Some of them are old people, some are middle-aged women, and some are young girls.
Above the entire Wan family ancestral tomb, one seemed to be able to see their souls, firmly locked in this area by nails soaked in their blood. Their faces were distorted, they were wailing, they were shouting, they stretched out their hands to kill the enemy, and the first words they said were just - save us.
This made the soldiers, who had never experienced the battlefield and had seen bloody dead bodies, vomit.
It also brought tears to the old soldiers who had been on the battlefield and had personally shot the enemy in the head.
The old general who led the team personally untied the nails on the body of a woman who had been dead for less than a month and carried the body out. He knew the girl's name, Zhang Xiaoyun, who was eighteen years old. She had parents and younger brothers and sisters. She was the eldest. She suddenly disappeared two months ago.
The Zhang family has been looking for Xiaoyun, and Grandma Zhang's eyes were almost blinded by tears. They hope that Xiaoyun is still living somewhere, waiting for the family to be reunited.
But... it's impossible.
All the bodies nailed in the coffins were rescued and placed neatly according to the list. There was firewood under them and a soldier holding a torch stood beside them.
"Everyone listen up, release—"
Each torch found its destiny and lit the fire.
"Everyone, listen up, stand at attention and salute."
The uniform movements were the soldiers' most profound tribute to the dead.
It was also their expression of deepest apologies - sorry, we are late.
When the flames burned out, the ashes of the deceased were placed in the urn. Those who had homes would be sent back home, and those who had no homes would rest under the green mountains and clear waters.
In the evening, Song Jiayu, who had been kept in the hospital for several days, walked back home with Jiang Baizhou by her side.
"Thanks……"
A sentence is like the echo of thousands of people, yet so ethereal that it is hard to grasp.
Song Jiayu concentrated and listened again, but heard nothing. Her strange behavior made Jiang Baizhou think something was wrong and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I seemed to hear someone talking to me just now. Maybe I heard it wrong." Song Jiayu said doubtfully.
He turned around and said, "I have a ticket for the radio. Go buy it for me tomorrow. They said the follow-up results will be broadcast on Zhuangyang Radio in three days. I must hear it."
"Okay, wife, what do you want to eat? I learned a massage from Lao Gu. Let's go home and try it tonight."
"My belly isn't that big now, and I'm in good health. I don't need a massage."
“…”
Three days later, in Compound No. 14, people from the three nearby compounds all brought benches and found a vacant space in the compound to sit down. In the center of the three layers of space inside and outside was a radio placed on a chair.
It was a brand new thing, but not very practical. If an average worker wanted to buy three things at home, he would definitely choose a bicycle first, then a sewing machine, and then a radio.
In the past, if Song Jiayu had been so "showy", not to mention the other compounds, the gossipy old ladies Qian and Wang from Compound No. 14 would have said she was outrageous.
But no one said anything today, they were all waiting.
In the past three days, the punishment results of the Shen family in the neighboring compound came out. Shen Baozhu was conspiring with others to endanger the lives of ordinary people. Although he failed, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. The two elders of the Shen family were accomplices. They lost their jobs in the factory and were sent to a farm for five years of labor reform.
As for the Wan family, they were too far away from the people in Tianwen Lane, and everyone was making wild guesses. Today someone said they would all be shot, and tomorrow someone said something like that would happen.
"Zhuangyang Radio, Zhuangyang Radio, this is Zhuangyang Radio reporting for you, I'm announcer Yang Wen..." (Don't complain, and don't talk about what the real radio channels of that era were like, this is the setting of our novel, meow~)
As soon as seven o'clock arrives, news reports from this time period begin.
"Why isn't it about that thing?" Old Mrs. Wang asked.
Old Madam Xu on the side shouted coldly: "Shut up, even if it's not now, it will definitely be said later, just be quiet and listen."
After being told this, Old Lady Wang shut her mouth timidly. This was not because she had just arrived at the Xu family and was not familiar with Old Lady Xu. She had lived there for so long and knew about Old Lady Xu's past achievements. She did not dare to offend her at all!
"On February 20th, a malicious kidnapping occurred in Songshan County, Beilin City..."
As the announcer told the stories of the past few days, the people in the compound also heard about the executions of the Wan family. The patriarch, his two sons, and several older elders of the Wan family were executed by firing squad. The rest of the people were sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment based on their evil deeds. The shortest sentence was fifteen years.
Hearing the names of those who were punished being called out, everyone in the compound became emotional and wished that this was what should happen.
After the punishment was over, the announcer talked about the practice of burying people alive in Wanjia Village. It was a feudal superstition that the country was cracking down on and it was also a huge stone weighing down the victims.
This one-hour report, at the end, was reading out the names of those who were buried alive in the coffins, how old they were, where they came from. The announcer's voice was not as ups and downs as before, but very gentle. However, it was this gentleness that made the people who heard it feel gradually deep in their hearts.
This is a list of casualties, but they didn't die on the battlefield fighting for their country. They are all women. Some died at the hands of their own sons, saying they were mourning for their father. Some were scapegoats, and their families are still waiting for them to return. Some...
“Wuwuwuwu…”
From some unknown time on, the sound of a woman sobbing began to be heard in the compound.
Not only in the compound, not only in Tianwen Lane, but also in the millions of women in other cities who were listening to the radio, they were all crying.
"This is Zhuangyang Radio Station. Our news broadcast is about to end."
"They were buried amidst green mountains and clear waters, enjoying the birdsong and fragrance of flowers in the spring and the fragrance of flowers in the summer..."
"Let us pray for them and hope that there will be no more injustice in the world."
“…”
After the news report ended, the opera channel for this time period soon appeared on the radio. As the "yi yi ya ya" opera sounds rang out, the people in the compound seemed to come alive.
"If I see a man beating a woman in Tianwen Lane in the future, I will go up to the woman and help her beat the man together."
"With your strength, forget it. I think Xiao Song is about the same."
"Xiao Song is no good either. He almost got kidnapped this time."
"That's right. Be careful next time. Don't just follow anyone around, even if it's someone you know well!"
"Where is Comrade Xu, our compound's hero? Her name was just called on the radio~"
Five days in a row!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
