Dictated: Zhou Qun.
Recorded on November 25, 2011.
I used to be a teacher at the Central School in Qiba Township, Dao County, Hunan Province. I am a native of Xingqiao Commune, Dao County, and my grandfather was an ordinary farmer who relied on a dozen acres of land to save money to send my father to school.
His father, Zhou Mo, called on young people to go to the front line during the Anti-Japanese War, and he signed up for the National Youth Army. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he stayed in Nanjing** Traffic Military Police Cory as a section chief.
I was born in 1936 in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. In 1949, I was 13 years old. Everywhere it was rumored that the People's Liberation Army was about to cross the river, and the "rumbling" of artillery could be heard in the distance. One day, my father suddenly rushed back from Nanjing in a panic and said to my mother and me: The communist army is about to cross the river, and there is a mess in **, and we have to run quickly. Mother said, "Where are you going to run?"The father said: Can you still go to **?The ticket to Taiwan is ten gold bars, and I can't change one, so I have to go back to my hometown Dao County. He also said: Daoxian is so remote, I don't think the Communist Party will fight there. Mother sighed and nodded. In this way, our family traveled back to our hometown of Dao County, Hunan Province, and rented a small room in the county seat. At the beginning, Daoxian was still calm, and the artillery fire was still on the far side of the Yangtze River. My father said to me, if only the war could not be fought, let's open a grocery store, and you should go and read your books. The war soon reached Hunan. Soon I heard that Hunan Provincial Chang Cheng Qian had "peacefully revolted";Then, the director of the Shonan Agency, Ou Guan, also prepared a "peaceful uprising". The Champions League and my father Zhou Mo had a friend in Nanjing, and in order to pull more "* power", my father was also called to Lingling to "discuss". On November 5, the Champions League telegraphed the uprising in 27 counties and cities in southern Xiangnan, saying: accept the leadership of the people. In this way, the father was "courteous" as an insurrectionist. On November 15, 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered the county seat of Daoxian County, and my father waved colorful flags to welcome the People's Liberation Army into the city. Who knows that things will change. One day, his father suddenly received a notice from the county ** that he should go to Hengshan for training. We were all nervous, he had "revolted", why did we look for him?Soon after, my father wrote from Hengshan, saying that everyone who came from the "old society" should confess the wrong things they had done to the party. In the letter, he said: I will strive to transform myself and keep up with the pace of the times. May 2, 1952, I remember this day vividly. At that time, I was studying at the Provincial Seventh Division in Dao County, and in the morning the school suddenly announced that all the students were going to attend the county's "sentencing meeting". Who is the verdict? Suddenly, I saw my father kneeling on the stage with a big tie up of flowers. Soon the judge was heard sentencing him and five others to "death"! The father, armed by several guns, was pushed off the stage, and the crowd immediately split up like a tide. Shout slogans: Suppress the counter-revolution! The father's eyes were still looking at the crowd, and it was obvious that he was looking for his relatives to come. But I have separated the crowd so far away, how can poor father see me? Soon, I heard the sound of gunfire ...... in the distanceAfter my father died, there were two major problems pressing us: the first was life. My mother can't lift her hands and can't carry her shoulders, 4 younger siblings, plus me 5 mouths to eat, how to feed? The second is mental depression. My father was shot, and according to the public security regulations, my mother and my siblings and I all became "relatives who were imprisoned and killed", belonging to 21 types of people, and our relatives were afraid of getting into trouble, and they all walked around the road when they saw us. At night, when my younger siblings were asleep, I saw my mother standing in front of the window**, and under the window was the Xiaoshui River, and I was really afraid that she would commit suicide. With tears on her face, my mother shook her head and said, I won't, as soon as I see you lying on the bed, I won't die, how can you live without me. Soon after, news came that my eldest brother Zhou Yuanzheng, who was in middle school, had been arrested for engaging in a "counterrevolutionary organization." To add insult to injury, what kind of "counter-revolutionary organization" is that? My younger brother and some children from poor backgrounds in the same class set up a basketball team, and they often use notes to inform them to practice and play in **! And they always use classical Chinese, and the vests they wear have a blue team emblem printed on them. The people who reported them said that the pattern on the vest resembled the emblem of the Kuomintang, and that the words on the slips of paper they were indecipherable, and that they were the "code words" of the counter-revolutionary joint. The eldest brother Zhou Yuanzheng was innocently sentenced to 20 years in prison in this way, and he didn't come out until the 70s. A teenager has been "transformed" into a little old man who is only willing to make promises and nods his head when he sees everyone. Fortunately, at this time, I graduated from middle school, and I was finally able to earn money to help my mother reduce her burden. I approached the county education department and asked for a job. At that time, there was a shortage of teachers in the countryside, and the education department finally gave up and agreed to make arrangements. But I was asked to go to the most difficult Hongtang camp. Hongtangying is a mountainous area of the Yao nationality dozens of kilometers away from the county seat, and there are dozens of miles up and down the mountain. The school is almost isolated. Letting a 17-year-old girl go into the mountains to teach, it's almost like distributing to the frontier. But what choice can I have? It's nice for people like us to be offered a job. Alas, things in the world are unpredictable, who knew that in the remote Yao Mountain, I would meet him, my first husband Jiang Hanzhen? Jiang Hanzhen was a tall, handsome, and talented young man. At that time, when I was in Daoxian No. 1 Middle School, I was very famous for playing ball and acting, and I also saw him on the stage, and I had a good impression. Jiang Hanzhen was born into a family of landlords. My father was killed in the battle of Huaihai. Originally, he had been selected to the army's art troupe, but because of his family's historical problems, he was "beaten" down and assigned to teach in the remote Yao Mountain. At that time, there were not many teachers in Hongtangying Primary School, and some of them still had families in the local area, so when school ended, the two of us were left in the school. In that isolated mountain, it can be said that "the same people have fallen from the end of the world", there is a special sense of closeness and dependence, and soon, we fell in love. At that time, I felt a faint sense of guilt about falling in love, why? My father just died, and my younger siblings are young. Jiang Hanzhen's ideological progress kept up with the situation, and enlightened me that people should not live in the shadows all their lives, but should live with their heads up. We are all young, and the future guided by the Party is bright. Now that I think about it, what a pathetic man. In 1959, I married Jiang Hanzhen. In 1960, we gave birth to our first child. At that time, there was a popular ** called "Lin Hai Snow Plain", and I was in the situation of ** at that time, so I named the first boy: Lin Hai. In 1962, we gave birth to our second child, a girl named Xueyuan, which of course means "Lin Hai". She also has a nickname: Little Girl. In 1964, we gave birth to a third child, a boy named Jiang Linsong. Why is it called "Lin Song"? I know that in front of the Moscow University in the USSR, there are two rows of tall and straight cedars. The best dream of my life is to go to the communist homeland once, and if I can't go, I hope my son can go to Moscow to go to university! 
Lin Hai is 5 years old and Lin Song is 1 year old. During that time, our family's life was harmonious and happy. The political struggle in society, the suppression of rebellion, and the opposition to the rightist movement have not yet reached our younger generation. Hanzhen and I often give open lectures at school district conferences, and every year we are rated as "Excellent People's Teachers", and we are very satisfied with the distribution of a fountain pen and a certificate of merit. I love the party very much. Unexpectedly, by 1965, when the whole country carried out the "Four Clean-ups" and began to clean up the ranks of the class, the situation changed. Originally, we thought that we were all under the age of 18 at the time of liberation, and we were not landlords, even if our parents did something "sorry" for the people, it was not our sin, and we never thought that the movement would engage us. In the second half of 1965, more than 100 teachers in our Hongtangying School District were summoned to the district to concentrate, and then to study the documents and engage in "self-revolution". What is "self-revolution"? It is to give heart to the party. Everyone looks back and examines themselves, and tells the story of "failing the party" and breaks with yesterday. In order to allow teachers to boldly "explain their problems", the party branch secretary announced three disciplines: no hats, no braids, and no sticks. Later, I learned that these were all lies. At that time, Hanzhen took care of a little food account at the school, and in addition to "confessing" that he was not patient with the students, he also handed over the account book to the leaders and explained the problem of "using oil for stir-frying vegetables without permission". I handed over a diary from my time as a teacher teacher to the leader. Unexpectedly, on the third day after handing over the "heart", the walls of the school district were plastered with big-character posters: "Landlord element Jiang Hanzhen is still sucking blood", "Qiwen Gong Appreciation: Excerpts from the reactionary diary of Zhou Qun, the filial son and grandson of the landlord class", ......Soon, there was a storm of criticism of our husband and wife across the school district. The "oil, salt, firewood, and rice" account of Hanzhen is said to be a "changing heaven account"; I copied *** quotations with a pencil, and it was said that "disrespectful to the great leader". The famous poems and sentences of Pushkin copied from my diary were said to be about "bourgeois restoration" and "hoping for the return of the emperor's rebellion." We were escorted to the stage and bowed our heads to *** and confessed our guilt", explaining the ...... of "reactionary thoughts" over and over againLater, when the two of us were cleared out of the school, I asked Jiang Hanzhen: We people are not suitable, just leave it behind, why do we have to hold so many meetings to criticize, fight, and insult us? Han Zhen's words made me feel a big deal: How can it be enough to just remove us? Use it to criticize us and educate others! In December 1965, the two of us were "cleared" by the school district and returned to our hometown in Jianghan Town: a small remote village called Xiaoluwo in the depths of Yaoshan Mountain. I still remember that it was a bleak morning, Jiang Hanzhen was carrying a load of luggage, I was holding a basket of miscellaneous items in one hand, and I was holding the snow field in the other. The year-old Lin Hai carried the 2-year-old Lin Song on his back. How uncomfortable it is for a teacher to be forced to leave his school and his students. And when our family walked out of the school gate, I couldn't see anyone coming to see us off. Back in our hometown, Jiang Hanzhen's original house had collapsed, and we borrowed a house from someone else to live in. The house was made of straw, and light could be seen in the cracks of the tiles, and when it rained, it leaked everywhere. We used straw to plug the leak in the roof, cleaned up the straw debris, and barely survived. As the population of the village increases, the people in the village will receive less rations, and of course the masses will not welcome us, and we must always look at people's faces. Fortunately, according to the regulations, you can still eat a year's national food, and a little settling-in allowance is paid. So in the beginning, life went on. In the blink of an eye, in 1967, when the "double robbery" was busy, our family was engaged in planting fields and cutting crops. In order to "behave well" and make his wife and children less discriminated against, the white-skinned and fine-skinned Han Zhen stepped on the threshing machine shirtless under the hot sun. I also rolled up my pants and went down to the field to learn to cut the crop; The three children also made arrangements: the little sister of the year old went to the field to pick up ears of grain; The year-old Lin Hai looked at a few cows in the team, and then led the little brother Lin Song. We are like oxen, with our heads bowed, our heads bowed, and we are at the mercy of "transformation". Han Zhen comforted me: We are here from the movement, and according to the party's policy, after the movement is over, we will have to correct the deviations, and at that time, we will be able to go back. But how can we control our fate? A vigorous revolution has arrived. 
In August 1967, the countryside of Dao County was blowing a sha-man wind of "land rich and anti-bad".
I remember very well that it was August 26, 1967, and it was already the middle of the night, and my three children and I were called up and escorted to the team's threshing floor. My husband, Jiang Hanzhen, was already there.
Torches were bright on the threshing field, and dozens of militiamen, armed with sabers and birds, escorted the village's landrich and their children up the mountain.
The little girl held my trouser legs, and Lin Hai carried Lin Song on her back. Lin Song was only 4 years old, so sensible, and he didn't cry, so he was escorted to a sinkhole (karst cave) with one foot high and one foot low.
At this time, I saw Tang Xinghao, the director of public security, jump onto a big rock and shout: "Now, on behalf of the Supreme People's Court of the poor and middle peasants of the brigade, I announce your death sentence!" ”
Then I saw someone holding a piece of paper and reading names. Call one, and the militia will drag a man out of the crowd, escort him to the edge of the sinkhole, swing a knife, or take an iron rod, and kick him under the sinkhole.
My husband, Jiang Hanzhen, was named by the third one when a militiaman hit him on the head and pushed him down the hole.
I'm the eighth! Poor for my three children, knowing that their mother was going to be executed, they called "Mommy" in tears
I coaxed them, "Don't move, Mom will be back in a while." ”
At that time, I still had a little fantasy in my heart, thinking that they were adults, and the children were here to accompany them, and they would not be children.
So I can't resist and cooperate with them in everything. I walked to the edge of the sinkhole and waited for death to come.
I just felt a cold wind in the back of my head, a hard thing hit the top of my head, there was no pain, the sky was spinning, and I didn't know anything......
I don't know how long it took, but I woke up with a shika body all over me.
Strange, usually, I'm afraid when I hear owls calling at night, but at this time, I sleep with a cold body, and I don't know if I'm afraid.
When I got used to the sinkhole of the black hole, I found my husband Hanjin! He's still alive, and besides, we have three of our children!
They didn't even spare the child!
After the 5 members of our family were thrown down, they didn't even die, they climbed together, and we met again in the sinkhole of the black hole!
For several days, without food or especially water to drink, we waited for death to ......I don't know how long it took for the terrible pre-death symptoms to appear.
The first one was the old Lin Song, who shouted and screamed desperately: "Mom, I want to drink water, I want to drink water!" "There was no water, so he hit me with his little fist and grabbed me by the hair.
I said to him, "Sleep, child, just fall asleep-".
Han Zhen had already passed out in a coma, and at this time, he suddenly stood up and said: "Sorghum, sorghum, a lot of sorghum .......""It turns out he's gone crazy.
He walked around on the shiver, stumbled, and suddenly fell down with a "plop", and there was no more sound.
Lin Song didn't move either. I touched his nostrils, and there was no breath, and strangely, I didn't have any sadness. Maybe it's because I think I'm going to die soon.
At this time, I heard Lin Hai muttering: "Mom, why don't I die yet, I want to die early, Mom ......."”
Hearing his words, my guts were shattered! Poor boy, you're only 8 years old!
The little girl died more slowly, and she wanted water to drink, so I groped around in the hole, and when I touched a small water pot, I fed her with water in my mouth.
Who knew that she drank the water, tilted her head, fell beside her father, and lost her breath.
I know, it's going to be my turn soon. I was calm, I pulled my husband, two sons and daughter over, and the four relatives lay down side by side. Quietly wait for death. On Huangquan Road, our family walked together ......
Unexpectedly, someone called my name on the hole above my head! It turned out that the 47th Army came down to stop the shaman, and I was rescued from the sinkhole!
After rescuing me, they asked, Mr. Zhou, are you going to **? One sentence brought tears to my eyes. The husband died, the three children died, and the home was gone. I'm alone, can I go!?
In November 2011, accompanied by reporters, I went to Maple Hill again and found the sinkhole. The entrance to the cave has been covered with large stones, and a "Maple Hill Elementary School" has been built next to it.
It's been 44 years, and it's overgrown and unrecognizable. But 44 years ago, the scene of a family's "meeting in the underworld" is still in front of me.
I involuntarily shouted: "Little girl, Lin Song......."Mommy has come to see you! ”
Later, I erected a tablet for them at the mouth of the Tiankeng, which reads: The tomb of the elder Jiang Hanzhen and his children Lin Hai, Lin Song, and Lin Xueyuan.
The inscription is: good wife, loving mother Zhou Qunli.
Editor's note: The original text is too cruel, in case of "harmony", please search for Daoxian Zhou Qun) by yourself