Chapter 74 Miss Qiu continues the story; the person Huang Liu is looking for might also be a bondservant...
After the Mei family parents published their arrangements for their children, it caused a huge uproar. Many people criticized a little fish for being a hen crowing at dawn and advocated that marriage between men and women was the right way. However, these comments did not cause a ripple in Yao Xiaoyu's heart, who was already used to them. She even had the mind to look for the familiar author's name.
This writer, who often writes about women needing to fulfill their duties, has chosen a new angle this time; the one who preaches the righteous principles of heaven and earth is still using the same old stuff; and oh, there's this guy who uses his eighty-year-old mother as a shield—how shameless…
The story of the real and fake heiresses spread far and wide, but it wasn't all the rage—Ms. Qiu, who stirred up a storm in the education sector with an article, reappeared, saying that Miao Youjin's ending wasn't satisfying enough, and she planned to write a sequel according to her own ideas.
Like donkeys eyeing a carrot, everyone huddled together to buy Ta Kung Pao, and thus made a significant contribution to global warming.
They thought they had already criticized the siblings harshly enough in their previous articles, but they never expected Ms. Qiu to reach even greater heights!
Look at how badly this guy is insulting the Japanese... This guy must have read Miss Catherine's article; he's holding back his anger.
However, Ms. Qiu's harsh words inadvertently dispelled some people's intention to investigate—she was ruthless when she scolded them, but she was equally ruthless when she scolded foreigners. Isn't this a kind of equality for all?
...
Inside the mansion.
"One hundred and forty thousand men laid down their arms, not a single one of them a true man. Our great nation has been trampled underfoot by barbarians! Alas!"
The white-haired old man was heartbroken. Ordinary people watch Miss Qiu's version of Miao Youjin for a quick laugh, but a discerning person like him can see the devil in the details: the sneer at the banquet, the English words on the sign at the door... it's like tearing out one's heart!
This can't go on any longer. He may be old, but none of his three daughters are bad!
The old man got up with his cane and went out the door with unsteady steps.
Japanese factories.
"Is the story about bonded laborers in this story true?"
As the textile workers listened to Miao Youjin's account of liberating the factory, their attention was focused on a few inconspicuous place names and the details of the treatment of those bonded laborers. Many of the textile factory workers were from Shanghai, but many others were lucky ones from other places.
Being deceived by sweet talk from fellow villagers, being sold to inhumane places to work illegally, eating thin porridge that's like mush, and picking up free vegetable leaves to cook—these are experiences that they or those around them have gone through, are going through, or will go through in the future. Even if they're not particularly interested in these trivial matters, they'll still pay extra attention to them.
Their workshops also had indentured laborers. I used to think they were dirty, had rural habits, couldn't communicate, were frequently replaced, and most importantly, lacked freedom and rights—even if that freedom was just choosing to go hungry instead of working, and that right was only to transfer to another factory or leave, it was enough to draw a clear line between these outside workers and indentured laborers:
This difference in rights and freedoms can sometimes be the difference between life and death. [1]
"I think it's probably true."
The female workers kept their voices low, afraid of disturbing "Namowen" and "Xiaodangguan". In the factory, they were the most powerful people besides the Japanese women. Beatings and verbal abuse were their most common way of venting their anger when they were in a bad mood. It wasn't until more than ten years later that these "outside workers" gradually stopped being the targets of their temper and arrogance - all their anger was directed at the bonded laborers.
In these foreign-owned factories, the foreman was usually called Namowen, which was a homonym of their number No. 1 in the factory; while the supervisor was the female worker who patrolled and inspected. Just as textile workers did not consider themselves to be the same kind of people as bonded laborers, Namowen and the supervisor did not consider themselves to be equals with textile workers.
"Those women really have it tough..."
A female worker sighed, but before she could finish speaking, she was deliberately interrupted by the people around her. This female worker was very good at her job, but her words were really unpleasant to hear—this person thought that women were like rapeseed, destined to grow tall and strong if they fell into a fertile place, but to suffer a lifetime if they fell into a thin place.
They might say this occasionally, and they'll just listen to it for fun. Who wants to be nagged like this every day? It's really annoying.
The female workers, especially the textile workers from other places who came to Shanghai, discussed sending letters back to their hometowns to explain clearly how the foreman had been dealing with the bonded laborers. Of course, they would also attach a copy of the Ta Kung Pao newspaper. They hadn't known how difficult life was for bonded laborers before, but now that they understood, they had to do something.
In their minds, it's acceptable to sell people to make ends meet when families are struggling, but the price should be different for each type of person. These labor brokers only pay the price of buying people to work, yet they expect young girls to risk their lives to do so, which is wrong.
Just like how the price for selling people to dirty places is always higher than that for ordinary people, that extra money is for buying lives. The parents of the girls who end up working for these foremen may not love them much, but they would never be so cruel as to risk their daughters' lives for money. These foremen are cheating both sides!
Fueled by this anger, and by a regret they hadn't yet realized about the lives that should not have been lost, the female workers' resolution to write letters was quickly passed. Of course, the cost was also low—paper, ink, envelopes, and stamps all cost money, but if you shared the cost, it wasn't a large sum.
"Do you think Huang Liu's friend's sister might also have been sold into indentured labor?"
After everyone had finished discussing the letter-writing, it was almost time to go back to work. Just as they were preparing to disperse and return to their respective work areas, someone suddenly remembered something else.
"Go talk to Huang Liu after work; at least it's a way out."
No one dared to give a definite answer, but the suggestion to tell Huang Liu about this possibility was unanimously approved. Xiao Xizi, a textile worker who lived with Huang Liu in a tenement, took the initiative to accept the task.
Huang Liu came a year and a half ago. He was a very pitiful person. His parents and relatives had all passed away, and the man in his family was a half-mad, lame, and mute man who would shout "ah ah" all day long in the room. In order to supplement the family income, Huang Liu had no choice but to work in the factory.
At this time, the phrase "subsidizing household expenses" doesn't mean what it sounds like. These four words are only uttered by women who bear most, or even all, of the household expenses.
Huang Liu had no children, and she just counted down the days until the end. The little money she managed to earn, besides covering her and her husband's expenses, was all spent trying to find out where her friend's sister was, but there was still no news. However, she had also made it clear that...
“My life was saved by Da Ni. Before she passed away, Da Ni’s only wish was to find my younger sister. If I can’t find her in a day, I’ll search for a month. If I can’t find her in a month, I’ll search for a year. As long as I have a breath left, I will find Er Ni. If she’s alive, I’ll take her home and kowtow to Da Ni. If she’s dead, I’ll bury her in Da Ni’s coffin!”
These words were spoken with such conviction that they evoked both sympathy and admiration from the crowd. People in the courtyard and factory all tried to find out about Erni, but unfortunately, there has been no news of her since.
With something on her mind, Xiao Xizi's work became a little clumsy. Fortunately, the female workers she was working with helped her out, and she didn't offend those Japanese dogs—they called her Namo Wen and Xiao Pangguan to her face, but in private they cursed her with the filthiest language. They were already considered polite when they called her a son of a bitch.
It was already dark when she finished work. Xiao Xizi had told her roommates in advance and also sent a message home. While the others were heading towards the dormitory, she left the factory and arrived home with her brothers' escort.
"Big brother, little brother, I'm going to say something to Huang Liu."
Xiao Xizi entered Huang Liu's room. The mute man was still awake, tied to a chair and struggling. His only remaining eye gleamed fiercely. Xiao Xizi was startled, but seeing that he couldn't even stand up, he lost his fear.
"Sixth Sister, wake up."
Xiao Xizi woke Huang Liu up. Huang Liu struggled to open his eyes and tried to get up, but Xiao Xizi pressed him down again.
"Sixth Sister, lie down and listen, don't get excited."
It was already quite dark, and Xiao Xizi, without bothering to keep them in suspense, directly revealed their guesses:
"Erni may have been sold into slavery."
Huang Liu felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He gripped Xiao Xizi's hand tightly and waited for Xiao Xizi to finish explaining his various guesses before collapsing onto the bed, exhausted, with two lines of tears streaming down his face.
She searched for the White House in Shanghai's most upscale brothels, asking in every courtyard and alley. She was about to despair—she had obvious features and knew she was a girl from Shanghai. If she couldn't find her on the surface, she would have to search underground. So she didn't want to get treatment for her illness and just wanted to see Erni as soon as possible. Who would have thought that things would take a turn for the better and that there was a hidden danger in the darkness!
She was a bonded laborer; how could she not have thought of that?
"Congratulations, you'll live a little longer."
Huang Liu propped herself up, picked up the rolling pin beside her, and while laughing, slapped the man hard across the face, making him spit out two teeth. But she didn't care at all. She just staggered to her feet, took the medicine packet, and went to brew it.
She needs treatment, she needs to live, her sister is still waiting for her!
Yes, Erni is not her friend's sister, but her own sister; her husband is not her husband, but a slave trader who sells girls to brothels; she is not even called Huang Liu, but in Qianjia Village, Shanxi, she is known as "the madwoman who wiped out her entire family".
The reasons are complex, but if we start from the beginning, it only takes a few sentences.
Before Huang Liu was called crazy, she was the eldest daughter of the Qian family, named Zhao Di. She survived because her parents hoped for a dowry when she grew up, and also because she was tough. Qian Zhao Di didn't like this name, and she never responded when the villagers called her. She gave herself a new name, Qian Dani.
It doesn't sound good, but it's more pleasant to the ear than Zhao Di.
When Qian Dani was five years old, her mother became pregnant with her second child. Everyone said that if her belly was pointed, it would be a boy, but she was born a girl. Qian's father wanted to throw her into the chamber pot as fertilizer. Qian Dani grabbed her younger sister and ran away because the Qian family had spread the word that whoever breastfed the child would become an enemy. Qian Dani ran all over the village but couldn't get her younger sister a drop of milk.
In the end, the younger sister filled her stomach with the help of the village's big yellow dog.
Dahuang was the dog raised by the Sun family. It was very good at catching pheasants and rabbits. Sun's mother used the meat that Dahuang hunted to make Guangzong fatter and fatter. But every time Dahuang gave birth to puppies, the Sun family would kill and eat them in secret. It wasn't that no one advised the Sun family to sell the puppies if they didn't want to raise them anymore, but they wouldn't listen and insisted on eating them.
But even if you keep hitting Yan Zong, you'll still get pecked in the eyes. Two days before Qian Dani's sister was born, Da Huang had another litter of puppies. The Sun family put them in the pot as usual, but this time Da Huang saw them and scratched half of Guang Zong's face off with one paw before running away.
After being rejected by the entire village, Qian Dani sat at the foot of the mountain, holding her younger sister and crying. A dog with a mouthful of blood poked its head out from the bushes, sniffed her sister, and lay down. Qian Dani didn't know how she guessed what it meant at the time. In any case, her sister survived thanks to the dog's milk and was given the name Qian Erni.
The name was given by Qian Dani. Dani and Erni sound like sisters.
After breastfeeding Erni for so long, Dahuang probably really started to see herself as Erni's mother. He would often bring pheasants and rabbits to feed her. Dahuang raised the two girls for three years. After Erni's mother gave birth to a son, she was able to get a meal at home. The dowry for marrying a daughter was enough, but if you wanted a good wife, you could never ask for too much dowry.
Oh, right, Qian's father wanted to catch a big yellow dog for Qian's mother to eat, but the dog bit off his Achilles tendon and made him lame. One spring, the big yellow dog lay on the grass with wildflowers and closed its eyes. Two Qians dug a hole and buried it.
The two girls grew up stumbling along like this. Erni was born with a beautiful face. The most common thing that Da Ni told Erni was to cover her face. But you can't guard against a thief forever. One time, Da Ni went up the mountain to pick mushrooms. Because Erni twisted her ankle, she didn't bring her along. When she came back, Erni was gone.
Qian Dani calmly used the money she had saved from her escape to buy medicine, tied up her whole family, and held a knife to the necks of these beasts, demanding to know Erni's whereabouts. At first, they refused to speak, but after her tendons were severed, they rushed to talk—Erni had been sold to Zheng Heier.
Qianjia Village is located in Datong. The women of Datong are considered one of the four major groups of prostitutes, alongside the women of Taishan, the women of Yangzhou, and the boatwomen of West Lake. Zheng Hei'er was a broker in this area who specialized in selling people to the lowest rungs of society. It is said that he also worked as a kidnapper in other places. This was not his real name; he got this nickname because he was ruthless and heartless.
Upon hearing her sister's whereabouts, Qian Dani, pressed for time, made the Qian family reveal the location of their hidden treasure, thus giving them a quick death. She then rolled up her bundle, threw it into the house, and set off to find Zheng Hei'er. However, she bumped into someone on her way out, and from the short distance from her doorstep to the edge of the village, she earned the nickname "madwoman."
However, this wasn't Qian Dani's concern. She spent some time, money, and effort, along with a bit of luck, to successfully kidnap Liu Heier, who was on his way to the kidnapping location. Originally, she only intended to ask about her sister's whereabouts and then part ways amicably, but Liu Heier wouldn't cooperate. Qian Dani then used a method she had seen in a beggar's den, gouging out one of Liu Heier's eyes before he would talk.
Erni cried and screamed on the road, and he slapped her, causing her to fall to the ground and disfigure her face. Experienced doctors said it would leave a scar, and since she also had a fever and it seemed like it wouldn't heal, he sold her. As for the seller's information...
"They said they're going to Shanghai."
After getting the answer, Qian Dani casually severed the tendons in Liu Heier's hands, deafened him, cut off his tongue, and removed his testicles. She then pretended to be Liu Heier's wife and went to Shanghai to find someone.
To avoid any association with her name, she said she was Huang Liu from Qianjia Village and was looking for Qian Erni, the younger sister of her savior Qian Dani. This was her secret code with her sister, which Erni would recognize as soon as she heard it if she was alive.
The time Da Huang disfigured Guang Zong, she gave birth to five children, but unfortunately none of them survived. Both Qian Dani survived thanks to Da Huang, and Qian Dani was grateful. Sometimes she would call herself Huang Liu and her younger sister Huang Qi.
"If you have a sister among the bonded laborers, I'll give you a quick death; if not, we'll do whatever you want—cages, iron chains, tiger benches, animal torture, slow slicing, sky lanterns—we'll do it all."
Huang Liu slapped Zheng Hei'er's face with a rolling pin, looked at the exposed teeth, and said with a smile.
Well, compared to the cruel torture of being subjected to slow slicing one by one, how could slow slicing not be a kind of relief?
Two weeks later.
Huang Liu opened his eyes wide and carefully looked through the group of girls. Finally, he hugged one of them and burst into tears.
No wonder she couldn't find her younger sister anywhere. Huang Qi doesn't call her Erni here, he calls her Luchaibang!
Huang Liu looked at his sister's blank stare, at her skeletal hands, and then at the foreman with a pained expression, scrutinizing his face and every detail before finally leading his sister out of the crowd.
Three days later.
Everyone sighed at Huang Liu's tragic fate. She had just found her benefactor's sister when her husband died. Unfortunately, she had no money at home, so she had to return the house and use the deposit to buy a straw mat and a cart to drag her husband back to her hometown for burial.
They were all poor people, and not making things difficult for them was already the greatest help they could offer. So Huang Liu dragged her cart, carrying her husband's corpse and her sister, and left, never to be heard from again.
Half a day later, a naked male corpse was dumped in the mass grave.
Three days later, the entire family of the foreman who abused the bonded laborers had their throats slit. Upon hearing the news, the bonded laborers silently erected nameless memorial tablets.
Half a month later, on the other side of Shanghai, in an alley diagonally opposite the Japanese factory, a young couple moved in. The man was named Huang Liu and the woman Huang Qi. It was said that they fell in love because of their names and got engaged. Unfortunately, they got separated from their families when they fled famine and had to come to Shanghai to make a living.
"Xiao Qi, come and offer incense."
Huang Liu closed the door tightly and called his younger sister over to kneel and worship. They were worshipping the memorial tablets of the three sisters from their enemy family.
The three sisters realized the profits in the textile industry, swallowed up the Japanese factory, and joined forces with the families of the bonded laborers who had been deceived by the foremen, forcing the foremen to release the bonded laborers who had earned twenty dollars.
Those who hadn't earned enough also registered at the three sisters' factory. The factory provided food and lodging for the bonded laborers, and wages were recorded by a dedicated person. The money they earned each day was no longer just empty talk. They paid a twenty-yuan redemption fee to the foreman, and any money they earned thereafter belonged solely to them.
The twenty yuan didn't come out of thin air. Ten yuan was for the girl's family when they took her away, and the other ten yuan was for the travel expenses to Shanghai.
Some say the three sisters were doing this for their reputation, others say they were vying for skilled workers, but Huang Liu only looked at the result: if they hadn't forced the foreman to release the workers, by the time she recovered and crawled back into the workshop, her sister might already be dead—
When she took her younger sister to see a doctor, the doctor said that her sister's health was already at its limit. With proper care, there was still hope, but if she were treated like a bonded laborer, she would die within two days.
May the three young ladies prosper and enjoy peace and happiness year after year.
Huang Liu slammed his head heavily to the ground.
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The author's note: Huang Liu has never been to school; she has only experienced the "university of life." Please be more forgiving of her.
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[1] Rights and Freedoms: An Adaptation of the Article "The Bonded Laborer"
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