Chapter 31: Locked in the Sheep Pen

Blinding beams of light swept in from all directions, piercing through the shadowy woods and landing squarely on the faces of Du Ying’er and Zhou Yongxin. Du Ying’er’s clothes had already been half torn off by Zhou Yongxin, hanging loosely from her arms. One of Zhou Yongxin’s hands was inside Du Ying’er’s blouse, while the other was engaged in some furtive, suspicious movement.

Their appearance was utterly disgraceful, exposed for all to see.

“Shameless! Let go of her at once!” someone bellowed.

“You, comrade, cover yourself up now! Sneaking out here in the middle of the night for an illicit affair—how brazen you two are!” boomed another voice, full of authority.

“People like you must be sent to the countryside for several years of re-education—learn to be useful young people for society!”

“If all the promising youth were as obsessed with petty romance as you two, who would be left to build the nation?”

A chorus of scolding and reproach rang out. Zhou Yongxin was so terrified he nearly forgot his hands were still on Du Ying’er. Startled by the shouting, he quickly let go, raised his hands above his head, and crouched down, clutching his head.

“It’s not my fault! It’s not my fault! She made me come! She asked me to meet her here!” he blurted out in panic.

Du Ying’er, too, finally came to her senses. Her eyes went wide with disbelief as she stared at Zhou Yongxin, momentarily forgetting her predicament. Grabbing his collar, she demanded, “What did you say? Zhou Yongxin! Didn’t you promise to protect me for the rest of your life?”

“Why are you still not letting go? How shameless can you be, comrade?” someone shouted, cutting her off before she could finish.

Du Ying’er trembled in fright. Before she could react, seven or eight people swarmed around them. Three men twisted Zhou Yongxin’s arms behind his back and restrained him, while two women yanked at Du Ying’er’s clothes and grabbed her hair, saying, “Still clinging to a man at a time like this—didn’t anyone ever teach you any better? Come with us now!”

Du Ying’er had no idea where these people had come from. More pressing than the immediate danger was her shock that Zhou Yongxin’s first instinct was to distance himself from her and pile all the blame onto her shoulders.

Du Ying’er had no sense of how dire the situation truly was, for she had been well sheltered in the Zhong family all these years. Besides, she had something in her possession that could exempt her from being sent to the countryside. But Zhou Yongxin, who had spent years on the rough side of society, knew better than anyone what it meant to be caught by this crowd. His first thought was to disassociate himself from Du Ying’er completely and shift all responsibility onto her.

Du Ying’er and Zhou Yongxin were both frog-marched away, their arms forced behind their backs. Night had fallen deep by now, and Du Ying’er had no idea where they were being taken. Struggling and shouting, she cried, “Do you know who I am? Where are you taking me?”

Her anxiety and fury mounted, but she was no match for the two women restraining her. Accustomed to a pampered life, she was powerless to break free; their grip on her wrists was like iron bands, causing her intense pain.

She shouted, “Who are you? You’re not the police! Where are you taking me? Don’t think you can get away with this—I’ll report you for violence! There’s still law and order—”

Before she could finish, there were two sharp slaps.

One of the women restraining her delivered the blows, left and right. She leaned in close, and for the first time, Du Ying’er got a good look at her. She was fierce and menacing, with thick, black brows and eyes that glared like a bull’s. Her skin was rough and dark, only her teeth gleaming white.

Pointing at Du Ying’er, the woman said, “You think the police would bother with someone like you? You’re a disgrace to all women!”

“That’s right! Meeting a man for a tryst at night—I’m merciful for not beating you to death on the spot!”

“I advise you to shut up and behave yourself! I’ll give you one chance to contact your family. But if you keep making a scene, I’ll make sure you don’t leave here alive tonight!”

Though frightened, Du Ying’er forced herself to retort, “What right do you have to kill me? You’re not the police!”

The woman laughed.

“The police? Our Committee has nothing to do with the police! Do you think the police care about you? Trash like you deserves to fall into our hands!”

As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Du Ying’er’s fair, delicate skin. Her eyes narrowed—whether out of jealousy or something else, it was hard to tell. Suddenly, she reached out and pinched Du Ying’er’s cheek with her forefinger and middle finger, digging in with full force.

A scream tore from Du Ying’er’s lips. The woman had pinched her left cheek mercilessly, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her face, even making her scalp tingle. An overwhelming sensation of swelling swept through her senses.

After venting her anger, the woman finally seemed somewhat appeased. She pointed threateningly at Du Ying’er, “Shut your mouth! Screaming like that in the middle of the night—shameless! If you make another sound, I’ll swell up your right cheek too!”

Throughout Du Ying’er’s ordeal, Zhou Yongxin didn’t dare utter a word. He trembled, obediently subdued by a man who held his arms behind his back, head bowed in silence, frantically searching for a way out. His only hope was to shift all blame onto Du Ying’er. But simply claiming innocence wouldn’t convince these people—he would have to offer them something of interest, perhaps as a bargaining chip for his release.

Lost in his scheming, Zhou Yongxin was led along with several others to a pitch-black place. Meanwhile, Du Ying’er’s voice rang out again, “Where is this? Why does it smell so awful? It stinks!”

She instinctively pinched her nose, momentarily forgetting the pain in her face. Glancing around, all she could see were dark walls. She barely managed to stand before being shoved by a heavy hand, stumbling into a room so dark she couldn’t see her own hand in front of her face. The wooden door creaked shut behind her, and the group seemed to leave.

Only now, standing alone in the darkness, did real fear seize Du Ying’er. She called out tentatively, “Zhou Yongxin? Zhou Yongxin, are you there?”

But Zhou Yongxin seemed to have been locked away elsewhere. Strange, unfamiliar noises echoed around her, but none sounded like him. No one answered, no matter how much she called.

Then, suddenly, she heard the faint bleating of a sheep.

Only then did realization strike her—she was in a sheep pen! That foul, pungent odor was the stench of livestock!