Shen Qingli pressed on calmly:
“Today, you still ate coarse grain buns and wild vegetable porridge, right? And your mother ate coarse grain buns, wild vegetable porridge, and that wood ear vegetable dish. Am I correct?”
Li Dashan froze for a moment, then nodded impatiently:
“Yes, so what? That’s what we eat every day. What’s wrong with it?”
Shen Qingli’s gaze sharpened slightly as she spoke clearly:
“The problem lies with that bowl of wood ear vegetables.”
As soon as she said this, the entire courtroom fell silent.
Even Magistrate Gu looked at her with renewed attention.
Shen Qingli continued:
“That bowl of wood ear vegetables had already gone bad. It had been left for several days. Not only had it spoiled, but it had also produced toxins.”
“When eaten, it can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and in severe cases… death.”
“So your mother didn’t die from the medicine. She died from food poisoning after eating spoiled vegetables.”
The moment these words fell, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
“So that’s what happened?!”
“I knew it! How could Doctor Zheng kill someone!”
“That guy is really shameless—he almost framed an innocent doctor!”
“Eating spoiled food and then blaming someone else? That’s outrageous!”
Li Dashan’s face instantly turned pale.
He shook his head frantically:
“No! That’s impossible! We’ve eaten leftovers before—nothing ever happened!”
Shen Qingli replied calmly:
“Eating leftovers isn’t always dangerous. But some foods, once spoiled, can produce harmful substances.”
“And that wood ear vegetable—once it goes bad—can become toxic.”
“Your mother was already weak. After eating it, her body couldn’t withstand the toxin. That’s why she passed away.”
She paused, then added:
“If you don’t believe me, you can have a doctor examine that bowl of vegetables. They will find signs of spoilage.”
Hearing this, Magistrate Gu immediately ordered:
“Bring the evidence forward again! Have the physician examine that dish carefully!”
The doctor stepped forward, inspected the bowl closely, even smelling it.
After a moment, his expression changed, and he bowed:
“Your Honor, this dish has indeed spoiled. It carries a foul odor and shows signs of deterioration. It is very likely toxic after consumption.”
“This young lady’s words… are correct.”
At that instant, the truth was fully revealed.
The entire courtroom burst into discussion again.
“So it really wasn’t Doctor Zheng!”
“That man almost ruined an innocent person’s life!”
“What a disgrace!”
Li Dashan collapsed to the ground, completely stunned.
His lips trembled, but no words came out.
He had never imagined—
That his mother’s death…
Was caused by a bowl of leftover vegetables.