"THUD—"
Zhou Quanmin listened to Jiang Erping’s defense and struck the gavel. He then looked towards the third defendant.
Jiang Sanping quickly stood up. "Judgnt Chief," he said, "I haven’t abandoned her either. I’ve always wanted to provide support, but I..."
His excuse was his poor family circumstances, claiming it was simply impossible for one person to provide support. He stated that due to financial constraints, he hadn’t provided support, but it was by no ans abandonnt.
After listening to the defenses from the three brothers, Zhou Quanmin couldn’t help but frown.
It was rely the defense phase, yet the three brothers had already begun to shift bla onto each other, attempting to shirk responsibility. All sorts of excuses erged. One claid to be overwheld by nurous grandchildren, leaving no ti to care for his mother. Another said he had tried to provide support, but his other brothers ignored him. The third pleaded that his family’s poor financial situation made him unable to bear the burden alone.
"Next, please have Jiang Siping speak to defend against the plaintiff’s accusation."
After a brief thought, Zhou Quanmin spoke gravely, looking towards the last defendant.
Seeing this, Jiang Siping also quickly stood up. "I am a teacher, and my wife is also a teacher," he stated. "We are in charge of a graduating class, and our workload is imnse every day. We often don’t get to rest until late at night. But looking after the country’s future and educating the young is our duty; we truly have no ti to care for our mother."
His excuse was even more sanctimonious. He implied that his inability to care for Feng Cuihua was due to being too busy with work, leading to her "misunderstanding." In a flash, he completely dismissed the issue of abandonnt.
In the public gallery, Zhang Qingyuan and the others listened to the four brothers’ defenses, their beards quivering with anger.
"How can they even say such things? Neglecting her just because they have many grandchildren?"
"And there’s the teacher, busy educating others, yet abandoning his own mother?"
"This second brother is no good either, not caring at all just because the others don’t contribute."
"And the third one—poor finances are understandable, but couldn’t he at least show up to sign for her surgery?"
"..."
They glared intensely at the defendants’ bench, seething with rage. The trial had just begun, yet the four brothers kept shocking them, causing their blood pressure to rise steadily.
That was right. In other cases, they were there rely to watch the commotion. But this case, happening so close to ho and involving the issue of elder care, resonated deeply with them. Instead of finding any amusent, they only found themselves thoroughly infuriated.
"Cough, cough, please calm down," Qin Mu said, noticing Zhang Qingyuan and the others discussing louder and unable to resist advising them.
In their outrage, they no longer kept their voices down, drawing continual cautionary glances from the nearby bailiffs.
In fact, the defenses of the Jiang brothers also sowhat infuriated Qin Mu. Four people had, astoundingly, co up with four different excuses. It was as if none of them had intentionally refrained from providing support; rather, various problems had supposedly prevented them from doing so. They dismissed Feng Cuihua’s lawsuit as a "misunderstanding."
"Their defense really seems to have so substance; those lawyers look fairly capable."
"Xiao Qin, Dachui should be able to beat the other side, right? It’s a direct order: this case must be won, it cannot be lost!"
"It looks a bit dicey. The other side has four lawyers, and we only have one. Plus, Xiao Qin can’t even speak to help."
"Dachui’s skills... they do seem sowhat lacking."
"..."
Zhang Qingyuan, Li Weiguo, and others continued to speak in lowered voices, all looking towards Qin Mu with anxious expressions. Whether they won or lost other cases didn’t matter. If they lost this case, they estimated they would have trouble sleeping afterward.
"It should... be possible," Qin Mu responded uncertainly, glancing at Wang Dachui.
These past few days, to assist Wang Dachui, Qin Mu had specially conducted several mock trials for him. He had listed all the counter-argunts he could think of and inford Wang Dachui how to respond. Overall, the odds of winning should still be considerably good.
「Jin City.」
「Nursing ho.」
「In front of a giant projection screen.」
The elderly residents who hadn’t gone to the court to observe had gathered together. Emotionally charged, they couldn’t help but curse angrily, their voices thunderous.
"Beasts! Are those words a human should utter? This isn’t just anyone; this is their own mother!"
"These four defendants, not a single good one among them! Their excuses are so shaless!"
"That third one, claiming he has no money! He wasn’t asked to bear the whole burden, but he blatantly refused to provide even a cent of support."
"The most infuriating is the eldest! He has ti to look after his grandchildren but just throws his mother aside, completely neglecting her?"
"They always say, ’Raise children to provide for your old age.’ These days, it seems only saving more money can truly provide for old age."
"..."
After listening to the four n’s defenses, these elderly individuals couldn’t contain their emotions. In the nursing ho yard, there was no courtroom discipline to maintain. Everyone gathered, unable to stop themselves from venting their disdain. They grew increasingly contemptuous of the actions of Jiang Daping and his three brothers. Raising sons like these, they felt, was actually worse than not raising any at all. Even in court, the brothers showed no signs of repentance.
The four brothers’ behavior was strikingly consistent; they never once looked Feng Cuihua in the eye.
In the crowd, Deputy Director Wan Zhongyuan clenched his fists tightly, suddenly feeling a profound sense of empathy.
Because... he also had an unfilial son. During the previous betrothal gift case, the two had a huge conflict, almost severing their father-son relationship. Throughout this ti, his son hadn’t even called to apologize and had completely disappeared. Right now, he’s in his pri, so he’s not worried about anything. But when he gets older... he’s genuinely a bit worried that his own son will be just like Jiang Daping and the others.
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