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After watching the video, Jiang He spoke up, "According to my research, when a person presents at a normal speaking speed, they can say about one hundred eighty words in a minute. However, when two people are having a conversation, together they typically manage around one hundred words in that same time frame."
Old Shao continued Jiang He's thought, "When two people are not familiar with each other, the speaking speed tends to drop. In such cases, they might only exchange about fifty words or even fewer in a minute. If one person speaks a longer sentence, then the information conveyed in those brief twenty words must be significant."
"Why don't we just ask her directly what she knows?" Xu Yiman suggested.
When the project team members went to find Xiao Xuanmiao, she was with her mother. Xiao Xuanmiao's mother's surgery had been very successful, and she would soon be able to leave the hospital after a few days of rest. However, Xiao Xuanmiao felt somewhat conflicted. When Jiang He called her out, she complied readily.
"I have always wished for a police brother to protect me," Xiao Xuanmiao said shyly, looking down as she addressed Jiang He. "After that incident at school, I started seeing you as my brother."
Jiang He did not pay much attention to Xiao Xuanmiao's affection; what concerned him was what she had revealed to Li Liangcai.
Jiang He led Xiao Xuanmiao into a room where Old Shao and the others were already waiting.
"Not long ago, you encountered Li Liangcai?" Jiang He asked directly.
Xiao Xuanmiao glanced around and replied, "Yes, about half an hour ago, I did run into Li Liangcai in the hallway."
"What did you talk about?" Jiang He pressed further.
Xiao Xuanmiao paused for a moment before saying to everyone, "I saw Li Liangcai first and wanted to greet him. Given what happened, I know I have some responsibility and I didn’t want our relationship as classmates to become too awkward. So I called out to him; there were only the two of us in the hallway. He tried to avoid me but couldn't get away."
"Is there something wrong?" Xiao Xuanmiao suddenly said with a look of disgust.
Then she returned to her usual demeanor: "That was how Li Liangcai acted at that moment. Among those eight people, although he seemed honest on the surface, he was actually the one who often bullied me. So I told him, 'No matter what happens, I've already started anew; I hope we can be friends.' After saying that, I left."
"And then? What was Li Liangcai's reaction?" Old Shao asked next.
Xiao Xuanmiao shook her head and said, "He didn't have any special reaction; he just glanced at me before leaving."
"Did he show any unusual behavior?" Old Shao asked again, not willing to give up.
"No," Xiao Xuanmiao shook her head once more, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness. "I don't know why, but it seems everyone looks down on me. I know my family is poor, I don't have nice clothes to wear or branded shoes, I can't afford to go to gatherings or participate in various activities, and I don't know about the latest mobile games or TV shows."
Tears began to fall from Xiao Xuanmiao's eyes. "But is this my fault? Just because I'm poor, does that mean I'm different from others? Even though I'm poor, I have a soul and my own aspirations. I'm no different from anyone else; if others can have something, so can I."
Xiao Xuanmiao bit her lip to stifle her cries, but despite her efforts, large tears continued to slide down her cheeks. "I really like that line from Jane Eyre: you think that because I'm poor and not beautiful, I have no feelings? If God were to grant me beauty and wealth, I would make it hard for you to leave me."
"Beauty is given by heaven, but wealth must be fought for." Xiao Xuanmiao wiped her tears dry. "I will seize every opportunity; I won't let anyone bully me anymore."
In this world, although everyone claims that wealth doesn't matter, in reality, poverty is the original sin. The various problems stemming from poverty are evident to everyone.
However, Xiao Xuanmiao had turned misfortune into fortune; she would no longer have to worry about money.
Realizing she had lost her composure a bit, Xiao Xuanmiao spoke up. "I'm sorry for sharing irrelevant thoughts with you all. So much has happened recently that my mind is just too chaotic. You don't need to take what I said seriously; I've been really tired and need some rest."
Indeed, she looked exhausted. In just this short month, she had experienced more than in the first half of her life, and she was still just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child.
Xu Yiman walked over and hugged Xiao Xuanmiao gently. "It's okay now; everything is over. For you, it's a brand new life from now on."
"Let's head back," Xu Yiman said.
Xiao Xuanmiao nodded but didn't leave immediately. She took a few deep breaths and blinked her eyes, trying to appear more spirited. "My mom just had surgery; I don't want her to worry about me or see me cry."
Once she regained her composure, she finally left the room.
"What a smart and filial child," Xu Yiman couldn't help but say. "People say that children of the poor grow up fast; she's tasted the warmth and coldness of human relationships too early and understands the harsh realities of life sooner than most. While most people will eventually learn this lesson, wouldn't it be better if they learned it a little earlier? Sigh, I wonder if this is fortunate or unfortunate?"
"But if that's the case, it seems like Xiao Xuanmiao hasn't said anything out of line," Yuan Jun remarked as he watched Xiao Xuanmiao's departing figure. "Her words weren't aggressive at all. Is it really so unbearable for Li Liangcai to see someone he bullied doing better?"
"Not quite," Old Shao shook his head. "Have Li Liangcai's parents been contacted?"
"I just called them; they are on their way," Xu Yiman replied.
At that moment, Wang Chao appeared before the group. His eyes were red, and his voice trembled. One hand was gripping his hair while the other held a cigarette that he had crushed into two pieces. "Li Liangcai's surgery is over. Because he fell on his head, he suffered injuries to his cerebral arteries and nerves. The doctor has... declared him dead."
Although this outcome was expected, the news of Li Liangcai's death still left a bitter taste in everyone's hearts.
Wang Chao tossed the broken cigarette into the trash can and pulled out a crumpled brown paper bag from his pocket. He gently placed it on the table. "This is the only thing Li Liangcai had on him."
It was the brown paper bag that Li Liangcai's father had given him on the bench.
Old Shao picked up the brown paper bag and weighed it in his hand, realizing it contained something resembling cash. He opened the bag to find Renminbi inside. The bills looked old, having circulated for an unknown length of time.
There were five one-hundred-yuan notes, two fifty-yuan notes, ten ten-yuan notes, and a stack of five-yuan and one-yuan notes, totaling around eight hundred yuan. Among these bills was a folded A4 sheet of paper. Just as Old Shao was about to unfold the paper, Yuan Jun, standing by the window, said, "Li Liangcai's parents have arrived."
"Okay, let's go," Old Shao replied, putting the money back into the brown paper bag while casually slipping the A4 sheet into his pocket.
Old Shao never imagined that he would see Li Liangcai's parents under such circumstances.
When they saw Li Liangcai's body, Li Liangcai's mother was already in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. She gasped for air several times and nearly fainted. As for Li Liangcai's father, he stood there just as he had when they first met—expressionless, not crying or shouting, saying nothing at all.
Old Shao stepped forward and said to Li Liangcai's father, "This morning, Li Liangcai climbed out of the window and jumped from the seventh floor to commit suicide. This is the brown paper bag found on him; aside from this bag, there was nothing else."
"Ah," Li Liangcai's father acknowledged quietly as he reached for the bag.
"There should be about eight hundred yuan inside," Old Shao added. "I didn't count it carefully."
"No need to count," Li Liangcai's father said as he shook the brown paper bag slightly before folding it and stuffing it into his pocket.
"All your fault, all your fault!" Li Liangcai's Mother sat on the ground, shouting at Li Liangcai's Father. "I told you not to lay a hand on him, but you insisted on hitting the child. Now look what you've done—Liang Cai has committed suicide. You’ll have plenty to answer for now!"
Li Liangcai's Father did not argue. He simply pulled a cigarette from his pocket and then took out a lighter. He wanted to smoke, but his trembling hands could not manage to bring the flame to the cigarette.
"This lighter," Li Liangcai's Father said with a smile, but then he turned and viciously threw the lighter onto the ground. It struck the surface and sparked, making a dull thud sound.
Li Liangcai's Mother was too frightened to say a word.
A smile remained on Li Liangcai's Father's face, yet tears streamed down his cheeks. "He was just a freak; if he's dead, then so be it. There's nothing to be sad about."
He acted like a poor performer trying hard to appear unaffected by grief. No matter how he moved, how he expressed himself, or what he said, it all betrayed his inner turmoil.
Some psychologists claim that for every two hundred statements made, one is a lie; others say that out of every ten statements, three are lies.
These lies are meant to deceive others as well as oneself.
"Wait," Jiang He suddenly spoke up.
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