I shook my head. About this, I was also curious! Even though I saw those black shadows, I still wanted to know how those things came. And in my subconscious, I felt that all these had some connection to my child.
Seeing none of us answer, Sister Liu’s expression kept changing: “Mute!”
“Oh my goodness!” Sister Li exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands, her expression extremely shocked.
I asked dumbly, “Who is Mute?”
“You came late, so you don’t know. But she died the most tragic death in our jail!” Sister Liu scooted over to me and continued, “I almost fainted from fright. The fingerprints on Hong Ning is already creepy enough; if they find Mute’s teeth marks on fatty, won’t that be ghosts?”
“When fatty came in, because she really knew how to fight, she soon became the head of the jail. And Mute was the one that was bullied the most, and the one that died most tragically. She actually hid stuff for fatty, and do you know where she hid them?”
I shook my head. Sister Liu turned a little , and pointed to her b.u.t.t: “In her b.u.t.thole! My goodness, only fatty can think of that! At first, Mute pleaded to the prison guard, but she couldn’t talk, and she didn’t dare say fatty was bullying her either. I heard that she kept bleeding down there at the time.”
I couldn’t help staring. I didn’t expect that their were people like this; this was h.e.l.l!
“Not long after, Mute died, but the coroner didn’t find anything in her b.u.t.thole. Everyone said that fatty dug it out! Heard that Mute died because the thing she hid pierced through her intestines.” Sister Liu spoke in a very low voice, but gooseb.u.mps still formed all over my skin.
Because of the things Sister Liu told me, I slept a very fitful sleep. The next morning, when I went to the cafeteria, I found that everyone watched me fearfully and kept as far away as possible. When I sat down, a few people beside immediately stood up and walked away.
“Did you see? It’s her!”
“Goodness! It can’t be true! How can someone control ghosts!”
“What else? The time fatty bullied people can be counted in years. So many people died, and nothing ever happened to her. Yet she just got into that cell for a few days, and fatty died. And Hong Ning, heard the Hong Ning took a liking to her. So except for her, who else could have killed them?”
“Shh! Don’t talk about it anymore. If she hears us, we might die!”
I buried my head, listening to the gossip around me, not saying anything, but slowly eating my food. I could finally eat a good meal! Suddenly, someone sat down across from me. I looked up, and saw it was the weak woman who used to sleep in the bunk across from me.
“My name is Dong Li. When questioned by the warden, I didn’t tell anything!” She said in a small voice while eating her food.
I looked at her in puzzlement. That means that she probably saw something that night, or she wouldn’t have needed to come and explain!
“You saw it, right?” I asked.
She shook her head: “No! I didn’t see anything!” I looked at her in relief. It doesn’t matter what made her not tell the truth, I was still very grateful to her — otherwise I would be in the asylum now.
Even though numerous gazes were fixed on me, I still treasured this time to eat a meal peacefully! The food really wasn’t that good, but at least I didn’t have to go hungry again. Picking up my empty tray, I didn’t say anything, only glancing at her before standing up and leaving. After I stacked my tray, a prison guard came to me and said, “Your case is opening this afternoon! Prepare for it. You will be called out at two o’clock.”
Finally! My case is finally opened.
When I was brought to court, there were very few people, all of them strange faces. I didn’t see anyone I knew, not even Huo Xiaojin! Or anyone from the An family! No one!
In court, the lawyer had witnesses and material evidence, yet I didn’t have any evidence that was helpful towards my case. Even though I cried and told what happened that day, the jurors’ expressions were still indifferent, as if I was only an object.
I was dejected. I knew, that the sentence would definitely be against me. Sure enough, half an hour later, the judge read out the sentence.
“In the case of Mo Xiaoya killing Chen Ningxin, the defendant is hereby accused of 1st degree murder, sentenced to death with one year in jail.” Bang! With the gavel of the judge falling down, I fell back into my seat, my eyes dead, my vision blurred, unable to see anything.
When the prison guards hauled me outside, it was full of noise, lights flashing and blinking.
“Mo Xiaoya, is there anything you want to say?”
“Will you appeal to a higher court?”
“Is the child of Chen Ningxin really Huo Xiaoran’s?”
“……”
Innumerous questions pelted at me. The first time, I looked at them, and smiled dumbly, turning around to the flashing lights and said: “Huo Xiaojin, Yun Li! You better not forget what I look like, because not long after, I will appear in your dreams every day!”
This one sentence made all the reporters excited. Some started shouting, “Does Miss Chen Ningxin’s death have something to do with Miss Yun Li?”
“Is that what you mean?”
But I only replied one sentence at the police car door: “The heavens have eyes!” I was then stuffed into the car. Will I appeal? This is not my question anymore; the question now was, will appealing to a higher court even help me?
When I got back to my cell, I saw a familiar person, Dong Li. She was also moved to this cell. But her face was pale, and Sister Li had offered her bed to her and was caring for her right now.
“Dong Li? What happened?” I asked in a small voice.
Sister Liu shook her head: “The people previously together with fatty made trouble for her. They beat her, wanting her to testify that you killed fatty.”
I looked at her, tears in my eyes, “Why, if so, then just admit it, why take the beating. Anyway, anyway, I’m an almost dead person.”
“Why talk like that! Right, your case is opened, but there’s still some days to the sentence. Don’t be discouraged!” Sister Liu patted my back, but I was dumbfounded.
“They already sentenced me! After one year in prison, death!” My head lowered, I sat on the bed.
“Sentenced?” Sister Liu and Sister Li both looked at me. Even Dong Li, whose face was blue and purple, looked towards me. I was confused by their behavior, until Sister Liu said, “That’s impossible! How could it be so fast? The procedure isn’t right!”
Hearing her say this, a person immediately appeared in my head! Yun Li! It’s her, that hand behind the scenes is her! I shook my head. It must be; who else could have such power? But did she really hate me that much? Making me spend a year of torture in here before killing me!
“Little Mo! We’ve read the newspaper, and although there’s people who say everything, they all mention that you refuse to admit to killing her and say you’re framed. Why don’t you appeal?” Sister Li asked.
I only laughed coldly: “An elaborate set up; is there any use of appealing?”
Seeing the shocked expressions on their faces, I smiled, and said to Dong Li: “In the future, if they bully you again, do as they say. Anyway, I’m almost dead, so just think of it as me doing some last good things before I die.”
My hand moved to my abdomen, darling! Mama is sorry! If there’s a chance, I hope to make it up to you in the next lifetime. Please forgive Mama!
When close to death, people feel that every second is flying by. In jail, there were so many things I wanted to do yet was unable to. If possible, I wanted to tell Yan Bei, that I like him, I like his gentleness and elegance, I like his sunshine smile.
At night, Huo Xiaoran appeared unexpectedly beside my bed. Looking at him, I took out a pen and paper from under my pillow, and wrote, Thank you! I don’t want to appeal anymore! In jail, how can I defeat Yun Li! I’m very sorry I can’t keep my promise!
Before, I had hoped to see Huo Xiaojin or An Qiang in court, that I could maybe beg them to help. But at the end, all I got was nothing. The people I thought were friends before, never appeared once I landed in jail. Were they afraid to be involved? I couldn’t help smiling sadly.
“Don’t be so dejected! Have you forgotten? Our revenge has just begun. I promised you, that everything you’re enduring right now, she will pay for it.” He said coldly, then vanished.
I shook my head. Maybe Huo Xiaoran could kill Yun Li, or torture her, but that still can’t change the fact that I will undergo the death sentence one year from now.
My hand moved to my belly, and I suddenly awoke, one year! One year later, my child would already be born! She will become an orphan!
No! No! I sat up suddenly. How can this happen, my child can’t be so unfortunate since birth! Thinking this, I turned on the bedside lamp and started writing.
I will write down everything, write down all that I endured, including how I got into the Huo family, how I got framed. I will write them all down. For my child, I’ll do anything! I’ll appeal, even if I know I’m facing the Huo family; even if I know the success of my appeal was close to zero; even if I use the most shameless means, I will prove I’m innocent!
Yun Li! Just you wait! One year, two years, five years, ten years…… I will catch your tail some day, and I will return all this to you!