Chapter 22 Section 3

Hiroko is my late daughter's name.Since her mother died suddenly shortly after giving birth, I had to raise her alone.Hiroko was only four years old when he died.She is very similar to her biological mother, with big eyes like a doll. On that Christmas Eve morning, we had breakfast as usual.It was an unseasonably cold morning, and I was still shivering from the cold sitting by the lighted fireplace. "Hongzi, eat quickly." Seeing that Hongzi was just sitting on the chair and not eating, I urged him.The child is always like this in the morning. "I don't want to eat, I'm sleepy."

Hongzi rubbed her little face and leaned back in the chair with a sleepy look on her face. "Hey, I can't sleep anymore. We have to go to my aunt's house." Saying this, I stood up and extinguished the kerosene fireplace.Entrusting Hiroko to my sister on the way to work is my daily routine. At this moment, I glanced casually at the mark line on the kerosene tank, and realized that the kerosene was almost out. I led the sleepy-eyed Hiroko out of the living room, asked her to wait in the corridor, and went downstairs by myself to the underground parking lot. As soon as I got into the car, I suddenly realized that I forgot to prepare the tapes that I must use for that day's work.I should have bought it yesterday, but I completely forgot about it.So, I got out of the car again and walked quickly towards a nearby 24-hour convenience store, thinking that I should be able to buy it there.

This move will cause me to regret for the rest of my life. In fact, there are several stores where you can buy tapes on the way to work, so why should I go to that convenience store to buy them?In this regard, I don't know myself, I can only say that it is God's will. It was in this convenience store that I got into big trouble. As I was queuing up at the cash register to pay, I was hit hard on the back of the head. I didn't know what happened, so I squatted down on the spot in pain.Stretching out his hand to touch his head, he felt a lot of blood gushing out.Next to my ear, I heard a young man shouting in a low voice: "Hand over the money!" Only then did I realize that I had run into a robber.

I wanted to stand up, but my legs couldn't keep my balance.I didn't lose consciousness, I could feel everyone running around in a panic, but I was really sluggish and powerless. I don't know how long it took, but when I came back to my senses again, I found that I had been carried on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance for treatment. Fortunately, my injuries were not serious, and I was able to walk independently when I arrived at the hospital, but the hospital still insisted on taking X-rays for me.I missed Hongzi who was alone at home, and wanted to make a phone call at home while waiting for the results of the filming.I don't want the criminal police to come over to record my statement again, which is considered a routine procedure for them.

After briefly stating what had happened, I asked the criminal police about the whereabouts of the criminals, and learned that the two robbers had been captured by the police while fleeing with money.Both were young men who had just graduated from high school. After bidding farewell to the criminal police, I was afraid that my sister would be anxious if we were late, so I called her.After hearing what happened to me, my sister exclaimed on the other end of the phone. "Don't worry, I'm not seriously injured," I reassured as cheerfully as I could. "That's good, but you really have encountered unexpected disasters!" My sister seemed to be a little relieved, and said with a wry smile.

"Let's not talk about this, I still have something to trouble my sister. Hongzi is at home alone now, can I go and see her for me? I'm a little worried." "Understood, let's go now. Just tell Xiaohong that Dad has something urgent." "Okay, then please sister." After hanging up the phone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Later, the X-ray results came back.The doctor told me that although the injury is not serious, if there are signs of mild deterioration, I should immediately go to the hospital for reexamination. Before leaving the hospital, I called home again.It was Naomi who answered the phone instead of my sister, which surprised me.

"Nobuhiko, it's terrible. Hiro, she..." She was out of breath and her voice was crying. "What happened to Hiroko?" I asked aloud. "Xiaohong passed out. And... the situation is very dangerous." "How did you faint?" "It seems to be carbon monoxide poisoning, said to be caused by an insufficient fire in the fireplace." "fireplace?" This is absolutely impossible!I wonder.Before going out, I obviously put out the fireplace. "How is Hiroko doing now?" "The doctor is examining her, and your sister is also here, please hurry back!"

"Okay, I'll be right back." I put down the receiver, turned around and ran out of the hospital.Seeing a man with a bandage on his head running wildly, passers-by must be very surprised. I hurried back home, only to see everyone gathered in the guest room. My elder sister, Monk Shangmei, was crying, while the doctor sat silent with a gloomy face.On the tatami in the center of the room, Hiroko was lying there flat, motionless.I finally understood what had happened. I collapsed on the tatami, picked up my beloved daughter from the futon, and howled like a dog barking from my throat.

That night, Shangmei and I stayed in the guest room. "When I came, Xiaohong had already collapsed on the floor of this room, and the room was very stuffy. I immediately realized that it might be carbon monoxide poisoning, so I quickly held my breath and opened the doors and windows for ventilation. I also extinguished the fire in the fireplace. gone." Shangmei seemed to be trying her best to control her emotions, and said in a light tone.I just listened in silence, completely devoid of emotion. This morning, Chaumet originally came to my house to measure the size of the bedroom so that I could buy new furniture.She had mentioned this to me a while ago, but I had forgotten about it long ago.Anyway, she already has the backup key of my house, so she can come in and out at will.

"That means the fireplace was burning when you came? I clearly remember turning it off before going out." I stared at the culprit's fireplace and said. "Maybe Xiaohong lit it again. If you don't come back, she feels cold, so..." "Probably so." I tried to imagine Hiroko's actions.Father couldn't wait, so she went back to the living room and lit the fireplace.Although I never let her near the stove, the four-year-old child has been able to imitate the actions of the parents, and such trivial matters as lighting the fire should be no problem.But she couldn't take into account the problem of ventilation.I shut all the windows again before going out, it was only a matter of time before the fireplace underburned.

Thinking about this, doubts gradually arose in my heart.In the morning, I clearly saw that the fuel in the fireplace had been used up, but now there was nearly half a barrel of oil in it for no reason. Who added it?However, neither Naomi nor my sister talked about this matter. I couldn't be relieved, but I suspected that I had misremembered. "After I opened the door and window to breathe, I immediately called the doctor, and your sister came soon..." "Well, this time I have caused you a lot of trouble." "What are you talking about..." Shangmei lowered her head and remained silent. "I wish I didn't go shopping." I patted the table: "Tapes can be bought anywhere." "It's not your fault, Nobuhiko!" Shangmei's eyes were full of weeping, "You could have rushed home quickly, it was all the fault of those two robbers." I was speechless and sighed weakly.Now, no matter how much responsibility is pursued, Hongzi will never be able to come back to life. I was speechless and sighed weakly.Now, no matter how much responsibility is pursued, Hongzi will never be able to come back to life. More than ten days after the accident, I heard strange rumors from a housewife who lived next door.The housewife who lived behind my house said that she had seen Naomi carry a kerosene can into my house through the back door on the day of the incident. "The kerosene tank? About when did you see it?" My heart was pounding, and I asked.The small warehouse on the side of the back door is indeed a place for kerosene tanks. "I can't remember the exact time, I just remember it was in the morning." The female neighbor thought for a while, and then said: "But it must have been before the accident, you think, who would add fuel after the fireplace poisoned the child?" "Hey..." I am very confused.Neighbors don't lie, and I've always had my doubts about the sudden increase in fuel.If Shangmei added it, it would be very logical.Maybe she came to my house before it happened. The crux of the matter is why she did this.Moreover, she kept her behavior secret. Something else is also a mystery.The living room in my house is connected to the kitchen, separated by a folding curtain.According to Naomi's testimony, the curtain was closed at the time of the incident.I am puzzled by this.Because I don't remember that I ever pulled the curtain that morning, and I don't think it was Hiroko who pulled it. However, if the curtain was not closed, it would contradict the accident itself.Because, according to expert opinion, considering the length of the fireplace burning and the size of the room, if the curtain had not been drawn at that time, the tragedy would not have happened. I began to secretly suspect Shang Mei.Could it be that she intentionally poisoned Hongzi to death? Impossible, I immediately dismissed the idea.Shangmei would never do such a thing.However, as soon as I considered the motive of committing the crime, my heart was subtly shaken. In the process of my union with Shangmei, the biggest obstacle is Hongzi. Hongzi can't get close to Naomi no matter what.Although Shangmei often came to my house, and the three of us would eat and play together, Hongzi only treated Shangmei as an outsider from the beginning to the end.Although she was originally a child, I still feel incredible that she rejects Shangmei so much. "Maybe Xiaohong still misses his biological mother, so he refuses to open his heart to me?" Once upon a time, Naomi asked me as if she couldn't bear it anymore, and I immediately denied it. "That's not the case. When her mother died, she was just a baby. How could she never forget her mother?" "Then why? Did I do something wrong?" "You treated her very well, and you didn't do anything wrong. Hongzi will gradually understand." "Well, of course..." I remember that this kind of dialogue was repeated several times, and every time Shangmei put on a look of deep understanding, but who knows what she really thinks in her heart?Moreover, Hongzi's attitude towards Shangmei is getting worse and worse. At her fourth birthday party, Shangmei who came to congratulate her was not allowed to enter the door.Naomi was at a loss and finally had to go back. How wonderful it would be to get rid of such a nasty child—— Would Shangmei have such an idea?I have no grounds to categorically deny it. I tried to figure out what Naomi would do that day.She did come to my house originally to measure the dimensions of the room.But when she saw Hiroko sleeping in the living room, she had a lot of thoughts: lighting the fireplace in this room with closed doors and windows, wouldn't it cause the child to be poisoned by carbon monoxide? Or maybe she didn't have such a clear murderous intention in her heart, but just wanted to try her luck.After all, the act of lighting a fireplace by itself does not constitute an act of premeditated murder. Naomi approached the fireplace to start a fire, but found that the fuel was running out.Knowing that there was a fuel tank in the warehouse in the back room, she filled it up and lit the fireplace. After confirming that the fireplace started to burn, she closed the door of the living room tightly, and drew the curtain between the kitchen and the living room in order to make the accident scene more realistic.After that, she went out and wandered around for a few times, and after calculating that it was almost time, she entered the house again. As expected, Hongzi has fainted in the living room.Shangmei opened the doors and windows to ventilate, extinguished the fireplace, and called the doctor.Of course, she hoped that Hongzi would die. As for the situation of the curtain, she probably didn't want to mention it at first, but she was afraid that it would cause contradictions with the accident and reveal flaws, so she gave false testimony. Through this series of reasoning, my doubts about Naomi intensified, and I finally became convinced of it.But it never occurred to me to report this suspicion to the police.I want to find out the real culprit myself. No matter how dire the outcome, I must make an end. If Shangmei really harmed Hongzi, I can only kill Shangmei myself to avenge my daughter. "answer me!" I grabbed Shangmei's neck with both hands and forced me to ask, "Did you kill Hongzi?" Naomi stared at me sadly and didn't answer. "You oiled the fireplace, didn't you? Why did you do that?" She remained silent.I don't understand why she doesn't defend herself. "Why don't you answer me? You can't speak, and you can't deny your crime, can you?" She shook her head gently, and slightly opened her lips: "Obviously..." "What? What did you just say?" "It's obviously...a honeymoon trip, so she should be very happy." I felt my cheeks tighten suddenly. "If you didn't do it, let me hear your reason. Come on, tell me the truth!" However, Naomi remained silent and closed her eyes.Her chest rose and fell violently, she took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes and said, "If you can do it... just kill me." Her voice was extremely bitter. "So, it really is you..." Shangmei was silent, but exhaled slowly.She was like a deflated ball, with no strength in her body. "okay then." I swallowed a mouthful of saliva, tightened my fingertips, and pinched it down.