Free Web NovelChapter 261: Chapter 261: Sentencing
At the courthouse, they took into account that Little Tang Mo would tremble with fear at the sight of Mrs. Tang, which would be psychologically damaging.
Coupled with his young age and fragile state, although Little Tang Mo was brought to the courthouse, he did not attend the hearing.
Su Li attended in his stead.
Little Tang Mo waited in a break room, with Wu Sheng keeping him company.
Little Tang Mo sat quietly, looking at the picture book Su Li had brought for him.
In stark contrast to the quiet break room, the atmosphere in the courtroom was solemn, and the arguments were fierce.
"...In addition to the physical harm inflicted upon the plaintiff, the defendant also caused extreme psychological trauma, rendering him unable to speak..."
"...The defendant is the plaintiff’s grandmother. A slap or a scolding is a normal part of raising a child, and she never intended to actually take her grandson’s life..."
The lawyer Tang Yuanxiao had hired was quite effective. He argued vehemently, insisting the charge of attempted murder was far too severe.
The case itself was contentious, with each side presenting its own version of events.
Mrs. Tang also maintained a cooperative attitude, repeatedly admitting her guilt, expressing remorse, and promising to change her ways.
After two hours, the court announced a temporary recess.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case and for Little Tang Mo’s well-being, the hearing was closed to the public.
The only people in the gallery were the mother-daughter pair, Grandma Cui and Cui Jiaren, along with Tang Yuanxiao and the female doctor he had received special permission to bring with him.
Tang Yuanxiao was too ashamed to face Grandma Cui and Cui Jiaren when he saw them arrive.
After a brief greeting, he remained silent and unnervingly calm for the entire duration.
During the recess, Su Li went to check on Little Tang Mo.
Half an hour later, the court reconvened.
An hour later, the judge officially delivered the verdict.
The facts of Mrs. Tang’s crime were confirmed. The circumstances were deemed heinous and to have caused extreme harm to the plaintiff. Taking the unique aspects of the case into account, and after comprehensive deliberation, she was sentenced to two years in prison.
Mrs. Tang’s legs had been shaking ever since she took her seat in the defendant’s box. She was utterly terrified, unable to utter a single coherent sentence.
She had tried to prepare herself mentally, but she was still horrified when she heard the judge’s sentence: two years in prison.
And she was terrified.
She hadn’t gotten off lucky. It wasn’t ten days, half a month, or even a full month. It was two years.
Two years!
Two years in prison!
As the judge’s gavel struck for the first time, she seemed to jolt, as if startled awake, and let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Tangyuan, save me! Tangyuan..."
She screamed, unable to stand, and crumpled to the floor.
"Tangyuan, Mom doesn’t want to go to prison..."
The judge and the other court officials glanced at Mrs. Tang, shook their heads, and left one by one.
Mrs. Tang’s mournful wails echoed through the courtroom. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Su Li, who was sitting opposite her, watched the scene, closed her eyes, and slowly let out a long breath.
She felt a sense of satisfaction, of hatred, but also of helplessness and resignation.
Mrs. Tang’s eyes were filled with terror. It was only in this moment, the moment she was truly sentenced, that she seemed to finally awaken to her reality.
She finally and completely understood how horrifying her actions were, how utterly wrong she had been.
"I was wrong! I was wrong, I was truly wrong! I will never, ever do it again, please, spare me..."
Mrs. Tang lay sprawled on the floor, kowtowing repeatedly toward the departing judge.
Tang Yuanxiao came forward and crouched down to help his mother.
"Mom..."
"Tangyuan, Mom was really wrong, I really know I was wrong now! Can you save me? I can’t go to prison, I’m too scared to go to prison!"
"I was wrong, I was so wrong! I never, ever should have treated Little Mo like that! Can’t I just change my ways and atone for my sins?"
Mrs. Tang raised her hand and began to slap her own face, hitting herself with loud, forceful smacks. SLAP! SLAP!
"I’ll slap myself! I’ll do to myself double what I did to Momo! I’ll atone for my sins, okay?"
Mrs. Tang struggled, grabbing for the pens and papers on the table and trying to shove them into her mouth. "I was wrong, I was so wrong..."
The veins on Tang Yuanxiao’s forehead throbbed. He rushed to stop her. "Mom, stop this."
"Tangyuan, I really know I was wrong now, I really do... Momo can’t speak, so I won’t speak for the rest of my life! I swear!"
She grabbed Tang Yuanxiao’s hand. "I’ll slave away for the rest of my life to atone, how about that? Tangyuan, as long as I don’t have to go to prison, I’ll do anything."
"I really know I was wrong now! I’ll never do it again, okay?"
This time, Mrs. Tang was truly terrified beyond measure.
Tang Yuanxiao looked at his mother’s state, then glanced at his lawyer, who had backed away looking awkward and helpless. His heart ached unbearably.
"Mom, please stop." He moved forward, half-supporting, half-lifting her.
"Let’s go..."
As Tang Yuanxiao lifted her, Mrs. Tang caught sight of Su Li, who was standing up to leave. Her eyes suddenly lit up.
She wrenched herself from Tang Yuanxiao’s grasp and scrambled on her hands and knees toward Su Li.
"Su Li, I’m kneeling before you! I know I was wrong, please, spare me!"
As she spoke, she began kowtowing to Su Li, her forehead hitting the floor with a THUD, THUD.
Su Li sidestepped her kowtow, closing her eyes and gripping a table to steady herself.
"You shouldn’t be apologizing to me. You should be apologizing to Little Mo."
She watched Mrs. Tang’s wretched display, saw the red mark instantly bloom on her forehead, and a single thought flashed through her mind.
’If you knew it would come to this, why did you ever do it in the first place?’
"I know I failed Momo! Let me see him! I’ll kowtow to him, I’ll apologize! I deserve to die! I shouldn’t have treated him like that!"
Mrs. Tang said immediately, wringing her hands as she pleaded with Su Li.
"Mom, get up! Stop this!" Tang Yuanxiao’s body was trembling, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
He felt like he could barely breathe. He went to pull his mother up. "Mom, it’s no use! It’s all useless now!"
The sentence had already been passed. What was the use of saying all this?
As if in response to Tang Yuanxiao’s words, uniformed officers arrived to take Mrs. Tang to the women’s prison where she would serve her sentence.
"No! No! I don’t want to go! I won’t go!"
Mrs. Tang was horrified, not far from a complete mental breakdown.
"I don’t want to go to prison! This isn’t real, it’s not real..."
Mrs. Tang tried to flee, to hide, but she was quickly apprehended. Due to her lack of cooperation, they had no choice but to handcuff her.
"No, no, no..." As the handcuffs clicked shut, Mrs. Tang completely collapsed.
"I was wrong! I was so wrong! I deserve to die! Please don’t take me away..."
She screamed and tried to run, but she had no strength left.
The officers, exasperated, moved forward to pull her up, but were hit by a pungent, foul smell.
A glance revealed that Mrs. Tang had been so terrified she had lost control of her bladder.
The stench of urine and feces quickly filled the air.
The two officers, both women, recoiled reflexively, covering their noses.
Mrs. Tang lay in a heap on the floor as urine trickled out from under her.
From that day forward, Mrs. Tang developed a problem with incontinence, losing control whenever she received the slightest fright.
Mrs. Tang was a wretched, filthy mess, only capable of making incoherent sounds.
Watching this, Tang Yuanxiao himself was not far from breaking down.
Su Li looked at the chaotic scene, closed her eyes, and turned to leave.
Mrs. Tang’s wretched screams followed her, echoing in her ears like a persistent shadow.
Su Li clenched her fists and quickened her pace, hurrying back to the break room.
She closed the door and leaned against it for a moment before walking slowly over to Little Tang Mo and pulling him into her arms. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
’Little Mo, Mommy has finally gotten revenge for you, and for myself.’
