Free Web NovelChapter 319: Chapter 319: A Relapse
Tang Yuanxiao didn’t see Mrs. Tang. Instead, he met with a prison guard.
Mrs. Tang had injured someone in prison. She was currently being punished in a solitary cell and was forbidden from having visitors.
"How could my mother have hurt someone? Who did she hurt? Is it serious?"
Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t believe it.
He had only been gone for a month to participate in the selection. Before he left, he had even spoken with Mrs. Tang, telling her to behave. Why had things turned out like this upon his return?
The prison guard shook his head, a helpless expression on his face.
"I’m meeting with you today because I wanted to ask about Tang Guihua’s situation. Does she have sadistic tendencies? The kind where she stuffs things into people’s mouths?"
Tang Yuanxiao froze.
"She stuffed something into someone’s mouth again?"
The prison guard nodded. "Yes. It almost turned into a major incident."
Imprisonment here was focused on reform through labor, so inmates did all sorts of jobs, depending on the facility.
Mrs. Tang was in a women’s prison, and since there was a large vegetable patch out back, their duties included farming.
Mrs. Tang’s situation in prison was not good. She had major conflicts with her cellmates. When they were outside tilling the land, a fight broke out for some reason.
After hitting the person with a hoe, she had frantically started stuffing dirt into their mouth.
By the time the guards rushed over, she had already crammed a lot in, and the victim nearly suffocated to death.
The person was fine after being resuscitated, but Mrs. Tang was put in solitary confinement.
It was one of those narrow, pitch-black cells, completely cut off from daylight.
By the time Tang Yuanxiao arrived, Mrs. Tang had already been locked in there for five days.
Those who have never been confined like that don’t know how terrible it is. Those who have, never want to go back.
You lose all sense of time, cut off from the light of day. There’s no one to talk to, just you in that cramped, pitch-black room.
Other than someone delivering her daily meals, no one paid her any mind or spoke to her.
One or two days might be tolerable, but after three, it’s enough to drive a person mad.
Many inmates didn’t get along with their cellmates, but no matter how bad the relationship was, none of them ever wanted to be sent back to that place after being confined there.
"Based on the information from before her imprisonment, plus this recent incident, we wanted to confirm with you: does Tang Guihua have this particular proclivity?"
Tang Yuanxiao was stunned for a long moment, then carefully searched his memory.
"She never did before. I don’t know what’s suddenly gotten into her."
The prison guard said, "Think about it carefully. Because if she continues like this, it’s very dangerous."
Many things shouldn’t be ingested. A moment of carelessness could cost someone their life.
Tang Yuanxiao thought hard, but he couldn’t come up with any explanation.
Seeing his expression, the prison guard didn’t press further. "Let’s leave it at that for today. Tang Guihua can come out in two days. If you have time, you can come back then."
Tang Yuanxiao nodded. "Alright, thank you."
He took his leave of the guard. Outside, he looked up at the sky, feeling nothing but powerless.
He had endured the selection process, where every long minute had been an ordeal. The first thing he did was come to visit Mrs. Tang. He had planned to talk to her, give her some hope, and say a proper goodbye.
But he hadn’t even been able to see her.
The grueling selection was over. As long as he made it back alive from the hellish training, the two promotions Tang Yuanxiao had been passed over for were now set in stone.
And as long as he didn’t make any mistakes from here on out, his career would go far.
He wanted to show Mrs. Tang that there was hope, but instead...
With a heavy heart, Tang Yuanxiao left the prison, mulling over the guard’s words the entire way.
When he returned to the family compound, Tang Yuanxiao’s face darkened.
Because Qin Shanshan had appeared before him again, haunting him like a ghost that wouldn’t leave.
"Brother Tang, you’re finally back! You had me worried sick. Are you hurt?"
His face grim, Tang Yuanxiao unceremoniously shooed Qin Shanshan away and went to the cafeteria to eat, only to run into Yang Xiangyun.
After she had revealed her feelings, even though Tang Yuanxiao had tried his best to set things straight, Yang Xiangyun remained firm in her conviction.
She had been watching the chaos unfolding in the Tang Family, wanting to do something but feeling powerless.
Then Qin Shanshan had shown up. Yang Xiangyun considered herself above competing with Qin Shanshan out of jealousy. She was convinced that, deep down, Tang Yuanxiao had feelings for her.
It was just that his circumstances prevented him from confessing.
Yang Xiangyun wanted to give Tang Yuanxiao a push—to provoke him a little.
Knowing Tang Yuanxiao would be back, Yang Xiangyun had dragged the blind date her family set her up with to the cafeteria, specifically for Tang Yuanxiao to see.
She wanted to make Tang Yuanxiao jealous!
Yang Xiangyun deliberately flaunted her "affection" in front of Tang Yuanxiao, speaking in a soft, delicate voice. Tang Yuanxiao was already annoyed, and listening to her only made him more irritated.
Unable to even eat his meal in peace, Tang Yuanxiao left the cafeteria without finishing his food.
Yang Xiangyun watched Tang Yuanxiao’s retreating back, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
’That must have gotten to him, right? He’ll confess before he leaves, won’t he?’
As soon as Tang Yuanxiao was gone, Yang Xiangyun’s face turned cold. She ignored her blind date, took a few cursory bites of her food, and left.
Her blind date was completely baffled, wondering if he had said something wrong to offend Yang Xiangyun.
The man was genuinely interested in Yang Xiangyun, but unfortunately, all her passion was directed at Tang Yuanxiao.
Tang Yuanxiao’s attention, however, was not on Yang Xiangyun at all.
The matter of the solitary confinement tormented Tang Yuanxiao. Why had his mother started a fight? Why did she do that?
His mind was consumed by these questions.
He returned to his home and saw it covered in dust after a month of being empty. He let out a deep sigh.
When he saw the Orchid by the door, its leaves somewhat withered from a month without water, the bitter taste in his mouth intensified.
He exhaled and immediately watered the Orchid.
"Stay alive..."
It was less an orchid and more a vessel for Tang Yuanxiao’s hopes.
Even if it withered, as long as it was alive, there was hope.
The Orchid was like his relationship with Su Li. Withered or not, as long as it was still alive, he could still see a glimmer of hope.
Tang Yuanxiao gently stroked a leaf, his voice low.
"If you’re still alive when I come back next time..."
A glint of light flashed in Tang Yuanxiao’s deep eyes.
If it could survive for another month or so—as long as it was alive—that was hope.
Tang Yuanxiao took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and cleaned the house.
He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a month, and his body was stretched to its limit.
Though his mind was heavy with worry, Tang Yuanxiao was so exhausted that he quickly fell asleep.
He didn’t know how long he slept, but he started to dream. He dreamt vaguely of his childhood, of going with Mrs. Tang to his grandmother’s house.
The rest of the dream was chaotic. When Tang Yuanxiao jolted awake, it took him a long while to come to his senses.
It wasn’t just a dream; it was a memory from his childhood that he had forgotten.
He dreamt it. He dreamt of his grandmother’s expressionless face as she "dealt with" his cousin.
His grandmother had told his cousin to feed the pigs, but his cousin, craving the tofu the neighbors were making, had run off to eat some.
The pigs escaped from their pen and were nearly lost. His grandmother beat his cousin for it.
"Eat, eat, eat! Is that all you know how to do? Are you a starving ghost reborn?!" his grandmother yelled, grabbing a handful of pig feed and stuffing it into his cousin’s mouth.
Tang Yuanxiao had woken up to the sound of his cousin’s crying and begging for mercy.
