Chapter 21 — When the Spider Plant Turned Black

He sat upon the one-legged stool, hunching his shoulders and pulling his neck inward, mindlessly repeating the very same phrase over and over again. A police officer slapped an express delivery receipt down flat right in front of him.

What relation is Willow Spring to you?

The man lowered his head completely, staring at the floor.

A distant relative.

A distant relative who just happens to mail old soil samples straight to a private cold-storage facility?

I truly know nothing about it, I swear. She merely hired me to run a few errands.

Then where are the roots of the spider plant?

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down convulsively.

Thrown away.

The police officer demanded in a harsh, biting tone, Where did you throw them? He remained stubbornly silent. My mother suddenly stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at the dark, greenish resin staining the crevices of his calloused hands.

What on earth is that upon your hands?

Acting purely on reflex, the man wiped his palms desperately against his trouser legs. A young police officer immediately clamped a firm grip around his wrists. Taking out a wet tissue, the officer wiped away the smear of crushed leaf sap, and a deep, bruised dark green color was revealed. The very sight of that malignant shade churned my stomach, instantly summoning that all-too-familiar bitter, fishy stench. It was that exact spider plant. It had been brutally hacked into pieces, torn apart, and hurriedly crammed into an old burlap sack. They had not been afraid of a mere potted plant. They had been terrified that the plant would eventually expose whatever toxic secrets were harbored within my medicinal foot-soaking water. Half an hour later, a report came in from the private cold-storage facility. The insulated container had been successfully seized. Inside were a total of seven tubes containing blood samples. Two of them bore my name. One was labeled with the name Chen Nian. The remaining tubes were marked solely with serial numbers, devoid of any names. Upon hearing the name Chen Nian, my mother jerked her head up sharply.

His blood is in there too?

My heart clenched painfully. The police officer continued, There was also a paper record found inside, which at a glance appears to be some sort of pairing chart. What kind of pairing? I demanded. The officer did not elaborate over the phone, instructing us instead to return directly to the station. Throughout the entire journey back, my mother remained dead silent. The street scenery slowly drifted backward past the car window, illuminated by the warm, amber glow spilling from roadside fruit stalls; the breath of ordinary, simple life felt so close, yet as distant as if it belonged to an entirely different world. As for me, an icy chill had permeated every fiber of my being. Upon arriving at the station, Chen Nian had already been brought in. He sat slumped on a row of plastic chairs lining the corridor, his mother seated rigidly right beside him. The moment she caught sight of me, she instinctively shrank back in a defensive reflex, only to straighten her spine the very next second.

Have you still not caused enough chaos and uproar yet?

I did not even spare her a glance, fixing my eyes entirely upon Chen Nian. Beads of sweat dotted his face, and his shirt collar was pitifully rumpled. The fleeting second our gazes met, he hurriedly averted his eyes, looking away in shame. I walked straight toward him.

Why were my blood samples in the possession of Willow Spring?

Chen Nian’s lips had turned completely pale.

I do not know.

I was utterly sick to death of hearing those three words.

What about your blood sample, then?

His entire body stiffened rigidly. His mother hastily jumped in to answer for him, Her physical examination left it behind, what possible business is that of yours? I whipped my head around to face her with fierce intensity.

I am speaking to him, not to you.

Cut off mid-sentence, the mother-in-law’s face turned an ugly, sickly shade of grayish-green. Chen Nian stammered in a barely audible voice, During our pre-marital health checkup, my mother had someone draw a little extra blood. I heard my own voice reply, sounding terrifyingly calm and detached.

Taking my blood, did you ever obtain my consent?

He offered no answer. I pressed on relentlessly, Why on earth did they need to draw your blood as well? Chen Nian twisted his hands together so tightly that his knuckles turned ghostly white. His mother shrieked shrilly, A husband and wife wishing to have children naturally go and check if there are any underlying issues! Is there anything wrong with that? I stared unblinkingly at Chen Nian.

Then where are the results of that examination?

Chen Nian’s face instantly drained of all color, turning ashen. This time, he did not even manage to look away or avoid my gaze. A sudden flash of realization dawned upon my mother. She stepped closely to my side, her voice dropping to a low, heavy register.

Does the problem not lie with my daughter at all?

The mother-in-law bounded up from her chair as if propelled by springs.

Shut your filthy mouth!

Her piercing scream echoed shrilly, causing everyone lingering in the hallway to turn and stare. An older police officer stepped out from the interrogation room.

Maintain order, everyone.

The mother-in-law’s lips trembled violently as hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

Officer, my son was living a peaceful life, and these people are simply trying to ruin him!

I gazed at her coldly. So that was how it truly was. My supposed chronic cold constitution.