Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

This question hit the nail on the head, and the entire room fell silent once more.

Jia Zhangshi stopped crying and stared intently at Zhang Dabiao, her eyes filled with resentment and anticipation—she hoped Zhang Dabiao would let something slip, hoping to catch him red-handed. Yi Zhonghai also raised his head, his gaze fixed on Zhang Dabiao, his heart filled with doubt and a barely perceptible sense of panic.

Zhang Dabiao deliberately frowned, feigning hesitation. His gaze swept over Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, and Yi Zhonghai, and his tone was somewhat ambiguous: "Judge, to be honest, I do know why Jia Dongxu got into trouble."

"But the reason is too cruel and hurtful. I'm afraid that if I tell you, the Jia family won't be able to handle it, and I'm also afraid that everyone here will think it's too blunt and hurts their sore spots."

"Are you sure you really want me to say this here?"

As he spoke, Zhang Dabiao deliberately glanced at the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai's side, intentionally trying to lure them into a trap.

"Speak! Explain yourself!"

Madam Jia Zhang's temper instantly flared. She struggled to lunge forward, screaming, "Did you already know Dongxu wouldn't survive, and deliberately curse him?! You heartless bastard!"

"Jia Zhangshi!"

The old judge shouted sternly, "If you dare to interfere with the trial again, take him away immediately!"

He then looked at Zhang Dabiao and said in a deep voice, "Speak freely. In handling cases, we must be truthful and factual. No matter the reason, we must make it public so that everyone can be cleared of all wrongdoing."

"Besides, Jia Dongxu's cause of death is unknown, and we need to find out the truth. If you know anything, please cooperate."

Zhang Dabiao smiled, cleared his throat, and slowly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue: "Alright, since the judge has spoken and the Jia family agrees, then I'll get straight to the point."

"First of all, let me state that this is not fortune telling or sorcery. It is a reasonable deduction based on Jia Dongxu's physical condition, family situation, and work situation. It is a materialistic analysis and has nothing to do with feudal superstition."

He first set the tone for himself to avoid being labeled as using "evil magic." Then he looked at everyone and held up one finger: "First, he suffers from long-term malnutrition and severe physical depletion. Jia Dongxu's rations have to feed his entire family of five, and his mother, Jia Zhangshi, eats more than an adult man. She's also lazy and gluttonous, and she usually eats most of the food first. Corn is the Jia family's prized possession; it's the second choice when there's something better to eat. Third is Qin Huairu, who is pregnant and needs extra nutrition. As a result, the amount of food that actually ends up in Jia Dongxu's mouth is pitifully small."

"These past few years have been plagued by natural disasters and food shortages, leaving everyone hungry. Jia Dongxu, in particular, has been in a state of semi-starvation for years. Just a few days ago, I saw him in the yard; his face was sallow, his whole body was swollen, and he was even unsteady on his feet—these are all typical symptoms of long-term malnutrition. My fellow workers at the steel mill, you should be able to tell too, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several of his coworkers at the steel rolling mill nodded in agreement. A middle-aged man said, "That's right! Jia Dongxu has indeed been acting strangely lately. He has no energy for work and looks terrible. We've tried to persuade him to eat more, but he says that his family is short of food and he can't bear to eat it all, saving it for the elderly and children."

A murmur arose from the crowd, and many people looked at Jia Zhangshi with a hint of reproach.

"So that's how it is! Jia Dongxu was starved to death!"

"Jia Zhangshi is too selfish! She eats so much herself while her son goes hungry. What an irresponsible mother she is!"

"These are tough times for everyone, but we can't be so biased and let the breadwinner of the family break down!"

Madam Jia, her face ashen, cried out in protest, "I didn't! I didn't steal his food! Bang Geng and I finished ours and gave him everything left! He was the one who wouldn't eat it, so who's to blame!"

"The rest?" Zhang Dabiao sneered, his tone full of sarcasm. "You can eat five cornbread buns and three bowls of porridge in one meal. Banggeng is at the age where he can eat a lot. There's only so much food at home. After you two finish eating, how much will be left? Jia Dongxu is a mama's boy who is blindly filial. Even if he's not full, he won't dare to say a word against you. He can only bear it all by himself. The neighbors in the courtyard can all testify to this, right?"

Xu Damao immediately added, "I can testify! When the Jia family has flour and meat, they always give it to Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng first. Although Jia Dongxu can eat his fill, he doesn't get enough nutrition! Everyone in our No. 95 compound knows this."

Sha Zhu nodded quickly: "I've seen Jia Zhangshi sneaking around eating Bianyifang roast duck or ordering food from state-run restaurants several times, but she always eats outside before going home; she doesn't bring anything back for the family."

Jia Zhangshi was so rebuked that she could only stand there with her mouth agape, speechless.

Zhang Dabiao ignored her and held up a second finger: "Secondly, he's overexerted himself, and his body can't handle the strain. Even in this kind of year, the Jia family is pregnant with their third child, and Qin Huairu is pregnant again recently. Pregnancy involves two people, right? So Jia Dongxu has to put in more effort, doesn't he? That drains his energy, doesn't it? The neighbors in the central courtyard can hear some noise at night, right?"

These words sparked even more murmurs in the crowd. Some who understood chuckled, while many looked at Qin Huairu with a mixture of pity, helplessness, and disdain. Qin Huairu blushed, lowered her head in shame, clutched her lower abdomen tightly with both hands, and tears streamed down her face.

"In this year's climate, to dare to have a third child, with a heavy burden already on the family, really shows a lack of awareness of one's own capabilities."

"What do you know? This is called 'dying under a peony is still romantic even as a ghost'..."

"..."

Zhang Dabiao extended his third finger, his gaze shifting to Yi Zhonghai, his tone instantly turning cold: "Third, the eagerness for quick results and excessive pressure broke the last straw. Jia Dongxu's godfather, Comrade Yi Zhonghai, who hadn't taught him before, insisted on genuinely teaching Jia Dongxu this time, even forcing him to take two exams in a row. Every day after get off work, he forced Jia Dongxu to attend extra classes, teaching him techniques and memorizing regulations, often staying up until midnight, completely disregarding Jia Dongxu's physical condition and ability to cope."

"So under these triple pressures, Jia Dongxu is like a taut bowstring. Once that breath is released, the bowstring will snap." Zhang Dabiao even made a snapping gesture.

"His condition was caused by long-term malnutrition and excessive stress; he was just barely holding on. Any sudden emotional shock, whether joy or sorrow, would have caused him to die instantly."

"This is the source of the heart... to put it simply, the heart meridian is severed."

The entire audience was in uproar; everyone was shocked by the truth.

The workers at the steel rolling mill nodded in agreement, their faces showing sudden realization: "That's right! That must be it! Being chronically underfed, overworked, or experiencing extreme joy or sorrow can all easily lead to accidents!"

"Jia Dongxu was probably too excited to pass the Level 3 worker exam this time, and he couldn't hold back his excitement!"

"Even if he doesn't pass the exam this time, the grief will still cause him harm; his health has already collapsed!"

"Yes, yes, we had a neighbor who was the same way. He was perfectly fine, and then suddenly he was gone, and they couldn't find anything wrong with him..."

"Oh, I see..."

"..."

Listening to everyone's discussion, Zhang Dabiao shrugged and continued to add insult to injury: "So, it was the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai—they killed Jia Dongxu with their own hands."

"It has absolutely nothing to do with me."

To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit!

Why did Zhang Dabiao request a public trial?

Firstly, it was to clear himself of suspicion and prevent people from spreading rumors and ruining his reputation.

Secondly, it's about killing them out of their spirit and publicly executing Jia Jia and Yi Zhonghai!

Oh, if you had just waited for me to come home from school and hold a school-wide meeting, I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it.

Since they've directly accused me of murder and filed a police report, then I'll publicly execute me.

Report me? Then you'll have to pay the price.