Chapter 82 Grief Overwhelms Her
Ye Laopo’s pacing outside made the guard dizzy.
“Hey, sister-in-law, what are you pacing back and forth for? Look carefully at where you are.”
Ye Laopo looked around herself, finding no one else beside her.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Nonsense, is there anyone else on the street?”
Ye Laopo shuffled over hesitantly, first offering a fawning smile.
“Brother, I’m here to find someone at the Public Security Bureau.”
“Who are you looking for?”
“Uh, that, that person who was arrested today.”
The guard became impatient upon hearing that she was a family member of an arrested person.
“We arrest many people every day, you need to give me a name.”
“Ye Xingguo, my son was framed by a fox spirit. He’s a very honest person and would never do such a shameful thing.”
Hearing about a fox spirit and shameful deeds, the guard roughly understood who her son was. That day, the only pair arrested for illicit relations had caused quite a stir; it was hard not to know about it.
“Hmph, it takes two to clap. Wait here, I’ll go in and ask for you.”
“Ah, thank you, brother, thank you, brother.”
Ye Laopo’s legs were trembling, and sweat trickled down her face.
Soon, the guard returned with an expressionless face, unwilling to even pretend to be helpful.
“Leave quickly. Don’t expect good things for your son who raped a woman.”
Ye Laopo became indignant. Her son was the pillar of her family. If something happened to him, she wouldn’t want to live, let alone be supported by her daughter-in-law.
“Brother, brother, please help me. My son must be innocent. It must be that fox spirit who harmed my son. I, I have money, can you help me?”
As she spoke, Ye Laopo took out two large yuan notes from her pocket and stuffed them into the guard’s hand. The guard was furious; not only was she openly bribing him, but with a paltry twenty yuan.
“Take it, take it. If you do this again, I’ll have you arrested.”
The guard threw the money directly onto the ground and pushed Ye Laopo outside the main gate.
Stumbling from the push, Ye Laopo was overcome with grief and collapsed onto the ground, beating her thighs and crying out. She hadn't used this tactic in a long time.
“Help! The officials are taking money and harming people! My son was clearly framed, but they insisted on arresting him. Help! If something happens to my son, I won’t live either. I’ll die right here today!”
What kind of people hadn’t the guard seen? Those who came to make trouble were all amateurs. As long as no knives were involved, he could handle it; otherwise, he wouldn't be worth his monthly salary of twenty-five yuan.
“Your son was caught in bed, and you still say he’s innocent? If you continue to make a scene, I’ll arrest you too.”
As the guard spoke, he reached out to grab Ye Laopo. But Ye Laopo was no ordinary woman; she had witnessed many arrests in the city and was determined to save her son.
Ye Laopo quickly rolled to her feet, turned, and fled the scene.
The further Ye Laopo ran, the more she felt that she would be left with no one to depend on in her old age. Even if her son was released, could he keep his job? If he lost his job, wouldn’t he have to return to the countryside? A wave of sorrow washed over her, and she cried mournfully all the way.
She felt that only by saving her son could she return to their previous life, where she would have money every month to supplement her maiden family. But whom did she know in the city?
Soon, she thought of her daughter-in-law’s family. Although they were also workers, their ancestors had been city dwellers for generations, and they knew far more people than she did.
The more Ye Laopo thought about it, the more convinced she became that her idea was correct. She hurried on her bound feet towards her son’s home.