Auspicious Flowers and a Moonlit Garden - Chapter 98: The End of the Court Trial

With the plaintiff having presented their evidence, the debate phase has ended, and the trial has entered the final statement phase.
In the three rounds of confrontation, Xiao Shi held a clear advantage with two wins and one draw, but fundamentally, both sides still gained something. Xiao Shi took a solid first step in his professional career and, to some extent, made the name of this future firm director remembered in the judicial community, fully achieving his intended goal.
Attorney Zhou's disadvantage didn't mean anything; letting the other party argue freely was exactly what she wanted. Her only complaint was that Xiao Shi's performance was too brilliant, stealing the spotlight and making her, a renowned legal beauty in S City, somewhat embarrassed.
"The plaintiff's final statement." Judge Zhong Weixiang's somewhat weary voice echoed through the courtroom. This seemingly minor civil case had dragged on for so long, almost like a criminal case; Judge Zhong appeared quite exhausted.
All eyes were once again on Attorney Zhou. The final statement is the last and crucial part of the trial; many trials have seen unexpected changes, turning the tide or even reversing the outcome, because of it. This small civil case has already opened everyone's eyes, and everyone is hoping for further developments.
After a brief pause, Zhou Haimin stood up, glanced around the courtroom, and calmly said, "First of all, let me state that the plaintiff has no intention of infringing on the defendant's personal privacy or interfering in his private life. On the contrary, we are grateful to the defendant for raising the ward for the past eight years. All the evidence presented is to remind the court of one fact: that the defendant, while already having a girlfriend, simultaneously maintained intimate relationships with multiple women."
Another fact is that although they address each other as brother and sister, the ward, being of the opposite sex, is already seventeen years old and about to reach adulthood. Under these circumstances, it is clearly inappropriate for the defendant to continue exercising guardianship. Furthermore, the defendant currently has no stable source of income. Therefore, the plaintiff requests the court to uphold the principle of protecting the ward, allowing the ward to fully experience the warmth of family affection, and to make their own judgment after reaching adulthood. Your Honor, the plaintiff has finished their statement.
After Zhou Haimin finished speaking, she immediately sat down without looking at Xiao Shi in the distance, or even at the anxious eyes of the two clients beside her. She was a little confused and couldn't even figure out why she had accepted this commission.
A low murmur of discussion rippled through the courtroom, with frequent nods of agreement. The judges on the bench also fell into brief contemplation. It must be said that Zhou Haimin's statement, though simple, was reasonable both morally and legally. A young, single man adopting a girl nearing adulthood is, in any case, inappropriate, especially given Xiao Shi's seemingly chaotic personal life.
"The defendant's final statement."
"The defendant waives its final statement." Fang Ruoyu's long hair flowed like water, and her face was as gentle as a breeze.
Abandoning her final statement? How could this be? Sure enough, the unexpected happened. The entire courtroom was stunned for a moment, then erupted in an uproar. Judge Zhong regained his composure and looked at Xiao Shi. Xiao Shi was also bewildered. Although he didn't care about winning or losing the case, he wouldn't give up easily. However, he believed that Fang Yuruo must have her reasons for doing this.
Chang Mei and Yang Luo exchanged a glance, then looked at Xiao Ling. Chang Mei asked anxiously, "Xiao Ling, what's wrong with Xiao Fang? What's going on?"
Xiao Ling smiled slightly but did not answer. Apart from Fang Yuruo, she was the only calm person in the entire courtroom.
"Attorney Fang, are you sure you want to give up?" Judge Zhong asked, staring at her.
“Yes, but…” Fang Yu Ruo smiled faintly, glanced back, and said, “Your Honor, during the court mediation, the ward already expressed her attitude. Now she requests to express her attitude again in court. If the court allows, the ward’s attitude will be the defendant’s final statement.”
So that's how it is! In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Xiao Ling. The seventeen-year-old girl's face remained calm and composed, her gaze resolute and serene, like a unique bystander witnessing a story that should never have happened.
Xiao Shi turned to look at his sister, and he finally understood what kind of card Fang Yuruo was going to play when she refused to admit defeat.
"The court approves."
Xiao Ling stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then naturally walked towards the witness stand, the only place she could go. In this courtroom that should have been hers, there was no place for her. She had to testify, for herself and for her brother.
The courtroom was quiet, unusually quiet. Everyone stared silently at the seventeen-year-old girl, who in turn stared silently at her brother. People clearly noticed that her body was trembling slightly. She wasn't afraid, but rather excited, for her face wore a calm, unwavering smile—a smile of contentment with the ordinary, a contentment that comes after weathering storms, seemingly without desire, yet also as if she had always been pursuing something.
"Your Honor, the court has just debated a lot about my brother's affairs, and I don't want to comment on that because it's his private matter. My experience has already been covered by my defense attorney at the beginning, and I don't want to repeat it. I just want to talk about my feelings, my feelings about living with my brother for eight years."
At this point, the girl paused, her eyes quickly welling up with tears, as if she were experiencing the impact of the past eight years.
Xiao Ling bit her lip, looked at the plaintiff's seat, and said calmly and resolutely: "Just now, Attorney Zhou said that I should go back and feel the warmth of family. I want to say that I will not go back, never. Even if the court orders me to go back, I will not."
I know she wants me to make comparisons, to compare it to my current life, but I don't need to. Don't forget, I've had family before. I lived with my parents for nine years. Nine years old might not seem old, but it's enough to remember a lot of things. If there's any comparison to be made, I've already done it.
My parents were very good to me, they loved me dearly, and our family life was very comfortable. You could say they gave me everything they could, even their lives. I clearly remember that night. My father was fighting pointlessly with someone, and my mother tucked me under the bed, telling me, "Child, don't be afraid, stay put, don't make a sound." Those were the last words my parents said to me. Then, I heard their screams. I crept out and saw them lying on the ground like sacks of potatoes, blood everywhere. I quickly crawled over, reaching the darkest part of the room, because I knew they were dead, and I had nothing left.
I don't know how long I stayed in the darkness, but I know I wasn't thinking about anything. I had nothing left, so what was there to think about? Later, I saw my brother, whom I called "Police Uncle." He took care of me for many days, talking to me, cooking for me, sleeping with me, and taking me to the park. I smiled. It turned out I wasn't completely alone; I had a police uncle, a police uncle who, like me, had no parents. He really wanted me to talk to him, but I couldn't speak, I really couldn't. My only thought was that this uncle, like me, had no parents, but what could I say?
Even after he carried me to the two men—the two who killed my parents—he told me not to be afraid, but how could I not be? My mother's last words were also to tell me not to be afraid, yet she was killed. Then, I saw the two men pull out two knives, the same knives that killed my parents. I was terrified, and once again felt like I had lost everything. Even the policeman, who, like me, had no parents, was about to be gone too.
In the blink of an eye, those two people were dead. The two knives that killed my parents also killed them. At that moment, I understood: this policeman had come to take my parents' place. He could do what my parents couldn't. So I spoke again. I called him "brother" because I didn't want to call him "dad," and I felt "uncle" wasn't close enough.
Xiao Ling spoke calmly, tears streaming down her face. The air in the courtroom seemed to freeze, and many people were wiping their eyes. Xiao Haiping kept his eyes tightly shut, lost in thought; Old Mrs. Xiao covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks; Zhou Haimin frowned, glancing at the brother and sister from time to time; Xiao Shi looked out the window at the distant sky, which resembled the eight years that had passed between the brother and sister, peaceful and natural.
He considered stopping his sister, but then gave up. Why stop her if she wanted to? The past can bring clarity, but it can also kill some hearts.
Xiao Ling wiped away the tears streaming down her face and continued, "I remember my parents' faces clearly, but I've never really missed them because I have my brother, and I feel like I have enough. To be honest, I wasn't very happy when I was with my parents, and I felt very inferior because they have families and children, while I'm just an illegitimate child, without a registered household or even a name. My home is just a place where I live with my parents."
But after my brother came along, everything changed. I had a home, a name, and a household registration. I was so excited. I remember carrying my household registration book to school every day, taking it out to look at as soon as get out of class ended, waiting for the teacher to collect it, because I had never handed it in before. And then there were parent-teacher conferences. My parents were busy with their business, and since I didn't have a household registration, they never went. But my brother went, no matter how busy he was. Every time, I would peer out of the classroom window to watch my brother at the conference, waiting for him to come out so we could go home together. I was so proud because I had a brother who was even more supportive and reliable than my parents, like the sky above me.
"No Wine Left to Sell" is my favorite song. I feel that this song is about me and my brother. The lyrics express all my innermost thoughts.
Without heaven, there would be no earth; without earth, there would be no home. If my brother hadn't raised me and given me a warm life; if my brother hadn't protected me, what would my fate have been? It was my brother who raised me, gave me the courage to speak again; it was my brother who gave me a real home, and helped me understand the world's black and white, truth and falsehood. Except for not bringing me into this world, everything I have is thanks to my brother, not my parents, and certainly not you..."
Xiao Ling suddenly turned around, her arm flashing as she pointed at the plaintiff's seat, and said angrily, "What right do you have to shamelessly come here to file a lawsuit and even want me to go with you? On what grounds? Just because my father's son died! How ridiculous! What does it have to do with me that your whole family is dead! You say I'm a member of the Xiao family? Yes, I am a member of the Xiao family, but not your Xiao family. It's my brother's and my Xiao family! My name is Xiao Ling because my brother's surname is Xiao, not because my father's! Let me tell you clearly, I haven't had any connection with you for eight years. You'd better give up and go back home!"
After saying that, Xiao Ling wiped his face with his arm and turned back to his seat.
The air in the courtroom froze; many tearful people stood motionless, their hearts churning with turbulent emotions. The Xiao mother and son stood there, mouths agape, frozen like wooden statues. Suddenly, the old lady's body went limp, and she slid back into her seat.
"Mom! Mom!" Xiao Haiping quickly helped his mother up and pinched the old lady's philtrum.
The entire courtroom watched the mother and son in silence, and Xiao Shi also turned his gaze away from the window. Judge Zhong was shocked and quickly asked the court clerk to bring a glass of water. My God, please don't let someone die in court!
After a long while, Old Mrs. Xiao slowly woke up and immediately burst into tears.
"Silence!" Thankfully, nothing was amiss. Judge Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finished his verdict. All eyes in the courtroom returned to him.
Judge Zhong Weixiang, his face stern, solemnly declared: “This is an unusual lawsuit. Objectively speaking, both parties have committed illegal acts in the guardianship and upbringing of the ward. For example, the defendant illegally adopted and improperly registered the child; the plaintiff embezzled property and is suspected of abandonment. However, this court is pleased that both parties have remained rational, and the focus of their dispute is solely the guardianship of the ward—a manifestation of compassion. In other words, there are no irreconcilable conflicts between them. Therefore, this court still recommends that both parties calmly reach a settlement, and hopes that their defense lawyers will make further efforts. If a settlement cannot be reached, this court will reconvene, taking into account the plaintiff's defense lawyer's proposal and respecting the ward's own wishes, and announce the court's final judgment. Court adjourned!”
Like many civil lawsuits, Judge Zhong did not deliver a verdict in court, but the court's outcome was no longer important, because Xiao Ling was destined not to return.
Everyone rose to their feet, reluctantly leaving this unusual courtroom. Many law students surrounded Xiao Shi and Fang Yuruo, asking for their phone numbers. Although the lawsuit was unsuccessful, the still-unestablished Yulin Law Firm had already begun to gain a reputation.
Chang Mei, Yang Luo, and Xiao Ling were all extremely excited. Yang Luo and Xiao Ling, who were standing nearby, were the first to run over to congratulate the two. Xiao Shi smiled smugly, but was suddenly grabbed by Chang Mei, who came later: "Xiao Shi, come out here! I have something to ask you!"
Xiao Shi was at his wit's end. This little woman, didn't I explain everything clearly in court? Why is she still asking?

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Auspicious Flowers and a Moonlit Garden - Chapter 98: The End of the Court Trial

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