Chapter 25.4

Since Luo Lan had only recently joined this family, her emotions weren’t as strong. She quietly observed her sister-in-law; Zhou Junfang’s delicate, willow-like figure looked like a painting. So fragile and beautiful, yet caught in such a harsh era.

“Okay, stop crying now.”

Zhou Qingshan stood up to comfort his sister, and Zhou Junfang buried her face in her brother’s arms, still sobbing. “Brother, you have to be well. Dad is gone, and you’re our support now.”

“Mm, brother will be fine. Stop crying; if you keep this up, Mom won’t be able to stop either.”

“Mm.” The girl wiped her tears and walked over to her mother’s side. “Mom, don’t cry anymore. It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself. That person was too bad; he often bullied classmates secretly at school. No one could do anything about him.”

The mother and daughter embraced and wept, their tears filled with relief. Luo Lan and her husband stayed by their side until they calmed down, then they went back to their own room to sleep.

She pulled back the quilt, took off her clothes, and climbed into bed. “Has your little sister always been like this?”

“Mm. She’s timid and soft; Dad spoiled her a lot when he was around.”

“She’s in her third year of high school now, right?”

“Yes. What should we do about her now? Everything is a mess, and there’s so much work to settle.”

“Let’s wait until she graduates; don’t rush it.”

“Mm, but that’s still almost a year away. She started school late, so she’ll be nineteen during the New Year.”

“Why mention her age? Are you planning to marry her off?”

“There’s no suitable match.”

“She’s so pretty; aren’t there any classmates who like her?”

“There was a classmate who wrote her a love letter before, but I found it and gave him a lesson. She probably doesn’t have any admirers now.”

“I knew it. Such a pretty girl, how could she not attract attention?”

“That man today, we need to be careful.”

“You also think he’s interested in Junfang?”

“People like that aren’t worthy of my sister.”

“We have to be on guard. Those kinds of people are unscrupulous and ruthless.”

“Now the city belongs to people like them; if it really comes to it, we might have to send Junfang to the countryside.”

Luo Lan sat up abruptly. “What are you joking about? With Junfang’s delicate looks, how could she survive in the countryside? She couldn’t handle that kind of hardship under the sun.”

“But what if she really catches the attention of such a person? It might be better for her to go to the countryside and get some sun.”

“No, can’t anyone manage them?”

“From what I see, no.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Maybe that person isn’t even interested. And even if he is, we can just deal with it as it comes.”

“Mm.” He smiled gently. Given the current situation, no one knew where fate would lead them. “If she needs to go to the countryside in the future, I’ll make arrangements for her to join your brigade. When the time comes, I’ll ask you to help look after her.”

“As long as she can come to our brigade, that’s fine. My family will definitely take care of her. I have a good relationship with the team leader’s wife; I can ask the team leader to help her find an easier job.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it; that’s just how it should be.”

With a united front, their hearts were steadier. He didn’t share too many worries with her and turned off the lamp.

“Let’s sleep.”

The next day, when Luo Lan arrived at work, Sister Liu came over. “Hey, have you heard about the school murder from yesterday?”

“I heard. The victim was my little brother-in-law.”

“Really?” Sister Liu was shocked, completely taken aback. “I wasn’t here yesterday, but I heard from the neighbors. They said it was an incident from last year that was suppressed and just now came to light. They were just high school students; I didn’t expect it to be so brutal.”

“Nowadays, high school students can be quite ruthless.”

“True.”

While they were chatting, Director Liu entered with a briefcase. Luo Lan took a cloth to clean and filled the water jug in the office before reporting to him about the follow-up visit from the previous day.

“The man still hasn’t changed his drinking habits, and the woman, with three children, said she wouldn’t divorce him. I advised her for quite a while, but I don’t think it had much effect.”

Director Liu smiled and waved her off. “Don’t take it too seriously; just do your best. Unless the woman is willing to divorce, as outsiders, we don’t have much influence. You’re too concerned, and it will only frustrate you.”

“Got it.”

“By the way, please organize the previous reports; I need them.”

“Which time period?”

“The beginning of the month.”

“Okay.”

While working in the office, Luo Lan listened to her colleagues gossiping. Whenever she didn’t understand something, she would ask Sister Liu. She learned while working, and the day passed quickly.

The next day, she made an excuse to take a short leave and headed to the south big ditch. It took her a lot of effort to find her mother-in-law and sister-in-law amidst the crowd. Zhou Junfang looked terrified, originally hiding behind her mother, and when she saw Luo Lan, she tried to hide behind her again.

“Sister-in-law, will there be blood?”

“If you’re scared, don’t watch.”

Luo Lan initially thought about telling them to go home but felt it wouldn’t be right, so she decided it was better for the mother and daughter to stay together. Protecting her sister-in-law behind her, they waited until Zhou Qingshan arrived before the execution.

Today, several people were to be executed, and Luo Lan carefully searched the crowd for Sun Tong. He was there, but his father wasn’t. She had arrived a little late, and the executioners soon began to take aim.

Bang! Bang! The sound echoed, and gasps erupted from the crowd, with some timid people crying out. Honestly, if you’re scared, why come to watch this?

Mother Zhou was also covered by her son’s hands over her eyes, only uncovering them after it was over. From this angle, she could only see the people fall down; the other details were not visible.

The murderer who killed her son was finally facing justice, and after seeing it with her own eyes, Mother Zhou couldn’t help but cry again. It was finally over. During the Qingming Festival, she could finally comfort her son’s spirit in the heavens.

“My son, oh, my son…”

“Grandson, Tongtong, my grandson…”

Sun Tong’s mother and grandmother cried as they stepped forward, but they were so overwhelmed with emotion that they fell into a heap before they could reach him. At that moment, they were so weak that they couldn’t even stand. The once helpless cries of anguish were now theirs.

“Mom, don’t cry.” Zhou Qingshan comforted his mother. “You endured so much back then, and now they’re experiencing the same. Murderers pay for their crimes; they’re reaping what they sowed.”

Mother Zhou sobbed uncontrollably, while the two women inside the scene hugged the lifeless body, feeling as though the sky had fallen. They felt as if they couldn’t go on living. The older woman’s cries gradually ceased, and she softly collapsed. Sun Tong’s mother went to support her, and after checking her breath, she suddenly burst into laughter.

“He’s dead, and you’re dead too. Good, good that you’re dead; now you can accompany your grandson. I told you not to spoil him so much, but you wouldn’t listen. You killed him, it’s your fault!”

Luo Lan exchanged a glance with her husband as the couple supported their mother’s home. The evening sun stretched their shadows long. Though her mother-in-law’s face still had tear stains, the pain in her eyes had faded considerably.

The murderer had been punished, which comforted the deceased and healed the wounded hearts of the family. It also served as a warning to those who dared to act recklessly, reminding them that the heavens would ensure that wrongdoing had consequences.