Siheyuan: Fighting against the beasts under the pressure of the system

When Zhang Minghui passed by the Central Courtyard, he could still hear the excited expressions of the aunties and sisters. They seemed to be full of energy and were chatting happily.

After saying hello at the Intermediate Court, Zhang Minghui didn't stay long and went straight back to his home.

Doudou went out to play again. Recently, the girl's personality has become more and more wild. She never comes home until dark. After dinner, she runs out to play with the children in the yard.

With Cheng Siyu looking after them, Zhang Minghui felt relieved and didn't bother them too much.

Sitting on a chair in the living room, I made myself a pot of tea, and then flipped through the black notebook to see if I could find some useful information in it.

After flipping through it, Zhang Minghui was shocked to find that it was actually a diary that covered a very long period of time, starting from before liberation.

The diaries written before liberation were very short. They only briefly introduced the weather, the upcoming battles, and some uneasy feelings. They were all written in traditional Chinese characters with neat handwriting.

There is a lot of emotion for the army between the lines. One can deeply feel the reluctance, nostalgia, and the pain of losing comrades in the text.

There are even traces of tears.

The records are very short, without any long essays, just a few short lines. Sometimes, one article is written only after a month or two.

Zhang Minghui could see from Lao Wang’s bravery in battle, his remembrance of his comrades, and his anticipation for better days.

Seeing this, Zhang Minghui couldn't help but wonder, is this Lao Wang?

Then how did he become like this?

As he continued to read, Zhang Minghui's heart became heavy. He lit a cigarette involuntarily, feeling the constant changes in Wang Zhenxing's mood.

"In 1949, the whole country was liberated. After so many years of fighting, we finally won the victory. At this moment, I miss those comrades who died because they did not hold on to this moment."

"The troops are constantly reorganizing and dealing with work every day. I am a little tired of the troops working day and night."

"In 1950, the army leaders talked to me and wanted me to work in the local area because I had a good education and it would be easier for me to carry out work in the local area."

"Well, after fighting for half my life, it's time to take a break. It would be best if I could find a leisurely job."

"I was transferred to the Grain Management Office and became a section-level cadre there. The heavy workload was overwhelming. I had to deal with big and small matters every day. It often caused me to suffer from insomnia."

"It's much more tiring than being in the army. This is not the life I want."

"A distant cousin of mine came to me. He wanted to establish himself in the black market and hoped that I could support him. I told him that we could talk about it after we conquered it."

"I didn't expect that he was very capable and really took down the black market. He also said that he would give me 60% of the share and asked me to help look after the black market."

"I found an old comrade from the Public Security Bureau and asked him to help take care of the child. In the first month, I received more than 700 yuan, which is more than ten times my salary."

"In 1951, my work was in order, but I was at a loss. I had been fighting for half my life, and I was tired. I just wanted to enjoy life and not be so tired anymore."

"I had a brief conversation with my elder brother, but he scolded me, saying that I was not politically firm, had lost the spirit of hard work, and had a tendency to indulge in hedonism."

"When I got home and sat in the study, I felt that what my elder brother said was wrong. He shouldn't have accused me like that. I have fought for the country for half my life and shed my blood."

"I have never given up. What right does he have to blame me like this? I deserve these treatments. They are restricting me. There is no freedom here. I want to go to a place where I can be free."

"Live a free and comfortable life without endless work and meetings."

"In 1952, my earnings on the black market were increasing day by day. I was saving more and more money, but I was getting more and more anxious. I had no place to spend the money. I didn't dare to spend it."

"Looking at the banknotes lying there, I could only sigh."

"I also have inner worries. My wife was transferred to the Grain Bureau with me, and she works in the same unit as me. If she finds out, will she report me?"

"In 1953, I wanted to live outside and didn't want to stay on this land. I didn't want to hide my money carefully anymore and didn't dare to spend it."

"I bought a small courtyard. The cellar is very secret. No one will find it. I wrote down everything I wanted to say. I was in so much pain. I didn't even have anyone to communicate with."

“I want to go to a place where I can live freely.”

"I want to go to the United States, which is the freest country in the world right now. I will definitely live the life I want there."

"But this amount of money is still too little. I want to earn more money, enough to live a worry-free life for the rest of my life."

"In 1954, I became the deputy director of the grain station, cooperating with the leader and managing the warehouse. The leader was very busy, so the warehouse was always under my jurisdiction."

"I discovered that Wang Wenzhong was dealing in grain from the Grain Administration Bureau and surrendered to me. I did not report him and was planning to use him to steal grain from the Grain Administration Bureau and resell it on the black market."

"This way no one will catch me, and if anything goes wrong, he will bear the consequences."

"In 1955, I exchanged the money I earned for gold bars on the black market. This would be more convenient. I also need to make money for freedom!"

"......"

Seeing this, Zhang Minghui sighed, feeling sad for the betrayal of a revolutionary. As a soldier, he was extremely successful, fighting bravely on the battlefield, fearless of life and death.

Ideologically, he was degenerate and became a typical hedonist.

Zhang Minghui couldn't say much about this matter. There were many cases like his. It was human nature that not everyone could fight for their ideals to the end.

Some revolutionaries with weak wills always find various excuses to shirk their responsibilities.

But betrayal is betrayal, there is no doubt about that. Zhang Minghui thinks it is better to let the higher-ups handle this matter!

Zhang Minghui doesn't want to get involved in the incident of fleeing abroad.

In the next few days, Zhang Minghui put on makeup and handed the diary directly to the higher-ups for investigation. As for himself, he never showed up from beginning to end.

They had no idea where to investigate, but Zhang Minghui still went to Li Guoyong and told them to be patient for a while.

Zhang Minghui secretly went to the Grain Management Office twice and saw that the staff there all looked nervous and serious, so he knew that the higher-ups had already begun an investigation.

This incident caused a huge uproar. Not only was Wang Zhenxing investigated, but also his relatives and friends were implicated, and some old comrades were subject to various investigations.