Later, Wan Jiayuan learned that it was actually a grave and dared not approach it any closer.
He had looked for a long time before he recognized that the images on it looked somewhat familiar.
"That’s not right, you should have drawn the things outside the family grave, right? This should be the place inside where your mother was hidden," Xia Xin pointed at the image inside the water bowl, noting that there was a small detail that was amiss.
Jiangli placed her hands on the table and leaned in a little closer.
Upon a closer look, she frowned and said, "No, Xia Xin, look at this. These images seem to be jumbled up. This looks like a rabbit, doesn’t it? But the rabbit’s ears are here, and the body is over there... And is this a pig’s head? Even the top and bottom halves of the face are separated and mismatched."
Hearing this, Xia Xin and Wan Jiayuan, suppressing their fear, moved closer, almost cheek to cheek with the water bowl.
After being pointed out by Jiangli, they both saw that it was indeed true.
The images on the stone were damaged, some had already disappeared.
But one could distinctly make out a rabbit and a pig’s head, which were completely separated and did not appear in one place.
Xia Xin mumbled, "What’s going on here, ancestor?"
"It proves that the family grave had been dug up, Mister Wan’s mother’s body was stuffed inside, and then the grave was sealed again. When it was sealed, they probably didn’t look at the drawing or whatever on top and just randomly filled it with bricks, which is why the images on the bricks don’t match up," Jiangli speculated.
Wan Jiayuan was suddenly shaken. "Does that mean my mother actually died a long time ago and died inside our own family’s grave?"
Jiangli said, "It’s just a guess for now. As for specifics, you have to find out for yourself. But seeing these images proves that your mother’s bones should be inside. You can report it to the police and have them help you investigate."
Wan Jiayuan stared in disbelief at the images inside the water bowl.
He had never considered...
That his mother might have already died.
Even after the Abbot typed to him yesterday, he still held a sliver of hope.
No matter how much he resented his mother, he still thought it would be great if he could see her one more time.
But he never thought, there was no chance of that at all.
Not only had his mother died, but she had died not long after leaving home, and furthermore, in the family grave on their own land...
Wan Jiayuan could barely bear to think further.
He stood up in a panic, and in his distraction, accidentally knocked over the chair.
Wan Jiayuan didn’t bother to pick it up, his eyes glazed over, bereft of soul: "I, I’ll go back home to take a look, I’ll head back to my hometown right away, I’ll go back now..."
Jiangli reminded him, "Remember to call the police at the critical moment, trust in the police."
As he looked at the notice board with images of walking policemen, Xia Xin felt somewhat out of place, feeling that he and the ancestor should not be here, but rather at the police station.
Wan Jiayuan nodded absently, too preoccupied to pay, and hurriedly grabbed his handbag, stumbling out.
Xia Xin watched him leave before turning to Jiangli and asking, "Ancestor, it seems we didn’t charge him?"
Jiangli replied indifferently, "No need, he’ll come back."
Xia Xin let out a sound of surprise, but by now he was no longer shocked by anything Jiangli said.
If the ancestor said it, it must be true!
Xia Xin sighed, "I would have never thought that the mother he has been searching for so long is already dead."
Jiangli took a sip of the tea Xia Xin had prepared earlier and said, "Such is life, unpredictable. After being apart for so long, one should have anticipated anything could have happened."
Xia Xin nodded thoughtfully, "Indeed."