Chapter 149

Zhang Taotao denied vehemently, "Impossible! There couldn't be any blood. Even if there was, after so many years, the blood sample would have been contaminated. You're framing me!"

"That's why I said you preserved the corpse very well."

Zhang Taotao became agitated, "What do you mean?"

"We found a mosquito encased in tung oil inside the victim's body." Fang Rui placed the photo in front of him, "Inside the mosquito, we detected your blood."

"Impossible! That's impossible!"

"When the crime occurred, that mosquito had sucked your blood, then fell into the tung oil, which you then poured into the victim's body," Fang Rui explained. "Fortunately, under these conditions, the mosquito was preserved like a specimen, becoming evidence that identifies you as the murderer."

"There can't be any evidence! You're bluffing! Using fake evidence to trick people - you police are breaking the law."

Fang Rui said, "Mr. Zhang, I should remind you that the statute of limitations for premeditated murder is 20 years, and this case hasn't exceeded that limit. The current chain of evidence is sufficient to prove your guilt of premeditated murder. Even if you refuse to confess, we can solve this case without your confession."

Zhang Taotao had a mental storm in his head, realizing that denying his crime would be futile. So he quickly made a decision that would benefit himself.

"I'll confess, but I have one condition."

Fang Rui looked at him and said, "Let's hear it."

"Please don't tell Ming Yuan about his true identity, alright? I don't want to hurt him."

"Heh, you're just afraid of having no one to take care of you in your old age," Zhang scoffed mockingly.

Fang Rui said, "Just tell us everything."

Thinking Fang Rui had agreed to his condition, Zhang Taotao began to confess his motive for murder.

"Li Bao was inferior to me in every way. He was just a college graduate, an elementary school teacher, and a coward. But just because he got lucky with some demolition compensation, he suddenly looked down on me. When I asked to borrow money from him, he refused and accused me of leeching off my sister. I couldn't stand it, so I started taking revenge!

First, I spread rumors that he was having an affair, but surprisingly no one believed it. I had to write him letters with my left hand, telling him Ming Li wasn't his biological daughter. But this coward actually accepted the situation and didn't divorce. He still treated Ming Li like his precious daughter.

On the day of the incident, I went to borrow money from him again, but he refused. I instigated my sister to argue with him, and when she was about to run away, Li Bao tried to stop her. I pushed him, making my sister think she was responsible, then I pretended to help her bury the body.

After dealing with the corpse, my sister and I put on an act, making everyone believe Li Bao had eloped with someone.

I never meant to hurt my sister, but she was going to report me. I couldn't let such a traitor live. So I used some hallucinogenic mushrooms to make her have delusions, successfully getting her committed to a mental hospital."

Zhang Taotao was an extremely jealous person. He envied Li Bao and was jealous that his sister's family was better off than his, so he had to destroy them. Similarly, his older sister was wealthier than him, and he deliberately ruined her marriage, but she was smart enough to distance herself from him early on.

Despite this, he sent Zhang Mingli, his biological daughter, to his sister's house, knowing that his childless sister would likely leave her property to Zhang Mingli. Everything later happened as he had predicted.

"I deliberately let Ming Li see this house, hoping to trigger a mental breakdown so she'd end up in a mental hospital like her mother. I never expected her to buy the house outright. Even more unexpected was that she would think she had killed someone," Zhang Taotao sighed, "This is all fate! I accept it!"

Zhang couldn't help but curse, "Zhang Mingli is your biological daughter, how could you bear to let her spend her life in a mental hospital?"

Zhang Taotao sneered coldly, "She's just a daughter, what use is she anyway?"

Zhang was speechless with anger.

Zhang Taotao looked at Fang Rui, "Officer, you already promised me earlier that you wouldn't tell Ming Yuan the truth, you can't go back on your word."

"Did I actually promise that?" Fang Rui asked rhetorically.

"You—" Zhang Taotao suddenly realized he had been tricked by Fang Rui, who had only asked him to confess without actually agreeing to his condition.

"I can guarantee that you won't have a son to care for you in your old age," Fang Rui said coldly.

The best way to punish such a demon was to take away what he valued most.

"No, I can't be without a son, I can't let our Zhang family line end here. Officer, please, don't let Ming Yuan change his surname, I'm begging you," Zhang Taotao pleaded desperately.

Fang Rui ignored him and had the prison guards take him away.

Zhang Taotao's wife, Wang Yuanfang, was also arrested for child abduction and abandonment.

After the case was closed, Li Qiang came to the police station to claim Li Bao's remains. Zhang Mingli came with him, her eyes red with tears.

Looking at Li Bao's withered corpse, Zhang Mingli broke down in tears. She had forgotten her father for twenty whole years - such a wonderful father had been buried in the depths of her memory for twenty years, just as he had been buried in cement for twenty years, bearing various false accusations. How could such a good person suffer such a tragic fate?

Li Qiang, with tears in his eyes, bowed deeply to Fang Rui and his colleagues, "Officers, thank you. If it weren't for you, my brother might never have been able to rest in peace. Thank you for uncovering the truth, bringing the real murderer to justice, and clearing my brother's name."

"You're welcome, it's our duty," At this moment, Zhang felt immensely proud of his profession.

Fang Rui informed Li Qiang about how Zhang Mingyuan and Zhang Mingli's identities had been switched.

Zhang Mingli's face stiffened; she felt she no longer had the right to call Li Bao father. Such a wonderful father wasn't hers but Zhang Mingyuan's. He wasn't hers - her father was an evil man who had committed countless crimes. Sёarᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Officers, after you left that day, I carefully went through my brother's belongings and found a diary. So I already knew that Ming Li wasn't my brother's biological child. But my brother believed that blood ties weren't that important - he raised Ming Li for six years, and she was his most beloved daughter. I respect my brother's wishes, and I will take good care of Ming Li."

Zhang Mingli burst into tears - even though she wasn't her father's biological daughter, she was still his most beloved child.

Fang Rui and Zhang had gone through all of Li Bao's belongings that day and hadn't found any diary. Li Qiang nodded at them. Fang Rui suddenly realized there was no diary at all - but Li Qiang understood his brother well, so he invented the diary story to comfort Zhang Mingli.

"Ming Li, you will always be part of the Li family. Grandmother, your cousins, and I all welcome you back."

Zhang Mingli hugged Li Qiang tightly.

When Zhang Mingyuan learned of his true identity, he insisted on changing his surname to Li, wanting to claim his place in the Li family. Firstly, the Li family was wealthy, and secondly, his current parents' criminal records would affect his chances of becoming a civil servant.

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Li Qiang had initially intended to help Zhang Mingyuan, but seeing his ulterior motives, he merely found him an ordinary job to dismiss him.

Zhang Mingyuan was furious about this and came to hate Zhang Taotao. He sold all the Zhang family property and left Jiangzhou City with all the money.

Li Qiang organized a grand and elaborate funeral for Li Bao, inviting all relatives from the main family. The rituals traditionally performed by sons were all carried out by Zhang Mingli.

Some elderly relatives complained, "How can they let a girl carry the rice bamboo tube? That's only for sons to do, or nephews if there's no son. How can a daughter do it? This is so inauspicious! I'm leaving this funeral!"

"Uncle, please bear with it. Your son still needs Li Qiang's help with his job!"

"Even if Li Bao had no son, a daughter can't be a substitute. Li Qiang really doesn't understand tradition."

"I heard Zhang Mingli isn't even Li Bao's biological daughter, and he has a son. Li Qiang deliberately prevents Li Bao's son from claiming his heritage just to seize Li Bao's farmland."

At the funeral banquet, Li Qiang announced to everyone, "Ming Li was my brother's most beloved daughter. Now that my brother is gone, I will take care of her. My brother still has some farmland in our hometown, and all of it will be inherited by Ming Li."

Everyone below erupted into chaos, their faces visibly troubled. However, since Li Qiang was the most successful member of their family, they didn't dare to show their displeasure openly.

Zhang Mingli was sobbing uncontrollably; she would always be daddy's most beloved daughter, even though daddy was no longer there.