The villagers saw a female ghost’s head crying against the tombstone, so who was this female ghost?
Xiao Liu continued on the phone. “The Wu Family has three children, Wu Jianguo, Wu Xiufen, and Wu Xiufang. All 3 of them spent their childhood at the workshop, so they grew up to inherit their father’s job. The boy helped with the baking and the girls with the coloring.”
I asked. “And then what happened?”
Xiao Liu answered, “And then they got married. Even after marriage, the family continued to work at the workshop. Back then, the workshop was still turning a profit. However, Ol’ Wu’s body was getting weaker by the days. He had to hand the workshop over to the next generation. Back then, the culture was to favor the boys over the girls.”
I frowned and pulled on my hair. “You’re not telling me that is the reason why Wu Xiufang had killed herself?”
Xiao Liu answered, “It was. Based on what Wu Jianguo said when his father was bedridden, he called all three of his children to his bedside to tell them about Moulin Rouge. The workshop was going to be inherited by the son. Such was the culture at the time.”
“I understand.” This was several decades ago. People still favored males over females, and it was very common for sons to take up the father’s business. Girls were married out from the family instead. Thankfully that thought had changed today.
Xiao Liu sighed. “The old man handed the workshop to his son when he was still alive and gave each of his daughters several thousand each. This was 40 years ago. Several thousand was a lot of money already. Even though the son had gotten the best share, the old man had already done his best by his daughters.”
“But his daughter committed suicide due to the unfair inheritance?” To be honest, this was far more common in real life than one would realize.
“A common story, or at least that is what Wu Jianguo told me.” Xiao Liu continued, “At the time, Wu Xiufen accepted the arrangement, but Wu Xiufang quit. She said she was given too little money. She demanded that her father sell the workshop and then share the earnings equally among the three.”
This was rather fair. I could agree with Wu Xiufang. “I can’t say she was wrong.” I said.
“Yes.” Xiao Liu tutted. “In today’s day and age, perhaps people would agree with Wu Xiufang, but for the people back then, this was an act of great immorality and lack of filialness.” Xiao Liu paused. “Thus, the tension persisted. The family had no mood to work because of this issue. Eventually, the workers left due to a lack of management. The workshop was Ol’ Wu’s whole life, and he didn’t have the heart to sell it. He offered Wu Xiufang 10000 RMB. That was a lot of money back then, but Wu Xiufang still refused. Finally, one day,” Xiao Liu sounded sad, “Wu Xiufang started to threaten to commit suicide for the inheritance. She got into a huge argument with her brother and sister. A good workshop collapsed, and the three biological siblings became strangers. When Wu Xiufang threatened to kill herself, the father suddenly collapsed. Wu Jianguo and Wu Xiufen immediately rushed to save their father. They used everything they could, but they couldn’t save their father. According to rumors, the old father was glaring at his three children when he died.” Xiao Liu said slowly. “They both knew that their father died from pure anger. When they walked out, they discovered Wu Xiufang also had died from hanging herself.”
I asked, “Just like that?”
Xiao Liu said, “Yes. When Wu Xiufang threatened to commit suicide, her brother and sister were trying to save their father. Wu Xiufang didn’t really want to die. She was just scaring her father. But she slipped and hanged herself.” Xiao Liu sighed. “The noose pressed against her air pipe, and she couldn’t make any sound. Furthermore, Wu Jianguo and Wu Xiufen were focused on their father. No one knew Wu Xiufang was dying. Just like that, two people died and there was nothing else to fight for. In the end, Wu Jianguo inherited the workshop, and Wu Xiufen took the 30000 and moved away. From then on, the two hadn’t seen each other again. Wu Xiufen left behind her husband and children and left. No one knew where she had disappeared to.”
I sighed. I had no idea Moulin Rouge Workshop had such a sad story behind it.
“After Wu Xiufang died, Wu Xiufen and Wu Jianguo found out Wu Xiufang and her husband had a child already, but the child was born deformed, so she didn’t tell anyone about it. Even Wu Xiufang’s biological brother and sister didn’t know Wu Xiufang had a son. When Wu Xiufang died, the son was already five.”
“A deformed son?” I asked, “There are many forms of deformity. What form is he?”
Xiao Liu answered, “Wu Jianguo said he only saw the son once from afar during Wu Xiufang’s burial. He didn’t see too clearly, and he hadn’t seen the son again. Wu Jianguo and his sister regretted it later because when they were going through Wu Xiufang’s effect, they realized she needed so much money to cure her son’s deformity.” Xiao Liu sighed with regret. “Wu Xiufang was stubborn since she was young. She would never show her weakness to others. Because of that personality, Wu Xiufang didn’t allow her 5-year-old son to leave home and to tell her family the truth, or else I believe her father and siblings would have given her the money.”
I didn’t know how to feel after hearing that story, but something just didn’t sit right with me.
“Their mother died young, and now their father and little sister died.” Xiao Liu resumed, “Neither of the siblings had the intention of running the workshop anymore. The family story also spread around Wang Hu Village. The two of them moved away and never saw each other again. But Wu Jianguo said he wanted to meet his sister. He wishes to talk to her.” Xiao Liu uttered softly, “Wu Jianguo is ailing. He just wants to see his family one last time before he passes away.”
I revealed, “I’m afraid he won’t have that opportunity anymore. Just a few hours ago, Wu Xiufen was killed.”
“Wu Xiufen is dead?” Xiao Liu gasped.
I said, “Yes. By the way, have you asked Wu Jianguo about the 12 bowls? You found out about the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs from Wu Xiufen and thus confirmed the killer’s next target was Wu Jianguo’s family because their signs correspond to chicken, dog, and pig.”
Xiao Liu was silent. “You found that out as well? That was indeed the basis of my speculation. I did ask Wu Jianguo about that. He said that the set of bowls was actually a present from Wu Xiufen to Wu Xiufang. Wu Xiufen had no idea that Wu Xiufang already had a son, so she made the set of zodiac bowls for Wu Xiufang’s future children. I hear that Wu Xiufang cherished the set of bowls a lot.” Xiao Liu concluded, “But after Wu Xiufang’s death, her husband didn’t take anything and left with their son. The workshop closed, so the 12 bowls and the other bowls were all given away. It is hard to tell who had taken the bowls.”
A thought appeared in my mind. Perhaps the killer wasn’t killing according to the bowls, but he was going after people who had the bowls. Sister Mary said that someone was purchasing these bowls online, but she couldn’t pinpoint the buyer’s information. The killer was very good with computers so the killer could be the buyer! The victims were people who once sold the bowls to the killer, and that was how they were connected.
A deformed son, a set of 12 bowls favored by his mother, everything was coming into place.
I said, “Xiao Liu, did you know that Wu Xiufen was married to Xing Dong Village? The man she married was not long for this earth. Perhaps she married him not because she loved him but because she needed a new identity.”
Xiao Liu gasped, “You have a point! Wu Xiufen’s husband and children suspected Wu Xiufen was already dead.”
“Look into Wu Xiufen’s husband and son!” I said, “Wu Xiufen had lied to both of us, and the story you heard was from Wu Jianguo alone. It needs verification. Also, we need to find Wu Xiufang’s husband and son…”
At that moment, another call came on my phone. It was Mary. I said goodbye to Xiao Liu and switched to answer Mary’s call.
“The 4th story has been uploaded.”
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