It was almost dawn by the time Liang Ching Wan returned to his room. He drank the water his wife held out to him. He sat expressionless while his wife nursed and dressed him. Then he looked at the tear-streaked faces of every member of his family. A faint smile came to his face. After a while, he fell asleep. His wife covered him with a blanket. There was no one in China who did not know what happened to suspicious and reactionary people in the time of the Cultural Revolution.

Nine

Nine

The people were working the fields in silence.

It felt as though someone had snatched away from them the laughter that had slowly started to return. The environment of the farm had completely changed. Terror, frustration, uncertainty and grief had besieged them. It seemed as though they had returned to the last days in Makum. As if something was about to happen. As if a rough knock on their doors would shatter their lives again.

Here, there was nothing called justice. The CPC was breaking down. The will of the local leaders of the Revolutionary Committee had become the law. Now there was nothing that even resembled a local administration.

The country was gripped in chaos.

The people who were under the most suspicion were the overseas returnees. They were kept under strict and uninterrupted surveillance. The enemies of communism could be hidden among them. So could the spies of enemy countries.

What could the people of Hua qiao Nongchang do to protect themselves? Nothing at all. Extreme terror had strangled their voices.

Whom could they go to for help? Whom could they look up to? Who was there in this country to call their own? The officials of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission? Was there anyone who could reach them?

There was no one. There was no way to communicate with anyone directly. They did not have the right to. They could not take a single step without the knowledge of the local leaders of the CPC and the management of the farm. From the very beginning, the attitude of the local leaders of the CPC had not been favourable towards the returnees. They were in favour of the local people. The returnees were punished frequently, and if they protested, they faced torture from the local people. The Cultural Revolution was an opportunity for the local leaders to punish anyone at the slightest pretext.

Mei Fung was weeping as she worked. It had now been over a month since Liang had been taken away from the farm. He had been shifted to some other place. Every day he was brought to the evening meeting. He was asked the same question every day.

‘Who has sent you here? Speak the truth. If you speak the truth your punishment will be lessened.’