Chapter Nineteen: Fury Born of the Heart
It was an old residential complex, the kind lacking modern property management. A large iron gate marked the entrance to the compound, which had a small reception office. As was typical for communities of that era, the area beneath the apartment buildings was crammed with bicycles parked haphazardly.
Their destination was the top, sixth floor of the six-story building. There was no elevator, so they had to climb the stairs.
Upon reaching the door, they saw brand new Spring Festival couplets pasted on it, with an upside-down "Fu" character for good luck in the center.
Knocking on the door released a strong smell of cigarette smoke from within.
A middle-aged woman opened it. Upon seeing Officer Liu, she immediately plastered on a smile. "Officer Liu, you're here! Come in, come in!"
After she stepped aside, Chen Nuo followed Officer Liu into the apartment.
It looked like an ordinary home, probably belonging to a middle-class family. The floor was wooden, and there was even air conditioning in the living room.
A middle-aged couple and an elderly woman lived there. A young boy, around seven or eight years old, was watching television in the living room.
"This is Uncle Gu and Auntie Fang," Officer Liu introduced them. "Uncle Gu is... well, he's the child's paternal uncle."
Chen Nuo nodded. He had already familiarized himself with the situation beforehand.
The child was in the care of her father's younger brother. This was the family of the younger brother of the man Ou Ruohua had remarried. The elderly lady in the home was the child's paternal grandmother—Ou Ruohua's mother-in-law from her remarriage, and thus the biological mother of Ou Ruohua's second husband.
"You must be... Chen..." After the man of the house, Mr. Gu, greeted Officer Liu, he turned his gaze on Chen Nuo.
"Chen Nuo. My name is Chen Nuo." Chen Nuo nodded. "I apologize for intruding during the New Year. Sorry for the trouble."
Chen Nuo handed over the cigarettes and alcohol he had brought.
The Gu couple's attitude clearly changed, warming slightly from their initial indifference.
"Please, have a seat! Sit!"
If not for Chen Nuo's half-sister—same mother, different father—this would have been a typical three-generation, four-member household.
Then, Chen Nuo saw his sister. The little girl was led out of a room by Mrs. Fang.
The girl seemed a bit shy. She timidly shrank behind the sofa, not daring to say much. Even when Mrs. Fang gently pushed her forward and repeatedly prompted her, the little girl only murmured, "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Brother," and then refused to say more.
The girl was very pretty. Both Chen Nuo and Ou Ruohua had exceptional features, and the little girl had inherited their good looks, with bright eyes, white teeth, and tender skin. However, she seemed timid, her gaze darting away whenever it met someone else's.
Chen Nuo didn't rush to get close to his half-sister but cautiously observed the family.
The living room was neatly arranged. Because it was the New Year, a fruit tray with apples, bananas, oranges, and other common fruits sat on the coffee table, along with some sunflower seeds and peanuts.
Mr. Gu, the child's uncle, offered Chen Nuo a cigarette. Chen Nuo declined, saying he didn't smoke, so Mr. Gu lit one for himself.
The house was somewhat noisy. The television was replaying the Spring Festival Gala. Mrs. Fang went into the kitchen to cook. The elderly woman rested with her eyes closed on the sofa closest to the balcony, her hand beside a transistor radio playing some unfamiliar local opera. The seven or eight-year-old boy held a toy car, running back and forth, completely absorbed in his play.
Chen Nuo glanced at the balcony. Five or six pieces of adult and children's clothing hung there haphazardly.
Officer Liu pulled the little girl in front of her, smoothed out the girl's sweater, and then gently asked her some everyday questions. The child said very little but was well-behaved and quiet, answering in a low voice with simple words.
Mr. Gu burst out laughing. "She's a bit shy and doesn't usually talk much. But we take good care of her. Look, see this sweater? We just bought it for her before the New Year."
Chen Nuo narrowed his eyes slightly. He picked up a banana from the table, peeled it, and gestured to the little girl. "Want this?"
The little girl was clearly drawn to it, staring at the banana in Chen Nuo's hand.
Mr. Gu chuckled. "Your own brother peeled it for you. Go on, eat it."
Only then did the little girl take it. She glanced at Chen Nuo, then at Officer Liu, and took a big bite.
Chen Nuo smiled. He tore open the large gift pack of Wangwang snacks he had brought and offered the little girl a Wangwang rice cracker, teasing her playfully.
The little boy suddenly ran out from an inner room. Seeing the snack, he shouted, "Wangwang rice crackers! I want one!" and rushed over to snatch it.
The girl flinched slightly.
Mr. Gu shook his head, smiling awkwardly. "Kids, you know? They're used to playing rough like this."
Chen Nuo didn't say much. He took out another rice cracker, opened it, and handed it to the little girl. After she took it, she held the banana in her left hand and the Wangwang rice cracker in her right, seeming momentarily unsure which to eat first.
They stayed for lunch at the Gu family's home. However, it was clear the Gu couple primarily wanted Officer Liu to stay for the meal.
Mr. Gu offered to pour alcohol, but Chen Nuo again declined. Mr. Gu poured for himself and didn't forget to toast Officer Liu during the meal.
The little girl's bowl held a chicken leg and some braised pork ribs. She ate with relish, behaving very well. Meanwhile, Mr. Gu's own seven or eight-year-old son was very restless. He fidgeted throughout the meal as if he had ants in his pants, took only a few bites of his chicken leg before tossing it back into his bowl, then barely touched his rice before running off to the living room to watch cartoons.
This contrast made the five-year-old girl seem even more sensible and well-behaved, utterly adorable.
In fact, Chen Nuo hadn't interacted much with the little girl at all. However, his eyes had been narrowed in observation ever since they sat down for the meal.
After lunch, they bid farewell and left the Gu family's home.
"The child seems to be doing quite well, as you've seen. You can be at ease," Officer Liu sighed. "Your sister's situation is truly pitiable. She's so young, and her parents met with such a disaster. But thankfully, the child is living fairly well now. Chen Nuo, rest assured, our neighborhood committee and the Women's Federation will definitely follow up on the child's well-being."
Chen Nuo courteously thanked Officer Liu and saw her off as she rode away on her electric scooter.
He stood at the community entrance, his narrowed eyes finally opening fully.
Chen Nuo's expression turned somewhat cold.
Officer Liu is enthusiastic, certainly, but she's clearly young and inexperienced. There are many things she likely failed to notice, he thought.
From my observations, this girl, my 'sister' in this life, probably isn't having an easy time. Children squabbling over snacks is no big deal. It's also normal for parents to favor their own son more. Most families would be the same; that's not strange, nor can it be called excessive. But the little girl's ravenous look when she ate the banana and the Wangwang rice cracker... that felt wrong. And at lunch, she looked at the chicken leg and meat in her bowl and ate so obediently. She finished every grain of rice and didn't waste any of the food. How many five-year-olds are that well-behaved at meals? Think about the Gu family's own son, the seven or eight-year-old. Picky, naughty, taking a couple of bites of a chicken leg and then just tossing it aside... That's how most children that age normally eat! But the girl? She gnawed that chicken leg clean, picked every last shred of meat off the pork ribs with her teeth, and even sucked the bones spotless. What does that imply? It implies she probably rarely gets to eat such things! And the clothes hanging on the balcony. I looked closely when I first came in. There were adult's and children's clothes, but... none of them belonged to the little girl! That sweater she was wearing wasn't new. It looked clean enough, but I saw the elbows were worn thin. And the style... it didn't look like a girl's sweater. It was probably a hand-me-down from their son.
"Over two hundred yuan a month in subsidies, and they're certainly enjoying it," Chen Nuo sneered inwardly.
After some thought, Chen Nuo turned and climbed back up to the sixth floor. He knocked on the door.
Mrs. Fang opened it. Seeing Chen Nuo, her eyes first showed impatience, but she suppressed it.
"Oh, Chen Nuo, you're back? What brings you here again?"
Chen Nuo smiled. "I can't find my bicycle key. I was wondering if I dropped it on the sofa."
Mrs. Fang frowned and reluctantly stepped aside. "Look for yourself then. I doubt it, though. I didn't see it when I tidied the sofa earlier."
Mr. Gu was also surprised, but perhaps because of the two cartons of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, he didn't say much. He just greeted Chen Nuo coolly and went into his room.
The old woman was still leaning against the sofa, listening to the transistor radio.
Upon entering, Chen Nuo saw the little girl squatting in a corner. The family's son, the seven or eight-year-old boy, was swinging a toy sword near her. The girl looked frightened, squatting with her hands over her head. The boy was yelling something, probably imitating a TV show, something about fighting monsters.
Mrs. Fang casually called out, "Stop fooling around." The boy yelled a few more times before turning to grab the remote and flip restlessly through the channels.
"Did you find your key?" Mrs. Fang watched Chen Nuo with cold eyes.
Chen Nuo patted the sofa casually, then felt his pocket and smiled. "My mistake, the key was in my pocket all along."
Saying this, he glanced at the little girl squatting on the floor, walked over, and gently patted her head.
The girl looked at him timidly but didn't shy away, merely clutching the hem of her clothes.
"Auntie," Chen Nuo said very politely, "may I take my sister downstairs to play for a bit? I'd like to spend some time with her."
"Downstairs?" Mrs. Fang was clearly displeased, her gaze turning colder. "It's so cold out. If you take her out to run wild and she catches a cold or gets sick, who'll be responsible?"
Chen Nuo smiled. "I'll be careful. We'll dress her warmly, and I won't go far. Just a walk around downstairs. After all, she's my sister. I want to buy her some snacks."
"I don't think that's necessary," Mrs. Fang refused bluntly. "That's not how things are done here. Besides, Chen Nuo, she has no legal relationship with you. Legally speaking, she's part of the Gu family. You're an outsider. You can't just show up and take our child away. If something happens, who's to blame?"
As she spoke, Mrs. Fang called out, "Old Gu, come out!"
Mr. Gu came out of the room, frowning at Chen Nuo.
"He wants to take the child out," Mrs. Fang said, hands on her hips. "You decide what to do."
"That's out of the question," Mr. Gu's expression also turned cold. "What is it, Chen Nuo? Don't trust us? Afraid we're mistreating the child? Want to question her alone? Fine, fine!"
With that, Mr. Gu strode over, roughly yanked the little girl up from the floor, and pushed her in front of Chen Nuo. "Go on! Tell this outsider 'brother' of yours! Have we mistreated you? Girl, speak! If you have any grievances or feel wronged, now's your chance, in front of your 'brother.' Go on, speak up!"
The girl looked terrified. She bit her lip, looking at Chen Nuo, but didn't utter a single word.
"See? Nothing! Right? Chen Nuo! You're so young, where do you get all these twisted ideas? Looking for a key? I think you just came back to catch us off guard! We're feeding her, clothing her, and this is how you repay us, by treating us like enemies?" Mrs. Fang, hands on her hips, began to scold him.
Chen Nuo looked at the little girl's frightened face, took a deep breath, and, smiling at Mr. and Mrs. Gu, said, "Uncle, Auntie, you've truly misunderstood. I don't have any ulterior motives. It's just that seeing my sister today, I thought, as her brother, I haven't been able to do much for her over the years. I just wanted to get a little closer to her. That's all, really."
"Fine, you want to get closer to your sister? Isn't there enough space in the house? Taking her out is not happening!" Mr. Gu waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright then, let's forget it." Chen Nuo nodded politely. "We'll talk about it another time. I'm really sorry for the disturbance today."
With that, Chen Nuo turned and left.
Chen Nuo actually felt a surge of frustration but was unsure how to handle the situation. He had lived for decades, counting both this life and the last, and had faced hails of bullets, but he had never dealt with such domestic squabbles.
My own sister?
He stood at the entrance to the complex, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. He took one drag after another, finishing the cigarette.
Suddenly, the image of the tombstone in the cemetery from yesterday, and the woman with red, swollen eyes in the prison visiting room, flashed through his mind.
Chen Nuo glanced back at the building, then dropped the cigarette butt on the ground and stamped it out.
Even if... I took your life, consider this me doing something for your family in return.
Chen Nuo turned and headed back upstairs.
Reaching the sixth-floor apartment door again, he heard suppressed sobs and shouts from within.
Chen Nuo's eyes hardened. Before he could knock, the door opened, and Mr. Gu was just about to step out with a bag of trash. He ran right into Chen Nuo and froze in surprise.
Through the partially open door, Chen Nuo saw a scene in the living room that sent a rush of hot blood to his head.
The five-year-old girl stood in the corner, desperately covering her mouth with both hands.
And the woman, Mrs. Fang, was holding a thin bamboo stick, repeatedly striking the child's thighs with it!
"Don't you dare cry out! Keep your mouth shut tight!" Mrs. Fang berated her as she struck. "You damn money-loser! Keep your mouth shut! Don't you dare make a sound!"
The little girl pressed her hands tightly over her mouth, her body trembling uncontrollably. Despite the searing pain, her terror of Mrs. Fang was so profound that she bit down hard on her own small hands, truly daring not to let her sobs grow too loud.
Mrs. Fang struck her again and again, while the old woman on the sofa merely squinted, listening to her radio, completely ignoring the scene.
Mr. Gu's eyes darted around in panic. He tried to push Chen Nuo away, exclaiming, "Why are you back again!"
Mrs. Fang, inside, heard him and turned. Holding the stick, she stared at her husband and Chen Nuo by the door, also frozen in shock.
A flicker of malice crossed Chen Nuo's eyes.
"Is this how you treat my sister?"
As he spoke, he kicked out, striking Mr. Gu squarely on the ankle.
With a cry of agony, Mr. Gu crumpled to the floor.
Mrs. Fang also dropped the stick, stunned for a moment. Then, she shrieked and tried to lunge at Chen Nuo, but he shoved her aside. He grabbed Mr. Gu's leg, dragged him into the apartment, and slammed the door shut. Then, still holding his ankle, he hauled the man towards the balcony!
The old woman on the sofa jumped up in agitation and rushed at Chen Nuo, pummelling him and screaming, "Let go of my son! Let go! Let go!"
Chen Nuo looked down at her coldly, letting her feeble fists rain down on him. "Oh, so you're not deaf after all! While your daughter-in-law was beating your own granddaughter, you just sat there calmly listening to your opera? A five-year-old child! And you just watched?"
The old woman glared at Chen Nuo with venom. "The mother is a jinx, and the child is a jinx too! The mother married my son, gave birth to this little jinx, and then my son ended up in jail! Your whole family is a curse!"
Ah, I see, Chen Nuo thought, then sneered, articulating each word, "So you're just a disgusting old hag who refuses to die."
Ignoring her, Chen Nuo pulled open the balcony window, and still holding Mr. Gu's leg, dangled him outside.
He didn't let go, just left him hanging outside the window.
"Don't scream. If you dare make a sound, I'll let go."
The man let out a pig-like squeal, but it was cut off after just half a note.
Chen Nuo glanced back at Mrs. Fang and the old woman, who were about to rush over, and smiled. "Don't come any closer. If you do, I'll let go."
The old woman looked like she might still rush forward, but Mrs. Fang finally came to her senses. She grabbed the old woman and pulled her back, screaming, "Mom! Don't provoke him! Please!"
"Chen... Little Chen, you... you let my husband down! We can talk! We can talk things over properly, properly..." Mrs. Fang stammered, her voice trembling.
Chen Nuo smiled. "Oh, so you've finally learned to speak like a human."