Chapter Fourteen: Disagreement

"Was she crying because of her son's disability?" Ning Shuyi asked.

"Indeed! She said her son was perfect in every way except for one issue. To the outside world, he looked perfectly normal, but in reality... he suffered from a developmental abnormality. Even though he was well into adulthood, that part of him remained like a small boy’s, never fully developed. Because of this, he couldn't find a wife, let alone have children. Deng Qingrong always told everyone her son was too busy with work to look for a partner, just to cover up the truth. She was afraid that if some meddlesome person insisted on setting him up, the truth would come out and cause embarrassment."

"If she was so afraid of people finding out, why would she tell you?" Ning Shuyi asked, puzzled.

The woman with curly hair couldn't quite explain it, but after a moment of thought, she said, "Perhaps it was because one of our friends here was being too pushy that day, insisting on introducing him to someone. She couldn't refuse no matter how hard she tried; she must have been backed into a corner!"

Ning Shuyi nodded, accepting the explanation. Changing the subject, she asked, "You have all interacted with Deng Qingrong's son to some extent, right? Did you just say he was introverted and quiet? Was that why some people might think his personality was a bit odd?"

"He wasn't odd! That boy was perfectly fine; I never felt there was anything strange about him!" the woman with the thin, long face immediately clarified. "He was just a decent, honest boy. Not particularly outgoing, but certainly not weird. Whenever he ran into his mother downstairs, he would greet us politely and help her carry her groceries home. If we met him alone, he was always very respectful. That boy was so filial. Although I didn't know exactly what he did for a living, he always took his mother out to relax whenever he had time off, and he was always buying her supplements and such. Between the two of them, the mother loved the son, and the son was devoted to the mother—there was really nothing to complain about!"

"That's true!" Auntie Lan, who had been closer to Deng Qingrong, felt a pang of emotion. "If that poor boy hadn't had that condition, he would have been an exceptionally fine young man! And both of them were such good people. It’s hard to believe they met with such a tragedy; it just makes one’s heart feel so unsettled."

Regardless of how close or distant they had been to Deng Qingrong, these elderly women tacitly agreed with the sentiment that "the dead deserve respect," and Auntie Lan’s words were met with nods of agreement from the others. Even the round-faced woman chimed in.

At that moment, Ning Shuyi’s attention was drawn to a young woman in her twenties standing by the pavilion. She was looking after a toddler of about two years old, following the child as it wandered around poking at things. When she heard the elderly women heaping praise upon Deng Qingrong in what sounded like a mutual admiration society, the young mother rolled her eyes when she turned away.

Ning Shuyi, standing to the side, caught the expression clearly. It was obvious that while this young mother wasn't part of the group of elderly ladies, she at least knew Deng Qingrong, and her opinion of the woman was quite different.

Ning Shuyi remained silent. After thanking the group, she lingered in the area but kept her eyes on the young mother. Once the woman had walked a fair distance away from the pavilion with her child, Ning Shuyi signaled for Huo Yan to go interview others while she approached the young mother herself.

The young woman was watching idly as her child crouched on the ground, poking at dried leaves with a twig. Sensing someone approaching, she looked up and realized it was the policewoman who had been talking to the elderly ladies. She froze for a second, seemingly tempted to avoid the conversation, but ultimately stayed put.

"Hello, I’m from the W City Public Security Bureau. I’m here to gather some information about a resident named Deng Qingrong," Ning Shuyi said with a friendly smile.

The young mother nodded, looking a bit reserved. "I know. I heard you talking over there."

"You knew Deng Qingrong as well, didn't you? Could you tell me your impression of her?" Ning Shuyi asked, reaching into her pocket to pull out a lollipop, which she crouched down to offer the toddler.

No child could resist the temptation of candy. The little girl was clearly intrigued. She reached out with her chubby hand, then hesitated, likely remembering her mother's usual warnings. She looked at her mother with big, dark, expectant eyes.

The young mother initially shook her head, but seeing the longing in her daughter's expression, her resolve softened, and she gave a slight nod. The little girl broke into a smile, took the lollipop, and chirped in a tiny voice, "Thank you, Auntie!"

"You're welcome!" Ning Shuyi gently patted the girl's pigtails, which bounced as she shook her head. Standing up, she said to the young mother, "Your little one is adorable, you've raised her very well."

Nothing pleases a mother more than a compliment about her child. The young mother pursed her lips and offered a faint smile. Sensing that Ning Shuyi was kind toward her child—and that the child had already accepted the gift—she felt it would be rude to remain dismissive.

"I wouldn't say I really 'knew' Deng Qingrong," the young mother began. "We just lived in the same area. I bring my child here to play, and in a place this small, you're bound to run into people."

"If I may ask, it seems your impression of her isn't exactly favorable?" Ning Shuyi probed.

The young mother smiled. "I won't deny it. I don't think that old lady was as simple and kind-hearted as those ladies made her out to be. She was actually quite hypocritical. She had one face in front of people and another behind their backs. If you weren't careful, you’d catch her slipping up. But when she was with those women, she was smart; she always acted as if she were inferior to everyone else, constantly flattering them, agreeing with everything they said, and playing the victim whenever she could. People like to hear agreeable things, and they don't want to appear overbearing in front of someone 'weaker' than them, so of course, those ladies never saw her other side."