Chapter 450: Right and Wrong

As Mrs. Wei was about to shoot her daughter-in-law, Lin Qiupu quickly stepped forward to intervene. Sensing the threat, Mrs. Wei immediately aimed the gun at him, “Don’t come any closer! Step back!”

Lin Qiupu raised his hands to show he was not a threat. “Mrs. Wei, listen to me. Killing won’t solve anything. As police officers, we encounter murder cases daily. Each perpetrator has their reasons, but killing never solves their problems. It only makes things worse, ruining their lives and others’. In the end, they lose everything.”

Mrs. Wei said, “Look at your feet.”

Lin Qiupu glanced down. He was standing in a pool of blood from the second daughter-in-law. The blood had dried and become sticky. Mrs. Wei said, “Don’t think I’m senile. I’ve already killed someone. I know I’ll go to jail. At my age, I might die in prison before I’m executed… Young man, nothing you say will change my mind. I’m determined to kill these ungrateful children and join my husband.”

Her determination was unshakable. Just then, Old Zhang’s voice came over the radio, “SWAT is in position. Lin, move aside.”

Lin Qiupu saw a glint from a sniper’s scope in the opposite window. Taking a step back, he whispered, “Don’t shoot without my order.”

Convincing her face-to-face seemed impossible. Just then, Mrs. Wei began coughing. Lin Qiupu asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Between coughs, Mrs. Wei waved her hand. The eldest son quickly stood up to get her medication. After taking a pill, her coughing subsided. She said weakly, “With my health, I don’t know if I’ll see another year… Officer, you don’t understand. This house is all we have left. We endured so much to secure our place in the city. Now, with little time left, I can’t stand the thought of these ungrateful children getting everything.”

“Why not sell the house and move to a nursing home?”

“Hmph!” Mrs. Wei scoffed. “I’ve suggested it, but every time, they argue over the money like it’s their right!” She shouted at her sons, “Don’t forget, this is all mine! Stop thinking about my money!”

The eldest son said, “We’re not thinking about it. We just want you to be well. We hope you live a long life, and I promise to be more filial.”

Mrs. Wei sneered again, “You all came from my womb. Your lives are mine to take. Killing you is only right!”

Continuing like this would only escalate the situation. Lin Qiupu needed another angle. “Ma’am, I’m not blaming you, but isn’t there some responsibility on the parents when children turn out this way?”

“You think it’s my fault?” Mrs. Wei trembled, pointing the gun at herself. “If there’s any fault, it’s that I spoiled them too much, treated them like treasures, never let them do anything, protected them even when they were wrong…,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Why did they end up treating me like an outsider, talking about ‘when Mom dies’ on my birthday? It broke my heart.”

“Please don’t get angry, but in a troubled family, parents often bear some responsibility. But what’s done is done. They’re adults with their own families now. Yes, you can kill them out of anger, but it won’t change anything. Look at your eldest. They have a child. If they die, what will happen to Fengfeng?”

“I can leave the inheritance to Fengfeng.”

“It’s not about the money. A child without parents suffers a lifetime. I know because I’m an orphan. I know how painful it is.”

Her grandson seemed to be Mrs. Wei’s soft spot. Her resolve wavered, and she coughed again. Seizing the moment, the eldest son jumped up, trying to grab the gun. Everyone was stunned.

During the struggle, a deafening gunshot rang out. The eldest son’s body jerked. Over the radio, the SWAT team asked, “Lin, should we fire?”

“No!” Lin Qiupu shouted. It was now or never. He rushed forward to grab Mrs. Wei’s hand.

Despite her frailty, she had surprising strength. She fired several shots, hitting the walls. The eldest daughter-in-law cowered on the floor, trembling.

The police kicked the door open and rushed in. With their help, they finally subdued Mrs. Wei and handcuffed her.

Realizing it was over, Mrs. Wei collapsed, crying. The eldest daughter-in-law, suddenly emboldened, stood up and shouted, “You old witch, trying to kill me! You’ve ruined yourself now!”

“Step back!” the police ordered, pushing her away. Suddenly, the second son rushed in and slapped Mrs. Wei.

“You killed my wife! You have no idea how much I hate you!” he screamed, trembling with rage.

“Handcuff him!” Lin Qiupu ordered.

Even handcuffed, the second son continued shouting, “Don’t believe her lies. She’s a monster. She tormented our family, drove our father to death, and now us. We’re only interested in her money because it’s the only thing she’s good for! She gave us a hellish childhood. She deserves to die alone and disgraced. If I had the gun, I’d kill her too! Ha!”

“Take him away!”

The second son was dragged out. The eldest lay on the floor, unconscious, with a large bloodstain on his shoulder. Lin Qiupu checked him—the bullet had gone through his scapula and lodged in the wall. It wasn’t fatal.

The police administered first aid and called an ambulance.

This family was indeed a mess, thought Lin Qiupu, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

As Mrs. Wei was taken downstairs, she wept bitterly. None of her children saw her off. She looked back forlornly, saying, “A happy day turned into this… See? They don’t care about me. Ungrateful!”

Lin Qiupu didn’t want to judge right or wrong. This was a mess no amount of talking could resolve. “Don’t think about it. You probably won’t see them again.”

“Officer, how long will I be sentenced?”

“I don’t know.”

“Guess?”

“It’ll be a long time.”

Mrs. Wei sighed, “Maybe it’s better. I won’t have to see their faces. Officer, do you think I deserve this?”

Lin Qiupu didn’t know how to answer. He shook his head, “I don’t know.”