Chapter 63: Evil Begets Evil

The verdict against Sun Long and his accomplices came down quickly because the evidence was solid; Sun Long and the other principal offenders were sentenced to death and executed immediately.

Wu Xiaofeng received a lighter sentence because he had joined Sun Long's group only recently and did not participate in their rape cases; he was sentenced to ten years.

Upon hearing the verdict, Wang Qin collapsed onto the ground, wailing incessantly, "My son……"

The accountant Wu was no better off than Wang Qin; his whole person seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, and he no longer had his former vigorous spirit.

As the saying goes, when the wall falls, everyone pushes; with the investigation deepening, Sun Qiang's deeds over the years were also exposed—he was not only removed from his public office but also sentenced to fifteen years.

In an instant he went from being a prosperous deputy bureau chief to a despised prisoner; at his age, it's uncertain whether he'll even walk out of prison alive.

The man who had wanted to kill Wang Xiaohui was also apprehended—he was Sun Long's maternal uncle, who over the years had often helped Sun Long with his dirty deeds.

He also had a hand in forcing Lu Hua'er to her death, so he too was sentenced to death.

Upon hearing that her brother and son had been sentenced to death and her husband imprisoned, Miao Yan fainted on the spot.

No one at the scene helped her; she was left lying on the ground. From then on, Miao Yan, once an enviable official's wife, became like a despised street rat—wherever she went, people would spit at her.

"I've lived long enough, I'm tired; now I want to go see them—my son, my daughter-in-law, and my little flower……"

Su Ruo knew that during that special period, many loyal bones lay buried in foreign lands.

When the gunshots rang out, flocks of birds took flight; at that moment, with Sun Long's death, the hatred that had lain deep in Grandma Lu's heart for years finally fell to the ground.

As Su Ruo left, she saw Grandma Lu standing in the sunlight, waving at her; her smile was kind and tranquil.

Su Ruo's trembling fingers opened the box, revealing a solid emerald-green jade pendant and a chest full of gold bars.

Su Ruo accompanied Grandma Lu to the hilltop, where they watched Sun Long and his cohorts, terrified to the point of losing bladder and bowel control, on the execution ground.

Su Ruo escorted Grandma Lu back to the small courtyard and said, "Grandma, why not come live with me in the village? The people are good, the mountains are beautiful, and the water is fine."

Su Ruo gazed at the photograph on the tombstone; the couple wore green military uniforms, clearly still young when they lost their lives.

"I originally intended to leave this small courtyard to you, but after thinking it over, I've changed my mind—the place is inauspicious, so I won't give it to you; take that box instead."

If possible, Su Ruo truly wishes they could live to see how prosperous and flourishing the country they died defending would become, with peace and prosperity for all.

"I had devoted my life to a wealthy family, but I lost my father in youth, my husband in middle age, my son in old age, and even my beloved granddaughter predeceased me—I have led a solitary, suffering life."

On the table lay a letter from Grandma Lu to Su Ruo: "Girl, Grandma has passed; don't grieve for me. In this life, I am content to have lived long enough to see the wicked receive their punishment."

Grandma Lu shouted toward the mountain: "Hua'er, can you see? Grandma has avenged you!"

Su Ruo supported Grandma Lu, lifted her gaze to the azure sky, her eyes slightly red; she knew this was the gunfire at dawn, and that one day darkness would be dispelled.

"I will tell them myself that I have avenged Hua'er!"

The next morning, Su Ruo went to the county again, but when she knocked on the Lu family's door, there was no answer.

Upon seeing the jade pendant, 001 exclaimed in astonishment, "This is imperial green jade; it will surely fetch a sky‑high price in the future."

Su Ruo tremblingly extended her hand and placed it under Grandma Lu's nose, only to discover that she had already ceased breathing.

Su Ruo accompanied Grandma Lu to the martyrs' cemetery; Grandma Lu touched one of the tombstones and said, "These are Hua'er's parents; they are buried here."

Su Ruo understood that Grandma Lu probably did not want to leave her courtyard, so she could only try to persuade her gradually in the future.

Su Ruo ignored 001 and continued reading the letter Grandma Lu had left her.

Su Ruo's unease grew stronger; she pushed the door open and entered to find Grandma Lu lying on the bed, her clothes and hair neatly arranged, her expression kind and peaceful.

Grandma Lu laughed while ruffling Su Ruo's head: "Silly girl, in this world who doesn't die? I have lived long enough!"

Under successive blows, Miao Yan soon lost her mind, constantly suspicious and feeling that everyone was out to harm her wherever she went.

On the day Sun Long and his cohorts were executed by firing squad, Grandma Lu took out clothes she hadn't worn in ages and combed her hair meticulously.

Every night someone threw bricks and rotten eggs at the Sun household; Miao Yan was terrified, dared not stay at home, and returned to her natal family—but her natal family resented her for causing their son's death and severed ties with her outright.

That night, Su Ruo slept especially uneasily, Grandma Lu's face constantly flashing through her mind, a vague anxiety lingering within.

Grandma Lu said, "Girl, you say their bones are no longer here—can their souls still come home?"

"Grandma, you must believe that our country will only grow stronger; one day we will surely possess the most powerful weapons, and with our own domestically produced fighter jets we will bring them home."

"These days I have been thinking: if Hua'er had met not Wang Xiaohui but you instead, would the outcome have been different? Too bad there are no 'ifs' in this world."

"Living has been too painful for me; death, on the contrary, is a relief, for at last I can go see them……"

Grandma Lu laughed and said, "Girl, I trust you! Our motherland will surely keep improving, but I fear I won't live to see that day—you go in my stead and have a look at that prosperous, flourishing world……"

Su Ruo said with reddened eyes, "Grandma, you will surely live to a ripe old age."

She said, "Grandma, yes! No matter when, they will never forget the way home."

Those girls who, like Lu Hua'er, were bullied have finally had their vengeance exacted.

Outside the Sun family's gate, people even flung dung; those girls and relatives who had once been bullied by Sun Long, who had formerly feared the family's power and influence and kept their hatred hidden, now unleashed it all.

Grandma Lu, however, said, "No, I'm old; I don't want to go through any more trouble."

Grandma Lu said, "In the early years of war, I sold off all our household belongings and sent them to the front; now only these things remain."

"These were originally meant to be Hua'er's dowry, but she no longer needs them; I am leaving them to you—don't disdain them."

"Grandma knows you are a good child; she wishes you happiness, so you must live well and go see that beautiful world you spoke of."

"Grandma has one more favor to ask of you: if, if one day our country becomes strong as you said, please help me bring back the remains of my son and daughter‑in‑law……"