Chew Slowly Chapter 8

Chapter 08

Lu Xiaoyun’s death was an accident. The Garment Factory did not stop operations even during the typhoon, and the surveillance footage outside the building showed that only Lu Xiaoyun entered the Old Dormitory Building during working hours.

Why she left the workshop at that time to return to the Old Dormitory Building was perhaps due to that phone call.

The person in charge of the Garment Factory rushed over in the rain after hearing that a female worker had fallen to her death from upstairs. He was nervous seeing the police, and then startled when he saw Lu Xiaoyun’s son.

That person was sinister and pale-faced. His eyes were empty, as if he lacked a soul, looking like two faint ghost fires. He had a handsome face, but at this moment, he looked gloomy and spectral, making people feel a chill all over.

Lu Xiaoyun was well-known in the factory; her husband had caused trouble there, driving her to the brink of madness. The messy affairs of this crazy couple were notorious, and now their son was also clearly disturbed, not even looking when the body was moved away.

The person in charge understood Xu Qiaochuan’s grief but didn’t want to be stared at like this. His mind wandered, and he somehow thought Xu Qiaochuan was there to demand money. He thought that although the stairs were broken, if Lu Xiaoyun hadn’t skipped work to return, none of this would have happened.

“The matter of compensation will be raised by the lawyers; we follow the law,” he said. A death in the factory was scandalous and shouldn’t be blown up; he absolutely did not want to go to court. He said this merely to intimidate the young Xu Qiaochuan.

The person in charge felt targeted by Xu Qiaochuan’s gaze, but in reality, Xu Qiaochuan’s eyes held nothing. He dared not look at Lu Xiaoyun, nor the crowd huddled together, so his gaze fell into the void.

Xu Qiaochuan didn’t hear the full conversation, his ears only catching a few words: law, lawyer.

Xu Qiaochuan ran away, clutching an umbrella and a mobile phone. He was terrified of all human voices. Fortunately, it was raining heavily, and no one liked to go out in the rain. He crouched under a corrugated iron shed, trembling as he held the phone. The rain blurred the screen, distorting the text and icons.

There was a number he had memorized for a long time. He had pressed those digits many times but never dialed out. This time, Xu Qiaochuan finally pressed the call button.

From the first ring, Xu Qiaochuan wept uncontrollably. He listened for a long time until an electronic female voice informed him that the call was unanswered.

After hanging up, he buried his head and cried. The rain was heavy, as if all the water in the world was pouring down to destroy this place. His breath was filled with moisture, and Xu Qiaochuan felt as if he were drowning. His heart rate slowed, and his body felt weak. He rested against the wall and eventually drifted off to sleep.

He woke up with a start. Not much time had passed. It was just that his consciousness had sunk into a very deep place, making the moment he closed his eyes feel long.

Dialing the number again, Xu Qiaochuan stared blankly at the rainwater flowing across the ground. The phone wasn’t held close to his ear, and the ringing was indistinct. Listening to the regular, pleasant music, he calmed down and lost all expectation, no longer waiting for a response.

But the ringing stopped abruptly, the music vanishing completely. He thought even this small comfort of sound was being stripped away, and Xu Qiaochuan’s breath hitched.

The voice on the other end said, “Hello, I am Chen Zongqian…”

Xu Qiaochuan didn’t speak, forgetting the purpose of dialing this number. He had never imagined a conversation with Chen Zongqian; his mind was completely blank. If tears could speak, Xu Qiaochuan would surely not be at a loss for words.

“May I ask what the matter is?” The voice was gentle and strong. Xu Qiaochuan felt ridiculous; he had promised himself not to bother him again.

Guantang Village was small, the old city district was small, and the school was small. Xu Qiaochuan was trapped in these small places, his life unremarkable, and he had never met such a gentle and patient person. To disturb such a person was truly presumptuous. Guilt filled Xu Qiaochuan’s heart, pouring out with his tears.

He covered his eyes, took a few quick breaths, and managed to find his voice, though all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”

After apologizing, after saying sorry, things would stop here, and it would be alright. Xu Qiaochuan knew that tears wouldn’t flow forever, just as a tropical cyclone wouldn’t stay for anyone; it would blow away and eventually dissipate far off.

But that terrifying shadow had truly existed, and the widespread devastation was undeniable. After the typhoon passed, everything returned to normal, and the clock face of Pingzhou Port continued to turn.

On a workday, Yao Can received a written report terminating legal aid; Lu Xiaoyun’s case was closed.

She took a moment to call and inquire, learning that the aid recipient had applied to terminate legal aid some time ago. Furthermore, that aid recipient had recently died in an accident.

Learning of Lu Xiaoyun’s death, Yao Can was silent for a moment.

She and Lu Xiaoyun were merely passing acquaintances; they wouldn’t have intersected had it not been for this legal aid case. Yao Can only sighed at the impermanence of life and felt no excessive sorrow. With the case ending inconclusively, she had other work to attend to and quickly put the matter out of her mind.

Until one day, leaving the Law Firm as usual, she encountered an unexpected incident.

By the time Chen Zongqian arrived at the Police Station, it was completely dark. Following Yao Can’s message, he heard a lot of chaotic noise in the corridor. Yao Can’s voice was indistinct, drowned out by a hysterical male voice.

“What did you tell her? Why did she die and leave nothing for me?”

“They’re all worthless trash…”

Chen Zongqian pushed the door open and saw a Police Officer restraining a short man. He was pinned down and unable to move, but his mouth wouldn’t stop, spewing vile words.

Yao Can merely watched coldly. Once people arrived from outside, she stopped looking at him entirely. Xu Jian spat, following her gaze to see a man. A helper called in? Xu Jian saw a well-tailored suit, followed by a face etched with displeasure.

He stared at that face, stunned. It bore a slight resemblance to that bastard child.

“This already constitutes provoking trouble. Instead of asking how to get money, prepare to pay a fine first,” Yao Can sneered. Based on appearance, she perfectly fit the public stereotype of a female lawyer—calm, sharp, and always a beautiful, elite professional.

But the reality was different; Chen Zongqian’s WeChat was filled with her frantic messages.

After work, she hadn’t immediately hailed a taxi, stopping at a bakery to buy a bag of scones for dinner. After only a few steps, she felt someone following her. Yao Can was terrified inside but maintained her composure. She quickened her pace toward the bakery, but the person quickly caught up.

Fortunately, this was a commercial street, and the city of Pingzhou Port never slept. Soon, kind passersby came to help her. The person was indeed targeting her, and Yao Can called the police.

Chen Zongqian exchanged a few words with Yao Can. Seeing that she was fine, he turned to the man.

Years of smoking and heavy drinking had caused lung and bronchial damage, making his breathing labored and his voice hoarse and unpleasant when he spoke. His lips protruded slightly, his cheeks were sunken, and his face was gaunt, with only a yellowish-brown skin stretched over the bones.

Chen Zongqian found him somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall where he had seen him. It was Yao Can who reminded him: this was the same person who caused trouble at the Garment Factory that time.

This was Lu Xiaoyun’s husband, and Xu Qiaochuan’s father.

Chen Zongqian remembered the cold-tempered young man. Indeed, as Yao Can said, he looked nothing like Xu Jian.

“Why must you involve others in your family matters?” Chen Zongqian’s tone was icy. When his imposing demeanor pressed down, Xu Jian hesitated before speaking.

The Police Officer was trying to counsel Xu Jian, but the man simply wouldn’t listen.

“You’re the worthless ones! Poking your noses into everything,” Xu Jian retorted, staring straight at Chen Zongqian.

After much effort, the two finally understood the whole story. Lu Xiaoyun had worked at the Garment Factory for years, saving tens of thousands of yuan through frugality. Now that she was dead, Xu Jian reasoned that they were still husband and wife, not yet divorced. Since a dead person didn’t need money, Lu Xiaoyun should have left everything to him.

Lu Xiaoyun and Xu Jian had a troubled relationship and had been separated for several years due to emotional breakdown. She could have filed for divorce but hadn’t for personal reasons. Now that she had passed away, the distribution of her estate had become a significant problem.

According to the first order of inheritance—spouse, children, parents—the assets should be divided this way. However, Lu Xiaoyun did not want to leave Xu Jian a single cent.

Yao Can frowned. Lu Xiaoyun had indeed discussed this with her. But Lu Xiaoyun’s fall was purely accidental, and she had not made a will beforehand.

“She listened to you! She wanted to leave all the money to that bastard!” Xu Jian grew angrier the more he thought about it. He had no affection left for Lu Xiaoyun. He had called Lu Xiaoyun that day, and they had argued fiercely. Lu Xiaoyun had angrily declared that even if she died, she wouldn’t leave him a penny.

Chen Zongqian recalled Xu Qiaochuan suffering bullying at school, enduring such pain without confiding in his family. The family harbored deep malice toward Xu Qiaochuan, and that vicious term must have been like a sharp knife piercing the boy. Feeling irritated and heavy-hearted, Chen Zongqian couldn’t help but reprimand Xu Jian.

“That worthless person, that bastard child picked up from who knows where, is he even fit to divide my money?” Xu Jian’s face was full of disgust, scoffing at the notion of kinship. Looking at Chen Zongqian, he subconsciously added, “He looks so much like you, could he be from your family?”