Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 828 - 818 You are Late

"If you ask me, acting impulsively is the devil’s work. The old lady wasn’t thinking straight, and just a few months after coming back, she’s inside again," Wang Dan clicked her tongue twice. Despite voicing pity, she felt indifferent inside. Really, she had no feelings for this troublesome mother-in-law; without her at home, the family would have some peace for a few days. Just a few days back, and already there had been several incidents.

"Alright, I’ll go over to the police station and check on the old lady," Li Hongjun furrowed his brows and stood up, preparing to head to the police station.

Seeing her youngest son heading out, Wang Dan quickly kicked her husband. "What are you still standing there for, hurry up and go have a look."

Li Hongxing then hurriedly stood and followed his younger brother out.

Li Hongjun and Li Hongxing, the brothers, arrived at the police station and found the officer in charge of the case.

"What are you family members thinking, do you still care about the old lady? After such a long time, no one from your family has come to see her, and there’s not even a proper attitude toward solving the problem..." Officer Zhang, upon seeing Qiu Shuping’s sons arrive, started grumbling non-stop. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Such behavior in relatives was something he had never seen before; the old lady had been in the detention center for seven days already, and apart from the initial hustle from the family on the first day, no one had visited since. What kind of humanity is this? Even if the old lady had done something wrong, to think not one of her many children came to see if their mother was alright or whether she had enough food in detention. Officer Zhang himself was a filial son, so he had no respect for the unfilial children of the Li family, though there were some other reasons involved too.

Li Hongjun and Li Hongxing said nothing and listened to Officer Zhang’s scolding. Finally, Li Hongjun asked, "Officer Zhang, I just came back from out of town because of my mother’s issue. I’d like to know what’s the situation with the case now? Can I see my mother?"

"You’re too late. The case has essentially been investigated thoroughly. Qiu Shuping confessed unequivocally to her crime of arson. Through verification by our public security bureau, the case facts are confirmed, so I’ve already reported the specifics of this case."

Li Hongxing didn’t quite understand all this, nor did he grasp the intricacies. To him, it seemed like merely burning someone’s firewood stack. If a child had done this, they would merely be disciplined a bit. It was just the Xue Family holding onto this, wanting to discipline his own mother.

"Officer Zhang, do we really need to escalate this matter? It’s just that the old lady was feeling upset and wanted to vent a bit of anger. Do you think we could have some time to talk with the victims to try and settle this? Wouldn’t that also lighten your burden?"

"Didn’t I say you’re too late? If you had come a few days earlier, there might have been room to negotiate. But in these past days, we’ve communicated with the victim, who insists on not settling. There was no sign of you family members, so we had no choice but to escalate the case," Officer Zhang said, shaking his head.

"But, but, my brother wasn’t back these past few days, and I didn’t know what to do. Now that he’s here, Officer Zhang, please, can we discuss this with the Xue Family now?" Li Hongxing still kept apologizing profusely.

"That’s not up to me," Officer Zhang shook his head. The case, in fact, had already been notified by higher authorities yesterday, with the judgment outcome already decided. "You don’t need to look further. Frankly, there’s nothing you can do now. You’re caught in a crackdown. Although the official sentence hasn’t been issued yet, the judgment has been set."

Li Hongxing and his brother stared unblinkingly at Officer Zhang.

Officer Zhang unconsciously coughed and said, "Comrade Qiu Shuping intentionally committed arson, endangering human life, which is a serious crime. Coupled with her previous criminal record, combining the two crimes, she is likely to be sentenced to death and have her political rights deprived for life."

The Li brothers were startled upon hearing this, and Li Hongxing was so scared that he fell to the ground. It had only been a week since they were arrested; how could she already be sentenced, and to the death penalty no less? In the minds of rural people, the death penalty was for those who were utterly irredeemable. Considering someone like Qiu Shuping, who had only lit someone else’s pile of firewood without injuring anyone, how could she be sentenced to death?

Yet, Li Hongjun had a vague understanding in his heart; their mother had encountered the "strike hard" campaign. He had heard about the nationwide crackdown last year while in the army, but in the military camp where crimes and offenses barely occurred, it didn’t make much of an impact on him. It wasn’t until he participated in the arrest of the deputy mayor last year that he experienced the resolute actions of the judicial authorities. He also dealt with Shen Yingxue according to this crackdown policy.

"How, how could this be? My mother just carelessly set someone’s firewood pile on fire, and didn’t hurt anyone. Can’t we just compensate them for their losses? How could it escalate to a death sentence?" Li Hongxing was truly terrified, his voice quivering as he spoke.

Officer Zhang rolled his eyes and chuckled. "If everyone thought like you, what would we need the police or the courts for? You could just settle it yourselves." He had seen plenty of such people this year. All thinking it wasn’t a big deal, only to be shocked when a severe sentence was handed down. "Let me tell you, the old lady has caught up with the strike-hard campaign. You know about the strike hard, right? A policy came from above last year to severely and swiftly crack down on criminal activities. Your mother’s case is like running into the line of fire."

"Officer Zhang, are you certain about this? Has the sentence not been announced yet?" Li Hongjun asked.

Officer Zhang looked at him sideways. "The matter is certainly set, and while the sentence hasn’t been issued yet, it’s only a matter of time. I know what you’re thinking, but let me kindly remind you that since it’s already decided from above, seeking help from anyone won’t change a thing. It’s better not to waste your efforts or money." He meant well by saying this; during these exceptional times, no one dared meddle in such matters, so even if the family exerted effort, it would be in vain. In the end, it could be summarized in four words: a waste of resources and money.

"Hongjun, what should we do?" Li Hongxing, originally without a clue, was now so frightened that he was utterly at a loss and could only think to ask his younger brother for advice.

"I’ll make a phone call to inquire about the situation." Li Hongjun didn’t intend to trouble his comrades during this visit, but under the circumstances, it seemed he had no choice.

Officer Zhang didn’t make it difficult for them and let them use the phone.

Li Hongjun dialed a number. After a few words once the call connected, he listened in silence, his expression growing increasingly solemn, and finally, he quietly hung up.

Seeing his reaction, Officer Zhang thought it was only to be expected; under the current circumstances, seeking help was futile.

"Hongjun, how did it go? Is there any hope for our mother?" Li Hongxing looked hopefully at his younger brother.

With an expressionless face, Li Hongjun shook his head.