Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Inside the courtyard, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The deaf old woman sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), suddenly frowned, and clutched her stomach: "Cuilan, my stomach is upset, can you help me to the toilet?"

Wang Cuilan was tidying up the house when she heard this, and she quickly put down what she was doing: "Okay, Grandma."

Qin Huairu, who was sitting to the side holding Xiaodang, quickly stood up when she saw the two of them about to leave. "I'll go with you. I'm scared to be alone in the house."

She was telling the truth.

The traditional courtyard houses these days are so eerie.

The room felt empty, but I always felt like there was a pair of eyes watching me.

Wang Cuilan glanced at Qin Huairu's pale face and nodded, "Then let's go together. We can look out for each other."

The three of them left the courtyard house.

Police were still searching for clues both inside and outside the compound.

Chief Li walked over from outside the gate, talking to a police officer. Seeing them come out, he quickly asked:

"Comrade Qin Huairu, where are you headed?"

Qin Huai forced a smile: "Director Li, we just felt a bit oppressed in the room, so we accompanied the deaf old lady out to use the restroom."

She paused, then added, "We're just getting some fresh air..."

Director Li nodded without giving it much thought: "Okay, then be careful. The public restroom isn't far from here, so hurry back."

"Yes, Director Li," Qin Huairu replied.

Director Li watched them leave, then turned back to continue with his own work.

He couldn't possibly go with them to protect them; they were just going to the restroom, it wasn't convenient for them.

Besides, who would dare to commit a crime in broad daylight?

Outside the public toilet.

Wang Cuilan helped the deaf old lady to the toilet door and then stopped.

This public toilet is shared by several courtyard houses in the vicinity. People come and go all day long, and the sanitary conditions are very poor.

Even before you get close, you can smell a pungent stench.

"Grandma, please go in by yourself." Wang Cuilan released her hand. "We'll wait for you outside."

She hadn't planned to go in anyway. The public toilet was dirty and smelly, and the deaf old lady wasn't her biological mother, nor was she crippled. Sending her here was already more than enough.

The deaf old lady nodded, leaning on her cane, and slowly walked into the toilet.

Qin Huairu, holding Xiaodang, stood outside the public restroom with Wang Cuilan, chatting idly.

"Auntie," Qin Huairu whispered, "Do you think Sha Zhu and the others can bring Dongxu's body back?"

Wang Cuilan shook her head: "I don't know. The police station is very strict now. People have been dying one after another, and these bodies are important evidence."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "But the head of the household should have a way; he's always been reliable in his work."

Qin Huai nodded and said nothing more.

She was actually very confused.

Husband dead, son dead, mother-in-law seriously injured and hospitalized, and now this strange thing is happening in the hospital...

What should she do?

Just then, Sha Zhu's voice came from afar:

"Sister Qin! Auntie! What are you doing here in the restroom?"

Sha Zhu strode over, his face covered in sweat, clearly having run all the way back.

"Pillar,"

Qin Huairu hurriedly asked, "Why are you the only one who came back? Where are Uncle Yi and Uncle San? And...where is your brother Dongxu's body?"

"Hey! Don't even mention it!"

Sha Zhu stomped his feet in anger. "We went to the police station, and Chief Li said the body couldn't be retrieved for the time being because an investigation was needed. We pleaded with him, but he just wouldn't budge."

He wiped his sweat and continued, "Later, the third uncle said he wanted to see his son's body... Chief Li agreed, but he could only look, not touch, and certainly not take it away..."

Hearing this, Wang Cuilan's heart sank: "Then...what about your uncle? And Old Yan and the others..."

"An old man went to the hospital to visit Jia Zhangshi."

Sha Zhu said, "Third Uncle went to the hotel to see his family. I went to the school to inform Yu Shui not to go back to the courtyard house for the time being. I came back as soon as I finished speaking."

He glanced around and lowered his voice, "Sister Qin, auntie, is everything alright in the yard?"

Qin Huairu shook her head: "No, it's just... I just feel a little panicked..."

Wang Cuilan sighed, "No wonder, Chief Li came to the courtyard just now; he must be investigating the murderer..."

"There's no murderer..." Qin Huairu said with a wry smile, "If there were a murderer, the police would have caught him long ago..."

She paused, her voice even lower: "I wonder when we'll be able to suppress the great evil..."

He said it very softly, but both Sha Zhu and Wang Cuilan heard it.

The three of them exchanged a glance, but no one spoke.

A sense of oppressive fear permeated the air.

……

Inside a public restroom.

The deaf old lady frowned as soon as she entered the restroom.

The interior was dimly lit, with only a small window at the top letting in a sliver of light.

The ground was wet; I couldn't tell if it was water or something else.

She carefully walked forward, leaning on her cane.

The toilets are squat toilets, with five or six stalls in a row, separated by a low wall.

The air was filled with a strong stench and the smell of disinfectant.

The deaf old lady walked to the innermost pit, which she was used to using because it was relatively cleaner.

Suddenly I felt my foot slip.

There was a sticky mess on the ground, and her cloth shoes, with their thin soles, slipped, causing her to lose her balance.

"Ah—" she exclaimed, instinctively trying to grab the low wall beside her.

But just then, a powerful force suddenly came from behind!

Someone pushed her from behind.

The deaf old lady was already unsteady on her feet, and when she was pushed, she hit the wall and fell straight forward.

"Thump!"

She fell headfirst into the latrine!

He landed headfirst, his entire face buried in the filth.

The foul-smelling liquid instantly filled her mouth and nose. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She could only struggle with muffled sobs.

He desperately clung to the edge of the pit with both hands, trying to climb out.

But the edge of the pit was slippery, and she was an old woman who didn't have the strength.

struggle.

Struggling desperately.

The filth was splashed everywhere.

One minute.

Two and a half minutes...

The struggles grew weaker and weaker.

Finally, his hands fell to his sides, and he remained motionless.

The deaf old lady never expected this...

He had ruled the courtyard house for decades, only to die in the latrine in the end.

To die such a pathetic and wretched death.

Outside the public toilet.

Qin Huairu, Wang Cuilan, and Shazhu were still chatting.

"Why hasn't the old lady come out yet?" Wang Cuilan glanced at her watch. "She's been inside for over ten minutes..."

"Perhaps...it's inconvenient?" Qin Huairu said, "The old lady is getting on in years..."

Wang Cuilan asked, "Did you hear anything just now?"

Qin Huairu said, "No."

Sha Zhu casually suggested, "How about... I go in and take a look?"

"What are you doing in the women's restroom, you grown man?" Wang Cuilan rolled her eyes at him. "Let's wait a bit longer."

Another ten minutes or so passed.

Still nothing.

"Something's not right..." A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Qin Huairu. "Could something have happened to the old lady?"

Wang Cuilan panicked: "Then...what should we do?"

……