Free Web NovelChapter 260: Chapter 260: The Court Hearing
Tang Yuanxiao knelt rigidly before Mrs. Tang.
Across from him, Mrs. Tang knelt on the floor, trembling, and didn’t speak for a long while.
The hospital room was deathly silent.
Mrs. Tang’s murky eyes were fixed on Tang Yuanxiao, hoping to see the slightest change in him.
But there was none.
Tang Yuanxiao stared straight ahead, his face an icy mask. He had become completely still and withdrawn.
Though they had seen each other for only a few hours, Tang Yuanxiao had changed completely.
He had become a stranger, filling Mrs. Tang with panic and fear.
Throughout her life, Mrs. Tang had always relied on others. When she was young, she relied on her parents. After marrying into the Tang Family, she relied on her husband. After her husband died, she relied on Tang Yuanxiao.
Her husband had been exceptional and able to protect her, so Mrs. Tang had lived a comfortable life.
After her husband died, her son grew up and also became exceptional. Compared to her husband, the son she had given birth to and raised was an even greater source of security.
With Tang Yuanxiao as her backer, Mrs. Tang felt she had the confidence to do anything.
Whether it was dealing with Su Li or Tang Mo, deep down, she had never truly been afraid.
This was especially true after she had attacked Su Li and that man, and Tang Yuanxiao had gotten her out of the police station.
She might have been scared, but she always had a well of confidence in her heart.
That confidence came from Tang Yuanxiao.
But now, from the moment Tang Yuanxiao knelt before her, Mrs. Tang could feel that confidence draining away.
A chill crept into Mrs. Tang’s heart, growing colder and colder.
"Tangyuan, Mom is really going to die. I’m really going to die."
She stared at Tang Yuanxiao. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll die? Tangyuan, aren’t you afraid Mom will just die like this?"
Tang Yuanxiao nodded. "I am afraid."
"If you were to go like this, I would never find peace. I’d live the rest of my life consumed by guilt and self-blame."
"Then why are you... why are you still..." Mrs. Tang gritted her teeth.
Tang Yuanxiao looked at his mother and spoke slowly. "Mom, you said you’d hang yourself. I believe you’re telling the truth, and you can certainly do it."
"If you really hang yourself, no one will be able to do anything about it. All you need is to be cruel enough to make your only son live the next half of his life in agony."
"But as long as you don’t actually die, nothing you do will matter. What’s coming will come."
Before Mrs. Tang could speak, Tang Yuanxiao continued.
"Mom, for your sake, I went and begged Su Li. I told her about your poor health, that you couldn’t handle any shocks..."
"I spoke up for you... but only later did I realize how selfish and ridiculous I was."
Tang Yuanxiao looked at his mother with a sorrowful smile. "You’re my mother. I should have been the one to handle these things, to think them through myself, but I never did." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"I selfishly pushed these problems onto Su Li, onto others. I used your life to threaten them, to make them forgive you..."
Tang Yuanxiao smiled, but it looked worse than crying.
"Mom, it’s only today that I’ve realized how ugly and unrecognizable I’ve become."
’How was he any different from his mother?’
"Tangyuan, what are you talking about..." Mrs. Tang looked at her son, a growing panic seizing her heart.
"Mom, both of us need to face up to the terrible mistake you’ve made."
Tang Yuanxiao suddenly stood up. He stared directly at Mrs. Tang and walked toward her, step by step.
"Because you’re my mom, I repeatedly refused to confront or even enabled your behavior. I refused to see or think about the consequences."
"But now, I have to be clear-headed. I have to face the things you’ve done, the mistakes you’ve made. Let’s go, Mom."
Mrs. Tang violently shook off Tang Yuanxiao’s hand. "Go? Go where?"
"Home. To meet with the people from the court." Tang Yuanxiao stepped forward again, his movements gentle yet firm as he took hold of his mother’s arm.
"You need to know, to clearly understand what you’ve done. You have to pay the price for your actions."
No matter how much Mrs. Tang begged, Tang Yuanxiao still took her home.
That evening, a middle-aged woman moved into the Tang Family home, staying in what used to be Little Tang Mo’s room.
"This is a doctor I’ve hired, Mom. For the time being, I’m having her stay with you around the clock, especially when you’re meeting with people from the court or going to the courthouse."
That was what Tang Yuanxiao told his mother.
"The moment your condition falters, she’ll be there to save you. I will do my utmost to ensure your physical well-being and safety."
’This was what he, Tang Yuanxiao, was supposed to do.’
Mrs. Tang was completely stunned. Her body swayed twice before she managed to steady herself.
"You’re dead set on wanting Mom to die... Hiring a doctor to follow me around... This... how much money will this cost?"
"It certainly does cost a lot of money, but this is the only thing I can do. You’re my mother. So, even if it means spending every last penny, even if it means going into debt, I won’t hesitate." frёeωebɳovel.com
Mrs. Tang was so furious she fainted on the spot.
The newly hired doctor was very professional, immediately opening her medical kit to resuscitate her.
Mrs. Tang was quickly revived.
Upon waking, Mrs. Tang looked at the doctor and closed her eyes in despair.
’The little bit of money my Tangyuan worked himself to the bone for is being spent just like this... just like this...’
The family’s savings... it wasn’t so much money as it was Tangyuan’s own flesh and blood. And here she was, drinking his blood and eating his flesh.
If Mrs. Tang had previously felt a small sense of relief about her high blood pressure, hoping it would stop Su Li from pressing charges, all that remained now was despair.
Tang Yuanxiao refused to let the doctor leave, and so the money kept draining away, day after day...
’No, no... I can’t let Tangyuan go back to living in poverty. I can’t... He finally managed to build a decent life for himself. I can’t be the one to squander it all...’
From that day on, Mrs. Tang desperately tried to control her emotions, doing everything she could to avoid getting so agitated that she fainted and fell into a critical state.
She didn’t dare get sick, and she certainly didn’t dare to die.
’If I leave after draining Tangyuan of his flesh and blood, after spending all his money, how will he survive?’
From this point on, the court’s investigation officially got underway.
Two days later, after a preliminary review, the case against Mrs. Tang for child abuse and attempted murder was formally filed.
A court summons was also quickly delivered into Mrs. Tang’s hands.
Besides Mrs. Tang, many people in the family courtyard received notices to appear as witnesses.
Many people had witnessed Little Tang Mo’s abuse back then, and Mrs. Tang’s later behavior had been seen by Aunt Chang, the supervisor, and her sister-in-law.
Recently, because of Mrs. Tang’s situation, the family courtyard had been much quieter than usual.
The Tang Family had become someone everyone avoided. After receiving the notices, more and more people began gathering in groups to talk.
They were all discussing whether or not to testify. Of course, many were also reflecting on whether they themselves had done anything wrong in the past.
Because of this whole affair, life for the children in the family courtyard improved considerably. The number of beatings and scoldings they received dropped dramatically.
In a situation like Mrs. Tang’s, most families would have handled it privately. She was the legal grandmother, after all. So despite their hatred, the matter would usually be settled out of court.
Taking it to court with a formal lawsuit was rare, which was why everyone was talking about it so much.
Likewise, the court was paying close attention to this simple yet somewhat unusual case, and was diligently processing it as quickly as possible.
Tang Yuanxiao did his duty by hiring a lawyer for his mother and preparing a statement of defense.
Amidst all the turmoil, as Mrs. Tang’s fear grew with each passing day, the date for the official court hearing quickly arrived.
