It was almost ten o’clock when Zhou Jianguo finished delivering takeouts, and only then did he have time to tell Luo Bei about what happened in Chen Lan’s room.
The two sat in a small pavilion in the urban village. Luo Bei originally wanted to treat him to supper, but he said that supper was not good for his health and that he was not hungry, so she bought two bottles of mineral water instead.
“I think that Ms. Chen next door might have locked her son in the room,” Zhou Jianguo described what he saw, “I don’t think Ms. Chen physically abused her son.”
“How so?” Luo Bei asked with interest.
“It’s like this. There was a takeout on the coffee table. When I went there, she had just received the takeout and divided it into two portions. Since there are only her and her son at home, the other portion should be for her son. You said before that Chen Lan is not afraid of you calling the police because she is confident that the police will not find any signs of abuse on her son. I believe that, but…” Zhou Jianguo’s tone changed, “there is a type of abuse that is more severe than physical abuse, which is mental abuse. I looked at the clothes on the balcony, they are mostly women’s clothes, there are no children’s. So, can we guess that after Chen Lan brought her son home, she kept him locked up, didn’t turn on the lights, didn’t talk to him, just gave him food to keep him from starving?”
As he spoke, Zhou Jianguo’s face became serious.
Luo Bei did not have the experience of being locked up in a small dark room when she was young, but she had a friend who had experienced it. For children, one or two times may not be a big deal, but if it goes on for a long time, what impact will it have on them psychologically? She couldn’t say.
There are many things in this world that she cannot help others with, but should she turn a blind eye to what is happening right under her nose?
“What should we do?” Luo Bei asked instinctively.
Zhao Jianguo gave her a reliable feeling, and she couldn’t help but seek his help.
“I remember there was an emergency contact number on the contract. If Chen Lan left her family’s number, I think you can inform them of the situation. Of course, you also have to consider the possibility that her family might not care. Also, I think this situation is already urgent. Although the police may not take action if they find that her son is unharmed, you can still try and at least warn Chen Lan.” Zhao Jianguo thought for a moment and added, “Finally, the person who caused this mess should clean it up. You can have a good talk with Chen Lan.”
Luo Bei nodded and said to Zhao Jianguo, “Thank you for your help today.”
Zhao Jianguo smiled and said, “It’s no trouble at all. It’s just a small matter.”
Luo Bei felt that this new tenant was very helpful and enthusiastic.
Back home, Luo Bei regretted listening to Zhao Jianguo’s speculation. She regretted not stopping Chen Lan that day. If what he said was true, then Chen Lan was too…
Being locked in a room, without lights or the chance to talk to anyone. Even her as an adult would not be able to stand it for long, let alone a playful child.
Luo Bei found Chen Lan’s contract and found the phone number of the emergency contact, where Chen Lan had listed her relationship as mother and daughter. It seems that the emergency contact is actually Fang Jingzhou’s grandmother.
Now Luo Bei needs to act on two fronts. On the one hand, she needs to contact Fang Jingzhou’s grandmother, and on the other hand, she needs to involve the community.
If Chen Lan’s mother comes, if she is a normal elderly person, she cannot just ignore the situation. At least there will be an elder in the house, and Chen Lan will have to consider the elder’s opinion. In fact, Luo Bei didn’t have much hope for the community’s involvement. Even if Chen Lan did hurt Fang Jingzhou, as a mother, she would have a very reasonable excuse. Most people would not intervene in this “family matter” as long as it didn’t cause serious harm.
The community leader also knows Luo Bei. As soon as Luo Bei reported the situation, someone came to mediate the conflict.
Two people came, a man and a woman, saying they had received an anonymous report that Chen Lan had a tendency to abuse children. Therefore, they wanted to visit and verify whether the situation was true.
Chen Lan was sitting in the living room, cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV. In just a few days, she didn’t dress up as beautifully as before, wearing casual pajamas, and didn’t wear any makeup. Her skin looked very poor. She leaned against the door and sneered at Luo Bei outside, “I thought something was up. If you want to see if I’m abusing my child, go ahead, it’s in that room.”
As the landlord, Luo Bei had a very good reason to be there. She followed the community staff into the room. When they opened the door, her eyes turned red.
Fang Jingzhou was curled up in bed, his small body looking so weak and skinny.
The lights inside the room were off, and the windows were closed. There were potato chip bags and a lunch box on the ground, and the smell was unpleasant…
As Zhou Jianguo had guessed, there were no signs of physical abuse on Fang Jingzhou’s body, and he wasn’t hungry either. He had food to eat and snacks to snack on, but Chen Lan had restricted his freedom, keeping him in that small room for several days.
When community members asked for the reason, Chen Lan started to act pitifully, and even Luo Bei didn’t know that her acting skills were so good.
“I’m a single mother, and it’s not easy to raise a child. I gave birth to him, fed him, and clothed him. No matter how hard it was, I always thought it was worth it as long as my child grows up to be a good person. As a mother, what can’t I sacrifice for my child? But he’s different. He lies and even steals my money. If he steals from adults at this age, won’t he become a scourge to society in the future? He’s flesh and blood of my own, how can I bear to hit him? But he doesn’t listen even if I try to teach him, so I can only let him reflect in that room.” Chen Lan was almost in tears. “I don’t ask for my child to be successful in the future, as long as he doesn’t cause trouble for society or become a scum that everyone hates. It’s my fault that I didn’t educate him properly!”
Luo Bei was so angry that she was shaking, and Fang Jingzhou held her tightly from behind. She asked, “Jingzhou, did you lie? Did you steal money?”
Fang Jingzhou hadn’t taken a shower for several days and had a strange smell on his body. His hair was also greasy. He held onto Luo Bei’s waist tightly, whimpering like an injured animal and even let out a low growl, “I didn’t do it! Beibei, I didn’t do it!”
“You see, he still won’t admit it. The change I left in my wallet is gone, and I found out he took it when I searched his pockets that day,” Chen Lan touched her face. “I just wanted him to admit his mistake. As long as he knows he’s wrong, it’s enough. Do I, as a mother, have to be at odds with my child? I just don’t like his stubbornness, even when he’s clearly made a mistake.”
Community members checked Fang Jingzhou’s body and found no signs of physical abuse or malnutrition. After all, the potato chip residue on his clothes proved that he had eaten something.
What else can be done?
She didn’t beat or starve the child, she just made him reflect in the room. Even if it escalated to the police station, no one can accuse Chen Lan of being guilty.
After the community staff left, Chen Lan returned to her usual self. She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, lit a cigarette, and said, “Luo Bei, I’ve told you not to meddle in my business. This is my own child. I’ll educate him however I want. Even if the king of heaven came, can he say that I, his mother, shouldn’t educate him?”
Luo Bei touched Fang Jingzhou’s face and found him silently weeping.
She said to Chen Lan, “Is he really your child? If he is, why would you say he’s a thief in front of outsiders? You can say he’s naughty or misbehaving, but how can you say he stole money? That’s an insult to his character. You even forced him to confess to something he never did. Don’t you know that saying your own child is a thief is a great harm to him? He’s not a pet, he’s a person. He’s already five years old and has his own thoughts. Chen Lan, he hasn’t done anything wrong to you. Your current living situation has nothing to do with him. He’s innocent.”
After saying this, she ignored Chen Lan and squatted down, face to face with Fang Jingzhou. She slowly said, “Jingzhou, I know you didn’t lie or steal. You’re still a good kid. I believe you, Beibei believes in you.”
Fang Jingzhou hugged her and burst into tears, making her very sad and distressed.
Chen Lan watched all of this coldly.
Luo Bei took out a tissue from her pocket and wiped Fang Jingzhou’s face. She stood up, held Fang Jingzhou’s hand, and looked at Chen Lan. “He is your child, but Chen Lan, maybe I’ve been too good before, so you dare to do this on my turf. Today is my first and last warning to you. If you lock Jingzhou up again, I’ll make you feel the pain too. I’ve been managing this building since I was 15 years old. If you don’t believe it, you can go out and ask who’s really in charge, and whose face the tenants in this urban village are really selling… “
Chen Lan’s face changed dramatically.
“What kind of bullying is it to bully your own child? Let me tell you, you haven’t seen what a real bad person looks like. I have, so don’t challenge my bottom line again. This is my house, and things must be done according to my rules. You broke my rules, and I won’t mind being the bad guy to show you what’s what.”
LEZGOOOOOOOOOOO MAFIA KING LUO BEI ON THE HOUSE 🙌😌