Chapter 48: Falling into the Water

Tongtong waited obediently, craning her neck to peer into the water.

She was looking forward to Brother Muchen catching her an extra-large, extra-plump river fish!

Tonight, Auntie Lan would stew it into soup—it was sure to be incredibly fragrant.

Hehe!

Just thinking about it made her mouth water!

No one noticed Shen Wei passing by the opposite riverbank, pulling Lin Jiaojiao along with a gloomy expression.

Recently, nothing had been going her way. Whether at work or in the compound, people were pointing fingers at her.

Now, seeing Tongtong laughing so happily while she could only slink away with her daughter, avoiding others, the jealousy and hatred in her heart grew like poisonous weeds.

Her gaze fixed fiercely on Tongtong, who was facing away from the riverbank. With a cold glare, she gave Lin Jiaojiao a slight push.

“Jiaojiao! See that little bastard? She stole your father, stole your new dress, and got us scolded! Go! Push her into the river!”

“As long as she’s dead, your father’s money will still be ours, and everything will go back to how it was before! Hurry up!”

Lin Jiaojiao was frightened by her mother’s ferocious expression.

But thinking about her mother’s words, a burning desire rose in her heart.

If Tongtong were gone, she could live the same life as before…

Gritting her teeth, she suddenly charged down the riverbank, heading straight for Tongtong’s back!

Tongtong was eagerly watching Muchen catch fish when she suddenly felt a force coming from behind!

A strong sense of danger surged in her heart.

Almost instinctively, relying on her small size and quick reflexes, Tongtong abruptly crouched and dodged to the side.

Lin Jiaojiao hadn’t expected her to dodge. Unable to stop herself in time, she screamed as she plunged into the water.

“Splash—”

Lin Jiaojiao tumbled into the river!

This was the deep water area.

She choked on several mouthfuls of water, flailed a few times, and before she could even call for help, she began to sink!

“Jiaojiao!”

Shen Wei’s eyes widened in horror, and she let out a piercing scream as she rushed down from the riverbank.

But instead of saving her daughter first, she pointed at Tongtong and cursed loudly, “You little wretch! How dare you push my daughter! You have such a vicious heart! Everyone, come and see! Murder!”

Si Muchen had already sensed something was wrong and swam to Tongtong’s side as quickly as possible.

The fish in his hand slipped away.

Gu Jingnan and the three Chen brothers also rushed over upon hearing the commotion, shielding Tongtong behind them.

Gu Jingnan’s face flushed with anger. “You’re talking nonsense! It was your daughter who charged over trying to push Tongtong! She lost her balance and fell in herself!”

“That’s right! We all saw it!” Chen Kangkang also shouted loudly.

But Shen Wei paid no attention, wailing and crying, “You’re all in this together! Bullying us widows and orphans! My Jiaojiao! If anything happens to her, I won’t live either!”

“Tongtong! How can you be so malicious at such a young age! You must pay for my daughter’s life!”

Tongtong peeked her little head out from behind her brothers, looking coldly at Lin Jiaojiao floating and sinking in the water. “Auntie, if you don’t go pull Lin Jiaojiao out of the water soon, she might really drown.”

Shen Wei was momentarily stunned, her expression changing abruptly. Only then did she frantically plunge into the water to pull her daughter out.

By the time Lin Jiaojiao was rescued, she had already choked on water and fallen unconscious.

Seeing her daughter unconscious and on the verge of death, Shen Wei was even more terrified and panicked, only cursing Tongtong.

“It’s all your fault! You harmed my daughter!”

Tongtong narrowed her eyes, her small face cold and expressionless as she stared at her. “Eldest Aunt, shouldn’t you be giving Lin Jiaojiao first aid right now, helping her expel the water? You’re a nurse—surely you know how to do that?”

Shen Wei also seemed to snap out of it, clumsily attempting first aid, but her chest compressions were extremely unstandardized, even somewhat panicked and flustered.

Tongtong watched her chaotic “first aid.”

A flicker of suspicion flashed in her big eyes.

A nurse from the Military District Hospital couldn’t even perform the most basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation properly?

Just then, a group of people hurried toward the riverbank.

It was Gu Yanbin, Liu Zhenjun, and the military industry expert Peng Zhengbo, who had rushed over.

After Engineer Peng verified that Tongtong’s idea of “bending it a bit and adding a spring” was completely feasible, he became so excited that he ran to the Military Department, insisting on immediately meeting this “expert.”

Gu Yanbin’s expression was odd; he hadn’t expected his daughter to actually be telling the truth.

Unable to dissuade Engineer Peng, he had no choice but to take him home to find his daughter.

But then he heard from the orderly that the children had gone to the riverbank to play, so they came looking.

As for Liu Zhenjun, he was purely shocked when Gu Yanbin told him that Engineer Peng wanted to meet his dry daughter to discuss “academic questions.” Out of curiosity, he insisted on tagging along.

As soon as they reached the riverbank, they saw Shen Wei frantically trying to rescue Lin Jiaojiao but failing to do it properly, unable to get her to expel the water even after a long time.

Watching her daughter’s small face gradually turn bluish-purple, her breathing weak.

A surge of anger and pain rose in Shen Wei’s heart, and in her desperation, she took advantage of the chaos to rush over and try to push Tongtong into the river as well.

“You little wretch! You killed my daughter—I want you to pay with your life!”

Just as she was about to reach the child, the adults were startled.

Gu Yanbin dashed forward at the fastest speed of his life, quick-eyed and swift-handed, pushing her away.

Liu Zhenjun’s face also turned ashen as he sternly rebuked, “Shen Wei! What are you trying to do?”

Engineer Peng also frowned.

Shen Wei was shoved hard to the ground, her expression frenzied as she pointed at Tongtong, who was being shielded in Gu Yanbin’s arms, and shouted, “She pushed my daughter into the water!”

“She’s a murderer! This time, the Chiefs can’t possibly favor her again. This child is malicious at such a young age—I want her to pay with her life!”

Si Muchen retorted with a dark expression, “Lin Jiaojiao tried to push Tongtong into the water! Tongtong dodged, and she fell in herself!”

“That’s right! We all saw it!”

“Lin Jiaojiao suddenly rushed from behind to try to push Tongtong! Aunt Shen ran out, but instead of saving her, she started scolding Tongtong first!”

The children chattered, piecing together what had happened.

Shen Wei still wanted to argue.

But Tongtong struggled to slip out of Gu Yanbin’s arms and ran toward Lin Jiaojiao.

She pressed a few times on her body with her small hands.

“What are you doing!” Shen Wei agitatedly tried to push her away.

Tongtong had already stood up and avoided her.

At the same time, Lin Jiaojiao, lying on the ground, suddenly choked and coughed twice, “wah” spitting out a mouthful of water, and then began to cry loudly.

Shen Wei quickly hugged her daughter, wailing, “My Jiaojiao! My poor Jiaojiao! You were harmed, but your mom doesn’t have the ability to get justice for you!”

Tongtong blinked her eyes, her tone chilly as she questioned.

“Are you really a nurse, Eldest Aunt? You can’t even perform first aid for drowning or press on the chest properly. If Lin Jiaojiao had really died, you would have been the murderer yourself!”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present turned to look at Shen Wei, their expressions turning strange.

Liu Zhenjun’s gaze darkened: “Shen Wei! How did you obtain your nursing qualification?”

Shen Wei instantly turned pale, shrinking her neck and stammering, unable to speak.

Gu Yanbin said coldly: “It seems a thorough investigation is needed! Malicious intent, falsely accusing a child, incompetent in her duties! Guards! Take them away first, lock them in the confinement room! We’ll deal with them after the investigation is clear!”