Xu Mingli fell silent.
He doesn't believe in reincarnation.
Since we're all going to die in this life, why should we care about the next?
But the hunger in my stomach grew stronger and stronger, like countless tiny hands scratching at me.
Anyway, he's about to be executed, so why does he care if there's something wrong with the food?
Even if there are problems, it's better than setting off on an empty stomach.
Before leaving, we should at least eat a piece of meat and savor this long-lost taste.
He nodded slowly. "I'll eat... I'll eat."
The soldier standing guard stepped forward and opened a small iron door, about half a foot wide, at the bottom of the cell. This was a special opening for passing food to prevent prisoners from escaping.
Xu Xinghe bent down and steadily pushed the tray in, then straightened up and quietly looked at Xu Mingli.
Xu Mingli staggered to the tray, grabbed his chopsticks, and shoveled rice into his mouth.
The aroma of meat and eggs mingled together, instantly filling his mouth.
This was the first time he had such a decent meal since he went to prison, and it was also the last time he would ever eat such a meal in his life.
But after just one bite, his hand began to tremble, and the chopsticks fell to the ground with a clatter.
He suddenly raised his head, tears mingling with the dirt on his face as they streamed down. "Xinghe, I was wrong! I was really wrong! Please save me! I don't want to die! I want to live, I want to go back to Shanghai..."
He cried and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the cement floor with a thud, and blood quickly seeped out.
He clung to this last straw, pleading desperately, "I know you can talk to people in the military, please beg them to spare my life! I promise I'll never do anything bad again, I'll be a good person, I'll do anything for you!"
Xu Xinghe looked at his disgraceful state without any change in her eyes. "I can't save you. This is an order from the military, and it's also a crime you committed yourself. You will be executed today."
She pointed to the food on the ground, "Are you still going to eat? If you don't, you'll have to go on your way hungry."
Xu Mingli's crying stopped abruptly. He slumped to the ground, staring at the food in front of him, his face filled with despair.
It seems he's truly doomed to die today...
He picked up the chopsticks from the ground, wiped away his tears, and began to eat large mouthfuls of food, tears streaming down his face as he ate. The food was mixed with his tears, and it tasted salty and bitter when he swallowed it.
Before long, he had eaten all the food on the tray, even drinking every last drop of soup.
He put down his bowl, sat on the ground, and stared blankly ahead.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside the cell, and several soldiers in uniform walked in, carrying handcuffs and shackles.
"It's time. Let's go," the leading soldier said coldly.
Xu Mingli seemed to have all his strength drained away, letting the soldiers lift him up, put handcuffs and shackles on him, and stagger out.
As he passed Xu Xinghe, he paused, opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only let out a hoarse sigh and was escorted away from the cell by the soldiers.
Xu Xinghe lifted her leg and followed.
The soldiers escorted Xu Mingli to the open space behind the military headquarters, which was a designated execution ground where several spies had been executed before.
Xu Mingli, on the other hand, committed heinous crimes by premeditating murder and attempting to slander soldiers, and thus deserved to die there.
The open space in the military headquarters' backyard was bare, with only a few withered trees standing crookedly. The wind whistled through the branches, making a low, mournful sound, as if they were weeping.
Xu Mingli was forced to kneel heavily on the ground by two soldiers, his knees hitting the cold cement floor. He grimaced in pain, but he didn't even have the strength to struggle.
He had his back to the executioner, and in front of him was a wall taller than a person, with bullet marks still visible on the dusty wall, traces left from the previous execution of spies.
"No...don't kill me..." Xu Mingli's voice trembled violently, his teeth chattering. "I was really wrong, I'll never do it again! Please spare my life, I'll do anything you want!"
As he spoke, he tried to look up, but the soldiers held his shoulders down tightly, leaving him only able to stare at the weeds at the base of the wall, tears and snot streaming down his face.
At this moment, a soldier stepped forward, holding a black hood. Before Xu Mingli could react, the hood was firmly placed on his head, and everything went black in an instant.
The darkness intensified Xu Mingli's fear to its peak. He trembled uncontrollably, like a leaf, and his pleas for mercy became incoherent, "I was wrong! I was really wrong... Please let me go! I want to live!"
Not far away, Xu Xinghe stood quietly with her hands at her sides, watching the scene calmly.
She didn't approach or turn her face away; she simply watched the black figure kneeling on the ground silently.
The executioner who ruined her life in her past life is finally going to die.
The executioner raised his gun, aiming it steadily at Xu Mingli's back.
Xu Mingli seemed to sense death approaching, his trembling intensified. His words suddenly changed, from pleas for mercy to vicious curses, "Xu Xinghe! It's you! You're the one who ruined me! I curse you! I curse you to never…"
"Bang--!"
Gunshots rang out.
Xu Mingli's voice stopped abruptly.
His trembling body suddenly stiffened, losing all strength, and he collapsed heavily to the ground while still kneeling.
The executioner stepped forward quickly, checked Xu Mingli's condition, and then fired another shot into his back to ensure he was completely dead. Only then did he nod to the person next to him.
Soon, two soldiers responsible for handling the body came over, lifted Xu Mingli's body, and quickly walked towards the truck parked outside the yard.
Xu Xinghe stood there until the soldier's figure disappeared before slowly turning her gaze away.
The wind was still blowing, and the withered trees were still groaning, but she felt unusually calm.
The soldier carrying out the execution walked up to her and asked, "Comrade Xu, how are you? Were you frightened? Many people would find this unbearable if they saw it for the first time."
Xu Xinghe shook her head and said softly, "It's okay. He wasn't covered in blood, and I didn't see what he looked like at the end. There's nothing to be afraid of."
The soldier gave him a thumbs up in admiration, "Comrade Xu, your courage is truly extraordinary. Most people couldn't stay so calm."
Xu Xinghe didn't reply, but just looked in the direction the body was carried away. "When will his body be burned?"
"It will be sent to the crematorium immediately and burned very quickly," the soldier replied. "As for the ashes, if any family members come to claim them, we will keep them temporarily and let them take them. If no one claims them, they will be disposed of in a unified manner after a while and buried in the mountains outside the city."
Xu Xinghe paused for a few seconds after hearing the soldier's words, "I want the ashes, but you don't need to give them to me. Please mail them to Shanghai for me. I'll write down the address for you later. The recipient is Xu Mingyi, who is Xu Mingli's older brother."
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