Chapter 32: Reversal! Decisive Ironclad Evidence!

Lawyer: Starting with Legal Revenge Against Infidelity!

Lijia Village.

This was an extremely desolate and backward place. Lin Yue had already mentally prepared herself before coming here.

But she never expected it to be this desolate!

It was ten-thirty at night.

The entire cluster of houses in Lijia Village, situated halfway up the mountain, showed not a single glimmer of light. It felt like a lone grave or an abandoned temple in the deep mountains and ancient forests, exuding a chilling eeriness.

"Is there no electricity here?" Lin Yue stepped out of the car, her brows furrowing as she looked into the distance.

Wang Chao also got out. He stepped onto the uneven dirt road and stamped his foot a few times.

"Not even a paved road?"

A complete power grid and paved roads connecting every village were mandatory grassroots infrastructure plans of the Dongguo government.

Then, Wang Mei broke her silence from the back seat.

"Someone connected the electricity at first."

"But people kept cutting the wires to sell them. After this happened time and time again, the power company had no choice but to temporarily bypass Lijia Village."

"As for the road... no one was willing to chip in when they tried to raise funds. Even when the village secretary tried to pay out of his own pocket, people caused trouble for the construction crew."

Hearing this, Lin Yue and Wang Chao were at a loss for words. They could only look at the distant buildings and sigh.

Xu De, however, had no time to worry about such things. After getting out of the car, he said directly, "Ms. Wang, just wait in the car."

"Lawyer Lin, Wang Chao, let''s go bring the child back."

"Time waits for no one. We need to return within half an hour."

Checking his watch, he took the lead and walked toward Lijia Village.

Wang Chao and Lin Yue hurriedly followed.

There was a reason they didn''t let Wang Mei come along.

She had lived here for ten years. Even though she was imprisoned, ninety percent of the villagers still recognized her.

With Li Youcai and Liu Cui away from the village, if Wang Mei sneaked back in the dead of night... anyone with half a brain could figure out what she was here for. It would very likely trigger an unnecessary conflict!

If Xu De and his team were discovered... it would arouse suspicion, but as long as they weren''t caught red-handed, there wouldn''t be a direct confrontation!

With these thoughts in mind, Xu De stepped into Lijia Village.

Tire tracks from the police minibus last time still remained on the ground. Not far away was a patch of dried brown stains, marking the spot where Li Erniu had died.

He looked around, confirmed the direction, and carefully made his way forward.

On the way, Wang Chao couldn''t hold back.

"Hey, Lawyer Xu, do you know where the kid is?"

Wang Chao was truly excited. He felt hot all over, his blood boiling. Looking at Xu De blending into the darkness ahead, he couldn''t help but lower his voice to ask.

Without turning his head, Xu De replied, "I asked around before the trial."

"When Li Youcai and Liu Cui stay in the city, they leave the child with a close friend in the village. The location is..."

Hearing this, Wang Chao had a strange look on his face.

What kind of lawyer asks about the whereabouts of the opposing party''s child before a trial?

Shouldn''t he be gathering evidence instead!

But before he could dwell on it, Xu De suddenly stopped in his tracks. Still lost in thought, Wang Chao bumped headfirst into him and stumbled.

"Hey, why did you stop?"

Wang Chao rubbed his head, looked up, and grinned in confusion.

Xu De didn''t answer directly. Instead, his gaze narrowed as he stared intently at the dilapidated mud and straw-roofed house in front of them.

"This is it."

Only then did Wang Chao and Lin Yue notice the house hidden in the dark.

It looked just like the rural earthen houses from the 1980s. The interior consisted of a courtyard surrounded by a few thatched cottages. A thick earthen wall enclosed the perimeter, and the iron gate was tightly shut. Not a single sound could be heard.

Wang Chao leaned against the gate, listened for a long time, and finally turned back.

"No movement. They must be out."

Xu De placed his hand on the front gate. The next second...

With a creak, the gate opened just enough to fit a finger through, but it refused to budge any further. Faintly, they could see a small padlock on the outside that Wang Chao had missed.

"Locked from the outside, and the inner latch isn''t used. They definitely went out. The child should still be inside."

Xu De immediately drew his conclusion.

When adults in rural areas went out, they usually locked their children at home. So just because the door was locked didn''t necessarily mean the child was gone.

"Hey, let me go in and see if I can find the key."

Confirming no one was around, Wang Chao became eager to try.

He looked around, found a good spot, took a few steps back, and broke into a sprint.

Smack! Smack!

He kicked the wall twice in quick succession, vaulted over it, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Watching this scene, Xu De, who usually dominated the courtroom, was somewhat stunned. He instinctively looked at Lin Yue with a hint of hesitation.

"Has Lawyer Wang always been... this agile?"

In such pitch-black darkness, over a wall that was by no means short, he just flipped over like that? Even a professional thief might not have such good moves!

"Don''t ask," Lin Yue sighed, covering her face.

Xu De decided not to pry.

A moment later, a rustling sound came from behind the gate.

Then...

Smack!

A small square peephole on the gate was pushed open from the inside, and a hand reached out.

The hand groped around the gate, quickly finding the lock. After a bit of fiddling...

Click!

The lock sprang open.

With a creak, the gate swung open. Wang Chao stood inside, winking at the two outside.

Xu De was astonished and looked at him in surprise.

"You found the key that fast?"

Wang Chao shook his head. "Nope."

Then, he smirked and opened his palm. Resting in it was... a piece of wire!

"But I found this."

Lockpicking!

Xu De looked at him in shock, staring at this graduate who had tested into a top-tier university.

"Lawyer Xu, you go ahead. Don''t mind me," Wang Chao added quickly, then turned his head to look at where he had vaulted the wall.

Taking large strides, he climbed back over the wall, returned the way he came, and then re-entered through the front gate.

Seeing Xu De and Lin Yue staring at him in a daze from the courtyard, he explained, "When entering someone else''s house, you should use the front door. Jumping the wall is impolite."

Xu De was speechless.

"Such... principles."

Xu De''s lips twitched for a moment before he finally gave a thumbs-up.

"Alright, let''s go find the child."

He took a deep breath and steered the topic back on track. However, this didn''t require much effort, because...

"No need to search," Lin Yue said suddenly. She raised her hand, pointed at the window of one of the rooms, and whispered, "Over there."

The two men looked up toward the window.

In the dark frame of the window... a sturdy little head was pressed against the glass, its bright eyes quietly observing the outside world.

Xu De paused, scanned the surroundings to ensure no one else was there, and stepped forward.

Up close, one large and one small figure stared at each other, sizing one another up.

Xu De hadn''t seen him during his last visit, but the boy''s features bore a seventy percent resemblance to Wang Mei and Wang Qiang. The biological relationship was undeniable.

His name was Li Yang.

He was six years old, wearing somewhat shabby clothes, but his eyes were incredibly clear.

Li Yang didn''t cry or make a fuss. He didn''t even look scared, only deeply curious.

After a few seconds, Xu De looked down at him and asked, "When did you see us?"

Li Yang lifted his chin and replied, "When that man jumped over the wall."

Then, without waiting for Xu De to ask more, Li Yang eagerly started climbing out of the window, extending his arms.

"Let''s go, hurry."

Xu De asked, "Do you know what we do?"

"It''s so late, you''re jumping walls and picking locks, and you''re looking for a kid... It''s so obvious, of course I know. You''re here for me."

"I''ve seen you before. My mom left with you last month..."

Li Yang spoke like a little adult, but then he suddenly lowered his voice to ask.

"Does my mom still cry? Does she get good food to eat? Big brother, can you pass a message to my mom... tell her that as long as she waits for me to grow up, no one will dare to hit her or bully her ever again."

Xu De felt a bit awkward listening to the first half. The description made him sound like a human trafficker.

He didn''t dwell on it. Looking at the boy''s tender face, he said straightforwardly, "Stop asking. Come with me, I''ll take you to your mom."

Li Yang''s eyes lit up, but he hurriedly said, "Wait a minute, I hid a lot of candy. Let me get it for my mom..."

Xu De had no patience to dawdle.

"Leave it. I''ll buy you new ones when we get out of the village!"

He grabbed Li Yang just as the boy was about to turn around, scooped him into his arms, and ran. In a few strides, he left the front gate behind.

Lin Yue followed closely.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Wang Chao, lingering at the door, grumbled as he busied himself, "Lock the door! It''s impolite not to lock the door!"

He hurriedly secured the gate and, after a moment''s thought, tossed the wire back inside through the crack.

Wang Chao wasn''t a party member, but he firmly believed in "not taking a single needle or piece of thread from the masses!"

Only after doing all this did he put his head down and catch up with Xu De and Lin Yue.

...

By now, it was 10:48 PM.

Most of the villagers in Lijia Village were already asleep. Whether on the main roads or the narrow alleys, only lone, unpowered telegraph poles stood on either side. In the darkness, they looked like people standing silently, watching them leave.

The three of them walked briskly. The road was full of potholes, making every step treacherous in the pitch black. They could only rely on luck to navigate.

Xu De almost tripped several times, but managed to stay on his feet.

Lin Yue fell a few times, scraping herself to the point of bleeding, but she didn''t utter a sound, keeping her head down and following closely.

"Haa... haa... haa..."

In the quiet of the night.

On the dead-silent path, their breathing grew more pronounced.

Carrying Li Yang, Xu De looked at the approaching village entrance, his breathing becoming heavier until...

Suddenly.

Xu De''s footsteps faltered. He stopped right at the edge of the village.

Because...

On the side of the village entrance, two figures carrying tools suddenly appeared. They were standing right on the path the three of them had to take, looking visibly startled by their presence.

Just then.

The dark clouds obscuring the bright moon parted, and a stream of pale moonlight illuminated both sides.

It was...

The Lijia Village villagers, the couple entrusted to watch over Li Yang: Li Sheng and Li Li!

They stood at the village entrance with hoes resting on their shoulders, staring at the three of them in shock. Finally, their gazes landed on Li Yang in Xu De''s arms.

"What are you doing!"

Li Sheng''s pupils shrank abruptly. His grip tightened on the mud-stained hoe, eyeing the trio warily.

''Oh no!''

Lin Yue and Wang Chao''s hearts sank.

They had been discovered. Even though they had reached the village entrance and could run, if a conflict broke out... who knew how the incident would be classified!

The two cursed inwardly.

''Damn it, we came hoping not to get caught red-handed... Talk about speaking of the devil!''

Fortunately...

Li Sheng and Li Li hadn''t yet grasped the full situation. They didn''t shout to alert the other villagers, but instead blocked the road like guardian deities, their eyes full of vigilance.

Xu De''s group stayed perfectly still.

The two sides stood deadlocked in the dark night, the howling cold wind the only sound.

Just as everyone was trying to figure out what to do...

Suddenly.

Xu De moved.

He took a deep breath, placed the child on the ground, and with a solemn expression, walked step by step toward the couple.

Li Sheng and Li Li''s hairs stood on end as if sensing danger.

"Stop!" Li Sheng shouted angrily.

Xu De took a few more steps forward.

Li Sheng stepped back half a pace, his muscles tense, staring fiercely at the man as he warned again, "Take one more step and we''ll yell for help!"

Xu De kept advancing until the two sides were almost nose to nose.

He suddenly reached into his coat as if to pull something out.

Li Sheng''s heart raced. Every instinct screamed at him that he was in danger. Just as he was about to shout...

In a flash.

Xu De pulled out what he had reached for. It was...

Under the moonlight, a thick stack of banknotes glowing with a reddish hue appeared in his hand.

Hundred-yuan bills!

A rough estimate suggested there were at least several thousand yuan!

Li Sheng''s movement to call for help halted abruptly, and Li Li beside him also froze.

The scene fell into a stalemate once more, though this time it didn''t last long.

Smack!

Expressionless, Li Sheng accepted the money and handed half of it to Li Li.

Then, the two stepped aside to the edge of the road, turning their backs to the trio, pretending they had seen nothing.

Xu De exhaled a sigh of relief. He immediately gestured behind his back, signaling for the others to hurry.

Lin Yue and Wang Chao clearly hadn''t expected the problem to be solved so quickly, but they didn''t waste a second. They scooped up the child and hurried out.

As they passed by Xu De, he was about to follow them, but suddenly paused. He glanced at Li Sheng and Li Li out of the corner of his eye.

''Three thousand yuan was enough to buy them off... Their moral bottom line is incredibly low...''

His eyes flickered, and the foot he had just raised lowered back down.

All of a sudden, he spoke up.

"Lawyer Wang, what do you think is the most vicious act in rural villages?"

Hearing the noise, Wang Chao slowed his pace. He looked back suspiciously. Although he didn''t understand the purpose of the question, he replied anyway.

"Preying on vulnerable households."

Wang Chao casually elaborated, "Usually, if a family has no children left, or if all the young or middle-aged men die leaving only widows and orphans, or just the elderly, it''s very hard to defend against people preying on vulnerable households."

The moment these words fell, Li Sheng and Li Li, who had been preparing to leave the village entrance, suddenly stiffened.

No children in the family, only the elderly...

The couple''s eyes darted wildly, and their footsteps ground to a halt.

Xu De walked slowly forward, sighing as he spoke.

"Indeed. After all, that''s an entire household''s wealth with virtually no one to guard it. Once someone sets their sights on it, two old people simply can''t hold onto it."

Saying this, he abruptly shifted the topic.

"Take the Wang Qiang case. The parents of the deceased Li Erniu, Li Youcai and Liu Cui, fit the description perfectly."

"Tsk, that family is really something. Their courtyard is twice the size of a normal one, and the land allocated to them is incredibly fertile. You haven''t seen how rich that soil is; you could just scatter seeds and reap a bumper harvest!"

"When Li Erniu was alive, it was fine. But it''s a pity he died..."

Li Erniu had a strong physique and was quite intimidating, but he was dead now, his body long decayed.

The house only had Li Youcai and Liu Cui left. The only child who would grow up to protect it, Li Yang, was currently being taken away, so...

By the roadside, Li Sheng and Li Li''s breathing grew faint. They exchanged a glance, noticing the glint in each other''s eyes.

At this moment, Wang Chao shook his head in disagreement.

"Lawyer Xu, preying on vulnerable households easily leads to murders."

"To be honest, if Li Youcai and Liu Cui got thrown in jail for their crimes, it would be fine. They wouldn''t be able to get out, no one would look after the house, and the property would be up for grabs."

"Even if they got out later, they''d be too old to seek revenge!"

"But the problem is..."

Wang Chao clapped his hands helplessly.

"These two aren''t going to jail."

"If we had even a shred of objective physical evidence, we could legally send them away, but the reality is we have nothing at all..."

It was true.

Li Youcai and Liu Cui weren''t going to jail. The police had absolutely no way of knowing if those two old geezers were involved when Li Erniu bought Wang Mei years ago.

Relying solely on Wang Mei''s testimony wasn''t nearly enough.

Because the people of Lijia Village could speak up for Li Youcai. They could easily claim that Li Erniu forced the two elders to watch over Wang Mei, shifting all the blame onto a dead man, which wouldn''t constitute complicity or a crime.

"What a pity," Xu De sighed deeply, shaking his head.

The two stopped talking and continued walking outward.

Behind them, Li Sheng and Li Li turned around. Staring at their retreating backs, they looked hesitant, opening their mouths only to close them again. Anxiety burned in their chests, and their breathing became increasingly hurried.

Until.

Seeing Xu De''s back about to merge into the shadows...

Li Li could no longer hold back and called out repeatedly to stop him.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Li Youcai and his wife owe us money! Ten years ago, they borrowed a thousand yuan from my mom, and they still haven''t paid it back even after my mom died!"

In the distance, Xu De''s footsteps hesitated slightly, but then resumed. He sighed inwardly.

An economic dispute over an unpaid loan would only be mediated by the court and police. What use was that to him? It was completely useless.

However, just as he thought this, the woman''s shout came again from behind.

"I remember my mom telling me before she died that Li Youcai borrowed the money to buy a daughter-in-law!"

Li Li yelled out, "And that promissory note states clearly in black and white that the money was borrowed to buy a daughter-in-law! There are even signatures and fingerprints on it!"

The moment those words dropped...

Xu De''s footsteps halted.

His usually calm heart now pounded uncontrollably, racing like a beating drum.

He turned around and looked at the anxiously waiting Li Sheng and Li Li, his breathing slightly rushed. After a moment of shock, he asked:

"Are you saying..."

"You have a promissory note for buying a human, complete with an accurate date, and signed and thumb-printed by Li Youcai and Liu Cui!?"