Spring rain fell in a steady drizzle, and an especially heavy atmosphere hung over Lukou Village. The air was filled with the fresh scent of damp earth and mist, creating a deep sense of oppression. April was normally a busy season for the spring tea harvest, but the once-lush green tea bushes covering the hillsides now seemed to have lost their will to flourish, as though they were enduring the same unspoken suffering as the people on this land. Liao Qingwen rode his battered bicycle, its wheels rolling over the muddy road. Every little bump seemed to make him feel even more exhausted. When he entered a narrow lane in the village, everything around him was silent. Occasionally, a rooster crowed or a dog barked, but no one came outside. Everyones gaze was heavy and restrained, like sorrow buried deep in their hearts.

He arrived at Yu Lianfus home. The old tree in front of the house swayed gently in the wind, raindrops from the previous night still clinging to its branches and leaves. Lianfus wife, Xu Laichun, was standing at the doorway, holding her son, Wenyan, close and telling him something. When she heard that Liao Qingwen had come to visit, she hurriedly put aside what she was doing and went to greet him.

"Village Chief Liao, youve come at just the right time." Xu Laichun spoke urgently, unable to conceal the anxiety in her eyes. "Have you heard anything?"

Liao Qingwen frowned, slowly taking off his hat from the bicycle handlebars and looking at her. "More than three hundred people from our village have been taken away. My brother-in-law, Qi Wang; his adopted son, Tianqi; Chief Secretary Mu Sheng and Chunqing; and your Lianfu and Maotong are all among them. Every able-bodied male in the village aged sixteen or seventeen and older has been arrested." His voice was heavy, as though he were describing a pain too profound for words.

Zhou Tianmei, standing nearby, heard this and immediately spread her hands in disbelief. Her face turned deathly pale as she cursed angrily, "Damn it! Has Heaven really gone blind?"

Xu Laichun clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her expression tense. With a mixture of pleading and helplessness, she asked, "Is there no way to ask someone to speak on their behalf? Cant we think of something else?"

Liao Qingwen sighed deeply. A trace of weary resignation flashed across his eyes. "Ive already asked a provincial councilor for help. I hope he can put pressure on the military and demand that the villagers who had nothing to do with this be released first."

"What about my Lianfu and Maotong? Will they be released?" A hopeful light flickered in Laichuns eyes, as though she could no longer bear another disappointment.

Liao Qingwens expression darkened. He remained silent for a moment before finally answering, "Im afraid things dont look good for those two. Theyve been involved with the people at the base for a long time."

Zhou Tianmei hurried forward and grabbed Liao Qingwens arm. "Then what do we do? We have to find a way quickly!"

Liao Qingwen gently pulled his arm free. His tone was resigned but firm. "Auntie, theyre going to be tried under military law. The military wont even let me visit them. What can I possibly do? All we can do now is wait for news."

Zhou Tianmei angrily waved her hand, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. "Then what are we supposed to do? Is there anything else we can do?"

Liao Qingwen looked once more at the villagers before him. His expression was filled with unbearable sorrow. "All we can do is wait—for the day when this ordeal finally comes to an end."

At that moment, Laichun turned to Zhou Tianmei and said anxiously, "Mother, please go into town and ask Uncle Min to come back. The spring tea is about to be harvested. We cant afford to have no one left to work in the village."

"I sent someone into town yesterday to ask him. He should be back soon." Laichuns words offered a little reassurance, but her urgency remained unmistakable.

Liao Qingwen turned his handlebars, preparing to leave. As he looked at each face before him, the pain in his heart felt like a heavy hammer pounding against his chest. The village he had devoted himself to protecting was now as cold and bleak as the spring rain, shrouded in sorrow and despair.

The spring sunshine filtered through layers of clouds and fell across the tea fields. The air was filled with the fragrance of fresh grass and damp earth. The tea gardens were lush and green, the leaves shimmering with vitality in the sunlight. Yet a heavy shadow had fallen over the people working in these fields.

Laichun, Ayuan, and Wenyan were busy in their familys tea garden. Ayuan gripped a hoe in one hand and swung it forcefully, sending clumps of soil flying with a soft scraping sound. His movements were hurried. Sweat dripped from his hands onto the ground, but nothing could dispel the worry furrowing his brow.

Laichun concentrated on picking tea leaves. Her movements were practiced and swift, but every now and then her eyes drifted toward the distance, as though she were waiting for something. Nearby, Wenyan also moved back and forth among the tea bushes, his head lowered and his face showing the concentration of someone absorbed in his work.

Meanwhile, the tea garden belonging to Lin Maotong, not far away, was especially busy. Axi and her daughter, Aiyu, were working frantically. Their hands moved far faster than those of ordinary tea pickers. Their faces showed signs of exhaustion, yet they remained determined. Their figures looked especially lonely amid the surrounding greenery.

Seeing Axi and her daughter struggling, Laichun was moved to help. She walked briskly toward them, her steps light but worry still visible in her eyes.

"Axi, let me ask my Ayuan to come over and help you clear the weeds and prepare the soil. You cant possibly manage all this work by yourselves," Laichun said with concern.

Hearing her voice, Axi paused and straightened her back. A thin layer of sweat had already formed on her body. She brushed the dirt from her hands and gave a bitter smile.

"Thank you, Chun. If I dont hurry up and clear these weeds, I wont have time to apply fertilizer this year." Her words revealed her helplessness and anxiety.

Laichun looked at her, a trace of sympathy passing through her eyes. "Axi, with Maotong gone, how can you and your daughter possibly manage all this work?" She stepped closer and helped gather some tea leaves that had fallen to the ground.

Axi sighed helplessly and looked down at the ground, already overgrown with weeds. Her voice carried a sense of exhaustion. "Ill just have to work as hard as I can. What else can I do?" Her fingers gripped a tea branch tightly, as though holding on to it might distract her from her anxiety.

Laichun felt a pang of sorrow and gently asked, "Have you considered hiring someone to help?"

Axi smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Ive thought about it, but theres no one available in the village right now. All the men have been arrested. If we want to hire workers, well have to ask someone to find people in another village." Her words seemed to express the predicament everyone was facing.

Laichun fell silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "Thats true. It really is a difficult situation." Her voice carried a trace of resignation and sadness. There was nothing anyone could do about circumstances like these.

Just then, the sound of a bicycle came from the mountain road in the distance. Laichun turned and saw Xu Jialiang riding into view. She immediately waved to him, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly to signal him to come over.

"Little Brother, have you heard anything about your brother-in-law?"

As Jialiang pedaled toward them, the wind swept past him. His expression was grave. Muddy water splashed onto the road behind his bicycle tires, making a sharp, clear sound.

"Theyre being held in Xindian, in the Investigation Bureaus prison. The military prosecutor has ordered that no one be allowed to visit them. Village Chief Liao should have told you about that, right? Ive also discovered that someone in the village secretly reported them to the military, causing many villagers to be arrested."

Hearing this, Axi frowned deeply, her heart filled with unease. "Who could have informed on them? Have you found out?"

Jialiangs expression darkened. "I havent found out who it is yet, Sister Axi." His voice was somewhat resigned, but his anxiety was obvious.

Laichun frowned slightly. With a trace of concern in her voice, she asked softly, "What do you think? Is there any chance your brother-in-law and Maotong will be released?"

Jialiang looked toward the village, his gaze dim. "That depends on how deeply theyre involved in the case, Sister. You may have to prepare yourselves for the worst." After saying this, he firmly lowered his hands onto the bicycle handlebars, as though trying to cast off the heavy burden on his shoulders. Yet the sense of helplessness remained with him.

Laichun drew a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, "Do you mean your brother-in-law and Maotong might be sentenced to death?"

Jialiang was silent for a moment before answering quietly, "Thats possible." His voice was filled with uncertainty and resignation.

Laichun felt as though her heart had been cut open, but she persisted in asking, "But your brother-in-law and Maotong never actually joined the bases defense force, did they?"

Jialiang responded in an almost analytical tone. "If the former village chief, Chen Qiwang, and Chief Secretary Liao Musheng are both sentenced to death, your brother-in-law and Maotong may not escape the same fate." He could not give her a definite answer, but the possibility he raised sent a chill through everyone.

The prison run by the Investigation Bureau in Xindian was filled with an oppressive atmosphere, as though the weight of it had solidified in every inch of air. The lights were dim. Moisture and the marks of age stained the walls, while footsteps echoed ominously through the empty corridor. The clanking of metal shackles and handcuffs was particularly grating. Yu Lianfu and Lin Maotong were escorted by four military policemen. Their steps were heavy, and their bodies were forced to follow the guards pace as they were led, one step at a time, into a cold, austere interrogation room.

The interrogation room was almost completely bare. At its center stood a rough wooden table, with a whipping platform beside it. The marks of lashes and bloodstains on the platform seemed to tell of the cruelty that had taken place there. The two men were brought before it. The military policemen roughly dragged them onto the platform and suspended them with iron chains, leaving their bodies hanging in the air. Expressions of pain briefly crossed their faces. This was not the first time they had endured such torture. Yu Lianfu and Lin Maotong had long prepared themselves to face anything, but their hearts were still far from calm.

Guo Junting stood before them, his expression cold and his eyes as sharp as blades.

"Yu Lianfu, Lin Maotong, think about your families. Your elderly mothers and wives are waiting for you to come home. Why are you being so unreasonable? Tell me who gave you the information. Ill report it to my superiors and plead for leniency on your behalf, so you wont be sentenced to death."

His tone was cold, but there was an unmistakable hint of threat in his words.

Yu Lianfu raised his head and clenched his teeth. His lips trembled slightly, but he still answered firmly, "Sir, Ive already told you everything. We were just talking nonsense between ourselves. No one gave us any information."

A trace of displeasure flashed in Guo Juntings eyes. He reached out, quickly seized Yu Lianfu by the jaw, and forced his face upward, making him look directly at him.

"Is that so? According to the information weve gathered, you have a brother-in-law, Xu Jialiang, who serves as a police inspector in Xizhi. He often goes to Lukou to see you. Tell me, was it Xu Jialiang who gave you the information?"

Yu Lianfus heart sank. His expression changed slightly, but he forced down his anger and anxiety before replying in a low voice, "Sir, dont go accusing people without evidence. My brother-in-law has a family of his own. He wouldnt risk his life for something like that."

Guo Juntings expression grew even darker. He ignored Yu Lianfu and turned to Lin Maotong, asking coldly, "Lin Maotong, since Yu Lianfu refuses to talk, you tell me. Was it Xu Jialiang?"

Lin Maotongs heart began to race. His fingers gripped the iron chain beside him, and his shoulders trembled slightly, but his strong body remained defiant.

"Sir, these days everyone is looking out for their own lives. If Xu Jialiang had given us the information, we would have named him already. Why would we take the blame ourselves? But no one gave us any information. Lianfu and I were just making guesses while we were betting. We never expected..." His voice trembled, but the determination in his words remained unchanged.

"Slap!"

A sudden, resounding slap struck Lin Maotong across the face, making his ears ring. Guo Junting had struck him so hard that his head snapped to one side. Another slap followed, and Lin Maotongs cheek quickly swelled and reddened. A thin line of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Thats a pack of lies!"

Guo Junting grabbed Maotong by the collar and pulled him upright, threatening him viciously.

"You two worthless bastards are certainly good at keeping your mouths shut. If we dont give you a proper beating, youll never tell us the truth."

At his command, two military policemen stepped forward with leather whips and began swinging them. The long lashes swept across the mens chests and abdomens like lightning.

"Crack!"

Another whip sounded. Yu Lianfu and Lin Maotong groaned at the same time. Blood seeped from the corners of their mouths, but they continued to hold themselves upright, refusing to bow their heads.

The sound of whipping echoed through the air, gradually becoming indistinct. The two men had endured terrible torture. Their battered bodies were thrown onto the floor of the cell, their chests covered in bright red bloodstains. The military policemen shoved them into the cell and slammed the heavy iron door shut. The four guards callously kicked them into the darkness of the cell, then left them to endure the endless suffering on their own.

The two men crawled toward a corner of the cell. Their fellow prisoners silently moved aside, giving them some room to catch their breath. Yu Lianfu gasped for air and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before cursing under his breath.

"Goddamn these bastards! If theyve got the guts, they should beat me to death. Ive lived long enough anyway."

Lin Maotong patted him on the back and comforted him in a firm voice.

"Brother Fu, ever since we were in Southeast Asia, weve shared life and death as brothers. Dont worry. I wont let a single word slip."

Yu Lianfu raised his head slightly, deeply moved. His gaze was resolute.

"One-Eyed, having a brother like you makes me willing to die, even if I have to become a ghost."

Maotong smiled faintly, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

"If were going to die, lets die together. At least well have each other on the road to the underworld."

Spring rain fell in a steady drizzle. Fine threads of rain, like countless tiny needles, gently pierced the earth, enveloping all of Lukou Village in a cold, damp mist. The distant mountains were barely visible, their outlines seemingly swallowed by the spring rain. The village roads were muddy, and water droplets clung to the plants and trees. Occasionally, a few unidentified birds flew through the hazy rain, their clear calls making the surroundings seem even quieter.

It was the spring tea harvest season, but the atmosphere in Lukou Village was no longer as busy and lively as it had once been. Instead, a heavy gloom hung over the place. The areas in front of the village homes were deserted, and few people could be seen on the streets. It seemed that every corner was shrouded in an invisible fear.

Wearing a simple raincoat, Liao Qingwen rode an old bicycle along the narrow village roads. At each house, he stopped and gently knocked on the door. His movements were cautious, as though he were afraid of disturbing the oppressive silence. Rainwater dripped from the leaves of the trees beside him, making a soft rustling sound. He did his best to reassure every villager, urging them to remain calm and telling them that everything would eventually pass. Yet the helpless expression on his face was impossible to ignore.

When Liao Qingwen arrived at Yu Lianfus home, Xu Laichun was pacing anxiously in front of the doorway, holding a thoroughly soaked cloth in her hand and occasionally wiping the cold sweat from her forehead. As soon as she saw Liao Qingwen, she hurried over, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"Village Chief, what should we do? What will happen to Lianfu? I feel so uneasy. I have a feeling something is terribly wrong."

Liao Qingwen parked his bicycle and walked toward her with heavy steps. His silence conveyed his helplessness. He spoke quietly, his tone firm but unable to conceal his sorrow.

"More than three hundred people from our village have been taken away. My brother-in-law, Qi Wang; his adopted son, Tianqi; Chief Secretary Mu Sheng and Chunqing; and your Lianfu and Maotong are all among them. Every able-bodied male in the village aged sixteen or seventeen and older has been arrested. Theyve taken them all."

Hearing these words, Xu Laichuns hands trembled. She could barely remain standing, and her eyes grew vacant.

"What? Then... what are we going to do?"

At that moment, Zhou Tianmei was standing nearby. Overcome with emotion, she cursed angrily, "Damn it! Has Heaven really gone blind?!"

Xu Laichun quickly turned to the village chief and asked anxiously, "Village Chief, is there anyone we can ask to speak on their behalf? Could we talk to the military and see if they can let them come home?"

Liao Qingwen sighed, his expression growing even more somber.

"Ive asked a provincial councilor to speak to them and demand that the military release the villagers who had nothing to do with this first."

A trace of helplessness entered his voice.

"But as far as these matters are concerned... this is all I can do."

Xu Laichuns brow furrowed. She could no longer conceal the anxiety in her heart.

"Then... what about Lianfu and Maotong? Will they be released?"

A painful expression flashed across Liao Qingwens eyes. He lowered his head and answered in a solemn voice.

"Im afraid things dont look good for those two. Theyve been involved with the people at the base for a long time."

After hearing this, Zhou Tianmei hurried over to Liao Qingwen. Her voice was filled with agitation and unease.

"Then what do we do? We have to find a way quickly! What are we supposed to do if something happens to them?"

Liao Qingwen raised a hand to signal her to calm down. His voice was low but firm.

"Auntie, theyre going to be tried under military law. The military wont even let me visit them. What can I possibly do? All we can do now is wait for news."

Zhou Tianmeis expression grew increasingly grim, her gaze sharp as a blade.

"How can that be? Laichun, go into town and ask Uncle Min to come back. With something like this happening, the spring tea is about to be harvested. We cant afford to have no one working at home."

Xu Laichun nodded, though her voice remained uneasy.

"Mother, I sent someone into town yesterday. Ive already passed on the instructions from Ayuans master. Uncle Min should be back home soon."

Her words carried a trace of hope, but the fatigue and worry beneath them were impossible to conceal.

Outside, the rain continued to fall. Its steady patter seemed to carry endless anxiety, as though with every falling raindrop, the fate of Lukou Village was quietly changing.

A light afternoon rain drifted down, while mist enveloped the tea gardens halfway up Lukou Mountain. The damp earth and the fresh fragrance of young tea leaves mingled to create a refreshing scent. Wearing a bamboo hat and a straw rain cape, Xu Laichun bent over and carefully picked the tender leaves, her fingers moving deftly among the tea bushes. Her son, Wenyan, stood nearby, imitating his mothers movements as he picked tea leaves and muttered, "Mom, youre picking too slowly. Were not going to finish in time."

Laichun looked up and glared at him, then said with a smile, "Slow work produces fine results. The tea leaves have to be tender. You cant just yank them off carelessly. Understand?"

Not far away, Ayuan was bent over, swinging his hoe along the field ridge to clear weeds and prepare the soil. Sweat ran down from his forehead, mixing with the mud on his cheeks. He stopped to catch his breath and wipe away the sweat, then looked toward Axi and her daughter, Aiyu, working in the field opposite.

Over there, Zhang Axi was thin and frail. She bent over, pulling weeds without stopping, while Aiyu knelt nearby, using a small hand shovel to clear standing water from the field. Both worked quickly and efficiently, but it was obvious that they could not keep up with all the work. Their faces looked troubled.

Seeing them, Xu Laichun sighed softly, put down her carrying basket, and hurried over to Axi and her daughter.

"Axi!" Laichun called as she crossed the slippery, muddy ground and approached them. "Let me ask my Ayuan to come over and help you clear the weeds and prepare the soil. With this rain showing no sign of stopping, if we dont clear the weeds soon, we may not have time to apply fertilizer this year."

Axi straightened her back and shook the raindrops from her shoulders. Catching her breath, she said, "Thank you, Chun! Were really having to chase the weather in this tea garden. If we dont get to work today, the tea leaves will keep growing until they become old leaves."

Laichun frowned and asked, "With Maotong gone, how can you and your daughter possibly manage all this work? And your health isnt good, either..."

Axi smiled bitterly and spread her hands.

"I just have to work as hard as I can. What else can I do? If no one works at home for even one day, the fields will become overgrown."

Aiyu interjected, "Mom, I can do a little more..."

Laichun gently stroked Aiyus head and said, "Youre still a little girl. This kind of work is too exhausting for you. Axi, have you really not considered hiring someone to help?"

Axi shook her head and sighed.

"Ive thought about it, but right now there isnt a single man to be seen in the village. All the men aged sixteen and older have been arrested. If we want to hire workers, well have to ask someone to find them in another village. Its really difficult."

"Thats true!" Laichun lowered her head and looked at the tea seedlings beside her feet, murmuring, "How did our Lukou ever end up in such a terrible state?"

Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell came from a bend in the mountain road. Xu Jialiang rode up the slope through the rain, his trouser legs soaked and his hair plastered against his forehead. White breath escaped his lips in the cold air.

Laichun quickly raised her hand and waved.

"Little Brother, come over here!"

Jialiang stopped his bicycle beside the tea garden, wiped the raindrops from his face with his sleeve, and strode toward them. His fingers trembled slightly.

"Have you heard anything about your brother-in-law?" Laichun asked urgently, her voice trembling.

"Yes." Jialiang nodded, his expression grave. "Theyre currently being held in the Investigation Bureaus military prison in Xindian. The military prosecutor has already ordered that no one be allowed to visit them. Even Village Chief Liao cant get in. You should have heard about that, too."

Axis heart sank, and her voice turned hoarse.

"Then... is it true that someone informed on them?"

Jialiang clenched his teeth.

"Its true. Ive found out that someone in the village secretly reported them to the military, causing many villagers to be arrested. But I still havent found out who the informer is. Sister Axi, dont worry. Ill keep investigating."

Laichun clenched her hands into fists and asked in a trembling voice, "Little Brother, is there any chance your brother-in-law and Maotong will be released?"

"To be honest, Sister, it depends on how deeply theyre implicated in the case. But you should prepare yourselves for the worst."

"Do you mean... they could be sentenced to death?" Laichuns knees weakened, and she braced herself against a tea bush, as though the world had suddenly become unbearably heavy.

"That is a possibility," Jialiang replied in a low, heavy voice.

"But... they never actually joined the defense force, and they didnt even carry guns..." Laichun could barely hold back her tears.

Jialiang explained, "But if former Village Chief Qiwang and Chief Secretary Musheng are both sentenced to death, your brother-in-law and Maotong will have a very hard time escaping the same fate. The military wants to make an example of them now, to kill one and warn the rest."

Silence descended upon them like dense fog. Axi reached out and took Laichuns hand. Both womens eyes were red with tears. On the muddy hillside, the tender green shoots of the spring tea looked painfully conspicuous, like blood-red veins.