I'm not a genius detective

Chapter 160 Five Years Ago

Five years ago, on a night.

Zhang Zhenhua had been standing by the moat for more than half an hour.

It was late, and there were few vehicles and no pedestrians.

The early spring wind still carried a chill, rippling the water of the moat. He touched the diagnosis report in his pocket, then took it out, looked at it for a while, and tore it to shreds.

Fragments of paper drifted in the breeze and slowly landed on the water's surface, like countless small boats rising and falling with the river.

The words "late-stage cancer" burned into Zhang Zhenhua's heart like a red-hot iron. The doctor's words echoed in his ears: "At most six months, treatment could extend it to one to two years, but the cost..."

Feeling the night breeze, Zhang Zhenhua patted himself down again and finally pulled out a photo, a family portrait.

His daughter, who was in college, was youthful and beautiful, while his son, who had just started junior high school, was a little rebellious. The two of them stood in front of him, with himself and his smiling wife behind them.

The couple's hands are on their child's shoulders.

"The weight of survival is truly heavy."

Zhang Zhenhua looked at the photo and muttered to himself.

The family is not well-off. One chemotherapy session costs 8,000 yuan, and a box of targeted drugs costs 30,000 yuan. The balance in the card is simply not enough to support future expenses. If treatment is required, the future of his wife and children will be bleak.

"Forget it, that's it."

Zhang Zhenhua threw away the photos, climbed over the railing, and took one more step forward. Everything would be over. Although he could no longer be with his wife and children, at least he could stop the damage in time.

Money is really important.

"The school bell has rung, what are you still doing here?" Suddenly, an old but authoritative voice came from behind, steady and powerful.

Zhang Zhenhua was startled and turned around abruptly, only to find an elderly woman with a full head of white hair, wearing a simple plaid coat and carrying a cloth bag.

He was so focused that he didn't even realize someone was approaching.

"Ah...I..." Zhang Zhenhua didn't know how to answer for a moment, feeling that the old lady seemed a little confused. "I'm looking at the scenery."

"Nonsense." The old woman took a few steps closer, pointing at the railing. "You're obviously trying to skip class. I've been a teacher for so many years, and you think you can fool me?"

Zhang Zhenhua realized the other person was genuinely confused: "You've mistaken me for someone else, I'm not a student."

“Every child who skips school says that.” The old lady stubbornly reached out her hand. “Come here quickly and hold the teacher’s hand. It’s so dangerous up there. What if you fall?”

Looking at the other person's wrinkled hands, Zhang Zhenhua suddenly lost the courage to jump. He subconsciously reached out and grabbed the hand, then climbed back over the railing.

The old lady smiled contentedly and took a plastic water bottle out of her cloth bag: "Thirsty? Have some water."

Zhang Zhenhua didn't take any water. At that moment, he noticed the card stuck on the cloth bag, which had his name and contact information on it.

He went closer and took a look, and then he realized that the old lady had Alzheimer's disease and occasionally had memory confusion. Her name was Zhu Guilan.

"Don't skip classes anymore, study hard."

Seeing that Zhang Zhenhua was not drinking water, Zhu Guilan did not insist, put the water cup back in the cloth bag and left.

Watching the old woman's retreating figure, Zhang Zhenhua felt he couldn't let an Alzheimer's patient wander off, so he chased after her, temporarily abandoning his suicidal thoughts.

"Is something wrong, child?" Zhu Guilan turned her head.

Zhang Zhenhua: "I'll accompany you for a walk."

As he spoke, he looked down at the phone number on the card in the bag, took out his phone, and dialed it.

The person who answered the phone was a woman. She politely expressed her gratitude and asked for the two people's exact location.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zhenhua made up an excuse to sit on a roadside bench with the old lady and wait.

The old lady was very kind, which reminded Zhang Zhenhua of his deceased mother. He couldn't help but chat with her: "You shouldn't have pulled me. I'm just a burden to my family if I live."

He had no one to confide in about his inner struggles and pain, and Zhu Guilan, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease, was a suitable person to confide in.

Zhang Zhenhua spoke haltingly about the hospital's findings, the exorbitant medical bills, and his children who were still in school. He dared not tell anyone these things, but now he poured them all out in front of the stranger, an elderly man.

The old lady listened quietly, a glimmer of clarity occasionally flashing in her cloudy eyes.

After he finished speaking, the old lady gently patted his back, like soothing a crying child: "I have been teaching for more than forty years and have taught twelve graduating classes. The naughtiest child later became an engineer, and the shyest little girl became a TV host. Tell me, if they had given up when they encountered difficulties, how could they have achieved such wonderful things later on?"

The old lady, as expected of a teacher, spoke with remarkable fluency, coherence, and clear logic despite her advanced age and Alzheimer's disease.

Zhang Zhenhua smiled wryly: "It's different, Teacher Zhu, I'm not a child anymore."

“In my eyes, you will always be children.” The old lady carefully took out a wallet from her cloth bag, opened it and showed it to Zhang Zhenhua. Inside was a yellowed photograph of a group of children wearing red scarves surrounding her.

"You were so beautiful when you were young," Zhang Zhenhua commented.

"This is my graduating class, the class of '80." Her fingers gently traced each smiling face. "This one is in Jinghua City, this one is in Lihai City, this one is in..."

They are all very successful and often come back to visit me.

As Zhang Zhenhua listened to the old lady's words, the phrase "having students all over the world" came to mind.

"Your children must be very outstanding too?" he asked.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Guilan lowered her voice: "Last year when I was hospitalized, my daughter flew back from abroad and stayed for three days before leaving. My son was even busier, so we could only make phone calls and video calls."

They gave me a lot of money, bought me the most expensive medicine, and even found relatives to take care of me… What were their names again? Sorry, I've forgotten their names. Sometimes I didn't even have anyone to talk to all day.”

A gust of wind blew by, and a few leaves drifted to their feet. Zhang Zhenhua remained silent.

He suddenly got a little angry. His child was so outstanding, yet he went abroad. He felt like he'd wasted decades raising him. What good was money then? There were many things money couldn't buy…

Suddenly, he woke up with a start.

Money isn't the most important thing!
"Child, do you know what true poverty is?" The old woman gazed at the road ahead. "It's not about not having money for medical treatment; it's about being alive but no one needing you anymore. But you are different."

At this point, she turned to stare at Zhang Zhenhua, her cloudy eyes clearing with light: "Your children need a father, your wife needs a husband, even if this father or husband can only lie in bed telling them stories, no one can replace him."

Zhang Zhenhua was struck dumb.

“Money is important, but there are some things that money can’t buy.” Zhu Guilan continued rummaging through her wallet and took out another photo.

The young man stood beside his wife, their hands resting on their son and daughter's shoulders.

A happy family.

This is the photo that Zhang Zhenhua just lost; he forgot to pick it up.

“How could you…” Zhang Zhenhua was stunned.

"I just picked it up, hehe." The old lady smiled mischievously like a young girl, like a child. "You can't just throw these things away."

She solemnly placed the photo in Zhang Zhenhua's hands.

Looking at the photos of himself, his wife, and his children, Zhang Zhenhua realized he had almost forgotten that kind of happiness.

“Among the children I’ve taught, there were also those who were sick,” the old woman’s voice continued. “The doctor said he only had a few months to live, but he refused to give up. He took medicine, exercised, and watched his children get married and have children… I remember it was the year before last, when he came to see me with his granddaughter.”

Zhang Zhenhua's eyes welled up with tears; he felt as if the old lady had been sent by God to save him.

Zhu Guilan grasped Zhang Zhenhua's hand, and those wrinkled hands were unexpectedly warm: "Living is about being a companion to others, a father to children, a husband to wives, or even... just talking to a lonely old woman."

Look, you've spent so much time with me today, I'm so happy.

Under the moonlight, the moat water shimmered with a pale white light.

A car pulled up and stopped. The middle-aged woman got out and walked over quickly. Seeing that Zhu Guilan was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief and complained, "Auntie, you can't wander around like that anymore. What if... um, it's cold at night."

"Sir, thank you so much, thank you very much. Please take this."

She offered him a whole pack of cigarettes, but Zhang Zhenhua was still in a daze and forgot to politely decline.

Zhu Guilan slowly stood up: "I have to go back, my niece is looking for me."

The two left to get into their car.

After taking a few steps, she turned back, her eyes becoming confused again: "Classmate, go home early after school, don't worry your parents."

Zhang Zhenhua looked up and watched the old lady get into the car and drive away. Then he solemnly put away the family photo that he had lost and found again.

After a long while, he took out his phone and dialed his wife's number: "Hello? Wenwen, oh, it's nothing, I'm just taking a walk, don't worry... I want to eat your braised pork ribs tonight."

Haha, yeah, I'm craving it again. Where's the kid?

Tonight, I met a very special teacher.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zhenhua stood up. As he passed the moat, he turned his head to look at it. The river water was dark and deep in the night, but it no longer inspired fear.

To live is to be someone's companion.

This statement may not be correct, but it has taken root in his heart.

Whether or not you can accompany your child as they grow up, at least you can be there for them during this period when they need their father the most.

Whether or not I can accompany my wife to grow old together, at least I can walk hand in hand with her when she is most helpless.

Just like the teacher who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, who accompanied him to see the light in his darkest hour.

Companionship cannot be replaced by money.

……

After listening to Zhang Zhenhua's recollection, Han Ling and Tong Feng looked at each other.

This is no longer just a matter of saving lives; it's an act of giving someone a second chance at life.

Putting everything else aside, at least it allowed Zhang Zhenhua to live five more years with an optimistic attitude, as a father and husband, and to spend five more years with his family.

Those five years were entirely earned, entirely given to me by Zhu Guilan.

This is my benefactor.

If Zhang Zhenhua's benefactor dies due to the drunk driving of the perpetrator, would he be able to take any extreme actions?
"Mr. Zhang, what shoe size do you wear?" Han Ling asked.

Zhang Zhenhua glanced down at his feet and replied, "Size 43, what's wrong?"

Han Ling: "It's nothing, just asking casually."

The suspect's footprints left at the first crime scene were size 43.

……

P.S.: Chapter Two will be released at night.

(End of this chapter)