Chapter 9
Edward Quan ·
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I know that.” His voice was calm, but something strained beneath it. “I called to tell you something.”
“Go ahead.”
“Your mother came to the hospital today.”
“What did she want?”
“She came to discuss compensation. Said she was willing to sell the house back in the village and pay us. But she had a condition.”
I said nothing.
“She wanted me to withdraw the case. Change my statement. Say my father fell on his own, that he wasn’t hit by a car.”
Outside, a child wobbled along on a bicycle below my window. An adult ran close behind.
“What did you say?”
“I ignored her. My wife nearly hit her. I held her back.”
“Mr. Fang—”
“Ms. Zhao, I’ve checked. Your brother’s case is now being investigated as intentional homicide. Even if I wanted to withdraw it, I couldn’t. It’s a criminal prosecution brought by the state. Your mother doesn’t understand the law. She thinks money can make a death go away.”
“It’s not that she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t care.”
He was silent for a few seconds.
“I just wanted you to know. She may go around trying to raise the compensation money. She might come to you. Be prepared.”
“Thank you.”
I hung up.
I stood by the window without moving.
The child fell, sprawled on the ground, and cried. The adult hurried over, scooped the child up, brushed off the dirt, and offered comfort.
I watched for a while.
Then I closed the curtains.
That afternoon, I went to court.
After hearing my circumstances, the clerk at the filing window told me to fill out a form.
Application for a Personal Protection Order.
Applicant: Zhao Yanqing.
Respondent: Zhao Guiying, mother.
Grounds: The respondent has repeatedly visited the applicant’s residence to exert pressure and harass her; colluded with others to frame the applicant; and incited others to demand compensation from her, seriously disrupting her normal life.
The clerk glanced over the form.
“You’re sure you want to name your mother as the respondent?”
“Yes.”
“All right. If the paperwork is complete, a decision will be issued within three working days.”
I stood on the steps outside the courthouse.
The phone rang.
My mother again.
I answered.
For the last time.
“Yanqing, come back to the village. Let’s sit down and talk about your brother. I won’t force you this time.”
“I went to court today.”
She stopped.
“I’ve applied for a personal protection order. From now on, you’re not allowed to come to my home, harass me by phone, or send anyone to find me. If you violate it, the court will take action.”
A long silence.
“You want to cut ties with your mother?”
“I’m not the one who cut them. That happened when I went out to work at sixteen and you took my first month’s wages. Today I’m just making it official.”
“Zhao Yanqing, I carried you for nine months—”
“You carried two children. You raised one. The other raised herself.”
“You—”
“The law will deal with Yanwen’s case. He’s responsible for what he did. However much money you spend, whichever house you sell, whoever you beg, it won’t help. It’s a public prosecution. The victim’s family can’t withdraw it. Even if they could, it wouldn’t change anything. Go and look up what a public prosecution means.”
She began to cry.
“As for you: the fake license, the fabricated evidence, encouraging false accusations. The police are investigating all of it. You’d better find a lawyer yourself.”
The crying turned to curses.
“How did I give birth to such an ungrateful little—”
“You didn’t give birth to me. You gave birth to a tool for getting Zhao Yanwen out of trouble. Well, the tool’s broken today.”
I hung up.
Opened my contacts and found “Mom.”
Deleted it.
Opened WeChat and found her profile picture.
Deleted her.
Scrolled down to my brother, my sister-in-law, my eldest aunt, my older cousin.
One by one, I deleted them all.
More than half my contacts vanished.
I could count the names left on my fingers.
Mr. Zhou from property management. Ms. Zhang from the grocery store. A few coworkers.
The phone felt lighter.
So did I.
Three months later.
The verdict in Zhao Yanwen’s case was handed down.