Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 145 Fourteen Years of Pursuit 11
The rain continued, and Grandma Wu's story slid into the latter half of her life.

“Your eldest uncle, second uncle, and your father have all grown up and become more sensible. Your grandfather has started to become a better person. The three families have separated and have to cook for themselves. Since I am not a good cook, he has taken over all the kitchen work and asked me to contribute money for household expenses and groceries. I did. In order to earn money for your eldest uncle and the others to go to school, I also set up a stall at the market to do business.”

“I want my children to be educated and reasonable, but your grandfather wouldn’t let me have my way. He told your eldest and second uncles that the family didn’t have enough money and could only afford to send one of them to school, so they had to give the opportunity to your father. He also secretly spent all the money behind my back and made them work in the fields all day long. As a result, they dropped out of school. I only found out about this when I went to the school myself during the second semester.”

“In 1986, your eldest and second uncles got married one after the other. A few years later, your parents also started dating. Your grandfather decided to let the three brothers divide the family property, leaving your father the best room and the most money. The three brothers had their first major falling out. I was so angry trying to persuade them, but your grandfather was outside happily listening to his children arguing.”

“He’s such a scoundrel, he’s such a scoundrel. He’s more venomous than the snakes that grow under the wall back home. I thought my whole life would just be like this, drifting aimlessly with a venomous snake. That’s when your mother got pregnant.”

Tears welled up in Grandma Wu's cloudy eyes, but her tone suddenly softened.

“When you were born, it was strange that you didn’t look like anyone. You didn’t look like me, so your grandfather didn’t dislike you. You didn’t look like your grandfather or your father, so I didn’t dislike you either.”

Wu Yang touched her face and said softly, "I look like my grandmother."

“Yes, outsiders are the safest people in our family. I brought you here to raise you, to prevent your grandfather from spoiling you. I'll teach you to count and read, I'll teach you to study, and I'll teach you to find a job that will earn you money in the future…”

Wu Yang opened her mouth in a daze, and subconsciously said, "But Grandpa also taught me to read, washed my clothes, cooked for me, and cooked for the family..."

"Yes, he can cook, and he's quite good at it. To outsiders, he seems like a very nice man. But he controls the kitchen, and the first thing he does is manipulate me. When I was in labor and unable to get out of bed, I could only eat one meal a day and go hungry. This landlord controlled the life and death of this city girl," Grandma Wu said calmly.

"..." Her brain seemed to have stopped thinking, and she murmured, "This is completely different from what I have seen and know."

In the past, her father and second uncle would jokingly tell the younger generation about the loving story of her grandparents, saying that in those days, men and women were all arranged to marry without their consent, but only the two of them had true feelings for each other. Her grandfather would get jealous, and her grandmother would scold him loudly but he would not talk back.

Thinking about it now sends chills down my spine.

Grandma Wu chuckled, “You only see what you want to see, only what happens to you. Your eldest uncle, your second uncle, your father, do you really not know the true relationship between me and your grandfather? Even your mother can see it, how could they not see it? But after your grandfather died, they wanted to take me to live with them in my old age, saying they were afraid I would be too sad and lonely after your grandfather's death. Haha, actually I'm very happy!”

"Of course, your grandfather is really good to you. He saves money to buy you nice things, but Yangyang, I love you too. You are a filial child, but you still can't see my pain."

That is the motivation.

Only then did she begin to recount what happened fourteen years ago.

“I’ve hated him for so many years, but I never thought of doing anything to him before, especially after you came into my life. But that day was too sudden. A great opportunity was presented to me. I didn’t need to lift a finger, I didn’t need to bear suspicion and infamy. I could just pretend I didn’t see anything and leave. There was a 50% chance that I could kill him. Such an opportunity is too rare.”

Grandma Wu can still recall the excitement and trembling she felt at that time.

“I thought I had lived most of my life and had forgotten the past as you were born and grew up, but I quickly remembered everything, how he insulted me, how he beat and scolded me, and how he viciously harmed me and your uncles.”

“It’s not easy to harm someone, nor is it easy to be a good person, but it’s actually very easy to just freeze him in place. I didn’t plan to save him, and he really did lie there unnoticed, just as I thought. His wails were too quiet amidst the shouts of everyone chasing the robber, and only I heard them from the surrounding area.”

“I walked around in the field next to him, and when I thought it was about time, I went back and found that he had bled almost all of his blood. Haha! I was so happy that my hands and feet went weak. I couldn’t even drag him away. I could only pretend to be panicked and call for help.” “After he died, I was both nervous and happy. When the police said they hadn’t found the robber, I was just happy.”

Wu Yang: "...But, but you cried the most at the funeral."

"That's because everyone needs me to cry. You need to, your dad and the others need to, the neighbors need to, that's normal. I just didn't expect that after he died, all people would remember were his good points."

Grandma Wu calmly said, "Every year on holidays, his birthday, and the anniversary of his death, you all reminisce. In your memories, he gets better year by year. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too intolerant, which is why I have such different thoughts from you."

After she finished speaking, she smiled again. Although her face looked old, for a moment she seemed to have returned to the time when she first went to the countryside.

She said, "How many idioms did you just use? Your grandfather hates it when I use idioms and proverbs because he can't understand them, so he doesn't allow me to use them either."

Wu Yang felt a lump in his throat and couldn't speak.

A mix of emotions welled up in my stinging nose: shock, distress, guilt, self-loathing...

"Yangyang," Grandma Wu paused, seeing her pained expression, and hesitated before saying, "Is Grandma affecting your work? A police officer's family member is a murderer, will you be fired? You studied so hard for so many years, and you worked day and night when you got in."

These words were like the final surge of a flood breaking through a dam. Wu Yang couldn't hold back her tears and rushed over to kneel at Grandma Wu's feet.

She shook her head frantically, then cried, "I'm sorry, Grandma, I'm so sorry..."

I'm sorry, she never paid attention to the pain of her own family members. I'm sorry, every time she talked to Grandma about how good Grandpa was, it was actually a repeated hurt to Grandma. I'm sorry...

“Good child, you see, it’s always the good people who say sorry. You shouldn’t be the one saying this.” Grandma Wu stroked her head, tears welling up in her eyes as well.

She added, "Actually, my life hasn't been too bad. There are many people who have had it much harder than me. After your grandfather died, I enjoyed fourteen years of peaceful and carefree life. I was happy when you came back to visit me from time to time. I know you can't get over this, but Grandma has lived enough. If it affects your work..."

"No no!"

Wu Yang is now extremely grateful that he listened to Captain Zheng's advice and transferred the case to Team One to go through the case closure process. Even if the person who failed to save him is found, they will not be tried again.

As she thought about it, she buried her head in her grandmother's knees and cried silently until her head was covered in sweat.

Outside the door, Lin Chunzhi watched Wu Huali weep as if he had lost his soul, and silently lowered his eyes.

It's raining again. The heavy story seems even heavier in the rain.

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(End of this chapter)