Chapter 25

  The Great Purge did not affect the development of various tasks. Government officials were nervous and worked diligently, conscientiously performing their duties, and officials at all levels had become vigilant birds, taking responsibility seriously and emphasizing practical results. Fiscal revenue increased year by year, and old bad habits such as corruption, drug addiction, and concubinage in inland provinces were eliminated in Xinjiang. The slogan "Building the Northwest and Recovering the Northeast" was everywhere on the main streets of Urumqi.

  The supervisor is still the same as before, personally taking care of everything, being approachable and down-to-earth. The supervisor personally gave lectures to the Anti-Imperialist Training Class, Military Academy, and Guards Regiment.

  Attend classes, personally receive visitors, and play basketball with guards in their spare time. When Turpan grapes are ripe, the director will give the grapes sent by the local government office to the cadres, who are surprised and delighted. They eat the fruit and spit out loyalty and dedication.

  Qiu Yifang advised Du Ban to take care of his body. The more his wife advised him, the more energetic he became. He was weak in blood and qi, with a weak spleen and stomach, and would vomit at the sight of meat. Meat had become impossible for him to eat. His bloody nature had disappeared like this. He couldn't bear anyone's loyalty. What is *Mi*Hua*In*Line*Book*Library?

  His wife's advice was of no use. Governance requires more chastity; since he failed with women, he must doubly obtain the chastity of men. This is the difference between a politician and a whoremonger.

  Those days, Du Bang didn't believe that his vitality would disappear, he was full of energy, could eat and sleep well, every meal must have a lot of meat, the fatter the better. The doctor gave advice, Qiu Yufang asked the doctor to tell the truth, the doctor said this is a flash in the pan.

  Qiu Yifang was shocked, "Will the meeting be dismissed?"

  The doctor said: "Du Bao is not life-threatening, but Du Bao's qi and blood will be severely depleted."

  "He's over 50 years old, how can he be like a young man?"

  The doctor had studied in Germany and was well-versed in both Chinese and Western medicine, with unique research on both. The doctor said: "Fifty is the golden age for politicians, let alone being a military politician."

  That day, the supervisor attended the military school's graduation ceremony and had a meal with the students. The student representative gave a farewell speech to the supervisor, and the first dish was the supervisor's favorite braised pork belly. The supervisor gave each of the students at the same table a piece of red, fatty meat. The braised pork belly was fatty but not greasy, and the young men finished it in one bite. As soon as the supervisor swallowed the meat, he felt dizzy and nauseous.

  Under the gaze of everyone, Du Ban forcibly swallowed the large piece of fatty meat, his intestines convulsing. The meat strip looked like a large white maggot, plump and sturdy. Every time it moved, a surge of dark water welled up in Du Ban's heart.

  The students were in a state of panic and sent the instructor to the hospital. The instructor didn't dare open his mouth, his lips were like a seawall, he couldn't spit out the black water in front of everyone. Everyone was reluctant to leave the instructor's side, their emotions were stirred up, showing their loyalty and love for the leader. It wasn't until Qiu Yufang appeared that they reluctantly left the hospital room.

  Qiu Yifang brought over the spittoon, which quickly filled up. Du Bao was panting heavily, like a hanged ghost who had just been let down from the gallows, his face yellow and bloodless.

  Qiu Yufang said: "I told you to take it easy, but you didn't listen. The doctor has already said that you have a deficiency of blood and qi, and your spleen and stomach are weak."

  "What else did the doctor say?"

  "Abstain from meat and fish."

  "What kind of soldier doesn't eat meat?"

  After shouting, Du Bao had no choice but to face reality, and his youth and passion had long since disappeared, becoming a memory.

  Can't eat meat, this is the core of the problem. Am I going to end up like this? The supervisor stands on the balcony, gazing at the Tianshan Mountains, his heart as if being cut by a knife. The supervisor mounts his warhorse, inspecting the mighty army, his eyes turning black. What's even more deadly is that there are planes taking off from the outskirts of Dihua, heading to the interior to join the battle. The Wuhan Great Battle, Lanzhou Air Battle, Hangzhou Air Battle, the Xinjiang Aviation Brigade's victories are frequently reported, and the Japanese Zero fighter jets shot down are transported to Dihua, a feast for the eyes of people of all ethnicities! The Xinjiang people call planes "iron old magpies", and the imperialist iron old magpies were beaten into a pile of scrap metal. The Xinjiang people raised their eyebrows and spat out air, considering imperialism small, using their little fingers to describe it. The Xinjiang Anti-Imperialist Army is fighting against imperialism. The supervisor's ideals seem to have become reality. But the core of the problem isn't this. Meat is not just meat, it's a philosophy, a spirit.

  This kind of thing usually starts very early, but is discovered much later. It can be inferred from the secrecy of the matter.

  Du Bao's mind was still so calm at this time, and he himself felt strange. There was also a strong curiosity, he saw Driver Xiao Chen go in, and Mrs. Qiu Yufang soon followed. He could have called a team to surround and capture them alive. This idea was too bold, and it was vetoed as soon as it flashed by. Du Bao lit a cigarette, he didn't understand what he was waiting for. What he couldn't understand even more was why he was so curious, he was even a little excited.

  He went around to the backyard, entering through a small gate on the mountain wall side. The backyard was overgrown with robust white poplars that were so thick they seemed to be on the verge of bursting out of the ground. He tread lightly, like a nimble mouse, and could feel the sturdy, long, and strong roots beneath the soil.

  The window is getting closer, no curtains are drawn, and it's not even drawn! This is absolutely a military-like demeanor, not drawing curtains during the day, a very strategic and mysterious meeting! The supervisor doesn't have the courage to stand up, the supervisor crouches under the windowsill, listening to the voices inside, just like holding a seashell to listen to the waves of the sea. What a young voice! Xiao Chen is indeed a young man, but the key is Qiu Yufang, Qiu Yufang sounds like a maiden, the supervisor is too familiar with this kind of female voice. It's been many years since he last heard such a youthful and vibrant voice. The supervisor is just like listening to an opera, until the curtain call. The audience is reluctant to leave the theater for a long time.

  The car engine roared to life and Driver Chen drove away.

  Get up and stretch, legs and feet numb.

  Madam Qiu Yufang's face was flushed with excitement, and she asked the supervisor, "How's my complexion?" The supervisor's face was gloomy, and he muttered something under his breath that no one could understand. The flames of jealousy began to burn, and the supervisor was furious! How could he not be angry? What's even more infuriating is that the flames of jealousy didn't come until after the adulterous couple had dispersed, and then they burst forth with a loud whoosh, still smoldering with a faint spark, completely lacking the momentum to spread like wildfire! Forget it, I won't wait. I'll just have to wait for next time.

  Once this kind of thing starts, it never ends.

  Swallow down a mouthful of white rice. Xinjiang rice is delicious, with good oil quality, better than Northeast China's rice, and even surpassing Japanese rice.

  Another opportunity has arrived. It's that damn GAZ car again, the ones Stalin supported Xinjiang with are all this brand, trucks and sedans are all from this brand. Young people take pride in driving. Little Chen who drives a small GAZ is even more awesome. Little Chen drove to the Kazakh steppes, the herders were scared, asking Little Chen: "What kind of thing is this, with eyes so big, not eating grass, and farting so smelly!" Little Chen brought this joke back to Dihua, Qiu Yufang laughed until her stomach hurt. When a woman's stomach hurts, it's never a good thing. The supervisor estimated that it was that joke that connected driver Little Chen with his wife. Damn GAZ car, driver Little Chen always swings the steering wheel a few times, puts it in gear, arches his back and makes an effort to shake it, fiercely shaking it a few times, the small car roars to life, the rear of the car spews out a stream of black smoke, seeing the smoke, Qiu Yufang laughs, holding her stomach in laughter.

  "Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen, you little rascal!"

  Xiao Chen didn't hear it. Qiu Yufang ran out onto the balcony.

  "Little Chen, Little Chen, bring your car over, bring it over."

  Xiao Chen drove the car over.

  "You turned off the car."

  Xiao Chen turned off the car.

  "You open it."

  Xiao Chen opened the car. Xiao Chen's posture when starting the car was very good-looking, with his body arched, horse-riding stance, straight waist, and long arm swinging, the car started to roar. This time Qiu Yufang didn't laugh, Qiu Yufang bit her lip, staring straight down... couldn't laugh anymore.

  The supervisor crouched under the window sill, but didn't hear his wife's joke. The air was filled with a sense of despair and pain, a kind of girlish weakness and excitement.

  The eyes are moist and hazy, which is very out of tune with the vast desert. In the hinterland of Central Asia, it's either icy snow or scorching sun, with strong winds howling, and a hazy scene is extremely rare.

  The supervisor was always hot-blooded, furious and impulsive, rushing towards the backyard with his sword drawn. He had thought out a plan, a man of iron blood didn't need anyone's help, one knife was enough. He was very powerful, jumping over the fence like a snow leopard, he liked to imagine himself as a snow leopard. When he arrived under the window, the snow leopard turned into a little rabbit, and the sword was held in his hand like a crutch. The supervisor's ears were not reliable, hearing that sound made him indulge in it and couldn't extricate himself. Later he stuffed his ears with cotton, didn't want the knife anymore, and took out a pistol instead. This was truly a sneak attack, sneak attacks were always like this, mouth shut tight, feet wrapped in cotton, silent as a ghost, descending from the sky like heavenly soldiers. His ears no longer indulged, but his intuition ruined everything, one meter away from the window, the tiny blood vessels on his body suddenly cleared up, every cell was full and round, life was so magnificent, an invisible light rose from his heart. The supervisor took out bullet by bullet from the pistol, bright bullets like a doll's small chicken, who could believe it would explode, destroy a couple's life.

  Director Yu pulled out the cotton balls from his ears, and his ears began to ring like a bird. To be exact, it was Mrs. Qiu and Driver Chen. Chen was really great. Director Yu didn't feel jealous, only admiration in his heart. It had been a long time since Mrs. Qiu felt so happy. Mrs. Qiu always had the habit of getting migraines. In 19th century Europe, noblewomen all got this "rich woman's disease", and the wives of high-ranking officials in Nanjing also got it. Not long after Director Yu took office in Xinjiang, Mrs. Qiu naturally started to get headaches too. The Russian doctor from Dihua, the British doctor, and later the senior doctors from Soviet Russia all couldn't cure Mrs. Qiu's migraines.

  The supervisor felt ashamed. The supervisor actually took a gun to deal with his wife. The supervisor put the gun away.

  The lady seemed to know what the governor was going to say and hastened to his side.

  "Darling, I have some wonderful news for you - the doctor has found a miracle cure for me."

  "As long as there is medicine, it's fine."

  The supervisor is very clever, and the supervisor admires his wife's wisdom even more. He calls it medicine. How could he not think of this? The imperial harem of the Ottoman Empire had many handsome men with status and position. The madam was having an affair with the driver, what role did the driver play, wasn't he just a servant? The supervisor has a vast and learned mind, it is said that in the imperial harem of the Ottoman Empire, noblewomen never avoided male servants, servants were slaves. From the day the supervisor took office, he had already distanced himself from the common people, this kind of disparity in status, women are more sensitive to. The madam smiled at him all along, he held her hand and patted it lightly. "The medical skills of any country can't compare to those of Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine is like our food culture, all-encompassing and omnipotent, everything that flies in the sky, crawls on the ground, and swims in the water can be used as medicine."

  Qiu Yu Fang returned to Du Bao's arms, and Qiu Yu Fang, who had already entered middle age, excited Du Bao just like a young girl. Within a month, Xiao Chen made several guest appearances, and Madame Qiu looked radiant and refreshed, as if she had been rejuvenated by spring breezes.

  Supervisor looked at Little Chen, who seemed like a big ginseng from Changbai Mountain. Supervisor burst out laughing, and Little Chen also laughed, but he didn't know what he was laughing about. Little Chen felt uneasy in his heart. The supervisor would never harm him, so why did he feel uneasy? Mrs. Qiu understood Little Chen better than anyone else, and she said, "Little Chen, do some business." Suddenly, Little Chen had an idea - Mrs. Qiu was truly great! With just a slight push, the driver, Little Chen, opened up. Little Chen started running the army's clothing factory part-time, and money poured in. His back straightened, his heart felt solid, and things were done with precision. Mrs. Qiu had a sharp tongue indeed.

  Once when I went to Chongqing for a meeting, Chairman Chiang no longer regarded Sheng Shicai as an outsider and often invited Mr. and Mrs. Sheng to dinner at his home. This time when I was visiting, the Chiang couple were somewhat subdued.

  The Xinjiang Office in Chongqing has provided the latest intelligence to Sheng Shicai. Madame Chiang Mei-ling had an affair with American Senator James. Madame Chiang went to the United States to give a speech on the sacred war of resistance, and her charm captivated the entire America, including Senator James. James always found opportunities to come to Chongqing, so many times that Madame Chiang could not resist, and they built a love nest in a hospital. The Chairman is indeed a clever person! But I have an old feeling that something is not right, and Madame's life has become much more complicated. Even Dai Li can only turn a blind eye to this matter. The Chairman was furious and rushed to the hospital with a Thompson submachine gun, but the lovers had just left the scene of their tryst. The Chairman fired wildly at the bed, destroying it completely. Everyone in Chongqing knew about it. The couple didn't speak to each other, and they were at an impasse. The Japanese enemy was launching a crazy attack, and the Chairman was too distracted to work, so everyone was anxious! But who dared to advise him?

  Du Bang and Qiu Yufang happened to come from the Western Regions, Chen Cheng and Chen Bulei deliberately arranged this banquet. Everyone was worried about Sheng Shicai's couple.

  As soon as they met, Du Bao mentioned the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine in a few words. Qiu Yufang responded enthusiastically, and the couple showed interest in their prescription. With a light sentence, Changbai Mountain's old ginseng hinted at everything, and Chairman Mao suddenly understood.

  "Niang Xi Pi, isn't it just a piece of ginseng?"

  Two ladies simultaneously protested against the man's shamelessness and giggled as they went into the inner room to whisper among themselves.

  Chairman: "Xinjiang has made great progress in recent years. Governing a country is like cooking a small fish, your 'humanity theory' is very important, too important for those who engage in politics, and it has good guiding significance for post-war national reconstruction. When dealing with Europe and America, China's old traditions are far from enough, our cadres' thinking is rigid and can't keep up with the times, I'm worried."

  "I'm incompetent and can only talk about having a little experience in dealing with the Soviet Union."

  "You're too modest, if all our cadres were like you, China's affairs would be easily managed." After the storm passed, the Chairman and his wife were as loving as ever. The Chairman couldn't help but exclaim: "Dà Lìng, you're too captivating!"

  "I'm no longer young, at my age, a woman's beauty doesn't come from youth, but from maintenance."

  "Right, right, take good care of it, give it top-notch maintenance."

  After a few days, the lady went to see James for maintenance. At first, choosing the hospital as the venue for the secret meeting was completely unintentional, but Qiu Yufang said it well, "The body will choose itself, believe in the body."

  The high-ranking officials of the National Government no longer dared to underestimate Director Sheng. The distant Xinjiang not only transported aid materials to the mainland but also brought the way of governance and health preservation techniques. Of course, this secret was limited to a small number of high-level personnel. This was enough, and Director Sheng was very satisfied. Thinking back to those years sitting on a cold bench in Nanjing, it seemed like a different world.

  The days of contentment are very short. Qiu Yufang's eyelids kept twitching. She told this ominous sign to the supervisor, and at first, he didn't take it seriously, thinking that women were always nervous and suspicious. However, his wife's wisdom was evident to all, and many unexpected dangers had been averted under her guidance. The supervisor's eyelids also started twitching now.

  The supervisor sat in his office, and no one came to see him for the entire morning. Just as he was about to hold on a bit longer, footsteps echoed from the corridor, and the supervisor suddenly became spirited. According to the unwritten rules, anyone entering the supervisor's office had to knock three times, enter with their back to the door, take a few steps back, turn around, and report. After finishing the report, they would also back out of the door before turning around outside the door. In the supervisor's drawer, there was a handgun with bullets loaded, and when listening to his subordinates' reports, one hand gripped the gun handle. The tall office desk blocked half of his body, and his subordinates were unaware of these mysteries.

  Just as his hand grasped the gun handle, that person pushed open the door. It was his sister Sheng Shi Tong, the most beautiful girl in Di Hua City, and also the young sister he had liked since childhood. The supervisor almost pulled the trigger.

  "What's the point of running to the Education Bureau if you don't study properly?"

  "I'm already 20 years old and still in high school."

  "Then go to Xinjiang College."

  "Brother, you're pretending to be ignorant, I finished self-study of Xinjiang College's courses last year."

  "Then go study in the Soviet Union."

  The big brother treated the little sister as a treasure, and the hand holding the gun also relaxed, smiling very warmly, revealing white teeth. The little sister was not shy at all, her head leaned against her big brother's ear, her face turned red first, hot like charcoal.

  "The Soviet Union is just like Sun Yat-sen University, what good teachers. Brother, I'm telling you, Mr. Wang from the Anti-Imperialist National Salvation Association is a talented scholar, listening to his lectures is simply an artistic enjoyment, even Director Du can't compare to him."

  "Du Chongyuan is a traitor and a spy for Wang Jingwei, how can he be compared to Mr. Wang? Mr. Wang is a theorist of the Communist League, not a full-time teacher."

  "Why can't we invite him to our home to give a lecture?"

  "Be your home tutor?"

  "You can also listen, sister-in-law, brother, both of you young nephews can listen too. Such a good teacher, others can't get it."

  The girl's momentum was like a raging fire, and her brother couldn't take it. "You little sister, who in all of Xinjiang dares to treat me like this?"

  "Can't I pursue progress?"

  "It would be better if you went to his home. When Mr. Wang is not busy with work, take some time off to ask him for advice, but don't take up too much of his time."

  "You promised?"

  "Am I being bossed around? Am I a kid?"

  The older brother dialed Mr. Wang's office phone and said two sentences, only then was Shengshi satisfied.

  My eyelids have stopped twitching. Du Bao is puzzled and can't understand, it's clearly a bad omen. Du Bao couldn't even dream that the bad omen would fall on his sister's head. Qiu Yufang asked very detailed questions, the more she asked, the more violently my eyelids twitched.

  "Has little sister fallen in love with Mr. Wang?" Women always consider everything from an emotional perspective.

  "Mr. Wang is almost forty years old, talented and handsome, a typical Jiangnan talent, with such complex experiences, I'm afraid he has a big group of children?"

  "You don't understand women, when a woman likes someone, she won't care about these things."

  "Mr. Wang is a Communist Party member, the Communist Party is also good, ** is also good, they are all some special people, they only have revolution and faith, there is no space for personal feelings at all."

  "I'm not arguing with you, but why is my eyelid twitching so badly?"

  "Why didn't I jump? I jumped all day, little sister made a fuss, and suddenly it was quiet, nothing happened."

  "Don't be too confident, the Sheng family is all stubborn, isn't Old Fourth a good example? One trip to the Soviet Union and he became a die-hard communist." "Shi Tong is just a girl, girls are always more romantic, get a little hurt, cry a few times and it's nothing."

  Yu Xiushong, a member of the Communist League and one of its earliest leaders, had studied in Japan before attending Sun Yat-sen University in the Soviet Union. Before Wang Ming rose to prominence, Yu Xiushong had already openly exposed his opportunistic nature, earning Wang's resentment. Even Wang himself couldn't believe that he was so bad when Yu saw through him during his first speech at the university. As Wang's power grew, he became increasingly fearful of Yu. An old and experienced member of the Communist League, Yu was sent to the Soviet Far East region but rose again due to his outstanding talent and achievements, attending the regional party congress. Wang then had Yu thrown into prison, silencing him during the Great Purge. Despite this, Yu's meticulous and eloquent appeal forced even the KGB to acknowledge that he was a steadfast revolutionary. When Sheng Shicai took control of Xinjiang, allying with the Soviet Union and the Communist League, Yu Xiushong, now using the alias Wang Shoucheng, went to Xinjiang to lead the work of the Anti-Imperialist National Salvation Association.

  A refined Jiangnan talent, a resolute revolutionary, stood out in the remote city of Dihua. Before this, the people of Dihua had already experienced the cultural celebrities from inland metropolises, such as Du Chongyuan, Mao Dun, Sa Kongliao, and Zhao Dan, but their demeanor was overshadowed by Yu Xiushong and Lin Jilu, these revolutionaries. When Yu Xiushong gave his first lecture at the Anti-Imperialist National Salvation Association, it lasted four hours, and the audience forgot to applaud, forgot to cheer; only after a long time had passed, when they dispersed into the streets, did they suddenly enter a state of excitement. It was on that day that the young girl Sheng Shixiao's eyes widened in amazement, then slowly narrowed, her pupils becoming sharp as knives, yet weak and terrifying at the same time. The northern girl who grew up in the icy desert was sincere and dedicated. No matter when she came to Mr. Wang's office, he would always take out time to teach her, from social development history, Hegel's philosophy, Marxist theory, the history of the Communist Party, world history, Chinese history, Soviet literature, new Chinese literature, even music, painting, natural science, and the latest developments in chemistry, physics, and sericulture.

  "You even understand silk?"

  I am from Zhejiang Province, our hometown is a land of fish and rice, silk production. I studied sericulture in Japan.

  "After the Meiji Restoration in Japan, the sericulture industry surpassed that of China. Xinjiang is on the ancient Silk Road, and Zuo Zongtang brought Jiangnan's sericulture to Xinjiang during his Western Campaigns, but unfortunately, the yield was not high. The Uyghur people are very clever, and the quality of silk from Hotan Kashi is extremely good, even better than products from Jiangnan. Sericulture in Xinjiang has great development prospects."

  Mr. Wang took out silk from Jiangnan and compared it with Xinjiang's.

  "When you touch it with your hand, the texture is different. Xinjiang silk is smooth and has a certain elasticity, with a thickness similar to woolen goods. Jiangnan silk, on the other hand, appears too luxurious and not solemn enough."

  "You've been in Xinjiang for just a few years, and old Xinjiang people don't understand these things even after several lifetimes."

  "This is a magical place, I still had concerns before leaving Moscow. Chinese literati have depicted the Western Regions as desolate and terrifying since ancient times. Chinese literati are all world-weary and have a weak feminine mentality. Liang Qichao said that China has always been long on sentimental daughters and short on heroic sons, but the vast desert of the Western Regions needs heroic sons, passionate sons."

  "You're a northerner at heart."

  What shocked the world even more was that Mr. Wang dared to move earth on Tai Sui's head, and took out Director Qiu Zongrui's old father-in-law with a knife. Qiu Zongrui was the commander of the Dihua garrison, who forcibly occupied civilian houses in the most prosperous area of Dihua City, built private gardens, and acted like a feudal emperor. Yu Xiusheng exposed this in the Xinjiang Daily, and with the power of public opinion, investigated Qiu Zongrui, causing a sensation throughout the province.

  "Mr. Wang, you're too awesome! My elder brother doesn't even dare to mess with this old father-in-law of mine, and my sister-in-law is driven mad!"

  "Do you hate me? Commander Qiu is a relative of your family."

  "You think I'm someone who can be swayed by personal relationships? Revolutionaries must prioritize justice over family ties." "Then you shouldn't be so arrogant, revolutionaries handle matters impartially, it's their duty. Otherwise, they're derelict in their duties and unforgivable. The Six Major Policies were personally formulated by the Director, they are the fundamental policies for Xinjiang's development."

  Originally there were five major policies: anti-imperialism, pro-Soviet Union, honesty, peace and construction. After Yu Xiushong arrived, "people's livelihood" was added to become the six major policies.

  "The Republic drove out the emperor, and what rose up were the four big families. The suffering of the people far exceeded that under the Qing government. The future of Xinjiang will absolutely not permit any new feudal forces."

  "My elder brother did it this way, during the April 12th Revolution, the feudal lords of Xinjiang were completely eliminated."

  Yu Xiusheng couldn't say anything more. This simple girl, how could she see through her brother Yu's political tactics, which were rarely seen in the world? In Chongqing, Yan'an, and Moscow, he was always able to navigate with ease. Many talented and thoughtful people were deceived by him. He replaced the old feudal forces with new ones, using revolution as a cover, and his profits were immeasurable! There's nothing strange under the sun. The cunning Shengshi Cai had such a simple, kind-hearted, and beautiful sister, and also his fourth brother, who once accepted progressive ideas and became a true revolutionary - this was something that Yu himself could not have anticipated.

  Du Bao himself did not expect that his beloved sister Sheng Shi Tong and the iron-clad professional revolutionary Yu Xiusheng would produce a legendary love story. Everything was beyond Du Bao's expectation. Yu Xiusheng was busy with the revolution, until he was 37 years old this year, he had feelings for the opposite sex. After all, it was not the time of youth, and the determined revolutionary locked it in his heart.

  Once, Sheng Shi Tong flipped through Teacher Fan's bookshelf and found a photo in a precious leather-bound book. The first thing that caught his eye was a line of elegant handwriting: "My beloved, willing to be with you forever in sorrow and hardship." The girl in the photo was none other than young Sheng Shi Tong herself.

  This was a marriage that Stalin took an interest in, the Soviet Consul General in Dihua acted as matchmaker and personally sought out Sheng Shicai to discuss it, but Sheng firmly opposed it.

  "My sister is still young."

  "Stalin already knows about it, this is a new chapter in Sino-Soviet relations, you must consider it seriously."

  It's hard to insist on supervising anymore, let alone that sister is sincere. Supervision can only be done in bed, talking to Mrs. Qiu Yufang about her heart.

  "My little sister is done for, she will hate me to death."

  Qiu Yifang sneered, "What era are we in now? Still using that 'Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai' routine."

  "My little sister doesn't understand politics."

  "You're already twenty years old, not a little kid anymore."

  Politics is cruel. In 1937, the supervisor started a large purge for his own political purposes, and Yu Xiushong was arrested and imprisoned first. This kind of crime can only be handled by Moscow. Yu Xiushong knew what awaited him! He had been in prison several times before and managed to turn danger into safety, but this time it was different. Wang Ming and Kang Sheng made a political deal with Director Sheng when they passed through Dihua, framing Yu Xiushong as a Trotskyist. Before boarding the plane, Yu Xiushong said to his wife who came to see him off: "We can't make revolution and live together for a lifetime, I don't know when we'll meet again. You must remember, it's glorious to sacrifice oneself for the revolution."

  Yu Xiusong died in 1939 at the KGB headquarters on Lubyanka Square in the Soviet Union.

  She didn't hear the gunshot in the prosperous world. She remained devoted and waited for her husband's return. She hated her own brother, and from then on, she cut off all ties with him. She changed her surname to her mother's and renamed herself An Zhijie. An Zhijie left Dihua with her mother and moved to Yu Xiusheng's hometown in Zhejiang Province, where she began a half-century-long journey of searching for her husband.

  The little sister disrupted the governor's heart. The mother resolutely followed her sister. The governor's relatives were getting fewer and fewer, and his temper was getting worse and worse. His father-in-law's concubine had an affair with someone, and the governor executed this adulteress with a rare and cruel punishment, said to be by using horsehair to strangle her to death one strand at a time. During the execution, Qiu Yufang watched with relish and came back to tell the governor about it.

  "Darling, am I a bit like Daji?"

  "You're really good at making analogies for yourself."

  "What's wrong with Daji? I found those guards looking at me like that."

  "They're fed up."

  "They thought so but didn't say it." "It's even more terrifying to think this way than to actually do it."

  The supervisor started to think of a way to prevent people from having wild thoughts. It might have been a bit over the top, but one day the supervisor had diarrhea. The water the supervisor drank was the cleanest spring water brought by his father from the Water Mill Gorge. The supervisor personally interrogated him, and his father repeatedly defended himself: "I'm your dad, how could I harm you? I didn't even have such a thought." The old man still received a flogging. Because they were in a prison cell, the walls were covered with torture instruments, and the supervisor was so excited, it was such an atmosphere, that he grabbed the whip without hesitation and lashed out, beating the old man until he cried out for his parents and rolled around on the ground.

  His stomach had been hurting for half a month, and the once robust and majestic Du Bao was now as weak as a straw. That damned little sister of his had messed with his mind, and his old father had hurt his stomach. A good man couldn't withstand three bouts of diarrhea, and Du Bao's temper was flaring up again. Qiu Yu Fang stayed by his bedside day and night, and when Du Bao regained consciousness, the first thing he said was: "It's still Madame who treats me well, damn it, even my own family isn't worth anything." It seemed that Du Bao had completely forgotten about his little sister. Qiu Yu Fang cried, "I don't care about anything else, I just want you to recover soon."