The carriage swayed forward, Zhou Jinyan continued to narrate slowly, Ke'er and Qin Chengrui continued to listen:
Zhou Jinyan started working when he was two years old. I was the one who cut grass and fed the chickens and pigs at home every day. If I didn't cut enough grass, he would have no food to eat. He would continue to look for grass to cut on an empty stomach. He slept in the woodshed all year round. The aunts, uncles and grandfathers in the village would give him some food when they saw how hungry he was. Sometimes Zhou Jinyan would look for food outside when he was extremely hungry. Being beaten was a daily routine.
This time, Zhou Wenhao returned to the village without writing a letter or sending a telegram, catching Zhou Jinyan's uncle off guard. When Zhou Wenhao arrived home, Zhou Jinyan was pinned to the ground in the yard by his uncle's three 12-year-old grandsons, who were stepping on him, beating him with sticks, and constantly calling him a "bastard, an unwanted bastard who can only work and not deserve to eat."
Zhou Jinyan looked up and saw Zhou Wenhao standing outside the gate crying. This was the first time Zhou Jinyan saw his father Zhou Wenhao. The third uncle in the village once told Zhou Jinyan that he must live no matter what, because one day his father would come back to take him to live with him.
Zhou Jinyan spoke slowly, tears streaming down his face. There was no emotion on his face, very calm, as if he was talking about someone else's family. After a long pause, he slowly continued.
Zhou Wenhao immediately rushed into the yard and slapped the three people who beat Zhou Jinyan, throwing them out and hitting the courtyard wall. The people from Zhou Jinyan's grandfather's family ran out cursing and wanted to beat Zhou Wenhao. Zhou Wenhao walked up and hugged Zhou Jinyan, who was lying on the ground, emaciated and dying, tightly in his arms, burst into tears, kept calling his name, and said sorry.
Zhou Jinyan stared off into the distance, his expression sad as he continued, "Everyone in the village who heard the noise gathered around. Third Grandpa came in, patted my father, Zhou Wenhao, on the shoulder, and said, 'Haowa, hurry up and take Xiao Si to the commune clinic."
Zhou Wenhao hurriedly picked up Zhou Jinyan and was about to run outside, but was stopped by his uncle, who said that Zhou Jinyan's father had beaten his grandson and asked him to pay compensation.
Zhou Wenhao pushed him away, hugged Zhou Jinyan and ran all the way to the commune health center. The doctor said that he was hungry and had not eaten enough for years and was malnourished. When the doctor lifted Zhou Jinyan's clothes and saw that he was covered with wounds, Zhou Wenhao cried like a tearful man again. The doctor gave Zhou Jinyan an IV and an injection, and asked them to stay in the hospital overnight for observation.
After settling Zhou Jinyan down, Zhou Wenhao asked a nurse to report the case to the police station. Police officers came to the hospital to inquire about the situation. Zhou Wenhao presented his military ID card, explained the situation, and showed the police station staff the stubs of the monthly banknotes he had mailed back over the years. The staff took the matter very seriously, expressing shame that a child of an active-duty soldier had been abused in their jurisdiction. They said they would immediately go to the village to investigate.
The next day, Zhou Wenhao and Zhou Jinyan did not return to the village. The police station called the village chief and Zhou Jinyan's uncle's family to the commune police station to resolve the issue. Zhou Jinyan's uncle had to admit his mistake in the face of conclusive evidence. Zhou Wenhao said that he had to write a confession and a letter of severance of relationship, otherwise the matter would be handled impartially, and those who should be imprisoned would be imprisoned, and those who should be shot would be shot.
Finally, they wrote a confession and a letter of severance, then returned to the village in anger. Zhou Jinyan and Zhou Wenhao spent another day at the commune hospital. After the doctor examined me, he said I was fine for a long walk. Only then did Zhou Wenhao buy me a train ticket and, at the supply and marketing cooperative, bought me new clothes, pants, shoes, candy, cookies, a new schoolbag, a pencil case, and a green tin frog.
When Zhou Jinyan said this, she couldn't wipe away her tears, and she continued to cry silently. She used the small bag in her arms to wipe her clothes and shoes, and her hand was stroking the broken strap of her schoolbag.
Alas, Ke'er couldn't bear to watch it any longer and said to Qin Chengrui, "Uncle, you must severely punish these bad guys! We can't let our soldiers bleed on the battlefield to defend our country while their families are abused. After leaving the battlefield, they still have to shed tears for their families."
Qin Chengrui said, "Ke'er said it well. We can't let the soldiers shed blood and tears again."
With Qin Chengrui present, the police station proceeded smoothly. The Jisa Town Police Station reported the incident to higher authorities. The higher authorities took the murder of an active-duty soldier very seriously and ordered the Jisa Town Police Station to handle the case according to the law and without favoritism. They also contacted the Shahe Commune Police Station by phone to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and to share their current situation. They hoped they would investigate the murderers' families and determine the appropriate sentences for their crimes.
Three days later, Zhou Jinyan's uncle's family of three was sentenced to death, along with three other people from the village. Many families involved in the case came to the village, and the village chief said to Zhou Jinyan, "Little Fourth, you can't be an ungrateful person. The villagers have been kind to you and your father. You can't be ungrateful, nor can you repay kindness with hatred."
Zhou Jinyan said, "Grandpa Village Chief, you're talking about kindness? Where's the kindness my grandfather showed the village? Not only did you not repay him, you even turned evil into good. If my father hadn't followed the team, he would have starved to death long ago. As for me, you know best where the money my father sent back every month went, right?"
In his previous life, Zhou Jinyan longed for family affection so much. His father Zhou Wenhao and his uncle's family had severed their relationship. The village chief said that the child was pitiful and he was willing to take Zhou Jinyan home on an adoption basis. He didn't expect that this was the beginning of Zhou Jinyan's nightmare.
Because of Zhou Wenhao's incident, the whole village was blamed and the village could not be selected as advanced for three consecutive years. They used Zhou Jinyan's pension, but Zhou Jinyan was beaten and scolded every day and bullied by the whole village. It was common for him to not have enough food and warm clothes. Every year, if the police station had not brought seasonal clothes to Zhou Jinyan, I am afraid that Zhou Jinyan would not even have a single piece of clothing. Because he did not dare to embezzle the police station's things, Zhou Jinyan could only have a few days of good food to eat.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
