Two neighbors are separated by a road
In the Wangtai Town of Jiaonan, there is a village named Dayangjia. On the evening of August 4th, an old man in his sixties got into an argument with his neighbor and ended up attacking him with a shovel. At that time, the neighbor was holding a seven-month-old baby boy in his arms. Amidst the screams of terror, the baby closed his eyes and left this world he had just begun to get familiar with. After the incident, the elderly man returned to his house alone and drank a bottle of pesticide. In the early hours of the 5th, news came from the hospital that the elderly man had died. What turned a quarrel between neighbors into a tragedy?
A. The bloodstains of the infant still remain on the ground
Dayangjia Village is a small village located about 4 kilometers east of Wangtai Town in Jiaonan, surrounded by fields. On the morning of the 5th, I entered the village to investigate the incident. An elderly man surnamed Yang told me, "That baby was only seven months old, and now he's gone, it's truly terrifying." He said, "The baby's grandfather is named Yang Xiaojun (phonetic), and he lives next to Yang Li (a pseudonym), with only a small dirt road separating them." Regarding the specific details, this elder said he wasn't aware. After multiple inquiries, I finally arrived at the scene of the incident. There was a small dirt road between the two houses, covered with some yellow soil. There were many disordered footprints on it, along with a pool of blood.
An informed Mr. Yang said: "It happened around 4 PM, I saw someone carrying Yang Xiaojun's wife, her face was all bloody. Then the child covered in blood was also carried out, his arms already hanging limp, looking like he didn't make it. They quickly got onto the ambulance and were taken away. As for the specifics, I don't know much, except that Yang Li was seen wielding something resembling a shovel and attacking Yang Xiaojun's wife. She was holding her grandson at the time. While trying to evade, she got hit several times on the head, and so did her grandson. Later, a woman who happened to pass by saw this and immediately called 110 to report it. By the time I arrived, Yang Li had already disappeared, reportedly locking himself inside his house. We didn't dare to move, waiting for the police to arrive."
B. Drank a bottle of pesticide in his own home
Mr. Yang said, shortly after, the police arrived. Knowing that Yang Li had run back home, they knocked on his door and kept shouting. However, no matter how long they knocked, there was no response from inside. Later, several officers used tools to pry open the door. "I heard from the police that Yang Li had already taken the poison and passed away in the hospital," Mr. Yang said.
C. All four of Yang Li's sons have left the village
The beloved grandson is gone, and the wife remains in critical condition. Yang Xiaojun, stationed at the hospital, is utterly exhausted. He is currently trying to comfort his son and daughter-in-law while also worrying about his wife who could leave at any moment.
Yang Xiaojun said: "That day, I was working outside, and my wife was home alone taking care of our grandson. Around 4:30 PM, I received a call from a relative asking me to come home immediately. At that moment, I realized something bad had happened. When I rushed home, I saw the scene..."
Yang Xiaojun is a farmer, his son and daughter-in-law work in a factory, and the child was the entire family's hope. But what about the days ahead? He dares not imagine further.
Subsequently, I contacted the village committee of Dayangjia. Villagers mentioned that all the committee members had gone out. Later, I managed to contact the village secretary, Mr. Yang via phone. He told me that he was deeply shocked by the incident happening in their village. Over the phone, he explained, "After Yang Li took the poison, he was immediately sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, but unfortunately, he couldn't be saved by dawn. Yang Li has four sons and lived with his third son. After the incident, the blow to the parents of the infant was immense. Worried about retaliation from the deceased's family, all four of Yang Li's sons have left the village. This incident is extremely serious, and we as the village committee no longer have the authority to intervene. Everything has been handed over to the public security bureau for handling."
Later, through the Jiaonan Public Security Bureau, I learned that the police are currently conducting further investigations into the matter. Written and photographed by reporters Yu Liang and Liu Zhen.