Zhong Li watched the pregnant woman wailing and groaning on You You's body. Just as she was about to step forward to inquire about the woman's relationship with You You, the man standing beside her blocked her path. He scrutinized her from head to toe, his expression hardening. Pointing a finger at her nose, he addressed the onlookers:
"Everyone, look! It is she, this woman who harmed our You You."
The moment he spoke, all the villagers glared at her with almost venomous eyes.
Zhong Li frowned, also sizing up the man. He wore a coarse cotton shirt, his palms calloused, and a fisherman's hat on his head. It was obvious he was a local villager.
She asked politely, "Esteemed sir, you have no proof, so how can you say that You You's death is related to me?"
The man sneered at her words. "Our little fishing village has only about a thousand to eighteen hundred people, and we all know each other. Only you are not from our village. Now that You You has died an unnatural death, shouldn't the first suspect be an outsider?"
"That's right!"
"Indeed!"
After the man spoke, many who had already been regarding Zhong Li with caution began to whisper among themselves.
Zhong Li never expected such a response. She let out a wry laugh. "What kind of reasoning is that? Is it possible that anything that happens in this village, any loss of life, is blamed on outsiders?"
Just as the man was about to reply, the pregnant woman who had been kneeling over You You's corpse suddenly stood up. She wiped away a few tears from the corners of her eyes and gave a cold smile. "This young lady speaks as if You You's death has nothing to do with you at all. Then let me ask you, where did the bandage hidden in your collar come from?"
Zhong Li was startled. She looked down at her collar and casually pulled out a roll of bandage. You You had given it to her when she was examining Lu Wu Xie. It looked like it had been torn from an old garment.
"This is You You's..."
"Good, you admit it's You You's!" The woman didn't give Zhong Li a chance to finish her sentence and interrupted her. She then turned to the villagers gathered around. "Everyone, please judge for me and the Kang family. Five days ago, I gave You You some copper coins to buy daily necessities at the market by the village entrance. Not only did she not buy anything, she claimed she lost the money.
At first, I believed her. The next day, I gave her a few more copper coins. And what happened? She still didn't buy anything, claiming she lost it again. In my anger, I hit her. On the third day, I gave her a few more copper coins. I never expected... this time You You went out and never returned.
And this piece of torn cloth in your hand is the scrap fabric I had You You go out to buy, intending to make her new clothes in a few days."
Hearing this, Zhong Li looked at the object in her hand, disbelief in her eyes. Setting aside whether the woman's words were to be believed, the idea of her making new clothes for You You was something Zhong Li absolutely could not accept.
You You didn't even have decent shoes, yet this woman, who claimed to be her mother, spoke of making new clothes. If she truly cared, how could she bear to let her daughter run around barefoot?
"Are you You You's mother?" Zhong Li asked.
The woman looked at Zhong Li as if she were an idiot. "I am Niu Ling, the mother of Kang You You. All the villagers in this little fishing village know this."
Zhong Li shook her head and said with firm conviction, "You are not Kang You You's mother."
As soon as she finished speaking, Niu Ling's face turned extremely unpleasant. With feigned grief, she cried out, "Heaven above, my daughter has died tragically, her remains not yet cold, and yet the killer is bullying me like this! Is there any justice? Sob..."
With Niu Ling's wailing, the villagers who had been whispering and pointing around them seemed to be incited. Everyone looked at Zhong Li with hostile eyes.
Some of the bolder ones even stepped forward, asking, "Who are you? Why did you kill You You?"
"Yes, give us an explanation, or you will pay with your life for You You today."
...
Zhong Li looked at the people pressing closer. After a moment of thought, just as she was about to explain, someone grabbed her arm, and a figure shielded her.
Lu Wu Xie, his face cold, stared intently at the five or six burly men standing before Zhong Li. "If you have something to say, say it to me!"
The burly men exchanged glances, then focused on Lu Wu Xie. Seeing his fine brocade robe and refined gentlemanly demeanor, they thought him easy to handle. They all implicitly rolled up their sleeves and lunged at him with their fists.
To everyone's surprise, they did not hear Lu Wu Xie beg for mercy. Instead, several burly men were seen fleeing from the crowd, clutching their heads. This made the villagers of the little fishing village even more convinced that Zhong Li and her companion were the ones who killed You You.
"See, you still say You You's death has nothing to do with you. You bully people like this, you must be the murderers of You You!" Niu Ling, surrounded by villagers, put her hands on her hips and continued to stir up trouble.
The man standing behind her also rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to join the fray.
From the moment Zhong Li saw this woman, she knew she was not to be trifled with. If she didn't say something now, she and Lu Wu Xie would surely be blamed for murder.
She gave Lu Wu Xie a reassuring look, then walked around him to face Niu Ling. "Fine, you say I killed You You. Then, Mrs. Niu, let me ask you: with our skills, killing You You would be as easy as turning over a hand. Why would we go to the trouble of throwing her into the well to drown her and wait to be discovered by the villagers?"
As she spoke, the villagers who had surrounded them both took a few steps back, seeming to find Zhong Li's words reasonable, their expressions filled with doubt.
Niu Ling narrowed her eyes and sneered at Zhong Li, "You are outsiders and unfamiliar with this place. Drowning her in the well was the best option. We just didn't expect You You to be discovered."
With her explanation, the villagers found it logical again and closed in on Zhong Li.
Zhong Li looked at You You's body in the distance. "Alright, if Mrs. Niu's words are to be believed, then You You was drowned?"
Niu Ling snorted, "Otherwise?"
Zhong Li let out a cold laugh. "Then tell me, what was my motive for killing her?"
"Motive?" Niu Ling scoffed with a smile. "Of course, it was to steal the copper coins You You had, and fearing discovery, you went all the way..."
As she finished, she looked at the clothes on the man and woman opposite. Although they were wrinkled from being soaked by the sea, the fabric and embroidery were of a quality that even the wealthiest village chief couldn't afford. Such a flimsy reason, she couldn't even finish it herself.
Zhong Li glanced indifferently at Niu Ling and didn't bother to ask her any more questions. She pointed at You You's body. "Normally, drowned people would have water or aquatic plants in their mouth and nasal cavities. I just examined You You's body, and her mouth and nose were clean, proving she was thrown into the well after death.
As for the actual injury, Mrs. Niu snatched You You from my hands so hastily just now. I only caught a glimpse and wasn't entirely sure, but there should be a round lump on the back of You You's head. If I'm not mistaken, that should be the cause of her death."
As she spoke, everyone's attention focused entirely on You You's body. A bold man walked over to You You, pried open her mouth, looked at her nostrils, and shook his head. Then, he felt the back of You You's head and indeed found a lump there.
The man looked up, astonished, at Zhong Li.
Seeing this, Niu Ling quickly said, "Look, I told you, you are the one who killed You You! Otherwise, how would you know how You You died?"