Chapter 74 "12.9"

On December 9, 1935, it was a cold winter day. The north wind blew a mournful whistling and swept the streets and alleys with dust.While having breakfast, the maid told Huiyin and Sicheng that something was going on today. There were so many security guards patrolling the street, and the road was empty, with almost no one in sight.On this day, the "December 9th" patriotic student movement led by the Communist Party of China broke out.Students from various colleges and universities in Beijing took to the streets to demonstrate, demanding that the government resist Japan and save the nation and implement democratic politics.

The organization of this parade was very secretive and perfect.For fear of leaking the news and being intercepted, the schools did not notify the unified departure time beforehand, and only had a backlog of gathering places.The students came out of the school in twos and threes, and they didn't look much different from usual.Just like this, one school after another, more and more people gathered on East and West Chang'an Streets. The military police of the brigade surrounded them, and the water dragons swept them away.In the severe cold, the padded robes on the students immediately turned into ice armor. They wrestled with the military police, their hair was disheveled, their scarves were torn, their bayonets gleamed coldly, and their blood spurted out.The male students walking in front fell down, and the female students rushed to the front. Their slogans and shouts tore through the cold air, and the leaflets they withdrew were flying like butterflies...

The scale of the demonstration was unprecedented, shocking both at home and abroad.Students from various universities and middle schools in Beijing participated in the parade, and some citizens walked into the parade while watching.Many people were injured and many people were arrested. Professors from universities in Beijing jointly signed a letter demanding that the authorities release the arrested students unconditionally. The sons and nephews of the Liang and Lin families also participated in the parade.No. 3 Beizongbu Hutong became a reception point and refuge for these young people and their classmates.

Huiyin's younger brother, Lin Heng, was already a first-year student in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Tsinghua University. His life and death were unknown after the parade was dispersed by the military and police.Sicheng rushed from one hospital to another, looking for Lin Heng among the injured students; Huiyin anxiously guarded the phone at home, staying up all night. Finally, they finally found Lin Heng who was seriously injured outside the city.After recovering from his injury, he gave up his studies at Tsinghua University without saying anything, and applied for the aviation school.

Sicheng's younger sister, Siyi, also participated in the parade.As one of the student leaders of Yenching University, she was on the blacklist to be hunted down.The wind became more and more serious, and Huiyin was afraid that something would happen to her hiding at home, so she dressed her up as a young lady and sent her to Wuhan.Seeing her get on the train, Huiyin urged: After arriving safely, send a congratulatory message back to the family; if there is any accident, try to send back a condolence message so that the family can know the situation and act accordingly.Three days later, Huiyin and Sicheng received a congratulatory message, which read: "Congratulations on the joy of Nongzhang." They finally let go of their tugging hearts, and they couldn't help but smile at each other.This year, their son Congjie was 3 years old.

After sending Siyi away, Huiyin and Sicheng brought back Sizhuang, her younger sister who came from Guangdong and Beigui.Sizhuang's husband died of illness, and she lives alone with her young daughter.Most of the sisters in the Liang family lived in the north except for those who were studying abroad. The family wanted Sizhuang to go back to the north for a few days to adjust their mood.Sizhuang lived in No. 3 Beizongbu Hutong with his youngest daughter Wu Liming and an old lady from Guangdong. The daughter of Sishun, the eldest sister of Sicheng, also lived here during this period. She was studying at Yenching University. After the "December 9th" Movement, the political atmosphere in the school was very tense.The pursuit by the authorities has continued, and progressive students have been carrying out propaganda, fundraising, and condolence activities for the wounded; at the same time, the phenomenon of wavering and division among students is also increasing.There is no room for quiet desks on campus.Sishun's daughter lived in Huiyin and Sicheng's place, so the family felt relieved.

During this period, Huiyin and Sicheng's family members were prosperous and bustling.When there were the most people, the whole family had 17 beds, and the rickshaw driver had to spend the night at Lao Jin's house.