Morning Post Graphics. Zhu Peipei - At the beginning of the new year, while everyone was still immersed in the joy of reunion, Wang Qiang's family fell into sorrow. He could not accept the fact that his mother was suspected of causing his father's death. The reporter learned yesterday that Wang Qiang's mother has now been arrested, and she will face a prison sentence. Meanwhile, the wedding that her son had planned to hold after the New Year can only be postponed indefinitely.
Incident: Man found dead after sleeping for three days
At the start of the Lunar New Year, every household was immersed in joy, but Wang Qiang hadn't returned home many times. His father had always been cold and distant towards him, so he simply stayed at his girlfriend's house.
One afternoon after the Spring Festival, Wang Qiang suddenly received a text message from his mother. It wasn’t a blessing, but rather about his father. "Your dad and I quarreled again. He is sleeping at home. You should go check on him."
After receiving the text, Wang Qiang took the opportunity to return home, which was in a neighborhood on Feihe Road. Seeing his father lying quietly on the bed, covered snugly with a blanket, he sent a reply text to his mother and left the house feeling reassured.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Wang Qiang returned home again and discovered his father lying on the bed in exactly the same position. He called out to his father, but there was no response.
Wang Qiang walked into the room and called out again, “Dad,” but there was still no response. So he went to the bedside and lifted the quilt, only to find his father’s hair covered in blood. The blood had soaked the pillow, and the quilt emitted a strong smell of alcohol. At this point, it seemed as if his father had already stopped breathing.
Wang Qiang immediately called 120. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics told Wang Qiang that his father had already died.
Case Breakthrough:
Was he a normal death or was he murdered?
After his father's death, Wang Qiang and his family were very eager to know what exactly caused his father's death.
Because a death had occurred, the local police intervened in the investigation.
"We need to determine whether the deceased died normally or was killed," Detective Officer Liu from the Baohe District Criminal Investigation Team said afterward.
According to the police investigation, Wang Wei, Wang Qiang's father, had a wound about ten centimeters long on his head, but there was no skull damage. In addition, Wang Wei had consumed a large amount of alcohol that night, and his health had always been poor, so the cause of death was temporarily unclear.
However, an unintentional question during the investigation led the detectives to uncover some clues.
Her subtle actions raised suspicion among the officers.
"On February 1st, we went to the hospital to find Wang Qiang's mother, who is Wang Wei's ex-wife, to inquire about some related situations. However, some of her behaviors made us realize there were inconsistencies," recalled Detective Liu.
"Can you tell us where you were and what you did on the day of the incident?" The police were asking Wang Qiang's mother, Sun Li, routine questions.
Although the questions were simple, Sun Li's answers were evasive and her voice was unusually low. "At the time, I noticed that she never once looked up, spoke hesitantly, and continuously rubbed her hands," said Detective Liu.
The first round of questioning didn't yield substantial results, but her series of reactions made the investigators suspicious.
On February 2nd, the investigators went to the hospital again to question Sun Li. This time, Sun Li was clearly more nervous, and her voice became even softer.
Surprisingly, later that afternoon after the questioning, Sun Li came to the detective squad and confessed. "It was me who did it."
Case Details:
She hit her ex-husband's head with a Lingbi stone
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the house was empty. Her son went to his fiancée's home, leaving Sun Li alone for the holiday.
That evening, her ex-husband, Wang Wei, returned home drunk. After entering, Sun Li complained a few times, and Wang Wei responded by verbally abusing her and then attempted to hit her.
Sun Li quickly hid in her son's room. Wang Wei couldn't catch her, so he went to bed alone.
Hiding in her son's room until around 4 a.m., Sun Li's attention suddenly focused on the Lingbi stones placed on the cabinet, which were all part of her son's collection.
Thus, Sun Li picked up one of the smaller Lingbi stones and went to Wang Wei's bedside. She struck him twice on the head with the stone. Seeing that he had no reaction, she covered his head with the quilt and continued hitting him a few more times through the blanket. Then, she pulled the quilt up to his neck. "I was worried the quilt might suffocate him," she explained.
Due to her nervousness, Sun Li took the stone to the bathroom, washed her face, and it seemed the stone also got wet. Afterwards, she left for a relative's home. "Later, my son discovered that he was already dead," Sun Li told the investigators.
Narrative:
Living together with her ex-husband for 10 years, she endured for 10 years
Sun Li is nearly 50 years old, retired at home, and Wang Wei is around the same age. They were divorced by court order in 1997 but never officially collected their divorce certificate.
In 2002, they began living together again in Wang Wei's home, staying there for a full decade.
When asked why they decided to live together after their divorce, Sun Li said it was for the sake of their child. However, during these ten years, Wang Wei treated his ex-wife poorly.
"He liked drinking, had a rather violent temper, and in recent years, drank excessively more frequently. After drinking, he would come home and beat and curse me..." Sun Li recounted.
Faced with these endless beatings and curses, Sun Li, introverted and not good at expressing herself, just endured. She kept telling herself to endure it all for the sake of her son. "Since my son was planning to get married after the New Year, I still wanted to bless him with his father."
However, now that her son knows the details, he has suffered serious mental trauma. "Fortunately, a few days ago, Wang Qiang called us and said his mental state has improved significantly," Detective Liu informed the reporter.
Despite this, Wang Qiang's wedding is uncertain when it will happen, and as a mother, Sun Li doesn't know if she will ever be able to attend her child's wedding.
On February 18th, the suspect Sun Li was approved for arrest by the procuratorate on suspicion of intentional injury leading to death. The real cause of the victim's death is still under further investigation by the public security authorities.
Expert Analysis:
The Language of Love is Important
Why did this almost broken emotional structure between a divorced couple lead them down such a tragic path? For this, the reporter consulted Lin Lin, Anhui Province's first national second-level psychological counselor.
Regarding the handling of issues in spousal or romantic relationships, Lin Lin conducted a rational analysis: First, for the suspect Sun Li, many people would feel sympathy for her, but her personal character and interpersonal boundaries are areas that need thorough reflection. Spousal interaction isn't about right or wrong, but interpersonal boundaries must be maintained.
"After the divorce, they reunited, and Sun Li repeatedly gave in, causing her interpersonal boundaries to continually retreat until there was nowhere left to retreat, leading to extreme measures," Lin Lin pointed out.
Lin Lin emphasized that to become a couple, it's important to first pay attention to the compatibility of both individuals' personalities. "If one person has a fiery personality, the other needs to be gentle to maintain harmony."
For this, Lin Lin proposed five ways for lovers to harmoniously coexist: 1. Use the language of love often, giving warmth; 2. Regularly affirm each other; 3. Physical contact, like a hug, can let the other feel your heart; 4. Silent companionship, giving reliance; 5. Spend more quality time together.
By Zhang Mengyi, Morning Post Reporter