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CHAPTER 9
PART 3
"What had to come has come," sighed Su Xiaotong after hanging up the phone, speaking to her husband, Gu Lei.
"What?" Gu Lei asked.
"Tan Yong is coming to our house right away to inquire about the situation," Su Xiaotong replied.
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"So what? He's definitely coming to investigate the poisoning case. This has nothing to do with us; we are the victims."
Su Xiaotong shook her head. "I bet he's coming to our house not just for this poisoning case. He will also ask about my past."
"How do you figure?"
"It's simple. If he's only here to understand the poisoning case, he should gather all the members of the 'extended family' and question us together. Why would he come to us separately?"
"Maybe he plans to question everyone one by one."
"Even so, the fact that he's coming to us first means he suspects us the most. After this series of events, Tan Yong must have investigated my past, learned about 'that incident,' found it suspicious, and that's why he's coming to investigate me first."
Gu Lei pondered for a moment and said, "Well, that's not a big deal. Just stick to the prepared story and tell it like we did back then."
Su Xiaotong looked worried. "But I'm concerned that it won't be as easy to deceive them this time."
"Why? Do you think the police in Lishi are more skilled than the ones in Jingzhou?"
"It's not because of that," Su Xiaotong gazed at Gu Lei. "The situation is different now. After the Gong Yamei case and the poisoning incident, the police must have realized that among the members of the 'extended family,' there is a murderer. Their level of concern will naturally be higher than the case a year ago. When I made those statements initially, the police in Jingzhou didn't necessarily believe me entirely; they just lacked evidence to refute my claims. But now, with events like this, the police won't easily believe me."
Gu Lei thought for a moment and then said, "So, if the police do ask about that matter, you must be very careful with your words, make sure there are no inconsistencies, and this will reduce their suspicion. Besides, no matter what, we have to make the police believe that we have nothing to do with this series of events!"
Su Xiaotong nodded. "What about Xiaoliang?"
"He's in the living room playing with toys."
"Let him come into the room. When the police ask questions, he must not be around, to avoid him suddenly saying something surprising like last time."
"Alright."
The two of them opened the bedroom door and entered the living room. Su Xiaotong told her son that Uncle Tang was coming to visit, the adults needed to talk about important matters, and he should stay in his room and play with his toys. If he behaved well, they would take him to KFC for lunch and buy him a new toy. Xiaoliang happily agreed.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Su Xiaotong opened the door to welcome Tang Yong and Li Bin into their home. Gu Lei made a pot of hot tea. Tang Yong didn't waste any time and went straight to the point, saying, "For this case, I applied to work on it with my team and my colleague Li Bin. We've come today to gather some information. Please cooperate and be sure to tell the truth."
"Of course, Lao Tang, as victims, we really hope the police can catch the person who poisoned us as soon as possible," Gu Lei expressed their stance first.
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"We will definitely investigate the poisoning incident. But right now, I want to know more about the incident that occurred in Jingzhou a year ago."
Su Xiaotong was mentally prepared, but she still pretended to be surprised and asked, "Lao Tang, how did you know about that?"
"I asked the police in Jingzhou."
"Are you investigating us?"
"Not just you. With an incident like this, I need to investigate every member of the 'extended family.'"
"Understood. But since you've already asked the police in Jingzhou, why do you need to ask me?"
"The police in Jingzhou wouldn't know the details about you personally. I want to hear from you directly what exactly happened in that incident a year ago."
"Old Tan," Gu Lei wore a reluctant expression, "This matter has caused significant harm and trauma to Xiao Tong, and she doesn't want to revisit it."
"This isn't idle chatter; it's an official inquiry. I hope you can overcome the emotional distress and cooperate," Tan Yong looked at Su Xiaotong.
"Alright," Su Xiaotong sighed. "I'll tell you. My ex-husband, Zhang Sheng, was the Vice President of the Jingzhou Commercial Bank. He got hold of some investment information through internal channels, borrowed a substantial amount of money, and invested it. Unfortunately, the investments went sour, and he ended up in deep debt. He lost his job and was even blacklisted by the credit bureau. It pushed him to the brink."
"He was a very proud man, and after losing everything, he completely broke down. He suffered from severe depression. I accompanied him through his treatment, but he kept saying he didn't want to live anymore, only staying alive for my sake and for our son. At first, I didn't realize what he meant by that until..."
Su Xiaotong paused, visibly emotional, and both Tan Yong and Li Bin remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"One evening, Zhang Sheng seemed to be in a better mood. He bought cooked food and drinks, and we had a hearty dinner at home. After dinner, I felt a bit tired, so I lay down on the sofa to watch TV. I must have dozed off.
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"I don't know how much time passed, but I was awakened by my phone ringing. Fortunately, I hadn't drunk too much water with the sleeping pills mixed in, so I woke up when my phone rang. Of course, I only discovered the sleeping pills later. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked by what I saw."
"In the middle of the living room, there was a blazing charcoal fire. My son Xiao Liang and Zhang Sheng seemed to be unconscious, both lying on the sofa. I also felt weak, dizzy, and nauseous, but my mind was clear, and I immediately understood what was happening."
"All the room doors were closed tightly. I struggled to get up and, because the balcony was closer to the living room, I pushed open the glass door between the living room and the balcony, letting fresh air in. Then, I picked up my unconscious son and placed him on the balcony floor before going back to drag Zhang Sheng. He was heavy, and it took all my strength to get him onto the balcony. After that, I called for emergency medical help and the police."
At this point, Tan Yong asked, "Since you managed to save Zhang Sheng, why did he end up dead?"
"I asked the doctors about this too," Su Xiaotong replied. "They said when they arrived, they found Zhang Sheng already dead. As for why my son and I survived, the doctors explained that the amount of carbon monoxide each person inhales and the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin formed can vary. In other words, even if people are in the same room with a charcoal fire, the time of death may differ from person to person. My son and I were lucky in that sense."
It sounds plausible, but there's still something off about it. Is she telling the truth? Tan Yong thought. Did the Jingzhou police handle it the same way back then?
Li Bin asked, "Who bought the charcoal, and is there a purchase record?"
"Zhang Sheng and I bought it together at the supermarket. We have a large balcony where we occasionally do outdoor barbecues. I never thought Zhang Sheng would use that charcoal for suicide, and especially not involving me and Xiao Liang," Su Xiaotong replied.
They bought it together? So, both husband and wife knew about the charcoal at home. Does this mean that Zhang Sheng was indeed the one who initiated the charcoal burning? Tan Yong knew it was a pointless question; even if it were Su Xiaotong, she wouldn't admit it.
"After this incident, did Xiao Liang develop intellectual disabilities?"
"Yes. That's the result of medical examinations and assessments, related to inhaling an excessive amount of carbon monoxide," Su Xiaotong explained.
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"Is Xiao Liang at home? Can I ask him a few questions?"
Su Xiaotong suddenly became nervous but tried to maintain a calm demeanor. "He's at home, but Tan, what do you plan to ask him? What can he possibly tell you? Besides, Xiao Liang has already become mentally disabled due to this incident. Even if he were a normal child, he was only a little over six years old when this happened. How could he understand the concept of suicide by burning charcoal? Moreover, it was his biological father who intended to kill him. For a child, he couldn't possibly comprehend the reasons behind it. I've never told him this cruel truth, and I kindly request that you don't mention it in front of him!"
Tan Yong thought for a moment. "Alright. So, how did you and Gu Lei get together?"
"We were college classmates and had a foundation of affection. After going through this ordeal, I was severely traumatized and needed someone to help take care of Xiao Liang with me. Gu Lei is a very good man, as I'm sure you've noticed. So, we got together and moved to Lishi, hoping to leave the past behind and start a new life. Who would have thought another incident like this would happen? Our experiences have gone beyond the realm of unfortunate fate," Su Xiao Tong lamented. Gu Lei gently held her shoulder, comforting her.
Tan Yong noticed that Su Xiaotong's answers were practically airtight, leaving very little room for questioning. If she wasn't telling the truth, then it was a meticulously crafted fabrication. With no apparent flaws to be found, he decided to change the topic. "Alright, I understand the events that happened before. Now, I'd like to bring the others to your house to learn more about the 'poisoning incident.' Is that okay?"
"Of course," Su Xiaotong nodded in agreement.
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