Chapter 61: Daring Proposal

  A month later, apart from the dozen or so suspects who were initially caught, neither the police bureau nor the public security command was able to obtain any information about the murderer.

  In order to keep his own official hat from being removed by the Military Governor's Office, he must crack the case as soon as possible. It would be good to have an explanation for the higher-ups and Commander Wu. The Hankou Police Chief personally interrogated the dozen or so suspects who had been caught. He also used severe punishment on them, forcing them to confess.

  Under intense pressure, two of them finally could not hold on and both confessed that they were the ones who shot Wu Da-cheng at Shun Tian Department Store that day.

  The police chief, in order to crack the case as soon as possible, immediately ordered someone to bring pen and ink, and had them draw a confession. He also made the two men admit that they were accomplices in the crime. The purpose was to rob Wu Dacheng of the money he was carrying on him that day to buy wedding clothes.

  The two men could not withstand the torture and had to follow the police chief's inducement, admitting to the entire process of killing Wu Dacheng. They also signed their names on the confession statement drafted by the police chief.

  The police chief obtained the confession of the offender and immediately reported it to Commander Wu, who was heartbroken over his son's death. Commander Wu then ordered that on the next day, at the West Gate of Hankou, the two murderers would be beheaded in public.

  That morning, people flocked to the west gate after seeing the notice posted at the city gate. Even before the police car arrived for the execution, a large crowd had already gathered there, ready to watch the excitement.

  Although it's not uncommon to see people being killed these days, in 1911, during the Wuchang Uprising, citizens witnessed corpses scattered all over the main streets of the city, with blood flowing like rivers. In recent years, under the rule of warlord Wu Peifu and Hubei military governor Xiao Yaonan, every few days, there would be announcements posted on the west gate of Hankou about the execution of criminals. Every few days, people arrested by the police or the garrison command for committing crimes, or southern rebels, would be paraded to the west gate to be beheaded in public. The severed heads would then be hung from the city gate for several days as a warning to others.

  However, many people still want to see with their own eyes the lively scene of police beheading criminals.

  That day, Li Guoting went to the garrison of the Second Brigade outside the city to deliver a letter from the regiment commander to his fellow villager and also arrived at the West Gate. Coincidentally, the West Gate was executing the two criminals who "killed Wu Dacheng with a gun". Li Guoting felt curious and squeezed into the crowd to watch the excitement.

  Just then, a shout was heard and the two prisoners were brought to the west gate by the bailiffs. At the execution ground, a team of police officers with guns had already been guarding the scene. At this moment, the two "prisoners" suddenly shouted in unison: "Injustice! Injustice! We didn't kill anyone, we are innocent!"

  The onlookers were in an uproar.

  The police chief on the platform at the city gate, seeing this, immediately ordered that the two "criminals" be blindfolded and their mouths stuffed with a ball of old cotton, so they couldn't shout. Then he gave the order to execute them immediately.

  Two ruffians each held up a gleaming, cold ghost-head knife and were about to bring it down when suddenly an old white-haired woman and a young disheveled woman rushed out of the crowd. Crying and shouting "Injustice!", they rushed towards where the police chief was sitting. Before they could reach him, they were pressed to the ground by police rushing over to maintain order.

  "Old master, my son is being wronged! He didn't kill anyone, he didn't kill anyone. I beg of you, great master, to show mercy and not execute my son. I only have this one son. Without a son, how can I live?..." The old woman looked at the police chief in front of her, kowtowing repeatedly while shouting out her grievances.

  "My husband didn't kill anyone, sir. He's a good man. Please have mercy on us." The middle-aged woman also cried out to the police chief.

  The police chief was furious and immediately ordered the police to drive out the two women who had intruded into the execution ground. He shouted loudly at the two executioners, "Carry out the execution! Carry out the execution!"

  Two ghost-headed knives fell at the same time, and as they passed by, two skulls fell to the ground. As the two skulls hit the ground, two jets of bright red blood spurted out from the severed necks, splashing onto the soil beside the corpses.

  The crowd of onlookers suddenly surged forward. Some women covered their faces and wept, turning to run away with their backs to the crowd. Children were frightened by the gruesome scene and cried out, hiding behind adults. But some bold ones, holding white buns in their hands, quickly ran forward to dip them in the blood gushing from the neck and put it in their mouths to eat, saying that eating it could cure illnesses.

  Li Guoting also felt a chill in his heart after watching. He couldn't bear to watch anymore and turned around to leave.

  The police chief was relieved after killing the two "murderers" who killed Wu Dacheng. He immediately ordered someone to hang their heads on the city wall for display. Then he took a car to rush to the garrison headquarters to report his merits to Commander Wu.

  Ma Fei heard this news and was secretly delighted. He immediately went to find Ye Xinyi and told her the news that those two people were beheaded at the west gate this morning.

  Ye Xinyi listened and hugged Ma Fei's neck excitedly, saying: "Great, great. Ma Fei, let's get married."

  "Get married?" Ma Fei was startled, "Xin Yi, are we getting married? Will your father agree to you marrying me?"

  "What's there to agree or disagree about? I'm already pregnant with your child. Look at this belly, if we don't get married, how can I face others in the future?" Ye Xinyi said.

  "Oh my, your belly is so big already. Xīnyí, is this really my child?" Mǎ Fēi said.

  Ye Xinyi listened to Ma Fei's words and became unhappy. She gave Ma Fei a white eye and said, "It's not yours, whose is it? Do you want to shirk responsibility?"

  "No, no. Don't get any ideas. I didn't mean it that way." Ma Fei immediately smiled wryly.

  "What does it mean then?" Ye Xinyi continued to ask.

  "Oh dear, I didn't mean it that way, you've got the wrong idea. Alright, alright, my heart's desire. I'll marry you right away. But what about your father, our team leader? What if he doesn't agree..." Ma Fei hesitated."

  "Oh dear, what's the point of this now? Just go and tell my father that I want to marry you. If he doesn't agree, I'll die in front of him." Ye Xinyi said resolutely.

  The next day, Ma Fei went to Ye Tuanzhang's house as agreed upon by Ye Xinyi, who was waiting in the living room.

  Director Ye had something to attend to and went out. Ye Xinyi and Ma Fei discussed in a low voice, both of them had an idea. They focused on waiting for Director Ye to return home.

  After a while, Captain Ye returned from the garrison headquarters in high spirits. It turned out that although Commander Wu's son had been killed and the two "murderers" had been executed, Commander Wu still remembered Captain Ye's kindness. At the time, he had sent his deputy to ask Captain Ye for his daughter's hand in marriage for his own unworthy son, and was afraid that Captain Ye would not agree. Unexpectedly, Captain Ye agreed readily. Moreover, they even set a date for the wedding. However, this originally satisfactory marriage was ruined by those two murderers. Although his son had been killed, this could not be blamed on Captain Ye. It was just that his son did not have such good fortune.

  To win over Commander Ye, Wu also did a personal favor for Commander Ye. Commander Wu had Commander Ye come over and said that he wanted to submit a report to the Military Governor's Office to promote Commander Ye as Deputy Commander of the Garrison Command.

  So, after Ye Tuanzhang returned home, his face was filled with an inexpressible excitement.

  As soon as he entered the house, he saw Ma Fei and his daughter Ye Xinyi waiting for him in the living room, extremely surprised. As for Ye Xinyi's pregnancy, Captain Ye was unaware of it. He was busy with work all day and had no time to take care of his own spoiled daughter. Even when he saw Ye Xinyi, he was deceived by her clever cover-up and disguise. He had no idea that Ye Xinyi actually had a relationship with Ma Fei and was even pregnant.

  When Ma Fei knelt down in front of him and begged for mercy, asking Captain Ye to marry Yexinyi to him. Captain Ye swept away the excitement when he entered the house, suddenly became furious, immediately stepped forward, stretched out his hand and slapped Ma Fei several times, scolding: "Bastard, bastard! You have eaten leopard's gallbladder! How dare you come to my door to propose? I'll shoot you dead right now. Shoot you dead right now."

  "Captain Ye raised his head and shouted loudly towards the entrance: 'Someone come! Someone come!'"

  With a "whoosh", several soldiers with live ammunition rushed in from outside.

  "Take him away and shoot him immediately!" Commander Ye shouted at the soldiers, pointing at Ma Fei who was kneeling on the ground.

  Several soldiers rushed in and immediately lifted Ma Fei's arms without saying a word, and were about to walk out the door.

  Ye Xinyi saw the situation and immediately ran forward, also kneeling in front of Ye Tuanzhang, crying with tears: "Dad, just agree to him, marry me off to Ma Fei. I love him. Forever and always love him, I'm already his person."

  Leaf Team Leader was shocked upon hearing this, his eyes wide with surprise, and asked Ye Xinyi: "What? You're already his?"

  "Uh. Dad, I'm already pregnant with his child." As she spoke, Ye Xinyi undid the belt around her waist and revealed her big belly.

  The team leader's face turned red with rage, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to speak. After a long while, he finally regained his composure and shouted: "You scoundrel! Alas, you're going to be the death of me! You actually dared to deceive me and do such a shameful thing behind my back! Forget it, forget it! I might as well have never raised you as my daughter. Guards, take them both away and execute them, execute them!" He bellowed in indignation.