked together, getting along very well.

At noon, Gu Xiuping went to the canteen to fetch lunch. Zhang Xiuying took a look in the kitchen, and seeing that there were enough grains and vegetables, she stopped him.

Zhang Xiuying quickly started kneading dough to make steamed buns, all while lecturing Wen Xin. “Xiuping has a high salary, but even he can’t afford you two spending so much. You’re both young, but in a couple of years when you have a child, you’ll need to spend even more. Raising a child in the city is different from how we do it in the countryside. Without some savings, how can you manage? Relying on her parents for help? You’ll be looked down on.”

When Wen Xin was in college, she received financial assistance, and every month, she would send half of that back to Zhang Xiuying. Zhang Xiuying had saved it all up, planning to use it for Wen Xin’s future children.

Wen Xin nibbled on an apple that Gu Xiuping had brought from the market. “Mom, Xiuping and I plan to wait until I graduate before having children.”

Gu Xiuping was already twenty-seven, and by the time Wen Xin graduated, he would be thirty. Zhang Xiuying instinctively felt uneasy. “You still have four years before graduation. By then, Xiuping will be thirty. Isn’t that a bit old to have children? People will talk.”

“What will they say?” Wen Xin replied. “There are plenty of people in the Military Unit who don’t have children until they’re thirty. Our Colonel upstairs didn’t have his first child until he was thirty-five.”

Zhang Xiuying responded with a simple: “Oh.” then asked: “What does Xiuping think?”

“He thinks we should wait until I graduate to have kids.” Wen Xin said. Gu Xiuping had indeed said this.

Since Gu Xiuping wasn’t concerned, Zhang Xiuying asked about his parents’ views. Gu Xiuping’s parents were easygoing. Ye Xianya wrote to Wen Xin at least once a month and had never pressured her.

Wen Xin didn’t bring it up, and Zhang Xiuying took it as something that wasn’t an issue. If Ye Xianya ever mentioned it, Wen Xin would just shift the blame to Gu Xiuping.

Wen Xin smiled at the thought.

On the other side, Zhang Xiuying had already steamed the buns and was cutting vegetables.

The old hen that had been stewing all afternoon was indeed delicious; the meat had become tender, and the chicken soup was a golden yellow. After skimming off the oil and adding only salt, the soup was so flavorful that one could almost swallow it with their tongue.

Zhang Xiuying and Wen Yuejun returned the next day. It was still the work points system at that time. Both of them had ten points each, and for every day they were away from home, they lost two points, which meant they would lose quite a bit of food by the end of the year.

After three or four days of rest, the backlash had passed, and Wen Xin was almost fully recovered. After sending Zhang Xiuying off, Wen Xin rested for another two days before going back to school to attend classes.

Luo Manzhen’s trial was held at the end of April. On the day of the trial, Wen Xin specifically took a leave of absence to attend. She brought Gei Wei along, since Luo Manzhen had used Lin Laizi to scheme against her, and the victim of that scheme had been Gei Wei.

To protect Gei Wei’s reputation, Wen Xin had not allowed Luo Manzhen to mention the details of the plot. Gei Wei had no knowledge of it, but being able to witness Luo Manzhen’s sentencing was still a form of comfort for her, even though she might never know the truth of the matter in her lifetime.

Gu Xiuping also came, and the two had agreed to meet in front of the court.

The three of them entered together and sat in the spectator seats.

The trial began. Sun Haowen and Luo Manzhen were both brought in, and their confessions were stamped with their handprints. When the judge questioned them, Sun Haowen calmly admitted to his crime. Luo Manzhen tried to defend herself, but her testimony was clearly signed and stamped, and no one was there to defend her. Soon, the verdict of the first trial was handed down.

Sun Haowen was sentenced to six months in prison for the crime of destroying a military marriage, while Luo Manzhen was sentenced to three years in prison for attempted murder.

In Wen Xin’s view, the sentence for Luo Manzhen was too light. The original person had lost her entire family because of a scheme that Luo Manzhen had masterminded. But this was a society governed by law, and everything had to be based on the law. She was not from this world. If she used illegal means to take revenge on Luo Manzhen, she would not be able to achieve her goal. Disregarding the law would only result in harm and could even backfire on her.

Compared to the original person’s previous life, Luo Manzhen had at least learned a lesson.

Luo Manzhen and Sun Haowen were taken away, and those who had come to observe the trial streamed out. Outside, the sky was clear, and the sun shone down on the earth.

Wen Xin took a deep breath.

The three of them went to the State-Owned Restaurant for lunch, and since there were no afternoon classes, Gei Wei didn’t want to be the “lightbulb” between the two of them. After finishing the meal, she left to head back.

Wen Xin and Gu Xiuping wandered around for a while, and in the evening, the two of them checked into a room at a guesthouse. The next morning, Gu Xiuping left, and Wen Xin packed up and went back to her classes.

In mid-June, after the exams, summer vacation began. Gu Xiuping also took a month off. The couple was set to return to Yanjing to hold their wedding, and after coming back from Yanjing, they would have another ceremony in Hongshu Village.

On the day the exams ended, the couple boarded the train to Yanjing.

Ye Xianya had timed their return and had already taken time off to stay at home waiting for them. When Wen Xin and Gu Xiuping arrived, the pork ribs and fiddlehead ferns Ye Xianya had been stewing were just finished.

“Xin Xin is here? You must be tired from the trip. Come inside, I’ve stewed pork ribs and made a big pot of vegetables. Put down your luggage, and let’s wash our hands and eat. Afterward, you can take a nap.” Ye Xianya’s enthusiasm was overwhelming.

Wen Xin was embraced by Ye Xianya as they entered the house, where Gu Yonglu and Gu Weimin greeted her warmly. Throughout the entire time, none of the three heads of the family had greeted Gu Xiuping.

Gu Xiuping thought: …I suspect I was misreported at the hospital when I was born. My wife, Wen Xin, is the real child of this family…