The crowd erupted in uproar, with shouts of anger and curses rising and falling.
"Fuck him!"
"Are these city folks bullying the Su family?"
"Fuck him!"
Just then, a sharp female voice came from outside the crowd.
"Get out of the way!"
Wang Guixiang led more than twenty women into the threshing ground with great momentum, each carrying a bundle on her arm.
"Su Jianjun!"
Wang Guixiang grabbed her husband's ear.
"You didn't tell me about something this big? If Aunt Li hadn't heard it on the radio, I'd still be completely in the dark!"
Su Jianjun grimaced in pain.
"Oh dear, honey, I was just in a hurry..."
"What's the rush!"
Wang Guixiang released her grip, turned around, and waved to the women.
"Sisters, distribute the rations!"
She then took out a cloth bag from her bosom and handed it to Su Jianjun.
"Here's fifty yuan that our family saved. Take it with you, just in case you need it."
Su Jianjun was stunned.
"Wife, you..."
"What do you mean, 'you'?!"
Wang Guixiang glared at him, and although she was sharp-tongued, her eyes were already red.
"Even though the eldest son's child is immature, he's still a member of the Su family! If city people dare to mess with him, they're slapping the face of our entire village!"
She suddenly raised her voice.
"Those good-for-nothings from Su Jianguo's family, we'll deal with them when they get back!"
The women quickly distributed hot pancakes and boiled eggs to the men.
Wang Guixiang was sending messages while simultaneously cursing.
"That Su Jianguo is useless; he can't even protect his own son! The old man is so old and still has to worry... Everyone says life in the city is good, and now look what's happened."
But she didn't slow down at all, stuffing the best rations into the hands of the young and strong men.
The old Party Secretary counted the number of people and nodded.
"That's about enough, let's..."
"etc!"
Wang Guixiang suddenly shouted.
"I want to go too!"
Su Jianjun frowned.
"Where are you going? A woman like you..."
"Bullshit!"
Wang Guixiang grabbed Su Jianjun by the neck.
"Aren't daughters-in-law of the Su family members? I even breastfed Mingde when he was little!"
She turned and called out to the women.
"Sisters, raise your hands if you're willing to come to the city with me!"
More than twenty women raised their hands in unison, chattering and clamoring to go together.
Su Jianjun became anxious.
"Nonsense! What would you even do there?"
"What are you doing?"
Wang Guixiang sneered.
"Women hold up half the sky, have you forgotten?"
She pulled a sharp pair of scissors from her bundle.
"Besides, I was in the militia back in the day. Who's afraid of who if a fight breaks out?"
Seeing this, the old Party Secretary sighed.
"Jianjun, let Guixiang and the others go. The city is different from the countryside; it'll be good to have a woman to look after them."
Before Su Jianjun could say anything more, Wang Guixiang had already plopped down on the lead oxcart.
"Stop talking nonsense and get going! It'll be dark by the time we get there!"
By the time the sun had fully risen, the Sujiatun team had already set off in a grand procession.
Twelve oxcarts led the way, followed by more than ten bicycles, and then a group of people on foot, totaling more than 150 men, women, and children.
Amidst the swirling dust, someone started singing a militia tune from the days when they fought the Japanese invaders. The singing startled the egrets in the rice paddies by the roadside.
On the lead oxcart, Su Jianjun's face was ashen.
Wang Guixiang sat next to him, took out a needle and thread from her bundle, and began to sew a simple white cloth banner.
What are you doing?
Su Jianjun asked.
Wang Guixiang didn't even look up.
"You don't even understand this? Write up slogans, so you can hold them up when you get to the city."
She bit off the thread, unfolded the white cloth, and saw the four large characters "blood debt must be repaid in blood" sewn on it with red cloth strips.
Su Jianjun gasped.
"Wife, this..."
"What's wrong?"
Wang Guixiang sneered.
"If they dare to hit people, they shouldn't be afraid of us demanding justice!"
At the front of the line, several teenagers held up a makeshift banner made from bed sheets, on which were written in soot: "Severely punish the murderer and give us justice."
The old Party Secretary sat on the oxcart, glancing back every now and then to make sure no one was left behind.
When this grand procession passed through the villages along the way, the villagers were all stunned.
Someone recognized the people from Sujiatun and quickly ran home to inform them.
In less than half a day, the whole area within dozens of miles knew that the entire village of Sujiatun had turned out to go to the city to seek justice!
3 PM.
Grandpa Su stood under the big locust tree outside the city gate, his back straight. His old, faded military uniform was meticulously ironed, and the medals on his chest gleamed in the setting sun.
He squinted, looking at the dusty dirt road in the distance.
"They've arrived."
The old man said in a low voice, a slight smile playing on his lips.
On the distant horizon, a caravan of oxcarts slowly approached. On the lead oxcart, a white banner fluttered in the wind, bearing the four blood-red characters "Blood Debts Must Be Repaid in Blood," a chilling sight.
A dark mass of people could be vaguely seen through the dust, their hoes and shovels reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.
"father!"
Upon seeing his father, Su Jianjun immediately jumped off the lead oxcart and ran to his grandfather in a few quick steps.
His dark face was covered in sweat and dust, but his eyes burned with anger.
"Father, how are my elder brother and Mingde?"
The old man patted his second son on the shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the oxcarts that were coming to a stop one after another and the villagers who were gathering from all directions.
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