This was the last time Wang Youqian went to the detention center before the court opened and saw Xiang Bei.

Compared with the last time we met, Xiang Bei's mental state was worse and more decadent. First, judging from the available evidence, the probability of winning the case is not very high; second, the first-instance trial is limited to six months, and as long as the result cannot be obtained during these six months, he will remain in the detention center.

Wang Youqian has encountered many similar situations, and for anyone who is about to go to trial, he will go through such a process of adjusting his mentality. The difference is that everyone's ability to adapt is different, and the acceptance cycle of a new life is naturally different.

Wang Youqian saw the change in Xiangbei's mood and ran directly to the theme.

"Tomorrow is the beginning of the trial, don't be nervous, adjust your emotions. ”

"I'm all up to you, Mr. Wang. "Take a deep breath to the north and pretend to be calm.

"Tomorrow, I will deal with the prosecution's prosecution and evidence according to the materials prepared before," Wang Youqian's heart was not so relaxed, he is an experienced lawyer, to judge the probability of victory or defeat, you don't have to wait until you go to the battlefield, "When the time comes, you just need to state truthfully." Remember, don't deliberately prepare, don't rush to talk, don't interject, and improvise. ”

"Okay, I'll listen to you when the time comes. "People are weak and love to rely on them, and they seem to be willing to give their lives to others. Prisoners, Sick Persons, Poor Persons, Captives...... It's all true.

"There's another circumstance that I just learned. At the request of the parties and the unit, the trial was held in private, and the court approved it. ”

"Not public?!" was unexpected news. Xiang Beiyuan wanted to let the outside world know the real situation and change his passive position through this open trial.

"Maybe considering the social impact of the case, after all, your identity and the identity of the Beijiang Evening News are too special. In addition, you need to be prepared for the long term, and the litigation cycle can be lengthy. ”

"Hey......" Xiangbei sighed, his expression was sluggish, he had been trapped in the beast, could he still expect it to fly into the sky?

He felt that Wang Youqian was like explaining the aftermath, and he spoke more patiently and meticulously than before. The latter words strengthened his judgment.

"Your lover has entrusted me with some seasonal clothes, which I have handed over to the prison guards. They will give it to you after they check it out. ”

"She's ...... How's it going?"

"She's fine, she's just a little skinny. I heard that she got a job as a housekeeper with a decent salary. She asked me to tell you not to worry about her, she will take care of herself. It's you, don't give up hope, no matter what happens, she will always be with you. ”

"Time flies so fast, it's been half a year. I haven't been able to see each other in person. Xiang Bei said.

"We can meet when the results of the trial come out," Wang Youqian could only comfort him like this, "If you need to, I will arrange for you to meet as soon as possible after the trial." ”

"However, it may be another half a year......"

Wang Youqian looked at him with a blank expression, whether it was half a year or a year, this was not something I could control. Send the Buddha to the west, I have given enough face to Fat Winter, I have done what I can do, and the rest depends on your creation.

I don't know if I dare to say it or I don't bother to say it, Wang Youqian's subtext has no way to go north.

The two of them seemed to say goodbye, they both wanted to say something and stopped, and left separately.

When he returned to the cell in the north, all the items that Zhou Xuecen sent him were already on the bed.

Unwrapping the parcels to the north, rearranging them one by one, there were only a few pieces of clothing, which were simply folded and placed at the head of the bed. In fact, it doesn't matter if you have it or not, you don't have to go around interviewing or make a fuss about yourself.

He has become accustomed to not changing clothes and not washing underwear for half a month. It's just the smell of sweat in the cell that wakes him up in the middle of the night from time to time, and he looks for it several times, but he never knows where the smell comes from. Today he finally understood that it was the smell of him. The smell was unfamiliar to him.

The book "Poems of the Index Finger" tucked in his clothes made him deeply interested. It's not a book, it's a memory of youth. Just like every time he recalls Noyi, as long as he sees those photos on his phone, all the familiar images come back.

People, if the reality is too painful and the memories are too happy, it is better to live in memories all day long. How to live a lifetime, why not choose happiness?

Xiang Bei put down the clothes in his hand and sat at the head of the bed and looked over.

For him, these verses could not be more familiar. He seemed to see the high-spirited teenager again, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, with long flowing hair and raunchy hair, strolling along the green field of the school with Zhou Xuecen, and reciting those poems aloud for her:

"Perhaps my thin body is like a kudzu vine clinging to,

can't grasp the future of their own destiny,

Then listen to my voice in the bitter wind and rain,

Still whispering repeatedly: love life.

Maybe after the fierce struggle of life,

I died more peacefully than the waters of the lake.

Then please go to the cemetery to find my inscription,

It is still engraved: Love life. ”

That's right, love life...... Xiang Bei said it silently, as if reading an oath. To this day, he can memorize these sentences backwards, and every word is a fire burning in his heart. Xiang Bei wept more than once for these poems full of life insights.

Sometimes he couldn't understand why a man became more sensitive and fragile the older he got? When he saw some sentences, he sighed and burst into tears? Was he not mature enough? Not old enough? Later, he realized that it was because the more a person came to the end of his life, the stronger the complex in his heart that could not be parted.

A real warrior is one who still loves life after seeing the truth of life.

This complex should be a kind of faith. He put down his book and stared out the window, and in the blue sky of less than a square meter, the sunset appeared again, just like yesterday.

Suddenly, a bird landed on a branch outside the window, its body light and flexible.

It is a kind of summer bird, the white-rumped swift, which comes to Hedong City at the turn of spring and summer every year, this bird is black-brown all over, except for a wisp of white feathers on its waist, they usually fly in flocks, galloping low in the sky on cloudy days, sweeping over the ground or water, and when the weather is fine, it often flies high in the sky, sometimes making a sharp and thin chirp, as if singing for freedom.

Even a bird understands the value of freedom. The source of life should be freedom.

……

At 10 o'clock in the morning, the Xuanwu District People's Court of Hedong City, the first instance of the Xiangbei case officially opened.

Xiang Bei sat in the defendant's seat, and on the plaintiff's bench opposite were representatives of the prosecution and the Hedong Evening News. The judge first checked the identity of the parties and informed them of their procedural rights and obligations.

Since the trial is not in camera, according to the regulations, no court staff member or close relatives of the defendant who is not related to the case are allowed to observe. Apart from the plaintiff and the defendant, as well as the police officers in charge of investigating the case, there were very few people at the trial.

After the trial, the prosecution first read out the indictment. As Xiang Bei and Wang Youqian expected, a total of four crimes were mentioned in the indictment - bribery, extortion, bribery and fraud, involving 11 cases. It took at least half an hour just to read out the files.

During the prosecution's reading, Xiang Bei listened quietly, and several times wanted to rush to defend himself, but the words came to his lips and he took them back, and he kept remembering Wang Youqian's advice - don't interject or grab words.

After the indictment is read, the defendant's defense is entered. Before the trial, Wang Youqian had already submitted a reply to the court, and there was not much explanation at the trial.

Thus the anger of the north. He stared at Wang Youqian, hoping to get some valuable information from his eyes, but the other party turned a blind eye.

Is this your own lawyer or a pig teammate?

If you are still silent, any illusions will be shattered. Xiangbei couldn't help it and asked to answer in court.

"To the north, what do you want to say?" the judge did not stop.

"The four charges put forward by the Beijiang Evening News are all false. Xiang Bei poured out the words that had been suppressed in his heart these days, such as participating in marketing at the behest of the newspaper, not going through the unit's account because the unit's finances were not strictly controlled, and some accusations were purely made up.

Wang Youqian was a little embarrassed, it was too naïve to defend himself like this, and even the prosecution didn't bother to fight back against Xiang Bei's words.

In court, every sentence is evidence, and if there is no evidence, it is good to give you a chance to speak.

Of course, in Wang Youqian's view, words without evidence in court are basically equivalent to nonsense, so what Xiang Bei said does not have much practical significance.

However, if Xiangbei can relieve the depression in his heart, it can be regarded as a benefit. Alas, it should be regarded as a matter of virtue.

"Prosecution, what else do you have to say?" the judge patiently listened to Xiang Bei's statement and turned to ask the other party.

The other party shook his head, looking confident.

The trial lasted all morning and ended at noon. Due to flaws in the evidence presented by both parties, the judge adjourned the trial. From this point of view, the entire case has been investigated and investigated from the police investigation to the prosecution's indictment, and now it has reached the trial stage. If it is not surprising, the next step will be that the judge will also spend a lot of time investigating and collecting evidence.

……

Zhou Xuecen knew about today's trial, and she asked He Miaomiao for leave one day in advance. To Zhou Xuecen's surprise, He Miaomiao agreed very happily.

"Sister Zhou, it's okay to ask for leave, but I want to know what's the matter. He Miaomiao said.

Zhou Xuecen hesitated and didn't want to speak.

"You've been at our house for a while, and I never ask about you. Still, I can tell you're on your mind. And it's a big deal. You also know that I am giving my children to you, and I have the greatest trust in you. I think you should also give your sincerity and reassure me. He Miaomiao gave her reasons.

This seems to be very reasonable, Zhou Xuecen weighed it again and again, and felt that it was better to say the matter: "I want to go and see my husband, we haven't seen each other for half a year." ”

"I haven't seen him for half a year?

"It's not. He is in the detention center, and his case will be tried tomorrow...... "Zhou Xuecen felt embarrassed and was arrested and held in court...... None of this, she understood, was a good thing.

He Miaomiao's eyebrows frowned slightly, this answer really surprised her: "What happened?"

"There are some things involved in the unit, and I can't explain it clearly for a while. But don't worry, my husband was wronged. This trial will restore his innocence. ”

He Miaomiao stared at Zhou Xuecen for a long time. Zhou Xuecen has long been accustomed to such a gaze, but this time he was particularly shy. She also wondered, when did she become a shy woman?

"Okay, I trust you! Is there anything I can do to help?"

Zhou Xuecen shook her head, and kept rubbing the corners of her clothes with both hands: "As long as you can grant leave, you can do it." Half a day, I only need half a day. I just want to see my husband. ”

"I'll give you a day off, go back and have a good rest, and I'll ask Sister Liu to help take care of Felix tomorrow." You can rest assured, it is not considered absenteeism. Tomorrow's wages will be paid. He Miaomiao cleaned up the things on the sofa, and while talking, she beckoned Sister Liu over.

Is this severe cleanliness patient getting worse today? How did he become so kind?

Sister Liu is also a cheerful person, so she agreed without saying a word.

As soon as Zhou Xuecen walked out of He Miaomiao's house, Sister Liu came up.

"I heard what I said just now, I usually think that this Zhou Xuecen is not ordinary, but I didn't expect her to hide so many things. I think you should be careful. "Sister Liu is an old Jianghu and gave her own advice.

He Miaomiao didn't think so, but felt ashamed of Sister Liu's behavior of leaning on the wall: "Sister Liu, you are a smart person, you should be in charge, and you don't dare to take care of it." I think you know better than anyone else. As long as she Zhou Xuecen is honest and diligent with me, she will be fine. ”

He Miao Miao was straightforward, and her face was displeased.

Sister Liu is indeed smart and very interesting. Since the hostess is so assertive, why is she licking her face to join in the fun? Alas, the dog bites Lu Dongbin and doesn't know the hearts of good people. Sister Liu felt aggrieved and silently did housework alone.

……

Wang Youqian told Zhou Xuecen that as long as he was guarding at the gate of the court, he would always be able to meet Xiang Bei. So, on the day of the trial, Zhou Xuecen squatted at the door of the Xuanwu District People's Court in Hedong City all morning.

Sure enough, at noon, a group of people finally came down the steps of the courthouse.

Zhou Xuecen hurriedly got up and poked her head out to carefully discern it. There are too many people, and the black is pressing, and it is difficult to see clearly. Zhou Xuecen trotted a few steps and leaned up to look. Even the security guard at the door looked at her a little strangely: this person is sneaky, and it is not normal at first glance!

"Husband!" Zhou Xuecen suddenly shouted.

The sound was all too familiar to Xiang Bei, and he looked up and followed the direction of the sound.

"Husband, how is it? Is there a result?" Zhou Xuecen asked eagerly.

Stand still to the north and look at her. At this time, it doesn't matter what Zhou Xuecen says. It's been a year, and he wants to take another look at the woman he knows best.

Zhou Xuecen was waiting for an answer.

Xiang Bei didn't care about the answer. Two policemen behind him took him to the front of the car. The moment he got in the car, he only said: "Wife, wait for me ......"