One of the public security officers said expressionlessly, "Whether it's冤枉 or not isn't up to you to say. Liu Xiaobao has confessed to everything. Even if you don't cooperate, we will still arrest him, but you'll also be charged with harboring a criminal!"
Zhang Changhe stepped forward, "Auntie, Man Cang, you can't be foolish. The public security comrades have said it themselves, if you urge Baozhu to surrender, he can be judged leniently. He's still young. If he really has to spend ten or eight years in prison, his life will be ruined."
However, no matter how they explained the consequences, old Mrs. Chen and her husband Chen Mancang insisted that they didn't know where Chen Baozhu had gone.
In the end, everyone had no choice but to leave the Chen family.
"When a suspect commits a crime for the first time, they usually go to their relatives' homes first. Do you know the addresses of his relatives?" a public security officer asked.
Chen Lifei replied, "Chen Baozhu's maternal uncle lives in Xiao Xiguan. I can take you there."
After hearing her words, the public security officers didn't delay. They immediately got on their bicycles and headed towards Xiao Xiguan.
Chen Baozhu was sleeping soundly on the heated brick bed at his maternal uncle's house, unaware that the couple outside were arguing fiercely about him.
"Didn't you see the blood on his clothes? He hasn't spoken a truthful word, who knows what he's been up to? When he wakes up, you hurry him away, and don't implicate us," the woman said in a low, angry voice.
Given Chen Baozhu's state, she was afraid of retaliation if he overheard them.
"I know, do you think I want him here? But he still calls me uncle. It's late at night, can't we at least wait until morning and let him leave after breakfast?"
The woman's taut nerves were on the verge of breaking. Who knew what was going on? If they were truly implicated, it would be too late to regret it.
"Once it's morning, so many eyes will be watching. Let him leave now!"
As they were in a stalemate, the snoring from the room suddenly stopped, followed by a faint voice from behind them, "Auntie, you said who to let go?"
The woman jumped, almost screaming, and turned around trembling, "Ba, Baozhu, you're awake?"
Seeing his displeased expression, the man forced a smile that was uglier than crying and said placatingly, "Baozhu, your maternal uncle has more than fifty yuan here. Why don't you take it first?"
Chen Baozhu didn't speak. He turned, went back into the room, picked up his bundle from the heated brick bed, grabbed the money the man handed him, and left without looking back.
It was three or four in the morning. The sky outside was just beginning to dawn. The cold wind blew, and Chen Baozhu couldn't help but shiver.
He tightened his collar and was about to leave the courtyard when he saw several people in uniform pushing bicycles approaching in the distance. He was startled and immediately turned to run back.
Chen Lifei's eyes were sharp. She pointed at his fleeing figure and shouted, "It's Chen Baozhu!"
The public security officers' expressions turned serious. They immediately abandoned their bicycles and gave chase, "Don't run!"
Seeing that the public security officers had entered the courtyard, he knew it was a dead end if they entered the house. The walls on both sides were high, and he might be caught before he could even climb over.
Chen Baozhu was both anxious and panicked. He happened to see his maternal uncle Zhang standing at the doorway. Without time to think, he pulled out the pig-slaughtering knife he had used and held it to his uncle's neck.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him."
Uncle Zhang had never seen such a scene. He was stunned by a mixture of fear and shock, frozen in place.
Seeing his action, the leading public security officer took out a pistol from his pocket, aimed it steadily at Chen Baozhu, and said, "Chen Baozhu, drop the knife immediately. If you come back with us now, it's still not too late."
"Bullshit!" Chen Baozhu roared, but the hand holding the knife trembled involuntarily.
"Lin Dazhong deserved it. If he hadn't been so persistent, I wouldn't have done that to him. Hurry up and let me go!" As he spoke, he waved the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand with agitated emotion.
The man's legs went weak with fear, and he dared not move, but he still whispered imploringly, "Comrades from the public security, please save me. Baozhu, don't be foolish. I'm your real maternal uncle."
"Alright, we promise your request. Release the hostage, and we'll let you go." After weighing the situation, the public security officer took two steps back.
Chen Baozhu dragged Uncle Zhang, slowly moving towards the door.
After the initial panic, his emotions had stabilized considerably. Once he got out of the courtyard, he would run into the woods outside the village. He used to play there often when he was little and was familiar with the surroundings. After shaking them off, he would head south, and no one would be able to find him then.
He had even thought about how he would live his life. Suddenly, a loud 'bang' sounded in his ears, followed by a sharp pain in his chest. The knife in his hand clattered to the ground.
As Chen Baozhu fell, many memories flashed through his mind. Since childhood, he was the only grandson at home, and all the good food and toys had to be his alone. Anyone who dared to defy his wishes, without his parents intervening, his grandmother would always step in for him.
No matter what he did, old Mrs. Chen would smile and praise him, "My grandson is amazing!"
His parents had to listen to him, and so did his second uncle's family. Everyone had to follow his wishes!
He had this fate because of Chen Mantun's fault. Why didn't he lend him money? He was the only male grandson in the Chen family.
Lin Dazhong was also at fault. Why did he chase after him? If he hadn't been so persistent, he wouldn't have used the knife!
But, but...
Chen Baozhu suddenly became scared.
He was only thirty years old after the New Year. He didn't want to go to prison, and he didn't want to die!
The gray sky overhead gradually brightened, but Chen Baozhu's vision suddenly became increasingly blurry.
The public security officer who had fired rushed over to check, only to find Chen Baozhu lying on the ground, a large amount of blood suddenly gushing from his mouth, while Uncle Zhang beside him was already scared witless...
When the news of Chen Baozhu's death reached the village, old Mrs. Chen fainted dead away.
Zhang Chunhua and Chen Mancang were not much better off. Especially Zhang Chunhua, her gaze was vacant, and her mind seemed to be in a daze.
"Baozhu, Mom's good son, you are the only male descendant of the old Chen family, you can have anything your mother can give you..."
The Gu family members also sighed with emotion.
"Man Cang and his wife are such shrewd people, yet they raised a child like Chen Baozhu. Alas, indulging a son is like killing him."
Li Xiulan sat by the heated brick bed, making quilts for her two little grandsons. The two children were still nursing and frequently urinated. In winter, bedding washed was not easy to dry, so making a few more quilts was just right for changing.
"That old Mrs. Chen is also not a good person. I think she doted on him the most. Her grandson was like the apple of her eye. Now that he's dead, she's paralyzed herself. Serves her right!" Liu Yuemin muttered from the side, then looked at Chen Lishu, "I say your parents were unnecessary to take her in, they should have just let her die."
Li Xiulan frowned upon hearing her unpleasant words and reprimanded, "Second child's wife, how can you speak like that? Mind your own business. If Lishu's family didn't take her in, would they wait for the villagers to point fingers?"