Chapter 37

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the loudspeakers of the Changhong Brigade blared to life, even earlier than the crowing roosters.

“Attention, comrades of the Changhong Brigade. A meeting will be held promptly at seven o’clock this morning. Attendance is mandatory for everyone,” announced Secretary Liu’s exhausted voice over the broadcast.

Last night, Secretary Liu and the local militia worked until two or three in the morning, conducting separate interrogations with three young male volunteers and Zhan Hongyan. After uncovering the full story, Secretary Liu was nearly apoplectic with rage.

“This Zhan Hongyan! Unbelievable! She’s resurrecting the worst of the old ways!”

Since the Liberation, the government had shut down all brothels, and those once involved in such trades had kept low profiles, hiding their pasts and avoiding their former ways. Yet here, in the Changhong Brigade, Zhan Hongyan had come forward, brazenly engaging with the young volunteers—three at once, no less!

It was chaos, a disgrace worse than anything he’d imagined. The Changhong Brigade’s name would be tarnished if word got out.

Without wasting time, Secretary Liu hurried to the Public Security Bureau to request that Huang Jianjun be sent to assist in the morning meeting. His plan was to handle the matter swiftly, hoping to contain the scandal before it spread to other brigades.

In the 1970s, legal education involved publicly bringing criminals to meetings to set an example, much like today’s court proceedings on social media. Back then, however, such meetings were face-to-face, often quite intense, with some ending in public executions to emphasize the consequences of crime.

“Grandma, did the broadcast wake you?” Zhan Xinyue asked with concern, having shared a room with her grandmother last night in case she felt unwell and needed immediate care.

“Yes,” Grandma Sheng yawned.

“Grandma, does your head still hurt? How are you feeling? Any other discomfort?” Xinyue asked, firing off questions.

“No, I’m fine now. A good sleep helped a lot. The medicine you gave me worked wonders.”

Last night, Xinyue had cleaned her grandmother’s wounds, applied fresh herbs, and made an herbal tea for her to drink.

“Good,” Xinyue said, taking her grandmother’s pulse. After a minute, reassured that her grandmother was indeed fine, she relaxed.

“Grandma, the meeting will be crowded and stuffy. You should stay home and rest. I’ll inform Secretary Liu that you won’t attend.”

“Alright.” Grandma Sheng nodded, knowing that although her head injury was minor, she still needed to rest.

Xinyue opened the window, letting the cool morning air dispel the lingering scent of herbs. After settling her grandmother back into bed, she went to the kitchen to prepare medicine and breakfast. When the herbal brew was ready, she brought it to her grandmother, who woke, drank it, and lay down again.

“Grandma, breakfast is warming in the pot. Eat whenever you feel ready. I’ll go to the brigade now and return right after the meeting.”

“Go on, and don’t worry about me,” Grandma Sheng said, waving her hand with a smile.

The broadcast sounded again, urging everyone to head to the brigade office. Xinyue quickly ate two rice cakes, took a few sips of porridge, and joined the crowd streaming toward the brigade office. In less than five minutes, she arrived to find most of the people already assembled.

Though it was seven in the morning and still cool in the rural summer air, the crowd on the grounds made it stifling. The mix of body odors—breath, sweat, body musk, and an occasional urine smell—created an almost unbearable atmosphere.

Feeling nearly suffocated, Xinyue moved toward the women’s section, where the air was a little fresher.

“Hey, Aunt Liu, do you know why they called a meeting today?” one woman asked mysteriously.

Wherever women gathered, gossip followed. As Xinyue approached, she overheard them discussing last night’s events.

“I know,” Aunt Liu said with a sly look. “My husband went to handle it. Zhan Hongyan committed a disgraceful act, and she was caught red-handed by Captain Sheng’s grandmother. Zhan Hongyan tried to silence her.”

“What shameful act?” the women who hadn’t heard yet asked urgently.

“My husband said it was with three men, out in the wild. When he got there, Zhan Hongyan’s blouse was still draped over Fang Jiaming’s waist. She was… you know, drooling, in a state. I always said Zhan Hongyan had a wild side, but you didn’t believe me!”

The short-haired woman’s eyes sparkled as she recounted the story as though she’d been there herself.

Chen Juxiang, standing nearby, had a battered face and unkempt hair, her eyes empty.

Last night, Secretary Liu had dragged Zhan Aiguo, Zhan Hongyan’s father, out of bed, berating him for failing in his duty as a father, for raising a daughter who would disgrace the entire Changhong Brigade. Afterward, Zhan Aiguo had taken his frustration out on his wife, Chen Juxiang, especially on her face, which was now bruised and swollen.

“Well, well, isn’t this the mother of our brigade’s new ‘celebrity,’ Zhan Hongyan?” Aunt Liu said with a sarcastic sneer. She’d been insulted more than once by Chen Juxiang, who boasted about having a son to carry on the family name.

“Auntie Juxiang, why so quiet now? You’re always bragging about having a son and a daughter, but look at the ‘son’ you’ve raised—goodness, and now your daughter will be Changhong Brigade’s first criminal sentenced to death since Liberation!”

Aunt Liu’s husband, one of the militiamen who accompanied Secretary Liu to the Public Security Bureau, had told her about Zhan Hongyan’s sentencing.

Chen Juxiang, her numb eyes showing a flash of panic, grabbed Aunt Liu’s hands and shook them frantically.

“What did you say? My daughter has been sentenced to death? How could this happen? What about me? She promised I’d have a good life! If she’s gone, what am I supposed to do?”