Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 51

“Zhiqiu, are you telling the truth?”

Li Guoxiang gripped the handlebars tightly, his wide eyes fixed on Shen Zhiqiu. “Your Uncle Shunzi’s death wasn’t an accident?!”

Instead of answering, Shen Zhiqiu seized the opportunity to ask, “Uncle Li, could you first tell me what exactly happened back then?”

“Alright.”

Li Guoxiang sank into memories:

It wasn’t convenient for him to personally mentor Li Guoshun, so since their families were neighbors, he arranged for Shen Daqiang to take him under his wing, hoping he could also look after Shunzi a little more.

Li Guoshun had a natural speech impediment and had endured endless ridicule because of it. Instead of protecting him, Shen Daqiang, as his mentor, treated him even worse than others did.

Yet Li Guoshun never mentioned the bullying at the factory to his family, not wanting them to worry.

It wasn’t until Shunzi was injured one day that Li Guoxiang finally learned how Shen Daqiang had been treating his younger brother.

Li Guoxiang wanted to confront Shen Daqiang and demand justice for Shunzi, but Grandma Xu and Wang Yuhua stopped him.

Once a mentorship was established, it couldn’t easily be changed. Whether Li Guoshun could become a full-time employee still depended on Shen Daqiang’s approval.

If they offended Shen Daqiang, Shunzi’s situation would only get worse, and he’d never get that permanent position.

For Shunzi’s sake, Li Guoxiang swallowed his anger, often sending gifts to Shen Daqiang and even doing extra work for him.

But in the end, his brother never got that permanent position—instead, he died.

Li Guoxiang would never forget that day. When he rushed over after hearing the news, he saw his brother lying there, blood pouring from the back of his head.

So much blood that it stained the ground beneath him red.

He was only nineteen.

After that, their mother went blind, and Li Guoxiang’s hair turned white overnight.

The moment Shen Zhiqiu walked in, she noticed Li Guoxiang’s snow-white hair, and her heart ached.

The two brothers had a ten-year age gap, but they were incredibly close. She could only imagine how devastating Shunzi’s death had been for Li Guoxiang.

“Uncle Li, since it was such a serious incident involving a death, did you report it to the police?”

“We did. The police investigated for a while but found nothing.”

Li Guoxiang shook his head. “Shen Daqiang insisted it was an accident caused by Shunzi’s own operational mistake.”

“But I’ve always believed Shunzi’s death wasn’t an accident!” Li Guoxiang gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

This matter weighed on him like a dark cloud, a thick thorn lodged in his chest, suffocating him. Every time he thought about it, the pain was unbearable.

In the dead of night, he often dreamed of Shunzi coming to him, begging him to avenge his death.

But he was powerless. He didn’t know who to take revenge on or how to do it.

His expression darkened as he made up his mind. “Zhiqiu, do you have a plan? If you can catch the person who killed your Uncle Shunzi, I’ll do whatever you say!”

“Uncle Li, I’m not sure if my plan will work. We can only try.”

“I trust you. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

Shen Zhiqiu explained her idea: “Uncle, here’s what we’ll do…”

That afternoon, Li Guoxiang and Wang Yuhua split up to act. For the first time ever, Li Guoxiang agreed to go drinking with a few troublemakers from the workshop.

These men often drank and played cards with Shen Daqiang. During the gathering, the topic turned to him.

“Old Shen’s been missing lately. Haven’t seen him at the factory for days.”

“Lucky bastard. Both his daughters married well—he’s living the good life now.”

“I saw him at the housing office yesterday with his wife. No idea what they were doing there.”

Li Guoxiang quietly noted this crucial detail. He took a sip of liquor and steered the conversation.

“Ah—”

“Old Li, what’s bothering you?”

Men could be just as gossipy as women—if not more so—especially when it came to others’ misfortunes. Seeing Li Guoxiang’s gloomy expression, the troublemakers perked up.

“You remember my brother Shunzi, don’t you?”

“Of course, of course. Poor guy.”

“Today, the police came to see me. They’re reopening the investigation into his case.”

“Reopening?” The men exchanged confused glances. “Why?”

“They said forensic technology has advanced. Something about being able to find evidence even if the body’s been cremated.”

The troublemakers clicked their tongues in amazement.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuhua timed her move perfectly, arriving at the factory bathhouse just before closing.

As she undressed in the outer area, she heard Wang Fengqin’s loud laughter from inside.

“You won’t believe how funny this kid is!”

“Fengqin, you’re so lucky. Your son’s so filial, and both daughters married well. You’ve got nothing but good days ahead!”

The speaker was Sun Laidi, the factory’s biggest gossip. As fellow stepmothers, she and Wang Fengqin got along well.

“My useless girl—her troupe leader just said she’ll be the lead in the next performance. I told her a thousand times to do well and not let him down.”

“Liya’s always been bold, not like that Zhiqiu.”

Sun Laidi knew Wang Fengqin disliked Shen Zhiqiu, so she never missed a chance to bring up her flaws.

“Zhiqiu’s alright. She’s just not close to us.”

“After all this time, still not close? My goodness, I’m telling you, a child who’s not your own will never truly bond with you. No matter how well you treat them, it’s useless.”

Sun Laidi raised her voice deliberately so others could hear.

“I heard her in-laws didn’t even invite you and Daqiang to the baby’s full-month banquet? A family like theirs should know better. And it was her job to notify her own parents—unless she deliberately didn’t tell you?”

When Wang Fengqin sighed, Sun Laidi exclaimed, “Oh my! So it’s true! She’s forgotten her own family now that she’s married! Who’d have thought that meek little Shen Zhiqiu was such an ingrate?”

“She got into some trouble. Maybe she was afraid we’d find out.” Wang Fengqin put on a pained expression. “But how could she do something so foolish?”

“Serves her right! What kind of older sister breaks her younger sister’s leg out of jealousy? You’re too kind—how can you still tolerate her after that? If it were me, I’d report her to her troupe leader. Let everyone see what kind of person she really is!”

“Sister Laidi, you’re absolutely right. Those who do evil should be exposed for what they are.” Wang Yuhua walked in, supplies in hand, and chimed in.

Sun Laidi waved her over. “Sister-in-law, come here. The water’s nice.”

Wang Yuhua took the spot next to Sun Laidi and leaned toward Wang Fengqin.

“Daqiang’s wife, don’t you think I’m right?”