Volume One, Chapter Three: The Plot to Murder Her Husband

At noon, as usual, Yingying Zhang hurried home after buying groceries to prepare the meal.

“Yingying, these past few months have been hard on you,” Wei Min Zhang said to his daughter, who was busy cooking.

“Dad, as long as you wake up, no hardship is too much,” Yingying replied with a smile, chatting with her father as she cooked.

“Dad, why don’t you let others know you’ve regained consciousness?”

“Sigh… You’ve grown up now, and there are some things you should know. All the compensation money from my accident is controlled by her. We have to find a way to get it back.”

Yingying stopped her work and turned to look at her father.

“So, Dad, that’s why you rented the camera…”

“Yes. My body’s too weak now to fight them directly, so I have to use my wits. Use the money in that jar freely; we need to improve our meals and get my strength back.”

Yingying looked surprised.

“Dad, I feel like you’ve become a different person since waking up. Your tone has changed, and you’re so generous with money.”

Wei Min Zhang shook his head helplessly, sighing.

“Yingying, I’ve come close to death. Now I see things clearly. People shouldn’t be slaves to money; earning it should be about living well.”

Delighted, Yingying clapped and jumped.

“Dad, shall I go buy some meat now? Let’s improve our meals.”

“Sure! Meat, eggs, milk—buy them all. But don’t buy too much; let’s buy just enough for each meal.”

“All right, I’ll go now.”

Before long, Yingying returned with pork, eggs, milk, and other groceries, preparing a sumptuous lunch.

“Yingying, after eating, clean up quickly. Don’t let Fangfang Liu catch us enjoying good food. I still need to pretend to be in a vegetative state.”

“Got it. Don’t worry, she won’t even smell a thing,” Yingying said with a mischievous, cunning smile.

Thus, every day they ate well and kept up with persistent exercise. Wei Min Zhang’s health improved day by day. After two weeks, he could jog slowly in the yard and even lifted two bricks as makeshift dumbbells with one hand for muscle training.

Fangfang Liu was puzzled. Zhang Wei Min not only wasn’t wasting away but was growing stronger and more radiant by the day.

Yet whenever Fangfang was around, Wei Min Zhang still lay on the kang bed pretending to be a vegetable. He had become skillful at this act; no matter how much provocation, he remained motionless, like a corpse—he wouldn’t even blink if someone poked his eye.

Fangfang grew anxious. At this rate, Zhang Wei Min might live a long life right on that kang bed.

She went to the office of Changzheng Zhou to discuss a plan.

---

“Brother Zhou, have you figured out a way? Old Zhang seems to be getting stronger every day. Looks like he could last another ten or even twenty years.”

Changzheng Zhou rubbed his chin, pacing back and forth in the office.

“Ah, stop pacing in front of me, you’re making me dizzy. Just make up your mind quickly.”

Zhou sat down, rubbing his hands together like a repulsive fly.

“Looks like we can’t hesitate any longer; we have to act fast!”

“How do we do it?”

“Come here…”

Zhou beckoned Fangfang over and whispered.

“You like this, right? This method…”

Fangfang nodded repeatedly as she listened.

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm… Brother Zhou, this move is brilliant. Where did you learn it?”

“From novels. It’s a common trick used in ancient times. People killed this way leave no trace detectable by forensic experts.”

“Heh heh heh… Brother Zhou, you really love learning—from novels for murder, from Japanese films for bullying…”

“Hey! Hey! Hey!”

Zhou straightened up with a mock-serious expression.

“Watch your words; this is an office. Don’t say just anything.”

“Oh, what’s the office got to do with it? We’ve done plenty in offices before. Remember the first time? Right here in your office, you…”

Fangfang tried to wrap her arms around Zhou’s neck and sit on his lap.

“Stop it! It’s work hours; what if someone walks in?”

Zhou pushed her away.

“Heh heh, look at you scared. I’m off to get ready. You focus on your work, my Chairman Zhou.”

After planting a kiss on Zhou’s balding forehead, Fangfang swayed her hips and strutted away.

---

That day, Yingying made noodles with thick sauce—it was delicious.

After clearing the table and thoroughly cleaning all the trash, she hurried off to school.

Fangfang tiptoed back home, bolted the courtyard gate, and entered Zhang Wei Min’s bedroom.

Wei Min Zhang heard someone come in and guessed it was Fangfang.

He immediately resumed his vegetative act, staring blankly at the ceiling.

But the corner of his eye watched her every move.

He knew Fangfang usually didn’t come back at noon. Her sudden return suggested she intended to harm him.

He didn’t know what method she would use and felt nervous.

Would she use a knife? Probably not. Despite her cruelty, she likely lacked the nerve to stab him. It wasn’t a blood feud severe enough to warrant such a bloody method—unless she wanted to die too.

Wei Min Zhang listened carefully to her movements.

Fangfang brought a basin half-filled with water and placed it beside him.

He thought: Is she going to wash me? That can’t be right. I’ve been lying here for over three months, and she’s never once cleaned me. She wouldn’t suddenly be so kind.

Fangfang took a stack of rough paper from his bag and soaked it in the basin.

“Old Zhang, I’m sorry. Don’t blame me for being cruel. Though we’re married, you know we have no feelings between us. Living like this is worse than dying. This is to spare you some suffering…”

She bid him a final farewell.

She took a piece of the soaked paper and covered his face with it.

Wei Min Zhang immediately felt the wet, soft paper blocking his nostrils, making it hard to breathe.

He inhaled deeply, sucking the paper into two small holes, restoring his breath.

Seeing this, Fangfang quickly pulled two or three more sheets from the basin, covering his face again, then three or four, then four or five…

The paper’s thickness grew beyond what his nasal suction could pierce; Wei Min Zhang felt suffocated. He couldn’t keep pretending—he had to—

Suddenly, he sat up, grabbed the paper off his face, eyes blazing with fury, staring at Fangfang.

“Ah—!!!”

Startled, Fangfang stumbled off the kang, dropping the basin, spilling half the water onto the floor and herself.

Wei Min Zhang jumped up and landed on the floor, straddling Fangfang, pinning her hands with his legs. One hand covered her mouth and nose; the other gripped her neck.

“You wicked woman!”

He panted heavily, veins bulging, radiating deadly intent.

Fangfang shook her head frantically, struggling, but now Wei Min Zhang had regained nearly 80 to 90 percent of his pre-accident strength. Subduing a woman like Fangfang was no longer difficult.

She wet herself in terror.

She stopped struggling and whimpered mournfully…