At the Public Security Bureau, Lin Yujiao sat quietly in a chair, answering every question the officers asked and recounting everything that had happened the previous night.
She blinked her beautiful eyes and said, “I couldn’t see who they were, but I knew anyone climbing over my courtyard wall in the middle of the night couldn’t be up to anything good. So I hit them.”
The Public Security officer looked at her thoughtfully.
“You’re a young woman on your own, yet you managed to bring down two grown men?”
In truth, they suspected Lin Yujiao might have had an accomplice.
Lin Yujiao gave a pale smile.
“Maybe I suddenly found strength I didn’t know I had because I was terrified. Thinking about it now still scares me.”
She wasn’t worried about them investigating.
Her only helper had been the electric baton.
Other than that, there had been no one else.
What was wrong with relying on herself?
The officer studied her expression and found no obvious signs that she was lying.
It wasn’t unheard of for someone to display extraordinary strength when facing danger.
After all, even a cornered rabbit would bite.
Whether Lin Yujiao had an accomplice could easily be investigated, so there was little reason for her to lie about it.
The officer moved on.
By this point, the events of the previous night had been more or less established.
Lin Yujiao hesitated before asking, “Comrade, have you finished investigating? What exactly were Lin Shengli and Li Demin planning to do?”
The officer looked at her and found it difficult to tell her the truth.
Her own relatives had been secretly plotting to seize everything her parents had left behind.
Worse still, they had intended to ruin her as well.
Seeing the reluctance on his face, Lin Yujiao tugged faintly at the corner of her lips.
“It’s all right. Please tell me. After everything that’s happened, what else could there possibly be that I can’t bear?”
The officer thought about it.
Even if he refused to tell her, she had probably already guessed most of the truth.
After all, if those men hadn’t harbored evil intentions, why would they have climbed over her courtyard wall in the middle of the night?
So he explained the plan Lin Shengli and Li Demin had confessed to.
“Your eldest paternal cousin has already confessed everything. Li Demin’s statement confirms his account as well, so…”
No matter how difficult it might be for her to believe, it was the truth.
Lin Yujiao had known everything from the beginning, but she still put on an expression of disbelief.
Her lips trembled.
“Why… why would they do something like that?”
She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.
There was still chili residue on her palm, so her eyes immediately reddened.
“My father and mother treated them so well. What did I ever do wrong for them to treat me like this?”
The officer across from her felt his heart ache.
He quickly comforted her.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t blame yourself for other people’s wrongdoing. The ones who committed these acts are the ones at fault.”
Lin Yujiao raised her head and looked at him gratefully.
“R-Really?”
“Really. Don’t blame yourself.”
She hesitated before asking, “Then what will happen to them?”
“Lin Shengli is suspected of theft. He’ll probably receive around two years. Li Demin’s case is more serious, so he’s looking at no less than three years.”
The officer glanced at her.
“However, Li Demin has already been taken to the hospital.”
Lin Yujiao immediately put on an innocent expression.
“What happened to him?”
“The doctor said his reproductive organs were injured. He will most likely lose the ability to father children…”
The officer couldn’t resist asking, “Comrade Lin, you did that, didn’t you?”
It was precisely because Li Demin had been injured there that the officer now suspected Lin Yujiao might actually have known who the intruders were.
Lin Yujiao’s cheeks reddened.
“I… I don’t know. I was panicking. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
She continued blinking her large, innocent eyes.
She knew nothing.
She had merely struck out wildly in the darkness.
How was she supposed to know where her blows had landed?
Since she refused to admit anything, the officer didn’t continue questioning her about it.
When Lin Yujiao walked out of the Public Security Bureau, Village Chief Lin was waiting outside.
Warmth spread through her heart.
“Village Chief Lin.”
“Yujiao, your eldest aunt and eldest uncle were just called in for questioning as well.”
Lin Yujiao nodded.
Lin Shengli had been terrified from the moment he saw the Public Security officers and had confessed everything.
Naturally, the officers now knew that Eldest Aunt Lin had played a major role in planning the entire scheme.
As for the other members of the Lin family, they might not be innocent either.
It was perfectly normal for Public Security to summon them for questioning.
Village Chief Lin sighed.
“What a mess this has become.”
There was a reason villagers rarely wanted to involve Public Security in disputes.
Once an investigation began, one person could implicate another, and before long, an entire extended family could become involved.
Lin Yujiao smiled bitterly.
“Village Chief Lin, I never expected things to turn out like this either.”
Village Chief Lin had already learned the general circumstances from the officers.
He couldn’t help feeling sorry for Lin Yujiao.
The Lin family had gone too far.
They had actually allowed Li Demin to scheme against their own niece.
If Eldest Uncle Lin and Youngest Uncle Lin had known about the plan beforehand, then they were truly unworthy of being called human.
The three Lin brothers had grown up together and had never had any major conflicts.
For them to treat Lin Dajun’s daughter this way after his death was a complete betrayal of everything Lin Dajun had once done for them.
Village Chief Lin comforted her.
“Don’t worry. Public Security will make sure justice is done.”
“Mm. I hope so.”
When they left, the other members of the Lin family still hadn’t come out.
Village Chief Lin had brought an ox cart. Once they were on their way, he glanced at Lin Yujiao and reminded her, “When we get back, your grandparents will definitely come looking for you. They’ll ask you to forgive your cousin. What are you planning to do?”
Lin Yujiao looked up at the sky.
It was a brilliant, clear blue, with white birds spreading their wings as they soared freely overhead.
“I already told the Public Security officers that I won’t forgive him.”
After a moment, she continued, “Village Chief Lin, there’s something I’d like to ask you to help me with.”
“What is it?”
“My father arranged a childhood betrothal for me while he was still alive. The man is serving in the army. I want to go find him.”
Village Chief Lin immediately turned toward her.
“Really? There’s such an arrangement?”
“Mm. I still have letters between my father and his old comrade at home. I’ll show them to you when we get back.”
Village Chief Lin frowned.
Another possibility immediately occurred to him.
“But what if the man is already married? Or what if he isn’t willing to marry you?”
Lin Yujiao sighed softly.
“Village Chief Lin, even if there’s only the slightest chance, I still have to try.”
She paused.
“I want to leave this place.”
Village Chief Lin immediately understood what she truly meant.
Staying here would bring Lin Yujiao no benefit.
If she could use this childhood betrothal as an opportunity to distance herself from the Lin family, perhaps it would become a turning point in her life.
“All right. If you’ve thought it through, I’ll issue you a letter of introduction.”
Village Chief Lin was more than willing to help her.
He couldn’t bear to watch a good young woman like Lin Yujiao continue being bullied by the Lin family.
Lin Yujiao finally felt some of the tension leave her heart.
Fortunately, Village Chief Lin was willing to help.
Household registration was strictly controlled in this era. Traveling elsewhere required a letter of introduction. Without one, she could be treated as an unregistered drifter.
Without Village Chief Lin’s assistance, leaving the village wouldn’t be nearly as simple.
“Village Chief Lin, I hope you can keep this matter secret for now. Otherwise, I might not be able to leave.”
Village Chief Lin gave her a long look.
A hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.
She was a clever girl.
Some things could only succeed when kept secret.
If the Lin family discovered what she was planning, they would undoubtedly make it difficult for her to leave.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
He had already made up his mind.
He wouldn’t breathe a word of it, not even to his own wife.
Lin Yujiao smiled.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t tell him that Auntie Cuihua had been the one to remind her about the childhood betrothal.
She had no intention of bringing unnecessary trouble to Auntie Cuihua.
Not long after Lin Yujiao returned home, Old Master Lin and Old Madam Lin received the news and hurried straight to her house.
Lin Yujiao refused to open the gate.
She spoke to them from the other side.
“You should leave. Whatever Public Security decides is what will happen. I won’t say another word about it.”
Old Master Lin immediately began cursing.
“You unfilial wretch! He’s your own family!”
Old Madam Lin cried out as well.
“Yujiao, please spare your Cousin Shengli. He’ll change! We’re all one family!”
Lin Yujiao remained unmoved.
Her voice was cold.
“Then let the government educate him. At most, he’ll only be sentenced to two years. You don’t have to worry, he’ll come back eventually.”
Old Master Lin’s face turned livid as he stared at the tightly shut gate.
He slammed his hand against it twice and shouted, “What do you mean, only two years? Not even two days is acceptable! Go to Public Security immediately and tell them to send your Cousin Shengli home!”
The metal rings on the gate clanged loudly.
The wooden gate was already old, and it shook beneath the force of his pounding.
Lin Yujiao’s eyes turned cold.
She was already thinking through the things stored inside her hidden space, wondering whether she had anything useful if the two old people somehow forced their way inside.
If they broke in, she would need a way to deal with them.
Just then, Village Chief Lin’s voice rang out.
“Enough! Stop making trouble!”
He sternly rebuked Old Master Lin.
“The Public Security officers already said the case has been officially filed. Even if Yujiao forgives him now, it won’t make the case disappear!”
Village Chief Lin’s voice grew heavy.
“Lin Laogen, no matter what else you say, Yujiao is still your own granddaughter. After treating her this way, how can you possibly face Dajun?”