Chapter 434: Chapter 406: Xu Dagui’s Mother Is Still Alive
As they were about to descend the mountain, Lin Qiao tried to appear normal. From a distance, seeing the man at the foot of the mountain, she smiled softly, "Why didn’t you find a place to sit?"
She didn’t want to speak, and Song Tingfan didn’t ask, "It’s fine."
For a moment, they both fell silent. After a while, Song Tingfan held her hand and said softly, "It’s my fault."
If only he had arranged for someone to protect Xu Dagui back then, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
It was his inner resentment that made him not want to see Xu Dagui initially.
Lin Qiao pursed her lips. In the end, it was actually her fault; Xu Dagui shouldn’t have been in the script.
She was the one who rewrote his fate.
Actually, she didn’t know that Xu Dagui was destined to go a few years earlier.
Many things have a destined course within the grand scheme.
She didn’t want to discuss this topic, so she changed the subject, "Let’s head back, otherwise Ling’er won’t be able to write as much."
Song Tingfan understood she didn’t want to talk, so he simply replied, "Okay."
As they were about to leave the village, an elderly voice called out to them, "Are you two here to visit Xu Dagui’s grave?"
Lin Qiao paused and turned to look at him, "What’s the matter?"
The elderly person, panting, asked, "What relationship do you have with Xu Dagui?"
"Family."
"Are you distant relatives? That’s great. His mother is in the village with no one to care for her. Could you take her away? Otherwise, even finding food might be difficult for her," the elder explained.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiao’s pupils widened, but she quickly composed herself, "Isn’t Xu Dagui’s mother dead?"
"Yes, we all thought she was dead, but she suddenly returned a few days ago, shocking us. Later, we discovered she was in a mental state, unable to speak properly, only nodding and shaking her head at times." The elder seemed troubled by this and wanted to rid himself of the problem.
Lin Qiao only knew that Xu Dagui’s parents were dead, unaware of how they died. She hesitated but nodded, "Please take me to see her, sir."
Perhaps fearing she would mistreat Xu Dagui’s mother, the elder explained as he walked, "She doesn’t like being around others, so I let her stay in my straw shed."
Upon reaching the straw shed, there was no one there.
Just as Lin Qiao was about to ask, the elder pushed aside the straw pile, and a filthy woman looked at them in terror but did not scream.
Her eyes were strikingly similar to Xu Dagui’s, and instinctively, Lin Qiao believed she was Xu Dagui’s mother. She softened her voice, "Aunt Xu."
Even though her voice was gentle, the woman was still frightened, retreating continuously.
She must have been scared by something outside over the years. Lin Qiao frowned slightly, unsure of how to bring her back.
"I’ll go buy some calming medicine."
Song Tingfan hesitated after saying this. Unwilling to leave Lin Qiao alone here, he turned to the elder, "Could you send someone to buy some calming medicine? There’s extra for running errands." Saying so, he handed him a tael of silver.
The elder was momentarily stunned by the generous offer, but soon accepted, "I’ll go at once."
As the elder left, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with Song Tingfan and Lin Qiao, the terrified woman suddenly ran outside. Luckily, Song Tingfan reacted swiftly and caught her with a few quick strides.
The woman struggled, clawing at him wildly, leaving deep red marks on his hand.
Seeing this, Lin Qiao quickly picked up a rope from the ground. Song Tingfan stopped her from approaching, holding the woman tightly before taking the rope and tying her up.
More knowledgeable than them, Lin Qiao noticed Song Tingfan’s wound and worried about possible infection, especially from such an unstable woman.
"Tingfan, wait here a moment. I’ll borrow some wine."
Before Song Tingfan could respond, she hurried out and soon returned with a bowl of wine, "Roll up your sleeve."
Song Tingfan obediently rolled it up. Soon, a sharp pain spread through his arm, yet instead of hurting, he felt as if something was filled inside him.
After wiping several times, Lin Qiao stopped, but still uneasily examined the wound closely. Except for slight redness and swelling, nothing else was amiss.
"Don’t grab carelessly next time."
Song Tingfan simply nodded, then looked at the anxious woman. He pursed his lips, "There are bruises on her neck."
He had caught a glimpse earlier, not from neglect, but as though someone had...
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiao understood and walked over, pulling down her collar. The bruises and even bite marks were evident.
There was no doubt; she had been assaulted.
She felt anger but couldn’t pinpoint who was responsible.
No wonder she’s so afraid.
Song Tingfan said quietly, "I’ll find the person responsible."
"Yes, send them to prison."
Looking at the woman’s condition, Lin Qiao wondered if Xu Dagui knew his mother was like this, would he cry?
