Chapter 23: Testimony for Freedom
I was dumbfounded at the time. The feeling is hard to describe, but if I had to put it into words, it's probably similar to standing in a cannibal's dismemberment scene - my head was buzzing nonstop and there was a sense of collapse in my heart.
"What do you want to do?" I said, handing him back his phone.
"Tomorrow the police will come to take your statement, you just need to prove that the postal book was taken out from my house and that's it. As for how you got to my house and how you left, just say you don't remember. The police won't investigate further. I just need you to help me get that postal book out of the Public Security Bureau." He put away his phone, crossed his legs, and said with a pleased tone.
I suddenly remembered what Li Xiao Shu B said that day, this Li Xiao Shu who had always wanted a postal certificate, should be his twin brother. The doubts in my heart that had been lingering for a long time began to surface again.
"That day, did you want to use me as a sacrifice?"
"I didn't expect you to be so resilient. You even managed to run away with a dagger stuck in your hand. This has never happened before."
The speculation, thinking and suspicion that have been going on for a long time finally have an answer. As Li Xiaoshu said, I should thank heaven and earth for being able to save my life. Then, are those two people human or ghosts?
"What's going on with Hou Dayong and Bai Huacheng? The school says these two people don't exist."
"Do you want to see them? If you want to see them, I can arrange for you to meet on a certain day."
See you again? I still don't know what will happen. I don't want to reenact the previous scene again. Now, what worries me most is still my older sister. How about this, "Let's make a deal, okay? You let me out of here first, I'll go to the police station to testify, you get the mail, and I'll take care of my sister."
"Haha," he burst out laughing, "You want to make a deal with me? I have your older sister, what do you have?"
"I've seen your twin brother, he doesn't want you to get the mail! Just because of this, I'll make a deal with you!" As soon as these words came out, Li Xiaosu's smile immediately disappeared. It seems that this sentence hit the nail on the head.
"Alright, you can be discharged tomorrow morning. The police will come to take your statement tomorrow afternoon." After finishing speaking, Li Xiaosu stood up and walked out of the meeting room in big strides. I sat on the sofa, looking at his back, knowing that this time I had really gotten myself into a tricky situation.
As expected, Wen Shu came running to tell me the good news in the afternoon. This day was so hard to wait for, seeing Wen Shu busily helping me with this and that, thinking of the nervousness when I first met her, suddenly feeling like I've matured a lot. After going through so many things, there's a feeling of washing my heart and changing my ways, knowing what to do, what to protect, and who to deal with. The original Ming Xiao Yu, who was confused and directionless, has already disappeared in the long nights of the mental hospital. Now, standing here is a man who has gone through wind and rain, ready to pursue and protect the people he loves.
The next afternoon, I received the discharge notice as scheduled. Wen Shu specially took a day off and called a taxi to take me home.
As I pushed open the door, a musty smell wafted out, a sign that the windows hadn't been opened in ages. The room was still tidy, but a thin layer of dust coated the furniture, indicating my older sister had been away for quite some time. Wen Shu first opened the window and then wiped down the furniture with a cloth. As she did her chores, I stood by silently watching her busy figure, which reminded me so much of our mother that even the way she wiped the table made me feel warm inside.
