Chapter 39 Chapter 03

Ming was released.Chen Qing went to the Public Security Bureau to pick him up.They got to the union.There were quite a few people waiting to talk to Ming, but when they saw Ming's pale thin face and tired expression, everyone gradually shut up and let Ming rest quietly for a while.Later, Yun accompanied him to the Women's Association.There they saw Hui first, and Hui led them into a room inside, where several people were waiting for them.Sitting on a chair by the door and wearing a short gray cloth cheongsam was Dehua, who was listening to others with her head resting on her right hand.When she heard footsteps, she turned her head and looked out the door, and took her right hand off the table.When she saw Ming, a slightly surprised expression appeared on her face.She moved her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't say it, she just nodded her head slightly at him, and smiled sadly: she noticed that Ming's face was much haggard.

"Ming," as soon as Ming entered, Xian ran to grab Ming's hand and laughed happily, showing Ming his protruding teeth.Everyone in the room stood up, walked over to surround Ming, and shook hands with him first.Ming felt dizzy.He looked slowly.He saw Bi, Ying, Peizhu, Yadan, and Yun's wife Huiqun, a middle-aged woman who was also an employee of the Women's Association. "How are you all," Ming smiled, delighted to see these gentle smiling faces. "You must have suffered enough in the past few days. We miss you all the time." Peizhu looked at Ming's haggard face, as if seeing someone cut flesh from her own face, feeling very sad.

"It's okay to suffer a little. I never thought I'd come out alive. Now I'm fine," he said, still smiling, and that smile was also sad on his thin torture-marked face. "Here you are," Ming said, looking at Ardan, "everyone says you've worked hard over there." "I'm nowhere near you. You've broken your body for work," Ardan replied earnestly. Ming looked for Dehua with his eyes again, and she stood alone in front of the table, a little further away from him.She looked at him silently these days, but he didn't feel it. "Dehua, why don't you come over and shake hands with Ming?" Hui yelled when she saw Ming looking at Dehua.She walked over and half pushed and half pulled Dehua to Ming.Everyone thought with a smile.

Dehua looked a little embarrassed, she stood in front of Ming and stretched out her hand to him, and whispered: "You are thinner than before. We worry about you all the time, I don't know how people treat you in there?" She She forced a smile, but tears made her eyes wet.She could see clearly that there was still a scar on Ming's left cheek. "Those pains are a thing of the past," Ming replied kindly, holding her soft hand tightly, he felt her hand tremble slightly, and his own hand trembled slowly.He caressed her face with gentle eyes, letting his eyes speak more words instead of his mouth.She didn't avoid his gaze, but only responded with a smile.

Everyone looked at them quietly, even Hui didn't speak, but Xian ran to Peizhu's side, pinched Peizhu's hand and cuddled her tightly. Ming let go of Dehua's hand, and said gently: "Look, I'm not as healthy as before." The word "health" coming out of Ming's mouth seemed to indicate another meaning.He had never been healthy, and now he was even thinner. "Ming, lie down on the bed, you must be very tired," Peizhu persuaded with concern when she saw that Ming was unable to support herself. "No, I'm fine." Ming shook his head, indicating that he was not tired, looked at everyone with surprised eyes, and asked, "Why don't you sit down?"

"You sit down first, you should take a rest," Hui replied, and she said to Dehua again: "Dehua, let Ming sit on the edge of the bed. If you have something to say, wouldn't it be better to sit and talk?" Dehua took a look at Hui, and seemed to blame Hui for speaking like this.But she immediately followed Hui's tone and said to Ming: "Ming, let's sit over there, it's more convenient for us to sit and talk." She went to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed.Ming followed her and sat down there.Xian ran over and sat next to Dehua. There was still an empty seat beside him, so he waved to Peizhu and said, "Peizhu, come here, come here."

Peizhu took out her watch and said, "I should go. Renmin and the others are waiting for me." Ming looked at Peizhu in surprise, and he remembered what Chen Qing told him.Renmin is here, which is good news.He has never met Renmin, but he has read the book translated by Renmin. He often heard people talking about benevolent people.He felt that Renmin was a very close friend of his.He hoped to see Renmin right away, he had a lot to talk to Renmin.He asked, "Where is Renmin? I'll go and see him." "Don't go, we have something to do now, you should rest too. I'll ask Renmin to come and see you tomorrow," Peizhu stopped.Without waiting for Ming to answer, she called the lanky elementary school teacher and said, "Ardan, let's go."

Yadan responded, greeted Ming again, and walked out with Peizhu in his stride.When he crossed the threshold, he turned his head to look at everyone with nostalgia. Hui followed Yadan and the others to go out.When she came back, she saw Ming and Dehua talking.She was very happy, she rarely saw Ming and De Hua talking like this.She interrupted with a smile: "Ming, you should thank Dehua. She was almost anxious about your affairs." "Why am I the only one? Aren't you all his friends?" Dehua argued with a slightly red face. "Aren't you in a hurry?" She tapped Xian on the head lightly, and said reproachfully, "You naughty child, you still have the heart to lie to me."

"Hui told me to say that. It's all her idea." Xian stood up and pointed at Hui and shouted with a smile.Then he sat down again and took Dehua by the arm. "You're not a gramophone." Hui chuckled, walked over, and knocked Xian on the head. Yun looked at it and smiled slightly.He said to the crowd: "Hui Ai is joking with people." Hui was about to answer, but when she heard someone calling her outside, she hurried out. The room was quiet for a while, and then Bi and Ying started talking in a low voice in the corner again. The two of them had been standing there talking for quite a while, one was standing by the window, the other was standing against the wall.

"Bi, what secret talk are you two talking about?" Hui Qun, who hadn't spoken for a long time, said loudly, with a kind smile of a middle-aged woman on her face. "Not telling you," Bea replied briefly, turning her head. "You should play with Ming and not neglect him," Hui Qun reprimanded them with a smile. "Hui Qun, don't you see that he and De Hua are having a lively conversation? We should not interrupt them." Bi said. Huiqun looked back, and sure enough, Dehua was speaking to Ming in a low voice, and Ming was listening attentively.She smiled at Yun, stood up and whispered, "Let's go." She waved to Yin again.Xian made a funny smile and silently followed the couple out.

There were three people missing in the room, and no one noticed.Bi and Ying were still talking quietly in the corner of the room, they were discussing work matters.Deok-hwa confides her heart to Ming as she narrates her life since returning home.Ming listened with interest, nodding in the middle of her narrative. "Ming, why do you always have a sad face? I have never seen you happy, as if you always have some secret in your heart." Dehua suddenly mentioned this matter, she looked at him sympathetically and tenderly, At the same time, her gaze was penetrating, as if it wanted to pierce into his heart. A gleam of light flickered across Ming's thin face, but it disappeared in an instant.He showed hesitation, he felt embarrassed, he didn't want to talk about it.But her eyes would not let him go.He had to answer her, but he didn't know how to answer.He faltered for a long while, uttering a few vague words intermittently.Finally he said in a clearer voice: "I don't have any secrets, maybe I was born with a gloomy nature... My life experience is very tragic." Ming often said that his life experience was tragic, but he never revealed his past tell people.People only know that he is an orphan without parents. "I'm afraid my situation will not be better than yours. People used to laugh at me for crying, but in recent years I feel better. I can also hold back crying." Dehua said, looking at him without moving his eyes. his face.Her eyes lingered on the scar for a moment, then moved away.She lowered her head slightly. "I also know that the imprints left by the past life on a person's mind are difficult to erase. But people cannot live by sorrow. I have forgotten many things, and I hope you can forget too." Her voice was slightly Trembling, leaving behind a constant lingering sound.Finally she let out a breath. These words fell into Ming's ears.His heart was beating hard. "Dehua, do you sometimes look at the stars in the sky?" He wanted to suppress his emotions, but finally couldn't bear to ask this question, his thin yellow and black face was covered by clouds.Dehua looked at him, but didn't know what he was thinking. "When I got home, I had nothing to do. I just sat in the yard at night and looked at the blue sky thinking daydreamly. My stepmother never paid attention to me." When she talked about things at home, she felt unhappy.She didn't want to go on, so she asked him, "Do you like watching the stars?" "Why did you suddenly ask this question?" Ming stared dreamily at her face, as if he didn't know her.He said to himself: "I often walk in dark alleys at night, you know I often come here from the dock workers' union. The streets are very dark. I have no flashlight, and I have no torches. Only the stars light my way. I I often look up at the stars. I love them. They are always shining in the sky, I can only see them, but I can't reach them." He paused for a moment, and then continued: "Those stars, they are never It will fall. I can see them in the daytime." At this moment, he also seemed to see two stars shining in front of his eyes, and he didn't think they were Dehua's eyes at all. "You can't imagine how I lived these days. I couldn't see the sun all day in the detention center. They often tortured me. They asked me to confess some conspiracy. They even threatened to let me out alive. Those days were really real." Sad. But I'm not desperate. I saw starlight at that time too. Even in the cell the starlight illuminated my way." Ming started to speak, his voice was still low.But gradually his voice grew louder, his eyes brightened, and the previous weariness and melancholy were swept away by a passionate emotion.His face was flushed, his hands were moving, and every word that came out of his mouth was very clear and powerful, which made Bi and Ying also stop talking to look at him. "Ming, you speak so beautifully, you make me want to cry." Dehua's eyes filled with tears.She tried her best to endure, but finally burst out this voice, which mixed crying and laughing at the same time.She could not control herself at this time, so she had to let her emotions run wild. "You shouldn't have said these things to me, you should have told Peizhu that I'm unworthy." After she finished speaking, she fell down, laying her head on the quilt and weeping in a low voice. Both Bi and Ying ran over and asked in surprise, "Dehua, what's the matter?" Ying turned sideways to pull Dehua's body. Ming also bent over to call Dehua.Edward didn't answer.Bi gently comforted Ming and said, "Ming, you should also rest, we didn't know you suffered so much." "What's wrong with her? Why is she crying? I don't know at all..." Min asked Bea with a little panic, his voice changing.He was tired and melancholy again, as if he had put all his energy into an earlier passage, and when he had finished that passage his energy was gone.Bi didn't know this, she saw Ming's face was changing constantly, getting uglier and uglier, she thought Dehua had given him this blow, so she replied: "It's nothing. You don't see that Dehua loves you ?" "She really loves me?" Ming looked at Bi suspiciously and asked in a low voice, as if he was afraid that this question would be heard by Dehua. "Don't you believe it?" Bea said aloud. "I see," Ming said to himself, and then laughed.In Bi's eyes, the smile looked like a wry smile, and Bi felt that Ming's behavior today was a bit weird, making it difficult for people to understand. "Dehua," Ming called softly, and was about to bow his head to speak to her, when suddenly a sound of footsteps interrupted him.Ke ran in, grabbed him by the arm, and didn't ask him if he had anything to do here, so he said, "Ming, get out quickly, there are a lot of workers coming to see you. Wait there. Go and say something to them." Talk." There was a happy smile on Ke's small face, and he spoke quickly, puffing out of his mouth.Before Ming could answer, Yun ran in again.The two of them hugged Ming and left.Ke turned his head and smiled at Ying, and said, "Ying, come out and have a look." Ying replied with a gentle smile, "I'll come." Edward sat up from the bed.She still had something to say to Ming, so she called out: "Ming." There was no response, and the footsteps were already far away.She walked to Ying's side, put a hand on Ying's shoulder, and stared at the window stupidly.The sunlight came in through the window, casting the shadow of the pane on the ground, and countless grains of dust danced in the sunlight.There were still tears on her face, and she didn't wipe them dry. "Why bother?" Ying took out a handkerchief to wipe Dehua's face, and said pitifully. "You don't need to cry. You usually say you can bear crying, but today you shed so many tears. Why are you crying? You love Ming, it's a normal thing, and no one interferes with you." Ying said These words are like a sister comforting her little sister. There were voices outside, and the voice was noisy, as if many people were shouting slogans in local dialect.Then the men began singing again, in rough, out-of-time voices, evidently coming from unfamiliar mouths. "Listen, how busy it is outside. They are welcoming him," Ying said happily, stroking Dehua's soft hair gently. "Won't others interfere?" Dehua asked in a low voice. "Why are you interfering? They didn't take drastic actions, and it's not the period of martial law," Bi said, her small eyes widened and she looked at the window, as if she could see the bustling scene from the window . Hui walked in, humming a labor song, which was sung by those workers, and she sang along with them: "...we plowed the fields, we weaved cloth, we repaired houses, we built warehouses..." "Dehua, let's go out and have a look, the four of us will go together," Hui said to Dehua after stopping singing. "Okay, let's go," Bi replied.Ying held Dehua to stand up, and the four of them walked out together. Walking out of the women's association, they descended the stone steps and walked across the stone bridge.On the stone steps in front of the trade union gate, there were several people running back and forth in a hurry.A young man in a student uniform came out of it carrying a large roll of leaflets. "Min." Hui called happily. Min stopped, turned to look at them, looked at them and smiled.Without speaking or waiting for them, he hurried out. Xian ran in from outside, singing, and when he saw them, he stopped and said loudly, "They are all outside, go and see." He ran into the labor union. Xian's words ignited the enthusiasm of the four girls like a fire: their eyes lit up immediately, and they stepped outside with beating hearts. The outside is a patio, which is actually a big square. The place is very spacious, and there are two big banyan trees lined up on the left and right sides.The square was full of people.The sight startled them.They did not expect so many people to come in such a short time. The newly built stage was used as a podium, and several people stood on it.Ming was talking there, his voice was very low, and only intermittent words were sent to their ears.There was a lot of voices in front.Many students crowded around in the crowd, distributing leaflets.They saw Ying struggling to squeeze, sweating profusely, and her cute little face flushed; they also saw Yin squeeze into the crowd with a roll of leaflets.They also squeezed hard in the crowd. Some people saw them and gave way to a narrow path. Before they got to the front of the podium, applause suddenly broke out.The applause kept ringing, and then gradually became rare.Suddenly, a clear and crisp shout sounded from the crowd, it was a woman's voice, shouting a resounding slogan.Then the voices of many young people echoed from all directions, and the whole square shook.Those rough shouts rushed towards the podium like sea waves. "Look, Peizhu is there," said the video, pushing Dehua's arm in surprise as if discovering some secret. Dehua followed her fingers to look.On the stone bench under the banyan tree on the left stands Peizhu.She raised one hand and waved it in the air.She was yelling, shaking her head, and her thick hair was all loose, fluttering with her head, such a big pile.Sometimes they covered half of her face, and sometimes they were draped behind.Looking at it from a distance, it looks like a lion's head, and the lion is shaking its mane.Many people stood below and stretched their necks to watch.She lowered her head again and spoke to them. "I'll go too." Hui said enthusiastically, and then she left them and squeezed into the crowd. "Let's go to the front to listen to Renmin's speech," Ying said, and she, Bi and Dehua walked straight to the front of the podium. Because at this time, the resounding voice of Renmin sounded on the podium. They came to the podium.The place was already full of people, and they couldn't squeeze to the front.The sun shone unobstructed on their heads.They were sweating all over their heads, and beads of sweat trickled down their temples.They didn't care about it, but only paid attention to the silhouette of Renmin on the stage. Renmin was not an excellent orator, and his staccato words could not grab the attention of the crowd.He spoke too slowly, with many pauses, and sometimes he was too excited to speak.But his voice can resound throughout the square, and his strong body, firm posture, and warm expression can also move those who don't understand his words.So at this time, the square fell silent, as if everyone in the audience was listening to him. Soon Renmin shut up.Then the applause sounded like spring thunder.Peizhu called over there again, and almost at the same time another female cry sounded.That was Hui, standing on a stone bench under another banyan tree, singing labor songs loudly. Many people sang along with her.At first it was the voice of youth, and gradually it seeped into those full and rough voices.The whole square is in motion.There were yellowish things flying here and there, and it was all mimeographed leaflets. K then came out to speak.The voice of Ke, the posture of Ke are familiar to many people. He has more experience than Renmin and knows how to use popular words.Although his voice is a bit low, he can grab the audience's attention.Many people are listening to his speech.Shadow's eyes never left his face.Her face flushed slightly, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. Suddenly a young man hurried up to the podium, it was Min.He whispered a few words in Ke's ear, and Ke turned his head and answered a few words, and then continued.Min stayed on the stage and chatted with others in a low voice for a while, then he, Zhiyuan, and Chen Qing got off the stage and squeezed into the crowd. Ke's attitude was very calm, but it was not able to stop the commotion among the crowd. "What happened," Bea whispered to herself.She also had a surprised expression on her face when she saw Ying.When she turned her head, countless heads were shaking, covering her sight. Dehua was looking at Ming standing on the podium. She didn't hear Bi's question clearly, so she said: "Look, Ming's face is so ugly, he can't hold on anymore, they should let him rest." She saw No one answered, so he pushed Bi's arm and said pleadingly, "Go, tell Ming to go in and have a rest." Bi didn't pay attention to De Hua's words, she stared at the commotion crowd in a daze. Ying whispered in Dehua's ear: "Something must have happened." There was a little tremor in her voice. "What's the matter?" Dehua asked in a low voice in surprise, and she also turned her head to look at the crowd, only to see people's heads shaking and people's voices were noisy, as if the audience had doubled suddenly. "Hui." Bi suddenly cried out in surprise.Hui squeezed her way through the crowd, her hair was draped, her face was red, she held a leaflet in her hand, and ran towards them angrily.Hui ran up to Bi, put a hand on Bi's shoulder, panted, and said excitedly, "We are surrounded by the army." Dehua looked at Hui's excited face in surprise, and then she turned to look at the podium.Ke was still speaking to the crowd, and Ming, Yun, and Renmin were still standing there.She said hastily: "I'll go and tell Ming to let him in." Without waiting for Hui to say anything, she hurried away. "The army is here, I don't believe it. This is a peaceful gathering, what are they doing?" Bea said excitedly.She wasn't afraid, but she was angry.She felt that today was like a holiday, and everyone should have a happy and lively day to welcome Ming and express some solidarity.There is absolutely no need to interfere with such a rally.But the brigade sent troops.Not only Bi thinks this way, but Ying and Hui also think this way, and many people think this way. "What is the army here for? Who knows? They must be here to disperse the masses." Hui said angrily. "Everyone don't leave, let's see what they can do." Hui's eyes burst into flames. "The army is coming." The crowd suddenly shouted in panic, and there was a burst of crowding. Many people who came in to watch the excitement wanted to run outside. "Everyone, don't panic. Don't be afraid." Seeing this situation, Ke said loudly to the crowd.But his voice was no longer able to stop the commotion.Those watching the excitement no longer have the heart to listen to anyone.They shouted, ran, and crowded in the crowd, making order worse. Dehua accompanied Ming off the podium, squeezed out of the crowd, and went into the trade union. "Yun stepped forward to help Ke maintain order. Renmin looked at the crowd in the square with a serious expression. "Renmin should dodge for a while," Hui whispered to Ying and Bi when he saw Renmin below. "The brigade took great care of him." Before Hui finished speaking, she heard a familiar sharp voice in the crowd: "Don't be afraid. We are unarmed people, and the army will not interfere with us. Order, everyone must observe order. Don't crowd. We The meeting is about to end." This was Peizhu's voice. She was still standing on the stone bench, waving her empty hands, shaking her hair, and crying with a blushing face.Her voice soared, above all other voices, overwhelming. "Don't be afraid, keep order..." Peizhu's words were echoed by many people, and Xian and Zhiyuan appeared on the stone bench opposite Peizhu.Zhiyuan always opened his big mouth and screamed. "Let's go up and tell Ke whether the meeting should end early." Shadow said worriedly. Three women, Hui, Bi, and Ying stepped onto the podium one after another.Hui was the first to speak: "Renmin, let's go inside." "Wait a minute, let's go together," Renmin replied, unwilling to leave the scene in front of him immediately. "You should avoid it, maybe something unexpected will happen today," Hui said in a low voice, wrinkling her slender eyebrows slightly.Her countenance was solemn. Renmin's expression suddenly changed, as if a gust of cold wind had blown his face.He whispered, "You mean bleeding?" Hui nodded silently.Ying put a hand on Hui's shoulder and said, "Then let's end the meeting earlier." "No, that's impossible. I don't believe it." Renmin shook his head and said, a strong light shot out from his eyes, his eyes were firm and full of faith. "It's useless to bleed now, we're simply not prepared." "What if people are ready?" Hui asked back in a low voice. "Then, we should try to avoid it," Renmin replied resolutely. "I'll tell Ke." He went to Ke's side. "Ke, announce the adjournment now." Renmin said this as if giving an order, his voice was so firm that there was no room for questioning. Ke looked at him in surprise, and said in a serious low voice, "Wait a minute, wait until Min comes back." "Don't wait, it's serious," Renmin said seriously. "I know," Ke nodded, and then he added: "You should also be careful, there must be detectives in here. You go inside first, and don't let many people know you." Min came with Chen Qing.Both of them were running angrily, with beads of sweat all over their heads.With a serious expression on his face.Min whispered a few words in Ke's ear. "Okay, let's call it a day," K said with determination. "Min, go and tell Peizhu that everyone should go out in an orderly manner." "I'm going to find Peizhu." Hui rushed to say. "I'll go too." Ying and Bi said together. "Hui, you're not going back to the association? There should be guards there too," Min said to Hui. "It doesn't matter that Huiqun is there," Hui replied hastily, then followed Ying and Bi off the platform and squeezed into the crowd. "Are the pickets down here?" Ke asked Min. "They're all there. It's all up to them to maintain order. There are also many people watching the excitement today, so the order is chaotic." Min replied.He then said to Yun: "Yun, let's go down." Yun followed Min down.The sound of people is still noisy.The commotion didn't stop either.C. announced the adjournment from the podium. Hui, Ying, and Bi walked to Peizhu's side and jumped onto the stone bench. The four women seemed to become braver when they stood together.They shouted loudly to convey the news of the adjournment.Shadow put a hand on Hui's shoulder.Below them, the crowd slowly crowded outside.So many people combine like a stream of water.Everyone began to sing labor songs. "Abolish exorbitant taxes. Down with Chen ××." Hui was moved and felt that her heart was also beating with the hearts of those countless people.She was so happy that she forgot to cry.Chen XX is the brigade commander who rules this city. "Hui, be careful, don't bark," Ying said, patting Hui on the shoulder. Peizhu turned her head to look at Hui, and said in a low voice, "Hui, we are not going to bleed today." Hui smiled, and she explained: "It doesn't matter. I was happy, so I just yelled out." "Everyone keep order and go well." Peizhu stopped talking to Hui, turned to look at the crowd, and shouted at the shaking heads.Many faces turned to look at her and smile at her.Many hands waved to her.When the last group of people passed in front of them, they all jumped off the stone bench. Outside, the crowd passed through the army's defense line without any hindrance, and there was no conflict, and the order was very good.Everyone sang in unison.The sun gradually disappeared with the singing. Peizhu and the others were the only ones left in the dark square, talking and walking back inside. Peizhu smiled suddenly, and said to herself, "Today's grades are very good." "I'm afraid it's not over yet," Shadow said in an uncertain voice. "Don't worry about it. The struggle will come one day," Hui said, knowing what Ying meant.But she is not afraid.She wished the struggle had come sooner.She hummed the labor song again in a low voice by herself. "But we have won today." Peizhu was very happy when she thought about what happened today.She is often optimistic. "Peizhu, don't be too optimistic, we need more courage in the future," Ke said from behind, with a serious look behind his glasses. "What courage?" Peizhu asked in surprise with her big eyes open.Then she said calmly: "I think I have courage." She raised her head inadvertently, and saw Renmin's eyes of praise from the right. Xian ran over to hold Peizhu's hand, and called out intimately and mischievously in a drawn-out voice: "Pei-zhu. " At this moment, Dehua ran out in panic, and stopped when he saw these people.She grabbed Peizhu's arm and said anxiously, "You haven't come in for a long time. Ming——is sick." "Sick?" Ke said these two words, as if throwing two stones at everyone's heart. "K!" Another man's panicked cry sounded from behind, and a tall black shadow cast towards them, and everyone stopped in surprise. It was Fang Yadan who came, and he ran furiously, and just stopped, he whispered intermittently: "They have already mobilized. Clean up the union quickly, and they will come to search sooner or later. Xiong is behind, he will come soon ." Everyone stood there dumbfounded.The air suddenly became tense.Thinking of Ming's illness, De Hua immediately ran inside. "How about the Women's Association?" Huijie asked. "Don't they know they are together? You should also be careful." Adam replied seriously.He added: "I met the army on the road and thought it was over for us here." "Xian," Ke called Xian over, and whispered in his ear: "Today's student group meeting will be postponed by one day. You should go and notify immediately." Xian promised and ran away immediately.These few people whispered a few words beside the stage, and then dispersed silently.The empty square was left lying alone under the evening sky.